Richard Hynson, Music Director presents
Evensong Sunday, March 4, 2012, at 3:00 PM St. Joseph Center Chapel featuring Bel Canto Boy Choirs Ellen M. Shuler, Director Kevin Bailey Organ
Jonathan Laabs Baritone
Michelle Hynson Piano
Daniel O’Dea Tenor
Eric Jurenas Countertenor
Rebecca Whitney Soprano
Thank You to Our Concert Sponsors:
IN LOVING MEMORY OF WILLIS G. (BILL) SULLIVAN, EVENSONG IS SPONSORED BY HIS FAMILY Anonymous sponsor of Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac
with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts
PROGR A M Evensong................................................................................................................. Richard Hynson Rebecca Whitney, soprano Jonathan Laabs, baritone Intermission Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac.......................................................................Benjamin Britten Eric Jurenas, countertenor Daniel O’Dea, tenor Michelle Hynson, piano Ave Maria............................................................................................................... Bonnie Barrows Bel Canto Boy Choirs Bist du bei mir.........................................................................................Johann Sebastian Bach Michael Wiebersch, treble Bel Canto Boy Choirs For the Beauty of the Earth...................................................................................... John Rutter Bel Canto Boy Choirs Lo, the Full, Final Sacrifice........................................................................................... Gerald Finzi Teddy Esten, treble Daniel O’Dea, tenor Jonathan Laabs, baritone Kevin Bailey, organ
FREE tour of the St. Joseph Center Chapel The St. Joseph Center Chapel is considered one of Milwaukee’s most spectacular landmarks. We invite you to stay after the concert for a brief tour to learn about the chapel’s historical, architectural and cultural significance. Please move to the front pews to join the tour. It will begin approximately 10 minutes after the conclusion of the concert.
Q&A session with Richard Hynson, Evensong composer Evensong reflects the long-standing Anglican tradition of celebrating light’s victory over darkness. Join Music Director Richard Hynson in the St. Joseph Hall for a composer talkback and Q&A session. It will begin approximately 20 minutes after the conclusion of the concert. 2 Bel Canto Chorus
PROFILES RICHARD HYNSON, Music Director/ Conductor This season marks Richard Hynson’s 24th season as Music Director of Bel Canto Chorus. In addition, Hynson has served as Music Director of the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra since 2006. In demand as a guest conductor, Hynson’s past engagements include performances with the Milwaukee Symphony, the Skylight Opera Theatre, and the Racine, Sheboygan, and Waukesha Symphony Orchestras. Hynson has conducted at Carnegie Hall in New York City, where he led a large national festival chorus and orchestra in Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Dona nobis pacem. In the summer of 2008, Hynson conducted the string orchestra and chorus for the Prelude Music Academy summer camp in Madison. In 2009, he guest-conducted the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra in one of the Concerts on the Square in Madison. In July 2012, he will again be Music Director for Gathering on the Green, the popular outdoor music festival in Mequon, WI. Hynson and members of Bel Canto Chorus have performed internationally at the acclaimed Spoleto Music Festival in Italy, the Festivals of Troyes and Rheims in France, the Llangollen Festival in Wales, and the Elora and Huntsville Festivals in Canada. During Bel Canto’s 2006 tour, Hynson and members of Bel Canto International, including singers from six states, performed to critical acclaim in Ireland. In addition to its annual concert season, the chorus is often called upon to participate in national touring performances. In July 2010, Bel Canto participated in Star Wars in Concert; and in November 2010, Bel Canto sang in the Video Games Live national touring concert. Bel Canto completed another successful international tour in July 2011, performing with several orchestras in Argentina and Uruguay. In addition to his work as a conductor and educator, Hynson is a composer. He has written a substantial body of published choral, vocal, and ensemble works, many of which he has recorded with Bel Canto Chorus singers. The U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants have frequently performed Hynson’s In the Midst of Life, composed in response to the events of September 11. Most notably, they presented it in New York City’s Avery Fisher Hall for the national conference of the American Choral Directors Association.
