Welcome! First Baptist Huntsville has a great tradition of offering her very best in musical worship to God. Our Casavant pipe organ is an important part of that practice, providing beautiful support to the most important choir of the church, the congregation, as well as being a well-crafted solo or ensemble instrument capable of making music filled with both splendor and artistry. We celebrate the 50th Anniversary of this organ during the fall and spring months of 2015-2016. Today’s concert is the second in our series of celebrations. Join me in welcoming Nathan Laube, our special guest artist for today’s presentation. You will find his biographical information elsewhere in this printed program. He is joined by selected singers from FBC and HCCA. The pipe organ is a magnificent and complex instrument, captivating the interest of engineers as well as musicians. Its basic design calls for pipes, wind chests, a blower, “stops,” sliders, valves, keyboards, mechanical linkages, and pedals, among many other items. NPR’s PipeDreams puts it this way: “Simply stated, the pipe organ is a big box of whistles.” Our OPUS 48 Artists Series presentation earlier in September helped us to learn more about this fantastic instrument. The specifications for our Casavant can be found elsewhere in this program, as well. One of the most significant church musicians of all time, Johann Sebastian Bach, created music for the worship of God that has stood the test of time, inspiring performers and listeners, believers and nonbelievers, mathematicians and theologians. Bach loved the organ and wrote extensively for it. His music represents a pinnacle of expression for worshipping hearts. I love what Ronald Allen and Gordon Borror wrote in their book Worship: Rediscovering the Missing Jewel— “Consider the biblical teaching about the essence of God. He is one God, three persons. Throughout the ages this concept has caused no end of confusion and frustration to theologian and layman alike. Much has been written and said about this eternal truth. But by no available means is it more beautifully expressed than in the music of Bach’s trio sonatas for organ. Musicians through the years have marveled at the artistic excellence of these works. They have one melody in the right hand, one melody in the left, and yet another in the pedal line—all sounding at once, each retaining its own identity, yet together forming beautiful harmony. The composer intended this to be an expression, a tonal picture, of the eternal mystery of the Godhead.” Thank you, First Baptist Church, for investing resources into this particular instrument. Thank you, FBC organists past and present and future, for investing your talent, time and love into using this instrument for the glory of God. Thank you, Lord God, for Your creation of music as a means of us expressing our love to You! May our efforts now and forevermore bring You glory.
Billy Orton Minister of Music and Worship First Baptist Church, Huntsville, AL Artistic Director Huntsville Community Chorus Association
IN CONCERT: NATHAN LAUBE, ORGAN with First Baptist Church Chamber Singers and Huntsville Community Chorus Chamber Chorale in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Beulah Neece Ware Organ Sunday, November 8, 2015 | 3:00 p.m. Welcome – Billy Orton, Minister of Music and Worship
Two Kyries Kyrie (from Messe Solennelle) .................................................................................................................. Louis Vierne (1870-1937) Interlude Improvisation by Mr. Laube Kyrie (from Requiem) ......................................................................................................................... Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986)
Laudate Dominum (from Quatre Motets) ......................................................................................................Marcel Dupré (1886-1971)
Greater Love Hath No Man ............................................................................................................................. John Ireland Soloists: Vickie Woods and David Giambrone
(1879-1962)
Three Psalm Preludes (Set 1, Op. 32) .....................................................................................................Herbert Howells No. 3: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23, verse 4)
(1892-1983)
Adam Lay Ybounden ............................................................................................................................... Carson P. Cooman (b. 1982)
Let the People Praise Thee, O God ...................................................................................................... William Mathias (1934-1992) INTERMISSION
Cortège et Litanie (Op. 19, No. 2) .................................................................................................................Marcel Dupré Prelude in G-minor (Alla marcia), Op. 23, No. 5 .......................................................................... Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) Transcription by Gottfried H. Federlein
