SHIFT Saturday, November 18, 2017 at 8pm • St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 199 Carroll St., Brooklyn Sunday, November 19, 2017 at 4pm • Church of St. Luke in the Fields, 487 Hudson St., New York
Vince Peterson, Founding Artistic Director O Successores Puis qu’en oubli Gaude Virgo, Mater Christi Musica prisca caput Si ch’io vorrei morire Trio from The Coffee Cantata Les ballet des ombres Ave Maria Salve Regina Pater Noster Ezekiel Saw de Wheel
Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) Guillaume de Machaut (1300-1377) Josquin des Prez (1450-1521) Nicola Vicentino (1511-1576) Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) arr. William Dawson (1899-1990)
Alex Canovas, Tenor
Solfeggio Spring Dreams Cloudburst
Arvo Pärt (1935- ) Chen Yi (1953- ) Eric Whitacre (1970- )
David Moon, Becky Fasanello, Michael Allocca, and Emily Crowe, Soloists Robby Randall, Emily Crowe, Michelle Coladonato, Tegan Miller, Percussion
All the Heart Brian Rosen (1971- ) Selections from Drawing the Target Around the Arrow Caroline Elizabeth Polachek (1985- )
PERFORMERS Soprano Carla Angeloni Nicole Belmont Joan Bredthauer Justice Buckmaster Michelle Coladonato Catherine DiGennaro Soyoun Lim Tegan Miller Amanda Price Kathryn Squitieri Parade Stone Stephanie Tuck Ilona Wilcox
Alto Amanda Aldinger Elise Caves Cara Caponi Emily Crowe Becky Fasanello Kate Kostelc Donna Lee Nora Prince Boreta Singleton Brooke Slemmer Jessica Wong
Tenor Chris Bobbins Matthew Finkel Joseph Gilbride Robby Randall Billie Simmons Michael Squitieri Eric Stoessel
Vince Peterson, Artistic Director Alex Canovas, Associate Conductor Samuel Shull, Pianist
Bass Michael Allocca Bryan Black David Bredthauer David Moon John Prince Brian Rosen
PROGRAM NOTES, TEXTS & TRANSLATIONS O Successores - Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) O successores fortissimi leonis, inter templum et altare dominantes in ministratione eius sicut angeli sonant in laudibus et sicut assunt populis in adiutorio, vos estis inter illos qui hec faciunt, semper curam habentes in officio Agni.
Successors of the mighty Lion, between the temple and the altar commanding in his service: as angels sing in praise resounding and quicken to defend the people with their aid— so you among them as they do these things, keep ever carefully the office of the Lamb.
Hildegard began having musical visions at age 5. At age 8, she was sent to live in a convent, where she lived for approximately 40 years. In 1126, she was elected magistra by her fellow nuns and, over the next 2 decades, became known for her prophecies and miracles, which she eventually notated in many books along with her music and poems. Although she claimed to have no prior musical training, Hildegard composed a total of 77 monophonic chants, collected into a cycle called the Symphonia armoniae celestium revelationum, which includes O Successores. In this antiphon, written for the feast day of a confessor, Hildegard honors the confessors with a powerful string of images. She also pushes the boundaries of the more staid ranges of traditional Gregorian chant by having the melody ascend to a third above the upper tonic before cascading down in an extended melisma. SHIFT: A true polymath and pioneer, Hildegard completely embodied the very essence of “shift.” Aside from her music, she is considered to be the founder of scientific natural history, writing many treatises of herbal cures and medicines. Hildegard also wrote what is believed to be the first sacred musical drama, Ordo Virtutum (Rite of the Virtues), and experimented with where and how plainchant was normally expected. She is not only one of the first and most notable female composers, but she also created works focused on women with a close relationship to the exploration of the female body. She set the stage for future composers to explore, push the boundaries, and essentially “shift” choral music. Of particular interest in this piece is the fact that she consistently refers to God and Christ, but entirely in metaphorical terms, never mentioning either of them by name and also speaking in first person to her listeners.
Puis qu’en oubli - Guillaume de Machaut (1300-1377) Puis qu’en oubli sui de vous, dous amis, Vie amoureuse et joie de dieu commant. Mar vi le jour que m’amour en vous mis; Puis qu’en oubli sui de vous, dous amis. Mais ce tenray que je vous ay promis: C’est que jamais n’aray nul autre amant. Puis qu’en oubli sui de vous, dous amis Vie amoureuse et joie de dieu commant.
