RICHARD EATON SINGERS
Founded in 1951 by Richard S. Eaton, Edmonton’s premier symphonic choir, Richard Eaton Singers (RES), has played a leading role in the cultural community of the city for over seven decades. Although unable to celebrate their seventieth anniversary during Covid, RES has always been dedicated to the enjoyment, study and performance of great choral music to an international standard of excellence, and to fostering the appreciation and future of this music.
RES performances have included Edmonton premieres of many choral masterpieces such as Haydn’s Creation, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Schubert’s Mass No 5 in A-Flat and Vaughan Williams’s The Sea Symphony, as well as many shorter works for accompanied and unaccompanied choir.
The choir has commissioned and produced premiere performances by Canadian composers, including Allan Bevan’s No Mortal Business and Last Light Above the World, as well as works by John Estacio, Stephanie Martin, Imant Raminsh and Mark Sirett. They have also participated in several ESO premieres of Canadian works, including Malcolm Forsyth’s A Ballad of Canada
The choir has traveled extensively across Canada, to the Netherlands, Britain, and Germany, and has participated in choir exchanges, including with the Calgary Philharmonic Choir and Vancouver Bach Choir. RES regularly performs with other Edmonton area choirs, most recently with Kappella Kyrie in a fundraiser concert in support of Ukrainian families who relocated to Edmonton during the war.
Often partnering with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, RES has created many memorable choral events in our city, including the performance of Mahler’s Symphony of a Thousand to celebrate the opening of the Francis Winspear Centre for Music. In recent years RES has joined forces with the Alberta Baroque Ensemble to perform a number of masterpieces from the Baroque and Classical periods.
The 2023-24 season includes Handel’s Messiah with the ESO on December 8-9 and an intermission-free concert of Mozart’s incredible Mass in C Minor on May 12, 2024.
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ARTISTS
Artistic Director Timothy Shantz is a conductor, collaborator, tenor soloist, teacher and life-long dreamer. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of Calgary’s professional choir, Luminous Voices, and the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Alberta’s Department of Music.
The Calgary Philharmonic Chorus and Spiritus Chamber Choir flourished during his tenure between 2008-2020. As a conductor, he is recognized for the breadth of his work. Luminous Voices was nominated for a JUNO Award in 2020 for Peter-Anthony Togni’s Sea Dreams. Both Luminous Voices and Spiritus Chamber Choir earned national choral awards, including Outstanding Choral Recording, and the Healey Willan Grand Prize for Choirs. In 2021, he was honoured to receive the Richard S. Eaton Award of Distinction from Choir Alberta in recognition of exemplary service to choral music in the province of Alberta. Timothy holds a Doctor of Music degree in Choral Conducting from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
His research involved extensive interviews with Sir James MacMillan and an analysis of his unaccompanied choral work Sun-Dogs. He is also a graduate of the University of Alberta’s Choral Conducting program (M.Mus 1999), and earned a degree in piano performance from Wilfrid Laurier University (Hon. B.Mus 1995). Conducting instructors include John Poole, Jan Harrington, Carmen Tellez, Frieder Bernius, Jon Washburn, Leonard Ratzlaff, Debra Cairns and Noel Edison.
Leanne Regehr is a versatile and sensitive pianist who is widely recognized for her intuitive ability to collaborate with other musicians across an extensive range of repertoire. She is a keyboardist with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and has performed with the Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton, Pro Coro Canada, Da Camera Singers, Luminous Voices, the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, and the Academy Concert Series in Toronto. Leanne has been engaged as a répétiteur with Shreveport Opera, Mercury Opera, and Edmonton Opera and her dedication to the development of young singers has been shown through her work as a faculty member with Opera NUOVA, as a Coaching Fellow at the Aspen Music Festival and most recently with the Ukrainian Art Song Project’s Summer Institute in Toronto. Leanne completed her Doctor of Music in Piano Performance at Northwestern University and explored further studies at the Banff School of Fine Arts, the Universitat Mozarteum in Salzburg. She serves as piano instructor at The King’s University and has enjoyed playing the masterworks of the choral repertoire during her twenty seasons as accompanist with the Richard Eaton Singers in Edmonton, where she freelances as a soloist, vocal coach, recital partner, and adjudicator.
