An Evening of Readings and Carols WESTMINSTER ALUMNI CHOIR WESTMINSTER CHAPEL CHOIR WESTMINSTER CHOIR WESTMINSTER CONCERT BELL CHOIR WESTMINSTER JUBILEE SINGERS WESTMINSTER SYMPHONIC CHOIR Vinroy D. Brown, Jr. ’15 Marion Jacob ‘22 James Jordan Steve Pilkington Kathleen Ebling Shaw ’85 Tyler Weakland ’16 G. Preston Wilson, Jr. with NEW ROCHELLE HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR Sarah Mae Lagasca ‘13, conductor WILMINGTON CHILDREN’S CHORUS Kimberly Doucette, artistic director ROBERT MCCORMICK ‘01, ORGAN LEVI HERNANDEZ ’99, BARITONE SILKY M. CARTER ’12, SOPRANO TIMBERDALE BRASS WESTMINSTER GOSPEL BAND
Please note the unauthorized use of any recording device, either audio or video, and the taking of photographs, either with or without flash, is prohibited by law. Out of courtesy to the performers and everyone in the audience, please refrain from using cell phones and electronic devices *We invite all who are willing and able to stand and join in singing. The audience is asked to withhold all applause until after Joy to the World.
Prelude Noël Suisse
Louis-Claude Daquin (1694 - 1772) Robert McCormick ‘01, organ
Good Christian Friends, Rejoice
arr. Dan Goeller (b. 1973) trans. Kimberlee F. Strepka (b. 1966) Westminster Concert Bell Choir Olivia Dunleavy, flute
Cradle Song
Herbert Howells (1892 - 1983) Robert McCormick ‘01, organ
Marche from The Nutcracker Suite
Peter I. Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893) trans. William H. Griffin (b.1941) Westminster Concert Bell Choir
In Dulci Jubilo
arr. Darin Kelly (b. 1968) Timberdale Brass
Toccata on Veni Emmanuel Andrew Carter (b. 1939) Robert McCormick ‘01, organ
Program I Wonder as I Wander
John Jacob Niles (1892 - 1980) arr. Steve Pilkington (b.1954)
Julia N. Gerst, alto Westminster Chapel Choir with Nidhi Advani, Katie Blowitski, Max Brey, Diego Dominguez, Olivia Duclos, Alex Farah, Sean Haugh, Daniel Piver, Sarah Vawdrey, Mike Woods Missa Carolae Processional Introit Kyrie Eleison
James Whitbourn (b. 1963)
Westminster Alumni Choir Westminster Symphonic Choir Devin Embrich, countertenor Andrew Chojnacki, percussion Olivia Dixon, soprano Robert McCormick ‘01, organ Olivia Dunleavy, piccolo Timberdale Brass
BIDDING: Steve Pilkington Associate Professor of Sacred Music CAROL: O Come, O Come Emmanuel*
VENI EMMANUEL arr. Andrew Carter (b. 1939)
All: O come, O come, Emmanuel And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear: Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. Tenors and Basses: O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan’s tyranny; From depths of hell your people save, and give them victory o'er the grave. Refrain Sopranos and Altos: O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer Our spirits by thine advent here; Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death’s dark shadows put to flight: Refrain Choir Only: O come thou Key of David, come, And open wide our heav’nly home; Make safe the way that leads on high, And close the path to misery: Refrain All: O come, O come, thou Lord of Might, Who to thy tribes on Sinai’s height, In ancient times did give the law In cloud and majesty and awe: Refrain DECEMBER 8: O Magnum Mysterium
B.E. Boykin ‘13 (b. 1989) New Rochelle High School Choir Sarah Mae Lagasca ‘13, conductor
DECEMBER 9: Xicochi conetzintle from Villancicos en Indio Gaspar Fernandez (d. 1629) Hanacpachap cussicuinin attr. Juan Pérez Bocanegra (c. 1560 - 1645) Huachito Torito Folksong of Argentina & Bolivia arr. Néstor Zadoff (b. 1952) Wilmington Children’s Chorus Chamber Choir Kimberly Doucette, artistic director Philip Doucette, associate director Ariel Antoinette Alvarado, Daniel L. Ridout Teaching Fellow Farandole from L'arlesienne Suite
Georges Bizet (1838 - 1875) adapt. Betty B. Garee (1927 - 1986) Westminster Concert Bell Choir
Mary Had a Baby
Negro Spiritual arr. William L. Dawson (1899 - 1990) Westminster Jubilee Singers Silky M. Carter ‘12, soprano
READING: If There is To Be Peace attr. Lao Tzu (6th c. BC) Cherisse Bonefont ‘25 Bachelor of Arts in Music, Sacred Music CAROL: O Come, All Ye Faithful*
ADESTE FIDELES J. F. Wade (c. 1711 - 1786) arr. Sir David Willcocks (1919 - 2015)
All: O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant, O Come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold him Born the King of Angels: Refrain: O come, let us adore him, O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord! God of God, Light of Light, Lo! He abhors not the Virgin’s womb; Very God, Begotten, not created: Refrain Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation, Sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above; Glory to God in the highest: Refrain Yea, Lord, we greet thee, Born this happy morning, Jesu, to thee be glory giv’n. Word of the Father, Now in flesh appearing: Refrain
I Saw Three Ships
Mack Wilberg (b. 1955) Brass Arrangement by Tyler Weakland ‘16 Combined Choirs Robert McCormick ‘01, organ Timberdale Brass
READING: Wildpeace James Goldsworthy (Dec. 8) Professor of Piano Coronation Kyrie
Yehuda Amichai (1924 - 2000) Makoto Fujimura (Dec. 9) Contemporary Artist
Paul Mealor (b. 1975) Welsh Translation: Grahame Davies (2023) Westminster Choir Levi Hernandez, baritone Robert McCormick ‘01, organ
It perhaps seems a bit strange for a Coronation Kyrie, written for the coronation of Charles III and Queen Camilla by a close friend of Westminster Choir College composer Paul Mealor, to have a place in this program. However, this short but passionate piece that pleads for mercy, kindness and help is sorely needed at this time where so many places and people around the world are in conflict. May all you who hear this work be touched by its compassion and plea for mercy for all those around the world who are suffering in this season and in need of peace, mercy and human compassion. – James Jordan Arglwydd trugarha Crist, Trugarha Arglwydd trugarha
Lord have mercy Christ have mercy Lord have mercy
A Soulful Celebration: Hallelujah Chorus
arr. Mervyn Warren, Michael Jackson, & Mark Kibble Choral Arrangement by Teena Chinn Westminster Chapel Choir Westminster Jubilee Singers Westminster Gospel Band
CAROL: Hark the Herald Angels Sing*
All: Hark! the herald angels sing Glory to the new-born King! Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled! Joyful, all ye nations, rise, Join the triumph of the skies; With the angelic host proclaim Christ is born in Bethlehem!
