The idea of art with a message can frequently be oxymoronic. Too often, the message eclipses the art. That was my fear going into VocalEssence's world premiere of "Kaddish" by Lawrence Siegel.

But "Kaddish" had a gravitas and an emotional immediacy that made even the familiar story of the Holocaust fresh and compelling.

Siegel's texts, based on accounts of Holocaust survivors, were fascinating. In the first section, "The World Before," he set the Holocaust in a social context that made the inevitable tragedy all the more horrifying.

In dealing with the Holocaust itself, Siegel did not overreach himself. He found the universal tragedy in the small details of individual lives. But then, in the third part, he moved beyond those events to explore the consequences of them for the survivors in the decades since.

This was not intellectually challenging or demanding music. But in its lyrical simplicity, it created an emotional connection to the story. That said, Siegel's musical vocabulary was not quite able to truly convey the sense of atrocity.

Of the soloists, bass-baritone James Bohn made the strongest impact, with characterful singing that created a number of vivid vignettes. Soprano Maria Jette, in the story of a survivor who returned to Auschwitz with her family, used her soaring soprano to convey the exultation of survival. Tenor Anders Eckman, a member of the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers, was a last-minute replacement, but proved himself to be very much in their league.

The concert opened with excerpts of Bernstein's "Mass," in a new "authorized concert edition." This presented the large-scale work in a more manageable arrangement. It also had the advantage of tempering some of the work's excesses.

Under Philip Brunelle's direction, this became a spiritual journey, an exploration of faith through a character struggling with his own. He molded Bernstein's mélange of musical style into a coherent whole.

Tenor Paul Garth Pruitt, another late replacement, had a strong, bright instrument and put forth a Herculean effort in the difficult role. With more rehearsal, he would likely have developed a more nuanced and effective characterization.

Jette took over some of his music. She was exquisite in "A Simple Song" and ethereal in "The Lord's Prayer." More than just beautifully vocalized, they were deeply felt, as if she were truly praying her songs.

Minnesota Orchestra will be doing the full-length "Mass" in January, but it will be hard-pressed to exceed the Vocal Essence Chorus' sublime performance. 

William Randall Beard is a Minneapolis writer.