Under Hynson’s direction, Bel Canto opened its 81st season on Sunday, September 11, 2011, with United We Stand in Cathedral Square Park. This free concert marked the tenth anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks, and featured Mozart’s Requiem and Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” in collaboration with the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra. “The chorus sang with force and assurance, easily separating the complex vocal lines...and following Hynson’s judicious phrasing in when to hold back and when to let go.” (David Lewellen, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) ELLEN M. SHULER, Bel Canto Boy Choirs Director Ellen Shuler holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Montana State University and a Master of Music Education with Choral Emphasis from Florida State University. In September 2009, Shuler helped establish the Bel Canto Boy Choirs. The choirs, composed of more than 20 auditioned boys, perform choral repertoire from classical to modern. Their first two seasons included concerts with Bel Canto Chorus, the Vienna Boys Choir, and Midwest Vocal Express. Currently in their third season, the choirs were praised by music critic Elaine Schmidt (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 11, 2010) as being “welltrained, nicely blended, [and] disciplined.” Prior to leading the Bel Canto Boy Choirs, Shuler was a director of the Milwaukee Children’s Choir for seven years, directing the first level premier choir, as well as the beginning and training choirs. She worked as the assistant director and accompanist of the Bozeman Children’s Choir in Montana, as well as for Bozeman’s Mastodon Productions, singing jingles for area businesses and back-up vocals for local artists. While in Montana, she was a member of the Bozeman Intermountain Opera Company. Shuler taught choral and general music in Idaho, Colorado, and New Hampshire, as well as pre-primary music and movement classes in Colorado and New Hampshire. She worked for several years as a choral music editor at Hal Leonard Corporation, where she was a contributing author to the Macmillan McGraw-Hill music education series, “Spotlight on Music” and “Music Express” magazine. In addition to her position with Bel Canto Chorus, Shuler works at the University School of Milwaukee, where she directs the Upper School Concert Choir and Swing Choir, is music director of theatrical productions in both the Middle and Upper Schools, and teaches Bel Canto Chorus 3
P R O F I L E S ( c o n t .) the pre-primary general music classes. She also directs the youth choirs at Mequon United Methodist Church and maintains a voice and piano studio in Mequon, WI. KEVIN BAILEY, Organ Kevin Bailey is the Director of Worship and Music at Fox Point Lutheran Church, where he is organist and choir director. He is a graduate of Augustana College (IL) and Indiana University. His principal teachers for organ have been Tom Robin Harris and Christopher Young, and he studied church music and improvisation with Marilyn Keiser. He has accompanied and conducted choirs at Anderson University (IN) and served as choir director and organist at several churches in Indiana before moving to Milwaukee in 2003. Bailey remains active outside the church as an accompanist and continuo performer, and served as the accompanist for the Master Singers of Milwaukee from 2004 to 2008. MICHELLE HYNSON, Piano Michelle Hynson has been active in Milwaukee as soprano soloist, pianist, accompanist, composer, church musician, and voice teacher since 1981. She has performed with Bel Canto Chorus since 1990 as assistant conductor, accompanist, and soprano section leader. Hynson has sung in a wide range of genres, including opera, oratorio, musical theatre, and television. As a concert pianist, she has performed Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Bloch’s Concerto Grosso No. 1, and Fauré’s Ballade. In October 2008, she was the premier pianist for Bel Canto’s performance of Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle. She performed Piazzolla’s Maria de Buenos Aires with the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra in November 2011. In addition to her multi-faceted performing abilities, Hynson is a successful composer/arranger. More than four thousand Wisconsin students attended performances of her two original musical theater compositions. In addition, Hynson has published numerous choral arrangements through Hal Leonard Publishers, Shawnee Press, and Lorenz Publishing Company. Hynson shares the position of Minister of Music at the Mequon United Methodist 4 Bel Canto Chorus
Church with her husband, Richard Hynson, and she teaches voice in her Thiensville, Wisconsin studio. ERIC JURENAS, Countertenor Eric Jurenas has worked with several groups as a featured soloist, including American Bach Soloists, Kentucky (Lexington) Bach Choir, UC Davis Ensembles, St. Andrews Arts Council, and Cincinnati-area groups. In the spring of 2012, he will sing the title role in the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati (CCM) production of Handel’s Serse. His upcoming concert engagements include performances with the Lexington Bach Choir, performing the alto solo cantatas of J.S. Bach. Within the last several months, Jurenas has won several competitions and awards, including 1st place in the Dayton Opera Guild Competition, 1st place in the Lexington Bach Choir Competition, and 1st place in the Bel Canto Chorus Regional Artist Competition. His most recent achievement is being named as a finalist in the Nico Castel International Master Singer Competition at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Jurenas was also invited to audition for Les Arts Florissants by Artistic Director William Christie. JONATHAN LAABS, Baritone Jonathan Laabs is a 2008 graduate of Martin Luther College, where he studied elementary education along with secondary choral and instrumental music. Previous solo engagements include Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem with the Martin Luther College Choir, as well as Handel’s Israel in Egypt and the United States Premiere of Corrado Margutti’s Missa Lorca with Bel Canto Chorus. Since joining Bel Canto, he has performed as bass section leader and member of the professional core, as well as guest conductor. He has also sung with The Singers: Minnesota Choral Artists under the direction of Matthew Culloton. An experienced conductor, Laabs has served as Director of Choral Programs at Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School since 2008. He directs a department of more than 150 members organized into five different ensembles. In 2010, he was named the second Artistic Director of Canticum Novum: a WELS Chamber Choir, and made his conducting debut of the ensemble during the 2011 summer retreat. He served
P R O F I L E S ( c o n t .) as a clinician at the 2010 WELS West Regional Choral Festival in West St. Paul, MN and the 2011 National Festival in New Ulm, MN. DANIEL O’DEA, Tenor Daniel O’Dea is from Chicago, Illinois. He is currently working toward his DMA at the University of WisconsinMadison where he is the recipient of the prestigious Paul Collins Wisconsin Distinguished Fellowship. He recently performed Bako in the world premiere of Jerry Hui’s comic opera Wired for Love, and the 1st Commissioner in The Dialogues of the Carmelites with Des Moines Metro Opera. Other performances include Fenton in Falstaff at the University of Cincinnati’s CollegeConservatory of Music (CCM), Ferrando in Così fan tutte at the Chautauqua Institute and Ralph Raskstraw in H.M.S. Pinafore at Brevard Music Center. He has been a soloist with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He has recently performed with the Lyric Opera of Chicago Chorus and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chorus. He was an Apprentice Artist with Des Moines Metro Opera in 2011 and is an alumnus of the Aspen Opera Theater Center. He was a young artist at the Brevard Music Center and Chautauqua Institute. He has also performed with Philadelphia’s premier vocal ensemble The Crossing with Donald Nally. Recent awards include
the Corbett Opera Scholarship and Artman/ Straub Prize at CCM, 1st place in his division NJNATS, finalist in the regional competition of NATS, and First Place Voice Scholarship Award at Westminster Choir College. He has received his Artist Diploma in Opera at CCM, Masters of Music in Voice from CCM, and Bachelors of Music in Vocal Performance from Westminster Choir College. REBECCA WHITNEY, Soprano Rebecca Whitney received her Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance and Vocal Music Education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. She has performed as a soloist with numerous groups in Southeastern Wisconsin, singing works such as Handel’s Messiah and Israel in Egypt, Haydn’s The Creation, Mozart’s Vesperae solemnes de confessore, Fauré’s Requiem, Poulenc’s Gloria, and works by Bach, Vivaldi, Vaughan Williams, and John Rutter among others. Whitney joined Bel Canto Chorus as a soprano section leader in 2005, the same year she was named a finalist in the Bel Canto Regional Artists Competition. She also currently serves as Bel Canto’s Development Director. Whitney was honored to appear as the soprano soloist in Mozart’s Requiem for Bel Canto’s 9.11.11 commemorative concert, United We Stand.
