Serve the Lord with gladness! Come before His presence with singing.
PSALM 100:2
Westminster Choir College
Chapel Service
Friday, May 10, 2024 at 4:00pm Princeton University Chapel
This service is supported by the Mary Lou Hendricks Hultberg Memorial Endowment for Special Chapel Services.
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
Program
Please hold all applause until the end of the service.
**Please stand if you are able. Congregational hymns begin on page 6
Prelude
Pomp and Circumstance March in Edward Elgar (1857-1934) G major, Op. 39 No. 4 arr. Scott
Thomas Gaynor, organ
Hermit Thrush, Op. 92 Amy Beach (1867-1944)
II. Hermit Thrush at Morn "I heard from morn to morn a merry thrush Sing hymns of rapture, while I drank the sound With joy."
–John Clare
Diego Bustamante, MM in Piano Pedagogy and Performance ‘24, piano
Simple Gifts arr. Sterling Procter
Brass Ensemble
Tyler Weakland ‘16, MM in Sacred Music ’24, conductor
Valse Les Adieux (Remembrance) Karen Lakey Buckwalter ’74 (b. 1952)
Westminster Concert Bell Choir
Kathleen Ebling Shaw ‘85, conductor
Notre Père Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986)
Westminster Chapel Choir
Marion Jacob ‘22, conductor
Prelude and Fugue “The Spitfire” William Walton (1902-1983) arr. Winpenny
Thomas Gaynor, organ Service
INTROIT: Ancient Prairie Ēriks Ešenvalds (b. 1977)
Westminster Choir
James Jordan, conductor
Katelyn Reinhard, MM in Choral Conducting ‘25, oboe
Processional Warren Martin, ‘36, ’38 (1916-1982)
Invocation Rev. Rachel Achtemeier Rhodes
**HYMN: O God Beyond All Praising THAXTED arr. Tyler Weakland’ 16, ’24 (b. 1994)
Tyler Weakland ‘16, MM in Sacred Music ’24, conductor
Welcome DonnaJean Fredeen
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs
ANTHEM: Psalm XXIV
Lili Boulanger (1893-1918) orchd. Weakland
Westminster Symphonic Choir
Skylar Derthick ’23, MM in Choral Conducting ’25, tenor
Steve Pilkington, conductor
READING: Psalm 150
Anthem of the Graduating Classes:
Why Will Your Light Shine?
Jay Kawarsky, Professor of Music Theory
Olivia Dixon, BM in Music Education ‘25
Adrianna Barnett ’24 (b. 2002)
Text based on Matthew 5:14-16
Westminster Chapel Choir
Westminster Symphonic Choir
Emily Huguenin, BM in Music Education ‘24, conductor
READING: Rekindle the Gift Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Anthony Celentano ‘78, ’80, reader Alumni Board of Directors
Lord Make Me Thine Instrument
David Stanley York ’46 (1920-2010)
Westminster Chapel Choir
Westminster Symphonic Choir and Westminster Alumni
Vinroy D. Brown, Jr. ‘15, conductor
Charge to the Graduating Classes
Sarah Perry
Assistant Professor of Music Education
ANTHEM: Anthem of Dedication* Martin
*Alternate text used with permission of Hope Publishing Inc. and Theodore Presser Company.
Westminster Symphonic Choir
Westminster Chapel Choir and Westminster Alumni
Steve Pilkington, conductor
Acknowledgments
All Shall Be Amen and Alleluia
Jason Vodicka, ‘03, MME ‘09
Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
James Whitbourn (1963-2024)
Performed in memory of conductor, composer, and friend of Westminster Choir College, James Whitbourn.