Since I am forgotten by you, sweet friend, I bid farewell to a life of love and joy. Unlucky was the day I placed my love in you. Since I am forgotten by you, sweet friend. But what was promised you I will sustain: That I shall never have any other love. Since I am forgotten by you, sweet friend, I bid farewell to a life of love and joy.
Part of the Ars nova (new art) movement in France, Guillaume de Machaut was a poet as well as a musician. This movement demonstrated polyphony and a more detailed rhythmic notation. His 400+ poems featured commentary on major contemporary events as well as tributes to himself and notable acquaintances. The theme of courtly love dominates his writing as shown in Puis qu’en oubli, a rondeau written for three voices. SHIFT: Machaut was one of the first composers to use non-religious text in an effective way, and arguably one of the first composers to use polyphony in vocal music. He started to experiment with how polyphony could lend itself to text painting, which had not been done up until that point. Gaude Virgo, Mater Christi - Josquin des Pres (1450-1521) Gaude virgo, Mater Christi, quae per aurem concepisti, Gabriele nuntio. Gaude, quia Deo plena peperisti sine poena, cum pudoris lilio. Gaude, quia tui nati, quem dolebas mortem pati, fulget resurrectio. Gaude, Christo ascendente, et in coelum te vidente, motu fertur proprio. Gaude, quae post ipsum scandis, et est honor tibi grandis, in coeli palatio. Ubi fructus ventris tui per te detur nobis frui In perenni gaudio. Alleluia.
Rejoice, O virgin, mother of Christ, who conceived by hearing the messenger Gabriel. Rejoice, for full of God, you gave birth without pain, retaining the lily of modesty. Rejoice, for your son, whose death you mourned, shines in the resurrection. Rejoice, for as Christ ascends, while you look on, into heaven, he is borne of his own accord. Rejoice, you who ascend after him, for there is great honour for you in the palace of heaven. May the fruit of your womb, through you, be given to us in everlasting joy. Alleluia.
Considered the greatest composer of the early Renaissance, the Franco-Flemish born Josquin des Pres was also a singer who performed as a chorister in the
Vatican, later becoming its music director. He also sang in the French royal chapel of Louis XI. SHIFT: Today, Josquin is considered to be the most important composer in the development of imitative polyphonic vocal music, particularly noted for duet-like pairing and for the use of ostinati. Gaude virgo, mater Christi exhibits this voice pairing technique and, unlike his earlier writing, this motet, as well as others from this time, dispenses with preexisting material limited to one voice part, presenting musical material freely with unified statements throughout all voice parts. Musica prisca caput - Nicola Vicentino (1511-1576) Musica prisca caput tenebris modo sustulit altis Dulcibus ut numeris priscis certantia factis Facta tua, Ippolite, excelsum super aethera mittat.
Ancient music has recently raised her head out of the darkness So that, with antique and sweet numbers to compete with ancient deeds, Your great deeds, Hippolytus, she might send above the heavens.
Born near Venice, Nicola Vicentino studied ancient Greek music theory and performance practice with Adrian Willaert at St Mark’s Basilica. Vicentino worked in the court of Cardinal Ippolito II d’Este and was eventually appointed maestro di cappella in Vincenza. SHIFT: Vicentino, a well respected theorist and visionary, is most known for his treatise L’antica musica ridotta alla moderna prattica (Ancient music adapted to modern practice), which discussed tuning systems and explains that the arrangement of pitches in music can be chromatic and enharmonic, as well as diatonic. He was also known for his invention of the Arcicembalo, a microtonal harpsichord that had 2 keys for each half step. He shifted so far forward with his thinking that successive composers even took steps backward from where he was. This piece, Musica prisca caput, represents a kind of shifting tonal language that is believed to be representative of his microtonal sensibilities. Si ch’io vorrei morire - Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) Si ch'io vorrei morire Hora ch'io bacio amore La bella bocca del mio amato core. Ahi car'e dolce lingua, Datemi tant'humore Che di dollcezz'in questo sen m'estingua. Ahi vita mia, a questo bianco seno Deh stringetemi finch'io venga meno. Ahi bocca, ahi baci, ahi lingua! Ahi lingua torn'a dire Si ch'io vorrei morire
Yes, I would like to die, now that I kiss, sweetheart, the luscious lips of my darling beloved. Oh dear, sweet tongue, give me so much of your moisture that I die of delight on your breast! Ah, my love, strangle me to this white breast until I faint! Ah mouth, ah kisses, ah tongue, I say again: Yes, I would like to die!
