KANTOREI AT THE HOLIDAYS KANTOREI AT THE HOLIDAYS
KANTOREI AT THE HOLIDAYS
KANTOREI AT THE HOLIDAYS
THI E S NDRI N S IGHT
ON THI S S ILEN N T IGHT
SARAH QUARTEL (B. 1982)
Kantorei’s Vision:
To elevate the human experience through choral excellence
Our Mission:
A WINTER BREVIARY REENA ESMAIL (B. 1983)
1. WE LOOK FOR YOU (EVENSONG) Raag Hamsadhwani
2. THE YEAR’S MIDNIGHT (MATINS) Raag Malkauns मालकौंस
3. THE UNEXPECTED EARLY HOUR (LAUDS) Raag Ahir Bhairav
ANGELS'
CAROL CANDLELIGHT CAROL SHEPHERD'S PIPE CAROL
COMPANY AT THE CRECHE
1. STORK
2. DOVE
3. CATERPILLAR
4. ROOSTER
5. SPIDER
6. PORCUPINE
7. LION
JOHN RUTTER (B. 1945)
Kantorei is an inclusive community of volunteer singers that invites audiences to experience the richness and diversity of the choral art form, joyously executed at the highest standard of musical excellence. We are innovators: we responsibly leverage our resources to commission work by living composers, perform music by underrepresented and emerging artists, encourage future talent through educational engagement, and nurture the choral community.
Our Values:
Musical Excellence – We maintain the highest possible standards. We hold ourselves and each other accountable for putting in the necessary effort. We take on artistic challenges that many choirs cannot. We provide our audiences with unique musical experiences performed with professionalism, accuracy, passion, and finesse. We are a volunteer choir with world-class aspirations and achievements.
Land acknowledgement
Kantorei honors and acknowledges the Tséstho’e (Cheyenne), hinono’eino’ biito’owu’ (Arapaho), Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), and Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Sioux) Tribes, and all of the original Indigenous peoples of the land upon which we rehearse and perform.
DANIEL PINKHAM (1923-2006)
STILL, STILL, STILL (TRAD. AUSTRIAN CAROL) ARR. ALEXANDER L’ESTRANGE IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER (GUSTAV HOLST) I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (WALTER KENT)
Alicia Rigsby, piano
Joseph O’Berry, organ
Janet Harriman, harp
Ben Corwyn, Matthew Eschliman, Mason France, Bryce Kennedy, Kirk Schjodt & Jonathan Von Stroh, bell choir
To make a general contribution to Kantorei, text “Kantorei” to 44321 Thank you!
Inclusion – We strive to create a singer community where individuals from all backgrounds and experiences can be their best. We celebrate and perform composers that have been underrepresented in the choral tradition alongside those who have historically enjoyed the spotlight. We amplify voices that should be heard, and seek to bring our voices to new places. We connect diverse audiences through the power of music.
Joy – We make music because it brings us joy and we are passionate about sharing that joy with others. Audiences feel our connection to each other and the music; through our work they experience intellectual and emotional expansion. Sharing this joy with each other and our audiences is a privilege.
Community – We provide an opportunity for singers, artists, students, and audiences from many different backgrounds and identities to share in musical experiences that allow us to transcend the world we live in. Our singers show up for each other, both musically and personally. We are in community with the composers who partner with us. We create nurturing relationships with other choirs so we can collectively thrive. We show young and emerging artists what their musical future can look like.
Innovation – As an organization, we are never stagnant. We feel a responsibility to use our funding to educate, delight, and amaze, which is evident through every aspect of our work: programming, recordings, concerts, and community impact. We move the art form forward by celebrating the full diversity of modern choral composition, and juxtaposing it with treasured work of the traditional canon. Our audiences can feel the musical past resonating with wisdom in the present, and the present reaching back to seek guidance from the past.
PROGRAM NOTES
A suite of carols
WetendtothinkofChristmassongs–bothsacredand secular – as ‘Christmas carols.’ As it happens, the old school meaning of ‘carol’ was a dance-like song, often derived from folk music. Of course, whether one can dance to it or not might depend on that individual’s dancing skills! But the Christmas connection, or at least the winter connection, remains.