MENDELSSOHN Felix Mendelssohn (1809 – 1947) arr. Sir David Willcocks (1919 – 2015)
Hark! the herald angels sing Glory to the new-born King! Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord, late in time behold him come, offspring of a virgin’s womb. Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail, the incarnate deity, pleased as Man with to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel! Hark! the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King. Hail, the heaven-born Prince of peace! Hail the Son of righteousness! Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings. Mild he lays his glory by, born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth. Hark! the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King. Ring Out Ye Crystal Spheres Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958) Westminster Symphonic Choir Levi Hernandez, baritone Christopher Nappa ‘17, tenor Jessica Stanislawczyk Nappa ‘16, soprano Robert McCormick ‘01, organ Timberdale Brass A READING FROM: Barbara Robinson (1927 - 2013) The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Jason Vodicka ’03, ‘09 Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Danish Carol (O How Beautiful the Sky) Steve Pilkington (b.1954) Westminster Choir Alastair Stewart, baritone Steve Pilkington, piano Tyler Weakland ‘16, solo handbells Festival First Nowell
Traditional Carol arr. Dan Forrest (b. 1978) Combined Choirs Robert McCormick ‘01, organ Timberdale Brass
Silent Night
Thomas Whitfield (1954 - 1992) trans. Brandon Waddles ’16 (b. 1988) Silky M. Carter ‘12, soprano Combined Choirs The Rev. Simeon D. Spencer – Senior Pastor, Union Baptist Church, narrator Westminster Gospel Band
Ringing in the Season Westminster Concert Bell Choirs CAROL: Joy to the World*
ANTIOCH arr. Ken Cowan (b. 1974)
All: Joy to the world! the Lord is come: let earth receive her King; let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven, and heaven and nature sing. Joy to the world the Savior reigns; let men their songs employ, while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy. He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness, and wonders of his love, and wonders of his love, and wonders, and wonders of his love.
Postlude L’année d’or
Sortie sur Adeste Fideles
Robert McCormick ‘01, organ Timberdale Brass
Joel Phillips (b. 1958)
Pierre Cochereau (1924-1984) trans. by François Lombard adapt. Robert McCormick ‘01 Robert McCormick ‘01, organ
Text & Translations I Wonder as I Wander I wonder as I wander out under the sky How Jesus the Saviour did come for to die. For poor on’ry people like you and like I; I wonder as I wander out under the sky When Mary birthed Jesus ‘twas in a cow’s stall With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all But high from God’s heaven, a star’s light did fall And the promise of ages it then did recall. If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing A star in the sky or a bird on the wing Or all God’s angels in heaven to sing He surely could have it, ‘cause he was the King. Missa Carolae: Processional Introit and Kyrie Eleison Guillo, play your tambourin, Robin with your flute begin, Play your pipe and play your drum, Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pa-ta-pa-ta-pan! Play your pipe and play your drum. Sing Nowell to all and some! Man of ancient days, he sings In praise of the King of kings, When you hear the pipe and drum, Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pa-ta-pa-ta-pan! When you hear the pipe and drum You will know that the Saviour’s come. For unto us a child is born, Unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Dance and sing and leap with joy At the birth of the infant boy. Dance with pipe and dance with drum. Tu-re-lu-re-lu, Pa-ta-pa-ta-pan! Dance with pipe and dance with drum For unto us is born a Son. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them hath the light, the light shined.
Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Kyrie eleison.
Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.
O Magnum Mysterium O magnum mysterium, et admirabile sacramentum, ut animalia viderent Dominum natum, jacentum in praesepio! Beata Virdo, cujus viscera meruerunt portare Dominum Christum. Alleluia!
O great mystery, and wondrous sacrament, that animals should see the newborn Lord, lying in their manger! Blessed is the Virgin whose womb was worthy to bear the Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia
Xicochi conetzintle Xicochi, xicochi, conetzintle, ca omizhuihuijoco
Sleep, sweet baby, indeed, the angels
in angelosme. Aleloya, aleloya.
have come to lull you. Alleluia, Alleluia.
Hanacpachap cussicuinin Hanacpachap cussicuinin, Huaran cacta muchas caiqui. Yupairuru pucocmallqui, Runa cunap suyacuinin. Callpannacpa quemicuinin, Huaciascaita.
Heaven's joy! A thousand times shall we praise you O tree bearing thrice-blessed fruit, O hope of humankind, Helper of the weak. Hear our prayer!
Uyarihuai muchascaita Diospa rampan Diospamaman Yurac tocto hamancaiman Yupascalla, collpascaita Huahuaiquiman suyuscaita Ricuchillai.
Attend to our pleas, O column of ivory, Mother of God. Beautiful iris, yellow and white, Receive this song we offer you; Come to our assistance, Show us the Fruit of your womb!
Huachito Torito Huachito, torito, Torito del corralito
Giddy-up, little bull, Little bull from the little pen.
Al niño recién nacido Todos le ofrecen un done Yo soy pobre nada tengo Le ofrezco mi corazoné.
