Connecticut Master Chorale

Poster

Brochure

Sunday November 24, 2024 3:00 pm
First Congregational Church, Danbury, Connecticut

- Tickets - Directions -

These concert notes were prepared by soprano Ginnie Carey.

• 

  Benjamin Harlan
  b. 1954

  

  Stan Pethel
  b. 1950

  Arise! Behold His Glory! – arr. Benjamin Harlan; brass by Stan Pethel

  Composer and arranger Benjamin Harlan, a professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, has created a majestic introduction with his own words and music to enhance "Hail to the Lord's Anointed" by James Montgomery (1771 - 1854). Scottish poet and journalist, Montgomery's verse interpretation of Psalm 72 was written in 1821 and is one of 400 hymns published in his lifetime, including "Angels from the Realms of Glory" and "The Lord is My Shepherd". Although it has been sung to several different hymn tunes, this one is HAF TRONES LAMPA FÄRDIG (Keep Your Trimmed Lamps Ready), a Swedish folk melody. The outstanding brass accompaniment is by Dr. Stan Pethel, Chair of the Fine Arts at Berry College.
• 

  R. Kevin Boesiger
  b. 1965

  

  Adolphe Adam
  1803 - 1856

  

  Placide Cappeau
  1808 - 1877

  

  John S. Dwight
  1813 - 1893

  For Unto Us – R. Kevin Boesinger;
  Incorporating "O Holy Night" – Adolphe Adam; Words by Placide Cappeau; tr. John S. Dwight

  Music director, conductor, and composer R. Kevin Boesiger has, with a stylistic nod to Handel, utilized Isaiah 9:5 and seamlessly woven in a brief portion of "O Holy Night" to create a joyous new anthem celebrating that holy night in Bethlehem.
• 

  Rowland H. Prichard
  1811 - 1887

  

  Charles Wesley
  1701 - 1788

  

  Dan Forrest
  b. 1978

  Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus – Rowland H. Prichard; words by Charles Wesley; arr. Dan Forrest.

  Charles Wesley was a Church of England cleric who became a leader in the Methodist movement along with his brother John. He was also a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime, including "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing". "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus" is sung to the hymn tune HYFRYDOL, composed in 1830 by Welsh musician Rowland Huw Pritchard. Dan Forrest's stunning arrangement of this beloved Advent hymn is a perfect example of why he is one of the Chorale's favorite composers. His inspired festival setting begins with a brilliant brass fanfare and continues with his trademark magnificent harmonies to the dramatic final verse.
• 

  Elaine Hagenberg
  b. 1979

  

  Martin Luther
  1483 - 1546

  All Praise to Thee – Elaine Hagenberg; words by Martin Luther

  Martin Luther, the German monk who changed Christianity forever and founded Lutheranism, was a prolific writer and hymnist. Composer Elaine Hagenberg took portions of his "Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ", written for Christmas in 1524, and interspersed the translated text with gorgeous alleluia passages, creating a remarkable new Christmas song filled with wonder and reverence. Her latest glorious work, Illuminare, will be featured in our Spring Concert next March.
• 

  Mark Burrows
  b. 1971

  Hydom, Tiddlydom – arr. Mark Burrows

  An elementary school music teacher, Mark Burrows is also a gifted composer of music for all ages. He was going through stacks of music at his mother-in-law's house and discovered "this charming Czech carol I'd never heard before". In his creative a cappella arrangement of this traditional Czechoslovakian carol, "hydom" mimics the drone of bagpipes and "tiddlydom" is the rhythm of the drum.
• 

  Bob Beers
  1920 - 1972

  

  Greg Gilpin
  b. 1969

  The Peace Carol – Bob Beers; arr. Greg Gilpin

  The Beers Family was a traditional folk group performing between 1958 and 1972, led by composer and performer Bob Beers. The group included his wife, Evelyne, and after 1964, their daughter Martha. They played traditional Scots-Irish music on instruments like the psaltery, and hosted the Fox Hollow Festival on their farm in Petersburgh, NY. His lovely Christmas song gained even greater popularity in 1979 when it was performed by John Denver and the Muppets in their Christmas television special A Christmas Together. Arranger Greg Gilpin is an award-winning choral composer and arranger, as well as a conductor.
• 

  Roger Emerson
  b. 1950

  

  Ross Fishman
  b. 1987

  Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah! – arr. Roger Emerson and Ross Fishman

