UCO Choirs Concert - 10/7/23

UCO Fall Choral Concert featuring University Choir, Cantilena, Cantare and Concert Chorale Presents Lending a Hand: Helping Others and Accepting Support Jan Hulsey, Director Stephanie Keegan-Moring, Director Karl Nelson, Director 7:30 p.m. October 7, 2023 Mitchell Hall Theatre Program Simple Gifts American Shaker Song, Arr. Marie Pooler Amour ha pouvoir sur les dieux Jacques Arcadelt, Ed. Patrick Liebergen Bridge Over Troubled Water Paul Simon, Arr. Kirby Shaw University Choir Prayer of St. Francis Allen Pote Olivia Martinez and Payton Stephens, soloists Cantilena and Cantare O Love Elaine Hagneberg, Text by George Matheson Emma Douglas, cello Cantare Rhythm of Life Cy Coleman, Text by Dorothy Fields, Arr. Richard Barnes Sallie Pollack and Hwaju Lee, piano Cantilena Choose Something Like a Star (from Frostiana) Randall Thompson, Text by Robert Frost Cantilena and Cantare They Are Mother Jennifer Lucy Cook Tae Bradshaw and Katy Croft, duet Ayúdame! (Venezuelan Plea for Life) Carlos Cordero Translations Mirame, Look at me, Escúchame. Listen to me. Estoy sufriendo. I am suffering, No puedo ver, I can’t see, Tengo hambre, I am hungry, Tengo sed, I am thirsty, Estoy enfermo. I am sick. Ayúdame! Help me! The Deer’s Cry Arvo Pärt To Sit and Dream Rosephanye Powell, Text from “To You” by Langston Hughes Tutturana Reena Esmail Death Came A-Knockin’ (Travelin’ Shoes) African American Spiritual, Arr. Ruthie Foster Makayla Seeney, Taylor Jones, Marli Stodden, soloists Concert Chorale UCO Choirs Personnel Program Notes Allen Pote was born in 1945 in Halstead, Kansas, which is a particularly important year as it marks the end of World War II. He was nationally known for his religious style of music as exemplified in “God is Our Refuge” and “A Song of Praise and Thanksgiving”. He studied at the Texas Christian University and earned his diploma in Church Music. He also went to Brussels on a Fulbright Scholarship. Throughout his career, he gained recognition and won multiple awards, including the Arts Council of Northwest Florida’s Muriel Shugart Award which he won three different occasions. The lyrics of “Prayer of St Francis” come from the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, reflecting his values of service to poor and oppressed populations, upholding the unique worth of every individual, and revering and caring for all creation. Allen Pote was inspired by the wise prayer of St Francis of Assisi. While listening to this piece, listen to these words: “Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. . . Where there’s darkness, let there be light. Where there’s despair, let me bring hope. Where there’s sadness, let there be joy. For it is in giving that we receive, and it is in pardoning that we are pardoned.” – Jael Doumembo “O Love” is an incredibly moving choral ballad composed by Elaine Hagenberg in 2016, using text by George Matheson from 1882. Hagenberg based the piece on the life of George Matheson, a Scottish minister and choral composer, who was blinded at the age of nineteen and his fiancé called off their engagement. Later in life, he would be reminded of such an unfortunate circumstance right before his sister’s wedding, motivating him to write the hymn. “O Love” conveys the clashing and unresolvable romantic feelings one gets from the loss of a relationship. “O love that will not let me go” and “O joy, O joy that seeks me through the pain” are examples of emotions one feels from unrequited love. In the end, Matheson reminds us that past all of the heartache and pain, “that morn shall tearless be.” The piece features a soft tender ballad that simultaneously conveys such powerful emotion spread out equally between each vocal part. Matheson was born in 1842 and passed in 1906 of a stroke. His piece, “O Love” will live on as a choral classic. – Chandler Moncrieff “The Rhythm of Life” is a spirited and enduring song composed by the prolific American composer and songwriter Cy Coleman. Born in the vibrant cultural landscape of New York City on June 14, 1929, Coleman left an indelible mark on the world of musical theater and popular music. Throughout his illustrious career, Cy Coleman displayed an extraordinary talent for crafting melodies that resonate with audiences of all ages. His music embodies the vivacity and diversity of his hometown, infusing it with an infectious energy that transcends time and genre. “The Rhythm of Life” stands as a testament to Coleman’s ability to capture the essence of joy and celebration in music. Written for the hit musical “Sweet Charity,” the song bursts forth with a pulsating rhythm and an uplifting, gospel-infused melody. Its lyrics, penned by Dorothy Fields, celebrate the exuberance of life’s moments, urging listeners to embrace the dance of existence with open hearts and boundless enthusiasm. One of the fascinating aspects of “The Rhythm of Life” is its ability to bridge genres and generations. With its blend of pop, gospel, and theatrical elements, the song has been covered