Canterbury Voices Of Perpetual Solace Program

2020/21SEASON

OF PERPETUAL SOLACE Written by

Edward Knight

MJ Alexander

Composer Librettist PRESENTING SEASON SPONSOR

PRESENTING CONCERT SPONSOR

The arts bring us together!

Allied Arts is proud to support more than 40 local nonprofit arts and cultural organizations annually, including Canterbury Voices. Together, we reach approximately one million people each year statewide with inspiring, educational and community-building programming.

DONATE TODAY. alliedartsokc.com/donate

2

CANTERBURY VOICES

Photo: Michael Anderson PerformingArtsPhotos.com

2020/21SEASON CONTENTS

About Us Finding Our Voice!

Season Sponsors Artistic Director Brahms’ Requiem Canterbury Christmas The Forte Society Of Perpetual Solace Canterbury Voices Canterbury Staff

5 7 8 9 11 15 18 25 36 43

3

4

WHO WE ARE OUR MISSION To transform lives, educate the future, and inspire communities through great choral music.

OUR VISION To continually offer artistic and educational experiences of the highest quality to the broadest and most diverse audience possible in Oklahoma.

MUSIC IS ESSENTIAL Canterbury Voices formed in May, 1969 at All Souls Episcopal Church with 60 singers.

This year, Canterbury Voices continued to create music safely during a turbulent time. Our mission stays strong. We believe the power of music can change lives, and your support helps keeps the music alive!

DONATE TODAY. Photo: Joy Neel 5 TapestryPhotographs.com

kucofm.com A c o m m uAn icommunity-supported t y - s u p p o r t e d o u t r e a coutreach h o f t h e of U nthe iversity of Central

University of Central Oklahoma

FROM THE

FINDING OUR VOICE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR What an exhausting yet exhilarating honor it has been to lead an arts organization through one of the strangest years in recent history. Never have we been more excited to welcome you back! Our staff and board have met each challenge with innovation. As we called subscribers to explain new safety protocols, social distanced seating and paperless tickets, we were overwhelmed with the encouragement from our patrons of all ages. The strength we have gathered from each of you along the way has been inspiring, and we truly appreciate the support you have shown.

Pam Mowry Executive Director

Our singers are vital to our mission and have shown tremendous courage while enduring many rehearsal challenges including singing in masks, standing far apart while trying to hear each other, and adapting to various rehearsal venues. When you love to sing as much as we do, you can’t imagine life without it. We wouldn’t want to! We accept the challenge to bring you something special when some experts said it couldn’t be done. Thanks and a debt of gratitude to the federal, state and city officials who awarded Cares Act grants to keep us moving, and to BancFirst for being our champion during that process — to the generous donors, sponsors and grantors who believed in us and invested in our mission. Thank you to our patrons for coming. We couldn’t have done this without any of you.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Karen Rieger president Blake Lawrence immediate past president John Cassil treasurer Arthur Thompson secretary Mark Clayborne Scott Davis Dr. John Dyer Dr. Carla Hardzog-Britt

Lisa Reagan Love Meg McElhaney Grant Moak Dr. Joseph Phillips Doug Sorocco Chad Taylor Lindsey Chancellor adult chorus Billy Walton cyv chorus

7

SEASON SPONSORS PRESENTING SPONSOR

SEASON SPONSORS

Ad Astra

Foundation

Wanda L. Bass Foundation

The Meinders Foundation

MEDIA PARTNERS

INTERESTED IN SPONSORING THE MUSIC? 8

Contact Justin Wallace Justin@CanterburyOKC.com / (405) 232-7464

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Randi Von Ellefson is Director of Choral Activities and Professor of Music at Oklahoma City University and serves as Artistic Director of Canterbury Voices. He began his work in Oklahoma City in 2004 after working at the University of Chicago, (IL), Whitworth University, (WA) and Bethany Lutheran College (MN.) He holds degrees from Texas Lutheran University, the University of Minnesota and the Doctor of Musical Arts from Arizona State University. He is a founding member of the National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO) and served twice as its President, Photo: Michael Anderson receiving the prestigious lifetime PerformingArtsPhotos.com achievement award. He has also been President of the American Choral Directors Association’s Northwestern and Central Divisions.

Dr. Ellefson conducted the Spokane Symphony Chorale and the Elgin Choral Union, and has worked at Lutheran and Presbyterian churches; currently serving as the adult choir director at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City.