The works on Kantorei’s program this season comply with that expectation, opening with worksbytwocurrentcomposers:Sarah Quartel (b. 1982 in Canada) and John Rutter (b. 1945 in England). Both have choral music deeply rooted in their hearts. Quartel observes, “Choral music has this incredible way of bringing people together.” As for Rutter, it isn’t just choral music in general, but especially that of Christmas: "It's the first music I remember actually enjoying when I was a kid."
grounded her in the compositional practices of pastmasters, though she also spent a year studying Hindustani music in India. Both perspectives are blended in her Winter Breviary (2021), setting texts by Rebecca Gayle Howell (b. 1975).
Esmail also goes one step further, attesting, “The music maps onto Hindustani raags for those same hours.” Even if one is not knowledgeable about Hindustani music, the variety of musical colors will be clear
The first movement “We Look for You” (Evensong – Raag Hamsadhwani) opens with peaceful rapture. Different voice parts are juxtaposed to each other with long flowing lines, becoming fuller and brighter at times, before settling in for a tranquil close. “Eventide, our single star… Forgiving light, our guide.”
Carols by John Rutter
Rutter’s Angels’ Carol (1988) smiles sweetly, though with occasional more resplendent passages. In the title, note the position of the apostrophe: there are several caroling angels, not just one! These angels bring news of Christ’s birth, He who has come both in peace and in joy. Gloria in excelsis Deo!
With Rutter’s Candlelight Carol (1986), there are more than just a few candles glowing on the table. “Candlelight, angel light, firelight and star glow:” all of those shine upon the scene in Bethlehem. “Angels are singing; the Christ child is born.”
-All program notes © Betsy Schwarm, author of the Classical
Having travelled far to see the newborn Savior, the stork demands that the kings step aside so others have a clearer view. The dove coos serenely, in distinct contrast to the outspoken rooster. The caterpillar and the spider are delicately voiced, while the porcupine promises to soften his spines before coming closer. As for the lion, he joyously offers to warm the Christ Child with his pelt. All are new voices for the manger scene. However, Pinkham believed their perspectives would add contrast and character to the familiar tale.
Alexander L'Estrange: carol arrangements
With “This endris night” (2021), Quartel sets a 15th century text that imagines a dialog between Mary and the Christ Child. Long, reverent, flowing lines are contrasted by short, more brightly lit passages. Often, a higher lying melody overlies steadily pulsing lower lines.
Quartel’s “On This Silent Night” (2022) hints musically at the beloved Franz Gruber tune, though doing so within a secular vision of winter. It reflects upon the gentle beauty of a winter night, becomingeverbrighterasitproceeds.Perhapsthe light of the stars increases moment by moment!
Reena Esmail: A Winter Breviary (2021)
American born, though with parents who emigrated from India, Reena Esmail (b. 1983) studied at Juilliard and the Yale School of Music. That training
It was 16th/17th century English poet John Donne who called the night of the winter solstice “the year’s midnight.” That vision of a seemingly timeless night flavors the second movement of Esmail’s set, “The Year’s Midnight” (Matins – Raag Malkauns). It begins withmen’svoices,joinedbywomen,bothhalvesofthe equation at first quite calm. Impassioned statements become the focus, though calm is restored before the close as the “brown true sparrow” preserves for us tomorrow.
Sofar,themoodhasbeenoneofrestfulintrospection.
However, the closing movement, “The Unexpected Early Hour” (Lauds – Raag Ahir Bhairav) brings fervent energy energy, with brilliant declarations of “Praise be!!!” Dancelike dotted rhythms lead to joyous reflection on seasonal changes: “The sun believes… the trees applaud… our darkness ends!” Esmail’s Winter Breviary closes with vibrant, engaging enthusiasm: “Trust can warm us all!”
The moods of Rutter’s Shepherd’s Pipe Carol (1969/2015) suggest a most spirited gathering of pastoral folk. Whether or not there are actual pipes in the instrumentation, the character of such humble instruments lies in the spirit of the music, as danceable as carols were centuries ago.
