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Ritz Chamber Players with Robert Sims November 16, 2013

Edgerton Performing Arts Center Funded in part by the William & Joyce Wartmann Endowment for the Performing Arts Ritz Chamber Players with Robert Sims

Ritz Chamber Players Founded in 2002 by clarinetist and Artistic Director Terrance Patterson, the Ritz Chamber Players presents a landmark subscription series at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts in Jacksonville, Florida combining exceptional artistry on stage with inspiring educational programs in schools and throughout the community. The Ritz Chamber Players is hailed by The Baltimore Sun as “one of the most interesting and dynamic ensembles to emerge in recent years.” Boasting some of the world’s preeminent musicians spanning the African diaspora, it brings a fresh, new energy to the classical music genre. Called “a remarkable ensemble,” the group’s flexible structure allows for astonishing combinations of virtuoso players and rising stars, creating “riveting” performances of the standard classical music repertoire. The WEpac (Wartmann Endowment for the Performing Arts Center) Board was established in 2003 by former Edgerton School District Superintendent Dr. Norman L. Fjelstad to work in accordance with the Wartmann Endowment to help the arts program in the Edgerton Community grow in perpetuity. Board members are: Jennifer Dail Diane Everson Ellen Knutson Dr. Dennis Pauli Connie Tronnes

Nancy Dickinson Erin Gonzalez Tom Livick Gary Smith Paul M. Tropp

Cathe Engler Amy Horn-Delzer Joan Montgomery Lisa Teubert

Striving to provide a diverse selection of quality, affordable entertainment to the Edgerton Community. EPAC Production Personnel WEpac Board Members EPAC Coordinator, Marketing & Publicity, Lighting, Master Electrician, Concert Program, Artist Relations: Paul M. Tropp Technician: Josiah B. Tropp Ticket Manager: Donna Skau Box Office Clerk: Sharon Wright

Proud members of these organizations

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Tonight’s Program BACH Sonata in B minor for Flute, Harpsichord, and Continuo, BWV 1030 Andante Largo e dolce Presto: Allegro SPIRITUAL I'm Going Home on Morning Train LEE “Night Visions of Kippur” Flying lions, thrones, opened books A Narrow Pathway Traveled Iron teeth, pompous words! McLIN I’m a Soldier in the Army of the Lord Spiritual Suite for Baritone and Quintet MENDELSSOHN Trio No. 2 for Violin, Cello and Piano in C minor, Op. 66 Allegro energico e con fuoco Andante espressivo Scherzo: Molto allegro quasi presto Finale: Allegro appassionato Sonata in B minor for Flute, Harpsichord, and Continuo, BWV 1030 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685‐1750) It was long believed that most of Bach's chamber music dated from his period at the German court of Cöthen, a post he held from 1717 to 1723. But more recent research into works such as the present Sonata for Flute and Harpsichord has complicated that assumption and en‐ riched our understanding of Bach's compositional process. It is a work whose combination of tradition and innovation side‐by‐side tells us something about its origins. *Please turn off cell phones and pagers. No food, gum or beverages in the theatre, and no unauthorized video or photography. Thank You!

Ritz Chamber Players with Robert Sims

Sonata in B minor for Flute continued The Bach scholar Christoph Wolff has offered several compelling arguments in favor of dating this sonata to Bach's Leipzig period, specifically to the 1730s. Bach was director of the Collegium Musicum in Leipzig at the time, and the sonata was just the sort of music the Collegium included in its concerts. Bach's children frequently performed with the Collegium, and Bach may have intended the sonata for his son Johann Gottfried Bernhard (1715‐1739), a gifted flute player. The Sonata exists in at least one earlier version, in G minor with a part for concertante harpsichord, parts of which were probably a revision of an even earlier trio sonata. (For tonight's performance, a cello joins the ensemble to reinforce the harpsichord part.) The music of the B‐minor Sonata combines elements of both of these styles. The structure of the opening movement, with its alternation between fuller‐textured, ritornello‐like passages and stretches dominated by the soloistic writing for the flute, reflects its debt to concerto form. In the ensuing Largo e dolce, too, Bach writes for the harpsichord as he would for the ripieno (the orchestra) in one of his concertos, and the flute spins out its melody as a soloist. The closing movement begins with a Presto fugue written in three voices ‐ flute, keyboard right hand, and keyboard left hand ‐ in the manner of a trio sonata. The concluding Allegro, a dance movement in 12/16, continues this kind of writing. Night Visions of Kippur for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello and Piano James Lee III (born in 1975) Composed in 2011. WORLD PREMIERE. Commissioned for the Ritz Chamber Players by JC and Renee Cannon on behalf of the University of Washington’s International Chamber Music Series. “I want to compose music,” says James Lee III of the deep spirituality of his creative work, “to reach into the inner soul of listeners and elevate them regardless of race and religious affiliation.” Lee was born in 1975 in St. Joseph, Michigan, on the southern Lake Michigan shore, and holds bachelor’s (1995), master’s (2001) and doctoral degrees (2005) in piano and composition from the University of Michigan, where his teachers included William Bolcom, Bright Sheng and Michael Daugherty. 4

