MUSIC
The Salem State University music and dance department presents
Salem State Community Chorus
Sings” *
Lynn Shane, director Joe Stroup, piano
Sunday, December 14, 2:30 pm
Tuesday, December 16, 7 pm
Recital Hall
*from “Music” by Ralph Waldo Emerson
This performance is presented in conjunction with Salem State University’s Center for Creative and Performing Arts.
PROGRAM
Prologue trad, arranged by David Moore
Soloists: Cynthia Cifrino, Bridget Conway, Hannah Gearan, Reece Graves, Ten Hakim, Alexa Peterson, Jess Tassinari
Antiphonal Joy ..................................... music by Giovanni Anerio (1567-1630)
Here We Come A-Wassailing .................... trad., arranged by Ryan O’Connell
How Can I Keep From Singing trad. arranged by David Moore
Soloists: Charlie Dunn, Eric Knudsen, Christopher Lapop Salazar, Justin Lefler, Quincy Myles Jr.
Alway Something Sings.......... words by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), music by Dan Forrest
Soloists: Jenny Eimert-Proctor, Lindsay Eimert-Proctor, Amy Nickerson
One Million Voices ........................................... words and music by Brian Tate
Go your own Way — music by Fleetwood Mac
I’ll be Home for Christmas — music by Walter Kent
Special Guests: Levity Vocals
Sing Out My Soul ...................... words by William Henry Davies (1871-1940), music by Marques L. A. Garrett
Take Care of this House/My House: A Choral Suite words by Alan Lerner (1918-1986), music by Leonard Bernstein (1918 - 1990)
You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch ............. words by Dr. Seuss (1904-1991), music by Albert Hague (1920-2001), arranged by Jamey Ray
Soloist: Glenn Davis
“Walking in the Air” from The Snowman (1982) music by Howard Blake, arranged by John Leavitt
Bugler’s Holiday .................................. music by Leroy Anderson (1908-1975), arranged by Sally Albrecht
PROGRAM NOTES
Good evening and thank you for joining us on this musical journey! Tonight, we celebrate the power of music and singing to bring hope and joy, even in the darkest of times. The selections you will hear remind us to hold on to hope and to keep lifting our voices, no matter how difficult the path may be. For through it all, “alway something sings.”
Antiphonal Joy (from “Mentre su l’alto monte”) / music by Giovanni Anerio (1567-1630)
Giovanni Anerio began his musical life as a choirboy at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome, where he sang under the direction of Giovanni Palestrina (15251594), one of the most influential composers of the Italian Renaissance. Anerio later held several choirmaster posts in churches throughout Rome, including St. John Lateran, Santo Spirito in Sassia, and the Verona Cathedral. His compositions include a substantial volume of masses as well as numerous motets, antiphons, and psalm settings. Antiphonal Joy (from Mentre su l’alto monte ) is based on a madrigal drawn from Anerio’s only oratorio, Teatro Armonico, and is presented here in a vibrant double-chorus arrangement with English text by Patrick Lieberman.
Here We Come A-Wassailing / trad. arranged by Ryan O’Connell
Here We Come A-Wassailing is a traditional carol rooted in the English custom of “wassailing,” in which singers traveled door to door offering music and good wishes for the new year. Originally, “wassail” (meaning “be in good health”) referred to a toast exchanged while drinking a warm, spiced beverage during the winter holidays. Over time, the word came to describe both the drink itself and the practice of carrying a wassail bowl and other treats from house to house. Eventually, “wassailing” evolved into the caroling tradition we know today. The familiar tune is also known by several other names, including “Wassail Song,” “Gower Wassail,” and “Gloucestershire Wassail.” We hope you enjoy this sparkling, multi-metered new arrangement by Grammynominated film and Broadway composer Ryan O’Connell.
How Can I Keep From Singing
/ trad. arranged by David Moore
The beloved American folksong How Can I Keep from Singing began as a church hymn, first arranged and published in 1864 by Baptist minister Robert Lowry (1826–1899). Lowry also composed several well-known gospel hymns such as “Shall We Gather at the River.” Over time, various lyrics have been associated with the tune of How Can I Keep from Singing , including the text sung tonight, attributed to writer Anna Bartlett Warner (1827–1915). With its powerful themes of hope and perseverance through hardship, the song grew especially popular in Quaker communities in the early 20th century and later reached wider audiences through performances by folk artists such as Pete
Seeger, Enya, and Bruce Springsteen. Please enjoy this soulful, traditional choral arrangement by David Moore.
My life flows on in endless song above earth’s lamentation. I hear the real, though far off hymn, that hails a new creation. No storm can shake my inmost calm, while to that rock I’m clinging. Since love is Lord of heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing. Through all the tumult and the strife, I hear the music ringing. It finds and echo in my soul, how can I keep from singing.
Alway Something Sings / words by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), music by Dan Forrest
Boston native Ralph Waldo Emerson was a philosopher, poet, essayist, and abolitionist, and a graduate of Harvard University. A champion of individualism and critical thinking, he became a leading figure in the transcendentalist movement, urging others to cultivate self-reliance and trust in their own inner wisdom. Emerson’s poem “Music,” set here so exquisitely by contemporary composer Dan Forrest, reflects Emerson’s transcendentalist ideals by emphasizing the inherent goodness and beauty that connect all people and all things. It is a song that promotes both hope and unity.
Let me go where’er I will I hear a skyborn music still: It sounds from all things old, It sounds from all things young, From all that’s fair, from all that’s foul, Alway, alway something sings
It is not only in the rose, It is not only in the bird, Not only where the rainbow glows, Nor in the song of woman heard, But in the darkest, meanest things There alway, alway something sings.
‘Tis not in the high stars alone, Nor in the cup of budding flowers, Nor in the red-breast’s mellow tone, Nor in the bow that smiles in showers. But in the darkest, meanest things
There alway, alway something sings.
