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The following article will be presented in two installments. Later this month, the KC Chorale will present a concert of music for double chorus. Looking ahead to that concert, Artistic Director Charles Bruffy gave a rare interview on February 27, 2009 to our choral/vocal writer R. Douglas Helvering.

If you have lived in the Kansas City area for any amount of time and love choral music, you are sure to know of the Kansas City Chorale and their artistic director, Charles Bruffy. Kansas City area residents are extremely fortunate to be living here in a time of great artistic activity and excellence, and running ahead of the pack is the vaunted Kansas City Chorale. The Chorale is performing its twenty-seventh season this year. Bruffy has been their conductor since 1988. Over the past twenty years, with Bruffy’s leadership, the Kansas City Chorale has cemented themselves as an ensemble with an international reputation and recognition for their innovative programming and highly consistent artistic achievement. The twelve men and twelve women who perform with the Chorale are some of this area’s best musicians. In the sure hands of maestro Bruffy, they are continuing to push the limits of the art of choral music in substance, style, and synthesis.

I had the rare opportunity to sit down with Charles Bruffy for an intimate conversation recently. Through all of his artistic accomplishments, he remains largely enigmatic to those in the arts scene. He doesn’t do many public appearances other than the Chorale’s concerts, and (like many of us) he values his private time. Music lovers would be interested to know that he doesn’t own an iPod (and doesn’t even want one) and enjoys listening to country-western music. When asked why he continues to live and work in Kansas City, he answered, “I love it here. I love the four seasons. I love the people here. If anybody is bored in this town, it’s their own fault.” As we sipped coffee at his residence in the south part of town, we discussed (among other topics) the Chorale’s upcoming concert, his artistic philosophy and choral technique, his recent Grammy win, his approach to repertoire, and his long-term goals and aspirations.

The Kansas City Chorale is undergoing final preparations for their next concert, which will be presented on Saturday, March 21 at 7:30pm at the Church of the Nativity at 119th and Mission Road in Leawood, KS and on Sunday, March 22 at 2 pm at Redemptorist Church at 33rd and Broadway in Kansas City. As of Saturday, February 28, the Chorale’s website still listed that the Phoenix Chorale would be joining them on this concert. Sadly for us in Kansas City, this will not be the case. It is quite expensive for an arts organization (especially in this tough economic climate) to bring twenty-four musicians via airplane for a concert, and the decision was made to not bring the Phoenix Chorale to Kansas City (as they are also traveling to Indiana and to New York City to present concerts this spring.)

In another change from what is posted on the Chorale’s website, Rene Clausen’s Mass will not be performed. The group still plans to prepare the work, but it will be performed (and recorded for release) at a later time. Though this is a let-down for Clausen fans, there will be plenty of other fantastic music on the concert. The Chorale partnered with UMKC’s Conservatory of Music last fall to sponsor a composition contest. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winning compositions will all be performed at the upcoming concert. Also on the concert is Jean Belmont-Ford’s The Day Is Done, set to text by Longfellow.

Charles Bruffy is one of the hardest working men in the choral art.

This season alone, he serves as the director of the Kansas City Chorale, The Phoenix Chorale (formerly the Phoenix Bach Choir), The Kansas City Symphony Chorus, and as the director of music at Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church in Overland Park. In addition to these responsibilities, he maintains an active schedule as a choral clinician and guest conductor all across the world. When asked how he manages to keep all of these choral “balls” in the air, he responded by saying: “Luckily, none of my groups are working on the same music. Last year we tried that (using the same programming in multiple ensembles), and it drove me nuts!” With so many groups, one might think that Bruffy could save some time and energy by overlapping his programming. He disagreed. “When all of the singers contribute, we have an immediate evolution into the identity of the piece. When we have sung the same songs in Kansas City and Phoenix, it has been interesting to lead rehearsals and then observe how the choir grabs onto the piece, onto the complexion of the piece. It’s quite tangibly different. One might think that with the same conductor it would be the same product, but I invite if not insist that the singers make a personal contribution, personally identify with, have affinity for, and take ownership of the end product.”

Not many directors have the task of leading professional ensembles and volunteer ensembles. Does a conductor’s approach change given the different type of ensemble? Bruffy answered with a resounding “no!” “Synchronizing…unifying…it’s all the same process,” he said. As a conductor, even though his schedule is quite busy, Bruffy put forth that the music itself is the easy part. It’s all of the outside organization that strains him most. “A conductor’s most important skill is just to listen and respond.” His level of expectation for all of his ensembles remains consistent, no matter what. “The most important thing about choral music or any music is that it communicate.” Finding the most organic way with each ensemble for that music to communicate is perhaps what Bruffy is best at achieving.

For more information about the Kansas City Chorale and Artistic Director Charles Bruffy, visit them on the internet at www.kcchorale.org.

Visit www.kcmetropolis.org next week to read the second installment of this interview with Kansas City Chorale artistic director Charles Bruffy.

By R. Douglas Helvering

Classical and Vocal Contributor (Past writer)

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