To the newborn child, Everyone offers a gift. I am poor, I have nothing; I offer my heart.
Del árbol nació la rama, De la rama nació la flor. De la flor nació María Y de María nació el Señor.
The branch was born from the tree, From the branch the flower was born. Mary was born of the flower And of Mary, the Lord.
Ring Out Ye Crystal Spheres Ring out, ye crystal spheres Once bless our human ears, If ye have power to touch our senses so; And let your silver chime Move in melodious time, And let the bass of heaven's deep organ blow; And, with your ninefold harmony, Make up full consort to the angelic symphony. Such music, as 'tis said, Before was never made, But when of old the sons of morning sung, While the Creator great, His constellations set, And the well-balanced world on hinges hung; And cast the dark foundations deep, And bid the weltering waves their oozy channel keep. Yea, truth and justice then Will down return to men, Orbed in a rainbow; and, like glories wearing, Mercy will sit between, Throned in celestial sheen, With radiant feet the tissued cloud down-steering; And heaven, as at some festival, Will open wide the gates of her high palace hall. Danish Carol (O How Beautiful the Sky) O how beautiful the sky, With the sparkling stars on high, How they glitter, brightly gleaming, How they twinkle, gladsome, beaming, As they draw our hearts to heav’n. In the midst of Christmas night, While the stars were shining bright, Of a sudden, clear and radiant, One appear’d and shone resplendent With the luster of the sun. Angels from the heav’nly realm, Gathered hosts to overwhelm, Flew like comets, robes a flutter, Through the stars their news to utter: “Glory be to God on high! Gloria in excelsis” cry. Wise men by this star were led To the Christ-child’s lowly bed. Guiding star, O may we heed thee May we know we ever need thee, Lead us to our heav’nly King.
About the Artists WESTMINSTER SYMPHONIC CHOIR James Jordan, conductor
Tyler Weakland, associate conductor Gregory Stout, accompanist Michael H. Woods, graduate assistant Skylar Derthick, graduate assistant Eric Beomjin Kim, graduate assistant Annie McCasland, graduate assistant SOPRANO Emilie Beals, Carlisle, PA Elizabeth Berger, Hereford, MD Cherisse R. Bonefont, Lumberton, NJ Juli Chiriboga, Huntington, NY Ally Christiansen, Leamington, UT Maya Cooper, Fairfax, VA Olivia Dixon, Woodbury, NJ Olivia Dunleavy, River Edge, NJ Olivia R. Duclos, Woonsocket, RI Sarah Febonio, Flemington, NJ Claire Fritz, Elizabethtown, PA Lauren Mickley, Old Greenwich, CT Ashley Erika LiBrizzi, Hillsborough, NJ Annie McCasland, Potomac, MD Sela J. McMullen, Towson, MD Samantha Noble, Jersey City, NJ Eleanor Rees, Huntington, NY Katelyn Reinhard, Fort Wayne, IN Brenna Richard, York, PA Abbey Ritter, Geneva, NY Makiah S. Robinson, Elizabeth, NJ Jennie Mae Sprouse, Nashville, TN Payton Tharp, Hamilton, NJ Sarah Vawdrey, Teaneck, NJ Julia Wilder, Carmel, NY Kelly Ye, Hangzhou, China Yalan Zeng, Beijing, China
ALTO Nidhi Advani, Columbus, NJ Rosalind Ballow, Warminster, PA Adrianna Barnett, West Grove, PA Jessica Bella, Naperville, IL Katie Blowitski, Southampton, PA Mackenzie Berry, Frederick MD Grace Comeau, Bristow, VA Song Ju Chi, Seoul, South Korea Emma Clark, Danville, PA Abi Culkin, Woodbine, MD Alexa Farah, Northvale, NJ Jiayun Gao, Shanghai, China Emily Huguenin, Howell, NJ Jessica Koscak, Tamaqua, PA Duomi Liu, Beijing, China Alyssa M. Lester, Monroe Township, NJ Abigail A. Rose, Perkasie, PA Elizabeth Rosenberg, Rising Sun, MD Bailey Shay, Matamoras, PA Naomi Sestak, Transylvania, Romania Jasmin Villatoro, Holbrook, NY
TENOR Skylar Derthick, Camas, WA Devin Embrich, West Palm Beach, FL Christian Gray Johnson, Covington, GA Eric Beomjin Kim, Seoul, South Korea Tyler-Minseok Kim, Siheung, South Korea Benjamin Kirk, Lumberton NJ Samuel Messenger, Bellmawr, NJ Gregory Robert Nappa, Newton NJ Daniel J. Piver, East Hampton, NY Michael H. Woods, Colonie, NY
BASS Nathan Anderson, Dickson, TN Max Brey, Tallahassee, FL Jacqueline Burkholder, Vineland NJ Diego Bustamante, Chico, CA Kevin Catalon, Fords, NJ Diego Dominguez, El Paso, TX Emerson Fang, Poughkeepsie, NY Sean D. Haugh, Point Pleasant, NJ Lucas Heredia, East Brunswick, NJ Grischa P. Ivanov, New York City, NY James T. Moyer, Yardley PA Christopher Michael Palmer, West Chester, NJ Alastair Stewart, Pointe Claire, Canada Benjamin Shively, Kansas City, MO Gavin R. Springer, Belmar NJ Arseniy Vasilyev, Moscow, Russia
WESTMINSTER CHAPEL CHOIR Marion Jacob, conductor
Gregory Stout, accompanist Makiah Robinson, graduate assistant Christian Johnson, graduate assistant Maya Cooper, graduate assistant SOPRANO Kamanay Belcher, Easton, PA Lauren Gregorovic, Hamilton, NJ Dari Russoniello, Somerset, NJ Haley Soule, Middleboro, MA Elena Trapasso, West Milford, NJ Shaye Walker, Parlin, NJ
ALTO Chloe A. Davis, Lawrence. NJ Julia N. Gerst, West Milford, NJ Jada Laws, Pine Beach, NJ Anna Maher, Ipswich, MA
TENOR Xavier Derosiers, Southampton, PA Phillip Schneller, Doylestown, PA D’Andre Wright, Trumbull, CT
