Program Book - A Chanticleer Christmas

N INET Y-THI R D SEASON Tuesday, December 5, 2023, at 7:30 Wednesday, December 6, 2023, at 7:30 Fourth Presbyterian Church

CHANTICLEER Tavian Cox, Cortez Mitchell, Gerrod Pagenkopf, Bradley Sharpe, Logan Shields, Adam Brett Ward Countertenor

Vineel Garisa Mahal, Matthew Mazzola, Andrew Van Allsburg Tenor Andy Berry, Jared Graveley, Matthew Knickman Baritone and Bass Tim Keeler Music Director A CHANTICLEER CHRISTMAS I. PÄRT O Adonai from Sieben Magnificat-

Antiphonen

DES PREZ

O Virgo virginum*

BYRD

Vigilate

II. REGIS

O admirabile commercium

III. TAVENER

The Lamb

GARROP

Lullaby from Songs of Lowly Life

TRADITIONAL

Coventry Carol (arr. Rathbone)*

IV. TAVENER

Village Wedding*

VARDAPET

Barekhosutyamb*

INTERMISSION

V. MARSH BIEBL

In Winter’s House Ave Maria*

VI. GAUNTLETT Once in Royal David’s City (arr. Graveley) TRADITIONAL FRENCH Ding-Dong! Merrily on High (arr. Ward) GUARALDI

Skating (arr. Graveley)

BLAKE

Walking in the Air (arr. Ward)*

VII. BERLIN Count Your Blessings (arr. Van Allsburg) CONNERY I am Snow from The Rivers Are Our Brothers (arr. Connery and Balliett) Arrangement commissioned by Chanticleer and Musica Sierra in 2023 with support from Ken Grant

BERLIN

Snow (arr. Dent) Arrangement commissioned by Chanticleer in 2023

VIII. TRADITIONAL Medley of Christmas Spirituals (arr. Jennings)* Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow Behold That Star Oh, What a Pretty Little Baby Go, Tell It on the Mountain

*These pieces have been recorded by Chanticleer.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

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COMMENTS by Tim Keeler

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inter days are short, dark, and cold. The season of Advent, which occurs during the darkest days of the year, promises a change: winter will end, the days will get longer, and a new light will come. In the Roman Catholic liturgy, the seven O Antiphons, or Great Antiphons, sung each of the seven days before Christmas Eve, urge the Messiah to come down from heaven, bringing light and salvation. Each antiphon begins by addressing the Messiah by a different title: “O Sapientia” (Wisdom), “O Adonai” (Lord), “O Radix Jesse” (Root of Jesse), “O Clavis David” (Key of David), “O Oriens” (Rising Sun), “O Rex Gentium” (King of the Nations), “O Emmanuel” (God with Us). These antiphons originated sometime before the eighth century and have provided inspiration to composers ever since. Arvo Pärt’s twentieth-century setting of “O Adonai” is primal and ancient, embodying the surrounding darkness. It also demonstrates his tintinnabuli compositional style, where one voice sings a melodic, mostly stepwise line while another voice arpeggiates the tonic triad. The seven Great Antiphons mentioned above comprise the traditional set, but there exist a handful of other O Antiphons, including “O Virgo virginum,” which is sung on Christmas Eve. In his setting of this text, Josquin des Prez captures the mystery of the virgin birth with low, swirling, repetitive melodic phrases.

Above, the countertenor voices sustain the antiphon melody.

William Byrd’s Advent motet “Vigilate” reminds us all to stay awake

and keep watch lest the Lord arrives to “find you sleeping.” This year, 2023, marks the 400th anniversary of the death of William Byrd, one of the finest composers of the Renaissance.

“Vigilate” showcases Byrd’s complete mastery of elaborate, High Renaissance polyphonic techniques, and it demonstrates why his music is still treasured and performed all over the world. It features impeccable voice leading, pervasive and evocative imitation, skillful word painting, formal cohesion, and exceptional emotional acuity.

Belonging to the generation of composers just prior to Josquin, the music of Johannes Regis is joyful and exciting in its melodic unpredictability. Hidden amid the florid, swirling lines of “O admirabile commercium,” one hears signs of an earlier world, including double leading tone cadence and frequent metric modulations that hearken back to the music of the Middle Ages. Regis pulls out all the stops, so to speak, in this motet, which features a collection of different Christmas-themed texts and melodies, including antiphons, gospel texts, plainchants, and popular songs. Many of these melodies are unfamiliar to the modern ear, but their timeless sentiments of celebration and joy are unmistakable.