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ARTISTS
The Juno Award-winning Tenor, John Tessier, has worked with many of the most notable conductors and stage directors of our day. Appearances of the recent past and near future include performances at the Teatro alla Scala Milano, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Wiener Staatsoper, Carnegie Hall, Teatro Colon, Oper Frankfurt, Grand Théâtre de Genève, English National Opera, Washington National Opera, Seattle Opera, New Zealand Opera, the New York Philharmonic, Taiwan Philharmonic, Wiener Musikverein, National Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Lyon, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Seattle Symphony, the Sydney Symphony, L.A. Philharmonic and the Toronto Symphony. Equally comfortable in the genres of opera, oratorio and recital, Mr. Tessier is also a full professor at the University of Alberta. His discography includes recordings on the Decca, Naxos, Telarc, BIS, Challenge Records and Dorian labels.
Baritone Jin Yu, is known for singing internationally in the US, Canada, Israel, Austria, and China; appearing in opera, concert, oratorio; soloist at Carnegie Hall and Musikverein Wien, dramatic baritone Dr. Jin Yu has brought his musical, vocal and dramatic skill, thrilling audiences and critics alike. From Bluebeard and Sparafucile to Don Alfonso and Count Almaviva, from Escamillo and Marcello to Gianni Schicchi, Dr. Jin has sung over thirty roles, his dramatic interpretation and vocal agility make him equally at home as the villain, the romantic lead and the comic anti-hero. A towering presence in Handel and sacred music, to Mozart and Verismo, Dr. Jin’s vocal and theatrical versatility is only matched by the Herculean size of his voice. With his multilingual opera appearances, Jin is the face of the new internationalism and versatility of the lyric art.
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Today’s performance is certainly one of the highlights of my first full season as Artistic Director of Richard Eaton Singers, and one I have been excited about since our discussions last spring. Joining forces with an orchestra and a superb cast of Alberta soloists, we are honoured to share with you Mozart’s Mass in C Minor K. 427, commonly named the Great Mass. Our performance also features recent choral-orchestral works by Canadian composers Zachary Wadsworth and Andrew Balfour.
Our program begins with Mozart’s Laudate Dominum from his Solemn Vespers. Composed for liturgical use in the Salzburg Cathedral, the 5th movement is a lyrical gem and a favourite of soprano soloists, choirs and audiences alike.
Benedicite by Wadsworth was a special commission for the 20th anniversary of Calgary’s Spiritus Chamber Choir during my time as Artistic Director. Composed in 2016, the work sets the same text as Vaughan Williams’s work of the same name, and is a celebration of Creation in all its forms. It was premiered in Calgary and Red Deer, in combination with Vivaldi’s “Gloria.” We chose the same orchestration as the “Gloria,” which features strings along with a single trumpet and oboe. Wadsworth wrote about the work, “One of the less-explored emotions in contemporary classical music is joy. Perhaps this is understandable; in a world of seemingly inescapable violence, lingering oppression, and diminishing interest in art, it can be hard to find reasons to “make a joyful noise.” When I was asked to compose a piece for the 20th anniversary of the Spiritus Chamber Choir, a choir in which I sang for four years, I decided to write with unapologetic joy.”
Andrew Balfour is a celebrated composer of Cree descent and member of the Fisher River First Nation. Growing up in Winnipeg, he formed Camerata Nova (now Dead of Winter), with whom he continues to serve as Artistic Director and Resident Composer. Andrew lives in Toronto and is extremely active as a composer, curator and cultural ambassador, bridging Indigenous and non-Indigenous music and culture. Balfour’s Mamachimowin is a Cree version of Psalm 67, commissioned by David Fallis and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir in 2018. Andrew wrote about the premiere of the work in 2019, “Mamachimowin (the act of singing praises) is a choral work that explores the difficult relationship between Indigenous spirituality and the impact of the Christian culture on First Nations people. Translating Psalm 67 into Cree, I wanted to add a musical perspective that added a dimension of fragmentation into the structure of the work. Also, I wanted to utilize the instrumentation of violas, cellos and double basses to give the idea of the strings representing a foundation of the ground, or Mother Earth. I wanted to present the idea of musical tension and musical phrases along with the choir whispering some of the text to add an element of uncertainty.”
