elow: WWFM-radio, the region’s classical music station, made an interview before the concert and recorded the full concert. The radio interview with Dr. McMahan is near the beginning, after introductory remarks by the announcer and one interview. The concert itself follows his interview.

You can download the printed program at: 2014WCC.pdf

Dr. Robert Young McMahan was recently invited by Dr. Joe Miller, Director of Choral Activities at the Westminster Choir College of Rider University, Princeton, NJ, to perform in the WCC annual Christmas program, “An Evening of Readings and Carols”, at the Princeton University Chapel, for the evenings of December 12 and 13, for large sold-out audiences.

The chapel is of cathedral size and has an audience capacity of almost 2000 people. He accompanied a sextet of singers in Benjamin Britten’s “Friday Afternoons, Op. 7, no. 5”, “A New Year’s Carol”; played a full introduction to Malcolm Sargent’s a cappella arrangement of “Silent Night”; and played a solo, “Prelude and Sarabande”, for accordion, by George Kleinsinger, which is an AAA commissioned work. 

Dr. McMahan commented, “Its meditative, rather wistful mood and use of modes made it an ideal interlude for a Christmas program of this sort. This was a truly heady experience for me in that the classical accordion was exposed to some 4,000 people, mostly of educated backgrounds who have known nothing of the accordion in this capacity. 

I received multiple compliments from many people, including the Chapel organist, a noted artist, who was amazed at the accordion’s capabilities and unique idiomatic qualities. This may well be the largest audience of non-accordionists who like classical music but have not heard the instrument in this capacity for which I have ever performed.

Though the Kleinsinger is a late intermediate-level, 3-minute piece, and certainly not highly virtuosic, it demands mature interpretation and beautifully displays the accordion’s lyrical and song-like qualities.  In short, the situation for this concert was perfect for the accordion and this particular selection.”

Next performance by Robert McMahan is in a one-act opera in which accordion is used throughout. Performances are January 9 and 10, 7:30 PM, with the Princeton University Opera Theatre, Gabriel Crouch, conductor, David Kellett, director, in the University’s Richardson Auditorium, 68 Nassau St, Princeton, New Jersey.

The opera is “Tobias and the Angel” (an Old Testament story), by the English composer Jonathan Dove. The first half of the evening will feature Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and the second half will present Tobias and the Angel, in which he will be playing. 

Dr. Robert Young McMahan, DMA is a Professor of Music and Coordinator of Music Theory Studies, Music Dept. of The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). He is also Secretary of the AAA.

For further information: grillmyr@gmail.com