Kathleen Battle Tickets

Kathleen Battle brought such a high level of art and artistry to the stage I can hardly find words adequate to describe her voice and presence. This concert was magnificent if not magical. Battle’s voice linked to the glee clubs of Morehouse and Spelman made for an utterly unforgettable evening that awed me and filled me with joy. Ms Battle was so kind and gracious to the students. What a marvelous opportunity of lifetime for them to perform with an artist of Battle’s stature. Bravo to ASO and all who made this amazing program possible. Thank you!!!

The concert was great. The online seating chart at ASO is not clear that the back row of the dress circle is against a wall. Had I known that I would have most likely opted for a front row of the balcony. It was very difficult to hear Kathleen Battle. She was not mic'd - which might have been a good thing when she hit those top soprano notes, but the whole rest of the time made it hard to hear her. She stood at the very front of the stage and it must have been right at the edge of where the acoustics "work." The orchestra was great and the Spellman and Morehouse College glee clubs were excellent. Could hear them just fine, but they drowned her out - unless you were in the first couple of rows on the main floor. Overall the experience was wonderful. The narration that went along with the songs was excellent and I would recommend this event to others. I think my critique has more to do with the venue than the concert itself which is why this rated as a 3-star. I'd rate the concert 5 stars.

The program with Kathleen Battle, the ASO and the Morehouse and Spellman Glee Clubs was wonderful. More than just the music, it opened my eyes to the relationship between spirituals and giving directions for the Underground Railroad.

Great performance by Kathleen Battle, Spellman, Morehouse, ASO, and all involved.

***FYI- My nickname (Zero Stars Is My Rating) was created 4 years ago after an enormously disappointing experience at a Bruce Bruce concert in Albany, GA. We thought we were attending a clean, family-friendly comedy show which was not the case! Since then, I’ve tried to change it, but I’ve not been able to do so. Clearly, this nickname does NOT apply to Ms. Kathleen Battle, The ASO, or The Morehouse College and Spelman College glee clubs!!! They are EXCELLENT!!!*** The Kathleen Battle ensemble which chronicled the Underground Railroad abs featured The Morehouse College glee club and The Spelman College glee club was absolutely phenomenal!! It was a beautiful tribute to the plight of African-Americans and a true testament to our strength and fortitude as a people! It also highlighted that we are ONE family, each and every one of us, as children of God! We are brothers and sisters in Christ, and this supersedes race, socioeconomic status, and political party affiliation!!! Praise The Lord, and bravo to Ms. Kathleen Battle and the HBCU college glee clubs for such an excellent performance!!!! This show is a MUST-SEE for all!

Beautiful voice and Beautiful music. Mr. Chestnut wasn't always following Ms. Battle, and she mentioned their different backgrounds, but the concert was still beautiful.

Battle was a petulant diva, stopping the performance at one point to correct her accompanist. It apparently was more important to her to show she could dominate Mr Cleveland than to live up to her responsibility to entertain and transport the audience. What a shame. In this great venue, she missed the point.

Sad little recital. Cyrus was more on display then Kathleen. The choir could have been better integrated into the program. What a steep fall for Kathleen , a woman I really adored. I'm not angry,just sad,just sad. She seemed unfocused and amusing.

For those of us who went for the opportunity to hear Kathleen Battle, this event turned out to be that and much more. It was an impressive and carefully planned program of spirituals and the spoken words of Frederick Douglass. Ms. Battle never disappoints and with an inspiring pianist, Cyrus Chestnut, and the McNeil gospel chorus, there was a perfect blend, and each lovely in solo. Ross Hall is beautiful and their staff was beyond helpful. Last but not least, the enthusiastic audience felt warm and friendly.

Kathleen Battle remains a remarkable music gift to the world. It was thrilling to hear her versatility and depth of emotional conveyance of the genre. The pianist is well-groomed in his craft, but at times forgot that he was the accompanist. He is a fine jazz soloist and masterfully excels in that capacity, but his function as accompanist should have been more supportive. The choir was excellent and blended well with the soloist Overall, this was a superb evening of musical performance.

Ms Battle is stunning and her voice flawless. Unfortunately the lack of microphone use In a noisy concert hall resulted in a drowned Muddled gospel choir and über subdued rendition In operatic overtones of stunning spirituals.

Wonderful evening. Amazing and inspired singing and piano playing. Ms. Battle was superb, as was the choir and the pianist.

I am a long-time fan of Miss Battle. She is still in fine voice. Her emotional interpretation of the spirituals was compelling. The Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers were also in top form. The jazz-oriented pianist, however, bothered me. The melding of the idioms simply did not work.I especially enjoyed (1)Lord, How Come Me Here with the plaintive, mournful humming dirge of the chorus accompanying Miss Battle, (2))the acapella offerings of Battle and chorus,(3)Balm in Gilead with Battle and the 4-part female harmony sextet. With Mr. Chestnut's playing, however, there were times when I had to wonder who was accompanying who? I have a video buried somewhere of Battle and Norman in joint spiritual presentation at Carnegie Hall. I don't recall whether there even was a piano, which is as it should be. He's Got the Whole World in HIs Hands was light-years away from Marian Anderson's interpretation many, many years ago. Mr. Chestnut's playing converted it to a pop-piece. That was unfortunate.