Like Mozart’s famous Requiem, the Great Mass in C Minor remains incomplete but has had many reworkings since his untimely death. Today’s performance features only the movements by Mozart, in an edition and completion by the famed American pianist, musicologist and Mozart scholar, Robert Levin. Written in the grand and large-scale format of Bach’s B Minor Mass using large forces of double choir and soloists, the Great Mass in C Minor also features many characteristics of the Baroque era, from the extended “Cum Sancto Spiritu” fugue to the lamenting bass line and dotted figures of the “Qui tollis”. As in Mozart’s famous operas, the soprano soloists feature prominently, with highlights including the “Laudamus te”, the “Domine Deus” duet and hauntingly beautiful “Et incarnatus est”. The choir enjoys a fanfare-like “Credo”, and the full quartet of soloists is only heard in the “Benedictus”. The double choir “Hosanna” joyously concludes Mozart’s autographed movements. And has been a wonderfully fulfilling challenge for Richard Eaton Singers.
It is my sincere hope that the music we share with you today can serve to connect us with language, with place and with mysteries of past and present. It is also, for me, a celebration of new musical connections here in Edmonton with Richard Eaton Singers, our wonderful orchestra and with you, our audience. We look forward to seeing you again in the 2024-2025 season! Join our email list as we release details in the coming months.
Dr Timothy Shantz
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PROGRAM NOTES
TEXT AND TRANSLATION
LAUDATE DOMINUM
Laudate Dominum omnes gentes laudate eum omnes populi; Quoniam confirmata est super nos misericordia eius et veritas Domini manet in æternum.
Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto.
Sicut erat in pricipio et nunc et semper et in saecula saeculorum Amen.
BENEDICITE
BENEDICITE, omnia opera Domini, Domino; laudate et superexaltate eum in saecula.
BENEDICITE, caeli, Domino, benedicite, angeli Domini, Domino.
BENEDICITE, aquae omnes, quae super caelos sunt, Domino, benedicite omnes virtutes Domini, Domino.
BENEDICITE, sol et luna, Domino, benedicite, stellae caeli, Domino.
BENEDICITE, omnis imber et ros, Domino, benedicite, omnes venti, Domino.
BENEDICITE, ignis et aestus, Domino, benedicite, frigus et aestus, Domino.
BENEDICITE, rores et pruina, Domino, benedicite, gelu et frigus, Domino.
BENEDICITE, glacies et nives, Domino, benedicite, noctes et dies, Domino.
BENEDICITE, lux et tenebrae, Domino, benedicite, fulgura et nubes, Domino.
BENEDICAT terra Dominum: laudet et superexaltet eum in saecula.
BENEDICITE, montes et colles, Domino, benedicite, universa germinantia in terra, Domino.
BENEDICITE, maria et flumina, Domino, benedicite, fontes, Domino.
BENEDICITE, cete, et omnia, quae moventur in aquis, Domino, benedicite, omnes volucres caeli, Domino.
BENEDICITE, omnes bestiae et pecora, Domino, benedicite, filii hominum, Domino.
BENEDICITE, Israel, Domino, laudate et superexaltate eum in saecula.
BENEDICITE, sacerdotes Domini, Domino, benedicite, servi Domini, Domino.
Praise the Lord, all ye nations (peoples), praise him, all ye peoples. For his loving kindness (mercy) has been bestowed upon us, and the truth of the Lord endures for eternity.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
BLESS the Lord, all ye works of the Lord, praise and exalt Him above all forever.
BLESS the Lord all ye heavens; bless the Lord all ye angels of the Lord.
BLESS the Lord all ye waters that are above the heavens; let all powers bless the Lord.