Born in London in 1944, Sir John Tavener rose to fame quickly with compositions like his dramatic cantata The Whale, which premiered in 1968.

When he joined the Orthodox Church in 1977, his music began to settle into a mature style characterized by stasis and reflection, often featuring Orthodox CS O.O RG

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texts and harmonies. Written in 1982 as a birthday present for Tavener’s three-year-old nephew, the melody and structure of “The Lamb” is deceptively simple and almost childlike. However, a closer look reveals a carefully wrought structure that brings emotional depth.

Tavener presents the initial short melody in various guises: first forward, then upside-down, then backward, and then right-side-up and upside-down at the same time. The result lies somewhere between mystical and disorienting.

Tavener repeats the initial melody in the second section of the composition, but this time, he sets it with aching suspensions and familiar tonal harmonies.

We follow William Blake’s poem on birth and innocence with two lullabies.

Stacy Garrop’s “Lullaby” is the fourth movement in a collection called Songs of Lowly Life, which are all settings of texts by the poet Paul Laurence Dunbar, one of the first Black American writers to receive national and international recognition. Garrop’s inspiration for the title of her song collection comes from Dunbar’s 1896 book, Lyrics of Lowly Life. The “Coventry Carol,” a lullaby from Coventry, England, was originally performed as part of a Medieval mystery play called The Pageant of the Shearman and Tailors. The carol tells the story of the Slaughter of the Innocents in which King Herod orders all male infants in Bethlehem killed. The song is a mother’s lament for her doomed child.

Jonathan Rathbone wrote this arrangement for the Swingle Singers in 1986.

John Tavener calls his “Village Wedding” a “series of musical and

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verbal images describing a village wedding in Greece.” It includes portions of a poem by the twentieth-century Greek writer Angelos Sikelianos. Interspersed between lines of poetry is a refrain known as “Isaiah’s Dance,” which comes from the Orthodox wedding service.

According to Tavener, the inclusion of the poetry and refrain shows “that everything in the natural and visible world, when rightly perceived, is an expression of a supernatural and invisible order of reality.” “Village Wedding” was written in 1992 for the Vale of Glamorgan Festival, where it was premiered by the Hilliard Ensemble.

Chanticleer gave the U.S. premiere in 1995 and recorded it for the Grammy Award–winning album Colors of Love.

We close the first half of our program with an excerpt from a setting of the Armenian Divine Liturgy by Komitas Vardapet. “Barekhosutyamb” is a prayer for intercession to the Virgin Mary. Born Songhomon Songhomonian, Komitas studied traditional Armenian liturgical singing in school and developed a lifelong interest in Armenian folk music. In 1894 Songhomonian became a priest, taking the name “Komitas” from a seventh-century Armenian hymnodist.

That same year, he earned the degree of vardapet, or doctor of theology, thus acquiring the name and title we know today.

His efforts to introduce traditional Armenian folk and sacred music to the Western world were cut short by the Armenian genocide and the deportation of Armenian intellectuals in April 1915.

Komitas was arrested and sent to the

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interior of the Ottoman Empire, where many of his colleagues and friends were killed. Over the next eight years, 1.5 million Armenians would die. Komitas survived the ordeal and was allowed to leave the country in 1919. But the experience left a profound impact on him; he spent the remaining sixteen years of his life in a mental hospital in Paris. In his music, one hears the tragedy, sincerity, and resilient hope of the Armenian people.

In her poem “In Winter’s House,” Jane Draycott reimagines the typically dark and colorless winter season. Rather than an absence of light and warmth, she instead describes possibility and potential. Darkness is an opportunity for the kindling and rekindling of hopes and dreams. Joanna Marsh set “In Winter’s House” for the choir Tenebrae in 2019. Her music moves back and forth from tenderness to passion, all with an unrelenting warmth and excitement for whatever the season brings.

Franz Biebl’s “Ave Maria” has become synonymous with Chanticleer. Every Christmas season, we look forward to sharing this gem with our audiences around the country. Biebl’s setting is actually a version of the “Angelus,” a Catholic devotional prayer that tells the story of the annunciation and incarnation. The TTBB arrangement we sing in these concerts, as well as two other editions for SATB chorus, are published by Hinshaw Music as part of the Chanticleer Choral Series.