Westminster Chapel Choir
Westminster Symphonic Choir
Tyler Weakland ’16, ‘24, piano
Thomas Gaynor, organ
Adrienne Ostrander, percussion
James Jordan, conductor
**HYMN: We’re Marching to Zion Robert Lowry (1826-1899)
arr. Brandon Waddles, ‘16 (b. 1988)
Marion Jacob ‘22, conductor
Benediction Rev. Rachel Achtemeier Rhodes
Benediction Response:
The Lord Bless You and Keep You Peter Christian Lutkin (1858-1931)
Ronald A. Hemmel ‘78, Professor of Music Theory, conductor
RECESSIONAL: The Great Gate of Kiev Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881) from Pictures at an Exhibition arr. Douglas D. Haislip orchd. Weakland
Tyler Weakland ’16, ‘24, conductor
POSTLUDE: Sinfonia from Cantata 29 J. S. Bach (1685-1750) arr. Guilmant
Thomas Gaynor, organ
WESTMINSTER SYMPHONIC CHOIR
James Jordan, conductor
Tyler Weakland, ’16, ’24, associate conductor
Gregory Stout, accompanist
Eric Beomjin Kim, graduate assistant
Skylar Derthick, graduate assistant
SOPRANO
Emilie Beals, Carlisle, PA
Mackenzie Bella, Grand Island, NE
Elizabeth Berger, Hereford, MD
Cherisse R. Bonefont, Lumberton, NJ
Maya Cooper, Fairfax, VA
Olivia Dixon, Woodbury, NJ
Sarah Febonio, Flemington, NJ
Ashley Erika LiBrizzi, Hillsborough, NJ
Lauren Mickley, Old Greenwich, CT
ALTO
Nidhi Advani, Columbus, NJ
Rosalind Ballow, Warminster, PA
Adrianna Barnett, West Grove, PA
Zoe Beaton, Palm City, FL
Jessica Bella, Naperville, IL
Katie Blowitski, Southampton, PA
Mackenzie Berry, Frederick MD
Jacqueline Burkholder, Vineland NJ
Grace Comeau, Bristow, VA
Emma Clark, Danville, PA
Abi Culkin, Woodbine, MD
Alexa Farah, Northvale, NJ
TENOR
Skylar Derthick, Camas, WA
Devin Embrich, West Palm Beach, FL
Christian Gray Johnson, Covington, GA
Annie McCasland, graduate assistant
Michael H. Woods, graduate assistant
Annie McCasland, Potomac, MD
Sela J. McMullen, Towson, MD
Eleanor Rees, Huntington, NY
Katelyn Reinhard, Fort Wayne, IN
Brenna Richard, York, PA
Makiah S. Robinson, Elizabeth, NJ
Jennie Mae Sprouse, Nashville, TN
Sarah Vawdrey, Teaneck, NJ
Julia Wilder, Carmel, NY
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
Payton Tharp, Hamilton, NJ
Jasmin Villatoro, Holbrook, NY
Eric Beomjin Kim, Seoul, South Korea
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
Diego Bustamante, Chico, CA
Kevin Catalon, Fords, NJ
Yusef J. Collins-Bryant, Philadelphia, PA
Diego Dominguez, El Paso, TX
Sean D. Haugh, Point Pleasant, NJ
Lucas Heredia, East Brunswick, NJ
WESTMINSTER CHAPEL CHOIR
Marion Jacob ‘22, 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
ALTO
Chloe A. Davis, Lawrence. NJ
Julia N. Gerst, West Milford, NJ
TENOR
Xavier Derosiers, Southampton, PA
BASS
Ronan Flynn, West Bablon, NY
Wesley Howell, Wadsworth, OH
WESTMINSTER CHOIR
James Jordan, conductor
Tyler Weakland ’16, ‘24, associate conductor
Gregory Stout, accompanist
Ben Shively, graduate assistant
Duomi Liu, graduate assistant
Max Brey, graduate assistant
Grisha P. Ivanov, New York City, NY
Nicholas Marsola, Ewing, NJ
Christopher Michael Palmer, West Chester, PA
Alastair Stewart, Pointe Claire, Canada
Benjamin Shively, Kansas City, MO
Gavin R. Springer, Belmar NJ
Arseniy Vasilyev, Moscow, Russia
Haley Soule, Middleboro, MA
Elena Trapasso, West Milford, NJ
Shaye Walker, Parlin, NJ
Jada Laws Pine Beach, NJ
Anna Maher, Ipswich, MA
D’Andre Wright, Trumbull, CT
Weicheng Ying, Shanghai, China
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
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
TENOR
Christian Gray Johnson, Covington, GA
Michael H. Woods, Colonie, NY
Devin Embrich, West Palm Beach, FL
Gregory R Nappa, Newton, NJ
BASS
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
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
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
Emma Clark, Shamokin, PA
Eric Beomjin Kim, Seoul, Korea