Daniel Pinkham: Company at the Creche (1978)
Imagine the Baby Jesus in that manger in Bethlehem. Who else is present? Mary and Joseph, the Three Kings, a shepherd or two, as well as some livestock. Now think more broadly! That’s what Boston-based composer Daniel Pinkham (1923 – 2006) did with his Christmas set Company at the Creche (1978) for chorus with harp and handbells. Setting lyrics by Norma Farber (1909 – 1984), Pinkham welcomed a host of other creatures having varied numbers of legs.
An “arrangement” is when a composer takes a pre-existing melody and re-imagines it in a new way. Three such creations by English composer Alexander L’Estrange (b. 1974) will conclude Kantorei’s Caroling program.
“Still,Still,Still”isanAustriancarol.Initiallyappearing in print in 1865, it reflects upon the quiet and stillness around the manger on that first Christmas night. Another vision of that evening appears with “In the Bleak Midwinter.” Originally published in 1872, the text by English poet Christina Rosetti, has been set by numerous composers wishing to provide their personal musical impressions of the scene. L’Estrange adds his own interpretation. Dating from 1943, “I'll Be Home for Christmas” takes a wistful perspective on being far from home on Christmas, as were many American servicemen and women at the time.
Carols by Sarah Quartel
JOEL M. RINSEMA
Managing Artistic Director
Joel M. Rinsema joined Kantorei (Denver, Colorado USA) in 2014, becoming the second conductor in its 25-year history. A frequent collaborator and champion of new works for chorus, Joel has commissioned and premiered works by many of today’s leading composers, including Kim André Arnesen, Mason Bates, René Clausen, Jean Belmont Ford, Ola Gjeilo, Jocelyn Hagen, Mark Hayes, Cecilia McDowall, Sarah Quartel, Jake Runestad, and Eric Whitacre. In the summer of 2022, Joel conducted the Central American premiere of Jake Runestad’s El Último Hilo (The Last Thread) in Guatemala City and Antigua, Guatemala with Kantorei and the Guatemalan choir Vocalis. He returned in late May 2023 to conduct Eric Whitacre’s The Sacred Veil.
Under Joel’s direction, Kantorei has released two recordings on the Naxos label. Sing, Wearing the Sky: Choral Music of Jake Runestad (2020) was the #3 best-selling classical album on iTunes, reached #4 on the Traditional Classical Billboard Charts, and was in the top ten in both the best-selling classical album and new classical release categories on Amazon. Infinity: Choral Works of Kim André Arnesen (2018) climbed to the #2 best-selling classical album on iTunes, #6 on the Traditional Classical Billboard Charts, and #19 on the overall Classical Billboard charts. Santa Barbara Music Publishing Inc., publishes the Joel Rinsema / Kantorei Choral series.
Joel led Kantorei in performances at the 2019 National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association, and prepared Kantorei as the primary chorus for the Aspen Music Festival for Maestro Robert Spano in the summers of 2021 and 2022. More recently, he conducted Kantorei along with the Canadian Brass in December 2022, commissioned and prepared Kantorei for the world premiere of the string orchestra version of Eric Whitacre’s The Sacred Veil, led by the composer, and guest conducted The Sacred Veil with the Washington (DC) Choral Arts Society in May 2023.
Joel is a passionate advocate for the professional choral art form, and he frequently consults with choral arts organizations around the country. Because of his leadership in his field, he received the Louis Botto Award for “Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal” from Chorus America, the industry’s advocacy, research, and leadership development organization for choruses, choral leaders, and singers.
From 2017-2020 he was the North American Choral Promotion Manager for Oxford University Press based in Oxford, England, a tenure during which he worked closely with and represented roster composers John Rutter, Mack Wilberg, Bob Chilcott, Sarah Quartel, Cecilia McDowall, Gabriel Jackson, and Will Todd among others.
Joel holds music degrees from Arizona State University and Whitworth University and he is a member of the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (Grammys), American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and Colorado Music Educators Association (CMEA).
He came to Kantorei from the Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Chorale. Throughout his 23-year tenure with the Phoenix Chorale, he served in nearly every capacity with the organization, including his last 15 years as President & CEO and Assistant Conductor. He negotiated an ongoing recording contract with the prestigious U.K.-based Chandos Records, and Phoenix Chorale recordings received a total of eight Grammy nominations and two Grammy awards during his tenure. Joel appears on all Phoenix Chorale recordings and was a soloist on the Grammy Award-winning “Spotless Rose: Hymn to the Virgin Mary.” In addition to his work with the Phoenix Chorale, he was the founding chorus master of the Arizona Musicfest Chorus.
