THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MUSIC
Presents THE UNIVERSITY CHAMBER CHOIR
Michael Hanawalt, Director
Ethan Murphy, Graduate Associate Conductor
Steven Olson, Graduate Associate Conductor
Judy Arthur, Piano
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Seven-thirty in the Evening
Ruby Diamond Concert Hall
Livestream: wfsu.org/fsumusic
Abendlied (Evening Song), Op. 69/3
PROGRAM
Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir, BWV 131
Josef Rheinberger (1839–1901)
Johann Sebastian Bach
I. Chorus - Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir (1685–1750)
II. Aria & Chorale - So du willst, Herr, Sünde zurechnen
Dorian Carr, soloist
III. Chorus - Ich harre des Herrn, meine Seele harret
IV. Aria & Chorale - Meine Seele wartet auf den Herrn von einer Morgenwache
Annika Stucky, soloist
V. Chorus - Israel hoffe auf den Herrn; denn bei dem Herrn
Hallelujah
Helletused
Hands
INTERMISSION
Leonard Cohen (1934–2016)
arr. Michael Hanawalt & Justine Sasanfar
Shayna Singer, Maclain Hardin-Kurza, Isabella Pinilla, soloists
Justine Sasanfar, piano
Madison Roths and Alissa D’Alton, soloists
Veljo Tormis (1930–2017)
Maggie Merrell, Annika Stucky, Harold Wright, Dorian Carr, quartet
Jocelyn Hagen (b. 1980)
Ashley Lewis and Steven Olson, soloists
Mass: A Celebration of Love and Joy
André J. Thomas
IV. Sanctus (b. 1952)
Marques Jerrell Ruff, soloist
André J. Thomas, piano; Aaron Hernandez, electric bass
Alex Bonahue, drum set
Please refrain from talking, entering, or exiting while performers are playing. Food and drink are prohibited in all concert halls. Please turn off cell phones and all other electronic devices. Please refrain from putting feet on seats and seat backs. Children who become disruptive should be taken out of the performance hall so they do not disturb the musicians and other audience members.
ABOUT THE MUSIC DIRECTOR AND CONDUCTOR
Michael Hanawalt is the Director of Graduate Choral Studies at Florida State University, where he conducts the Chamber Choir, teaches graduate courses in conducting and choral literature, and serves as Artistic Director for the Tallahassee Community Chorus. Previous appointments include Director of Choral Activities at Wichita State University, Chorus Director at the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, and Visiting Instructor of Music at St. Olaf College.
Hanawalt is a founding member of the professional male vocal ensemble Cantus, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Throughout his eleven-year tenure with the organization, he recorded twelve CDs, participated in 200 educational outreach events, and performed in or oversaw the booking of over 500 concerts, including collaborations with the King’s Singers, the Boston Pops, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Minnesota Orchestra. He also served for six years as Cantus’ Executive Director, overseeing its growth through organizational management, fundraising, and board development.
Active as a tenor soloist, Hanawalt is the winner of competitions held by the Schubert Club in Minneapolis, MN, Thursday Musical in St. Paul, MN, and the National Association of Teachers of Singing in Collegeville, MN. Recent past engagements include the Evangelist in J. S. Bach’s Matthäus-Passion with the Bethany College Messiah Festival of the Arts, as well as tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra and in Mozart’s Requiem with the Tarleton State University choirs and orchestra and at Westfield State University in Massachusetts.
Hanawalt’s choral arrangements are published by Boosey & Hawkes, Colla Voce, and the Niel. A Kjos Music Company. His setting of “Amazing Grace” has been performed at two national conventions of the American Choral Director’s Association, and his arrangement of “Loch Lomond” is featured on the Cantus recording, Let Your Voice Be Heard.
Hanawalt holds a B.M. in Vocal Performance from St. Olaf College, an M.M. in Choral Conducting from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in Choral Music Education from Florida State University. He is the recipient of the 2016 Mickey and Pete Armstrong Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Wichita State University College of Fine Arts.
Abendlied
Josef Rheinberger
Bleib bei uns
denn es will Abend warden und der Tag hat sich geneiget.
Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir
Johann Sebastian Bach
I. Chorus
Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir
Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir. Herr, höre meine Stimme, laß deine Ohren merken auf die Stimme meines Flehens!
II. Aria & Chorale
So du willst, Herr, Sünde zurechnen
Bass:
So du willst, Herr, Sünde zurechnen, Herr, wer wird bestehen ?