  Hanukkah is the Jewish festival of lights, celebrating the miracle of one small cruet of oil lasting 8 days in 165 B.C. Roger Emerson is a choral composer of over 500 titles, who has taught music in public schools and at the college level. Ross Fishman is a music educator, composer and arranger who, as a student, directed his university's first Jewish a cappella ensemble. He has taught middle and high school music in international schools in Israel and China. Roger Emerson is also the arranger of their joint composition which merges a traditional Hannukah melody with original new words and music.
• 

  Douglas E. Wagner
  b. 1952

  A Festival of Carols – arr. Douglas E. Wagner

  This jubilant carol medley was arranged by Douglas E. Wagner who is an internationally recognized composer and arranger with over 3,000 music titles published since 1973. Beginning with "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing", with music by Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847) and text by Charles Wesley (1707 - 1788), and followed by "While by My Sheep", a traditional German carol from the 17th Century, with a text translated by Theodore Miller (1848 - 1934). "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" is a traditional English Carol from the 17th century with the text found in William Sandys' 1833 publication Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern. The French carol "Patapan" was written in 1700 in the Burgundy region by prolific composer Bernard de la Monnoye (1641 - 1728). The Austrian carol "Still, Still, Still" combines a melody from the district of Salzburg with German text by Georg Gotsch (1895 - 1956) with an English translation adapted by Douglas Wagner. His medley ends with "Angels We Have Heard On High", originally an 18th century French carol "Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes", although the English words are not an exact translation. The hymn tune is GLORIA. Douglas Wagner brings his creation full circle with a final refrain from "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"..
• 

  K. Lee Scott
  b. 1950

  'Round the Glory Manger – K. Lee Scott

  Composer and arranger K. Lee Scott wrote this vibrant a cappella arrangement of a traditional spiritual describing the scene with Mary and Joseph and the baby in the manger.

• CHRISTMAS IN SOUTH AMERICA

  

  Rio de Janeiro

  • La Jornada (Venezuela) – arr. Jim Leininger, b. 1942

    Composer and arranger Jim Leininger spent two summers in Vienna studying voice and conducting with the conductor of the Vienna Boys Choir. He has extensive experience as a church musician, voice coach, as well as teaching at all levels in the school systems of Florida and Texas. His arrangement of this Venezuelan folk carol, or villancico, for men's voices, describes the journey of Mary and Joseph to Nazareth in Spanish, and the percussion imitates the clip clop of the donkey's hooves.
  • 

    Sherri Hansen
     

    

    Federico Fliedner
    1845 - 1901

    

    Adam M. L. Tice
    b. 1979

    

    Joseph Mohr
    1792 - 1849

    

    Félix Luna
    1925 - 2009

    

    Franz Gruber
    1787 - 1863

    

    Ariel Ramírez
    1921 - 2010

    Night Long-Awaited (Argentina) – Ariel Ramírez; Franz Gruber; Félix Luna; Joseph Mohr; tr. Adam M. L. Tice; tr. Federico Fliedner; arr. Sherri Hansen

    Pianist, vocalist and composer/arranger Sherri Hansen has used the Argentine text and tune "Noche de Paz", composed by pianist and music director Ariel Ramirez, "a chief exponent of Argentine folk music" with words by Félix Luna, author, lyricist, biographer, and historian. They often collaborated, and perhaps the best-known of their work together was Misa Criolla (Creole Mass) in 1964. The translator is Adam M. L. Tice, a Mennonite Minister, composer and musician. Sherri Hansen mingled the Spanish and English texts together and then made the surprise addition of one verse of "Silent Night" in Spanish. "Stille Nacht, heilige nacht" is the world's most recorded Christmas song, and many of us are aware that the melody was composed on Christmas Eve 1818, by organist Franz Gruber at the request of Father Joseph Mohr, who had written the poem the year before. There had been severe flooding in the area and it was feared that the church organ was damaged and they would need a song with guitar accompaniment for Mass that night. The Spanish translation is by Federico Fliedner, who had been a nurse during the Austro-Prussian War and after the war become a missionary priest in Spain. He was a prolific author and translator. He also founded a library and a hospice for orphans, and developed an institute where women could learn both theology and nursing, which greatly impressed Florence Nightingale, who spent time there as a student nurse.
  • 

    Victor Johnson
    b. 1978

    Adorar al Niño (Venezuela) – arr. Victor Johnson

    Victor Johnson is the current Artistic Director of the Children's Choir of Texas and has published over 100 choral compositions. He translated the Spanish text of this villancico into English himself and explains in his program notes that originally villancicos were sung at religious celebrations and festivals, but today they are simply Christmas carols and are sung everywhere.
  • 