Ms. Battle needs to use a microphone. Her voice is beautiful but slight. There were too many mini intermissions when she went offstage for reasons unknown or the pianist went off stage to get her beverage. This was not amusing or professional. The choir carried the concert I would go anywhere to see them again

Kathleen Battle was wonderful. Her pianist, Mr. Carpenter was spectacular. He enhanced the program enormously, as did the Jubilee Choir.

This performance could/should have been a five star event. However it was apparent that the performers & audio technicians failed to perform a pre-performance sound check. The readings & voices of the Jubilee Singers were muffled and barely audible. Ms. Battles' voice was beautiful but muffled, the lyrics barely discernable. Those factors notwithstanding, Mr Chestnut's performance was outstanding and the piano audio of excellent quality.

The pianist Cyrus Chestnut spoiled my mood for anything spiritual with his overpowering banging on the piano. The dissonant chords , change of beat, and often overwhelming the tune compleatly, did not contribute anything to the concert from my perspective. I did enjoy her (Battle) voice (dispite the fact I was on the right of the stage, and could not hear very well as she mainly sang to the piano player, and people on that side of the hall), and I very much enjoyed L.A.’s Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers. When it was just Battle, and the Jubilee Singers, it was heaven--they didn't need a piano at all, especially not an out-of-place-clanger like Mr. Chestnut, played.

The Art of The Negro Spiritual=>Los Angeles, UCLA, Saturday night. Resounding wonderfully..especially when a cappella... Kathleen BATTLE,Jazz Pianist Cyrus CHESTNUT and the legendary Albert McNeil Jubilee Singers with Dr Mc Neil@90 years young.... offered a terrific night to remember. To hear Kathleen Battle.... a cappella in 2012... as luminous as her legendary 1990 Carnegie Hall concert with Jessye Norman was truly an experience I will remember for years... On a personal note, it was my third time to hear her in Southern California since 1994. Each time was a golden memory. The first was a presentation of The Philharmonic Society of Orange County at Segestram Hall, the second at The Cerritos Center. I have met Ms Battle each time back stage..... and she was then and on Saturday night..... so so gracious.... I was fortunate to be in the company of a composer/arranger friend of Ms. Battle, Jacqueline Hairston, whose arrangements Ms. Battle featured. Ms. Battle sang Fix Me Jesus, which our mutual friend, countertenor Darryl Taylor will sing at the very special Carnegie Hall event on Feb 19th showcasing the gifted arrangements of Jacqueline Hairston .cousin of the legendary, Jester Hairston and 300 singers from churches nationwide who will create this historic moment. Like many of her loyal fans who came out in droves, I am so proud of her to continue to SHINE so brilliantly. Kathleen Battle will always be a very special jewel for me...as she was for my late parents, Reverend John Nelson Doggett and Frances Doggett.

Kathleen Battle's perfomance was enchanting and delightful. I regret not inviting friends to the performance. The singers/pianist who accompanied her on stage added to her performance, and added value. I sincerely felt the price I paid for admission was well worth it when I left Royce. I can't always say this when I leave the Music Center Downtown.

I had huge expectation coming to the show because of Ms. Battle's reputation. I was disappointed and thought it was unacceptable that she was using a music stand and read and shuffled papers throughout the program. There were signs especially during the first half of the program that she & Mr. Chestnut were not sure about the repertoire or order of the line-up. Having a break during the program to get Ms. Battle's water was unprofessional at their level. This happened twice! You can expect this for artists of lesser stature and not at UCLA Live. I was really surprised because of the caliber of these two giant artists. I thought that the whole act was under prepared. There was a part where the choir missed their time to come after Mr. Chestnut's (granted) grand and can be confusing piano solo. Given the above, no one can deny the beauty and rarity of Ms. Battles instrument. Her interpretation of the material when she was not reading from the music sheets was impeccable. For her mid and high voice (one of a kind!) we could clearly hear her from the back but for her low notes it was challenging. I believe it would be more effective if there was an ambient mic so that the little nuances of her chest voice and lyrics can be truly heard and savored. We could not hear the reading of the choir from the back as well. I was really surprised and disappointed by the unpreparedness by the cast, especially by Ms. Battle. I've seen shows at UCLA Live before and I expected nothing but the utmost professionalism and standard. I am also disappointed that at the level of UCLA Live, a sound check would immediately solve the challenge of not being able to hear from the back. You expect this mishaps at jazz clubs but not at a performing arts theater.