The remainder of this year’s Christmas program features seasonal songs arranged specifically for

Chanticleer. Our new bass-baritone Jared Graveley draws on his vocal jazz background to embellish each verse of “Once in Royal David’s City” with escalating extravagance. And his arrangement of Vince Guaraldi’s “Skating,” originally featured in A Charlie Brown Christmas, brings a healthy dose of playfulness and levity to the program. Countertenor Adam Brett Ward, Chanticleer’s longest-serving singer, has arranged dozens of tunes for us over his eighteen seasons with the ensemble.

His version of “Walking in the Air” from the movie The Snowman has become a perennial favorite, and his arrangement of “Ding-Dong! Merrily on High” is a brilliant take on a timeless classic.

Prominent in this year’s concert are two selections from the classic Bing Crosby film, White Christmas. One of our tenors, Andrew Van Allsburg, has crafted an arrangement of “Count Your Blessings” that moves from an intimate bedside reflection to the sound world of Hollywood magic. And Cedric Dent, a former member of the ten-time Grammy Award–winning a cappella ensemble Take 6, has put his distinctive flair on the song “Snow.”

“I am Snow” comes from Majel Connery’s song cycle The Rivers Are Our Brothers in which she strives to give agency and voice to elements of the natural world. Originally written in 2020 for solo singer, synthesizer, violin, and bassoon, the entire song cycle was arranged by Connery for Chanticleer’s 2023–24, nature-focused touring program. (If you enjoy this small excerpt,

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make sure you find us outside the Christmas season to hear the entire set!)

Finally, a Chanticleer Christmas always concludes with a medley of Christmas spirituals arranged by our music director emeritus, Joseph H. Jennings. It is a joyful tradition that we look forward to every year. In 2014 Jennings was the first recipient of Chorus America’s Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award, acknowledging his

contribution to the African American choral tradition. His twenty-five-year tenure with Chanticleer as singer and music director transformed the group, and his gospel and spiritual arrangements became part of Chanticleer’s identity. We are honored to maintain and continue that legacy today.

Program notes by Tim Keeler, Chanticleer’s music director

ARVO PÄRT Born September 11, 1935; Paide, Estonia

O Adonai from Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen O Adonai O Sacred Lord der Herr und Führer des Hauses Israel, and leader of the house of Israel, im flammenden Dornbusch who in the flaming bush, bist du dem Mose erschienen appeared to Moses und hast ihm auf dem Berg das Gesetz and gave him the Law on gegeben: Sinai: O komm und befreie uns mit deinem O come redeem us with an starken Arm. outstretched arm.

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JOSQUIN DES PREZ Born ca. 1450; Saint-Quentin, France Died August 27, 1521; Condé-sur-l’Escaut, France

O Virgo virginum O Virgo virginum, quomodo O Virgin of virgins, how will this come fiet istud? to pass?

Quia nec primam simile visa est, Since nothing like you was seen before, nec habere sequentem. nor has been since.

Filiae Jerusalem, quid me Daughters of Jerusalem, why do you admiramini? marvel at me?

Divinum est mysterium hoc This divine mystery you see quod cernitis. is sent from God.

WILLIAM BYRD Born ca. 1540; London, England Died July 4, 1623; Stondon Massey, England

Vigilate Vigilate, nescitis enim Watch ye therefore, for you know not quando dominus domus when the lord of the house cometh, veniat, in the evening, sero, an media nocte, an gallicantu, at midnight, at the cock crowing, an mane. or in the morning.

Vigilate ergo, ne cum venerit Watch therefore, lest coming on repente, a sudden, inveniat vos dormientes. he find you sleeping.

Quod autem dico vobis, omnibus dico: And what I say to you, I say to all: vigilate. Watch.

Mark 13:35–37

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JOHANNES REGIS Born ca. 1425 Died ca. 1496; Soignies, Belgium

O admirabile commercium O admirabile commercium!

O wondrous exchange!

Creator generis humani, The Creator of the human race, animatum corpus sumens, taking on a living body, de virgine nasci dignatus est: deigned to be born of a virgin: et procedens homo sine semine, and becoming man without seed, largitus est nobis suam deitatem. bestowed upon us His divinity.

