Apr 4, 2003 By Frances Borsodi Zajac 5 min read

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart didn’t receive credit at first for the beautiful “Requiem’ that will be performed as the final concert in the Asbury Festival Recital Series’ inaugural season. The Asbury Festival Choir and Greater Uniontown Chorale will perform the piece together at 7 p.m. on Palm Sunday, April 13, at Asbury United Methodist Church, located at the corner of Beeson and Dunbar streets in Uniontown.

“The summer before Mozart died in 1791 he was commissioned to write a Requiem Mass. He became obsessed with it. He was ill, and he believed this would be his final work and probably his requiem,’ said William M. Dreucci, music director of both the Asbury Festival Choir and the Greater Uniontown Chorale, as well as co-coordinator with James Hutchinson of the Asbury Festival Recital Series.

It was.

Mozart never finished the requiem, however, Dreucci pointed out. His widow took the piece to a student named Sussmayr who finished it. If Mozart had finished the piece, however, Dreucci noted that he still might not have received credit as the count who commissioned the work wanted to have it performed and take credit himself. Nonetheless, Dreucci said, in 1800, Mozart received the credit he deserved.

“It’s a beautiful work,’ Dreucci said. “Mozart was a very prolific composer but had not done many choral compositions. This is one work that everybody identifies with.’

“All of Mozart’s music showed his sense of humor,” Dreucci continued. “His music was generally happy. And you find strains of that even in his requiem.’

This is the second time that the Greater Uniontown Chorale has performed Mozart’s “Requiem.’

The first time was in 1997 at the State Theatre Center for the Arts. That performance included a few instruments and some local soloists.

“This time we’re using a full professional orchestra and four professional soloists,’ Dreucci reported.

The musicians playing the strings are members of the Westmoreland Symphony, Johnstown Symphony and McKeesport Symphony.

The woodwinds and brass are local professional musicians that include several public school educators, such as Dane Shultz, band director for Connellsville Area High School, who will play the clarinet; Richard McCoy, retired band director for Laurel Highlands High School, who will play the bassoon; and Jim Miller, current band director at Laurel Highlands High School, who will play timpani.

The soloists include soprano Amy Stabnau of Pittsburgh, who performed the “Requiem’ with the chorale in 1997 and is a member of the Pittsburgh Opera Outreach Program. She is currently doing outreach with “Madama Butterfly.’

Mezzo-soprano Lisa Brovey Kovach, a native of Monessen, has performed on numerous occasions with the chorale and is on the voice faculty at Point Park College and California University.

Tenor Yugo Ikach of Pittsburgh is a graduate of Peabody Conservatory of Music and is a doctoral candidate in voice performance at West Virginia University.

Base Peter Lightfoot of Morgantown is on the voice faculty at West Virginia University’s Creative Arts Center and has sung with the chorale on two other occasions.

Dreucci will conduct the performance, which is sung in Latin. Joanna Ball of Connellsville is accompanist for the chorale. The performance will include 40 to 45 singers who are from Uniontown, Connellsville, Fairchance and Centerville.

Dreucci noted this performance is being dedicated to the memory of Terry Martina of Brownsville, a long-time member of the chorale who died two weeks ago.

Asked how the new recital series came about, Dreucci explained, “We have been running for the past four years, a mini-Lenten recital series. We still have it this year. We talked about having a bona fide subscription-based recital series with top names. In this first season, we realized we couldn’t bring in four top names because it’s cost prohibitive. But we did bring in two top-name organists and activated the Asbury Festival Choir and brought in professional musicians to augment these.’

The first concert in the series was performed in October and featured Gordon Turk, organist at the Historic Auditorium in Ocean Grove, N.J. The festival choir performed “Saint-Saens Christmas Oratoria’ at the end of November with harp and professional soloists.

Frederick Swann, organist emeritus at the famed Crystal Cathedral, performed in March. Swann, who is seen by more than 200 million people weekly on television, gave the concert as part of his farewell tour.

“We decided to end with a major choral work and decided this was the right time to bring the forces together,’ Dreucci said. “Asbury is gracious in allowing us space. Asbury’s acoustics are among the best in the area for this performance. And the ambience with the beautiful Tiffany windows and appointments make a beautiful setting.’

He also noted that Mozart’s “Requiem’ was selected to be performed on Palm Sunday because “it is an excellent prelude to the events of Holy Week leading up to Easter.’

Dreucci deemed this “a good season’ and said plans are already in the works for next year.

“We are already considering a piano-harp duo for next year plus an organist and probably one major choral work. The third offering is still up in the air,’ Dreucci said.

Meanwhile, tickets are still available for the Palm Sunday concert at Fayette Chamber of Commerce, Ellis Music Store, Window Designs by Lydia and Judy’s Do Re Me Shop, all in Uniontown; White Picket Fence in Hopwood; Amend’s Jewelry at the Uniontown Mall; and Atkins Music Store in Connellsville.

Tickets must be purchased by advance sale. But tickets will be sold two hours before the performance at the Dunbar Street entrance to the church. Group discounts are also available by calling 724-557-1119.

The performance is expected to last about 50 minutes.

A reception will immediately follow in the church social hall, where patrons can meet the performers. The church is handicapped accessible.