BLESS the Lord, ye sun and moon; stars of heaven, bless the Lord.
BLESS the Lord, every shower and dew. All ye winds, bless the Lord.
BLESS the Lord, ye fire and heat; cold and chill, bless ye the Lord.
BLESS the Lord, dews and hoar frosts; frost and cold, bless the Lord.
BLESS the Lord, ice and snow; nights and days, bless the Lord.
BLESS the Lord, light and darkness; lightning and clouds, bless the Lord.
LET the earth bless the Lord; let it praise and exalt Him above all forever.
BLESS the Lord, ye mountains and hills; everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord.
BLESS the Lord, seas and rivers; fountains, bless the Lord.
BLESS the Lord, ye whales and all that move in the waters; all you fowls of the air, bless the Lord.
BLESS the Lord, all ye beasts and cattle; sons of men, bless the Lord.
BLESS the Lord, Israel; praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
BLESS the Lord, priests of the Lord, servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.
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BENEDICITE (CONTINUED)
TEXT AND TRANSLATION
BENEDICITE, spiritus et animae iustorum, Domino, benedicite, sancti et humiles corde, Domino.
BENEDICITE, Anania, Azaria, Misael, Domino, laudate et superexaltate eum in saecula.
BENEDICAMUS Patrem et Filium cum Sancto Spiritu; laudemus et superexaltemus eum in saecula.
BENEDICTUS es in firmamento caeli et laudabilis et gloriosus in saecula. Amen.
MAMACHIMOWIN
Andrew Balfour’s translation of Psalm 67
Kisē-manitow, kisēwātotawinān mīna sawēyiminān; kitimākinawinān, ēkosi ta-kiskēyihtākwanwa kitisīhcikēwina piko itē ōta askīhk; kipimācihiwēwisōhkisiwin ka-kiskēyihcikātēw piko itē ayisiyinīnāhk. hāw, kisē-manitow, kiyām kahkiyaw iyiniwak kika-mamihcimikwak; kiyām kahkiyaw iyiniwak kika-wī-mamihcimikwak!
BLESS the Lord, spirits and souls of the just; holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord.
BLESS the Lord, Anania, Azaria, and Misael; praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
LET us bless the Father and the Son, with the Holy Spirit; let us praise and exalt Him above all for ever.
BLESSED art Thou, Lord, in the firmament of heaven; and worthy of praise, and glorious above all for ever. AMEN
Psalm 67 - For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.
May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.
May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth. May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you. The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.
May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.
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TEXT AND TRANSLATION
MASS IN C MINOR
KYRIE
Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison.
GLORIA
Gloria in excelsis Deo. Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.
Laudamus te. Benedicimus te. Adoramus te. Glorificamus te.
Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam.
Domine Deus, Rex coelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens.
Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe.
Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris.
Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis.
Quoniam tu solus sanctus. Tu solus Dominus. Tu solus Altissimus,
Jesu Christe.
Cum Sancto Spiritu in gloria Dei Patris. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Glory to God in the highest. And on Earth peace to people of good will.
We praise You. We bless You. We worship You. We glorify You.
We give You thanks for Your great glory.
Lord God, heavenly king, God the Father almighty, Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son. Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father. You, Who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
You, Who take away the sins of the world, receive our prayers. You, Who sit at the right hand of the Father, have mercy upon us.
For You alone are holy. You alone are the Lord. You alone are most high.
O Jesus Christ. With the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
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CREDO
Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, factorem coeli et terrae, visibilium omnium, et invisibilium. Et in unum Dominum Jesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum. Et ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula. Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero. Genitum, non factum, consubstantialem patri: per quem omnia facta sunt. Qui propter nos homines, et propter nostram salutem descendit de caelis.
Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine: Et homo factus est.
SANCTUS
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis.
BENEDICTUS
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis.
TEXT AND TRANSLATION
I believe in one God, The Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ. the only begotten Son of God. Born of the Father before all ages. God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God. Begotten, not made, of one being with the Father: By whom all things were made. Who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven.
And He became flesh by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary: And was made man.
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are filled with Your glory. Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
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