Kantorei is a Denver-based, choral ensemble comprised of volunteer singers under the direction of Managing Artistic Director Joel M. Rinsema
Formed in 1997 under the leadership of six friends and artistic director Richard Larson, Kantorei has established itself as one of the nation’s premier choral ensembles. Our choral artists have studied at schools with strong music programs across the United States such as Baylor University, Brigham Young University, Eastman School of Music, Indiana University, St. Olaf College, Wartburg College, and Westminster Choir College. Kantorei’s singers reside throughout the greater Denver area. Some serve as choral music educators, church choir conductors, and vocal instructors. Others are doctors, social workers, optometrists, counselors, clinical psychologists, accountants, realtors – all brought together in weekly rehearsals for shared artistic excellence and community.
Kantorei has performed for major choral conventions across the U.S. and with The Aspen Music Festival, toured the world, and has commissioned and premiered new choral works from such renowned composers as Kim André Arnesen, Eric William Barnum, Abbie Betinis, René Clausen, Ola Gjeilo, Jocelyn Hagen, Sarah Quartel, Jake Runestad, Joshua Shank, and Eric Whitacre. In the summer of 2022, Kantorei performed the Central American premiere of Jake Runestad’s “El Último Hilo” in Guatemala City and Antigua, Guatemala, along with Guatemelan choir Vocalis. In the fall of 2021, Kantorei began its three-year collaboration with M. Roger Holland, II as Artistin-Residence.
Kantorei has released two recordings on the Naxos label. “Sing, Wearing the Sky” (2020) choral music of Jake Runestad reached the #3 best-selling classical album on iTunes, #4 on the Traditional Classical Billboard Charts, and the top ten in both the best-selling classical album and new classical release categories on Amazon. “Infinity: Choral Works of Kim André Arnesen” (2018) climbed to the #2 best-selling classical album on iTunes, #6 on the Traditional Classical Billboard Charts and #19 on the overall Classical Billboard charts. Santa Barbara Music Publishing Inc. publishes the Kantorei Choral series.
Kantorei’s vision is “to elevate the human experience through choral excellence.”
“Thank you for the joy you have brought into
my life.”
“I've been smiling all day long. I'm so glad I got to experience the beauty of Kantorei's performance. It was truly heartwarming.”
“ What an incredible experience…words cannot convey the magnitude of the program…spellbinding. Not soon to
be forgotten.”
Photo courtesy of Williams Pérez
THE CHOIR
SOPRANO ALTO TENOR BASS
Beryl Fanslow Wilson
Riley Jayne Gallivan
Christina Graham
Heather Gunnerson
Stacie Hanson *
Becca Hyvonen
Shannon Lemmon-Elrod
Sara Michael *
Lexie Orvin
Martina Richardson
Alicia Rigsby ◊
Pearl Rutherford
Christianna Sullins
Leah Tracy
Safia Ahmed
Emily Alexander
Lindsey Aquilina
Lyn Berry-Helmlinger
Sarah Branton *
Desiree Deliz-Morales
Erin Greenfield
Chelsea Kendall
Melissa Menter
Erin Meyerhoff
Jennifer Moore
Allison Pasternak *
Kaleigh Sutula
Andrea Ware-Medina
Jane Wright
* Section leader ◊ Collaborative Pianist
STAFF MEMBERS
Sarah Branton
Assistant Conductor
Alicia Rigsby
Accompanist, Collaborative Pianist
Sara Michael Business Manager
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Josh Corwyn
President
John Bartley
Vice President
MEMBERS AT LARGE
Mark Aquilina
Judy Bloomberg Schenkein
Kai Berry-Helmlinger *
Ben Corwyn
Joshua Corwyn
Matthew Eschliman
Keith Ferguson Mason France
Keith Harrison
Bryce Kennedy
Samuel Low
Alex Menter
Chad Nelsen
Seth O'Kegley-Gibson * Zachariah Smith
Jonathan Von Stroh
John Wright
John Bartley
Michael Bizzaro *
Jordan Black
Michael Boender
Adam Cave
Garth Criswell
Scott Horowitz
Brad Jackson
Brad Larson
Bryan Lastrella
John Ludwig
John Schaak
Kirk Schjodt *
Griffin Sutherland
Matt Weissenbuehler
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SEASON MEMBERS!
