THE
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY College of Music presents
“Dominus et servus”
FSU Chamber Choir
Michael Hanawalt, Conductor
Sarita Gustely and Isiah Maxey, Assistant Conductors
Judy Arthur, Piano
Friday, November 14, 2025
7:30 p.m. | Opperman Music Hall
PROGRAM
A Thank You Note to the Universe
Karen Large, flute
O Nata Lux
Jocelyn Hagen (b. 1980)
Morten Lauridsen (b. 1943)
Sarita Gustely, assistant conductor
We shall walk through the valley in peace
Isiah Maxey, assistant conductor
In meeting we are blessed
Christopher Martinez, djembe
BRIEF INTERMISSION
Undine Smith Moore (1904–1989)
Robertson (b. 1978)
To Ensure An Enjoyable Concert Experience For All…
Please refrain from talking, entering, or exiting during performances. Food and drink are prohibited in all concert halls. Recording or broadcasting of the concert by any means, including the use of digital cameras, cell phones, or other devices is expressly forbidden. Please deactivate all portable electronic devices including watches, cell phones, pagers, hand-held gaming devices or other electronic equipment that may distract the audience or performers.
Recording Notice: This performance may be recorded. Please note that members of the audience may at times be included in this process. By attending this performance you consent to have your image or likeness appear in any live or recorded video or other transmission or reproduction made in conjunction to the performance.
Florida State University provides accommodations for persons with disabilities. Please notify the College of Music at (850) 644-3424 at least five working days prior to a musical event to request accommodation for disability or alternative program format.
Troy
Dixit Dominus George Frideric Handel
1. Dixit Dominus (1685–1759)
Rose Hellmers, soprano; Sarita Gustely, alto; Sam Stevenson, tenor
Dixit Dominus Domino meo: sede a dextris meis, donec ponam inimicos tuos scabellum pedum tuorum.
The Lord said unto my Lord: Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
2. Virgam virtutis tuae
Leah Shewmaker, alto
Virgam virtutis tuae emittet Dominus ex Sion: dominare in medio inimicorum tuorum.
The Lord shall send the rod of thy power out of Sion: be thou ruler, even in the midst among thine enemies.
3. Tecum principium in die virtutitis
Ye Ji Li, soprano
Tecum principium in die virtutis tuae in splendoribus sanctorum: ex utero, ante luciferum, genui te.
In the day of thy power shall the people offer thee free-will offerings with an holy worship: the dew of thy birth is of the womb of the morning.
4. Juravit Dominus
5. Tu es sacerdos in aeternum
6. Dominus a dextris tuis
Isiah Maxey, assistant conductor
Juravit Dominus et non poenitebit eum.
The Lord swore, and will not repent.
Tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech.
Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech.
Emily Folsum, soprano I; Rose Hellmers, soprano II
Sarita Gustely, alto; Sam Stevenson, tenor; Troy Sleeman, bass
Dominus a dextris tuis: confregit in die irae suae reges.
The Lord upon thy right hand: shall wound even kings in the day of his wrath.
7. Judicabit in nationibus
Sarita Gustely, assistant conductor
Judicabit in nationibus, implebit ruinas: conquassabit capita in terra multorum.
He shall judge among the heathen; he shall fill the places with the dead bodies: and smite in sunder the heads over divers countries
8. De torrente in via Emily Folsum, soprano I; Themily Figueras, soprano II
De torrente in via bibet: propterea exaltabit caput.
He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up his head.
9. Gloria Patri et Filio
Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto Sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper, et in seacula saeculorum, Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and every shall be, world without end. Amen.
“Dominus et Servus”
Leadership takes many forms. Some inspire through authority and grandeur; others lead by service, compassion, and humility. Dominus et Servus, “The Master and the Servant,” invites listeners to consider these contrasting models of leadership through music that spans centuries, styles, and philosophies.
Hagen: A Thank You
Note to the Universe
Jocelyn Hagen’s radiant A Thank You Note to the Universe opens the program with a spirit of gratitude and wonder. Setting a text by Noor Unnahar, Hagen captures the profound humility and joy that comes from recognizing beauty in the world around us. Her lush harmonies and shimmering textures remind us that gratitude itself can be an act of leadership; an acknowledgment of interdependence and the grace of being alive.
Lauridsen: O Nata Lux
Morten Lauridsen’s beloved motet O Nata Lux (“O Light Born of Light”) turns inward, offering a meditation on divine illumination. Its gentle dissonances and flowing melodic lines evoke the quiet inspiration that servant leaders bring to those they guide. The piece’s seamless counterpoint and luminous sonorities serve as a metaphor for unity and purpose; a light passed from one to another in mutual service.
Smith Moore: We Shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace
Known as the “Dean of Black Women Composers,” Undine Smith Moore wrote music steeped in faith, resilience, and humanity. In her arrangement of the traditional spiritual, We Shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace, Moore’s writing balances simplicity with profound depth. This serene expression of communal peace speaks to cooperation, empathy, and the kind of leadership that heals rather than divides.
Robertson: In Meeting We Are Blessed
Troy Robertson’s In Meeting We Are Blessed closes the first half with warmth and affirmation. Through graceful melodic lines and tender harmonies, Robertson celebrates the sacredness of human connection. The text and music together express that leadership is not found in dominance, but in the ability to bring people together to find strength and blessing in community.
Handel: Dixit Dominus
Handel’s Dixit Dominus represents striking contrast of both leadership and compositional style. Written in 1707 during his early years in Italy, this virtuosic setting of Psalm 110 proclaims the majesty and authority of God, and, by extension, of the rulers and institutions that claimed divine sanction. The music is fiery, elaborate, and commanding: angular fugues, dazzling melismas, and relentless rhythmic energy convey power and hierarchy. Yet, within its grandeur lies an artistry that transcends its origins, revealing a young composer channeling divine and human
Together, these works explore command and compassion, as well as power and peace. In doing so, they invite us to imagine leadership not as domination, but as devotion: to light, to gratitude, and to one another.
FSU Chamber Choir Personnel
Michael Hanawalt, Conductor
Sarita Gustely and Isiah Maxey, Assistant Conductors
Soprano
Haley Bolam
Athalia Eugene
Themily Figueras
Emily Folsom
Caitlin Gerding
Rose Hellmers
Maggie Merrell
Mariangely Rodriguez
Rebecca Smith
Elaina Wilson
Zoey Xiao
Violin I
Masayoshi Arakawa
Christina Leach
Chloe Gullo
Violin II
Sobin Son
Sasha Richeson
Irsia Guzman
Alto
Kiley Berkery
Prescott Breitling
Morgan Cerra
Reese Cooper
Sarita Gustely
Yuko Hori
Gracee Myers
Aritza Reyes Drullard
Ruth Springer
Audra Weathers
Tenor
Robert Lovins
Kyle McDonald
Jeremy Moore
Steven Olson
Jackson Roberts
Brandon Scribner
Sam Stevenson
Sam Varnon
Colby White
Harold Wright
Timothy Yu
Chamber Orchestra Personnel
Viola
Yey Mulero
Brender Brewer
Jacqueline Yang
Cello
Turner Sperry
Mitchell George
Double Bass
Jarobi Watts
Bass
Ethan Bixby
Joshua Butler
Jordan Evans
Yasha Foster
Augusto Girotto
David Griffith
Owen Hillman
Christopher Martinez
Isiah Maxey
Troy Sleeman
Logan Williams
Organ
Judy Arthur
Harpshichord
Timothy Hoekman