Canterbury toured China in 2011, and in 2014, seventy singers joined other choirs for concerts in Paris and Normandy commemorating the 70th Anniversary of D-Day. In 2017 Canterbury singers participated in “Limerick Sings”, a choral festival in Ireland. In 2018, as part of the ACDA Southwest Conference, Dr. Ellefson conducted Canterbury Voices, the Tulsa Oratorio Chorus and the OKC Philharmonic in a performance of the Mozart “Great” Mass in C Minor.

9

AL

BRAUM’S + BRAHMS = A MAGICAL COMBINATION!

FUL

LO ED

FC B

HOC

O

WT NET ra .H B Y: W

tion utri s per

BA K

N

g ervin ize 10 s ing S v in Ser oun

t pe

r se

o Cal

Am

rv

ri

l Fa Tota Satu

ORDER ONLINE. Pick up in 15.

Download the Braum’s App or visit orders.braums.com to place a Fresh Market order

Braum’s Order Pickup may vary by store location and is only available for Fresh Market items | Orders must be a minimum of $20 before applicable tax

BRAHMS

REQUIEM Sunday, November 1, 2020 / 3 PM Civic Center Music Hall

CANTERBURY VOICES

Randi Von Ellefson artistic director and conductor

GUEST ARTISTS

Sarah Coburn soprano Gabriel Preisser baritone Sergio Monteiro pianist Ruirui Ouyang Johnson pianist SPONSORED BY

VIRTUAL PRESENTING SPONSOR

WANDA L. BASS FOUNDATION

11

Arts Education in Schools Unlock your students’ creative potential Grants • Programs • Services arts.ok.gov The Oklahoma Arts Council is an agency of state government

12

Loyal

TO OKLAHOMA & THE ARTS

BancFirst is proud to support Canterbury Voices. Your creativity and passion inspire us all.

405.270.1000 BANCFIRST.BANK

R

QUALITY FUEL ADDITIVES

Tal Tech, LLC Manufacturer of TK7 Products Together with the Tal and Bailes Families Proudly sponsors Canterbury Youth Voices and the work they do to make an impact on the lives of central Oklahoma’s youth.

14

CANTERBURY

CHRISTMAS Sunday, December 6, 2020 / 7 PM Civic Center Music Hall

CANTERBURY VOICES

Randi Von Ellefson artistic director and conductor John L. Edwards accompanist / organist

GUEST ARTISTS

OCU Faculty Brass Quintet

Michael Anderson trumpet | Michael Mann trumpet Mirella Gable horn | John Allen trombone Genevieve Clarkson tuba | Patrick Womack percussion Keith Hendricks percussion

CANTERBURY YOUTH VOICES CHORALE Stephen Ziegler conductor SPONSORED BY

VIRTUAL PRESENTING SPONSOR

WANDA L. BASS FOUNDATION

15

106.3 NORMAN

|

105.7 OKC

|

KGOU.ORG

LEARN SOMETHING ON THE GO. 16

CIVIC CENTER MUSIC HALL

OKLAHOMA CITY

405-594-8300 OKCCIVICCENTER.COM

COMING IN JUNE!

JUNE 15-27

Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School Pribil Football Stadium

GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

www.LyricTheatreOKC.org • (405) 524-9312

MARQUEE SPONSOR

17

FORTE SOCIETY The Forte Society is a group of individuals and community partners who proudly support Canterbury Voices through contributions to our annual campaign, fundraising events, and educational programs. Because of these generous contributions, we continue to sing forte! THANK YOU!

IMPRESARIO $10,000 & Above Ad Astra Foundation Allied Arts American Fidelity Foundation Braum’s The Chickasaw Nation Kirkpatrick Foundation Wanda L. Bass Foundation E.L. & Thelma Gaylord Foundation Hobby Lobby Love’s Travel Stops & Country Store Lisa & Greg Love Oklahoma Arts Council

Oklahoma City Community Foundation

Betty & Arthur Thompson Gerald F. Abel Living Trust Pamela Welsh

VISIONARY $5,000 - $9,999 BancFirst Bob Funk Cynthia & Dr. Thomas Janssen Meinders Foundation Robert Glenn Rapp Foundation Moshe Tal & TK7 Products Patricia Dennis Kathleen Sandler AMBASSADOR $2,500 - $4,999 Bank of Oklahoma

