By Jim Lowe
Rutland herald
William Metcalfe was one of Vermont’s most important musicians — and most beloved.
Bill, as he was known to everyone, was best known as co-founder and conductor of the Vermont Mozart Festival and co-founder with his wife Elizabeth of the choral ensemble, the Oriana Singers. He passed away quietly in Shelburne on Nov. 22.
Bill was also a colleague and friend. I miss so much his erudite and witty responses to my reviews.
All this is pretty amazing when you realize that Bill, Toronto-born, came to Vermont in 1963 to teach history at the University of Vermont; his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees are in history. Still, he founded the UVM Baroque Ensemble in 1965, and was chair of the UVM music department 1973-78. (Things returned to normal: He was chair of the history department from 1980-87, and director of Canadian studies 1986-97 before retiring to emeritus status in 1998.)
Bill’s life changed as did Vermont’s when he co-founded the Vermont Mozart Festival (1974-2010) with oboist and concert artist manager Melvin Kaplan and UVM Lane Series director Jack Trevithick. From 1985 until its closing, Bill conducted major choral works, as well as instrumental works at the legendary festival.
Bill was quite simply an amazing conductor, and not just for a history professor. I remember so well his approach to J.S. Bach’s magnificent B Minor Mass in 2011 with his Oriana Singers (1970-2017). Although informed by historical knowledge, there were no eccentricities; tempos felt natural. But most importantly, he delivered the spiritual and musical essence of this masterpiece.
The largely amateur Oriana Singers were particularly fine, well-trained, cohesive and musically spot-on. Vocal soloists were culled from the chorus, some of them truly outstanding. The instrumentalists were professional, mostly Vermont Mozart Festival alumni. The result, save for Blanche Moyse’s New England Bach Festival (1969-2004) in Marlboro, was that Bill’s performances rivaled, if not excelled, any heard in Vermont.
“They’re a wonderful bunch of people,” Bill said at the time. “They take great pride in what they do — and they love to play in a collegial way which makes a conductor’s job really easy.”
Randolph soprano Marjorie Drysdale, who has appeared many times as soloist under Metcalfe and was a member for 16 years of the Oriana Singers, said while preparing Haydn’s “The Creation” with Bill, “I find him to be highly knowledgeable on matters of music history and interpretation — and a very jolly person to work with as well — jolly and friendly.”
Any discussion of Bill would be incomplete without his wife, a formidable harpsichordist and pianist. Also Toronto-born, Liz was trained at the Royal Conservatory of Music there, and was a member of the UVM music faculty for more than 30 years. Aside from accompanying Bill’s projects, Liz had her own performing career with the Vermont Contemporary Music Ensemble and the New York Chamber Soloists, with whom she toured the U.S., France, Spain and South America. Bill and Liz were awarded the Vermont Arts Council’s Walter Cerf Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts in 2015.
Bill and Liz have also created a legacy outside of Vermont. Their son, Burlington-bred Baroque violinist Scott Metcalfe, is music director of the Boston-based Medieval and Renaissance vocal ensemble Blue Heron, and a star in the East Coast period music world.
Bill humbly said of his conducting, “I know I can do some things well, and there are a lot I can’t do — maybe it’s knowing the latter that helps the former.”
Bill and Liz have made Vermont a better place for music. Everyone who knew Bill will miss him.
Jim Lowe is music critic and arts editor of The Barre-Montpelier Times Argus and Rutland Herald, and can be reached at [email protected] or [email protected].
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