Born in Cremona, Italy, Claudio Monteverdi’s skills as an instrumentalist and composer earned him the position of maestro della musica at Mantua. In 1613, he was appointed maestro di cappella at St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, one of the most prestigious positions in Italy. SHIFT: Though known for the seminal L’Orfeo, Monteverdi’s most impactful contributions lie within the transition between the Renaissance and Baroque eras, specifically in his introduction of the seconda pratica, or ‘second practice,’ which was characterized by vertical sonorities, solo vocal melodies, and basso continuo accompaniment, which subordinated melody and rhythm to text. This came as a counterpoint to the widely accepted prima pratica style, characterized by linear vocal polyphony with an emphasis on contrapuntal structure. Si ch’io vorrei morire, a madrigal written in the seconda pratica style, was controversially known for its highly erotic lyrics, but primarily for its harmonic progressions containing striking dissonances, evoking the sensual nature of the text in an otherwise unheard-of authenticity. Trio from Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht (The Coffee Cantata) Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Die Katze lässt das Mausen nicht, Die Jungfern bleiben Coffeeschwestern. Die Mutter liebt den Coffeebrauch, Die Großmama trank solchen auch, Wer will nun auf die Töchter lästern!
Cats do not give up mousing, girls remain coffee sisters. The mother adores her coffee habit, and grandma also drank it, so who can blame the daughters!
Bach was one of the most prolific composers of the Baroque era, second only to Telemann in his compositional output. He composed about 300 sacred cantatas, 7 motets, 4 Passion settings, 5 masses, 5 oratorios, 1 Magnificat, and approximately 400 chorale arrangements. His later sacred cantatas, with their pietistic texts and ariosos, are contrasted with his less choral secular cantatas. Some of his these cantatas feature no true choral writing at all; in fact, this cantata is essentially a miniature comic opera. This trio comes at the end of the cantata, after Schlendrian, father to Lieschen, has tried everything in his power to prevent his daughter from drinking coffee, even going so far as to find her potential decaffeinated suitors to temper her roasted addictions. SHIFT: Because Bach spent most of his career in patron employment under absolutist laws, he rarely had the chance to write about his own personal interests. One such interest was coffee: he frequented the local Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum in Leipzig. The Coffee Cantata is a rare example of secular vocal work written by Bach, one that symbolises an energetic shift towards the dominance of solo voice in vocal works as a primary instrument, something that would not change for scores of years.
Le ballet des ombres - Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) Formez vos rangs, entrez en danse L’ombre descend, le jour s’enfuit. Ombres, votre règne commence Dans la sombre horreur de la nuit. Lorsque le souffle des orages Agite les vertes forêts, Il vient aussi dans nos bocages Faire frémir les noirs cyprès. Formez vos rangs, entrez en danse, Ombres, prenez-vous par la main, Troublez cet auguste silence Qui règne sur le genre humain!
Form your ranks, begin the dance The shadow falls; the day has fled Shadows, your reign begins In the dark horror of the night. When winds of storms Shake the green forests, It also comes into our groves Setting to trembling the black cypresses. Form your ranks, begin the dance, Shadows, take you by the hand, Disturb this august silence That reigns over mankind!
Pour les rangs point de jalousie, Ombres de bergers et de rois! Oubliez que l’orgueil, l’envie Vous divisèrent autrefois! L’un n’éprouva que des traverses; Dans le bonheur l’autre vécut. Tous ont pris des routes diverses Pour venir tous au même but. Ombres, oubliez de la terre Et les plaisirs et les travaux!
Have no jealousy in your ranks, Shades of shepherds and of kings! Forget that pride, envy Divided you once! One knew nothing but hardships; In happiness lived another. All took different roads To come all to the same end. Shadows, forget the earth And the pleasures and labors!
Formez une danse légère Qui courbe à peine les pavots! Formez vos rang, entrez en danse! Mais la lune se lève et luit. Gagnons l’Élysée en silence, Et rendons le calme à la nuit! Mortels, lorsque dans les nuits sombres Notre voix vous réveillera, Songez bien qu’à la voix des ombres, Un jour, la vôtre s’unira!