EVENSONG PROGR A M NOTES Started in June of 1998, Evensong was completed in March of 1999. It was written in thanksgiving for Hynson’s first decade as Music Director, and in honor of David and Roseann Tolan, whose forty years of service to Bel Canto Chorus have helped to assure that Bel Canto will continue to flourish. Following its premiere performance in Milwaukee and multiple performances on tour in France in the summer of 1999, Hynson revised and expanded the work in 2005 for performance by Bel Canto’s Choral Artists, a chamber chorus from within the larger Bel Canto Chorus. This afternoon’s performance marks the first time that a full chorus will sing the expanded version. Evensong is the sung form of Evening Prayer of the Anglican church, corresponding to the Roman Catholic Vespers. With its psalms and canticles, the Vespers service from the eight Divine Offices offers the richest opportunities for music. In the Anglican church, the liturgical practice of setting the various elements of Evening Prayer to music came to be known as Evensong. In Hynson’s own words: “My Evensong goes beyond the tradition of composing music for text that was historically sung, to include all of the major elements of the service. In addition to setting the psalm, canticles, and preces and responses, I have also set the prayers that make up the rest of the service. As the focus and structure of Evensong is based on the text of the service, many of the movements are through-composed. To create a sense of unity and connection within and between movements, I used a number of compositional devices, including recurring melodies and motivic structures, and an evolving tonality that moves from minor to major mode. Other featured elements include programmatic renditions of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis canticles, and a psalm setting in Anglican chant to mirror the liturgical elements of the service.” Bel Canto Chorus 5
ADDITIONAL PROGR A M NOTES
by
Susan Chamberlain Smith
Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac, Op. 51 Edward Benjamin Britten (November 22, 1913 – December 4, 1976) was the son of a dentist and a talented amateur singer who exposed him to music at an early age. He began composing his first works at the age of five. Six years later, the composer Frank Bridge became his mentor, giving Britten a technical foundation on which to base his creativity and introducing him to a wide range of composers. In 1930, Britten entered the Royal College of Music to study piano and composition. Beginning in 1935, Britten composed music for documentary films produced by the General Post Office. While working for the GPO, the composer met W.H. Auden, who became his collaborator on many vocal works. When Auden emigrated to the United States, Britten and his life partner, Peter Pears, decided to follow. After a few creative years in America, Britten and Pears returned to England in 1942. Britten’s second canticle, for solo alto and tenor with piano accompaniment, was written in 1952 for Peter Pears, Kathleen Ferrier and Britten to perform as a fundraiser for the English Opera Group. The text is based on the Abraham and Isaac story as depicted in the Chester Mystery Plays. For the Beauty of the Earth John Rutter, born in London on September 24, 1945, received his first musical education as a chorister at Highgate School. Rutter’s parents were not musical, but music was a part of his life from an early age. Rutter studied music at Clare College, Cambridge, where Sir David Willcocks called him “the most gifted composer of his generation.” From 1975 to 1979, Rutter was Director of Music at Clare College, whose choir he directed in a number of broadcasts and recordings. After giving up the Clare post to allow more time for composition, he formed the Cambridge Singers as a professional chamber choir primarily dedicated to recording, and he now divides his time between composition and conducting. Rutter’s two-part setting of Folliott S. Pierpoint’s hymn, “For the Beauty of the Earth,” was published in 1980. Rutter is an honorary Fellow of Westminster Choir College, Princeton, and a Fellow of the Guild of Church Musicians. In 1996, he was awarded a Lambeth Doctorate of Music by the Archbishop of Canterbury in recognition of his contribution to church music. In a 2003 interview for the CBS television program 60 Minutes, when asked why he thought his music was so popular, Rutter said, “Maybe it touches people’s hearts… perhaps that’s why it gets so widely done.”
