HOPE, HELP, HOME
Pacific Choirs
Brett Epperson, conductor
Monica Adams, collaborative piano
Tuesday, September 16, 2025
7:30 pm
Faye Spanos Concert Hall
SEPTEMBER 16, 2025, 7:30 PM
University Chorus
Sancta Maria, mater Dei, KV 273 (1777) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)
While I Breathe, I Hope (2023)
Help Just a Little (1881; 2022)
Jocelyn Hagen (b. 1980)
William J. Kirkpatrick (1838–1921)
arr. Jordan Sramek, Dan Chouinard and Ginna Watson
Aiden Valdez, tenor
Izzy Knittle, violin; Pete Norman, double bass; Celestino Mederos, guitar
Home (2024)
Andrew Steffen (b. 1990)
Let Us Cheer the Weary Traveler (1926) Negro Spiritual arr. R. Nathaniel Dett edit. Marques L.A. Garrett
Katie Pettelier, soprano; Elizabeth Neumeyer, alto
Ian Orejana, tenor; Landon Horstman, bass
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
Miserere mei, Deus (1593)
Kaung'a Yachee (1996)
Raffaella Aleotti (1570–1646)
Taita (Kenyan) Melody arr. Boniface Mganga
Hunter Campbell and Pete Norman, percussion
Bayanihan (2025)
Arianne Abela (b. 1986)
Hunter Campbell and Pete Norman, percussion
Messe (b. 1968) arr. Gregory Good
arr.
Stephen Paulus (1949–2014) The Road Home (2005)
Dan
Nicholas Trobaugh, cello
Magdalena Bowen, soprano
Margaret Lomova, soprano
Half Acre (2000; 2019)
Latvian Folk Song
Laura Jēkabsone
Dziediet, meitas! (2021)
PROGRAM NOTES
Notes by Brett Epperson
The music for the Pacific Choirs was selected throughout the spring and summer. Selections became clear at different times in different places— some while wrapping up my previous academic year in Nebraska, others while gigging in Charleston, South Carolina or while in-transit between cities in Japan. Selecting music in these different locations sparked the idea of framing the program through a lens of a journey—and some vital emotional components of such a journey, namely: Hope, Help and Home.
Both University Chorus and Pacific Singers’ sets start with hope. When a journey of any kind begins, we hope that we may find our circumstances improved on the other side—that we, ourselves, have experienced beauty and challenge and growth from the journey. Along the way, we find we often need help of some kind: mistakes are made, unexpected setbacks block our path, heartbreak enters. How grateful we are to find help—encouragement, kindness, support, wisdom—from friends, family, mentors, teammates, and even strangers. Through this journey, we might be encouraged to find a home—a place, a community, a vibrant life where we can be seen, heard, understood, known. A decorative sign I once saw in someone’s home reads “Home is where they love you.”
At the start of a new school year, I find myself filled with hope for the academic and musical journeys our students find themselves upon. When help is needed along the way, I am optimistic they find it—in themselves, in classmates and roommates, in faculty and support staff—and not be afraid to seek out those supports deliberately and intentionally. Ultimately, I hope that University of the Pacific—both our beautiful campus and the inspiring people that walk its paths each day—comes to feel like a place that can be called home during this journey through college years and the decades to come.
A note of gratitude to:
Inga Pīterbārka, for coaching the Latvian language with Pacific Singers on Dziediet, meitas!
Composer Arianne Abela, for connecting with Pacific Singers via Zoom to speak about her piece Bayanihan.
Mozart: Sancta Maria, mater Dei
Sancta Maria, mater Dei, ego omnia tibi debeo, sed ab hac hora singulariter me tuis servitiis devoveo. Te patronam, te sospitatricem eligo. Tuus honor et cultus aeternum mihi cordi fuerit, quem ego nunquam deseram neque ab aliis mihi subditis, verbo factoque violari patiar. Sancta Maria, tu pia me pedibus tuis advolutum recipe, in vita protege, in mortis discrimine defende. Amen.
