Started by pianist Mark Irchai last year, Cherrydale United Methodist Church’s concert series has twice so far featured a group of up-and-coming opera singers under the banner of “The Passion Within: Stories of Desire from Stage and Song.” Their most recent performance in August proved an extremely enjoyable afternoon of opera solos and ensembles, plus some art songs.
The pianist for the afternoon was Tatiana Loisha, who did an excellent job collaborating with the singers. Each set of the program began with French repertoire. At the top, soprano Lika Bozhich and mezzo-soprano Madeline Manaker delivered the gorgeous Barcarolle from Les contes d’Hoffmann. Manaker followed with a fabulous ‘Chevelure,’ and then we were treated to ‘Beau soir’ sung by soprano Elise Jenkins. I really loved and appreciated Jenkins’ sincerity and purity of tone in this piece.
Ben Goodrich and Elise Jenkins
Completing the first set of French repertoire, tenor Ben Goodrich sang ‘Vainement, ma bien-aimée.’ This aria fit his voice very well, and I am so glad that this piece was chosen for the program. The only thing I would have loved more was for one of the high notes to be piano. Otherwise, this was a bold choice of repertoire that paid off.
For some Italian repertoire, Bozhich and Jenkins sang ‘Caro nome’ and ‘Donde lieta,’ respectively. Of particular note here was how Jenkins got to show off her lovely full lyric voice on “Donde lieta.” She hardly needed to do anything in order to keep us in the palm of her hand, making an especially good shift of mood at the appropriate moment.
After the Italian arias, it was time for some proper American musical theater. I loved Goodrich’s singing of ‘Maria’ from West Side Story, especially the dynamics. He could maybe have used the space more in terms of staging, but this was still a solid performance that would have been heightened if given all the trappings of a staged production. This was followed by the duet ‘Tonight,’ sung with Jenkins. This needed a different staging as it relied too heavily on stock opera postures, but their voices were good together and they handled the key changes particularly well.
Left to right: Madeine Manaker, Lika Bozhich, and Elise Jenkins
Opening the second half of the program was Manaker singing Carmen’s famous ‘Habanera.’ She did a great job indulging in her chest voice. I would have loved to hear more phrases carried through, but overall she hit her marks and used good acting beats.
Performing as a duo for the Lakmé flower duet were Jenkins and Bozhich. Here I thought the recitative sections could have flowed better, but the duet proper was beautiful. The only thing I felt would have enhanced this singing would be a softer dynamic.
For an Italian art song, Goodrich offered ‘La serenata.’ This piece showed off a rich voice with baritone notes, but I happened to like his French selections better. That said, it struck me that Cherrydale was a good acoustic space for his sound.
The highlight of the afternoon came with Jenkins’ singing of Tosca’s ‘Vissi d’arte.’ It was nothing short of sublime, to the point that I got chills listening to her. Beyond that, I loved her unwavering presence. I am excited to see where she goes in her career.
Though difficult to follow Puccini, Bozhich came through by delighting us with ‘Poor wand’ring one.’ Of all the pieces on the program, I felt that this one showed her best voice, and I liked that she chose not to cut the interludes that would normally be sung by the chorus. Afterward, Goodrich joined her for a duet from The Merry Widow, and it must be said how good it was to see them take the time to waltz at the appropriate moment. That dance is so important in the operetta and should absolutely be there, so kudos to them for going for it.
The only piece that seemed a little out-of-place on the program was the Bolcom art song ‘Over the Piano.’ Manaker clearly had command of it, but I was left wondering why it was programmed. Despite that, I would love to hear her do a whole set of Bolcom’s songs. Maybe next concert?
Finally, the entire group closed with the “Sing to Love” chorus from Die Fledermaus. This was not only charming but, I felt, a good closer for the program. And the music was followed by a delicious reception in the church parlor, making for a complete, satisfying experience.
This is a concert series that deserves a following, so keep an eye out and plan to spend an afternoon or evening with some great local artists making great music.
Maggie Ramsey
Cherrydale Concerts Presents: The Passion Within
Jacques Offenbach – ‘Belle nuit’ (Les contes d’Hoffmann); Claude Debussy – ‘La Chevelure,’ ‘Beau Soir’; Édouard Lalo – ‘Vainement, ma bien-aimée (Le roi d’Ys); Giuseppe Verdi – ‘Caro nome’ (Rigoletto); Giacomo Puccini – ‘Donde lieta uscì’ (La bohème), ‘Vissi d’arte’ (Tosca); Leonard Bernstein – ‘Maria,’ ‘Tonight’ (West Side Story); Georges Bizet – ‘Habanera’ (Carmen); Léo Delibes – ‘Viens, Mallika…Sous le dôme épais’ (Lakmé); Paolo Tosti – ‘La serenata’; Arthur Sullivan – ‘Poor Wand’dring One’ (The Pirates of Penzance); Franz Lehár – ‘Love unspoken’ (The Merry Widow; William Bolcom – ‘Over the Piano’; Johann Strauss II – ‘Sing to Love’ (Die Fledermaus)
Lika Bozhich, Elise Jenkins – Soprano; Madeline Manaker – Mezzo-Soprano; Ben Goodrich – Tenor; Tatiana Loisha – Piano
Arlington, VA, August 17, 2025
Top image: (L to R) Tatiana Loisha, Madeline Manaker, Lika Bozhich, Ben Goodrich, and Elise Jenkins
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Opera Singers Bring A Beautiful Addition to Cherrydale UMC’s Concert Series
Started by pianist Mark Irchai last year, Cherrydale United Methodist Church’s concert series has twice so far featured a group of up-and-coming opera singers under the banner of “The Passion Within: Stories of Desire from Stage and Song.” Their most recent performance in August proved an extremely enjoyable afternoon of opera solos and ensembles, plus some art songs.
