Music of Awe and Wonder Westminster Choir James Jordan, conductor Tyler Weakland, associate conductor Gregory Stout, accompanist
November 5 at 7:30 p.m. Rider University – Gill Memorial Chapel
February 2nd, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church 36 New Canaan Road, Wilton, CT 06897
February 4th, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville 2688 Lawrenceville Rd, Lawrence Township, NJ 08648
March 9th, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. National City Christian Church 5 Thomas Cir NW, Washington, DC 20005
April 21st, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. Rider University – Gill Memorial Chapel
A Note on the Program As civilization advances, the sense of wonder declines. Such decline is an alarming symptom of our state of mind. Mankind will not perish for want of information but only for want of appreciation. The beginning of our happiness lies in the understanding that life without wonder is not worth living. What we lack is not a will to believe, but a will to wonder. (p.18) Abraham Joshua Heschel In The Musician’s Soul
This program paints a broad sonic brushstroke, hopefully pointing out, in sound, the importance of Awe and Wonder in our lives and our daily experiences as humans. Music has a remarkable ability to "Behold" those things of beauty that can mend and rejuvenate our humanness. To "behold" sounds that move beyond words but jolt us into a world of feelings is, perhaps, the greatest gift that music shares. In this program, I have tried to connect, sometimes disparate pieces that share a common objective: to take each listener into worlds of both sounds and human messages that are, perhaps, more badly needed than ever. With the world seemingly in endless chaos and inhumane wars in both Ukraine and Israel, music must ground our reality using the ability to behold awe and wonder that is part of every human being, with loss, love, and spirituality being at the core of all the music of this program. The world has changed around us. A war in Ukraine and a terrible humanitarian conflict in the Middle East fill us with painful, heartfelt empathy and uncertainty about the world. However, for ages, music has magical healing powers, and this Westminster Choir program will hopefully connect each of you in a deeply human way. Two pieces by Arvo Pärt on this program can perhaps bring clarity and calm to the world's static. It is ironic that I programmed the Da Pacem Domine of Arvo Pärt. Arvo Pärt's Da Pacem Domine ("Give peace, Lord") was composed in the days following the 2004 Madrid train bombings. The four-part choral work develops from a 9th-century Gregorian antiphon, Da Pacem Domine, heard throughout the piece in the alto line. Following the example of Renaissance polyphony, this melody functions as a Cantus firmus ("fixed song"). The serene lines generate each pitch as if sonically carefully placed in position like stones in a Zen Garden. The work was commissioned by Jordi Savall for a peace concert in Barcelona on 1 July 2004. Pärt began the composition two days after the 2004 Madrid train bombings in memory of the victims. So,
once again, hopefully, this piece brings comfort amidst the turmoil in the Middle East and Ukraine. The performances of this piece are dedicated to all those suffering and who have lost loved ones. Equally calming is the stunning setting of the Salve Regina of Pärt, which speaks of a mother's love for her son. The musical language of Pärt is calming and reassuring, certainly appropriate for the world today. The translated text states: Give Peace, O Lord, in our time Because there is no one else who will fight for us If not You, our God.
