"Ol' Man River" from the musical "Show Boat" was supposed to be one of if not the highlight of Met star Morris Robinson's concert with True Concord Voices & Orchestra last weekend.
But on Saturday, Jan. 25, in the second of three performances, the African-American spiritual "Witness" stole the night.
With his rich, deeply nuanced bass that comes from a place deep in his soul, the imposing former All-American linebacker took us to church with that final refrain — "Yes, you'll be a witness for my Lord / My soul is a witness for my Lord."
We half expected Robinson and the 30-voice strong True Concord choir to start waving their hands and dancing around the big Catalina Foothills High School auditorium stage, or perhaps jump into the sold-out audience and get all of us on our feet praising along.
Honestly, the only thing missing from the tent revival-style performance as part of the 2020 Tucson Desert Song Festival was a shouted "Amen!"
This was the second time we've seen Robinson on a Tucson stage. He joined Tucson Symphony Orchestra for Verdi's "Requiem" in the inaugural song festival in 2013. In that performance, Robinson drew from the opera side of his storied career, that includes more than 150 performances with New York's Metropolitan Opera, appearances at La Scala in Italy and with some of the biggest regional companies and orchestras in the country and recital turns at Carnegie Hall.
Last weekend, he drew from his childhood, growing up the son of a Baptist preacher and singing in the church choir. In addition to several spirituals, Robinson, accompanied by pianist Michael Daphinais, sang Aaron Copland's "Long Time Ago," "Simple Gifts" and "At the River," effortlessly showcasing the full complement of his range, from soulfully deep to a lush midrange baritone.
True Concord's "America Sings!" also shined the spotlight on the professional choir in a series of classic American songs. They sang Stephen Foster's giddy-up gem "Oh! Susanna," the soulful "Gentle Annie" and a lush a capella version of "Nelly Bly" alongside several George Gershwin songs from the Great American Songbook including a sublime take on "Summertime" from "Porgy and Bess" and a toe-tapping, all-out-fun performance of "I Got Rhythm."
The 2020 Tucson Desert Song Festival continues through Feb. 16. For the schedule and more information, visit tucsondesertsongfestival.org
