Concert features baritone Leon Williams

By WAYNE BARRON

The latest offering in the current Border Concert series featured baritone Leon Williams in a superb show at Backus Auditorium. Accompanied by pianist Michael Fennelly, Williams thrilled the audience with his rich voice and personal charisma.
The April 4 concert opened with a trio of traditional spirituals, “Wade in the Water,” “There is a Balm in Gilead,” and “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho,” in which Williams demonstrated a depth of emotion that immediately won over his audience.
And Williams made sure that the musical tastes of just about everyone were covered. His repertoire included arias from Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” and Bizet’s “Carmen.” He sang show tunes from American composers Leonard Bernstein and George Gershwin. Many in the audience were left misty-eyed after his moving interpretations of “The Impossible Dream,” “Moon River” and “Unforgettable.”
In what turned out to be a concert within a concert, pianist Fennelly wowed the audience with three solo sets. His power and blazing speed were showcased in Brahms’ “Sonata No. 1 in C Major” and in two Chopin Etudes. But it was his electrifying performance of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” that brought the cheering crowd to its feet.
Williams was given a well-deserved standing ovation of his own before singing as an encore his personal testimony, a beautifully sensitive interpretation of the classic hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” It was indeed a fitting conclusion to a wonderful evening of great music.