-WESTMINSTER COLLEGE OF THE ARTS OF RIDER UNIVERSITY

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Hie Passing of the Year

Westminster Chapel Choir
Amanda Quist, conductor

Sunday, April 21, 2013 3 p.m. Bristol Chapel Princeton, N.J.

Program

I.

Sumer Is Icumen In Sara Andrusiw, soprano Rotala

anonymous (c. 1250)

Juris Karlsons (b. 1948)

II.

Rise Up, My Love, My Fair One

HealeyWillan (1880-1968) Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) Paul Ayers (b. 1970) HI.

Ave Maria

Ruth

MLK

U2 arr. Bob Chilcott (b. 1955) Llundon Lawson, baritone William Mosher, tenor

I'm Gonna Sing 'Til The Spirit Moves In My Heart Evan Rieger, tenor Alan Schlichting, baritone Hunter Thomas, tenor Austin Turner, tenor

Moses Hogan (1957-2003)

Intermission

Program

IV.

The Passing of the Year I. II. Invocation The Narrow Bud Opens Her Beauties to the Sun Nicola Santoro, soprano Mike Williams, tenor III. V. VI. VII. Answer July Ah, Sun-flower! Adieu! Farewell Earth's Bliss! Ring Out, Wild Bells Tyler Weakland, piano

Jonathan Dove (b. 1959)

Please note the unauthorized use of any recording device, either audio or video, and the taking of photographs, either with or without flash, is strictly prohibited. Out of courtesy to the performers and everyone in the audience, please refrain from using cell phones and electronic devices.

Texts and Translations

Jonathan Dove's song cycle The Passing of the Year provides the framework for today's program. The first half of the concert opens with an invocation for summer with two "rotas," one of which is found later in Dove's piece. The events of this year have provided a unique opportunity for the Chapel Choir to bond. Today we celebrate this incredible inaugural year of their collegiate musical experience.

I.

Sumer Is Icurnen In

anonymous (c. 1250)

This rota (or round) is a Middle English poem, written sometime during the 13th century. The word "sumer" may have implied our modern day spring and summer, as the Middle English term referenced a period of time longer than our current summer season. There are several modern versions of the text for Sumer is icumen in. The manuscript is from Reading Abbey and was likely owned by one of the three Reading monks it mentions. The first two lines of the poem were used by Jonathan Dove to signify the coming of summer in the second movement of his song cycle.

Sumer is icumen in, Lhude sing, Cucul Groweth sed and bloweth med, And springeth wude nu. Sing Cucul Awe bleteth after lambe Lowth after calve cu Bullock starteth, bucke varteth, murie sing Cucu! Cucu, cucu, well singes thu, Cucu ne swii thu naver nu.

Summer is come, sing loud, cuckoo! The seed grows and the meadow blooms, and now the wood turns green. Sing cuckoo! Ewe bleats after lamb, cow lows after calf, bullock leaps, buck paws the ground, sing merrily cuckoo! Cuckoo, cuckoo, you sing well, cuckoo don't ever stop now.

"

Texts and Translations

Rotala

Juris Karlsons (b. 1948) Poetry by Janis Rainis

Rotala, or "round-dance," is from a larger work called Neslegtais Gredzem, meaning "the unclosed ring." Latvian composer Juris Karlsons creates the sound of a gathering with outcries of "to the middle!" as the piece twirls and passes melodic material from section to section. The text is by Janis Rainis, considered Latvia's greatest poet. He is known for his translations of Goethe, as well as his plays, fairy tales and political writings.

Vidu Vi! Viend naca, otra gdja, viena laida, cita mdja, vidu! Nav vel tverta sniegtd roka, jau tu llgo, lldz ieks loka, vidu! Vald, vald rotd dienas, surpu turpu irst un sienas, vidu! Irst un sienas tevi rokas, tdldk sienas, tdldk lokds, vidu!

Vidu! To the middle! One came, the other went, One lets go, another waves, vidu! The outstretched hand is not grabbed, You already swing along in a circle, vidu! Freely, freely the days spin, Hither, thither, part and join your hands, Further joining, further swaying, vidu! Freely, freely, swirl around!

II.