BASS Ronan Flynn, West Bablon, NY Wesley Howell, Wadsworth, OH Weicheng Ying, Shanghai, China
WESTMINSTER CHOIR James Jordan, conductor
Tyler Weakland, accompanist; associate conductor Gregory Stout, accompanist Ben Shively, graduate assistant Duomi Liu, graduate assistant Max Brey, graduate assistant SOPRANO Lauren Legere-Mickley, Old Greenwich, CT Brenna Richard, York, PA Makiah S. Robinson, Elizabeth, NJ Sarah Vawdrey, Teaneck, NJ Sarah Febonino, Flemington, NJ Claire Fritz, Elizabethtown, PA Alexa Farah, Northvale, NJ Maryrose Canevari, Pawling, NY Olivia M. Dixon, Woodbury, NJ Emilie Beals, Carlisle, PA Annie McCasland, Potomac, MD Jessica Bella, Naperville, IL
ALTO Abi Culkin, Woodbine, MD Duomi Liu, Beijing, China Maya Cooper, Fairfax, VA Kate Reinhard, Fort Wayne, IN Emily Huguenin, Howell, NJ Mackenzie Berry, Frederick, MD Olivia Dunleavy, River Edge, NJ Grace Comeau, Bristow, VA Katie Blowitski, Southampton, PA Alyssa M Lester, Monroe Township, NJ Adrianna Barnett, West Grove, PA Jasmin U. Villatoro, Holbrook, NY Elizabeth Rosenberg, Rising Sun, MD Abigail A. Rose, Perkasie, PA
TENOR Christian Gray Johnson, Covington, GA Michael H. Woods, Colonie, NY Devin Embrich, West Palm Beach, FL Gregory R Nappa, Newton, NJ Eric Beomjin Kim, Seoul, Korea Benjamin Kirk, Lumberton NJ Skylar Derthick, Camas, WA Daniel J. Piver, East Hampton, NY
BASS Christopher Michael Palmer, West Chester, PA Alastair Stewart, Pointe Claire, Canada James T. Moyer, Yardley, PA Gavin R Springer, Belmar, NJ Benjamin Shively, Platte City, MO Max Brey, Tallahassee, FL Kevin Catalon, Fords, NJ Yusef Collins-Bryant, Philadelphia, PA Sean Haugh, Point Pleasant, NJ Lucas Heredia, East Brunswick, NJ Grisha P. Ivanov, New York, NYC Arseniy Vasilyev, Moscow, Russia
WESTMINSTER CONCERT BELL CHOIR Kathleen Ebling Shaw, conductor Gregory R. Nappa, graduate assistant Kelly Ye, graduate assistant Kayla An, Bethpage, NY Liberty Ashe, Quakertown, PA Olivia Dunleavy, River Edge, NJ Devin Embrich, West Palm Beach, FL Alexa Farah, Northvale, NJ Sean Haugh, Point Pleasant, NJ Ben Kirk, Lumberton, NJ Duomi Liu, Beijing, China
Mei-Chen Liu, Parsippany, NJ Jessica Koscak, Tamaqua, PA Rachel McNamara, North Attleboro, MA Jordan Mongell, North Andover, MA Gregory R. Nappa, Newton, NJ Samantha Noble, Jersey City, NJ Cecilia Simon, Mendham, NJ Kelly Ye, Hangzhou, China
The Westminster Concert Bell Choir is grateful to have on loan the lower eighth and ninth octave bass handbells, the lower seventh octave Choirchime® Instruments, and the C6 to C8 CymBells® from Malmark, Inc. – Bellcraftsmen, Plumsteadville, PA. On the web: www.malmark.com
WESTMINSTER JUBILEE SINGERS Vinroy D. Brown, Jr., conductor G. Preston Wilson., conductor Akiko Hosaki, accompanist
Max Brey, graduate assistant Andrew Chojnacki, graduate assistant SOPRANO Elizabeth Berger, Hereford, MD Juli Chiriboga, Huntington, NY Maya Cooper, Fairfax, VA Olivia Dixon, Woodbury, NJ Jada Laws, Pine Beach, NJ Annie McCasland, Potomac, MD Arianna McMorris, Wading River, NY Abbey Ritter, Geneva, NY Payton Tharp, Hamilton, NJ Sarah Vawdrey, Teaneck, NJ Julia Wilder, Carmel, NY
ALTO Emilie Beals, Carlisle, PA Cherisse R. Bonefont, Lumberton, NJ Alessia D. Bradley, Pleasantville, NJ Emma Clark, Danville, PA Alyssa M. Lester, Monroe, NJ Abigail A. Rose, Perkasie, PA Anna Spendley, LaGrangeville, NY Jasmin U. Villatoro, Holbrook, NY
TENOR Andrew Chojnacki, Delran, NJ Denver H. Edwards, Goshen, IN Daniel J. Piver, East Hampton, NY Michael H. Woods, Colonie, NY
BASS Zyheim Bell, Fort Myers, FL Max Brey, Tallahassee, FL Lucas Heredia, East Brunswick, NJ Alastair Stewart, Pointe Claire, Quebec
WESTMINSTER ALUMNI CHOIR Tyler Weakland ‘16, rehearsal conductor Gregory Stout, accompanist
Brett Algaier '12 Steven Altinel '05 Marie Altobelli '92 Rich Askey '81 Andre Baldasserini '23 Katy Barr Smith '69 Samantha Belinski '23 Mackenzie Bella Azhaneet Blackwell '23 Lena Blight '15 Jade Blocker '18 Emmanuel BonillaAcosta '15 Kate Boose '03 Noah Bram '21 Alyssa Brode '09 Justin Brown '17 Lane Cheney '91 Christopher Christiana '08 Lydia Claycomb '18 Jenni B. Collins '89 Pamela Danielson Sharples '83, '92 Wen Darr '20 Cory Davis '03 Samuel Day '23 Jaime DeJesus '97 Todd Dillon '84 Patricia Dunkin '73 Jackie Dunleavy '04 Amanda Duspiva ‘22 Sophia Elkhoury '09 Karen Englehart-Garant '79 Lisa Ferraro '92 Marie Fosket '09 K. Jenna Frank '17
Matthew P. Fritz '90 Amelia Garbisch '03 Gilberto Gomez '05 Carl Hagelin '74 Ashley Hansell '17 Elaine K. Harned '97 Tod Hicks '90 Adrianna Hill '20 Rebecca Hoare '14 Mary Johnson Fuller '77 T. Quinn Kimball '12 Rebecca Kirk '22 Julia Kovalev Kristen Kozub '09, '12 Bev Kugele '74 Linda Lara '95 Josh Lisner '21 Deirdre LoCascio '88 Michelle Maccarone '07 Erin MacKenzie '16 Neil McDonald Meghan McGrory '05 Abby Merk '18 Alison Mingle '08 Beth Moore '98 William Mosher '16 Tylzia R. Msonthi '12 Kathleen Muka '08 Rosemary Nagy '91 Steven Nolen '10 Jessica Orr Shawaluk '05 Joshua Palagyi '17 Gianna Pannullo '15 Jane Park '04 Elizabeth Perry Couchoud '16