ADDITIONAL PROGR A M NOTES
by
Susan Chamberlain Smith
Lo, the Full, Final Sacrifice Gerald Raphael Finzi, born in London on July 14, 1901, was the son of an Italian Jewish father and a German Jewish mother. His father, a wealthy shipbroker, died when Finzi was seven years old and the family moved to Harrogate where Finzi studied with Ernest Farrar, a pupil of Stanford and Vaughan Williams. During World War I, Farrar was killed on the Western Front and three of Finzi’s brothers died as well. After Farrar’s death, Finzi studied with Edward Bairstow, the organist and choirmaster of York Minster. In 1922, he moved to the Cotswolds, living in the village of Painswick. This landscape, which was dearly loved by Elgar, Howells, and Vaughan Williams, was to figure prominently in Finzi’s music. In 1926, following the advice of Adrian Boult, he moved to London to take counterpoint lessons with R.O. Morris. While in London, he taught at the Royal Academy of Music and became friends with the leading composers of the day, including Edmund Rubbra, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Arthur Bliss, and Gustav Holst. Gerald met his future wife, Joyce Black, while on a working holiday in Sussex. They were married in 1933, with Ralph and Adeline Vaughan Williams acting as the witnesses to the ceremony. In 1939, the Finzis built a beautiful home in the Berkshire Hills near Newbury where he planted an apple orchard, saving many native varieties from extinction, and amassed a huge library of precious books, being particularly fond of the poetry of Thomas Hardy, Thomas Traherne, William Wordsworth, and Robert Bridges. During the war years, Gerald Finzi was drafted into the Ministry of War Transport and opened his house to a number of German and Czech refugees. With the return of peace, Finzi began to receive a series of important commissions, which included the festival anthem, Lo, the Full, Final Sacrifice. This work for chorus and organ was commissioned in 1946 by the Rev. Walter Hussey for the 53rd anniversary of the consecration of St. Matthew’s Church, Northampton. Finzi orchestrated the piece for its performance at the Three Choirs Festival in 1947. Since then it has become a staple of the Anglican choral tradition in England, but is performed less frequently in the United States. Finzi assembled the text for the anthem from the poem of the same title by English metaphysical poet Richard Crashaw (c. 1613-1649). Crashaw’s poem is a translation of two Latin hymns by St. Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225-1274), Adoro Te and Lauda Sion Salvatorem, written in the 13th century for the newly-instituted Feast of Corpus Christi (Body of Christ). The highly evocative text on the Eucharist gave Finzi full range for his gift of matching words and music, enabling him to craft a progression of intensely colorful, moving scenes into a cohesive whole. The closing eight-part Amen is considered to be one of the most ravishingly beautiful pieces of choral writing of its period. In 1951, Finzi learned that he was suffering from Hodgkin’s disease, a form of leukemia, and was told he had between five and ten years to live. However, the discovery in no way lessened his activities. In addition to being a fine composer, Finzi put Parry’s manuscripts in order, edited the works of Ivor Gurney, edited and published neglected 18th century English music, and founded the Newbury String Players, who played many of the early works he championed as well as those of contemporary composers. Finzi finally lost the fight against his illness and he died on September 27, 1956. His Cello Concerto was first broadcast the night before he died.
PROGR A M TEXT Evensong By Richard Hynson 1. Out of the Depths Out of the depths have I called unto You, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Psalm 130:1 paraphrase 2. Let My Prayer Let my prayer be set forth as incense, the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice. Psalm 141:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord, Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2 Dear friends in Christ, here in the presence of almighty God, let us kneel in silence, and with penitent and obedient hearts confess our sins, so that we may obtain forgiveness by His infinite goodness and mercy. Book of Common Prayer – Evening Prayer II - Confession of Sin 3. Most Merciful God Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone, We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in Your will, and walk in Your ways, to the glory of Your Name. Amen. Book of Common Prayer – Evening Prayer II - Confession of Sin 4. Absolution The almighty and merciful God grant you absolution and remission of all your sins, true repentance, amendment of life, and the grace and consolation of His Holy Spirit. Amen. Book of Common Prayer - Penitential Order Rite 1 5. O Gracious Light Phos hilaron O gracious Light, pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven, O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed! Now as we come to the setting of the sun, and our eyes behold the vesper light, We sing Your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You are worthy at all times to be praised 8 Bel Canto Chorus
by happy voices! O Son of God, O Giver of life, You are worthy at all times to be praised, and to be glorified through all the worlds. O gracious Light, O Jesus Christ, O Christ! Book of Common Prayer – Daily Evening Prayer - Rite II 6. Psalm 149 Cantate Domino 1. Hallelujah! Sing to the Lord a new song; Sing His praise in the congregation of the faithful. 2. Let Israel rejoice in his Maker; Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. 3. Let them praise His Name in the dance; Let them sing praise to Him with timbrel and harp. 4. For the Lord takes pleasure in His people And adorns the poor with victory. 5. Let the faithful rejoice in triumph; Let them be joyful on their beds. 6. Let the praises of God be in their throats And a two-edged sword in their hands; 7. To wreak vengeance on the nations And punishment on the peoples; 8. To bind their kings in chains And their nobles with links of iron; 9. To inflict on them the judgment decreed; This is glory for all His faithful people. Hallelujah! Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be; World without end. Amen. Hallelujah! 7. Magnificat My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; 7a. Magnificat – For He has looked with favor For He has looked with favor on His lowly servant. From this day all generations shall call me blessed: and holy is His Name. He has mercy on those who fear Him in ev’ry generation. He has shown the strength of His arm, He has scattered the proud in their
P R O G R A M T E X T ( c o n t .) conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their seat, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has come to the help of His servant Israel, for He has remembered His promise of mercy, The promise He made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever. The Song of Mary – Luke 1:46-55 7b. Magnificat – Glory be to the Father Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. 8. Nunc Dimittis Lord, You now have set Your servant free to go in peace as You have promised; For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, whom You have prepared for all the world to see: A Light to enlighten the nations, and the glory of Your people Israel. The Song of Simeon - Luke 2:29-32 Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for evermore. Amen. 9. Apostles’ Creed I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. 10. The Lord’s Prayer Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. 11. Versicles and Responses V. Show us Your mercy, O Lord; R. And grant us Your salvation. V. Clothe Your ministers with righteousness; R. Let Your people sing with joy. V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world; R. For only in You can we live in safety. 12. Almighty God Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we Your unworthy servants give You humble thanks for all Your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom You have made. We bless You for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for Your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of Your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth Your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to Your service, and by walking before You in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with You and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen. Book of Common Prayer - Daily Evening Prayer - Rite II - The General Thanksgiving 13. Benediction Celebrant: Let us bless the Lord. People: Thanks be to God. Celebrant: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14 Thanks be to God!
