Holiday Prelude Concert
Fall 2025 Concert Notes
Tina Johns Heidrich, Conductor
Joe Jacovino, Accompanist
Connecticut Master Chorale Holiday Brass
Sunday November 23, 2025 3:00 pm
First Congregational Church, Danbury, Connecticut
- Concert Recording - Concert Photos -
These concert notes were prepared by soprano Ginnie Carey.
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Jay Althouse
b. 1951Sing Joy – arr. Jay Althouse
Our program opens with this superb collection of favorite carols emphasizing both singing and joy. Joy to the World, with lyrics by the prolific Isaac Watts (1674 - 1748), who published more than 800 hymns and has been called "the greatest among hymn-writers", is sung to the hymn tune ANTIOCH, which is commonly attributed to either George Frideric Handel or Lowell Mason. Recent research has called that attribution into question, as a number of similar tunes appeared around 1832 and 1833 with various attributions. It Came Upon the Midnight Clear has roots in New England, as both the lyricist and the composer were originally from Massachusetts. It was written by Harvard Divinity School graduate Edmund Hamilton Sears (1810 - 1876) and may be the only popular Christmas carol that focuses on the angels singing "peace on earth, good will to men", rather than the birth of Christ. The usual hymn tune in our country is CAROL, composed by Richard Storrs Willis (1819 - 1900), a Yale graduate who was also an author and the music critic for the New York Tribune. O Come, All Ye Faithful was originally published in Latin as Adeste Fideles by John Francis Wade (1711 - 1786). The English translation is by Frederick Oakley (1802 - 1880), a priest, translator and author of both prose and poetry. The arranger, Jay Althouse, is a composer of both sacred and secular music with more than 600 works in print.
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Dan Forrest
b. 1978Angels We Have Heard on High – arr. Dan Forrest
This beloved Christmas carol originated in France, with the verses in French and the "Gloria in excelsis Deo" refrain in Latin. It is believed to be a traditional noël from the Languedoc region and was first published in Noëls Français et Provençaux in 1805. The English version is not an exact translation but a paraphrase of the French verses by English Roman Catholic Bishop James Chadwick (1813 - 1882) and retains the original Latin refrain. A remarkable new vision from the talented composer and arranger Dan Forrest depicts the sparkling joy of the rejoicing angels, interspersed with gorgeous glorias building to a dramatic finale.
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Charles Coffin
1676 - 1749
John Chandler
1806 - 1876
Michael Culloton
b. 1976On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry – Charles Coffin; tr. John Chandler; arr. Michael Culloton
Based on John the Baptist's announcement at the Jordan River, this Advent hymn was composed by Charles Coffin, a French cleric and Rector of the University of Paris who wrote over 100 religious poems in Latin, published in Hymni Sacri Auctore Carolo Coffin in 1736. Originally titled "Jordani soras praevia", it was translated into English in 1837 by John Chandler, one of the earliest and most successful modern translators of Latin hymns. The hymn tune is PUER NOBIS, a melody from a fifteenth century manuscript from Trier, Germany. The name comes from the original Latin Christmas text, Puer Nobis Nascitur, which translates into English as "Unto Us a Boy is Born". Michael Culloton's creative arrangement is for women's voices with flute and tambourine.
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Elaine Hagenberg
b. 1979
Franz Gruber
1787 - 1863
Joseph Franz Mohr
1792 - 1849
John Young
1820 - 1885Love's Pure Light – Elaine Hagenberg; quoting "Stille Nacht" - Franz Gruber; words by Joseph Franz Mohr; tr. John Young
Elaine Hagenberg has created an exquisite new melody for Stille Nacht which embellishes Franz Gruber's original tune. She quotes the first verse of Joseph Mohr's lyrics and then focuses on the beginning of the third verse "Son of God, love's pure light". The tender text is enhanced by her peaceful and ethereal choral arrangement, creating a memorable Christmas classic.