Brad Pickard '13 Anthony Pinkerton '21 Alicia Pytleski '04 Sandy Reedy '04 Lydia Reifsnyder '21, '23 Ashley Reinhardt '23 Joyce Richardson '79, '81 Michael Rider '06 Samaad Robinson '08 Ildiko Rozs '03 Steve Ryan '89 Cheryl Sabetta Moya '80, '86 Marguerite Schroeder '73 Chelsea Simpkins '18 David J. Smith '69 Thomas Stella '23 Sarah Swahlon '22, '23 Michael Thaddius '16 Kathryn Thomas '86 Hunter Thomas '17 Benjamin Torres '03 Elaine Vander PlateHeld '69, '92 Jody Velloso '97 Olivia Venier '23 Joseph Walsh '10 Orry Walter '23 Katie Willey '21 Randall Woodruff '02 – as of December 01
TIMBERDALE BRASS TRUMPET Eric Schweingruber (leader) Darin Kelly Robert Skoniczin HORN Karen Schubert Lisa Dunham John Smit Eva Conti
TROMBONE Jason Stein Paul Arbogast BASS TROMBONE John Rojak TUBA Kyle Turner TIMPANI/PERCUSSION Christopher Hanning Brent Behrenshausen
WESTMINSTER GOSPEL BAND Raushan Thompson, piano Anthony Ware, saxophone Daniel Ware, drums Nimrod Speaks, bass (Dec. 8)
ARIEL ANTOINETTE ALVARADO Ariel Antoinette Alvarado is the Inaugural Daniel L. Ridout Teaching Fellow of the Wilmington Children’s Chorus, where she collaboratively conducts the Performing Choirs, works with the Neighborhood Choirs and Early Learner’s Music Program, and engages in professional development. Ariel is a conductor, vocalist, and scholartist dedicated to restorative justice and student empowerment through culturally responsive pedagogy. Having grown up with little representation of her identities, Ariel’s work focuses on centering the voices of the marginalized and making connections across cultures. Ms. Alvarado is also a Conducting Apprentice for the Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia and a member of the Delaware Academy of Vocal Arts flagship ensemble ‘Elevation’. She earned a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from The Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Spelman College in Atlanta, GA. Ms. Alvarado makes meaning with the world around her through music and is journeying to leave the world a more beautiful place than she found it.
VINROY D. BROWN, JR. Vinroy D. Brown, Jr. holds credits in conducting, sacred music and music education. He is a member of the performance studies faculty at Westminster Choir College, where he conducts the Westminster Jubilee Singers, and teaches in the Baccalaureate Honors
Program. A church musician, he is director of music & worship arts at Elmwood United Presbyterian Church. Maintaining an active conducting schedule, he is founder and artistic director of Elmwood Concert Singers and is artistic director and conductor of Capital Singers of Trenton. This season, he will serve as Guest Conductor of the New Jersey All Shore High School Chorus, headline the Tenor-Bass Choral Festival at Rowan University and conduct the Rowan University Concert Choir in performance. Most notably, Brown served as Chorus Conductor for the world premiere performances of Omar by Rihannon Giddens and Michael Abels, which received the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Music. His scholarship elevates the music of the Black experience, women, and living composers, and explores the ways in which music can be used as a tool for social justice and anti-racism in diverse learning communities. He is published in the Choral Journal of the American Choral Directors Association, and is a Contributing Author of Choral Repertoire by Women Composers, to be released this academic year. He is also the curator of the Black Psalmody Database, the first compendium of choral settings of the Psalter by Black composers. Professor Brown is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, Inc. He holds the Master of Arts in Practical Theology degree from Regent University, and Bachelor of Music degrees in Sacred Music and Music Education from Westminster Choir College.
SILKY M. CARTER Known for her “soaring high notes,” soprano, Silky Marsharika Carter is versed in a range of repertoire that includes music from Bach, to Händel, to Gershwin and others. Ms. Carter is a graduate of Westminster Choir College, where she holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education, under the tutelage of Laura Brooks Rice and Margaret Cusack. Lauded for her versatility of sound and performance, she was the soprano soloist in Ralph Vaughn Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem, Clara in concert version of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, soprano soloist in Händel’s Messiah, Glenn Burleigh’s Let God Arise and other classical and contemporary works. Recent opera credits include Ms. Lyons with Trilogy: An Opera Company in Richard Thompson's The Mask in The Mirror and the world premiere of David Lang’s The Mile Long-Long Opera: a biography of 7 o’clock with The Mile Long Opera. Silky is a dedicated full-time music educator, where she enjoys sharing the gift of music with elementary aged students.