Becca Hyvönen
Social Media Marketing & Communications Manager
Courtney Huffman
Director of Community Engagement
Ximena Wheeler
Concert Manager
Desiree Deliz-Morales
Treasurer
Melissa Menter
Secretary
Matthew Eschliman
Scott Horowitz
Daniel Paredes
Known for his sensitivity, and imaginative registrations as a collaborative artist, Joseph O’Berry nurtures the reputation as a first-rate musician, and is Associate Director of Music and Organist at Saint John’s Cathedral. Before arriving to Denver, Mr. O’Berry held Director of Music posts in Seattle, Washington; Springfield, Massachusetts; and Atlanta, Georgia.
Joseph was Organ Scholar at Blackburn Cathedral and Truro Cathedral in England (2014-2016). Whilst in England he participated in over 800 services, some of which included the attendance of dignitaries, His Majesty King Charles III and The Queen Consort, and dozens of concerts with both Blackburn and Truro Cathedral Choirs. In 2016, Mr. O’Berry shared playing the organ and conducted
Truro Cathedral Choir in a national broadcast celebrating Queen Elizabeth II 90th birthday. Joseph has performed with The Royal Northern Orchestra, London Symphonia, and Truro Symphony Orchestra. He shared responsibilities in playing the daily offices of Choral Evensong and Eucharist, training the probationer boys, conducting the Cathedral Choirs, and was administrator of the music departments, which included Cathedral Music Outreach. On several occasions Joseph has appeared on BBC Spotlight accompanying Truro Cathedral Choir and is a featured organist on the Priory Records Label (the largest producer of church music in the United Kingdom) for Blackburn Cathedral Choirs newest CD entitled “Natus: Music for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany”.
Preceding his appointments in England, Joseph lived in Atlanta, Georgia and was Director of Music at Holy Trinity Parish (Episcopal), Chapel Organist for the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, and sang with the professional Schola at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Philipduring which time the Schola went on pilgrimage to England singing two week residencies at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London and Canterbury Cathedral, respectively.
Joseph’s undergraduate studies were in organ performance with secondary emphasis in early music and collaborative piano from The Townsend School of Music at Mercer University. He is a Colleague of the American Guild of Organists and has performed extensively as a solo and collaborative recitalist throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, and England (in the notable venues of Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, London, Worcester Cathedral, Blackburn Cathedral, Chester Cathedral, York Minster, Truro Cathedral, Canterbury Cathedral, Liverpool Cathedral, Lancaster Priory, and Ripon Cathedral).
ARTISTS
Janet Harriman began her harp studies with her mother, Jean Harriman. She continued her harp studies with Alice Chalifoux while she attended the College of Wooster, the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Salzedo harp Colony. Harriman has performed as soloist, chamber player, opera and orchestral member in Ohio, Florida, Georgia, New York, Colorado and internationally in South America, Europe and Asia. She is currently principal harpist with the Central City Opera Festival, a position she has held since 1993, and performs regularly as Principal Harpist with Opera Colorado and the Boulder Philharmonic. She is also the instructor at the Harp Studio at the University of Colorado Boulder.
She is Co-Founding Director of Scale the Summit, a summer music program that offers educational opportunities for the kids of Summit County. She has been an active board member of the Summit Community Orchestra for over twelve years and currently serves on the board of the Summit Youth Orchestra.
FROSTIANA
DECEMBER
7TH, 8TH, & 20TH, 2024
Celebrate the magic of the season with a festive concert featuring beloved winter classics and contemporary holiday gems. This enchanting program promises to warm hearts and kindle the spirit of the season. Featured in these performances will be Randall Thompson's beloved Frostiana, a seven-movement work setting the poetry of Robert Frost to music. Thompson's lyrical, expressive style perfectly captures the essence of Frost's words, creating a musical landscape as vivid and evocative as New England in winter.