There can be no doubt that the deepest of human connections, one to the other, is the source of both wonder and awe, for those relationships and the ending of them seem to bookend our lives. From Herbert Howells' Like as the Heart Desireth the Waterbrooks which speaks of yearning for spiritual love to the iconic Morten Lauridsen's O Magnum Mysterium, these pieces seem to create a unique aura of wonder, awe, and perhaps a bit of beholding. Samuel Barber's The Coolin gives us all a sonic hug, stating, "Come with me, under my coat," while Anthony O’Daly (both poems by the Irish poet and minstrel Anthony Rafferty in the collection entitled Reincarnations) expose the visceral feelings of loss at the death of a partner and the deepest of caring and love. Dan Forrest’s Entreat me not To Leave You from the Book of Ruth can be interpreted from many different human viewpoints. But the idea of staying connected as a human trait is the work's overall message. The program ends with Spirituals and a Scottish folk song that doubles down on personal struggle and looking for help. It should be noted that the Spiritual Eziekel Saw de Wheel by Williams Dawson was commissioned by John Finley Williamson for the Westminster Choir and is performed here much as legend has it regarding his interpretation, especially the bombastic and ecstatic ending! However, Johannes Brahms' Nänie (Op.82) is the centerpiece of this program. Many who perform this piece believe that the framework of lost love and death in the Friederich von Schiller text forms a romantic scenario of lost love, but the work is neither. The work is about the true nature of human love, which is at the core of this existence is a profound Awe and Wonder about love and being loved. Music has the unique ability to carry such profound messages. Allow me to share a quote that I believe is the overarching theme of one of Brahms' greatest human statements. This is a quote taken from David Brooks' book, The Second Mountain:
In Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, he tells her, “Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms had fallen from our branches, we found that we were one tree and not two. From Captain Corelli’s Mandolin As paraphrased by David Brooks
And so, Brahms uses mythology and the genius of Schiller to tell us that while beauty fades, what is left in our lives is love and how we have loved. The beauty of Brahms' musical language is an ability in music to look backward at an entire human life in a stark but deeply honest melancholy. So, when we arrive at the end of our time, the awe and wonder of loving others sustains those left behind. Now, that is truly the definition of "Awe and Wonder" and, perhaps, ultimately, the message of this program.
James Jordan
Program Music to be selected from the following I. Awe of the Human Spirit Improvisation on Veni Creator
Christe, Qui lux es et dies
arr. Max Brey (b. 1998) Hymn for Pentecost Robert Whyte (1538-1574) Lenten Compline hymn (c. 800)
O Magnum Mysterium
Morten Lauridsen (b. 1943) II. Wonder of the Spirit
Salve Regina
Arvo Pärt (b. 1935)
Like as the hart desireth the waterbrooks
Herbert Howells (1892-1983) Psalm 42, v. 1-3
III. Awe and Wonder of Separation Reincarnations, Op. 16 2. Anthony O’Daly 3. The Coolin
Samuel Barber (1910-1981) Text: James Stephens
Entreat me not to leave you
Dan Forrest (b. 1978) Adapted from Ruth 1:16-17
– Intermission –
IV. Wonder of Loss Da Pacem Domine
Arvo Pärt (b. 1935)
Nänie, op. 82
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Text: Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805) V. Wonder of Life Realizations
Shenandoah
American Folksong arr. James Erb (1926-2014)
Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen
Annie Laurie
African-American Spiritual Gail B. Poch (1936-2016) Scotch Tune att. Lady John Scott arr. Alice Parker (b. 1925) and Robert Shaw (1916-1999) Text: William Douglas of Fingland (1685)
Ezekiel Saw de Wheel
arr. William L. Dawson (1899-1990) Written for John Finley Williamson and the Westminster Choir •••
Hands
Jocelyn Hagen (b. 1980)
Program Notes, Text & Translations Christe, Qui lux es et dies Christe qui lux es et dies, Noctis tenebras detegis; Lucisque lumen crederis, Lumen beatum praedicans.
Christ, who art the light and day, You drive away the darkness of night, You are called the light of light, For you proclaim the blessed light.
Precamur sancte Domine, Defende nos in hac nocte; Sit nobis in te requies, Quietam noctem tribue.
We beseech you, Holy Lord, Protect us this night. Let us take our rest in you; Grant us a tranquil night.
Ne gravis somnus irruat, Nec hostis nos surripiat, Nec caro illi consentiens Nos tibi reos statuat.
Let our sleep be free from care; Let not the enemy snatch us away, Nor flesh conspire within him, And make us guilty in your sight.
Oculi somnum capiant, Cor ad te semper vigilet. Dextera tua protegat Famulos qui te diligunt.
Though our eyes be filled with sleep, Keep our hearts forever awake to you. May your right hand protect Your willing servants.