Form a light dance That barely disturbs the poppies! Form your rank, begin the dance! But the moon rises and shines. Let us gain Elysium in silence, And give peace back to the night! Mortals, when in dark nights Our voice awaken you, Consider well that to the shadows’ voice, One day, yours will be joined!
Pourquoi nous craindre, enfants des hommes? Ce que vous êtes nous l'étions, Et vous serez ce que nous sommes. Au revoir! nous nous reverrons!
Why fear us, children of men? That which you are, we once were, And you will become that which we are. Farewell! We will meet again.
Although Hector Berlioz was sent to study medicine in Paris, he found his way to the opera and the concert hall. He decided against a medical career and began studying composition privately, presenting concerts of his own work all over Paris. He revolutionized the modern orchestra with his Grand traité d’instrumentation et d’orchestration modernes (Treatise on Instrumentation), and was critically influential to development of Romanticism, which is characterized by emotion and individualism as well as glorification of all the past and nature. He also composed 20 large-scale works for chorus and orchestra.
SHIFT: Le ballet des ombres (The dance of the ghosts), one of his smaller choral works, was headed by the Shakespeare lines, “Tis now the very witching night, when churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out contagion to this world.” The arrival of the Romantic era in art, literature, and music brought a fascination with the morbid and the occult. In 1829, Hector Berlioz picked an unprecedented choral music topic to create a tongue-twisting romp: Le ballet des ombres, a musical take on the centuries-old Danse Macabre (Dance of Death) convention in religious painting. Inspired by the German poetry of Johann Gottfried Herder, French poet Albert Duboy's cheeky text reminds those living in high places that eventually they will be equals in death with everyone else! Ave Maria - Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the 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 in the hour of our death. Amen.
Born in a small town in northern Italy, Giuseppe Verdi began playing the organ at church at the age of 9. When he was 18, the Milan Conservatory (later named for him) denied him admission, so he began studying with the maestro di concertatore at La Scala. By the age of 20, he played continuo keyboard in a performance of Haydn’s Creation. After serving as maestro di capella at St. Bartolomeo for 3 years, Verdi decided to embark on an operatic career, which became his legacy. He went on to compose over 25 operas through 3 different periods. His operas were considered revolutionary. SHIFT: Although Verdi is remembered for his operas, he composed many choral works that display his skill for creating interesting melodies and his profound use of theatrical effect. The Ave Maria is based on an invented scale that Verdi called “enigmatic.” This scale, which is constructed of a half step followed by a minor third, 3 whole steps, and 2 half steps, is used as a cantus firmus in long notes: first ascending, then descending, in each voice part. Salve Regina - Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) Salve Regina, Mater misericordiae, vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve.
Hail O queen. Mother of mercy, Our life, tenderness and hope; hail.
Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae.
To you we call, the exiled sons of Eve.
Ad te suspiramus gementes et flentes
To you we sigh, groaning and weeping
in hac lacrimarum valle.
In this valley of tears.
Eja ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte.
O our advocate, turn therefore Those pitying eyes of yours To us.
Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
And show us after this exile Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb.
O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria.
O merciful, o holy, o tender virgin Mary.
Francis Poulenc began playing piano at the age of 5 and studied with the Spanish pianist Ricardo Viñes. Poulenc toured extensively throughout Europe and the United States. His commissioned compositions include the melodrama L’histoire de Babar (Babar the Elephant) and Sept répons des ténèbres for the New York Philharmonic’s opening season at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. In the choral music realm, he composed 12 sacred works and 7 secular works. SHIFT: Poulenc’s punctuative musical style provides listeners with melancholy snapshots, as seen through the eyes of a grown man standing amid the rubble of life while holding fast to his childhood memories. His Salve Regina is a rare instance of a final cadence on the tonic chord of the piece without a seventh or a ninth thrown in. Some have described his choral works as reminiscent of the car horns honking in joy through the bustling streets of Paris after the end of World War II. He eradicated the notion that all music had to be symmetrical and resolve in a traditional manner. Pater Noster (Our Father) - Igor Stravinsky Pater noster, qui es in cælis, Sanctificetur nomen tuum, Adveniat regnum tuum, Fiat voluntas tua, Sicut in cælo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, Sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, Sed libera nos a malo. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven; Hallowed be thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done On Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; Forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. Amen.
