The Choral Hour

2024-25 Season

UAlbany Community Chorale UAlbany Chamber Singers Michael Lister, Director

Saturday, October 26 at 1pm Main Theatre

Flight: Celebrating the Triumph of the Human Spirit Advance Tickets: $9 general public / $5 seniors & UAlbany faculty-staff / $3 students Day of Show Tickets: $14 general public / $10 seniors & UAlbany faculty-staff / $8 students

Info: (518)442-3995 WWW.ALBANY.EDU/PAC

Department of Music and Theatre University at Albany presents:

The

Choral Hour:

Flight: Celebrating the Triumph of the Human Spirit UAlbany Chamber Singers UAlbany Community Chorale Michael Lister, Conductor Trevor Kahlbaugh, Collaborative Pianist

Saturday, October 26, 2023, at 1pm

Main Theatre UAlbany Performing Arts Center

Note from the Director On behalf of our performers, I am pleased to invite you to the Fall Choral Hour. titled Flight: Celebrating the Triumph of the Human Spirit, the music for this concert all features music and lyrics that was inspired by the changing of time through the day, the power of a moonlit night, the inspiration of the dawn, and other emotions and experiences from the coming of day and the return to night.

Songs Like Measure Me, Sky and Ad Astra by modern composers Elaine Hagenberg and Jacob Naverud, respectively, explore the nature of the joy that comes from challenging oneself to aspire for thangs that are greater and higher than ourselves.

Romantic composer Felix Mendelssohn’s O For the Wings of a Dove uses birds are a metaphor in their ability to rise above trial and tribulation and soar; similarly 19th century composer Charles Stanford paints an idyllic scene of a bird soaring above a transformative moment in nature. Contemporary songs like Butterfly by the Swedish group Rajaton and Songbird by Fleetwood Mac likewise offer their perspective of the magic of unlimited possibility and seeing the world in a new way. Abbie Betinis’ simple but haunting round provides the promise of testing oneself in moment of trial to find that, even when a branch gives way, one has only to open one’s wings. The spiritual Let Me Fly similarly the hope beyond current circumstances and the meeting of loves ones in the life to come. Finally, the combined choirs perform an inspirational anthem of the need for music and singing in our lives as a means of transport of oneself from the mundane to the truly sublime.

I would like to thank the faculty and staff of the Department of Music and Theater for their support and collaboration and the student vocal soloists and instrumentalists who have greatly enhanced our performance today. I also thank the administrative staff of The Performing Arts Center for their countless hours of work and preparation to make this concert possible. We could not do it without all of you! ~ Michael Lister, Lecturer & Director of Choirs UAlbany Department of Music and Theater

Program UAlbany Community Chorale Ad Astra ..…………………………………….Jacob Naverud b. 1986

Ad astra per aspera Sursuum Movere e de inceps, sine cura post omnes

To the stars through difficulties.

Look upward.

Move forward, Leave all cares behind

The Turtle Dove……………..…….Trad. English Folk Song

arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams Yinzhao Ma, solo

The Cloths of Heaven …………………..Z. Randall Stroope

Poem: William Butler Yeates

b. 1953

The Boy Who Picked Up His Feet to Fly….. Joshua Shank Poem: Mark Robinson

b. 1980

O For the Wings of a Dove……………. Felix Mendelssohn Caroline Radifazadeh, solo

1809-1847

Songbird………………………………………Christin McVie

1943-2022 arr. Paul Langford

Let me Fly……………………………….Traditional Spiritual Djeynaba Sakho, solo

arr. Robert DeCormier

UAlbany Chamber Singers

Measure Me, Sky………………………….Elaine Hagenber Poem: Leonora Speyer

b. 1979

The Blue Bird……………………...Charles Villiers Stanford

1852-1924

Naiman Sharag (Eight Chestnut Horses)…. Se Enkhbayer Luke Korff, solo

b. 1956

Naran del ni namalsun shargad, Saran suul ni sagsalsan shargad, Delkhiin devjeed denselgesen shargad, Delger tüükheen devjüülsen shargad.

Altan tuuraigaa tsavchilsan shargad, Aziig sereen jantsgaasan shargad, Agtiin suriig magtuulsan shargad, Aldriin suldiig manduulsan shargad, minu zee.

The sun-shaped manes fly as wings, The moon-shaped tails wave behind, These chestnut horses shook the world scene And created history on this earth.

Their golden hooves beat the soil.

Their strong voices awoke Asia, Making known the horses' might, Earning much fame to our name my chestnut horses.