Defensor noster aspice, Insidiantes reprime; Guberna tuos famulos Quos sanguine mercatus es.
You who are our shield, behold; Restrain those that lie in wait. And guide your servants whom You have ransomed with your blood.
Memento nostri, Domine, In isto gravi corpore; Qui es defensor animae, Adesto nobis, Domine.
Remember us, O Lord, Who bear the burden of this mortal form; You who are the defender of the soul, Be near us, O Lord.
Deo Patri sit gloria Eiusque soli Filio Sancto simul cum Spiritu Nunc eu per omne saeculum. Amen.
Glory be to God the Father, And to his only Son, With the Spirit, Comforter, Both now and evermore. Amen.
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
Salve Regina Salve, Regina, mater misericordia; vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve. Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evæ. Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle.
Hail, Queen, merciful mother our life, sweetness and hope, hail. To you we cry, exiled children of Eve. To you we sigh, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Eia ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte. Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende. O clemens, o pia, o dulcis, Virgo Maria.
Come, therefore, our advocate, place your merciful eyes upon us. And Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb show Him to us after this exile. O lenient, o pious, o sweet, Virgin Mary.
Reincarnations, Op. 16 2. Anthony O’Daly Since your limbs were laid out The stars do not shine! The fish leap not out In the waves! On our meadows the dew Does not fall in the morn, Not a flow’r can be born! Not a word can be said! Not a tree have a leaf! On our meadows the dew Does not fall in the morn, After you, there is nothing to do!
Text: James Stephens 3. The Coolin Come with me, under my coat, And we will drink our fill Of the milk of the white goat, And we will talk, until Talk is a trouble, too, Out on the side of the hill; And nothing is left to do, But an eye to look into an eye; And a hand in a hand to slip, And a sigh to answer a sigh, What if the night be black! And the air on the mountain chill! Where the goat lies down in her track, Stay with me, under my coat. And we will drink our fill Of the milk of the white goat,
Da Pacem Domine Da pacem Domine in diebus nostris quia non est alius qui pugnet pro nobis nisi tu Deus noster.
Give peace, O Lord, in our time because there is no one else who will fight for us if not You, our God
Nänie, op. 82
Text: Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805)
Auch das Schöne muß sterben! Das Menschen und Götter bezwinget Nicht die eherne Brust rührt es des stygischen Zeus.
All must die, even beauty must die! What conquers both men’s and god’s hearts Could not soften the steely heart of Zeus, the dark lord.
Einmal nur erweichte die Liebe den Schattenbeherrscher, Und an der Schwelle noch, streng, rief er zurück sein Geschenk.
Only once did love melt the tears of the Ruler of Shadows, Yet at the threshold he sternly call’d back his gift.
Nicht stillt Aphrodite dem schönen Knaben die Wunde, Die in den zierlichen Leib grausam der Eber geritzt.
Nor could Aphrodite heal the wounds of Adonis Into whose beautiful flesh, cruel, the wild boar had ripp’d
Nicht errettet den göttlichen Held die unsterbliche Mutter, Wenn er, am skäischen Tor fallend sein Schicksal erfüllt.
Nor could Thetis, the goddess immortal, save her son Achilles, When, at the gates of Troy falling, his fate was fulfill’d.
Aber sie steigt aus dem Meer mit allen Töchtern des Nereus, Und die Klage hebt an um den verherrlichten Sohn.
Now, with the daughters of Nereus, she rises from the water, Cries ascend, full of sorrow, for her illustrious son.
Siehe! Da weinen die Götter, es weinen die Göttinnen alle. Daß das Schöne vergeht, daß das Vollkommene stirbt.
See, the gods are weeping; behold ev’ry goddess is mourning; the gods weep together; For all beauty must fade, all perfection must die.
Auch ein Klaglied zu sein im Mund der Geliebten, ist herrlich, Denn das Gemeine geht Klanglos zum Orkus hinab.
For a song of lament from lips of the lov’d one is glorious. Thus, all things thoughtless sink, soundless, into the abyss.