Jay & Bob Gilson Jean & David McLaughlin

PARTNER $1,000 - $2,499

Dr. Carla Hardzog-Britt & Dr. Matthew Britt

Andi Bytyqi Sarah Bytyqi Karen & John Cassil Sherri & Ken Chancellor Linda & Mark Clayborne Cresap Family Foundation Scott Davis Lynne Ozinga & John Dyer Dr. Randi Von Ellefson Dr. M. Pilar Escobar Jane Jayroe & Gerry Gamble Jacquelyne & David Hume Edwina & Jason Johnston Allison & Blake Lawrence Robert Lintner John Marshall Meg McElhaney & Rep. Forrest Bennett Grant Moak Pam & Mike Mowry Dr. Joe Phillips Karen & Andy Rieger Carolyn Ruffin-Brown D. Eileen Smith Kristen & Doug Sorocco Chad Taylor Renate & Charles Wiggin Melissa & Doug Yeargain Susan & Bruce Young Marjorie & Harold Zimmerman

DID YOU KNOW? Anyone who contributes $100 or more can join the 18 Society! Call (405) 232-7464 or email Justin@CanterburyOKC.com.

Forte

LEADER $750 - $999 Barbara & James Barrett Deborah & Alan Loeffler Kathy & TJ Ryan Mary Deane Streich SUPPORTER $500 - $749 Donna & Nels Bentson Jason Burdette Sallie Cavin Carl Holiday Charlene & Jerrell Jones Kathleen Lister Fund Kenneth Rees Anne Roberts Richard Sias Lee Allan Smith Charlotte Southerland Katie & Wayne Vogel Linda & Dick Wegener Meredith & Stephen Ziegler PATRON $100 - $499 Steve Berner Aleta & Brad Biddy Sharon & Bob Bish Jenny Bodenhamer Sherry Brickell Mary Nell Brueggen Brenda & Joel Bruner Kathryn Carey Lindsey Chancellor Michelle Clark Jane & Steven Clark Torrey Curtis Helen & Laurie Duckett Kevynn Dunn Margaret Flansburg Marlene & Robert Floyd Karen Ghormley Tony & Toni Gonzalez Lynne & Kent Graham

Robert Gregory Beth & James Hammack Elfriede Hansen Linda Harris Sandra & David Haskett Denise & Stuart Haury Ned Hedges Delphine Hensley Hiromi Hood Cynthia & Tom Howard Robin & Thomas Howell Wendy Huff Gregory Hurlbut Perma Jessup Brandy Johnson Isobel Kalafarski Cathy & Frank Keating Linda King Edith & Michael Laird Kellie Laughlin Charles Lodge Robert Macemon Marie Martin Brandi & Al Mertens Catherine Montrose Dennis Moran Leah Nellis Bernard Ozinga Bennie Pulver Umadevi Magesh & Dr. Magesh Sathaiah

Scot Sigler Danyel Siler Lexi & Justin Skaggs Andrea & Jonathan Stone Charri Stratton Susan Sutt Tom A. Thomas Fund Marion Thompson Gay & Boyd Tudor Steve Upchurch Diane & David Watson Dwayne Webb Kay & Bill Weger Leah & Larry Westmoreland Carolyn T. & Don T. Zachritz

Individuals listed contributed between November 26, 2019 - May 5, 2021.

19

WHERE WILL YOU FIND FUTURE PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS?

WITH US!

Providing advanced music education and artistic inspiration to 400 Oklahoma students, ages eight to eighteen, each season since 1977. www.oyomusic.org 405.232.1199

Our flagship ensemble has been re-invited to the rescheduled NYC trip for a week of music study and cultural experience, and to perform at Carnegie Hall in June 2021!

NYC IS CALLING OYO!

Help make this dream a reality for our OYO students with your tax deductible gift at www.oyomusic.org/nyc

21

IN MEMORIAM

JAMES W. BRUCE JR. January 17, 1938 - December 25, 2020 James Bruce was the epitome of leadership. He was a visionary. His dedication throughout the years led to the success Canterbury Voices experiences today. As president of our board, it was Jim Bruce who forged the current, collaborative partnership between Canterbury Voices and Oklahoma City University. He recognized the need, pitched ideas, and recruited gifted conductors to Oklahoma to lead both OCU and Canterbury through a shared position. This was a unique and innovative idea to attract national talent to Oklahoma City, and is now a model for other arts organizations. He helped bring Constantina Tsolainou, Judith Willoughby, and Canterbury’s current artistic director, Dr. Randi Von Ellefson to our stage.