Bel Canto Chorus 9
P R O G R A M T E X T ( c o n t .) 14. Praise Him Praise Him, praise Him, alleluia, Praise Him, Praise Him, Amen. Praise the Lord with hymns of joy. Praise Him, praise the Lord our God! Praise Him in His noble acts, Praise the Lord, ye people. Praise Him in the sound of the trumpet, Praise Him with the lute and harp, Praise Him in the timbrels and dances, Praise Him on the strings and pipe! Let everything that has breath sing praises, Praise Him, praise the Lord our God! Go then forth and give Him thanks, Thanks for all that He has made. Thanks be to God! Praise Him, praise Him, alleluia, Praise Him, praise Him, Amen. Canticle II (Abraham and Isaac), Op. 51 By Benjamin Britten God speaks: Abraham, my servant, Abraham, Take Isaac, thy son by name, That thou lovest the best of all, And in sacrifice offer him to me Upon that hill there besides thee. Abraham, I will that so it be, For aught that may befall. Abraham: My Lord, to Thee is mine intent Ever to be obedient. That son that Thou to me hast sent Offer I will to Thee. Thy bidding done shall be. (Here Abraham, turning him to his son Isaac, saith:) Make thee ready, my dear darling, For we must do a little thing. This woodë do on thy back it bring, We may no longer abide. A sword and fire that I will take, For sacrifice behoves me to make; God’s bidding will I not forsake, But ever obedient be. (Here Isaac speaketh to his father, and taketh a bundle of sticks and beareth after his father, and saith:) Isaac: Father, I am all ready To do your bidding most meekëly, 10 Bel Canto Chorus
And to bear this wood full bayn (willing) am I, As you commanded me. (Here they both go to the place to do sacrifice.) Abraham: Now, Isaac son, go we our way To yonder mount if that we may. Isaac: My dear father, I will essay To follow you full fain. (Abraham being minded to slay his son Isaac, lifts up his hands, and saith the following:) Abraham: O! My heart will break in three, To hear thy words I have pitye; As Thou wilt, Lord, so must it be, To Thee I will be bayn. Lay down thy faggot, my own son dear. Isaac: All ready, father, lo, it is here. But why make you such heavy cheer? Are you anything adread? Abraham: Ah! Dear God! That me is woe! Isaac: Father, if it be your will, Where is the beast that we shall kill? Abraham: Thereof, son, is none upon this hill. Isaac: Father, I am full sore affeared To see you bear that drawnë sword. Abraham: Isaac, son, peace, I pray thee, Thou breakest my heart even in three. Isaac: I pray you, father, layn (hide) nothing from me, But tell me what you think. Abraham: Ah! Isaac, Isaac, I must thee kill! Isaac: Alas! Father, is that your will, Your ownë child for to spill Upon this hillës brink? If I have trespassed in any degree With a yard you may beat me; Put up your sword, if your will be, For I am but a child. Would God my mother were here with me!
P R O G R A M T E X T ( c o n t .) She would kneel down upon her knee, Praying you, father, if it may be, For to save my life. Abraham: O Isaac, son, to thee I say God hath commanded me today Sacrifice, this is no nay, To make of thy bodye. Isaac: Is it God’s will I shall be slain? Abraham: Yea, son, it is not for to layn. (Here Isaac asketh his father’s blessing on his knees, and saith:) Isaac: Father, seeing you mustë needs do so, Let it pass lightly and over go; Kneeling on my kneës two, Your blessing on me spread. Abraham: My blessing, dear son, give I thee And thy mother’s with heart free. The blessing of the Trinity, My dear Son, on thee light. (Here Isaac riseth and cometh to his father, and he taketh him, and bindeth and layeth him upon the altar to sacrifice him, and saith:) Come hither, my child, thou art so sweet, Thou must be bound both hands and feet. Isaac: Father, do with me as you will, I must obey, and that is skill, Godës commandment to fulfil, For needs so it must be. Abraham: Isaac, Isaac, blessed must thou be. Isaac: Father, greet well my brethren ying, And pray my mother of her blessing, I come no more under her wing, Farewell for ever and aye. Abraham: Farewell, my sweetë son of grace! (Here Abraham doth kiss his son Isaac, and binds a kerchief about his head.) Isaac: I pray you, father, turn down my face, For I am sore adread.