Soprano:
Erbarm dich mein in solcher Last, Nimm sie aus meinem Herzen, Dieweil du sie gebüßet hast
Am Holz mit Todesschmerzen,
III. Chorus
Ich harre des Herrn, meine Seele harret
Ich harre des Herrn, meine Seele harret, und ich hoffe auf sein Wort.
Stay with us, for evening shadows darken, and the day itself has given way.
Out of the depths I cry, Lord, to you. Lord, hear my voice, let your ears notice the voice of my pleading.
If you want to count up sin, Lord, who will withstand you?
Have mercy on me with such a burden, Take it away from my heart, since you have paid the price for it on the wood [of the cross] with the pains of death
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and I hope in his word.
IV. Aria & Chorale
Meine Seele wartet auf den Herrn von einer Morgenwache
Tenor:
Meine Seele wartet auf den Herrn von einer Morgenwache bis zu der andern.
Alto:
Und weil ich denn in meinem Sinn, Wie ich zuvor geklaget, Auch ein betrübter Sünder bin, Den sein Gewissen naget, Und wollte gern im Blute dein Von Sünden abgewaschen sein Wie David und Manasse.
V. Chorus
My soul waits for the Lord from one morning watch until the next
Especially since I in my mind, as I have for a long time lamented, am also a troubled sinner, who is gnawed by his conscience, and would willingly in your blood be washed clean from my sins like David and Manasseh.
Israel hoffe auf den Herrn; denn bei dem Herrn
Israel hoffe auf den Herrn; denn bei dem Herrn ist die Gnade und viel Erlösung bei ihm. Und er wird Israel erlösen aus allen seinen Sünden.
Israel, hope in the Lord for with the Lord is grace and much redemption with him and he shall redeem Israel from all his sins.
Hallelujah
Leonard Cohen
Regina coeli laetare, alleluia: Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia,
Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia
Ora pro nobis Deum
I’ve heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you dont really care for music, do you?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor falls, the major lifts
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Queen of Heaven rejoice, Alleluia! For He whom you were worthy to bear, Alleluia!
Has risen, as He said, Alleluia! Pray for us to God, Alleluia!
Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew her
She tied you to a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
You say I took the name in vain
I don’t even know the name
But if I did – well, really – what’s it to you?
There’s a blaze of light in every word
It doesn’t matter what you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah
I did my best, it wasn’t much
I couldn’t feel, so I tried to touch
I’ve told the truth, I didn’t come to fool you
And even though it all went wrong
I’ll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah
- Leonard CohenHelletused
Veljo Tormis
helle, hellelee, alleaa, alleaa tutuluu, tutuluu, eo, eo ek-eo-eo, ek-eo-eo
Kui ma olin väiksekene
Alleaa, alleaa
helle, hellelee, alleaa, alleaa tutuluu, tutuluu, eo, eo ek-eo-eo, ek-eo-eo
Dreaming of the days of childhood
Alleaa, alleaa
- Traditional and quoting from “Lauliku lapsepõli” by Miina Härma
Sanctus from Mass: A Celebration of Love and Joy
André J. Thomas
Above him stood the seraphim and one cried to another:
“Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God almighty who was and is to come. Holy, holy, holy, the Lord of hosts; heav’n and earth are full of thy glory.”
In the year that King Uzziah died I also saw the Lord. He was sitting on his throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphim. Each one had six wings; with two hi covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he did fly. And one cried to another:
“Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God almighty who was and is to come. Holy, holy, holy, the Lord of hosts; heav’n and earth are full of thy glory.”
Hosana in the highest. Hosana to the son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, God of hosts.
Like the seraphim I want two wings to cover my face. Oh Lord, I want to wings to fly away, so the world can’t do me no harm. We’re crying:
“Holy, holy, holy, the Lord of hosts; heav’n and earth are full of thy glory.”
Rheinberger: Abendlied
Abendlied (Evening Song), Op. 69/3, is a sacred motet by Josef Rheinberger for a sixpart mixed choir (SSATTB). It has been regarded as his best-known sacred composition. He wrote the first version in 1855 at the age of 15. The text is a verse from the biblical narration of the Road to Emmaus appearance according to Luke 24:29 in Martin Luther’s German version of the Bible.