While Jim had a beautiful singing voice and was a valued member of Canterbury’s tenor section for many years, his true passion and devotion was to our education program — Canterbury Youth Voices (CYV). He recognized our young singers as the future of choral music, and worked to increase the size and scope of our youth choirs. He even commissioned a piece called “Read ‘Em, John”, written for CYV in honor of his beloved wife Betty.

Jim would have loved this concert. Our artistic team embodied his entrepreneurial spirit and his energy to envision a creative way to premiere this concert. He made a profound impact on this organization, and we will never forget.

22

IN MEMORIAM Gifts Given In Memory of Jim Bruce ABS Sales Team / Sherry Brickell Carol Broughton Dr. Randi Von Ellefson Bette Jo & Frank Hill Ruirui Ouyang and David Johnson Anne-Marie and Bill Martin Pam and Mike Mowry Dr. Joe Phillips Karen and Andy Rieger Judith and Richard Riggs Richard Sias Betty and Arthur Thompson

THE LISTENING ROOM

Listen to Canterbury Voices outside the concert hall!

canterburyokc.com/listening-room/

23

OKLAHOMA CITY NATIONAL MEMORIAL & MUSEUM

April 19, 1995 changed our world forever.

In the 25 years since, we reframed it into a story worth learning. Come discover new exhibits themed around the 25th Anniversary and Oklahoma Standard, plus an augmented reality experience with more than a dozen personal stories.

At the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, we will never stop Looking Back.

And we are always Thinking Forward.

MemorialMuseum.com FREE PARKING WITH PAID ADMISSION

24

OF PERPETUAL SOLACE Written by Edward Knight and MJ Alexander COMMISSION PARTNERS Dr. Thomas & Cynthia

Janssen

PRESENTING CONCERT SPONSOR

VIRTUAL PRESENTING SPONSOR

WANDA L. BASS FOUNDATION This concert is made possible by Devon Energy and the Collaborative Orchestra Services Fund

25

OF PERPETUAL SOLACE Sunday, May 16, 2021 / 3 PM Civic Center Music Hall

CANTERBURY VOICES

Randi Von Ellefson artistic director and conductor

GUEST ARTISTS

Lisa Reagan Love cantor Oklahoma City Philharmonic

Alexander Mickelthwate music director Canterbury Youth Voices Chorale

Stephen Ziegler conductor

ADULT CHORUS SOLOISTS Margaret Merritt alto Eric Hamilton tenor Brandon Stott baritone

ANGEL CHORUS SOLOISTS Jordan Knapick soprano Emily Wilkinson soprano Amanda Winters soprano Caitlin Esparza soprano

26

This live concert event is approximately 45 minutes in length and there will be no intermission.

COMPOSER NOTES Edward Knight (b. 1961) I’ve been waiting my entire life to write this piece. OF PERPETUAL SOLACE is an oratorio inspired by timeless universal themes: remembrance, love, longing, loss, and resilience.

The work is intended as an immersive experience that takes us on a journey most of us have to face at some point in our lives. Experiencing loss and grief and eventually lifting our eyes heavenward in search of meaning and hope. Not to forget those lost, but to remember. And to love. Love always and forever.

Like grief itself, the piece does not follow a linear narrative. Instead, it explores juxtaposed worlds through multiple voices: an ethereal chorus of angels; the clarion voices of the children’s choir; the rhythmic vernacular of the choir of hundreds, representing humanity; and the plaintive questioning of a cantor, seeking answers, guided by the powerful engine of the symphony orchestra.

Written to be performed without interruption by full orchestra and 300 voices, the music is driven by the poetry of M.J. Alexander, created from the vantage point of the 25th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing.

I believe the libretto is a masterwork that seamlessly weaves inspirations from our time and centuries past, conveying the timeless and universal themes of loss, love, and longing. It draws inspiration from Ecclesiastes, the Book of Psalms and the Book of Job and incorporates passages from American writers Edgar Allen Poe, Robert Frost, and Sara Teasdale.

The libretto folds in words drawn from survivors and first responders, the inscription on the Fort Sill gravestone of Quannah Parker, the Darkness cannot driveout darkness speech from Martin Luther King, and the Eulogy to Oklahoma City Bombing Victims delivered by President Clinton on the Sunday after the attack. The score reflects an epic sweep of emotion, with a modern interpretation of ageless themes infused with spiritual influences from across the centuries.