Rise Up, My Love, My Fair One

HealeyWillan (1880-1968) Text from Song of Soloman

Born and educated in England, Healey Willan was established as an organist, choirmaster, and composer when he moved to Canada in 1913. In the first half of the 20th century, he spent the rest of his life in Canada as a leading music educator. Willan's compositions include two operas, two symphonies, a piano concerto, chamber music, over 100 art songs, and a bulk of church music, including his choral and organ music. Willan's music shows two distinct traits; his sacred music derives inspiration from plainsong and the legacy of the Tudor composers, and his secular and orchestral works have roots in Wagner, Strauss, and Elgar. Rise Up, My Love, My Fair One was written in 1932. The simplicity and lyricism, along with the homophonic flow of the Solomon text, demonstrates Willan's British choral heritage with its purity and beauty. -Tom Chang-Wei Lin

Texts and Translations

Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away. For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear upon the earth. The time of the singing of birds is come. Arise my love, my fair one, and come away.

Ave Maria

Anton Bruckner (1824-1896)

With his nine (or ten, if the 1864 Die Nullte is to be included) symphonies, Anton Bruckner is known as one of the main carriers of the Austro-German symphonic legacy in the lineage of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert. His choral output shows the two drastic extremes of 19th century's musical manifests; the Cecilian movement and the Wagnerian innovations, while at the same time reflects Bruckner's own views, mixed with diffidence and deeply rooted Catholic faith. Bruckner wrote three settings of Ave Maria throughout his lifetime. The one performed today is his second Ave Maria, a seven-part a cappella choral setting composed in 1861, after he completed his study of music theory and counterpoint with Simon Sechter. Like the other two, it is set in F major with a symbolic Trinitarian treatment of the word "Jesus" (repeated three times in a rising, sustained phrase). This setting also shows his balance between homophony and polyphony, the influence of the organ's sonority in his music, and the symphonic, grandiose dynamics that would appear so often in his symphonies. -Tom Chang-Wei Lin

Ave Maria, gratia plena: Dominus tecum, Benedicta tu in mulieribus, Et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus. Sanaa Maria, Mater Dei, Ora pro nobis peccatoribus, Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace: llie Lord is with thee, Blessed art thou among women, And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, Now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Ruth

Paul Ayers (b. 1970)

Born in London, Paul Ayres studied music at Oxford University. Currently he works as a composer, choral conductor, and organist. He wrote Ruth for his own wedding in 2001. The bride, whose name is also Ruth, said "I will go wherever you go," which inspired Ayres to write this piece. He combined different texts from the Old Testament, and set them between a five-part small choir and the tutti chorus. The premier of this piece occurred at the composer's wedding, sung by the wedding guests. -Tom Chang-Wei Lin

Texts and Translations

And Ruth said, I will go wherever you go And live wherever you live. Your people will be my people, And your God will be my God. I will die where you die And will be buried there. (Ruth 1, 16-17)

There are three things that amaze me No, four things I do not understand: How an eagle glides through the sky, How a snake slithers on a rock, How a ship navigates the ocean, How a man loves a woman. (Proverbs 30, 18-19) Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, Too great for me to know! (Psalms 139, 6)

III. MLK U2 arr. Bob Chilcott (b. 1955)

Written by U2, Bob Chilcott's arrangement ofMLKls a simple statement of hope and memory. This piece is performed today in honor of the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.

Sleep, sleep tonight And may your dreams be realized. If the thunder cloud passes rain so let it rain, rain down on him. So let it be. So let it be.

Texts and Translations

I'm Gonna Sing 'Til The Spirit Moves In My Heart

Moses Hogan (1957-2003)

Moses Hogan was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1957. He was a graduate of Oberlin, and studied at Julliard. He began writing and arranging choral music in the 1980's, and his arrangements of spirituals quickly won a place among standard American choral repertoire. I'm Gonna Sing exemplifies his style with his use of soloist versus choir, layering of textures, and extended harmony. He passed away ten years ago from a brain tumor, and we sing this arrangement in honor of his memory.

I'm gonna sing 'til the spirit moves in my heart. I'm gonna sing 'til Jesus comes. Sing, Oh my Jesus, Oh my Jesus, 'til he comes. It was grace (Oh yea) that brought me. (my Lord) It was grace (Oh yea) that taught me. (my Lord) It was grace (Oh yea) that kept me. (my Lord) And it's grace that will lead me home. I'm gonna pray 'til the spirit moves in my heart. I'm gonna pray 'til Jesus comes. (Pray, Oh my Jesus, Oh my Jesus, 'til he comes.) Can't you feel the spirit movin'? I'm gonna shout 'til the spirit moves in my heart. I'm gonna shout 'til Jesus comes. (Shout, Oh my Jesus, Oh my Jesus, 'til he comes.) I'm gonna sing 'til my Jesus ('til He comes.) Hmm.