KIMBERLY DOUCETTE Kimberly Doucette has been Artistic Director of the Wilmington Children’s Chorus since 2009, after serving as an integral part of the artistic staff since 2005. During her tenure, the organization has solidified its reputation for artistry, professionalism, and community connections. In addition to conducting the Performing Choirs in selfproduced concerts, Ms. Doucette has prepared them to sing alongside the area’s top arts organizations. Her leadership was integral in creating WCC’s Neighborhood Choirs, Sister Cities Cultural Exchange, and the Ridout Teaching Fellowship for BIPOC teachers and conductors at the beginning of their career. Ms. Doucette has served as a presenter, guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator for regional festivals and conferences. As a performer, she has appeared on stage and in concert throughout the region. Ms. Doucette has been the Director of Education for OperaDelaware, Adjunct Instructor of Voice at the University of Delaware, and Associate Director of Choirs at The Tatnall School.
PHILIP DOUCETTE Philip Doucette has been the Associate Director of the Wilmington Children’s Chorus since 2009 and a member of the staff since 2006. As a performer, collaborator, teacher, conductor, researcher, and clinician, Mr. Doucette has worked with singers and artists of the highest caliber in opera, classical and contemporary concert music, musical theater, choral music, jazz, and pop-rock as well as non-western song traditions. Mr. Doucette is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, Singing Voice Specialist, and Singing Teacher with expertise in assisting individuals managing vocal injury and voice disorders. He has been a featured presenter on issues relating to the changing testosterone-dominant singing voice for regional American Choral Directors Association events and has been a presenting lecturer at several colleges and universities on voice health and care for the high-performance voice user. He is a regular reviewer for The Journal of Voice, a peer-reviewed journal of voice medicine and research.
MARION JACOB Marion Jacob (she/her) is the Conductor of the Westminster Chapel Choir. Jacob holds a Master’s degree in Choral Conducting from Westminster Choir College where she was a student of James Jordan and Simon Carrington. She also earned an M.M. in Music History from Temple University, and a B.M. with distinction in Piano Performance from the University of Delaware. Attending the Westminster Conducting Institute, Jacob studied with Donald Nally and Charles Bruffy. Jacob has been a guest
lecturer for the University of Delaware, Temple University, and Padua Academy, and currently teaches World Musics and Cultures for Temple University. Jacob is the founder and director of Sine Nomine, a chamber choir active in the Delaware and Chester County area, and the Director of Music at St. Elizabeth Church in Wilmington, DE. Jacob recently held the position of the Assistant Director of the five performing choirs of the Wilmington Children's Chorus, where she prepared ensembles for concerts and collaborations with Westminster Choir College’s Symphonic Choir, the Wilmington Ballet, and Delaware Choral Arts. Prior to studying at Westminster Choir College, Jacob was the director of music at Daylesford Abbey, and the director of the Padua Academy Women’s Chorus, where she also developed and taught the course, Music In Action. Jacob recently participated in the Sarteano Chamber Choral Workshop as an Advanced Conductor with Simon Carrington and Tony Thornton, and has participated in the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival as a singing Fellow. Jacob is a member of The Same Stream, and has been a member and soloist for Westminster Choir, Westminster Williamson Voices, the Chester County Choral Society, and the University of Delaware’s Schola Cantorum and Collegium Musicuum.
JAMES JORDAN One of the world’s leading choral conductors, music pedagogy authors and recording artists with over 60 books and publications calls Westminster Choir College home. He leads the largest and most respected graduate program in choral conducting in the country. A GRAMMY® nominated conductor, he is recognized and praised throughout the musical world as one of America’s preeminent conductors, recording artists, writers, music psychologists and innovators in choral music. His innovations in both choral and conducting pedagogy have been lauded worldwide, effectively leading changes in choral conducting and pedagogy that have impacted choral music around the world. He was described as a “visionary” by the Choral Journal, which cited his book Evoking Sound as a “must read.” His more than 60 books explore both the philosophical and spiritual basis of musicianship, as well as aspects of choral rehearsal teaching and learning, and they are considered to be essential references in the conducting profession. He is Professor and Director of Choral Studies at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, holds the Scheide Chair in Conducting, and serves as the seventh conductor of the 103-year-old Westminster Choir and the world-renowned Westminster Symphonic Choir. 2023-2024 will mark the release of threeprominent CDs under his direction: Westminster Choir College’s An Evening of Readings and Carols: The 30th Anniversary Live Recording, a unique recording of the Mozart Requiem with the Pittsburgh Symphony conducted by Manfred Hoenig, and the 100th Anniversary recording of the Westminster Choir, A Serenity of Soul.
Prior to these conducting responsibilities, he conducted both the Westminster Chapel Choir and the Schola Cantorum. His 12 years conducting the Westminster Williamson Voices established that choir as one of the most admired and reviewed choral ensembles in the world, with 10 CDs to its credit. The choir, under his direction, was called “the Rolls Royce of Choirs” by King’s College Conductor, Daniel Hyde. Their Grammy-nominated recording of James Whitbourn portraiture seminal work, Annelies, is one of the most performed choral works in the world.