Abraham: Lord, full loth were I him to kill! Isaac: Ah, mercy, father, why tarry you so? Abraham: Jesu! On me have pity, That I have most in mind. Isaac: Now, father, I see that I shall die: Almighty God in majesty! My soul I offer unto Thee! Abraham: To do this deed I am sorryë. (Here let Abraham make a sign as tho’ he would cut off his son Isaac’s head with his sword; then...) God speaks: Abraham, my servant dear, Lay not thy sword in no manner On Isaac, thy dear darling. For thou dreadest me, well wot I, That of thy son has no mercy, To fulfil my bidding. Abraham: Ah, Lord of heaven and King of bliss, Thy bidding shall be done, i-wiss! A hornëd wether here I see, Among the briars tied is he, To Thee offered shall he be Anon right in this place. (Then let Abraham take the lamb and kill him.) Sacrifice here sent me is, And all, Lord, through Thy grace. Conclusion: Such obedience grant us, O Lord! Ever to Thy most holy word. That in the same we may accord At this Abraham was bayn; And then altogether shall we That worthy King in heaven see, And dwell with Him in great glorye For ever and ever. Amen. Ave Maria By Bonnie Barrows Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedícta tu in mulieribus, Et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora pro nobis peccatoribus, Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen. Bel Canto Chorus 11
P R O G R A M T E X T ( c o n t .) Hail Mary, full of grace, The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, And blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, Now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Bist du bei mir By J.S. Bach Bist du bei mir; Geh ich mit Freuden Zum Sterben und zu meiner Ruh. Ach, wie vergnügt Wär so mein Ende, Es drückten deine schönen Hände Mir die getreuen Augen zu. When thou art near me; I go with joy To death and to my rest. O how pleasant Would my end be, If your fair hands would close My faithful eyes. For The Beauty Of The Earth By John Rutter For the beauty of the earth, For the beauty of the skies, For the love which from our birth Over and around us lies. Refrain: Lord of all to thee we raise This our joyful hymn of praise. For the beauty of each hour Of the day and of the night, Hill and vale and tree and flower, Sun and moon and stars of light. Refrain For the joy of human love, Brother, sister, parent, child, Friends on earth and friends above For all gentle thoughts and mild. Refrain For each perfect gift of thine, To our race so freely given, Graces human and divine, Flow’rs of earth and buds of heav’n. Refrain
Lo, the Full, Final Sacrifice By Gerald Finzi Lo, the full, final Sacrifice On which all figures fix’t their eyes. The ransomed Isaac, and his ram; The Manna, and the Paschal Lamb. Jesu Master, just and true! Our Food, and faithful Shepherd too! O let that love which thus makes thee Mix with our low Mortality, Lift our lean Souls, and set us up Convictors of thine own full cup, Coheirs of Saints. That so all may Drink the same wine; and the same Way. Nor change the Pasture, but the Place To feed of Thee in thine own Face. O dear Memorial of that Death Which lives still, and allows us breath! Rich, Royal food! Bountiful Bread! Whose use denies us to the dead! Live ever, Bread of loves, and be My life, my soul, my surer self to me. Help Lord, my Faith, my Hope increase; And fill my portion in thy peace. Give love for life; nor let my days Grow, but in new powers to thy name and praise. Rise, Royal Sion! rise and sing Thy soul’s kind shepherd, thy heart’s King. Stretch all thy powers; call if you can Harps of heaven to hands of man. This sovereign subject sits above The best ambition of thy love. Lo the Bread of Life, this day’s Triumphant Text provokes thy praise. The living and life-giving bread, To the great twelve distributed When Life, himself, at point to die Of love, was his own Legacy. O soft self-wounding Pelican! Whose breast weeps Balm for wounded man. All this way bend thy benign flood To’a bleeding Heart that gasps for blood. That blood, whose least drops sovereign be To wash my worlds of sins from me. Come love! Come Lord! and that long day For which I languish, come away. When this dry soul those eyes shall see, And drink the unseal’d source of thee. When Glory’s sun faith’s shades shall chase, And for thy veil give me thy Face. Amen. From Richard Crashaw’s “Adoro Te” and “Lauda Sion Salvatorem”, poetic translations of Latin hymns by St. Thomas Aquinas.
12 Bel Canto Chorus
B E L C A N TO C H O R U S Jill Andersen Vaughn Ausman Kevin Bailey+ Jonathon Bartos Kelly Bartyczak Alison Bayne Carol Bayne Jan Becker Deborah Betsworth Sara Bitner Eloise Black CarolAnne Bozosi Susan Brown Marc Cohen Peter Craig Elaine Ernst Christine G. Fitch Emily Fox Josefina Z. S. Gardinier Janet Gibeau Andrea S. Goetzinger+ Eileen Griffiths Lynn Gutoski James U. Hammond Brett Hanisko Carrie F. Hardel Joshua Hart Keith Heidmann Joan Henkel James Hill Bruce Himelstein Amanda Hoffman Craig Hoffmann Glenna Holstein Dan Holzmiller Jeanne Houle Ronald Houle Sally D. Hoyt