The pianist for the afternoon was Tatiana Loisha, who did an excellent job collaborating with the singers. Each set of the program began with French repertoire. At the top, soprano Lika Bozhich and mezzo-soprano Madeline Manaker delivered the gorgeous Barcarolle from Les contes d’Hoffmann. Manaker followed with a fabulous ‘Chevelure,’ and then we were treated to ‘Beau soir’ sung by soprano Elise Jenkins. I really loved and appreciated Jenkins’ sincerity and purity of tone in this piece.
Completing the first set of French repertoire, tenor Ben Goodrich sang ‘Vainement, ma bien-aimée.’ This aria fit his voice very well, and I am so glad that this piece was chosen for the program. The only thing I would have loved more was for one of the high notes to be piano. Otherwise, this was a bold choice of repertoire that paid off.
For some Italian repertoire, Bozhich and Jenkins sang ‘Caro nome’ and ‘Donde lieta,’ respectively. Of particular note here was how Jenkins got to show off her lovely full lyric voice on “Donde lieta.” She hardly needed to do anything in order to keep us in the palm of her hand, making an especially good shift of mood at the appropriate moment.
After the Italian arias, it was time for some proper American musical theater. I loved Goodrich’s singing of ‘Maria’ from West Side Story, especially the dynamics. He could maybe have used the space more in terms of staging, but this was still a solid performance that would have been heightened if given all the trappings of a staged production. This was followed by the duet ‘Tonight,’ sung with Jenkins. This needed a different staging as it relied too heavily on stock opera postures, but their voices were good together and they handled the key changes particularly well.
Opening the second half of the program was Manaker singing Carmen’s famous ‘Habanera.’ She did a great job indulging in her chest voice. I would have loved to hear more phrases carried through, but overall she hit her marks and used good acting beats.
Performing as a duo for the Lakmé flower duet were Jenkins and Bozhich. Here I thought the recitative sections could have flowed better, but the duet proper was beautiful. The only thing I felt would have enhanced this singing would be a softer dynamic.
For an Italian art song, Goodrich offered ‘La serenata.’ This piece showed off a rich voice with baritone notes, but I happened to like his French selections better. That said, it struck me that Cherrydale was a good acoustic space for his sound.
The highlight of the afternoon came with Jenkins’ singing of Tosca’s ‘Vissi d’arte.’ It was nothing short of sublime, to the point that I got chills listening to her. Beyond that, I loved her unwavering presence. I am excited to see where she goes in her career.
Though difficult to follow Puccini, Bozhich came through by delighting us with ‘Poor wand’ring one.’ Of all the pieces on the program, I felt that this one showed her best voice, and I liked that she chose not to cut the interludes that would normally be sung by the chorus. Afterward, Goodrich joined her for a duet from The Merry Widow, and it must be said how good it was to see them take the time to waltz at the appropriate moment. That dance is so important in the operetta and should absolutely be there, so kudos to them for going for it.
The only piece that seemed a little out-of-place on the program was the Bolcom art song ‘Over the Piano.’ Manaker clearly had command of it, but I was left wondering why it was programmed. Despite that, I would love to hear her do a whole set of Bolcom’s songs. Maybe next concert?
Finally, the entire group closed with the “Sing to Love” chorus from Die Fledermaus. This was not only charming but, I felt, a good closer for the program. And the music was followed by a delicious reception in the church parlor, making for a complete, satisfying experience.
This is a concert series that deserves a following, so keep an eye out and plan to spend an afternoon or evening with some great local artists making great music.
Maggie Ramsey
Cherrydale Concerts Presents: The Passion Within
Jacques Offenbach – ‘Belle nuit’ (Les contes d’Hoffmann); Claude Debussy – ‘La Chevelure,’ ‘Beau Soir’; Édouard Lalo – ‘Vainement, ma bien-aimée (Le roi d’Ys); Giuseppe Verdi – ‘Caro nome’ (Rigoletto); Giacomo Puccini – ‘Donde lieta uscì’ (La bohème), ‘Vissi d’arte’ (Tosca); Leonard Bernstein – ‘Maria,’ ‘Tonight’ (West Side Story); Georges Bizet – ‘Habanera’ (Carmen); Léo Delibes – ‘Viens, Mallika…Sous le dôme épais’ (Lakmé); Paolo Tosti – ‘La serenata’; Arthur Sullivan – ‘Poor Wand’dring One’ (The Pirates of Penzance); Franz Lehár – ‘Love unspoken’ (The Merry Widow; William Bolcom – ‘Over the Piano’; Johann Strauss II – ‘Sing to Love’ (Die Fledermaus)
Lika Bozhich, Elise Jenkins – Soprano; Madeline Manaker – Mezzo-Soprano; Ben Goodrich – Tenor; Tatiana Loisha – Piano
Arlington, VA, August 17, 2025
Top image: (L to R) Tatiana Loisha, Madeline Manaker, Lika Bozhich, Ben Goodrich, and Elise Jenkins
All photos by Rebecca Burton