Also included in the program is Eric Whitacre's playful The Boy Who Laughed at Santa Claus based on the poem by Ogden Nash; Ola Gjeilo's Wintertide, a hauntingly beautiful work that evokes the quiet wonder of a snowy landscape; and Sarah Quartel’s A Winter’s Day featuring cello and piano. `Rounding out the program will be a selection of seasonal favorites, including traditional carols and modern holiday classics. From the jubilant to the serene, celebrating both the joy and the peaceful contemplation of the season.
Photo courtesy of Janet Harriman
JANET HARRIMAN Featured Harpist
JOSEPH O'BERRY Featured Organist
Photo courtesy of Evans Ousley, Saint John's Cathedral
This endris night
15th century traditional English carol, adapted
This endris night [a few nights ago] I saw a sight A star as bright as day; And ever among a maiden sung, Lully, by by, lullay.
This lovely lady sat and sung, And to her Child did say:
“My Son, my Brother, Father, dear, Why liest Thou thus in hay?
My sweetest bird, ’tis thus required, Though thou be king veray [true] ; But nevertheless I will not cease To sing, by by, lullay.”
The child then spake whilst she did sing, And to his mother did say:
“Yea, I am known as Heaven-King In crib though I be laid.
For angels bright down on me light: Thou knowest ’tis no nay [undeniable]: And for that sight thou may delight To sing, by by, lullay.”
“Now, sweet Son, since it is so, that all is at thy will, I pray thee grant to me a boon [favor], If it be right and skill [reasonable]
That child or man, who will or can Be merry on my day, To bliss them bring and I shall sing, Lully, by by, lullay.”
On this Silent Night
Sarah Quartel
Frosty fields are laid to rest.
In the air, an arctic breath brings snow, blowing snow is drifting deep.
Frozen trees, protectors, see me safe in sleep, wrapped in dreams while the cold winds blow.
Cloaked in slumber with firelight dancing, and all is calm on this silent night.
Frosty fields, frozen trees, sleep in heavenly peace.
Cloaked in slumber with firelight dancing, yet all is calm while the storm blows on.
Cloaked in slumber with firelight dancing, wrapped in sleep with dreams enchanting, yet all is calm while the storm blows on, on this silent night.
A Winter Breviary
RebeccaGayleHowell(b.1975)
1. We Look For You (Evensong)
Eventide, our single star, One looking star, this night. Next to me, the sparrow hen, Two pilgrims small and bold.
Dusking hour, that lonely hour The sky dims blue to grey. Our forest road will fade, We look for You.
Pines glisten wet with sleet, She looks with me, We look for You.
Fog falls in So close, my breath, She looks with me, We look for You:
Great Silent One Unseen, We look for You.
Eventide, our single star, One looking star, this night. We look for You, Forgiving light, our guide.
2. The Year’s Midnight (Matins)
The longest night is come, A matins for beasts, they low, they kneel, O, their sleep, their psalm sung. A matins for trees, they slow, they stem, O, their reach, their psalm won.
Hush, hush, Can I hear them?
Can I hear what is not said?
Hush, hush, Can I hear You?
Ev'ry need met.
To light, the path is dark, Our star has gone.
Beneath my feet a year of leaves fallen, frozen, done.
I walk these woods, The longest night is come, Above me, the sparrow, She brings our new seed home.
Brown true sparrow, Take tomorrow home.
3. The Unexpected Early Hour
Praise be! Praise be!
The dim, the dun, the dark withdraws
Our recluse morning's found.
The river's alive
The clearing provides Lie down, night sky, lie down.
I feel the cold wind leaving, gone, I feel the frost's relief.
My tracks in the snow can still be erased
In us, the sun believes.
Winter is, Winter ends, So the true bird calls.
The rocks cry out My bones cry out
All the trees applaud.
Ev'ry hard thing lauds.
Lie down, night sky, lie down.
I know the seeding season comes, I know the ground will spring.
My fate is not night
I don't need to try
Behold! The dawn, within.
Horizon lights across my thoughts, Horizon lines redraw.
Inside of my throat a rise of the gold
Inside my chest I thaw.
Winter is, Winter ends, Nothing stays the same.
The moon strikes high,
The sun strikes high and Now I hear your name:
Earth's Untired Change.