About the Artists THE WESTMINSTER CHOIR “The Gold standard...”- American Record Guide Westminster Choir College is home to one of the leading choral ensembles in the world, The Westminster Choir. The distinguished choirs of the college have enjoyed several Grammy nominations for their artistry. Grammy-nominated conductor James Jordan serves as the seventh conductor of this world- renowned ensemble. Setting the standard for choral excellence since 1920, the Westminster Choir is composed of undergraduate and graduate students at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. Beginning with the original Walt Disney Fantasia with Leopold Stokowski, the choir has thrilled audiences around the world and in American Concert Halls with its singularly unique sound and artistry. The ensemble’s 2023-2024 season includes a series of concerts in New Jersey, New York and Washington including a world premiere performance at Carnegie Hall. Recent seasons have included concert tours to Beijing, China and recording with the Pittsburgh Symphony with Maestro Manfred Hoenig and performances of a Messiah in Spanish with the Orchestra of St Luke’s under the baton of Ruben Valenzuela. As the core of the Westminster Symphonic Choir, the choir will perform Carmina Burana with the Orchestra of St Luke’s in Carnegie Hall in 2024. In December 2023, the choir will be seen in Christmas Broadcasts of the 30th Anniversary of An Evening of Readings and Carols recorded in the Princeton University Chapel. The Westminster Choir has been recording choral masterworks for nine decades. Recordings by the legendary conductor Joseph Flummerfelt of Brahms and American Folk Songs have been audiophile favorites for decades. The Westminster Choir will release a landmark CD celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the choir entitled A Serenity of Soul recording its unique performances of works by Britten, Howells, Brahms, Bruckner, Paulus and Erb. The Westminster Choir enjoys a European “home” as the choir in residence since 2012 at the renowned Choral Institute at Oxford at St. Stephen’s House, (www.Rider.edu/Oxford) where it serves as not only the Resident Choir but as a living laboratory for the education of conductors around the world. Since 2012, over 130 conductors have graduated from the program. Praised by The New York Times for its “full-bodied, incisive singing,” the Westminster Choir is hailed as one of the nation’s finest choral ensembles. Singing in this worldrenowned choir is at the core of the only choral college in the world. For graduate students in choral conducting, it is the central experience which has molded generations of conductors. Music-Making and compelling artistry at the highest levels are the hallmark of this 100-year musical legacy.
JAMES JORDAN, CONDUCTOR 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. He was also director of the Westminster Conducting Institute and co-directs the Choral Institute at Oxford. He is artistic director and conductor of the professional choral ensemble, The Same Stream.
TYLER WEAKLAND, ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR 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. A member of the conducting faculty at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, he is Associate Conductor of the Westminster Symphonic Choir and Westminster Choir. As a vocal coach 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, 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 and Handbell Choir Director at Christ Church United Methodist on 60th and Park Avenue in NYC. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Sacred Music with concentrations in piano and voice from Westminster Choir College and is pursuing a Masters of Sacred Music in organ.
GREGORY STOUT, PIANO Gregory Stout has been a collaborative pianist with conductor James Jordan since 2017. He currently serves as accompanist to Westminster Symphonic Choir and The Westminster Choir, and has also served as accompanist to The Same Stream, Westminster Schola Cantorum and Westminster Williamson Voices. Mr. Stout can be heard on the Westminster Williamson Voices recording A Scattered Light in Winter and on The Same Stream recording A Time for Healing: The Music of Roger Ames. He also serves as accompanist to the choral ensembles of Ramapo College of New Jersey. An active church musician for over ten years, Mr. Stout is currently director of music at Flemington United Methodist Church in Flemington, NJ. He received the Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and completed further studies in accompanying and vocal coaching at Westminster Choir College as a student of James Goldsworthy and J.J. Penna.
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Westminster Choir, October 2023
WESTMINSTER CHOIR James Jordan, conductor
Gregory Stout, accompanist Tyler Weakland, accompanist; associate conductor 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
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.