One Million Voices / words and music by Brian Tate
Brian Tate is a Canadian composer, pianist, vocalist, choir director, and educator whose choral works and arrangements are performed around the world. In demand as a clinician and workshop leader, he is deeply committed to the power of music to transform, inspire, and bring people together.
Sing Out My Soul / words by William Henry Davies (1871-1940), music by Marques L. A. Garrett
Sing Out, My Soul is an adaptation of Welsh poet William Henry Davies’s 1911 poem “Leisure”. In it, Davies urges readers to slow down, remain present, and appreciate the beauty around them rather than being consumed by worry—to sing and act rather than lament. Composer Marques L. A. Garrett, a Virginia native and Professor of Choral Studies at the University of North Texas, brings a lively rhythmic energy and soaring vocal lines to Davies’s words, illuminating their enduring message of hope and joy.
Sing out, my soul, your songs of joy;
Sing as a happy bird will sing
Beneath a rainbow’s lovely arch in early spring.
Think not of death. Strive not for gold.
Train up your mind to feel content, What matters then how low your store?
What we enjoy, and not possess, makes rich or poor.
Take Care of this House/My House: A Choral Suite / words by Alan Lerner (1918-1986), music by Leonard Bernstein (1918 - 1990)
Leonard Bernstein was a renowned American conductor, composer, pianist, and one of the most influential musical figures of the 20th century. Born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, he studied at Harvard University and the Curtis Institute of Music before launching a legendary career that included serving as music director of the New York Philharmonic, guest conducting major orchestras around the world, teaching at Tanglewood, and recording an extensive catalog of classical repertoire and television specials. A passionate advocate for social justice and for expanding access to the arts, Bernstein also brought classical music to young audiences through his celebrated Young People’s Concerts. His compositional output spans orchestral and choral works as well as iconic Broadway scores, including West Side Story, Candide, and On the Town . Take Care of This House / My House blends two of Bernstein’s stage songs that use the idea of “home” as a metaphor for stability, safety, and belonging. Take Care of This House comes from Bernstein’s final musical, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (1976), while My House originates from his 1950 musical adaptation of Peter Pan.
You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch / words by Dr. Seuss (1904-1991), music by Albert Hague (1920-2001), arranged by Jamey Ray
“You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” written by composer Albert Hague with lyrics by Dr. Seuss for the 1966 animated special How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, has become a playful and witty holiday favorite. Its jazzy score and iconic deep bass solo—originally performed by actor Thurl Ravenscroft (1914–2005)—highlight the song’s mischievous humor and theatrical flair. Musically and lyrically, the piece balances sharp comedic bite with a warm sense of nostalgia. Tonight’s arrangement by Jamey Ray cleverly transforms many of the original jazz instrumental colors into brassy choral commentary for added fun.
“Walking in the Air” from The Snowman (1982) / music by Howard Blake, arranged by John Leavitt
Walking in the Air, composed by Howard Blake for the 1982 animated film The Snowman , is a gently soaring song that captures the magic and wonder of a child’s imagination. Its ethereal melody accompanies the iconic scene in which a young boy and his snowman take flight across a moonlit winter sky, evoking a sense of weightless freedom and joyful wonder. Tonight’s arrangement by John Leavitt translates Blake’s enchanting orchestral textures into a lush choral setting, preserving the song’s delicate, dreamlike quality while highlighting the soaring harmonies that make it a beloved seasonal favorite.
Bugler’s Holiday / music by Leroy Anderson (1908-1975), arranged by Sally Albrecht
Bugler’s Holiday, composed by Leroy Anderson in 1954, is a lively and virtuosic work written to showcase the brilliance and agility of trumpet players. Known for his gift for light orchestral music, Anderson infuses the piece with playful rhythms, bold fanfares, and sparkling melodies that capture the excitement and humor of a musical “holiday” for buglers. As Anderson explained, “I like to write about people who don’t do the things that they should… I’ve often thought, what would three buglers do on their day off? They would probably kick up their heels and just have a good time all to themselves!” Anderson, a graduate of the New England Conservatory and Harvard, was a longtime arranger and composer for the Boston Pops and is perhaps best known for his beloved Sleigh Ride . Tonight’s arrangement of Bugler’s Holiday by Sally Albrecht translates Anderson’s energetic orchestral textures into a witty choral setting, giving singers the opportunity to display their vocal “bugling” talents.
MUSIC FACULTY
Peter Kvetko – chairperson, world music
Mary-Jo Grenfell – music history, orchestra
Philip A. Swanson – music theory, applied piano and trombone
Michael Testa – music technology
Holly Zagaria – choral music, music education
ADJUNCT MUSIC FACULTY
Jayson Banton – applied voice
Sam Beebe – applied composition
Nathaniel Braddock – ethnomusicology, early college
Todd Clancy – guitar class
Jean Danton – applied voice
Krystal Demaine – music therapy
Bradely DeMatteo – ethnomusicology
Monica Duncan – applied clarinet
Abe Finch – percussion ensemble, applied percussion
Raymond Gonzalez – guitar ensemble, applied classical guitar, applied songwriting
Diane Hastings – applied violin
Alan Hawryluk – applied violin
Max Ignas – applied trumpet
Sanae Kanda – applied piano, music history, piano class, staff accompanist
Steve Lacey – jazz improv ensemble, applied jazz guitar
Joel LaRue Smith – jazz studies
Cynthia Napierkowski – university band
Eric Christopher Perry – applied voice, voice class, songwriting
Jay Rinaldi – music technology
Andrew Schiller – applied bass
Beverly Soll – women in music history
Robb Taylor – applied saxophone, music education, woodwind pedagogy
Eileen Yarrison – applied flute
