Leaving on a high note: Utah Symphony conductor says musical goodbye
Review » Concerts mark end of the Lockhart era in Utah.

By Catherine Reese Newton

The Salt Lake Tribune

And it was good.

Keith Lockhart closes out his 11-year leadership of the Utah Symphony this weekend with performances of Leonard Bernstein's monumental "Mass: A Theater Piece for Singers, Players and Dancers." Lockhart and his cast -- nearly 250 in all -- scored an emotional and musical knockout on Friday. Yet what was most striking about this grand spectacle was how little it was about Lockhart.

Bernstein poured heart and soul into "Mass," commissioned by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis for the 1971 opening of the Kennedy Center. (In an interesting coincidence, Friday would have been John F. Kennedy's 92nd birthday.) The work is so overwhelming, so over the top, that the audience has little choice but to embrace it. It's a communal experience that uses the Roman Catholic Mass as a jumping-off point; if you aren't at least loosely familiar with the liturgy, reading the libretto beforehand is a good idea.

Tenor John McVeigh gave a stunning performance in the central role of the Celebrant; his "mad scene" toward the end of the piece was mesmerizing. The 12 soloists comprising the Street Chorus -- Ginger Bess, Robert Breault, Christopher Clayton, Michael Deleget, Cynthia Hanna, Lisa Hopkins Seegmiller, Heath Huberg, Robin Leigh Massie, Derrick Parker, Brent Turner, Jamie Van Eyck and Chanel Wood -- gave heartfelt, cleanly characterized performances; choirboy Jonathan Savastano was outstanding in his crucial scene. (Stage direction was by Michael Scarola.) Other Madeleine Choir School choristers sang impeccably, as did the Utah Symphony Chorus. The six dancers, choreographed by Patrick O'Neill, shone in their integral role.

Throughout the evening, Lockhart was a steady presence in the center of the commotion, leading the orchestra in a taut, stirring performance of Bernstein's wildly eclectic score. The conductor looked emotionally spent and a little dazed at evening's end, as Scarola pushed him forward to accept a hearty ovation from the capacity crowd. Well done, maestro.