I have spent my artistic career attempting to adequately express beauty, love, hope, and the greater meaning of life through my music. OF PERPETUAL SOLACE is the closest I’ve come to accomplishing this impossible goal.

27

PROGRAM NOTES OF PERPETUAL SOLACE was commissioned by Canterbury Voices to mark the start of its second half-century. Today’s world premiere, presented in partnership with the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, commemorates the 25th anniversary of the April 19, 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

The 45-minute oratorio opens with the breath of life. Our journey begins and ends beneath a tree — The Survivor Tree — that has stood witness to tragedy but lived to bloom again. The chorus begins to inhale and exhale in unison.

Their breath is soon joined by a rhythmic pizzicato heartbeat while the vocalists begin a song of remembrance with the line: In the shade beneath the tree…

The performers take us on a journey through days thick with memories and wistfulness, and nights heavy with loneliness and denial, anger, and sadness. The children’s chorus appears and reappears to remind us of Robert Frost’s sad realization that nothing gold can stay.

Representing humanity, the large chorus rages at the heavens, clinging to the tree, and in a hallucinogenic segment, imagines being taken over by the spirit of the tree — their veined hands becoming the leaves, arms transforming to branches, legs becoming trunks. Appearing on the banks of a darkened sea, they desperately attempt to gather the grains of sand and turn back time by returning them to the hourglass, arriving at the 23rd Psalm with entreaties for guidance through the valley of death. The storm builds and then falls apart, eventually revealing a break in the clouds. A glimmer of hope lights the way to acceptance.

They emerge transformed, realizing the truth of Martin Luther King’s words: Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only love can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that. They recall the memorial service held on the Sunday after the Oklahoma City bombing, singing the words of President Bill Clinton, A tree takes a long time to grow, and wounds take a long time to heal. But we must begin…

The 28 cantor recalls Job 14:7: For there is hope for a tree, if it is cut down, that

it will sprout again… The chorus of angels and the voices of children remind us of the beauty and fleetingness of life, once again singing in the shade beneath the tree. ` The Breath of Life returns, followed by the heartbeat, transformed by a single word repeated: love, love, love. In the shade beneath the tree, in a place transformed, the names of the 168 people lost in the April 19 bombing are recited in remembrance.

OF PERPETUAL SOLACE creates a stylistically diverse soundworld featuring five major actors: the cantor, the children’s chorus, the choir of angels, the choir of hundreds, and the symphony orchestra.

— Cantor: Her character is loosely based on the Biblical figure Job in that she questions why bad things happen to good people. Her musical voice is in the style of plainchant, as she pleads and prays for guidance and answers.

— The Choir of Hundreds: Representing humanity, the largest of the three choruses expresses the spectrum of human emotion—fear, joy, anger, humility, and ultimately a transcendence into the acceptance of love as being the answer. Its musical expression ranges from exalted melodies to intense fear of catastrophe (as in the Dies Irae quotes) to trance-like transcendence to the epiphany of love and acceptance.

— The Angel Choir is inspired by madrigals from the Renaissance period. The 18 singers hear but do not give answers to the cantor’s prayers. The angels are omnipresent, delivering a consistent and simple message: love. Nearly two-thirds of the way through the oratorio, the cantor finally absorbs the message, slipping into an enlightened trance.

The angels metaphorically fold their wings around the cantor, embracing and buoying her against the storm. During this transcendent moment the cantor quotes Job 14:7-9 on a single, repeated pitch.

— Children’s Chorus: The youngest singers represent the innocence, vulnerability, and truths of humanity. The children’s consistent and recurring message quote the Robert Frost poem Nothing Gold Can Stay.

The 40-word poem, familiar to many through S.E. Hinton’s Tulsa-based coming-of-age novel The Outsiders, acknowledges the joy of beauty and the transient nature of nature and life itself.

29

ABOUT EDWARD KNIGHT The music of Edward Knight — described as “suave and sinister” (Timothy Mangan, Los Angeles Times) and “inventive and melodic” (Wayne Lee Gay, Knight-Ridder) — has been performed on five continents by ensembles from the San Francisco Cabaret Opera to the New York Philharmonic to the Dutch-based American Voices, in venues ranging from Carnegie Hall to the “Meet in Beijing” Festival to the Hollywood Bowl.