—Traditional Latin Prayer
Hagen: While I Breathe, I Hope
Saint Mary, Mother of God
Holy Mary, Mother of God, I owe all to you, And from this hour I devote myself only to your service. You as a protector, you as a preserver I choose. Your reverence and honor will be eternally in my heart, which I shall never desert nor submit, from others liable to me, to it being violated by deed and by word. Holy Mary, pious, receive me, begging at your feet, in life protect me, defend me from the risk of death. Amen.
—trans. Choral Public Domain Library
Follow one breath, Go where it goes down to the dark, past bone, past heart, past hurt, to light, to rest only a moment in the strength of your soul’s cupped hands. Hope is born here, hope is cradled, breathing itself, ready to rise with your breath and return through your heart through your voice through your song.
Kirkpatrick: Help Just a Little
Brother for Christ’s kingdom sighing, Help a little, help a little, Help to save the millions dying, Help just a little.
Oh, the wrongs that we may righten! Oh, the hearts that we may lighten! Oh, the skies that we may brighten! Helping just a little.
Let us live for one another, Help a little, help a little, Help to lift each fallen brother, Help just a little.
Though thy life is pressed with sorrow, Help a little, help a little; Bravely look towards God’s tomorrow, Help just a little.
—William A. Spencer
Steffen: Home
Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home. A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there, which, seek through the world, is ne’er met elsewhere. Home! Home!
Sweet, sweet home! There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home!
An exile from home splendor dazzles in vain; Oh, give me my lowly thatched cottage again! The birds singing sweetly, that come at my call, Give me them and the peace of mind, dearer to all!
How sweet ‘tis to sit ‘neath a fond father’s smile the caress of a mother to soothe and beguile! Let others delight mid new pleasures to roam, But give me, oh, give me the pleasures of home.
To thee I’ll return overburdened with care
The heart’s dearest solace will smile on me there, No more from that cottage, again will I roam, Be it ever so humble there’s no place like home.
—John Howard Payne
Dett: Let Us Cheer the Weary Traveler
Let us cheer the weary traveler, Cheer the weary traveler, Let us cheer the weary traveler, Along the heavenly way.
I’ll take my gospel trumpet, And I’ll begin to blow, And if my Savior helps me, I’ll blow wherever I go.
And if you meet with crosses, And trials on the way, Just keep your trust in Jesus, And don’t forget to pray.
—Negro Spiritual
Brahms: Warum?
Warum doch erschallen himmelwärts die Lieder? Zögen gerne niederSterne, die droben blinken und wallen, zögen sich Lunas lieblich Umarmen, zögen die warmen, wonnigen Tage seliger Götter gern uns herab!
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Aleotti: Miserere mei, Deus
Miserere mei, Deus Miserere mei, Deus quoniam in te confidit anima mea. Et in umbra alarum tuarum [sperabo], donec transeat iniqtuitas.
—Psalm 57:1
Mganga: Kaung’a Yachee
Mkiri odu Jesu dakuyova, iside wanyonge ngolo redudari gunya kwako, dakolumba kuditesie dakulomba kudihoreshe.
Kaung’a yachee, kaung’a yachee, Kaung’a yachee wurumwengunyi yadiredia makongo.
Kaung’a ya dinjira sere, Kaung’a ya dinjira ndigi yadiredia kifwa na wasi
Kaung’a ya ditanya na Mlungu.
Why?
Why then do songs resound heavenward? They would gladly lure down the stars, which gleam and wander above; They would entice Luna’s lovely embraces, and invoke the warm, blissful days of blessed gods— gladly would they do this!
—trans. LiederNet
Have mercy on me, O God
Have mercy on me, O God, Have mercy on me, O God, for my soul trusts in you. And in the shadow of your wings [I will take refuge], until the iniquity passes by. —trans. unknown
Sin
Came
Our Savior Jesus, we pray unto You for we are weak we give our hearts unto You, we pray that You help us we pray that You heal us.
Sin came, sin came, Sin came to the world and brought sickness. Sin removed our safety, sin weakened our strength, brought trouble and death unto us, sin separates us from God.