Joloo dugt'ran jirelsen shargad, Zor'giig badraan termuulsen shargad, Uudmiin kholiig tuulsan shargad, Usnii tun'l(a)giig uusan shargad.

Bayar jargal khuvaaltsan shargad, Bakhdam tuuliig buteeltsen shargad, Bay'lag or'noon duursuulsan shargad, Baatar tüm'neen duuluulsan - shargad, minu zee.

The horses that run ahead of time, Encouraging my will and soul, Are the horses that cover any distance, Drinking the clearest of waters, Sharing all my joy and sorrow, Orginating proud epics and tales That spread the fame of this country And of this heroic people - my chestnut horses.

Ene shargad'n erdniin hölgüüd, Ezen bidnü ermiin surguud, Ekh baigaliin ertnii dursgal, Egshiglen tugekh enkhiin duulal.

These chestnut horses are a treasure to us, A valuable gift of nature. Like a peaceful song that sounds everywhere, so is the true image of the Mongolian horse worshipped by my nation.

Mongal mor'diin, khangal sur, Mini ardiin, shutekh, shutel, Urmiin gerch, ukhaanii och, Uragshilakh erchim, undrakh khuchin.

This image is the source of my encouragement And the flame of my insight and learning.

This image is the energy that we need for progress And the might that leads up to prosper.

Teng'riin unaa, temuulekh sanaa, Domgiin gilbaa, dorniiim javkhaa, Iimel saikhan khusliin naiman shargad, minu zee.

Let us call it the will to reach high spheres And the key to open wise myths.

Like the very brilliance of the East, So are the eight chestnut horses of my dream.

My Flight For Heaven………………………...Blake Henson Poem: Robert Herrick

b. 1983

Fly………………………………………………..Sara Groves Noel Bond, solo

arr. Susan LaBarr

Butterfly……………………………………….Maria Makaroff Chelsea Bon Aoumeur, solo

b. 1970

Combined Choirs The Awakening………………………………… Joseph Martin

b. 1959

UAlbany Chamber Singers Soprano Mireia Bell Aspen Dooley Sarah Faragon Aleanna Loveless Chizi Okieche Keziah Ranger Maya Saraya

Tenor Raymond Capuzzi Stephen Kapalczynski Luke Korff Jara Manatan Tyler Montgomery Peter Mostert David Pastuszka

Alto Kaitlyn Bechand Chelsea Ben Aoumeur Noel Bond Caitlyn Brennan Lucy Skidmore Alexandria Sisti Catherine Semaska Lucy Skidmore

Bass Joshua Duncan Bruce Konopa Jared Lewis-Holliday Andrew Makowski Ben Pasternack Hayden Pepe Joey Schiano

UAlbany Community Chorale Soprano Rox Aclin Stephanie Alvarez Kaitlyn Bechand Mirieia Bell Jayda Coffie Marie Edmond Sophie Fasano Iris Guevara Sonia Haider Jackie Harris Nylah Hwang Katherine Long Yudermis Mosquera Inez O’Shea Wary Perugachi Caroline Rafizadeh Lasaja Underwood-Bishop Jocelyn Zapien-Espinosa Alto Carolyn Cancelliere Kaeci Charles Kelcey Classen Adina Dalton Angelica Gatgens Puja Goobardhan

Alto (c’td.)

Tina Haq Sky Hoder Yu Jeong Na Alivia Kaelber Keylin Ferreras Lorenzo Maya O’Hern Katherine Soon Jungin Won Tenor Bryan Antimore Nikhil Bobba Yingzhao Ma Djeynaba Sakho Dylan Sorensen Bass Mark Eamer Christian Francisco Peace Gordon Gabriel Kitt Ayodele Majekodunmi Andrew Makowski Liam Martin Jeremy Olson

Upcoming Concert Dates Music Department Holiday Concert Sunday, December 8, 2024, 3 pm Performing Arts Center Main Stage

WELCOME!

Music Program (518) 442-4187 www.albany.edu/musicandtheatre

Performing Arts Center (518) 442-3995 www.albany.edu/pac

Theatre Program (518) 442-4200 www.albany.edu/musicandtheatre

HOUSE POLICIES Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the management and its staff. .

The use of photographic or recording devices of any kind during this performance is strictly prohibited. .

There is no food or drink allowed in the theatres, nor is smoking allowed in UAlbany buildings. .

To avoid disrupting the performance, kindly disable any noise making electronic devices you may have with you. .

Please take time to note the location of the fire exits nearest to you. In the event of an emergency, an announcement will be made from the stage. Please proceed to the nearest exit in an orderly fashion.

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