Verbum caro factum est, et habitavit The Word became flesh and dwelt in nobis: among us: Magnum nomen Domini Emanuel Great is the name of the Lord Emanuel, quod annunciatum est per Gabriel. which was proclaimed by Gabriel.

Jocundare die theotice, Rejoice, Mother of God, tumula festo omnique mesto On a day filled with every festive joy, gaudio bury hostes nunc arte virgo bona your enemies now, kind Virgin, with skill mentis ab arce anime of mind as from the citadel of soul feliciter ire pro nobis iter you make a journey of salvation for us, nam si vera loquar protectrix for if I am to speak truth, O protectress turris adanter and adamantine tower, es amica piis optima you are the best friend of christicolis. devout Christians.

Verbum caro factum est, et habitavit The Word became flesh, and dwelt in nobis: among us, Et vidimus gloriam ejus, and we have seen His glory, gloriam quasi Unigeniti glory as of the only begotten of a Patre. the Father.

Hodie apparuit in Israhel Today He has appeared in Israel, per Mariam Virginem et per Joseph born to the Virgin Mary natus est. and Joseph.

Sunt impleta quae praedixit The things Gabriel predicted have come Gabriel. to pass.

Eya virgo Deum genuit Joy! A virgin has given birth to God sicut divina voluit clementia, just as divine mercy willed, Quasi unigeniti a Patre. as of the only begotten of the Father.

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Puer natus est nobis, et filius datus A child has been born for us, and a son est nobis: given to us, cujus imperium super humerum ejus: whose kingdom is on His shoulder, et vocabitur nomen ejus, and His name shall be called magni consilii Angelus. the Angel of the Great Council.

Mitibus nos orbis post mala After worldly evils you assist us with cel nolis. gentle prayers.

Universalis ecclesia congaudeat his Let the universal church rejoice in temporibus these times cum angelis sic canentibus: with angels singing thus: Eya, alleluia, Deo in excelsis gloria Joy! Alleluia! Glory to God in the highest et in terra pax hominibus. and on earth peace to humankind.

Suscipe deprecationem nostram.

Receive our prayer.

Sus, vallasus in orisus.

Hush. In her lap, before her eyes, Requiescat ille parvulus, noe, noe. may that little one rest. Noel, noel.

Amen. Amen.

JOHN TAVENER Born January 28, 1944; London, England Died November 12, 2013; Dorset, England

The Lamb Little lamb, who made thee?

Dost thou know who made thee?

Gave thee life and bid thee feed by the stream and o’er the mead; gave thee clothing of delight, softest clothing, woolly, bright; gave thee such a tender voice, making all the vales rejoice?

Little lamb, who made thee?

Dost thou know who made thee?

(Please turn the page quietly.)

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Little lamb, I’ll tell thee, little lamb, I’ll tell thee: He is called by thy name, for He calls Himself a Lamb.

He is meek, and He is mild; He became a little child.

I, a child, and thou, a lamb, we are called by His name.

Little lamb, God bless thee!

Little lamb, God bless thee!

Text: William Blake (1757–1827)

STACY GARROP Born 1969

Lullaby from Songs of Lowly Life Sing me, sweet, a soothing psalm, holy, tender, low, and calm, full of drowsy words and dreamy, sleep half seen where the sides are seamy; lay my head upon your breast; sing me to rest.

Text: Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872–1906)

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TRADITIONAL

Coventry Carol (Arranged by Jonathan Rathbone) Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child, by, by, lully, lullay.

Lullay, thou little tiny child, by, by, lully, lullay.

O sisters too, how may we do, for to preserve this day this poor youngling for whom we sing, by, by, lully, lullay.

Herod the king, in his raging, charged he hath this day his men of might, in his own sight, all young children to slay.

That woe is me, poor child for thee!

And ever morn and day for thy parting neither say nor sing, by, by, lully, lullaby.

Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child, by, by, lully, lullay.

Lullay, thou little tiny child, by, by, lully, lullay.

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JOHN TAVENER

Village Wedding To my beloved, who breaks my heart.

Do you listen within your veil, silent, God-quickened heart?

(O depth and stillness of virginity!) Follow your man.

Let them throw white rice like a spring shower.

Like a spring cloud, let her now tenderly spread her bridal veil.

O the peace of the bridal dawn.

And he listens, and he listens.

And, as in front of a fount of crystal water, let the girls pass in front of the bride, observing her look from the corner of their eyes as though balancing pitchers on their heads.