Benjamin Kirk, Lumberton NJ
Skylar Derthick, Camas, WA
Daniel J. Piver, East Hampton, NY
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
Nathan Anderson, Dickson, TN
WESTMINSTER CONCERT BELL CHOIR
Kathleen Ebling Shaw ‘85, 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
Gregory R. Nappa, Newton, NJ
Samantha Noble, Jersey City, NJ
Cecilia Simon, Mendham, NJ
Kelly Ye, Hangzhou, China
ADDITIONAL WESTMINSTER CHOIR COLLEGE STUDENT
PARTICIPANTS (List as of April 29th)
Juli Chiriboga
Allison Christiansen
Andrew Chojnacki
Catrina Coffey
Olivia Duclos
Olivia Dunleavy
Claire Fritz
Betsy Harrison
Tyler-Minseok Kim
Benjamin Kirk
Rachel McNamara
Samantha Noble
Justin Pechulis
Abbey Ritter
Alexandra Thomas
WESTMINSTER ALUMNI PARTICIPANTS (List as of April 29th)
Suzanne Anderson ’97
Becca Aschenbrenner ‘92
Rosemary Boone ‘92
Justin Brown ‘17
David Burton-Brown ’72, ‘75
Kelley Calpin ‘04
Chris Christiana ‘08
Louise Del Vecchio ‘77
Elizabeth Frase ‘99
Matthew Gutwald ‘13
Carol Houghton ‘87
Eric Houghton ‘84
Teresa Hui ‘04
Patricia Johnson ‘72
Jordan Klotz ‘23
Jane Park ‘04
Brad Pickard ’13
Ashley Reinhardt ‘23
Michelle Repella '08
Joyce Richardson’79, ‘81
Milton Rodgers ‘81; ‘84
John Sabine '91
Marguerite Schroeder ‘73
Robin Sedlak ‘86
Mandy St. Pierre Johnson ‘08
Thomas Stella ‘23
Terry Stone ‘88, ‘00
Sarah Swahlon ‘22, ‘23
Jamie Swenson ‘04
Nick Voermans ‘11
ORGAN
Thomas Gaynor
BRASS ENSEMBLE
PERCUSSION
Adrienne Ostrander
TRUMPETS
Will Gregory
Paul Futer
TROMBONE
Jason Stein
HORN
Kyle Hoyt
TUBA
Vivian Kung
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.
Westminster Firsts
A CLASSICAL LEGACY
1920 – Westminster Choir was established by John Finley Williamson at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Dayton, Ohio.
1926 –The Westminster Choir School was founded.
1928 – Westminster Choir and the Cincinnati Symphony made the nation’s first coast-to-coast radio broadcast, aired over Station WLW.
1929 – Westminster Choir College was established and moved to Ithaca College.
1932 – Westminster Choir College moved to Princeton, N.J.
1934 – As the first official American guests of the Soviet Union, with whom the United States had just resumed diplomatic relations, Westminster Choir made the first broadcast from Russia to the United States.
1938 – Westminster Choir, with conductor and founder Dr. John Finley Williamson, presented the first U.S. performance of Joseph Haydn’s Passion (The Seven Last Words). The performance also featured a volunteer orchestra of Princetonians, including Albert Einstein in the violin section. | Westminster Choir sang at the dedication of the New York World’s Fair.
1939 – Westminster Choir sang for the first time with the New York Philharmonic. Since then, it has set a record for the number of joint performances–more than 500 by a single choir and orchestra.
1957 – Westminster Choir completed a five-month, globe-circling tour under the auspices of the U.S. State Department’s Cultural Exchange Program. The choir performed in 22 countries, traveled 40,000 miles.
1964 – Westminster Choir sang on the Telstar World-Wide Telecast in the spring for the opening ceremonies of the New York World’s Fair. This reportedly was the largest audience ever to see a television show at that time.
1972 – The choir began its first summer as the chorus-in-residence for the Festival dei Due Mondi (Festival of Two Worlds) in Spoleto, Italy, at the invitation of Gian Carlo Menotti.
1977 – Westminster Choir became the first chorus-in-residence at the Spoleto Festival U.S.A. in Charleston, S.C., at the invitation of Gian Carlo Menotti.
1978 – Westminster Choir established its own recording label, copyrighted “Westminster Choir,” and released its first recording: Six Motets of Johann Sebastian Bach, with guest conductor Wilhelm Ehmann.