Christopher Hughes Katherine Hughes Kathleen Hughes+ Michelle Hynson+ Elizabeth Janicek Katie Kaminsky Tom Kibbe Susi Kiefer Kieth Klemp Kyle Kolberg Russell Kopitzke+ Steve Kunda Erin Laabs Jonathan A. Laabs+ Penny Laferriere Lindsay Lamm Helga Larsen Angela Lee Alex Lesko Gary Lesko John W. Lettermann+ Loretta Jelinek Lieske K. David Lupardus Barbara L. Lyons Patrick C. Lyons Carol Lynne McKean TJ Perlick Molinari Stacey Naffah Erik Olson Sarah Pabbathi Lori Ann Pannier+ Marjorie Piechowski Alexandra Pieper Renee Pottorff John Reinardy Betty Reul David Reul Kay Richardson
Marie Romero Kerry Saver Kathleen Schilz Kate Schmitt Glenn Schumann Trinny Schumann Isaac Schwabacher Fred Sentman Joe Skurzewski Cameron Smith Susan Chamberlin Smith William R. Smith+ Binette Solomon Philip Starr Joan Stevens James D. Stout Sheila Strock Lora Sunder Jon Szczepaniak Tim Szczepaniak Ken Tazelaar Kim Terek Mary Thiele Tom Thiele Carolyn Tramel Kristin Traut Tom Treder Fausta Urboniene Sharri Van Alstine Sarah Warran Jennifer W. Watson Hazel Wheaton Rebecca Whitney+ Jessica Wirth +Denotes Section Leader
B E L C A N TO B O Y C H O I R S Elias Baldino Kai Bartl Peter Boyland Ryan DeLoge Teddy Esten Joshua Hodge Evan Hunter Jack Karnes
Michael Kearney William Kenealey Sam Laferriere Brodie Mutschler Ahokava Paea Nathan Rausch Ethan Shuler Philip Shuler
Trevor Smith Aidan Treder Daniel Wallace Joseph Wiebersch Michael Wiebersch Jordan Yoon-Buck
Bel Canto Chorus 13
B E L C A N TO C H O R U S O R G A N I Z AT I O N Board of Directors President.............................................................................................................. Merilou Gonzales Treasurer...........................................................................................................................Jim Hyland Secretary............................................................................................................................Tom Thiele Chorus Representative................................................................................................Kerry Saver Marc Cohen, Patrick Foran, Betty Reul, Peter Storer, Martin Tierney, Ariana Voigt Artistic Staff Music Director/Conductor................................................................................Richard Hynson Assistant Conductor/Accompanist..............................................................Michelle Hynson Boy Choirs Director................................................................................................ Ellen M. Shuler Administrative Staff Executive Director........................................................................................................ Marla Hahn Development Director.....................................................................................Rebecca Whitney Patron Services Manager............................................................................................Jim LaBelle Technical Staff Equipment Manager............................................................................................. James D. Stout Chorus Cabinet Kelly Bartyczak, Jan Becker, CarolAnne Bozosi, Susan Brown, Susi Kiefer, K. David Lupardus, Carol Lynne McKean, Marjorie Piechowski, Kerry Saver, Kathleen Schilz, Kate Schmitt, Hazel Wheaton B E L C A N TO C H O R U S M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T The mission of Bel Canto Chorus is to enrich the lives of its audiences and singing members through the outstanding presentation of the finest choral music, and to reach out to the community in order to share the benefits and the joy of the singing arts. B E L C A N TO C H O R U S E N D OWM E N T F U N D Consider donating to Bel Canto Chorus’ Endowment Fund, where your gift to choral music can be appreciated for years to come. Whether it is a gift of stock or a check, simply indicate that you would like your investment to go toward our Endowment Fund. For more information, contact the Bel Canto office at (414) 481-8801. B E L C A N TO L E G AC Y S O C I E T Y Members of the Bel Canto Legacy Society have agreed to include the Chorus as part of their estate planning arrangements. You may join them by contacting the Bel Canto office at (414) 481-8801. Vaughn Ausman and Sally D. Hoyt Margaret E. Haggerty Kerry Saver Chris and Joanna Smocke 14 Bel Canto Chorus
James Steinman David and Roseann Tolan Louis Winter
AC K N OW L E D G E M E N T S ( l i s t e d
as of
J a n u a r y 31, 2 012 )
Bel Canto Chorus wishes to thank these friends for their generous support of our 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 seasons. Please consider adding your name to this list. Bravissimo ($5,000+) Chuck Barnum* Lynde & Harry Bradley Foundation Herzfeld Foundation Sally Hoyt & Vaughn Ausman* Hydrite Chemical* Milwaukee County CAMPAC Nicholas Family Foundation Oconomowoc Area Foundation’s Scherfiuss Fund The Riverbend Fund at Schwab Charitable Fund Bert L. and Patricia S. Steigleder Charitable Trust George B. Storer Foundation Jean & Peter Storer+ Ireene Sullivan+ Wisconsin Arts Board Karyn & Bernard Youso* Bravo ($1,000 - $4,999) Anonymous Baird Foundation* Carole & Thomas Barnum* Jan & Robert Becker CMGRP, Inc. Wendy & Marc Cohen* Susan & Thomas Connor* Gardner Foundation Janet Gibeau+ Greater Milwaukee Foundation - David and Roseann Tolan Fund Harley-Davidson Motor Company* John W. Hayes, Sr.* Michelle & Richard Hynson* Morgan Stanley Foundation Jean & Hilton Neal Northwestern Mutual Foundation* Oconomowoc Area Foundation’s Richard R. and Karen Bertrand Charitable Fund Betty & Dave Reul* S. C. Johnson* San Camillo/St. Camillus* Billie & David Smith Susan & William Smith* Mary & Tom Thiele* Roseann & David Tolan*
