The Virginia Best Adams Master Class has been a continuous revelation of the educational outreach being conducted by Director David Gordon, self-styled "Ringmaster" of the classes. He is unusually well qualified to be in charge, what with his world-class performing reputation and equally world-class experience and background in the field of Baroque music.

He has greatly enlarged and deepened the knowledge, not only of the four young singers during the course, but also the awareness of an ever increasing audience. Those who have attended the six open sessions could hear and appreciate the growth so well demonstrated in the Friday afternoon "Master Class Showcase Concert" in Carmel's Sunset Center Auditorium.

Chosen from among 120 applicants, these singers are not amateurs or beginners. They are already pursuing professional careers and have extensive scholastic and musical backgrounds. Gordon's emphasis for them was "the difference between the singer as an artist, rather than someone with a beautiful voice who sings".

Twyla Whitaker, a soprano with an opulent voice of operatic scope, needed to learn to react to the musical situation of her selections. By concert time, she was well on the way to this goal. Her aria "Spielet, ihr beseelten Lieder" from Cantata BWV 210 by Bach was sung smoothly. She conveyed the joy of the text with a refined, controlled delivery. Her approach was spacious and refreshingly unstuffy while honoring the music. In contrast, her performance of the tragic, betrayed heroine of Handel's "Ottone" was completely engrossing in its depth of compelling emotion. She created and sustained an essential dramatic coloration with lovely well proportioned tone.

Counter-tenor Matthew White has an almost heroic vocal sound in a musical range where audiences are accustomed to the warm loveliness of an alto. As a result, he frequently displays an electrifying vocal quality. He arrived needing coaching in dynamic shading and also, in how to relax and open up his voice to its fullest potential. Friday he was in superior form. Singing two lengthy arias from "Splenda l'alba", a short cantata by Handel, he floated joyous, strongly virtuostic passages with effortless agility and demonstrated fine mastery of his material.

Robert McPherson has a powerful tenor voice. He made an exciting first impression in a brilliant Bach aria and later made great strides in projecting the meaning and drama of the music he chose. When he sang an aria from Bach's "Cantata BWV 78", the listener who had attended the work sessions could identify his sensitivity and ability to absorb suggestions and integrate them into his musical delivery. As he sang Handel's aria "Waft her, angels", it was like a lullaby, but pleading for his child's wellbeing. His tone was smoothly modulated and the emotional result was deeply moving.

Finally, baritone David Meyer flowered into a finished performer in the course of the session. He has a large, resonant and flexible voice. His aria from Handel's opera "Ezio" developed into a grand artistic entity. Opened up to the meaning of the text, he made the music breath-taking for the audience (not for him, though). The contrasts of mood and sense were a great pleasure to hear.

Daniel Lockert again provided unfailing high quality support to the vocalists during the class sessions and was the orchestral backbone of the concert along with members of the Festival Orchestra.

I am already looking forward to next year's Master Class which has added an additional dimension both to the Carmel Bach Festival and to my own musical enjoyment.