I’m here speaking with Craig Jessop, the director of the American Festival Singers. They’ve been traveling and performing in Washington D.C. and today we’re speaking to them just hours before their performance at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. Dr. Jessop, thank you for taking a few moments to speak with us today.
You’re welcome. I’m honored to be here.
First, tell me about this group, the American Festival Singers. I understand they are a smaller version of the American Festival Chorus?
It is. The American Festival Singers can be whatever we decide we need at the time. It can be a group as small as this, which I think we have – how many singers here – 12 singers from the group. We just did the St. John Passion of Bach and I had 24 singers. I’ve had as many as 60 singers. The American Festival Chorus is the parent organization and they’re all members of that and it’s about 220 singers when we’re at full strength.
Tell me about your performances in Washington D.C. just a couple weeks ago. What was your experience and how were the American Festival Singers received?
Oh extremely well. They joined other choirs from sea to shining sea forming a choir of about 300 in the Kennedy Center. It’s a great celebration. We collaborated with the United States Air Force Symphony Orchestra and they are part of the United States Air Force Band, of which I was a member for eight years when I had the Air Force Singing Sergeants. So it was a reunion for me. It’s the national Memorial Day concert in the Kennedy Center, Sunday afternoon. It is an elegant, very regal, very noble to America’s war dead and war heroes. I don’t think anyone that was there could disagree that it was a profoundly moving experience to be there and be a part of that great celebration. So, it’s been a great experience for them to sing in the Kennedy Center two weeks ago and now Carnegie Hall here. Two very different halls, I might add as well.
What have been your main goals for these performances in the past few weeks?
Well, the main goal is always excellence, artistic excellence. To do as high a performing level as you possibly can and to do it with great repertoire. In Washington D.C. the main event was the ‘Dona Nobis Pacem’ of Ralph Vaughan Williams, the great English composer. But we also did several American hymns and anthems including ‘The Battle Hymn of the Republic.’ Here, this is a concert entitled ‘Two Requiems.’ Our singers are doing the requiem of Gabriel Fauré which the American Festival Chorus did in Logan at the Ellen Eccles Theatre in March. There are 209 singers from all over the nation and other countries including Canada, France and Spain.
Wow. Performing in Carnegie Hall is no small feat in the world of music. How are you and your singers feeling about the program this afternoon?
Oh, we just completed our dress rehearsal and it went fantastic. I’m very enthused about the possibilities of a really terrific performance this afternoon. I’m feeling very good about it.
That’s Craig Jessop, the director of the American Festival Singers on the line from New York City. Dr. Jessop, thank you for your time.
You’re most welcome. Thank you.
Here's what three members of the American Festival Singers had to say about their experience:
Randy Wellbaum – Sang both in NYC and Washington D.C.
We had an absolutely wonderful experience in Washington D.C. Of course, with the cultural experience of all of the sites, but when you add that musical aspect that’s when the emotions really connect. Being able to be there in those spaces, as well as here in New York City, has been such a wonderful experience in such a professional performance hall and environment. We’ve had an absolute wonderful time. Just very glad to have these opportunities.
Rebecca Mickelsen – Sang both in NYC and Washington D.C.
What really impresses me is how Dr. Jessop can take people from so many different areas and so many different choirs and put them together into a unified voice. By the time we perform, and we have such little time to rehearse, he has created a unified choir. It’s miraculous.
Susan Barrus – Sang in NYC
I must say that stepping on the stage today at Carnegie for the dress rehearsal today was almost a religious experience. It feels very much like a cathedral, it was wonderful. And to have such an excellent dress rehearsal was so… to get goosebumps at a dress rehearsal is a good sign.