Na mfwano dichamneka choka kuka ka kusei barie chongo yadaredelwa malembia nim bao, naiyapata mruke na kwenda.
Dagenda kwa waganga dafunya mafungu malazi darigi twa na kuchugwa ngoru daliwa mganga ni Jesu.
—Taita (Kenyan) Melody
Abela: Bayanihan
Sama sama tayo sa fiesta o trabaho kai bigan o pamilya sigu radong ma saya Tara na, tar ana Bayanihan
Sa hirap at ginhawa dahan dahn ang paglipat kayang kaya ang pagbuhat sandalilang, tapos na!
Balito ko may lilipat tawagin ang lahat ang bayan ay tutulong sa paglipat at angat
Bayanihan, Bayanihan Salu-salo magtulungan magsaya
Kain na sayaw na saman a halika na
We shall give you an example if you do not strike the serpent’s head will be assisted by its helper/friend he is restored and leaves.
We turn to witchcraft
And part with a lot of money We are cut and given remedies Forgetting that Jesus is the Healer.
—trans. African Gospel Lyrics
Nation, Town, Country
Let’s all be together in celebration or at work friend or family it surely will be fun Come on, come on.
Bayanihan
In hardship or in good times slowly we make the move carrying is so easy in a moment we are done!
I heard that someone’s moving call everyone to come the community will help us with the lifting and the move.
Bayanihan, Bayanihan Get together help one another celebrate and have fun.
Eat already dance already join already come here already.
Salamat
Walang anuman
Bayanihan
Messe: Half Acre
—Barbara Abela
I am holding half an acre
Torn from the map of Michigan
And folded in this scrap of paper
Is a land I grew in
Think of every town you've lived in
Every room, you lay your head
And what is it that you remember?
Do you carry every sadness with you
Every hour your heart was broken
Every night the fear and darkness
Lay down with you
A man is walking on the highway
A woman stares out at the sea
And light is only now just breaking
So we carry every sadness with us
Every hour our heart were broken
Every night the fear and darkness
Lay down with us
But I am holding half an acre
Torn from the map of Michigan
I am carrying this scrap of paper
That can crack the darkest sky wide open
Every burden taken from me
Every night my heart unfolding
Thank you No problem! Bayanihan.
—trans. Barbara Abela
—Dan Messe
Jēkabsone: Dziediet, meitas!
Dziediet meitas manu dziesmu, ņemiet mani palīgā, sieniet manu kumeliņu zaļā zīda pavada.
Dziediet, meitas vakarā, vakarā tāļu skan; rītā koki rasas pilni, dew, tad vairs tāļu neskanēs.
Dziedu koši locīdama, melody, dziedu gari pavilkdama vējiņš manu balsu nesa pašā tautas sētiņā.
—Latvian Folk Song
Paulus: The Road Home
Sing, Maidens!
Sing, maidens, my song, let me join in as well, tie my horse with a green silk rein.
Sing, maidens, in the evening, song carries far in the evening; in the morning, trees are full of dew, Then the song won’t carry as far.
I sing brightly, bending the melody, I sing, dragging long the melody the wind carried my voice Straight into the courtyard of my neighbors.
—trans. Laura Jēkabsone
Tell me, where is the road I can call my own, I can call my own, that I left, that I lost, so long ago? All these years I have wandered, oh, when will I know there’s a way, there’s a road that will lead me home?
After wind, after rain, when the dark is done. As I wake from a dream in the gold of day, through the air there’s a calling from far away, there’s a voice I can hear that will lead me home.
Rise up, follow me, come away, is the call, with the love in your heart as the only song; there is no such beauty as where you belong; rise up, follow me, I will lead you home.
—Michael Dennis Browne
Brett D. Epperson is assistant professor of choral conducting at University of the Pacific. He comes to Pacific from Hastings College in Nebraska, where he served as director of choral activities 2022–25. He currently teaches courses in conducting, music education, and functional voice, in addition to guiding Pacific’s two concert choral ensembles, University Chorus and Pacific Singers.