and reimagined by artists across a wide spectrum of musical styles, from pop icons to jazz legends. Cy Coleman’s legacy lives on not only through this timeless composition but also through his extensive body of work that continues to inspire musicians and captivate audiences worldwide. “The Rhythm of Life” stands as a testament to the enduring power of music to uplift, inspire, and unite us in the celebration of life’s grand tapestry. – Yutong Nie Born in 1899, Randall Thompson is an American composer from New York known for his works “Alleluia” and Testament of Freedom. Thompson studied at Harvard and has honorary doctorates from the Eastman School of Music, the University of Pennsylvania, Allegheny College, and the New England Conservatory. In 1959, the composer was commissioned to write multiple pieces in honor of the 200th anniversary of Amherst, a town in Massachusetts. This resulted in Thompson creating Frostiana, a collection of songs that includes the piece of music sung today by UCO’s Cantilena-Cantare Choir, “Choose Something Like a Star”. The song relates to our theme of lending a hand and helping others because stars bring light to the darkness as we can help others by bringing aid to someone in need. Near the end of this song, the lyrics are: “So when at times the mob is sway’d to carry praise or blame too far, we may choose something like a star.” The song is an adaptation of the famous poem written by Robert Frost and continues to be sung by choirs worldwide long after Randall Thompson’s death in 1984. – Katelynn Pannell Jennifer Lucy Cook, born in Utah, is a composer based in Los Angeles. She is a specialist in choral music, pop songwriting, and musical comedy for the stage and screen. Recent choral commissions include Cantorum Chamber Choir, Opus Voices, and the UVU Chamber Choir. Originally commissioned for the Utah Valley University choir, “They Are Mother” focuses on the nonbinary mysterious divine force that is Mother Nature. This performance of “They Are Mother” by Jennifer Lucy Cook offers proof of how powerful music can be in evoking contemplation and starting important discussions about how we connect to the world around us. It invites us to acknowledge the complex, nonbinary power that is Mother Nature and to see the divine in the natural world. She stated, “I wanted to explore the many aspects of the divine; pairing a grounded Mother Nature with a joyous playful being who is capable of laughter, a force that is present in the large and small moments, the noise and the silence, and most importantly, the divine creative spark in each of us.” – Nicolette Snider The country Venezuela has been going through a continuous and ongoing destructive cycle since former president Hugo Chavez took presidency back in 1999. Since then, the country has been facing a humanitarian backlash that has affected its people and its economy dramatically, making it rather impossible for its citizens to provide for each other and live in harmony. This piece, “Ayúdame!” depicts the ongoing emotional and physical desperation of citizens from the country Venezuela. The vocal phrases express pain, anger, frustration and desperation. The words include exclamations for help, illness, thirst, hunger, and health decay. Although there is not a set accompaniment, the percussion present throughout the piece brings energy to the vocal line making the words impactful and heartfelt. Composer Carlos Cordero was born and raised in Maracaibo, Venezuela in 1992. He graduated from the University of Houston in music composition, and currently resides in Austin, Texas. His compositions have won awards from various parts of the world and his music is performed internationally. Filled with sentiment, grief, and guilt, Carlos Cordero wrote this piece in reflection of the country’s current situation, which he and all Venezuelans face on a daily basis. Cordero dedicated this piece with much love to Venezuela and its people. The piece was premiered by the Inversion Ensemble Da Capo, under the direction of Adrienne Pedrotti Bingamon on July 13th, 2019. – Luis Vasquez Arvo Pärt, an Estonian composer, was born on September 11, 1935. His resume includes studying composition at the Tallinn State Conservatory under the instruction of Heino Eller, working as a sound engineer for Estonian Radio, and being a freelance composer since the 1960’s. However, in the 1970’s, confrontations began with Soviet officials because his compositions revolved around avant-garde qualities and his religious opinions. He and his family were forced to move to Vienna, and then to Berlin, living there for almost 30 years. That did not stop him from composing. In the year 1984, he began making publications through CD labels, allowing his works and compositions to be recorded by the best orchestras and choirs. In the year 2010, he returned to Estonia, his homeland, where the Arvo Pärt Centre was established and initiated to honor him. During that time in Estonia, he continued to compose and rearrange various pieces