Texts and Translations

IV.
The Passing of the Year Song cycle for double chorus and piano Jonathan Dove (b. 1959)

Jonathan Dove has written opera, theater, film, and church music. According to Edition Peters, his "lively, celebratory style has often been sought for special occasions," including the Purcell Tercentenary and the Mozart Bicentenary. First performed by the London Symphony Chorus in 2000, Dove's song cycle is dedicated to his mother, and combines seven powerful texts with intense and purposeful writing. Each movement makes use of the piano either as a foundational voice or a part of the choral texture. The piece is set for double chorus, which functions both in the style of cori spezzati and as a full eight-part homophonic force. 1. Invocation O Earth, O Earth, return! 2. The narrow bud opens her beauties to the sun The narrow bud opens her beauties to The sun, and love runs in her thrilling veins; Blossoms hang round the brows of morning, and Flourish down the bright cheek of modest eve, Till clust'ring Summer breaks forth into singing, And feather'd clouds strew flowers round her head. The spirits of the air live on the smells Of fruit; and joy, with pinions light, roves round The gardens, or sits singing in the trees. Sumer is icumen in Lhude sing cuccu 3. Answer July Answer July Where is the Bee Where is the Blush Where is the Hay? Ah, said July Where is the Seed Where is the Bud Where is the May Answer Thee Me. Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) Blake William Blake (1757-1827)

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Texts and Translations

Nay said the May Show me the Snow Show me the Bells Show me the Jay! Quibbled the Jay Where be the Maize Where be the Haze Where be the Bur? Here said the Year 5. Ah, Sun-flower! Ah, Sun-flower! weary of time, Who countest the steps of the Sun, Seeking after that sweet golden clime Where the traveller's journey is done: Where the Youth pined away with desire, And the pale Virgin shrouded in snow Arise from their graves, and aspire Where my Sun-flower wishes to go. 6. Adieu! farewell earth's bliss! Thomas Nashe (1567-1601) Adieu! farewell earth's bliss! This world uncertain is: Fond are life's lustful joys, Death proves them all but toys. None from his darts can fly: I am sick, I must die Lord, have mercy on us! Rich men, trust not in wealth, Gold cannot buy you health; Physic himself must fade; All things to end are made; The plague full swift goes by: I am sick, I must die Lord, have mercy on us! Beauty is but a flower Which wrinkles will devour: Brightness falls from the air; Queens have died young and fair Blake

Texts and Translations

11

Dust hath closed Helen's eye: I am sick, I must die Lord, have mercy on us! 7. Ring out, wild bells Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) O Earth, O Earth, return! Ring out, wild bells, The flying cloud, The year is dying Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, the frosty light: in the night; and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true. Ring out the grief that saps the mind, For those that here we see no more; Ring out the feud of rich and poor, Ring in redress to all mankind. Ring out the want, the care, the sin, The faithless coldness of the time; Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes, But ring the fuller minstrel in. Ring out old shapes of foul disease; Ring out the narrowing lust of gold; Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Notes written by Amanda Quist unless otherwise indicated

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About the Artists

Westminster Chapel Choir Amanda Quist, conductor Tom Chang-Wei Lin, graduate assistant conductor

Founded in 1949, the Westminster Chapel Choir takes its name from Westminster's rich history of leadership in the field of sacred music. The ensemble has evolved over the years, and today its repertoire includes both sacred and secular works. Composed of students in their first year of study at Westminster Choir College, this ensemble is a defining choral experience that remains with Westminster alumni throughout their lives. The ensemble's 2012-2013 season features performances in Princeton, including the annual An Evening of Readings and Carols concert and broadcast, as well as the third annual Westminster Invitational Chamber Choir Festival. Recent seasons have included performances of Mozart's Coronation Mass with the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra and Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms with the Westminster Conservatory Youth Chorale, as well as concerts in Newtown, Pa. and Wilton, Conn. The Westminster Chapel Choir has also performed with a number of symphony orchestras, including the Trenton Symphony Orchestra (N.J.), the York Symphony (Pa.) and the Queens Symphony (N.Y.). At the request of Leopold Stokowski, the ensemble premiered Universal Prayer by Polish composer Adrezej Panufnik. It was heard by millions during the annual televised Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Rockefeller Center. Previous performances have also included participation in Princeton University's "Opera and Society" Conference, where it was the featured chorus for the conference and a chapel service honoring the centennial of world-renowned organist and teacher Alexander McCurdy, Jr. The ensemble has also performed several world premieres of works by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Lewis Spratlan, Stefan Young, Ronald Hemmel and Philip Orr.