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Night Visions of Kippur continued Lee was also a Seiji Ozawa Composition Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center during the summer of 2002, when he studied composition with Osvaldo Golijov, Michael Gandolfi, Steven Mackey, Kaija Saariaho and Augusta Reed Thomas and conducting with Stefan Asbury. Lee has taught at Marygrove College in Detroit and the Village Music School in Plymouth, Michigan, and since 2005 has been on the faculty of Morgan State University in Baltimore, where he is now Associate Professor of Composition and Theory. In addition to his fellowship at Tanglewood, Lee has also received the Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Rackham Merit Fellowship from the University of Michigan, and First Prize in the Leigh Morris Chorale Choral Composition Competition. His works, for orchestra, chorus, solo voice, chamber ensembles, organ and piano, have been performed across the United States and in South Africa, Europe and Japan. Lee’s Night Visions of Kippur, composed in 2011, was commissioned for the Ritz Chamber Players by JC and Renee Cannon on behalf of the University of Washington’s International Chamber Music Series. Of it, the composer writes, “Night Visions of Kippur is a musical commentary largely based on the seventh chapter of the biblical book of Daniel. It is in this chapter that Daniel had a vision in which he saw various animals with unnatural characteristics. There was a lion with eagle’s wings, a bear with three ribs in its mouth, a four-headed leopard with wings, and a terrible beast with iron teeth and ten horns on its head. Night Visions of Kippur is in three movements: 1. Flying Lions, Thrones, Opened Books; 2. A Narrow Pathway Traveled; and 3. Iron Teeth, Pompous Words! The name Daniel means ‘God is my judge’ and ‘Kippur’ is the Hebrew term for the ‘day of atonement,’ which was also a day of judgment — hence the thrones were put into place and the books were opened.

All performances are funded in part by the William & Joyce Wartmann Endowment for the Performing Arts

Ritz Chamber Players with Robert Sims

Night Visions of Kippur continued “Flying Lions, Thrones, Opened Books begins with music suggesting entering the vision already in progress. There are ascending and descending gestures in the piano accompanied with string glissandi and woodwind flourishes. As the music continues, there are dialogues between the instruments of the ensemble that illustrate the fierceness of these animals. Suddenly, the scene changes into one that is more serene, with cello and violin solos evoking the heavenly judgment scene. The next scene displays the career of the beast with iron teeth and ten horns on its head. “A Narrow Pathway Traveled was inspired by the dream of a woman who lived in the 19th century and died in the early part of 20th, which shows a humble group of people traveling a narrow pathway. This music utilizes the intervals of open fifths and long melodic lines. Sensitive and delicate passages convey the idea that these people had ‘passed through severe trials and conflicts. And it appeared as if the sun had just risen from behind a cloud and shone upon their countenances, causing them to look triumphant, as if their victories were nearly won.’ There is contrasting music that represents a train that seems to have most of the world onboard. This train is moving at lightning speed carrying its passengers to their destiny. Finally, the music rests. “Iron Teeth, Pompous Words! further explores the activities of the beast with iron teeth. The music is structured in a ternary form [A–B–A]. The aggressive character of the music becomes increasingly complex until it is interrupted by a more playful passage in the B section. The flute and clarinet play statements that imitate each other, then the cello and violin enter with quasi-fugal passages without an exposition but only episodes. Once the initial musical material returns, the music is more passionato, with broad, maestoso gestures, woodwind flourishes and virtuosic passagework, until the work ends with an explosion of sound.”

This evening’s concert is also sponsored by:

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I’m a Soldier in the Army of the Lord, Spiritual Suite for Baritone and Quintet Lena McLin (born in 1928) The distinguished educator, minister of music, performer, composer and arranger Lena McLin was born in Atlanta in 1928 to the Reverend Benjamin J. Johnson and his wife, Bernice Dorsey Johnson, who directed the music at her husband’s church — “we didn’t know anything but music,” McLin remembered of her early years. Lena was sent when she was five to live with her uncle in Chicago, Thomas A. Dorsey, after her mother died in childbirth. Dorsey, often called “the father of black gospel music” for his performances and early recordings of both traditional and new gospel songs, his establishment of the first black gospel music publishing company, his founding of the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses, and his pioneering use of gospel music in two of Chicago’s most influential churches. Uncle Thomas was a seminal influence for young Lena. Lena became thoroughly grounded in the spirit and traditions of the gospel and occasionally served as an accompanist for her uncle’s Pilgrim Baptist Church choir. McLin returned to Atlanta to attend Booker T. Washington High School, where her friends included Martin Luther King, Jr. She graduated in 1947, received her undergraduate degree from Spelman College in 1951, and went for advanced study to Chicago’s American Conservatory of Music and Roosevelt University. She taught in the Chicago Public Schools for 36 years, where she touched hundreds of students, including Metropolitan Opera baritone Mark Rucker and soprano Nicole Heaston, Lyric Opera of Chicago soprano Jonita Latimore, Broadway and television star Mandy Patinkin and R&B artist R. Kelly. McLin has also served as Pastor and Minister of Music at the Holy Vessel Baptist Church in Chicago since she founded the congregation in 1982, authored Pulse: A History of Music, and published hundreds of arrangements and original compositions ranging from art songs to orchestral works and liturgical Masses. Lena McLin’s contributions to education and musical and American culture have been recognized with the Outstanding Teacher Award from the Chicago Public Schools and honorary degrees from Spelman College and Virginia Union University. Her “spiritual suite” for baritone and sextet takes its title and inspiration from the traditional gospel song I’m a Soldier in the Army of the Lord.

Ritz Chamber Players with Robert Sims

Terrance Patterson - Founder and Artistic Director - Clarinet A Jacksonville, Florida, native, Terrance Patterson has performed in Paris, London, Milan, Brussels, Belgrade, Munich, Amsterdam, Moscow, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Miami, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and New York. He has performed with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, the Sphinx Symphony of Detroit and the Nashville, Florida West Coast, Huntsville, Festival, and Las Vegas Symphonies. He attended the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University where he studied with Lorin Kitt, principal clarinetist of the National Symphony Orchestra. Judy Dines - Flute A native of Washington DC, Judy Dines began studying the flute at the age of six. She won several competitions, including first prize in the National Symphony Young Soloists Competition and first prize in the Temple University Student Soloist Competition. She graduated from Temple University with a Bachelors degree in Music Performance, and was a Master’s degree candidate at the Peabody Institute. Her principal teachers include Alice Weinreb, Murray Panitz, Kazuo Tokito and Robert Willoughby. Currently, Ms. Dines plays in the Houston Symphony. Kelly Hall-Tompkins -Violin One of New York City’s most in-demand violinists, Kelly HallTompkins’ dynamic career spans solo, chamber, and orchestral performance. Her solo performances include the Dame Myra Hess Series in Chicago, broadcast live by WFMT Radio; in Baltimore, the Peggy and Yale Gordon Trust performances; and, through a special grant from the IBM Corporation, concerts at the Peace Center in Greenville, South Carolina. Ms. Hall-Tompkins has been a soloist with the Dallas, Greenville, and Monmouth Symphonies, the Philharmonic of Uruguay, the Gateways Festival Orchestra, the Festival of the Atlantic Orchestra, and the Atlanta University Orchestra and her performances in recital have been featured on several occasions on the McGraw-Hill Young Artist Showcase, broadcast in New York by WQXR. Ms. Hall-Tompkins’ distinguished orchestral career has included extensive touring in the United States and internationally with the renowned Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. In 1999 she won auditions held by the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and was subsequently appointed to the orchestra’s First Violin section. Hall-Tompkins began her violin studies at age nine. She earned a Master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music under the mentorship of Glenn Dicterow, concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic.

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Wayne Smith – Cello Cellist, Wayne Smith, gave his recital debut at the Kennedy Center in 1996, and has appeared as soloist and chamber musician in the United States, Italy, Germany, Romania, Hungary, Austria, Poland, and China. He has played with the New Jersey Chamber Music Society, the National Chamber Orchestra, the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, the Philharmonic of New Jersey, the Princeton Chamber Symphony, and the Heidelberg Castle Festival Orchestra in Heidelberg, Germany, among other groups, and was a featured soloist on the PBS Series “Musical Encounters”. He has also enjoyed an active teaching career and has taught at Salisbury State University in Maryland, and Amherst College, and the University of Massachusetts. He did his undergraduate studies at the Eastman School of Music with Steven Doane and his graduate studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst with Astrid Schween. David Berry -- Piano A native of Syracuse, NY, David E. Berry’s performances as soloist and chamber musician have been featured at venues such as Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Bechstein Hall, the FOCUS festival, the Gateways Music Festival, as well as in live broadcasts of WQXR New York Times Radio. Mr. Berry has been a featured performer in the “Nights in the Gardens of Spain” and “Chopin, George Sand and Their Circle” Piano Series’ hosted by author David Dubal and was recently featured as soloist in the 2011 world premiere of Kevin Cummines’ Piano Concerto with the Hudson Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Berry was the Grand Prize Winner of the 2007 Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition, as well as a prizewinner in the Thousand Islands International Piano Competition. Mr. Berry received his Bachelors of Music with High Distinction from the Eastman School of Music, and Masters and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the Juilliard School. His primary piano instructors have included Martin Canin and Douglas Humpherys, with additional chamber music studies under Seymour Lipkin, Jacob Lateiner and Jonathan Feldman. Tickets to the Wartmann Artist Series are available at Edgerton Piggly Wiggly, Edgerton Pharmacy, Knapton Musik Knotes and Voigt Music Center both of Janesville or by calling 561-6093. Online at iTickets.com