Praise be! praise be!
The unexpected early hour grows the good light long.
Our darkness ends,
O mercy sun, Trust can warm us all.
Begin again, again, again, O may our day begin!
Angels’ Carol
John Rutter
Have you heard the sound of the angel voices
Ringing out so sweetly, ringing out so clear?
Have you seen the star shining out so brightly
As a sign from God that Christ the Lord is here?
Have you heard the news that they bring from heaven
To the humble shepherds who have waited long? Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Hear the angels sing their joyful song.
He is come in peace in the winter's stillness, Like a gentle snowfall in the gentle night; He is come in joy, like the sun at morning, Filling all the world with radiance and with light. He is come in love as the child of Mary; In a simple stable we have seen his birth: Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo! Hear the angels singing “Peace on earth.”
He will bring new light to a world in darkness, Like a bright star shining in the skies above; He will bring new hope to the waiting nations, When he comes to reign in purity and love. Let the earth rejoice at the Saviour's coming; Let the heavens answer with the joyful morn: Gloria in excelsis Deo! Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Hear the angels singing, “Christ is born.”
Candlelight Carol
John Rutter
How do you capture the wind on the water? How do you count all the stars in the sky? How can you measure the love of a mother, Or how can you write down a baby's first cry?
Candlelight, angel light, firelight and star-glow Shine on his cradle till breaking of dawn.
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Angels are singing; the Christ child is born
Shepherds and wise men will kneel and adore him, Seraphim round him their vigil will keep; Nations proclaim him their Lord and their Saviour, But Mary will hold him and sing him to sleep.
Candlelight, angel light, firelight and star-glow Shine on his cradle till breaking of dawn.
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Angels are singing; the Christ child is born
Find him at Bethlehem laid in a manger: Christ our Redeemer asleep in the hay, Godhead incarnate and hope of salvation: A child with his mother that first Christmas Day.
Candlelight, angel light, firelight and star-glow Shine on his cradle till breaking of dawn.
Gloria in excelsis Deo!
Angels are singing; the Christ child is born.
Shepherd’s Pipe Carol
John Rutter
Going through the hills on a night all starry On the way to Bethlehem, Far away I heard a shepherd boy piping On the way to Bethlehem.
Angels in the sky brought this message nigh: "Dance and sing for joy that Christ the new-born King Is come to bring us peace on earth, And He's lying cradled there at Bethlehem."
"Tell me, shepherd boy piping tunes so merrily On the way to Bethlehem Who will hear your tunes on these hills so lonely On the way to Bethlehem?
Angels in the sky brought this message nigh:
"Dance and sing for the joy that Christ the new-born King Is come to bring peace on earth, And He's lying cradled there at Bethlehem."
"None may hear my pipes on these hills so lonely On the way to Bethlehem; But a King will hear me play sweet lullabies When I get to Bethlehem."
Angels in the sky came down from on high, Hovered o’er the manger where the babe was lying Cradled in the arms of his mother Mary,
Sleeping now at Bethlehem."Where is the new King, shepherd boy piping merrily, Is He there at Bethlehem?"
"I will find Him soon by the star shining brightly In the sky o'er Bethlehem."
Angels in the sky brought this message nigh:
"Dance and sing for joy that Christ the new-born King Is come to bring us peace on earth, And He's lying cradled there at Bethlehem."
"May I come with you, shepherd boy piping merrily, Come with you to Bethlehem?
Pay my homage too at the new King's cradle, Is it far to Bethlehem?"
Angels in the sky brought this message nigh:
"Dance and sing for joy that Christ the infant King Is born this night in lowly stable yonder, Born for you at Bethlehem."
Company at the Creche
Norma Farber (1909-1984)
1. Stork
Up from the Nile I heave to the holy midst.
I poke my nosey bill in the way of man and beasts. Over my chimney-nest I’ve seen that rumoring star. What’s the news, anyway?
I’ve come far, far. Kings, out of my way! Shepherd, lower your crook. Creatures, stand aside. I want a good long look. O child, I take my fill. I bow my long stork’s bill.
2. Dove
What thin should I sing, little king?
Coo-roo? What word of a bird should be heard?
Coo-roo? What save love can a dove carol of?
Coo-roo?