    Mark Hayes
    b. 1953

    Brazilian Noel – arr. Mark Hayes

    In his 45 years as an international composer, arranger, and concert pianist, this versatile musician has developed an international following with concerts all over the world, including Brazil. The music of Brazil encompasses multiple musical styles that are popular throughout the world, and Mark Hayes chose the bossa nova, which developed in the beach neighborhoods of Ipanema in the 1950s, for his Brazilian Christmas song.
• 

  Pinkzebra

  Winter Lullaby – Pinkzebra

  Pinkzebra is the pseudonym of a successful music producer and composer. In his career he has been signed by a major record label, composed and produced music for television and film, and has had his music performed by major symphony labels. He loves listening to other people perform his music and appreciates that others are bringing his music to life in a way that connects and inspires. His beautiful lullaby combines scenes of winter with thoughts of the passing special moments of our lives.
• 

  Hoagy Carmichael
  1899 - 1981

  

  Mitchell Parish
  1900 - 1993

  

  Kirby Shaw
  b. 1942

  The White World of Winter – Hoagy Carmichael; words by Mitchell Parish; arr. Kirby Shaw

  The great Hoagy Carmichael was a composer, pianist, singer, actor and band leader who wrote several hundred songs, fifty of which achieved hit record status. Mitchell Parish was a lyricist who wrote the lyrics to many hit songs. They wrote "The White World of Winter" in 1963 and it was popularized by Bing Crosby in his Bing Crosby's Christmas Gems album in December 1977. Composer and arranger Kirby Shaw has created this jazz infused choral version for women's voices.
• 

  Harold Stanley
   

  

  Irving Taylor
  1914 - 1983

  

  Dudley Brooks
  1913 - 1989

  

  Joan Javits
  b. 1928
  with Foxy Lady

  

  Philip Springer
  b. 1926

  

  Paul Langford
  b. 1967

  The Man with the Bag and Santa Baby – Harold Stanley; Irving Taylor; Dudley Brooks; Joan Javits; Philip Springer; arr. Paul Langford

  Singer, arranger, keyboardist, producer and conductor Paul Langford has made a perfect blend of two best-selling holiday Oldies from the early 1950s. "(Everybody's Waitin' for) The Man with the Bag" was written in 1950 by Irving Taylor, Dudley Brooks, and Harold Stanley. The "man with the bag" is Santa Claus, who drops off presents to people who have been "extra special good". Originally made popular by singer Kay Starr, it was always on Billboard's list of most popular Christmas songs in the early 1950s. Harold Stanley was married to Kay Starr at the time and he was part owner of a nightclub where Dudley Brooks, a jazz pianist, arranger and composer, often performed and had worked with Irving Taylor, a songwriter, on several television projects. He brought them together to write the song, took credit as a co-writer and published it. It has since been recorded by many others.

  "Santa Baby" was written by lyricist Joan Javits, the niece of Senator Jacob Javits, and composer Philip Springer, who had first met her in 1950. At that time Joan Javits asked Philip Springer for advice about beginning a career as a songwriter and he advised her against it. Three years later he was looking for someone to write lyrics with him and they recommended her. Fortunately, he was able to talk her into working with him and there were many more successful projects in their future. At the age of 98, he still writes about 35 songs a year. Joan Javits also continued writing lyrics and lives in both Sugarbush, Vermont and Palm Beach, where she was one of the founders of the Dreyfoos School of the Arts. Their hit song is a look at a Christmas list by a woman who wants extravagant gifts, such as sables and yachts. It was written for Eartha Kitt and has always been controversial, as some thought it was too suggestive for a holiday song. It was the best-selling Christmas song of 1953, and has been covered by many artists, including Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Taylor Swift, Trisha Yearwood, Gwen Stefani, Ariana Grande, Kellie Pickler and Michael Bublé
• 

  Geron Davis
  b. 1960

  

  Camp Kirkland
  b. 1946

  A King Is Coming to Town – Geron Davis; arr. Camp Kirkland

  A Christian music singer and songwriter, Geron Davis is best known as a composer of hymns and religious music in Gospel and other styles. He tours the country with his wife Becky, his sister Alyson Lovern, and her husband Shelton as the group Kindred Souls. "A King is Coming to Town" is from his musical Tonight, an exhilarating Gospel celebration of the Christmas story. Arranger and orchestrator Camp Kirkland was a career music educator and is regarded as a pioneer in establishing instrumental music in American churches.