A true musical innovator, Igor Stravinsky was born near St. Petersburg into a aristocratic and musical family. His mother was a singer and pianist, his father a famous operatic bass-baritone. Although he studied law at St. Petersburg
University, Stravinsky also studied harmony, counterpoint, and composition privately. His career was notable for its stylistic diversity in which he composed in a neoclassical style, drawing on earlier musical forms from the 18th century, and eventually he adopted serialism, a compositional technique which uses a series of values to manipulate different musical elements such as Arnold Schoenberg's 12-tone technique. SHIFT: Stravinsky’s Pater Noster was penned in 1926, as he started to wind down his neo-classical phase. Though religious in his youth, his time in Paris in the early 1920s stripped him of his faith. We have his reawakened relationship with God to thank for this stark yet robust setting of The Lord’s Prayer, one that encapsulates Stravinsky’s strained relationship with his homeland and spiritual heritage after the Bolshevik Revolution and subsequent installation of the USSR. In this we find one of the first of many musical political statements of the early 20th century. Ezekiel Saw de Wheel - William L. Dawson (1899-1990) Ezekul saw de wheel ’Way up in the mid’l of de air Ezekul saw de wheel Way in the mid’l of the air. De big wheel run by faith An’ de lit’l’ wheel run by the grace of God; A lit’l’ wheel in a wheel ’Way in the mid’l of the air. Better mind my brother how you walk on de cross Your foot might slip, an’ yer soul get lost Ole Satan wears a club foot shoe If you don’ mind he’ll slip it on you Some go to church for to sing an’ shout, Hallelujah! Befo’ six months dey’s all turn’d out. William Dawson was a pioneer in the movement of Negro Spirituals to the formal concert hall. His best known works are arrangements and variations on spirituals; his Negro Folk Symphony of 1934 garnered a great deal of attention at its world premiere, led by Leopold Stokowski conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra. The symphony was later revised in 1952 with greater African rhythms inspired by the composer's trip to West Africa. Dawson said that the composition was an attempt to convey the missing elements that were lost when Africans came into bondage outside their homeland. His most popular spirituals include "Ezekiel Saw the Wheel," "Jesus Walked the Lonesome Valley," "Talk about a Child That Do Love Jesus," and "King Jesus Is a-Listening.” His choral arrangements of traditional African American spirituals are widely published in the United States and are regularly performed by school, college, and community choral programs.
Solfeggio - Arvo Pärt (1935- ) Do re mi fa so la si Arvo Pärt began his formal music training in 1954 at the Tallinn Music Middle School in Estonia. Despite being born in the 20th century, his music is inspired in part by Gregorian chant, also by the music of J.S. Bach. Pärt worked as a recording engineer for Estonian Radio and composed a number of film scores in the 1960s. His contribution to the choral world includes approximately forty works and he has been one of the most performed living composers in the world. SHIFT: Because composers like Stravinsky shifted choral music so drastically into a busy and dynamic arena, it allowed Arvo Pärt to scale back, as he puts it, to “music of essentials, music of few notes, but of great strength and purity.” In his later works, Pärt adapts a minimalistic style characterized by the blending of diatonic scales and triadic arpeggios. He coined the style “Tintinnabuli,” which is the effect of sound lingering after a bell has been struck. In Solfeggio, Pärt takes the ubiquitous C Major diatonic scale sung on solfège syllables, applies a slight twist in the form of octave displacements between parts, and allows the inherent musical material to speak for itself. Spring Dreams - Chen Yi (1953- ) Chun mian bu jue xiao, chu chu wen ti niao; Lai lai lai feng hua luo zhi duo shao?
Spring dreams not conscious of dawning, Not awoken till I hear birds singing; O night long, wind and showers Know you how many petals falling?
Chen Yi, a Chinese violinist and composer of contemporary classical music, was born into an immensely talented family. Her parents were musicians as well as doctors, and like herself, both of her siblings work as professional musicians. Beginning her studies at the age of 3, Yi was highly influenced by Western music, particularly Bach and Mozart. However, when the Cultural Revolution (a sociopolitical movement in China that shunned western ideals and banned music) happened, Yi was separated from her family and was forced to practice her music in secret. During this time Yi learned more about Chinese folk culture, including the extremely eventful traditional Chinese opera, which eventually infiltrated her music. She went on to become the concertmaster for the orchestra of the Beijing Opera Troupe in Guangzhou. She was the first Chinese woman to receive an M.A. in music composition from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. SHIFT: This choral piece, which bridges Eastern and Western sensibilities, gives the listener an almost tactile experience of waking up from a dream mid-afternoon to the sound of the garbage collector making his or her way down the road. It is among the first pieces to boldly use extended and other non-traditional singing techniques in a choral music context.