3. Caterpillar
Softer than the breath of woolly bears, sleeping: the sound of my velvet bellows, creeping. Quieter than woolly bears stretching, bending: the carol of my concertina, wending…
4. Rooster
Cock-a-doodle-do!
I’d rather crow than coo. I’d rather crow for Mary’s son than ring a belfry carillon. I’d rather gather manger grain then be a golden weather vane.
5. Porcupine
Soften every spine, lessen every quill, even every odd. Murmurs very low at the very low cradleside: every breath a dew on a satin blade, every savage spear a velvet word.
6. Spider
I song no song. I spin instead. High in the loft above your head, I weave my stillnesses of thread. I loop my wiring silver-clear, to light your tinsel chandelier. Listen! my web is what you hear.
7. Lion
Bye baby Jesu, look who’s come to please you, come to doff his tawny skin, to wrap a brand new baby in. Waken merry. Touch and see. Jesu, you have company.
Still, Still, Still
Alexander L’Estrange, based on the 19th-century German; Traditional Austrian Carol
Still, still, still, Mein liebes Kindlein, still.
Die Englein leise für dich singen, Und ferne Glocken sanft erklingen. Still, still, still, Mein liebes Kindlein, still.
Sleep, sleep, sleep, The infant King is asleep. His peace and stillness all around you, Heavenly rest and calm surround you. Sleep, sleep, sleep, The infant King is asleep.
Still, still, still, (stille Nacht,)
The babe is sleeping still. (heilige Nacht,) While angels all above are singing, (Alles schläft,) Peace to all the world He is bringing. (einsam wacht)
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh.
In the Bleak Midwinter
Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan, Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain; Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ. Angels and archangels may have gathered there, Cherubim and Seraphim thronged the air, But only His mother in her maiden bliss
Worshipped the Beloved with a kiss. What can I give Him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb. If I were a wise man, I would do my part. Yet what I can, I give Him: Give my heart.
I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Kim Gannon (1900-1974)
I’m dreaming tonight of a place I love, Even more than I usually do. And although I know it’s a long road back, I promise you:
I'll be home for Christmas, You can count on me, Please have snow and mistletoe And presents on the tree.
Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light gleams; I'll be home for Christmas, If only in my dreams…
YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS , YOUR SUPPORT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
We rely on patrons like you to help us achieve our mission and goals and there are many ways that you can have an impact on Kantorei in addition to attending our concerts. Here are just a few ways you can help:
» Make a tax deductible contribution at www.kantorei.org/giving/individual/
» Donate stocks, securities and annuities
» Make a legacy gift
» Underwrite/sponsor a concert
» Commission a new choral work
» Place an ad in one of our concert programs
» Donate your used vehicle
» Donate airline miles
» Volunteer at a concert
Please contact us at kantorei@kantorei.org for more information
STAY IN TOUCH!
Sign up for our e-mail list at: www.kantorei.org/contact
Photo courtesy of John Ludwig
DENVER’S HOME MARKET IS MOVING! AREYOU?
Garth Criswell
303.669.0252
garth.criswell@coloradohomes.com
garthcriswell.com
The members of Kantorei are still singing because we were fortunate to have received a solid choral foundation in high school and college. Kantorei’s vision is that one day every music student in Colorado will have this solid foundation. In order to help achieve this goal we have created the Elevate Classroom Grant and the Alison N. Roman Memorial Scholarship Fund.
ALISON N. ROMAN MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Alison Roman was a beloved member of the Kantorei family and a fiercely dedicated music educator. She touched countless lives, and for this reason, with the blessing of Alison’s family, the Kantorei board of directors has named the Individual Scholarship the Alison N. Roman Memorial Scholarship.
In this spirit, the Alison N. Roman Memorial Scholarship is dedicated to assisting a talented senior BIPOC, Asian, or Latinx student in pursuing their musical dreams. This scholarship offers a minimum award of $1000 to cover expenses related to choral ensemble participation, such as membership fees, uniforms, and private lessons.
ELEVATE CLASSROOM GRANT
The Elevate Classroom Grant supports underfunded high school choral programs by offering classroom grants to teachers to be used for expenses such as sheet music, uniforms, festival attendance costs, etc.