Critic Judith Carmen describes his work as “intriguing, heartfelt and beautifully crafted,” calling him “truly an ‘Ur-American’ composer. Knight is quite sensitive both to meaning and imagery ... he captures exactly the right atmosphere.” His music eschews easy classification, moving freely between jazz, theatrical and concert worlds. Reviews cite his “fresh, original voice” with “an inventive sense of humor” (Bernard Holland, The New York Times), and his ability to create music that is “visceral in its excitement” (John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune).

Knight founded Project 21: Music for the 21st Century upon joining the faculty of Oklahoma City University in 1997. In the decades since, the consortium has premiered more than 1,200 Oklahoma-created works. He was named OCU’s Outstanding Faculty Member in 2013.

He is winner of an Aaron Copland Award; the American Art Song Competition; and ASCAP’s Rudolf Nissim Award for Best New Orchestral Work. He was the first American to win the Sir Arthur Bliss Memorial Award for outstanding postgraduate composer at London’s Royal College of Music, where he was a Rotary Foundation Scholar. Knight has been awarded fellowships to the Yaddo, MacDowell, Ucross, Brush Creek, and Djerassi colonies and been honored by the Bergen Festival’s Morton Gould Memorial and Vienna Modern Masters.

His music is featured on six commercial recordings, including a solo CD from Albany Records: Where The Sunsets Bleed: Chamber Music of Edward Knight, and featured in the just-released 12-piece American Wonders band series. His works are published exclusively by Subito Music, Inc.

ABOUT MJ ALEXANDER M.J. Alexander chronicles the people and places of the Great Plains and American West, with an emphasis on Oklahoma and Oklahomans.

Her work seeks the extraordinary in the everyday, using reportage, imagery, and poetry to give voice to the overlooked and underestimated. The International Photography Hall of Fame describes her as “combining the vision of an artist with the skills of a storyteller.”

A 2019 inductee into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame, she is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States and veteran of community newspapers and of The Associated Press in New York City.

Her work has been published by The New York Times and Time magazine, featured on national magazine covers, and exhibited and performed here and abroad. Her interviews and photography have been featured in more than two dozen solo shows, including at the Oklahoma State Capitol, Gaylord-Pickens Museum and the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. She made her European debut in 2018 with the multimedia exhibit Oklahoma, at London’s Crypt Gallery. Her documentary exhibit Where the Buffalo Roam: Stained Glass from the American Frontier, was featured in the South Triforium of England’s Ely Cathedral from September 2019-February 2020.

An award-winning journalist, lyricist and playwright, she is author and illustrator of two fine-art books: Salt of the Red Earth: A Century of Wit and Wisdom from Oklahoma’s Elders, and Portrait of a Generation: Sons and Daughters of the Red Earth, winner of an Oklahoma Book Award.

Alexander was one of six Oklahoma artists featured in Shadow on the Glare, an inaugural exhibit for the 2020 grand opening of Oklahoma Contemporary.

She and Edward Knight met as teenagers in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and married there 13 years later. They are the parents of Alexander Knight, 26, and Allegra Knight, 22.

ABOUT LISA REAGAN LOVE Lisa Reagan Love is an American mezzosoprano, composer, and classical, crossover artist whose work has resonated in concert halls around the world.

Born and raised in Oklahoma, she has performed in 15 nations on four continents, and been a featured soloist at the White House and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

She made her professional debut at 16 in summer stock with Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, and studied with the renowned Florence Birdwell at Oklahoma City University, earning a double major in vocal performance and piano performance. She went on to earn her master’s degree in opera and vocal performance from the University of Maryland’s Opera Studio.

Stage roles include Nedda in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, the title role in Dvořák’s Rusalka, and the leads in operas by Puccini (Mimi in La Boheme, the title roles in Madame Butterfly, Manon Lescaut and Tosca) and Verdi (the title role in Aida).

From 1989 to 2008, she was a resident member of the Washington National Opera. Praised for “creating a sound that is sophisticated, ethereal and timeless” (Linda Haneborg, OKC Friday), she has performed for heads of state including President Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, and shared the stage with Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and Renee Fleming. She returned to Oklahoma, joining the voice faculty at her alma mater, Oklahoma City University, after a decade on the faculty of the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music.

She has created eight albums, focusing on ancient and sacred music from around the world. Her composition A l’infini appeared on the finale of the inaugural season of Bravo’s reality series Project Runway.