1980 – Westminster Choir was the first choir to be featured on the Live from Lincoln Center telecast series over National Public Television. The choir performed Verdi’s Requiem with the New York Philharmonic and Zubin Mehta.
1982 – Westminster Choir was part of the 10,000th performance of the New York Philharmonic, America’s oldest permanent orchestra.
1988 – Westminster Choir sang Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms with the New York Philharmonic under the composer’s direction in a performance at Carnegie Hall celebrating the 45th anniversary of Bernstein’s conducting debut with the orchestra.
1990 – Westminster Symphonic Choir sang in the Leonard Bernstein memorial concert at the invitation of the Bernstein family.
1991 – Westminster Symphonic Choir performed at Carnegie Hall’s 100th Anniversary Celebration.
1992 – Westminster Choir College merged with Rider University. | Westminster Symphonic Choir performed in A Tribute to Riccardo Muti with The Philadelphia Orchestra and Maestro Muti, a performance televised nationally on the Arts & Entertainment Cable Network.
1993 – Conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch, Westminster Symphonic Choir participated in The Philadelphia Orchestra’s first performance of Britten’s War Requiem
1996 – Westminster Choir, conducted by Joseph Flummerfelt, traveled on a concert tour of Korea and Taiwan and performed in the Colmar Music Festival in Colmar, France.
2001 – Westminster Choir and the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Joseph Flummerfelt, performed the world premiere of Stephen Paulus’ Voices of Light, commissioned by Rider University to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of Westminster Choir College.
2002 – To commemorate the events of September 11, 2001, the Westminster Symphonic Choir’s performance of Verdi’s Requiem with the New Jersey Symphony was broadcast nationally by PBS.
2004 – Westminster Choir premiered Arise My Love by Stephen Paulus, a gift from the composer to celebrate Joseph Flummerfelt’s extraordinary career. | Westminster’s Artistic Director, Joseph Flummerfelt, was named Musical America’s 2004 Conductor of the Year, the first choral conductor to be so honored.
2006 – Westminster Symphonic Choir participated in the New York Philharmonic’s first performance of Mozart’s Mass in C, K. 317 “Coronation, ” conducted by Lorin Maazel.
2007 – Rider University established the Westminster College of the Arts, composed of Westminster Choir College, the School of Fine and Performing Arts, and Westminster Conservatory. | Westminster Symphonic Choir opened the Carnegie Hall season performing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, conducted by David Robertson.
2012 – Westminster Symphonic Choir performed with Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolivar Symphony Orchestra for the first time.
2014 – The Westminster Williamson Voices’ and James Jordan’s recording of James Whitbourn’s Annelies, the first major choral setting of The Diary of Anne Frank, was nominated for a GRAMMY® Award for Best Choral Performance. | Westminster Symphonic Choir performed the New York premiere of Christopher Rouse’s Requiem with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Alan Gilbert.
2015 – Westminster Symphonic Choir performed Leonard Bernstein’s Mass: A Theater Piece for Singers, Players and Dancers for the first time with The Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
2016 – Westminster Kantorei performed in England and France. | Westminster Williamson Voices performed Arvo Pärt’s Kanon Pokanjanen at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Temple of Dendur.
2017 – Westminster Choir represented the United States at the World Symposium on Choral Music in Barcelona.
2018 – Westminster Symphonic Choir performed the world premiere of Tod Machover’s Philadelphia Voices with The Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. | Westminster Choir performed at the International Students Choral Festival in Beijing, China. | Westminster Choir College was inducted into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame.
2021 – Seven Westminster alumni were featured in GRAMMY® Award winning recordings, and Westminster alumni were involved in each of the five recordings nominated in the Best Choral Performance category. | Westminster Choir College programs moved to Rider University’s main campus in Lawrenceville, NJ.
2023 – The 30th Anniversary performance of An Evening of Readings and Carols was recorded live in December 2022 at Princeton University Chapel. In November 2023, Christmas at Westminster: An Evening of Readings and Carols became available on American Public Television member stations nationwide.
2024 – Westminster Choir premieres James Whitbourn’s final work Requiem at Carnegie Hall. | The 100th Anniversary CD of the Westminster Choir, A Serenity of Soul, will release May 2024.