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Glenn McClure
b. 1965
Wes Kennison
b. 1957
Shawn Kirchner
b. 1970One Sweet Little Baby – Glenn McClure and Wes Kennison; arr. Shawn Kirchner
Composer and scholar Glenn McClure specializes in diverse cross-cultural artistic collaborations. Some of our audience may remember his Caribbean Mass that the chorale performed in May 2007. He and Wes Kinneson, a member of the SUNY Geneseo English faculty, wrote this gospel Christmas song for their church. It describes the travels of the Holy Family to Bethlehem as prophesied by Simeon. Arranger Shawn Kirchner relates that when Glenn McClure shared it with him "I felt like I had discovered a new Christmas classic and was excited to include it in a set of Christmas arrangements I was making".
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Zygmunt Odelgiewicz
1820 - 1899
Derek Myler
b. 1993Wise Men of the World – Zygmunt Odelgiewicz; words by Stefan Bortkiewicz; arr. Derek J. Myler
Derek Myler is a music theorist and composer whose research and creative interests include Polish music, choral repertoires and the works of Danbury composer Charles Ives. When he was living in Poland, he was charmed by the many unique and beautiful carols that were sung each holiday season, forming a distinctive body of folk music principally transmitted through generations of oral tradition. He has created the English translation and the arrangement of this carol celebrating the Magi on their journey. Polish priest and composer Zygmunt Odelgiewicz is known for his contributions to both sacred and folk music, and his works remain popular in Poland to this day.
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Mark Weston
Hanukkah, Season of Joy! – Mark Weston
Hanukkah is a Jewish celebration commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the second century BC. Although there was only enough oil to keep the candles on the menorah burning for one day, the flames continued to burn for eight days. The word Hanukkah means "dedication" in Hebrew and the celebration lasts for eight days in remembrance of the ancient miracle. Mark Weston's composition is filled with the joy and wonder of this special holiday.
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Tom Fettke
b. 1941Glorious Christmas Refrains – arr. Tom Fettke
Thomas E. Fettke was born in the Bronx, but ended up in California where he has published over 800 compositions and arrangements. He was inspired to create this marvelous musical tapestry, which includes eleven of the most popular Christmas refrains of all time, beginning with Angels from the Realms of Glory, with music by Henry T. Smart (1813 - 1879) and words by James Montgomery (1771 - 1854); Angels We Have Heard on High, a traditional French carol; Hark! The Herald Angels Sing with music by Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847) and words by Charles Wesley (1797 - 1788); Ding, Dong, Merrily on High, a traditional French melody; Sing We Now of Christmas, a traditional French carol; How Great Our Joy!, a traditional German carol; The First Noel, a traditional English carol; Go, Tell it on the Mountain, a traditional American spiritual with words adapted by John W. Work Jr. (1871 - 1925); O Come, All Ye Faithful, words and music by John F. Wade (1711 - 1786) and translation from the original Latin by Frederick Oakley (1802 - 1880); O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, with music adapted from traditional plainsong by Thomas Helmore (1811 - 1890) and words translated from Latin by John M. Neale (1818 - 1866) and ending with O Holy Night with music by Adolphe Adam (1803 - 1856) and translation from French by John Dwight (1813 - 1893).
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Mark Hayes
b. 1953Glad Tidings of Joy – arr. Mark Hayes
Pianist, composer and arranger Mark Hayes has created an unusual Christmas treat. An a cappella opening based on the final phrase of the traditional English carol God Rest You Merry Gentlemen segues into a Samba rhythm with lyrics by Mr. Hayes and continues with lines from Joy to the World before returning to the original "glad tidings of joy" theme.