SOPRANOS Sara Andrusiw, Pedricktown, NJ Adrienne Camille Bertsche, Chicago, IL Katherine Caughlin, Tonkawa, OK * Alyssa Christian, Scotch Plains, NJ Rebecca Dias, Clark, NJ Kathleen Dunn, Glen Rock, NJ Karina Fengler, Southampton, NY Samantha Fox, North Wildwood, NJ Lauren Handy, St. Albans, VT Kristin Hill, Dallas, TX Shanley Horvitz, Voorhees, NJ Logan Laudenslager, Orefield, PA Lauren Michelle Lazzari, New Hampton, NY Erin MacKenzie, Howell, NJ Kayla McLaughlin, Huntington, NY

Shauna McQuerrey, South Charleston, WV Melanie Mendel, Cherry Hill, NJ Samantha Meril, Dallas, TX Nicole Michel, Ridgewood, N] Alyssa Rebecca Pereira, Greenwich, CT Christina Regan, Seaford, NY Elizabeth Richter, Garrison, NY Nicola Santoro, Mountain View, CA Caitlin J. Scharar, Smithtown, NY Tessa Scortino, Beachwood, NJ Kirstie Smith, Florence, NJ Jessica Stanislawczyk, South Brunswick, NJ Esther Teh, Pompano Beach, FL Brianna Williamson, Manassas, VA

About the Artists

13

ALTOS Amanda Agnew, Massapequa Park, NY Sinclair Avramis, Bloomlngton, NY Emily Beers, Trumbull, CT Allison Beres, Vineland, NJ Kathleen Carreras Pereira, Ashton, MD Catherine Clark, Seaford, NY Amanda Garcia-Walker, Middletown, DE Allison Griffiths, Croghan, NY Janelle Kaufmann, Orlando, FL Lauren J, Kelly, Ambler, PA Jessica Kerler, Wind Gap, PA * Amy Lesieur, Concord, NH

Nichole Maldonado, North Brunswick, NJ Ryasia Montgomery-Marsh, Newark, NJ Rachel C. Morris, Doylestown, PA Sara Munson, Rockaway, NJ Bethan Necly, Pittsburgh, PA t Arielle Rabano, HiUsborough, NJ Casey Rice, Glen Head, NY Gabrielle San Roman, Cedar Grove, NJ Taylor Shultz, Niantic, CT Tiffany Vickers, Wilmington, DE

TENORS Joe Cocozziello, Brooklyn, NY Victor Cristobal, Franklin Park, NJ Matthew Delre, Robbinsville, NJ Garrett Kheshtinejad, Duncanville, TXc Ryan J. Kiel, Scotch Plains, NJ John Maenhout, Marlborough, MA Ryan McCann, East Brunswick, NJ Gavin Mcllhinney, Philadelphia, PA

Eric McNeill, Yardley, PA William Mosher, Monroe Township, NJ Christopher Danrich Nappa, Newton, NJ < Evan Rieger, King of Prussia, PA * Hunter Thomas, State College, PA Austin Turner, Hainesport, NJ Mike Williams, Blue Point, NY

BASSES Adam Bergstresser, Nazareth, PA Lawrence Jay Besch, Bethesda, MD Simer Bhatia, North Brunswick, NJ Anthony M. Carrella, East Brunswick, NJ Jordan Carroll, West Windsor, NJ Robert Colby-Witanek, Belle Mead, A//> Nicholas Kellogg, Rumson, NJ Storm Kowaleski, Silver Spring, MD Robert James Lamb, Emmaus, PA * Llundon Lawson, Dunellen, NJ