Her upcoming album, Shunia, featuring original melodies inspired by Sanskrit chants, has been recorded with string octet at New York City’s DiMenna Center for Classical Music, under the direction of Grammy-nominated, Tony Awardwinning producer/composer Jamshied Sharifi.

32

ABOUT MATT HORTON Matt has been recording in Oklahoma since 1990. He completed his Master of Music degree from the University of Central Oklahoma in jazz studies and music production, utilizing the Pro Tools digital software environment for audio recording, editing and mastering.

Matt’s recording resume includes, but not limited to, Canterbury Voices, Brightmusic, Oklahoma Virtuosi, Chamber Music of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Norman Philharmonic, Oklahoma City University Christmas Vespers, Oklahoma Youth Orchestras, University of Oklahoma Bands and Oklahoma State University Bands. He presently resides in Norman, Oklahoma where he runs AVPRO Studios LLC, specializing in audio and video production.

Matt also teaches high school band at Santa Fe South Pathways Middle College High School located on the OCCC campus. You can also find him playing trombone in classical and jazz ensembles around the OKC metro.

Recording the separate vocal parts for Of Perpetual Solace required the use of simulated chorus tracks for the choirs and soloist to sing with during recording sessions in the Civic Center and in the recording studio. This was performed on synthesizer during the orchestra multi-track recording session by John Edwards.

In addition, a click track was utilized for the many tempo changes and fermatas contained within the composition, performed on computer by Stephen Ziegler.

These additional elements helped make the audio tracking and musical direction by the conductor possible.

Lastly, Paul Buono recorded the majority of the cantor track used in the final recording, performed by Lisa Reagan Love. All of these individuals and elements helped make the final audio mix possible. Another technical process was the use of polarity phase reversal to remove loud speaker leakage that occurred during the recording of the ensembles. The choruses were cued with loud speaker playback of the pre-recorded orchestra portions, to provide a more natural singing response a chorus would have together with an orchestra on stage.

33

ABOUT PATRICK HORTON

Patrick Horton has worked in video production since 1991. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oklahoma. Patrick’s videography work has taken him around the world.

His resume includes, but not limited to; Canterbury Voices, The University of Oklahoma Marching Band, The Norman Philharmonic, The Discovery Channel, PBS, and Tahiti Tourism.

He presently resides in Norman, Oklahoma where he runs his video production business, Horton Productions. Of Perpetual Solace was one of the most technically challenging, but rewarding, endeavors Patrick has taken on during his career. It involved filming the chorus ensembles and orchestra separately in a multi-cam environment.

SPECIAL THANKS OKC National Memorial & Museum Kari Watkins Paul Buono CVW Media First Church OKC / Morgan Kennedy Raquel Horton OVAC Stephen Ziegler UCO Jazz Lab / Dennis Borycki Performing Arts Photography / Michael Anderson 34

Mary Ann Eckstein John L. Edwards Teresa Luz

2020/21 SEASON

WATCH FROM HOME!

OF PERPETUAL SOLACE VIRTUAL VENUE | STREAM THE CONCERT

May 23 - June 20 VIRTUAL PRESENTING SPONSOR

WANDA L. BASS FOUNDATION Tickets | Civic Center Virtual Venue | 405.594.8300

35

CANTERBURY VOICES SOPRANO

Mariah Bowen Kim Buesing Rebecca Burnsed Aubrey Chapin Carmen Crawford Debra Davis Deidre Davis Patricia Dennis Denise Dougherty Betty Gutel Jacqueline Hume Vicky Jollay Kailey King Kellie Laughlin Kerry Moore Samantha Newman Denise Peabody April Prenzlow Joanie Pullen Cyndi Reed Crystal Regin Charissa Spruill Nina Wegrzyn-Van Zant

ALTO

36

Paula Allen Emilee Bailey Lindsey Chancellor Adrianne DeKlotz Lisa Gigstad Francel Dana Hampton Phyllis Harris Hiromi Hood Rosie Lodes

Margaret Merritt Catherine Montrose Cathrine Morrison Debbie Neal Elen Silva Jane Ann Slane Eileen Smith Meg Sobel Tanya Speer Rebecca Tallent

TENOR

Bob Bish Riley Cleaver Chris Gonzales Eric Hamilton David Haskett Ward Romberger Lucas Silva Tyler Stone

BASS

Robert Cook Luke Forbat David Hume Jerrell Jones Lanny Neal Rod Porter Ulrich Prenzlow George Slane Jamie Stephenson Brandon Stott Dwight Uphaus Nathan Velders Jeff Wilterdink Bruce Young