Suite pour Orgue, Op. 5 .............................................................................................................................. Maurice Duruflé Prélude Sicilienne Toccata
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NATHAN LAUBE A star among young classical musicians, concert organist Nathan Laube has quickly earned a place among the organ world’s elite performers. In addition to his busy performing schedule, Mr. Laube serves as Assistant Professor of Organ at The Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he teaches with distinguished professors David Higgs and Edoardo Bellotti. Recent and upcoming performances by Mr. Laube include major venues spanning four continents. These include the Vienna Konzerthaus (Austria); the Berlin Philharmonie and the Dortmund Konzerthaus (Germany); Aarhus Cathedral and Copenhagen Cathedral (Denmark); the Cankarjev Dom, Ljubljana (Slovenia); the Sejong Center, Seoul (Korea); in the USA at Overture Hall, Madison (WI) where he performed with the Madison Symphony under the direction of Julian Wachner; The Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Nashville (TN) where he performed and recorded the Stephen Paulus Grand Organ Concerto with the Nashville Symphony under the directions of Giancarlo Guerrero; Washington National Cathedral (DC), Walt Disney Concert Hall (CA), Verizon Hall (PA), The Kauffman Center’s Helzberg Hall (MO), and Spivey Hall (GA). Nathan also frequently presents concert tours in the United Kingdom where highlight venues have included York Minster, Canterbury Cathedral, Exeter Cathedral, Ely Cathedral, and Truro Cathedral. Highlights of Mr. Laube’s recent and upcoming festival appearances around the world include the Naumburg Orgelsommer, the 300th Anniversary festival of the 1714 Silbermann organ in the Freiberg Cathedral (Germany), the 2011 Lahti Organ Festival (Finland), the 2012 Dresden Music Festival (Germany), the 2013 Orléans Organ Festival (France), the 2013 Lapua Festival (Finland), the 2013 Stuttgart Internationaler Orgelsommer (Germany), the 2014 Naumburg Orgelsommer (Germany), the 2015 Smarano Organ Academy (Italy), the Max Reger Foundation of America’s 2015 Max Reger Festival (USA), the WFMT Bach Project for which he performed the complete Clavierübung III (Chicago, USA), and for several EROI Festivals at the Eastman School of Music (USA). Performances for conventions and conferences are frequent, and this year Mr. Laube was a featured performer at the 2015 national convention of the Organ Historical Society. He was previously featured at the Society’s conventions in 2009, 2011, and 2012. For the American Guild of Organists, Nathan was featured at their national conventions in 2010 (Washington DC), and in 2012 (Nashville TN), as well as at many regional conventions of the Guild. Mr. Laube has two new CD recordings available; the Stephen Paulus Grand Concerto on the Naxos label (NAXOS 8.559740) recorded with the Nashville Symphony, Giancarlo Guerrero, conducting, and a new solo recital recording on the Ambiente label (AMBIENTE ACD-1062), recorded at the Stadtkirche in Nagold, Germany. In addition, Many of Mr. Laube’s live performances have been featured on American Public Media’s “Pipedreams.” Mr. Laube holds a Master’s Degree in Organ from the Musikhochschule in Stuttgart, Germany where he was a student of Ludger Lohmann, and recipient of a German DAAD Fellowship Study Scholarship for his studies there. As a recipient of a William Fulbright Grant, Nathan spent the 2010-2011 academic year studying with Michel Bouvard and Jan Willem Jansen at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Toulouse where he earned Prix de Spécialisé with the mention “Très Bien” and “Féliciations du Jury," in addition to the Prix François Vidal from the city of Toulouse. Nathan earned his Bachelor of Music Degree at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he studied organ with Alan Morrison and piano with Susan Starr. Upon graduating, he received the Institute’s two highest awards, the Landis Award for Excellence in Academics and the Aldwell Award for Excellence in Musical Studies. During his time at the Curtis Institute, Nathan also served as an Assistant Organist at the Wannamaker Grand Court Organ at Macy’s Department Store in downtown Philadelphia. As a church musician, Nathan most recently served from 2011-2013 as Artist-in-Residence at the American Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Paris, France. Previously, he served as Organ Scholar at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. Nathan is frequently asked to teach master classes and workshops in connection with his concerts, and often serves on the faculty for Pipe Organ Encounters in the USA – clinics presented by The American Guild of Organists designed to introduce young keyboardists to the pipe organ and its vast repertoire. He has also taught at the Oberlin Summer Organ Academy in Ohio and at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts Summer Organ Academy in Philadelphia.