LEVI HERNANDEZ With a velvety tone and a stage presence which exudes confidence and charm, Levi Hernandez has made a name for himself in a wide variety of baritone repertoire. Opera News has praised him for his “voice with natural power,” and “warm, inviting baritone.” The El Paso native has joined the rosters of leading opera companies including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Houston Grand Opera where he débuted as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly. In recent seasons, Mr. Hernandez returned to Lyric Opera of Chicago as Alvaro in Florencia en el Amazonas, reprised the title role in Gianni Schicchi with Tulsa Opera, débuted with Hawaii Opera Theater as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, and performed Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer with Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra. He has continued his longstanding relationship with the work of composer Daniel Catan, appearing as Rappaccini La hija de Rappaccini with Chicago Opera Theater. Additionally, he sang Tonio in Pagliacci with Opera Colorado and El Paso Opera, and Aba in El milagro del recuerdo Houston Grand Opera. He has sung Pa Joad in The Grapes of Wrath with Michigan Opera Theatre, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Virginia Opera, Nashville Opera, Arizona Opera, and Chattanooga Symphony & Opera. He recently débuted with Opera Colorado as Marcello in La bohème, Inspector Kildare in Elizabeth Cree with Chicago Opera Theater, Alvaro in Florencia en el Amazonas with San Diego Opera and Madison Opera, and Ford in Falstaff with Intermountain Opera. He has covered the title role in The Death of Klinghoffer and productions of Die Frau ohne Schatten and Carmen with the Metropolitan Opera.
SARAH MAE LAGASCA Sarah Mae Lagasca is a national award winning music educator, conductor, and audio engineer. She has prepared ensembles for recordings at Avatar Studios and iHeart Radio; nationally broadcasted performances on Good Morning America; and sold out shows at Terminal 5, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and The Governor’s Ball Music Festival in New York City. As a singer, she appears on recordings spanning a wide array of genres – from intimate, independent artists releases to GRAMMY® award winning albums. Through her production company, Ambitious Music, she has designed and directed professional development sessions aimed at giving teachers and students the
confidence to use music technology in their classrooms. She has also engineered, recorded, and produced fully orchestrated original cast album recordings for student composed musicals by transforming classrooms into recording studios at high schools across the country. For her work in bridging the worlds between classical and contemporary/pop music education, she received the 2021 Milken Educator Award for the state of New Jersey. She is a proud alumna of Westminster Choir College, having graduated with her B.M. in Music Education.
ROBERT MCCORMICK Described by Choir and Organ as “indomitable and immensely gifted” and by The Macon Telegraph as “an artist of rare sensitivity and passion”, Robert McCormick ‘01 is heralded as one of the finest concert and church musicians of this era. Widely known for his unique abilities in organ improvisation, Mr. McCormick was a semi-finalist in the 2005 St. Albans International Organ Festival Improvisation Competition, the only American to merit that distinction. He has been featured in solo appearances in San Francisco, New York, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Albuquerque, and Atlanta, and in recitals and workshops for numerous American Guild of Organists chapters, the Association of Anglican Musicians, the Royal School of Church Music in America, and for Westminster Choir College. His recording from St. Paul’s, K Street, We Sing of God, was released on the Pro Organo label. Choir & Organ’s review of the disc states that “[McCormick] shines at the organ.” Mr. McCormick is Organist and Choirmaster of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. This follows eight years as Director of Music at St. Paul’s Parish, K Street, Washington, D.C., and seven years as Organist and Music Director at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, New York. He is a graduate of the Westminster Choir College. His teachers include McNeil Robinson and Robert Carwithen. Robert McCormick is represented in North America exclusively by Phillip Truckenbrod Concert Artists, LLC.
STEVE PILKINGTON Associate professor of Sacred Music at Westminster Choir College, Steve Pilkington has taught every aspect of the church music curriculum for 25 years. His teaching is known for its breadth, depth and creative attention to the complexities of making sacred music in postmodern times. His lecturing has taken him from Korea to Oxford University, where he lectures annually for Westminster’s Choral Institute. As an active church musician, he has been director of music and organist at Christ Church, United Methodist in New York City for over two decades. Additionally, Dr. Pilkington is a published author and composer of organ and choral music including an arrangement of I Wonder as I Wander, which has been performed around the world hundreds of times.
KATHLEEN EBLING SHAW Conductor of the Westminster Concert Bell Choir, Kathleen Ebling Shaw is a member of the sacred music department at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, where she teaches classes in handbell training and conducts a second handbell choir. She is Vice President of Malmark Bells, Inc. and serves as the Creative Director of ChimeWorks ® - an online resource community for educators who use handchimes. She is a graduate of Westminster Choir College. Well-known as a handbell clinician, Mrs. Shaw has conducted sessions for the Handbell Musicians of America (AGEHR) both on the local and national levels. Other engagements have included sessions for the American Guild of Organists; the New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas Music Educators Conferences; Choristers Guild; Presbyterian Association of Musicians Conferences; the St. Olaf Church Music Conference; and International Handbell Symposia in Japan, England, Korea, Australia and the United States. She traveled with the Westminster Concert Bell Choir during a critically acclaimed 15-city North American “A Royal Christmas” tour, performing with Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Charlotte Church and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. The Westminster Concert Bell Choir under the direction of Mrs. Shaw made its Carnegie Hall debut in December 2001 as the first American handbell ensemble to perform there. They have also been featured on Lifetime Television, QVC, NBC’s TODAY Show, New Jersey Network, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and NBC’s nationally televised Lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. She has also produced eight recordings with the Westminster Concert Bell Choir. Mrs. Shaw is also the recipient of an Alumni Merit Award from Westminster Choir College of Rider University in recognition of her dedication to the art of handbell ringing and her enthusiasm and accomplishments in the classroom as well as the concert hall.
TIMBERDALE BRASS Timberdale Brass is an ensemble committed to engaging listeners of all ages, convinced that if they enjoy the music they play, audiences will leave their performances smiling and wanting more. Consisting of the Mid-Atlantic's most sought-after brass musicians, members for these performances hold principal positions in many of the region's preeminent orchestras and individually have performed with every major ensemble from Connecticut to Delaware, including The Philadelphia Orchestra, Harrisburg Symphony, American Brass Quintet, Delaware Symphony, International Contemporary Ensemble, and the premiere theaters of New York and Philadelphia.