ANGEL CHORUS Hailey Cantrell Caitlin Esparza Jordan Knapick Emily Wilkinson Amanda Winters Jenel Cavazos Lizzy Howell Katie Vogel Amy Woodruff

David Burton James Doss Mike Mowry Kyle Vazquez Kevin Wilkinson John Dyer Bryson Foster Kelly Moore Chad Taylor

CHILDREN’S CHORUS Lexus Blue-Warren Caroline Brandt Madalene Browder Kylie Bryner Chrysia Cameron Kaylee Cannaday MacKenzie Collins Noelle Decker Carrie Downs Hannah Elrod Natasha Fryhover Lucy Glover Avery Hamlin Olivia Hamlin Kennedy Henline Noel Hillenbrand Genevieve Holland Karlealyn Hyden Zoe Johnson Makiyah Joseph Madeline Lawless Alayna Leck

Katie Lewis Kiera Link Sara Lopez Leticia Martinez-Bowlby Tiffany McCain-Bradford Liberty Murphy Madison Newberry Natalie Nguyen Kayeleigh Rector Lauryn Robison Naomi Shaw Malikah Sibley Kaelyn Smith Emma Speegle Sydney Stalford Lilly Stephens Elise Stutes Chloe Thomas Sarah Tyner Riley Upchurch Lorelai Walton Tamiah Williams

37

Photo: Kirsten Stalford KirstenStalfordPhotography.com

CAMP CANTERBURY FUN, SINGING & FRIENDS! For all kids | 2-8 grade Sign-Up Now! CanterburyOKC.com

JUNE 21-25, 2021 2020/21 CYV SPONSORS

ROBERT GLENN RAPP

Foundation

R

QUALITY FUEL ADDITIVES

38

MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR GENERATIONS WITH A PLANNED GIFT TO CANTERBURY VOICES! Your support is the reason Canterbury thrives. When you make a planned gift, you provide support for choral music and music education in OKC long into the future. Canterbury Voices has an established endowment fund at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.

Simply contact your estate planning professional or Justin Wallace, Development Director at 405.232.7464 for information on ways you can support Canterbury for years to come.

Canterbury Voices is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

40

CURTAIN UP

this fall New season packages starting at $219

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

OKCBROADWAY.COM/SUBSCRIBE

41

2020-2021

As we enter our new season, we realize that opportunities for inspiration, collaboration, growth and community are more vital than ever.

Although performance plans continue to evolve, our commitment to the transformative power of the arts and education is unwavering.

We strive to model to our students the value of resiliency and responsible, creative problem-solving.

For updates, on this year's performances visit www.okcu/edu/music ww.okcu.edu/theatre 42

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Pam Mowry Justin Wallace Kelly Moore Joanie Gregory-Pullen

Executive Director Development Director Marketing & Ticketing Manager Programs Manager

ARTISTIC STAFF Randi Von Ellefson John L. Edwards Wendyle Andrews Susan Pendergraft Meredith Ziegler Stephen Ziegler Kenneith McIntosh

Artistic Director & Conductor Canterbury Voices Accompanist CYV Cantabile Conductor CYV Moore Apprentice Choir Conductor CYV Artistic Team Lead, Central Apprentice Cond.

CYV Central Chorale Conductor Canterbury Choir Club, Boys & Girls Club

Kay Boyles, Ali Fackler, Laura Gandy, Anna Ho CYV Accompanists Bryla Birdwell, Emily Dierks CYV Interns Malikah Sibley, Christian Wagner Boys & Girls Club Interns

TECHNICAL STAFF Courtney DiBello Stage Manager Tania James Lighting Designer Matt Horton AVPRO Studios Pat Horton Horton Productions Kitty Devany Technical Director, Civic Center Music Hall

43

The shows go on.

In these unusual times, McSwain Theatre entertainment is a welcomed friend. The familiar stories and songs make us smile and give us a sense of community.

We proudly invite you to join us on McSwainTheatre.com or Facebook.com/McSwainTheatre for virtual performances throughout the year.

You’ll always have the best seat in the house!

McSwainTheatre.com Facebook.com/McSwainTheatre 44

The

CHICKASAW NATION

CONNECT WITH US:

BILL ANOATUBBY, GOVERNOR W W W. C H I C K A S A W. N E T