Bach: Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir
In 1707 the twenty-two year old organist at Mühlhausen, Johann Sebastian Bach, wrote what might be his first sacred cantata, BWV 131 “Aus der Tiefe.” It was probably written as a memorial for a fire in the town, so the text was based upon Psalm 130, with the addition of two verses from the chorale, “Herr Jesu Christ, du höchstes Gut.” The composer of course had many models for his style, most notably the distinguished works in this genre by Buxtehude. But already in this very young piece we see occasional glimpses of the real Bach. Perhaps most characteristic is the sense of symmetry in the form with the 2nd and 4th movements of five being solo arias with the chorale “Herr Jesu Christ” sung in long notes by an upper voice. These chorale organized movements alternate with free and sectionalized settings of the Psalm.
Cohen: Hallelujah
Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah was featured for the first on the 1984 album Various Positions. While not initially successful, subsequent covers by John Cale (1991) and Jeff Buckley (2004) catapulted its popularity, ultimately resulting in its status as one of the most iconic pop songs of all time. In Cohen’s telling, the word “hallelujah” is of the earthly variety, a statement of gratitude for a life that wasn’t always perfect and didn’t always go according to plan. In this way it differs from the “alleluia” known as an exclamation of heavenly praise in religious settings. This arrangement seeks to acknowledge life’s imperfections, and at times brokenness, by juxtaposing Cohen’s hallelujahs with the alleluias found in the opening plainchant.
Tormis: Helletused
Estonian composer Veljo Tormis wrote Helletused (Herding calls) as an homage to his Estonian childhood. He notes, “On small ancient Estonain farmsteads, it was customary to have children herd the cattle. They called out to neighbors’ children and so kept in touch on woody pastures. Everybody had his or her token melodies which varied according to the time of day, weather, or mood.” In the context of this program, the “calls” of the soprano soloists serve as a metaphor for reaching out amid society’s brokenness, an attempt to rekindle a focus on our common humanity as opposed to our disagreements.
Hagen: Hands
Of Hands, Jocelyn Hagen writes:
“I was honored to receive a commission from the International Federation of Choral Music for a performance at the World Choral Symposium in Barcelona in July of 2017. It was an incredibly exciting commission, but what text could I choose that would represent all the musicians attending the conference? I was pondering this while spending an evening with a dear friend strolling through crowded streets and happily holding hands. It dawned on me that this is exactly what this piece should be about: the act of uniting, coming together.”
This vocalize, or wordless song, symbolizes the spontaneous joy possible when this happens. In this program we find this joy after experiencing brokenness in Hallelujah and subsequently reaching out to one another in Helletused
Thomas: Sanctus
André Thomas’s “Sanctus,” one of the movements to his Mass: A Celebration of Love and Joy, serves in this program to celebrate our collective “finding” of each other, experiencing community and mutual understanding. In one line of text, the soloist speaks of wanting to “fly away so the world can’t do me no harm.” In this way, we hope that in this program and all our collective work throughout the choral world, we are able to begin the process of repairing the world’s brokenness and move toward a place where love and joy abound.
University
Chamber Choir Personnel
Michael Hanawalt, Director
Ethan Murphy and Steven Olson, Graduate Associate Conductors
Judy Arthur, Rehearsal Pianist
Soprano
Yuliia Billa
Alissa D’Alton
Keyaira Henderson
Madison Roths
Ashley Lewis
Madeline Schneider
Angellina Fedullo
Maggie Merrell
Isabella Pinilla
Oboe
Alto
Sophia Gannoui
Maclain Hardin-Kurza
Ruth Springer
Annika Stucky
Michaela Stiles
Crystal Berner
Bridg Gorder
Sarita Gustely
Shayna Singer
Yuko Hori
Andrew Swift
Bassoon
Cailin McGarry
Tenor
Kevin Borges
Tiger Davis
Kyle McDonald
Harold Wright
Michael Haves
Robert Lovins
Jeremy Moore
Steven Olson
Timothy Yu
Kristopher Watson
Violia
Nicole Vega
Viola
Abby Velde
Margot Elder
Organ
Judy Arthur
Cello
Thu Vo
Bass
Alex Lunday
Bass
Jordan Evans
Justus Evans
Owen Hillman
Christopher Martinez
Isiah Maxey
Adam Ravain
Dorian Carr
Ethan Murphy
Marques Ruff
Kristopher Stam
Kyle Keating
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TICKETS: TCCHORUS.ORG OR 850-597-0603
All performances in Ruby Diamond Concert Hall, Florida State University Funded in part by