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André Thomas
b. 1952Shout for Joy! – André Thomas
Dr. Thomas has been described as "the master of Gospel music" because of his many creative arrangements of traditional spirituals but he is also a noted classical and choral conductor. After a long career teaching at Florida State University, he is presently a Visiting Professor of Conducting and Interim Conductor of the Yale Camerata. He has a special relationship with the London Symphony Orchestra, "expanding their canvas of musical styles" by introducing Symphonic Gospel music to the orchestra's repertoire, and featuring diverse artists and composers, such as Wynton Marsalis. He describes this piece as an "explosion of joy" that is "like taking a trip to New Orleans in the 1950s or 60s, with parades going down the streets".
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Gordon Lightfoot
1938 - 2023
Michael Hanawalt
b. 1978
Justine Sasanfar
b. 1979Song for a Winter's Night – Gordon Lightfoot; arr. Michael Hanawalt and Justine Sasanfar
Gordon Lightfoot was a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved worldwide success. His biographer, Nicholas Jennings, wrote that "his name is synonymous with timeless songs about trains and shipwrecks, rivers and highways, lovers and loneliness". Written in 1967 during a rainstorm in Cleveland while he was missing his first wife, Brita Ingegerd Olaisson, this sentimental ballad expresses the longing to be with loved ones on a cold snowy night.
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Victor Johnson
b. 1978Umoja Tunaimba – Victor Johnson
In Swahili and English, Victor Johnson's message is one of unity, justice and peace. A composer and arranger who teaches at the Ft. Worth Academy of Fine Arts and is also director of the Children's Choir of Texas, his first choral composition was published while he was still a sophomore in high school.
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Mariah Carey
b. 1969
Marc Shaiman
b. 1959
Mark Brymer
b. 1957The Star – Mariah Carey and Marc Shaiman; arr. Mark Brymer
Nominated for Best Original Song at the 75th Golden Globe Awards, this inspiring song was written and sung by Mariah Carey for the 2017 animated movie The Star, in which a donkey and his friends become part of the story of the first Christmas. Mariah Carey is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress with a five-octave vocal range and a career spanning over 30 years. Her first voice teacher was her mother, a classically trained opera singer and voice coach. Marc Shaiman has co-written and co-produced with Mariah Carey and many others, including Harry Connick Jr. and Bette Midler.
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Linda Kachelmeier
b. 1965We Toast the Days – Linda Kachelmeier
Linda Kachelmeier is a composer, conductor and professional singer in St. Paul, Minnesota who works "primarily with our first and most versatile instrument: the voice". Her "special passion is for choral music and art song because of their unique capacity to convey emotion". This Celtic-inspired piece was originally written to be sung at midnight on New Year's Eve.
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Hal Moore
1910 - 1974
Bill Fredericks
1941 - 1999
Allen Hill
Must Be Santa – Hal Moore; words by Bill Fredericks; arr. Allen Hill
Written by Hal Moore and Bill Fredericks, who was one of many featured vocalists with the Drifters, was first released and made famous in 1960 by Mitch Miller. In 2009 Bob Dylan released a version of the song in a Polka-meets-klezmer style for his Christmas album, Christmas in the Heart. Allen Hill created this fun arrangement for men's voices.
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Brook Benton
1931 - 1988
Clyde Otis
1924 - 2008
Mark Hayes
b. 1953This Time of Year – Brook Benton and Clyde Otis; arr. Mark Hayes
Although Brook Benton was better known as a singer and Clyde Otis an executive in the recording business, they were also a prolific song-writing team. Among their many successful songs are Endlessly, it's Just a Matter of Time and Baby, You've Got What It Takes. This bluesy seasonal classic from 1959 has been recorded by many artists, including Etta James, Brenda Lee and Ray Charles.
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Chris Machen
b. 1955
Tom Fettke
b. 1941They Had Joy! – Chris Machen; arr. Tom Fettke
Chris and Diane Machen are contemporary Christian concert artists, producers and songwriters who have devoted their lives as a married couple to bringing people to Christ through their music and have composed over 400 songs. Chris wrote this ultimate joyous Southern Gospel retelling of the Wise Men's journey as they follow the star to find the baby boy in the manger.