CHRISTMAS AT COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY Vol 2
featuring THE CSU CHAMBER
SINGERS,
Edward Anderson, Conductor
THE CSU BRASS CHOIR,
Jacob Larson, Conductor
CAVARRA, Organist MHS 3295
ROBERT
Since Volume l of CHRISTMAS AT COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY has received such enthusiastic acclaim for its uniquely fresh presentation of traditional and some equally great not-often-heard literature, demand has been high for a second volume. Following in the same tradition the CSU Chamber Singers, the CSU Brass Choir, and organist Robert Cavarra present Volume II.
No literature presents any loftier emotions or plumbs the depths of our humanity any better than the great music of all ages written for this season. It is our sincerest wish that some of the hope and peace of the season may be yours, enriched by the music here presented. We wish to offer special thanks to the Reverend Edward Ostertag, Rector, who generously offered the use of the new Phelps Organ at St. Luke's Episcopal Church for this recording.
CSU'S DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC
Although first established on April 1, 1884, the Department of Music functioned for many years as the Conservatory of Music. Renamed the Department of Music on September 1, 1937, it has enjoyed an enviable reputation for musical and scholarly excellence and is one of the oldest music schools in the western region of the United States. Degrees, both undergraduate and graduate, are offered in all
areas of musical performance, education, and music therapy.
THE ORGANS
The excellence of the Casavant Organ at Colorado State University has been acclaimed worldwide. Recognized for its North German contrapuntal clarity and perfection of concept, design, and voicing, this organ's fame has spread due to the enthusiasm of the great artists of the world who have performed upon it. This organ is heard in all of the choral accompaniments on this recording.
With the installation this year of the new Phelps Organ at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Fort Collins now has two great organs. This instrument is built in the Classic French style, and thus makes it a perfect counterpart to the North German organ at the University. It also makes Fort Collins unique among all cities of the world, for here alone can one find two organs of such excellence, perfectly contrasting and complementary. Through the generosity of the rector and parishioners of St. Luke's, this instrument has been made available to the University to augment the dimension of its already highly respected organ program.
With this recording, for the first time on an American disc, the rich sonorities and vast
color contrasts of the Classic French organ are heard. No music was ever so closely wedded to the timbres of an instrument than exists here in the French organ school of the 17th and 18th centuries. The three noëls, all recorded at St. Luke's Church, reveal this perfection, beauty, and balance, as well as the richness and kaleidoscopic dimensions of its tonal palette. Both of these organs were designed by Lawrence I. Phelps in consultation with Robert Cavarra.
Side I
JOY TO THE WORLD
We begin the recording with the very famous song of George Frederick Handel arranged for brass by Sammy Nestico.
Kendor Music, Inc.
LULLAY, MY LIKING
The English composer Gustav Holst has set this charming text from "A Mediaeval Anthology," Miss Mary Segar, Editor. The lullaby refrain sets off the solo verses of Shauna Sargent, Soprano.
G. Schirmer
NOEL: Au jo deu de pubelle Grande dei, ribon ribeine
This work, by Claude Balbastre (1727-1799), is in fact two noels written as a kind of Sonata wherein the opening fanfare and variations are
followed by a second noel and variations, with a complete return of the opening fanfare. The vast richness of the Classic French organ is heard here, with the fanfare being played on the most brilliant combination of stops known as the Grands Jeux (Great Voices). Other solo voices heard include the Trompette, the Cornet, and the Bagpipe, Fife variations played on the Voix Humaine stop, and the 2' Flute (Quarte de Nazard).
I SAW THREE SHIPS
This sprightly English carol seems ideally suited to the sonorities of a brass choir, here arranged by Leroy Anderson, from Suite of Carols.
Mills Music, Inc.
WEVE BEEN A WHILE A WANDERING
An arrangement of a traditional Yorkshire Wassail Song. Lisa Sakas is the Soprano soloist and Pen Dell Pittman sings the Baritone solos.
Neil A. Kjos
TWO SIXTEENTH CENTURY FLEMISH SONGS
Si l'ai Perdu Mon Ami
Heth Sold Ein Meisken
The tradition of performing vocal music by instrumental ensembles was common in the 16th century. The names of the composers of these two works has been lost. The
transcription is by Eugene Haas.
Shawnee Press, Inc.
GLORIA
From Messe de Minuit pour Noel by Marc Antoine Charpentier (1634-1704), Each section of this Mass Ordinary is based upon French noels. Tenor soloists are Larry Gerber and Robert Reeves, and PenDell Pittman sings the Baritone solo.
Side 2
THE FIRST NOEL
Traditional Carol
IN DULCI JUBILO
Arranged by Leroy Anderson from his Suite of Carols, this ancient carol takes on new dimensions of joy, as the music reflects the text "Good Christian Men, Rejoice."
NOEL, en dialogue, duo et trio
The most beloved tone color of the Classic French organ was its Cornets (pronounced core-nay). Louis-Claude D'Aquin (1694-1772) uses this complex combination of Flute pipes of various pitches (8', 4', 2 2/3', 2', 1 3/5)) first in dialogue between the Cornets of each manual, then in duet, and finally in trio. The richness of the sounds are matched by the eloquent, elaborate lines of this highly ornamented French noel.
SONATA PIAN' E FORTE
By Giovanni Gabrieli, this two-choir, eight-part work comes from his Sacrae Symphoniae, written in Venice, 1597. It is the first known ensemble work to use dynamic contrast indicated in the score and one of the first to provide recommendations as to the instrumentation. Transcribed by Robert King.
Robert King Music Company
THE SUSSEX CAROL
David Willcocks has arranged this delightful English carol in homage to Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Oxford University Press
NOEL, pour l'Amnour de Marie
The charming naivete of the Christrnas spirit is beautifully expressed in this noel and variations by Jean-Francois Dandrieu (16821738).
SILENT NIGHT
This beloved carol of Franz Gruber is here presented in an arrangement for brass choir by Sammy Nestico. The Trumpet solo is played by Kathy Corey.
Kendor Music, Inc.
A JOYOUS CHRISTMAS SONG
The original Norwegian carol arranged by Margrethe Hokanson is well known to many Scandinavian people as "Jeg er saa glad hver
Julekveld" ( am so glad this Christmas time).
Clayton F, Summy
Robert Cavarra
Producer and Coordinator Robert Cavarra
Recording Engineers
David Howard and James Weaver
Audicom Corporation