O, like Leto giving birth to Apollo, (Do you listen within your veil?) when, standing, her hands slight and pale, (Let them throw white rice) she clasped the ethereal palm tree on Delos . . .

(Like a spring cloud) May you—her mystical image . . .

(O the peace of the bridal dawn) held by your husband’s strong heart, (And he listens.) bring into the world with a single cry your child, as the poet brings forth his creation.

O Isaiah, dance for joy, for the Virgin is with child.

Text: Angelos Sikelianos (1884–1951)

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KOMITAS VARDAPET Born October 8, 1869; Kütahya; Turkey Died October 22, 1935; Paris, France

Barekhosutyamb Barekhosutyamb mor Qo yev Through the intercession of Your virgin kusin mother ənkal zaghachans Qots accept the supplications of Your pashtoneyits, servants, Vor geraguyn qan zerkinəs, O Christ, who with Your paytzaratsutser blood surb zekeghetsi aryamb made Your holy church brighter than Qov Qristos, the heavens.

Yev əst yerknaynotsən karketser And ordained in her the orders of the i sma apostles, prophets, ztass araqelots yev margareyits, surb and the holy teachers after the pattern vardapetats. of the heavenly hosts.

Aysor zhoghovyal dasq qahanayits, Today we, order of priests, sarkavagats, təprats yev kgherikosats, deacons, clerks, and clerics khunk matutsanemq araji Qo, Ter, offer incense before You, Lord, horinak əst hənumən Zaqariya. as Zechariah did of old. Ənkal, ar i menj əzkhənkanver maghtans, Accept from us our offering, vorpes pataragn Abeli, zNoyi yev as You accepted the sacrifice of zAbrahamu. Abel, Noah, and Abraham.

Barekhosutyamb verin Through the intercession of Your Qo zorats supernal hosts, misht ansharzh pahya zAtor ever unshaken maintain the throne of Haykaznyayts. the Armenians.

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JOANNA MARSH Born 1970

In Winter’s House In winter’s house there’s a room that’s pale and still as mist in a field while outside in the street every gate’s shut firm, every face as cold as steel.

In winter’s house there’s a bed that is spread with frost and feathers, that gleams in the half-light like rain in a disused yard or a pearl in a choked-up stream.

In winter’s house there’s a child asleep in a dream of light that grows out of the dark, a flame you can hold in your hand like a flower or a torch on the street.

In winter’s house there’s a tale that’s told of a great chandelier in a garden, of fire that catches and travels for miles, of all gates and windows wide open.

In winter’s house there’s a flame being dreamt by a child in the night, in the small quiet house at the turn in the lane where the darkness gives way to light.

Text: Jane Draycott (b. 1954)

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FRANZ BIEBL Born September 1, 1906; Pursruck, Germany Died October 2, 2001; Munich, Germany

Ave Maria Angelus Domini nuntiavit The angel of the Lord made his Mariae annunciation to Mary, et concepit de Spiritu sancto. and she conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is tecum; with you; benedicta tu in mulieribus, blessed are you among women, et benedictus fructus ventris tui and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Jesus.

Maria dixit: Ecce ancilla Mary said, “Behold the servant of Domini; the Lord; fiat mihi secundum verbum let it be unto me according to tuum. Your word.”

Et verbum caro factum est et habitavit in nobis.

And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus.

Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners.

Holy Mary, pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

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HENRY GAUNTLETT Born July 9, 1805; Wellington, England Died February 21, 1876; London, England

Once in Royal David’s City (Arranged by Jared Graveley) Once in royal David’s city stood a lowly cattle shed, where a mother laid her baby in a manger for his bed: Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all, and His shelter was a stable, and His cradle was a stall: with the poor and mean and lowly lived on earth our Saviour holy.

And our eyes at last shall see Him through His own redeeming love, for that child so dear and gentle, is our Lord in heaven above: and He leads His children on to the place where He is gone.

Text: Cecil Frances Alexander (1818–1895)

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TRADITIONAL FRENCH

Ding-Dong! Merrily on High (Arranged by Adam Brett Ward) Ding-dong! Merrily on high in heaven the bells are ringing.

Ding-dong! Verily the sky is riven with angels singing: Gloria, hosanna in excelsis!

E’en so, here below, below, let steeple bells be swungen; and i-o, i-o, i-o, by priest and people sungen!