while collaborating with the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. “The Deer’s Cry”, a composition Pärt composed in the year 2007, was dedicated to Eric Marinitsch who had been working with Pärt since the 1990’s. He started as a source of communication between the composer and the publishing house; however as time went by, their bond became very important to Pärt and he wished that Eric’s labor would be recognized. “The Deer’s Cry” was a project that the Louth Contemporary Music Society had asked Pärt to participate in. It premiered on February 13 and 14 in 2008 in St. Peter’s Church in Drogheda and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dundalk. Pärt was inspired to write this piece after reading a passage text that was written in the 5th century by Saint Patrick, who was recognized to be the man who brought Christianity to Ireland. He read that The Deer’s Cry was a legend that included a “lorica prayer” or breastplate prayer from Saint Patrick himself praying for protection of the heart. St. Patrick states that in the middle of the woods, he and monks that were surrounding him were ambushed and likely going to be killed. As he and his men began to recite this prayer, the enemies who were going to kill the monks began to see them as a mother deer with calves, resulting in the enemies sparing their lives. The repetitive, fluid compositional qualities were highlighted and heightened, Pärt is mostly famous for his bell-like compositional techniques, or tintinnabula; however he decided to distance himself from this well-known technique to bring out the beauty of this prayer. The piece is composed in the key of A minor, which is considered to be the key of prayer. The text of the prayer sounds as a declaration stating that Christ is always with us and will never leave us. – Khalil Cabrera-Tosado The text of “To Sit and Dream” by poet Langston Hughes addresses “our problem world” with the hope that those who dare to dream can “make our world anew”. Composer Rosephanye Powell sought to capture, in concert form, the harmonic jazz influences that were such a part of Hughes world. She sought to utilize harmonic colors that could be both “dark” (representing “our problem world”) and “bright” (“our world anew”) dependent upon the listener’s perspective. In her mind, she imagined Hughes, in his apartment, in solitude, reading the paper, overwhelmed by the realities of America’s present state, yet daring to dream of a better day. Almost in a state of trance, he makes his way to the busy streets of New York, reaching out his hand to passersby, those of like mind who will join him in being a catalyst for positive change. Many respond positively and joyfully to his invitation and begin to reach out to others. This idea is expressed in the last section of the song as parts enter successively singing, “I reach out my hand to you,” then join in one voice. For a few moments, everyone one reaches out to everyone else in love and peace. In the final phrase of the song “to sit and dream,” Hughes awakens– the newspaper headlines still before him–and resolves that he may never see such a day, except when he sits and dreams. The word ‘Tuttarana’ is comprised of two parts: ‘Tutti’ meaning “all” or “everyone” and ‘Tarana’, which is a North India musical form similar to jazz scat. “Tuttarana” was commissioned by the Mount Holyoke College Glee Club for their 2014-2015 season. The composer, Reena Esmail (b. 1983), is an Indian-American who has been featured on several Grammy-nominated albums such as The Singing Guitar by Conspirare, BRUITS by Imani Winds, and Healing Modes by Brooklyn Rider. – Tae Bradshaw “Death Came a-Knockin’ (Travelin’ Shoes)”, originally an African American hymn of unknown origin, has been recorded dozens of times over the past century. Beginning in 1939 with a recording by the Selah Jubilee Singers, the song was popularized by the 2002 recording by Ruthie Foster, the arrangement that our piece is transcribed from (transcribed by Paul Rardin). Ruthie Foster was born in 1964 in Gause, Texas and was a musician from a young age. She is a gospel, folk, and blues singer, and this song was featured on her 2002 album “Runaway Soul.” In the album, this song was dedicated to her late father. “Death Came a-Knockin’” is a very old African-American spiritual that celebrates the peaceful and serene concept of death in the Christian faith. The song uses the symbolism of a “Jordan stream” to represent moving on to the afterlife, drawing from the biblical significance of the Jordan River as the site of Jesus’ baptism. The lyrics depict a serene and happy acceptance of death, with characters in the song calmly following “Death” when it comes knocking on their door. There is a sense of serenity and celebration as they buckle up their shoes and move on, with the speakers eventually meeting the same fate and eagerly going “down the Jordan stream” like those before them, all shouting “Hallelujah!” on their way toward their next step. – Nickolas Hennigh