Cloudburst/El cántaro roto (The Broken Water-Jar) - Octavio Paz (adp. Eric Whitacre) La lluvia…
The rain…
Ojos de aqua de sombra, ojos de agua de pozo, ojos de aqua de sueńo.
Eyes of shadow‐water, eyes of well water, eyes of dream‐water.
Soles azules, verdes remolinos, picos de luz que abren astros como granadas. Dime, tierra quemada, no hay aqua? hay sólo sangre, sólo hay polvo, sólo pisadas de pies desnudos sobre la espina?
Blue suns, green whirlwinds, birdbeaks of light pecking open pomegranate stars. But tell me, burnt earth, is there no water? Only blood, only dust, only naked footsteps on the thorns?
La lluvia despierta…
The rain awakens…
Hay que dormir con los ojos abiertos, hay que soñar con las manos, soñemos sueños activos de río buscando su cauce, sueños de sol soñando sus mundos, hay que soñar en voz alta, hay que cantar hasta que el canto eche, raíces, tronco ramas pájaros, astros, hay que desenterrar la palabra perdida, recordar lo que dicen la sangre y la marea, le tierra y el cuerpo, volver al punto de partida...
We must sleep with open eyes, we must dream with our hands, we must dream the dreams of a river seeking its course, of the sun dreaming it’s worlds, we must dream aloud, we must sing till the song puts forth roots, trunk, branches birds, stars, we must find the lost word, and remember what the blood, the tides, the earth, and the body say, and return to the point of departure…
Translation: Lysander Kemp Eric Whitacre graduated from the University of Nevada in 1995 with a B.A. in Music Composition and continued his studies with John Corigliano and David Diamond at Juilliard. His music has become widely popular amongst choirs of all types, as his use of pandiatonic tone clusters and penchant for lush vertical sonorities has found a wide audience of choral enthusiasts. SHIFT: Though his harmonic achievements are well known, Whitacre’s most significant contribution to the choral canon lies in Cloudburst, which utilizes spoken word, aleatoric elements, body percussion, and extended vocal techniques to bring Octavio Paz’s lush poetry to life. In writing this piece, Whitacre helped bring these practices into the choral mainstream, blowing open the gates for other composers to experiment with similar devices that present a more holistic depiction of the human as an instrument, not just the voice.
All the Heart - Brian Rosen (1971- ) The original text:
The transformed text:
Never Give All The Heart W.B. Yeats
It’s like getting. It’s how to get started. Soft and small enough to fit all kinds of love. The love we deserve to have
Never give all the heart, for loves Will hardly seem worth thinking of To passionate women if it seem Certain, and they never dream That it fades out from kiss to kiss; For everything that’s lovely is But a brief, dreamy, kind delight. O never give the heart outright, For they, for all smooth lips can say, Have given their hearts up to the play. And who could play it well enough If deaf and dumb and blind with love? He that made this knows all the cost, For he gave all his heart and lost.
It is not enough to limit the human mind. Therefore, the soft lips of our efforts will be historic heart and soul. but if you prefer to dream… “Do you think that modern women are victims of impossible dreams?” He said this, knowing the cost of the heart by hand. “When a woman does not seem to think it worth the taking the problem is not the dream of the heart. They believe that a kiss is missing… Addictive, perfect for all kinds of simple pleasures. This seems obvious. If you are deaf and dumb enough, love can be blind because you never give up. This package is not a vision of happiness. It is about men and women who seem to think that they do not want to disappear.” This is the heart of the heart of all things that can never be sure. Between the flower and the soft lips, true love is hard to think of. These girls are very happy and went like a dream, like sand kisses They say that they are playing their hearts. She kissed him in a dream that never fades out.