Uihlein Charitable Foundation Wegner LLP* Inge & Frank Wintersberger* Fortissimo ($500 - $999) Carol Alexander & James Coutts* American Landscape* Eloise Black* Karen Bubenzer John Cullen Fund* Cindy & Brian Dearing Deloitte* Direct Supply, Inc.* Janice Dodson First Bank Financial Centre* J. William and Lois M. Foran Family Trust* Michael Hayes & Patricia Teets Katherine Hughes* Laura & Jim Hyland+ Eileen Kehoe & Bud Reinhold* Kiwanis Club of Milwaukee* Kristine & Russell Kleiser Lisa & Mark Krueger Sue & Gary Lesko Jamy & Michael Malatesta* Rudy Malz Keith Mardak* Patricia & Ray Mehler* Linda & Jock Mutschler Marjorie Piechowski* Alexandra & Rick Pieper* Suzanne & Richard Pieper Ramiah Investment Group* Kerry Saver* Mary Schueller & Michael Walton* Katherine & Don Schwerin Kay & Joseph Tierney III Janet & Martin Tierney+ Kristin & Dave Traut* Betsey & Earnest Williamson Wipfli Foundation* Zeppos & Associates, Inc.* Forte ($250 - $499) CarolAnne Bozosi+ Randy Casey Sandra Christensen Mary Alice Tierney Dunn Ebert’s Greenhouse Village Dawn & Tom Gagliano Josefina Gardinier+
Eileen & Reese Griffiths+ Louise & Robert Hedrick Herbert Kohl Charities, Inc. Christine & James Hill+ Kathleen & Tyrrell Hughes+ Richard C. Johannes, DDS+ Bonnie & Kieth Klemp+ Adeline & Harvey Kohn Charmaine & James LaBelle+ Lindsay & Timothy Lamm+ Barbara & Patrick Lyons+ Gwen & Jim Plunkett Connie Pukaite+ Kris Smith Marcia & Jeff Schwager Brenda Skelton-Bendtsen Judy & James Stoddard Helen Vettori Heather Watson Tina & Scott Weiss Jessica Wirth+ Mezzo Forte ($100 - $249) Anonymous (2)+ James Anderson Lynne Ausman & David Croll Blanche Banerian Carol & Jay Bayne+ Deborah Betsworth+ Evert Bos Dawn & Dave Brightsman Susan Brown+ Annette Byrne Don Carlson Sally & Mike Chier Ellen & Michael Comiskey Nan & Richard Conser Jennifer Cooley Kay & John Crichton Mary & Rich Davenport Jane & Joe Dean In honor of Peggy Dean Rosemarie Deisinger+ Patricia Donohoe Mr. & Mrs. John R. Dunn East Shore Specialty Foods+ Marcella Egges Rosemary Fischer June Fisher Marynell Foran Janet & Stanley Fox Mark & Danella Friday Ann Fritsch Naomi Fritz Karri Fritz-Klaus In memory of Dr. Robert J. Fritz
Bel Canto Chorus 15
AC K N OW L E D G E M E N T S ( c o n t .) Mary Gillstrom Elna Hickson William Hoppenjan Jeanne Houle+ Ron Houle+ June Hoyt Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee+ Susan Jasan In honor of Sally Hoyt & Vaughn Ausman Keith and Denise Johnson Kasdorf Family Trust Sally & Kenan Kersten Susan & Don Kiefer+ Michelle & Ed Kotnarowski+ Helga Larsen Lynne & Thomas Lindemann Jeffrey & Mavis Luther+ Roy MacGregor Dorothy Jane Martin Sue Martin-Steiner & Tony Steiner Raquel Maxwell Megan McGovern Jayne & Roger Micheln+ Edith Moravcsik Mary Moscisker Mary Ann Mueller Margaret Neis-Robertson Chet & Maribeth Nielsen Old Fashioned Foods+ Deborah & Jamshed Patel Jane & David Patterson Richard Pietsch Mary Pollock Kathy & Dan Pomeroy Carol & Mark Rausch Adrienne & John Reinardy+ Nikki & Darin Riggleman Marian Roeglin Kathy Rossie Susan Rugg Mary & Michael Ryan Kathleen & Timothy Schilz+ Timothy Schmidt+ Fred Sentman Mary Smith Binette Solomon+ Patty & Brad Spaits In honor of Elaine Kennedy, Bel Canto Senior Singers Jack & Gerry Spooner+ Elisabeth & Ed Stieg Yvonne & John Stubbs+ Barbara Sullivan Lora & Gregg Sunder+ Ken Tazelaar+
16 Bel Canto Chorus
Glen Van Fossen+ Kimberly VerHoef Ariana & Peter Voigt+ Richard & Judith Wagner Elizabeth & Carl Wege Midge Wheeler & Peter Foris Michelle LaBella Wilkins & Brad Wilkins Virginia Wirth Gail Zander Friend (to $99) Anonymous (1) J. Mark Baker+ Patricia & Chris Barnard Betsy Benes Lydia Bishop and Don Hands Doris Chamberlin Robert Christie Kate & Craig Coldiron Julie & Peter Craig+ Emily & Dean Crocker Patricia & Phil Crump Ruth Danby Peggy Dean Catherine & Eric Draeger+ Geralyn Dunning Deborah Feingold Jean & John Fico Christine & Jim Fitch+ Patricia Foley+ Joanne Foran Patrick Foran+ Constance Forrest Stanley Gabik Wayne & Caryl Galler Louis Germanotta Andrea Goetzinger+ Janet Goldsmith Ervin & Linda Golembiewski Virginia Halaska Marilyn Hartmann Keith Heidmann Joan Henkel+ Mary Horne Mary Jaeckle Elizabeth Janicek Marjorie Jothen Katie Kaminsky Martha Kehoe Elaine Kennedy Kind Inc. DBA Culvers Penny Laferriere Angela Lee+ Debbie & Randy LeRoy Loretta & John Lieske Thelma Mahoney Mary Henszey
Richard Masters Laurie Mather Carol Lynne McKean+ Grace Merten Sally Mills Ione Minster Eleanor Moe+ Randall Moles Kelsey & Theodore Molinari Linda & Edward Mordy Susan & Frank Mrnik Christine and Robert Mueller Erik Olson+ Ann Panlener Lori Ann & Scott Pannier Jayne Pelton Roberta Piper Marilyn & Henry Powers Debbie Rakestraw Lee Renner Ginny Tierney Rogers Barb Berndhardt-Roth and Roy Roth Aida Sabulyte-Gust Herb & Hollie Schick E. Thomas Schilling Carol Schmitt Trinny & Glenn Schumann Maureen & Jim Sieveke Mary Smiltneek Julita Snell Philip Starr Joan & Bill Stevens Sheila Strock Ellen Strommen Esther Tito Carolyn Tramel David Unruh We Energies Foundation Hazel Wheaton Rebecca & Steve Whitney Mary Wyant Betty & Tom Zamzow Marilyn & Doug Zwissler * “United We Stand” 9.11.11 Stars & Stripes Campaign Sponsor + “United We Stand” 9.11.11 Stars & Stripes Campaign Donor