SINGERS The choir for this concert is actually two choral ensembles combined. The Chamber Singers of First Baptist Church is a select group of singers drawn from the larger Sanctuary Choir of the church. The HCC Chamber Chorale is an auditioned ensemble from the larger HCC Symphonic Chorus of the Huntsville Community Chorus Association. FBC CHAMBER SINGERS Conductor - Billy Orton Accompanist - Sherry Upshaw SOPRANO Karen Anderson Lindsey Giambrone Suzanne Hefner Lea Hoppe Patricia Kennedy Patti Lindow Laura McCamy Barbara Sizemore Amber Stewart
ALTO BJ Boyanton Karen Campbell Diane Gordon Nancy Morton Jane Orton Sherry Upshaw Vicki Woods
TENOR David Giambrone Terry Jarnagin Steve Jones Susan Keene Ed Perkins David Sizemore
BASS Alex Adams John Christy Tom Guffin Andy Jones Chuck Rosecrans Bob Searcy Will Weir
HCC CHAMBER CHORALE Conductors - Billy Orton and Chris Walters Accompanist - Eric Wilson SOPRANO DeLee Benton Rachel Burkholder Emily Clark Heidi Crane Rebecca England Lea Hoppe Lisa Kennedy Sally Priester Leah Purves Patricia Register Kari Jo Tiede Crystal Vanrell
ALTO Kirstin Briggs Anne Chelekis Rachael Damiani Colleen Falwell Barbara Fry Ashley Griffith Micki Lighthall Jane Orton Kenisha Phillips Cheryl Steely Mary Williamson
TENOR Justin Register David Ricks Tom Rogers John Summers Chris Walters Jeff Wilson Eric Wilson
BASS David Caine Dean Hudson Bill Lloyd Scott Mince Darren Myers Doug Nixon Billy Orton Rick Saik Ben Tieslau
CASAVANT FRÈRES LIMITÉE ORGAN, 1965; ADDITIONS IN 1998 Great: 16’ 8’ 8’ 4’ 4’ 2 2/3’ 2’ 1 1/3’ 8’ 8’ 8’
Swell: 16’ 8’ 8’ 8’ 8’ 4’ 4’ 2’ 2’ 16’ 8’ 4’ 8’
Quintade Principal Bourdon Octave Rohr Gedeckt Quinte Octave Mixture VI Trumpete Ceremonial Trumpet Trumpet en Chamade Chimes Great 16 Unison off Great 4 Lieblich Gedeckt Viola de Gamba Viola Celeste Principal Flote Octave Nachthorn Octave Mixture VI Fagott Trompete Klarine Ceremonial Trumpet Tremulant Swell 16 Unison off Swell 4
Choral: 8’ Salicional 8’ Erzahler 8’ Erzahler Celeste 8’ Rohrflote 4’ Spitz Principal 4’ Spitz Flote 2 2/3’ Nasat 2’ Waldflote 1 3/5’ Terz 2/3’ Mixture III 8’ Oboe 8’ Ceremonial Trumpet 8’ Trumpet en Chamade Tremulant Choral 16 Choral Unison Off Choral 4 Pedal: 32’ 16’ 16’ 16’ 16’ 8’ 8’ 4’ 4’ 2’ 2’ 32’ 16’ 16’ 8’ 4’ 8’
Resultant Principal Sub-bass Lieblich Gedeckt (Swell) Quint (Great) Octave Pommer Octave Rohrflote Nachthorn Mixture V Kontra Posaune Posaune Fagott (Swell) Trumpet Schalmei Ceremonial Trumpet Chimes
Positiv: 8’ Gedeckt 8’ Quint 4’ Principal 4’ Koppelflute 2 2/3’ Sesquialtera II 2’ Octave 1 1/3’ Quint Flute 1’ Scharf IV 1/4’ Zimbel III 8’ Krumhorn 8’ Trumpet en Chamade Positiv 16 Positiv Unison Off Positiv 4 Couplers (tab): Great to Pedal Swell to Pedal Choral to Pedal Positiv to Pedal Swell to Great Choral to Great Positiv to Great Positiv to Choral Swell to Choral Positiv to Swell Midi to Great Midi to Swell Midi to Choral Midi to Positiv Midi to Pedal Carillon to Positiv Zimbelstern
JUST PUBLISHED! The First Casavant Frères Limitée Organ In Alabama by Elizabeth Hostetter is a definitive history of our church’s magnificent organ. Containing rich detail and many unique photographs and illustrations, this brand new book will be a treasure for years to come. Copies are available in the Music Ministry Office for a nominal charge.
UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS TO NOTE The Chamber Singers of First Baptist Church will be a part of the Living Christmas Tree presentations next month and are scheduled to sing on the next OPUS 48 Artists Series presentation in the FBC Chapel, on Sunday afternoon, January 24, 2016. The HCC Chamber Chorale will be a part of the PEACE ON EARTH presentation in the VBC Concert Hall on Friday evening, December 4, featuring performers from UAH, the HSO, HCCA, and Huntsville Ballet, with special guest Act of Congress (contemporary bluegrass ensemble). The Chorale will also present Menotti’s The Unicorn, the Gorgon, and the Manticore on March 13, 2016 at the Thurber Fine Arts Center. The next presentation of the Huntsville Chamber Music Guild is Friday evening, January 15, 2016 featuring the Polish Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra. (The HCMG has collaborated with First Baptist Church in bringing Mr. Laube to our city this weekend. Our singers today presented music this past Friday evening as a part of a concert featuring Mr. Laube at the organ of Trinity United Methodist Church.)