Gloria, hosanna in excelsis!

Pray you, dutifully prime your matin chime, you ringers; may you beautifully rhyme your evetime song, you singers: Gloria, hosanna in excelsis!

Text: George Ratcliffe Woodward (1848–1934)

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VINCE GUARALDI Born July 17, 1928; San Francisco, California Died February 6, 1976; Menlo Park, California

Skating (Arranged by Jared Graveley) Let’s go skatin’!

Let’s go skatin’!

Let’s go skatin’ over through the woods to Grandma’s house, quickly now, right away, don’t delay!

Might as well go skatin’ all day long.

I been skatin’ all through the day, I gone and skated my troubles away today, been skatin’ my blues away.

Might as well go skatin’!

Might as well go skatin’!

Might as well go!

Skate on a winter day, dance and play, come on and go, skate along all the way, if I may!

Text: Jared Graveley

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HOWARD BLAKE Born October 28, 1938; London, England

Walking in the Air (Arranged by Adam Brett Ward) We’re walking in the air, we’re floating in the moonlit sky; the people far below are sleeping as we fly.

I’m holding very tight, I’m riding in the midnight blue, I’m finding I can fly so high above with you.

Far across the world, the villages go by like dreams, the rivers and the hills, the forest and the streams . . .

Children gaze open-mouthed, taken by surprise; nobody down below believes their eyes!

We’re surfing in the air, we’re swimming in the frozen sky, we’re drifting over icy mountains floating by.

Suddenly swooping low on an ocean deep, rousing up a mighty monster from its sleep . . .

We’re walking in the air, we’re dancing in the midnight sky, and everyone who sees us greets us as we fly.

Text: Howard Blake

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IRVING BERLIN Born May 11, 1888; Mogilev, Russia (now Belarus) Died September 22, 1989; New York City

Count Your Blessings (Arranged by Andrew Van Allsburg) When I’m worried and I can’t sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep, and I fall asleep counting my blessings.

When my bankroll is getting small, I think of when I had none at all, and I fall asleep counting my blessings.

I think about a nursery, and I picture curly heads, and one by one, I count them as they slumber in their beds.

If you’re worried and you can’t sleep, just count your blessings instead of sheep, and you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.

Text: Irving Berlin

MAJEL CONNERY Born 1979

I Am Snow from The Rivers Are Our Brothers (Arranged by Connery and Doug Balliett) I start life as a vapor.

My heart is made of sand.

My pattern is impossible.

I’m a diagram, one hundred hands.

I live among the dancers.

We fall, but we don’t die.

Together, we’re destructive, intensifying white.

Total noise and total silence.

We drown the light, we drown the life!

A crystal. A diamond in the sky.

I am a wonder. I am the music of a silent world.

Text: Majel Connery

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IRVING BERLIN

Snow (Arranged by Cedric Dent) Snow, it won’t be long before we’ll all be there with snow.

Snow, I wanna wash my hands, my face, and hair with snow.

Snow, I long to clear a path and lift a spade of snow.

Oh, to see a great big man entirely made of snow.

Where it’s snowing all winter through, that’s where I wanna be.

Snowball throwing, that’s what I’ll do. How I’m longing to ski!

Snow, those glist’ning houses that seem to be built of snow.

Oh, to see a mountain covered with a quilt of snow.

What is Christmas with no snow?

No white Christmas with no snow.

Snow, it won’t be long before we’ll all be there with snow.

I’ll soon be there with snow, I’ll wash my hair with snow.

And with a spade of snow, I’ll build a man of snow.

I’d love to stay up with ya, but I recommend a little shut-eye.

Go to sleep and dream of snow.

It won’t be long before we get to go, and when we sleep, gonna dream of snow.

Where it’s snowing, that’s for me.

Snowball throwing, that’s where I’ll be.

Wash my hands, my face, and hair, longing to be there.

Let it snow!

Text: Irving Berlin

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TRADITIONAL

Medley of Christmas Spirituals (Arranged by Joseph H. Jennings) Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow There’s a star in the East on Christmas morn.

Rise up, shepherd, and follow.

It’ll lead to the place where Christ was born.

Rise up, shepherd, and follow.

Leave your sheep and leave your lambs.

Rise up, shepherd, and follow.

Leave your ewes and leave your rams.

Rise up, shepherd, and follow.

Behold That Star There was no room found in the inn.