Brian Rosen is a San Francisco–based composer/performer specializing in works that marry music and theater. Born into ia family of performers, he spent much of his youth in the concert halls or theaters of suburban New York. Brian studied music composition at Interlochen Arts Academy and computer science at Princeton University. He has been on the technical staff at Pixar Animation Studios for over 20 years, starting with their first feature film, Toy Story. His music and writings can be found on musicvstheater.com. SHIFT: The Google Variations are a series of choral settings that take well known poems and transforms them using Google Translate technology. The original text is translated into a chain of foreign languages, sometimes as many as twenty times, and then translated back into English. The resulting sentences often bear only a fleeting resemblance to the original text. After generating pages of such transformations, Brian curated the results, looking for phrases and sentences that still have echoes of the original work, while revealing new meanings that were hidden just beneath the carefully chosen words of the poet. Of particular interest here is how this Google-generated text interacts with Brian’s extremely theatrical sensibilities and his choral music self. Selections from Drawing the Target Around the Arrow - Caroline Elizabeth Polachek (1985- ) Caroline Elizabeth Polachek is a Brooklyn-based musician and songwriter known as the vocalist for Chairlift, as well as for writing and producing Beyoncé's single "No Angel." She released her debut solo album, Arcadia, under her stage name Ramona Lisa in April 2014 via Terrible Records. As part of her artist residency with National Sawdust last season, Caroline engaged with Choral Chameleon to premiere her 18-track album Drawing the Target Around the Arrow. SHIFT: This album, comprised entirely of sine waves, was originally released to her fans free of charge. Caroline says: “This record was started by my desire to have a really pure tone to work with, just for composition. At a certain point I was frustrated by how evocative of certain genres these plug-ins were – a string patch evoked a certain thing, an organ evoked a certain thing. It seemed like so many of these sounds were meant to emulate something else. So I said, I want something to write with that evokes nothing beyond a note; I just want pure notes. So I downloaded a sine plug-in, and I started playing around with phasing, playing two similar pitches and detuning one of them. I found that I had never enjoyed listening to my own music as much as I enjoyed listening to these. I listened to them all the time...Adding vocals makes it extremely personal all of a sudden. Vocals always give some sort of narrative element, and I think that’s a perfect way for people to experience this music live. I listened to some MP3s of Choral Chameleon, and I think 10 seconds into the first track I knew this was the choir I needed to work with.”
VINCE PETERSON, FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Vince Peterson is a respected composer, conductor, and pianist based in New York City. He is founder of the celebrated “shape-shifting” choral music greenhouse, Choral Chameleon. Under his artistic direction, the group has earned numerous awards and critical acclaim and is responsible for over 140 commissions and premieres within its first ten seasons. Additionally, he currently directs the dynamic Empire City Men’s Chorus. Now in his fourth year with ECMC, he is ushering the group into its 25th anniversary season. Frequently in demand as a composer, he is best known for his widely celebrated arrangements written for the Grammy award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer, which has toured seasonally performing them over the last seven years. His music has been performed in distinguished venues worldwide, including Chicago Symphony Hall, San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House, Bartok National Concert Hall in Budapest, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Carnegie Hall, among others. Peterson is a passionate educator and traditionally minded musical pedagogue. He has given countless lessons, masterclasses, workshops and guest lectures in the areas of composition, arranging, literature, and, in particular, ear training. He has toured internationally as a choral accompanist, including trips through Italy, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, the Philippines, and the United States. Peterson is an alumnus of The San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Conrad Susa and David Conte, and of Mannes College of Music in New York, where he studied with Mark Shapiro and David Loeb. The New York Times called him “authoritative beyond his…years,” and The Brooklyn Eagle praised his work as “a stunning symphony of the spiritual and secular,” while hailing him as a solo performer “with depth and vigor” who “provided a universal context which resonated with his audience.”
ALEX CANOVAS, ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR Alex Canovas is a Brooklyn-based conductor, singer, teacher, and administrator who has worked with some of the most important arts organizations in the United States. Early studies in composition and voice led him to Ithaca College, where he graduated with a B.M. in Vocal Performance and specialized in comic tenor roles. Alex was previously the Assistant Conductor of Ars Musica under Dusty Francis in Ridgewood, NJ, and the Opera Center Coordinator for OPERA America’s National Opera Center. He is currently the Associate Conductor for the critically acclaimed vocal ensemble Choral Chameleon, on the staff at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, and Operations Manager for the Empire City Men’s Chorus. He also maintains a private studio, teaching voice, diction, and music theory.