Prior to pursuing a career in academia, Epperson was a public school music educator, leading large high school choral programs in Iowa and Nebraska. He continues to lead church music programs, performs as a professional chorister and soloist regularly, and composes new music for choirs. Choral music has led him to traveling, singing, and conducting throughout Europe, the Caribbean, Kenya, Mexico, and Japan. Outside of teaching and musicmaking, Epperson enjoys cooking, reading, biking, and connecting with friends and family.
Epperson earned a Bachelor of Arts in music from Luther College (Decorah, IA), a Master of Music in choral conducting from Michigan State University, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree in music education-choral conducting from Florida State University.
Monica Adams has worked at University of the Pacific as a collaborative pianist and professor of practice since 1995. During 2005–24, Adams taught the voice class for music therapy and music education majors. In 2024–25, she conducted the University Chorus. Currently, she is also a collaborative pianist for voice majors and both choirs.
Adams holds a Bachelor of Music in music performance, voice, from University of the Pacific, where she studied piano with Frank Wiens, voice with William Whitesides, George Buckbee and John DeHaan, and conducting with William Dehning and Robert Halseth. Adams has performed as a pianist with the Stockton Symphony Orchestra and sang the roles of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro and Old Maid in Old Maid and the Thief. She has served as musical director and conductor at Pacific for Pajama Game (Fallon House), Paint Your Wagon (Fallon House), You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, Apple Tree, Falsettoland, Assassins, and 1940's Radio Hour. She has also music-directed Oliver, La Cage aux Folles, Babes in Arms, Footloose (conducted, too), Beauty and the Beast, The Full Monty, and Godspell for various theatres.
In 2004 Adams participated in the summer SongFest program, which included coaching with Martin Katz, Graham Johnson, D'Anna Fortunato, John Hall, Judith Kellock and John Harbison, as well as performing in multiple recitals.
University Chorus
University Chorus is a large, mixed chorus that performs both a cappella and choral-orchestral works in a wide variety of genres, often collaborating with other ensembles at University of the Pacific.
Sopranos
Katie Carlos
Rachael Cross
Kiersten Hogue
Anna Kazimi
Maya Liu
Ema Perry
Siry Smith
Altos
Evelyn Aburto
Jade Anderson
Maggie Chen
Mackenzie Deems
Miranda Duarte
Nathalie Garibay
Rain Jia
Kaitlyn Tamondong
Snowy Tan
Nadege Tenorio
Sylvia Valverde
Xi Zhang
Tenors
Jack Alorro
Justice Freeman
Danny Guerrero
Daniel Judd
Pete Norman
Davis Robinson
Aiden Valdez
Matthew Young
Basses
Angel Camacho-Ibarra
Hunter Campbell
Edwin Contreras
Jake Frye
Michael Gibson
Connor Hsu
Severyn Kurach
Celestino Mederos
Michael Shove
Jason Wu
PACIFIC CHOIRS
Pacific Singers
Pacific Singers is a select, mixed-voice chamber choir who collaborates with the University Chorus for two choral concerts each semester and perform at major university events and ceremonies. They also work with Pacific Orchestras and the Stockton Symphony to perform major choral and orchestral pieces.
Sopranos
Magdalena Bowen
Rose Krueger
Margaret Lomova
Katie Pelletier
Olivhea Ross
Shannon Sheperd
Altos
Elleanor Cooper
Jennifer Lopez
Zoie Macapanpan
Elizabeth Neumeyer
Caroline Poso
Sara Wolfe
Tenors
Miranda Duarte
Loe Hogan
Ian Orejana
Phu Phan
Basses
Daniel Campbell
Jordan Reece Guitang
Landon Horstman
Ernesto Pena
Pacific Voice and Choral Faculty
Daniel Ebbers, program director
Eric Dudley, musical director/opera theatre
Brett Epperson, choirs
James Haffner, stage director/opera theatre
Heidi Moss Erickson
Jonathan Latta, ensembles program director
Breanna Daley, ensembles librarian
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