It is the star of Bethlehem.

For Him who was born free from sin.

It is the star of Bethlehem.

Oh, What a Pretty Little Baby Oh, what a pretty little baby: Jesus.

The government shall be upon His shoulder.

Oh, what a pretty little baby: Jesus.

Oh, come let us adore Him: Jesus.

Go, Tell It on the Mountain Go, go, children, go!

Go, tell it on the mountain over the hills, and ev’rywhere.

Go, tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.

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PROFILES Chanticleer

The Grammy Award–winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer is known around the world as “an orchestra of voices” for its wide-ranging repertoire and dazzling virtuosity. Founded in San Francisco in 1978 by singer and musicologist Louis Botto, Chanticleer quickly took its place as one of the most prolific recording and touring ensembles in the world, selling more than one million recordings and performing thousands of live concerts to audiences around the globe.

Rooted in the Renaissance, Chanticleer’s repertoire has been expanded to include a wide range of classical, gospel, jazz, and popular music and to reflect a deep commitment to commissioning new compositions and arrangements. The ensemble has dedicated much of its vast recording catalog to these commissions, garnering

P H OTO BY ST E P H E N K . M A C K

Grammy awards for its recordings of Sir John Tavener’s Lamentations and Praises and the ambitious collection of commissioned works titled Colors of Love.

Chanticleer is the recipient of Chorus America’s Dale Warland Commissioning Award and the Chorus America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming.

During his tenure with Chanticleer, Music Director Emeritus Joseph H. Jennings received the Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award for his contribution to the African American choral tradition.

Named for the “clear-singing” rooster in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Chanticleer continues to maintain ambitious programming in its hometown of San Francisco, including a large education and outreach program and an annual concert series that includes its legendary holiday tradition A Chanticleer Christmas.

Chanticleer is a non-profit organization governed by a volunteer board of trustees and administered by a professional staff with a full-time professional ensemble. In addition to the many individual contributors to Chanticleer, the board of trustees thanks the following foundations, corporations, and government agencies for their exceptional support: the Alphadyne Foundation, Goatie Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, McNabb Foundation, Bernard Osher Foundation, Bob Ross Foundation, and San Francisco Grants for the Arts.

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Tim Keeler Director Tim Keeler sang as a countertenor in Chanticleer for its 2017–18 season. He is the fourth of six music directors in Chanticleer’s history to have been a member of the ensemble. Prior to moving to San Francisco, he forged a career as an active conductor, singer, and educator. He has performed with the New York Polyphony, Clarion Choir, Choir of Trinity Wall Street, and TENET. An avid proponent of new and challenging repertoire, Keeler performs regularly with Ekmeles, a vocal ensemble based in New York City and dedicated to contemporary, avant-garde, and infrequently performed vocal repertoire.

C H A N T I C L E E R A D M I N I S T R AT I V E S TA F F

Philip Wilder President and General Director Zachary Burgess Director of Development Brian Hinman Director of Operations and Touring Brian Bauman Director of Finance Lisa Seischab Development Advisor Barbara Bock Development/Marketing and Administrative Associate Matthew Knickman Road Manager Cortez Mitchell Merchandise Manager Tim Keeler Music Director Gerrod Pagenkopf Assistant Music Director & Education Coordinator Ayanna Woods Composer-in-Residence Artist Management: Opus 3 Artists, Ltd. Founder: Louis Botto (1951–1997) Music Director Emeritus: Joseph H. Jennings chanticleer.org

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As an educator, Keeler directed the Men’s Chorus at the University of Maryland, served as director of choirs at the Special Music School High School in Manhattan, and worked closely with the Young People’s Chorus of New York City as a vocal coach and satellite school conductor. He was also the choral conductor for Juilliard’s new Summer Performing Arts program, a two-week intensive summer course in Geneva, Switzerland.

Keeler holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Princeton University with certificates in vocal performance and computer science, a master of philosophy degree in music and science from Cambridge University, a master’s in choral conducting from the University of Michigan, and a doctorate in choral conducting at the University of Maryland.

Andy Berry occupies The Eric Alatorre Chair given by Peggy Skornia. Vineel Garisa Mahal occupies The Tenor Chair, given by an Anonymous Donor. Gerrod Pagenkopf occupies The Ning G. Mercer Chair for the Preservation of the Chanticleer Legacy, given by Ning and Stephen Mercer.

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