SAMUEL SHULL, ACCOMPANIST Samuel Shull has served as music director and/or accompanist for several choral groups, educational programs, and musical theatre productions throughout the five boroughs and regionally. He has worked extensively with the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, and made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2016 playing for the NYC Department of Education’s All City Chorus. Sam is the accompanist for Empire City Men’s Chorus (also with artistic director Vince Peterson) and director of music at the Church of the Holy Apostles in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn. Proud graduate of Carleton College and Berklee College of Music.
ABOUT CHORAL CHAMELEON Founded in 2008 by Artistic Director Vince Peterson, as an experiment in creating a joyfully curious music-making environment in New York City, our thriving choral arts organization now encompasses: a roster of professional ensemble singers, a volunteer chorus of 30-40 adults and an annual week-long Summer Institute for emerging composers and conductors hosted in Brooklyn. Our:
Mission is to reinvent the art of choral music from every perspective; to constantly question how our art form behaves, what it values, how it interacts with others, how it treats its artists and engages its audience.
Culture marries informality, loving support and joyful curiosity, with the expectation of solidly technical musicianship, constant learning and openness towards the unexpected.
Identity is distinctly metropolitan – alongside the 140 original compositions and arrangements premiered since 2008, much of the material performed from existing repertoire is infused with, and informed by, New York City.
Programming ethos seeks to dilate audience sensibilities towards the new; by the way it is paired with the familiar and by treating both with the respect they deserve.
Singers frequently appear as guests for other artists, off-Broadway productions and presenting organizations, which include: Taylor Mac, Sxip Shirey, Caroline Polachek, National Sawdust, Opera America, Playwrights Horizons, and New York Theater Workshop.
This Season, Choral Chameleon is honored to be the first choir as Group-inResidence at National Sawdust - the artist-led music incubator in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Be sure to check out the Ensemble at our Residency events as part of their ‘Classical Sundays’ Series in February and June 2018 and the Chorus’ next appearance with Sxip Shirey at Ferus Festival this January.
CHORAL CHAMELEON’S MISSION AND VALUES The Mission of Choral Chameleon is to reinvent the art of choral music from every perspective. We value: Innovation: We fearlessly explore and bring new possibilities in choral music to our members and audiences. Excellence: We pursue the highest standards in preparation, performance and repertoire.
Collaboration: We foster and celebrate diverse partnerships with composers, conductors and organizations to expand our reach in the community we serve. Enrichment: We strive to touch the lives of our audiences, while preserving fun & gratifying experiences for our performers. Education: We are committed to providing mentorship and practicing the care of the musician as whole person. Our Strategic Imperatives: · Commission new work every season · Bring audiences a dynamic blend of musical genres and art forms · Nurture artistic growth of all singers, conductors and composers · Encourage fun, openness and joy in the process of learning and performing Staff Vince Peterson, Artistic Director Alex Canovas, Associate Conductor Sam Shull, Accompanist Robbie Cowan, Professional Singer Contractor Volunteer Administrative Staff Nicole Belmont, Executive Director, Marketing Manager Jessica Wong, Membership & Volunteer Singer Manager Michael Squitieri, Accounting Stephanie Tuck, Newsletter Kathryn Squitieri, Database Kelly Baxter Golding, Program Layout Tegan Miller, Program Notes Brian Rosen, Crowdfunding Manager Eddie Maddalena & Rob Mosher, Front of House Season Artwork by Marc Bovino The Board of Choral Chameleon, Inc. Vince Peterson, Founder & Artistic Director Nicole Belmont, President Michael Squitieri, Treasurer Jessica Wong, Chorus President Andrew Kent, Fundraising Chair Brian M. Rosen David Dabbon Joseph Bellino, Ensemble Representative (ex officio) Alex Canovas, Associate Conductor— Acting Secretary (ex officio) Artistic Advisory Board Vance George - Symphony Chorus Conductor Emeritus, San Francisco Symphony Matthew Oltman - Music Director Emeritus, Chanticleer Mark Shapiro - Artistic Director, Cantori New York; Conductor, Cecilia Chorus of New York Bruce MacIntyre - Musicologist; Director: Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music Emily Keeler - Artistic Director, San Francisco Arts Education Project Stephen Goldstine - Photographer; Consultant David Conte - Composer; San Francisco Conservatory of Music Conrad Susa (in Memoriam) - Composer; San Francisco Conservatory of Music