Taylor Lee, Mullica Hill, NJ Charlie Lemaire, Rutherford, NJ Thomas Lynch, Lynbrook, NY Ryan Manni, Medford, NJ Larry Miller, Beckley, WV Jose Guilherme Proenca, Weston, FL Alan Schlichting, Warrenton, VA t Robin R. Schott, Jr., Jamison, PA Tyler Weakland, State College, PA t
* Denotes section leader " Denotes Ruth semi-chorus t Denotes rehearsal accompanist Approved as of 2/21/13

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About the Artists

As a member of the Westminster Choir College faculty, AMANDA QUIST conducts the Westminster Chapel Choir and Westminster Kantorei and teaches graduate and undergraduate conducting. She also served as a conductor of the Westminster Symphonic Choir during the 2011 -2012 season, during which she collaborated with Yannick Nezet-Seguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra, Alan Gilbert and the New York Philharmonic, and Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic. She premiered new works for the ensemble's women and the Westminster Festival Orchestra by composers Ola Gjeilo and Tarik O'Regan. Dr. Quist is director of the Westminster Vocal Institute and a member of the summer faculty for the Westminster Choral Festival and Westminster Chamber Choir programs. Prior to her appointment at Westminster, she was director of choral activities at San Jose State University. Dr. Quist earned her D.M.A. in Choral Conducting from the University of North Texas and her bachelor's

and master's degrees in music education and choral conducting from Western Michigan University. She has held positions on the faculties of Western Michigan University, Michigan State University and the University of North Texas, and she served as associate conductor for the Denton Bach Society in Texas. Before pursing her graduate degrees, she taught in the Michigan public and private school systems, and was conductor of the North American Choral Company's Midwest Chorale, a professional touring children's choir. An active adjudicator and clinician, Dr. Quist regularly conducts honor choirs and presents at music conferences. Upcoming events include the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Southwestern Division Conference's SSAA Honor Choir, and New York ACDA Honor Choir. She recently served as an adjudicator for the Pennsylvania ACDA Conference conducting competition and Northern Arizona University's Madrigal Festival. She is the National ACDA R&S Chair for Youth and Student Activities.

Upcoming Events

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Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah Westminster Symphonic Choir Westminster Festival Orchestra Joe Miller, conductor Timothy LeFebrve, baritone Saturday, April 27, 2013 8 p.m. Princeton Meadow Church and Event Center Princeton, N.J.

A New Song: Passages of Life A journey of remembrance and reflection on life's passages featuring choral masterworks by Durufle, Tavener, Britten, MacMillan and more Westminster Schola Cantorum James Jordan, conductor Sunday, April 28, 2013 3 p.m. Bristol Chapel Westminster Choir College Princeton, N.J.

And He Blessed My Soul Featuring works by Moses Hogan, Edward Boatner and Stacey Gibbs Westminster Jubilee Singers Taione Martinez, conductor Sunday, April 28, 2013 7:30 p.m. Bristol Chapel Westminster Choir College Princeton, N.J.

Spring Concert Westminster Concert Bell Choir Kathy Ebling Shaw, conductor Saturday, May 4, 2013 4 p.m. Bristol Chapel Westminster Choir College Princeton, N.J.

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About Us

Rider University's WESTMINSTER COLLEGE OF THE ARTS educates and trains aspiring performers, artists, teachers and students with artistic interests to pursue professional, scholarly and lifelong personal opportunities in art, dance, music and theatre. The College consists of three divisions: Westminster Choir College, the School of Fine and Performing Arts and Westminster Conservatory. WESTMINSTER CHOIR COLLEGE is a college of music and graduate school located on Rider's Princeton campus. Renowned for its tradition of choral excellence, Westminster offers programs in music education; music theory and composition; sacred music; voice, organ, and piano performance and pedagogy; choral conducting;

and piano accompanying and coaching. The SCHOOL OF FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS is located on Rider's Lawrenceville campus. Its programs include arts administration, musical theatre and fine arts with tracks in dance, music, theatre and art. WESTMINSTER CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC is a community music school that serves the Central New Jersey/Eastern Pennsylvania area with on-campus and community-based music instruction as well as community choral, orchestral and theater ensembles. RIDER UNIVERSITY is a private co-educational, student-centered university that emphasizes purposeful connections between academic study and education for the professions.

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WESTMINSTER
COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

RIDER UNIVERSITY
101 Walnut Lane Princeton, NJ 08540 609-921-7100 www.rider.edu/wcc

WESTMINSTER
COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

RIDER UNIVERSITY