TYLER WEAKLAND Praised for his ‘verve and adroit collaborative piano playing’ by the Charleston City Paper, Tyler Weakland is a pianist, conductor, composer, arranger/orchestrator, producer, and vocal coach. As an Adjunct Instructor in Choral Studies at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, he is Associate Conductor of the Westminster Symphonic Choir and Westminster Choir. He has collaborated with many professional singers including Benita Valente, Sharon Sweet, Laura Brooks Rice, Mark Moliterno, Theodora Hanslowe, Elizabeth Sutton, and Laquita Mitchell. He has accompanied voice students at Mannes, TCNJ, and WCC, and is a member of the artistic staff at Westrick Music Academy where he works with the Princeton Boychoir and Girlchoir. He recently appeared as continuo organist with the Orchestra of Luke’s in NYC for a performance of El Mesìas: Handel’s Messiah for a New World. Mr. Weakland was head of production for the 30th Anniversary Celebration of Westminster Choir College’s An Evening of Readings and Carols that was recorded live and filmed for PBS, in which he also conducted. As a composer, his portfolio includes art songs, hymn arrangements, handbell music, and choral works. Mr. Weakland currently serves as Organ Scholar & Handbell Choir Director at Christ Church United Methodist on 60th and Park Avenue in NYC. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in Sacred Music with concentrations in piano and voice from Westminster Choir College and is currently pursuing a Masters of Music in Sacred Music and organ.
G. PRESTON WILSON, JR. G. Preston Wilson, Jr., PhD is currently an Assistant Professor of Music Education at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. His research includes urban music educational experiences, race relations in music education, and practical applications of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In 2021, he successfully defended his dissertation, Successful Urban Elementary Music Educators: A Phenomenological Investigation, which focuses on the lived experiences of urban music teachers in elementary schools. Dr. Wilson was recently awarded the prestigious Mizzou 18 Award, given to selected graduate students for their world-class research, collaboration with faculty and staff, and their demonstrated leadership with undergraduate students. Prior to his current position, he taught music at various schools in the Toledo Public School system in Toledo, OH. As an active researcher, he has published in journals such as TEMPO, official magazine of the New Jersey Music Educators Association. He also has contributed chapters in A Music Pedagogy for Our Time: Conversation and Critique; If Colors Could be Heard They’d Paint Wondrous Tunes: Narratives about Music Education, Race, Ethnicity, and Identity; and You Hear US Knocking BUT Won’t Let US In: Voices, Reflections and Practices on Diversity Equity and Inclusion. He boasts research presentations at the Feminist Theory and Music Conference at the University of Guelph, Canada; the International Society for the
Sociology of Music Education at the University of Veracruz; and the BLACK Critical Media Literacy Conference: Action! Awareness! Advocacy! in the African Diaspora. He also has a host of national and state conference presentations including Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, District of Columbia, Florida. Dr. Wilson has served as the clinician for the Durham All County Choir, as well as the NJMEA Middle/Junior High school choral festival. Additionally, he is an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
WILMINGTON CHILDREN’S CHORUS The Wilmington Children’s Chorus (WCC) is dedicated to ensuring all children, regardless of their socioeconomic status, have access to high-quality musical education. The only tuition-free community children’s chorus in the nation, our mission is to empower young people to change their world through music. WCC gives our youth the opportunity and tools to excel while infusing Wilmington’s neighborhoods with music. WCC involves over 650 singers, ages 6 weeks -18 years old, in six different performing ensembles, five Neighborhood Choirs, two Early Leaner’s Music Program sites, and many summer programs. Known throughout the region for their artistic merit, WCC’s Performing Choirs perform frequently across the city, region, and globe. These ensembles serve children ages 6-18, at every level of musical learning. Singers in this program study choral repertoire from across the globe, build music literacy skills, and connect with a diverse group of musicians across all walks of life.
Administrative Staff Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Director of Performance Management Associate Director of Performance Management Coordinator of Performance Management
Kelly Bidle Jason Vodicka Kristen Rodgers Leandra Acosta Samuel Stephenso
An Evening of Readings & Carols
MAESTRO Robert C. and Leslie L. Doll CONCERTMASTER Kenneth and DonnaJean Fredeen The Glenmede Trust Company, N.A. Robert E. Hedlund IMPRESARIO Lizanne Ceconi Kathleen Scribner Leslie ’61 Christopher Meshginpoosh BENEFACTOR Anthony M. Celentano ’78, ’80 Jeffrey M. Cornelius ’70 Thomas ’70 and Tina Mulhare Bob Thomson John Toth CHORISTER Margaret DeAngelis and Ronald Costanzo Yvonne E. Macdonald Lauren Piver CONTRIBUTOR Walter R. Darr ’78, ’91 Ronald A. Hemmel ‘78 FRIEND Wilson Black John A. Donato ‘74
Support for this concert has come from the Magdalena Houlroyd Concert Endowment. Westminster Choir College of Rider University is grateful to Miss Houlroyd for establishing this fund.
About Rider University & Westminster Choir College Located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Rider University is a private co-educational, student-centered university that emphasizes purposeful connections between academic study and real-world learning experience. Rider prepares graduates to thrive professionally, to be lifelong independent learners, and to be responsible citizens who embrace diversity, support the common good, and contribute meaningfully to the changing world in which they live and work. The College of Arts and Sciences is dedicated to educating students for engaged citizenship, career success, and personal growth in a diverse and complex world. The college cultivates intellectual reflection, artistic creativity, and academic maturity by promoting both broad academic inquiry and in-depth disciplinary study, while nurturing effective and ethical applications of transferable critical skills. The College consists of four schools: the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the School of Communication, Media, and Performing Arts, the School of Science, Technology, and Mathematics, and Westminster Choir College. Culturally vibrant and historically rich, Westminster Choir College has a legacy of preparing students for thriving careers as well-rounded performers and musical leaders on concert stages, in schools, universities, and churches, and in professional and community organizations worldwide. Renowned for its tradition of choral excellence, the college is home to internationally recognized ensembles, including the Westminster Symphonic Choir, which has performed and recorded with virtually all of the major orchestras and conductors of our time. In addition to its choral legacy, Westminster is known as a center for excellence in musical pedagogy and performance.
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