Ritz Chamber Players with Robert Sims

Robert Sims

Lyric Baritone

“….stunning, dazzling, and sublime.” -Chicago Tribune Robert Sims, Gold Medal winner of the American Traditions Competition, has been hailed by critics for his rich tone, energetic performances, and convincing stage presence. Mr. Sims has been highly praised for his moving interpretations of African American spirituals. He has appeared with many orchestras in the U.S., and toured Japan with the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra where he was featured in a nationally televised performance of Bernstein's Opening Prayer. In 2005, Sims made his recital debut at Carnegie Hall and was invited by Jessye Norman to participate in Honor! A Celebration of the African American Cultural Legacy at Carnegie Hall in March of 2009. He recently appeared with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and made his debut in the United Kingdom with the Gibraltar Philharmonic. He has performed in concert at New York’s Lincoln Center, the Smithsonian Institution, the Ravinia, Chautauqua, Savannah, Grant Park, and Big Arts summer music festivals, the Latour de France International Music Festival, and the celebrated American Church in Paris. Under the auspices of Canti Classics, Community Concerts, and Live On Stage Series, Sims has performed more than 150 recitals throughout the United States. Robert has appeared several times in performance on the Hour of Power from the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, which is broadcast internationally, and was the focus of a Public Broadcasting Service special Artbeat Chicago. He has toured nationally in the ensemble Three Generations, a celebration of American spirituals and folk songs with renowned artists George Shirley, the late William Warfield and Benjamin Matthews. Recently, he debuted with Simon Estes and Jubilant Sykes in the trio Simon, Sykes & Sims, singing spirituals and American songs.

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The Alley Cats Holiday Show

Sunday, December 15, 2013 at 1 PM AMERICAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PREMIER DOO-WOP GROUP PRESENTS Jingle Bell Rock â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A Harmoniously Hysterical Holiday Hit! Tickets $20 in advance $25 at the door 608-561-6093 or online at iTickets.com

Nordic Choir of Luther College Saturday, January 25, 2014 7:30 PM Tickets $20 in advance $25 at the door 608-561-6093 or online at iTickets.com Nordic Choir, founded in 1946, enjoys national and international acclaim as a premiere collegiate choral ensemble in the United States. Nordic Choir has toured extensively throughout the United States, performing in countless churches, schools, and concert halls, including Lincoln Center, New York; Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C.; Orchestra Hall, Chicago; Orchestra Hall and the Historic State Theatre, Minneapolis; the Ordway Music Theatre, St. Paul, Minn.; Walt Disney concert Hall and the Crystal Cathedral, Los Angeles; and the Mormon Tabernacle, Salt Lake City. Sponsored also by: The Brent and Amy Delzer family in honor of Daughter, EHS Alumni and Nordic Choir member, Hannah Delzer.

Ritz Chamber Players with Robert Sims

Concert & Series Sponsors: PRODUCER William and Joyce Wartmann Endowment for the Performing Arts Center William J. Wartmann Thomas & Joyce Eastman DIRECTOR Brent & Amy Delzer Edgerton Pharmacy Rudisill, LLC ASSOCIATE Edgerton High School Class of 1963 PATRON James Cullen, Prairie Craftsmen, Inc. James & Barbara Furstenberg Julie Hagemann Kotwitz Inc. Edgerton Piggly Wiggly Jack & Joan Malin David & Jane Nelson Don & Barb Nickerson Wayne L. Paulson Jean & Ronald Theis Michele LaPean-Usher VFW Ladies Auxiliary Post 2708 James & Bette Wileman

Special Thanks To: William & Joyce Wartmann Dr. Dennis Pauli WEpac Board Members Edgerton Pharmacy Knapton Musik Knotes Voigt Music Centers, Inc. Piggly Wiggly C&M Printing The Edgerton Reporter EHS Choir Booster Club Kris Chapados Edgerton School District Board of Education and Staff

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