Pacific Choirs
University Chorus
Monica Adams, guest conductor
Diego Bustamante, collaborative piano
Miguel Velarde, double bass
Wesley Schafer, drums
Pacific Singers
Valérie Sainte-Agathe, guest resident conductor
Patricia Grimm, collaborative piano
Saturday, February 8, 2025
7:30 pm
Faye Spanos Concert Hall
University Chorus
Follow the Drinking Gourd (2020)
Spiritual arr. Victor C. Johnson (b. 1978)
All My Trials (1972) Hold On (1962)
Spiritual arr. Margaret Bonds (1913–1972)
Bahamian Spiritual arr. Norman Luboff (1917–1987)
Keith Hampton (b. 1957) Praise His Holy Name! (1998)
Miguel Velarde, double bass
Wesley Schafer, drums
Pacific Singers
Komm, der Heiden Heiland (Come Now, Savior of the Gentiles) BWV 62 (1724)
Trevor Weston (b. 1967)
Bach
Jesus Bleibet meine Freude (Jesus Remains My Joy), BWV 147 (1723)
Visions of Glory (2004) 3′
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Nun
Reena Esmail (b. 1983) The Love of Thousands (2019)
Constantly (2023) Katie Kring
PROGRAM NOTES
Johnson: Follow the Drinking Gourd
Victor C. Johnson, a native of Dallas, Texas, is the School Choral Editor for SING!, the educational publishing division of Choristers Guild. A prolific composer and arranger, he has over 350 choral works, vocal solo books, and keyboard collections currently in print. Johnson attended the University of Texas at Arlington where he majored in music education with a concentration in organ. From 2000 to 2018, he was the choral director at the Ft. Worth Academy of Fine Arts (FWAFA). Johnson is in demand as a guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician for music educators and students throughout the United States. He currently serves as Minister of Worship and Artsat Shiloh Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, a position he has held since 2007.
—adapted from victorjohnsonmusic.com
Bonds: Hold On
Margaret Allison Bonds was an American composer and pianist who championed classical works, arrangements of African American spirituals, and popular music. She was one of the first black female composers to gain nationwide recognition for her work, and at twenty years old, became the first black soloist to perform with a major symphony orchestra. Bonds is best remembered today for her comprehensive catalog of work and dedication to advancing and collaborating with prominent black creatives throughout her lifetime, including composer Florence Price and poet Langston Hughes.
—adapted from Olivia Cleri, Opera Philadelphia
Luboff: All My Trials
Composer, conductor, arranger and singer Norman Luboff was educated at the University of Chicago, Central College, and the American Conservatory of Chicago with Leo Sowerby. He served in the US Signal Corps in World War II, and instructed music theory at the Central College. In Chicago, he arranged, coached and sang for radio programs originating there, and worked with Lyn Murray, Ray Bloch and Al Goodman in New York. In Hollywood he worked on "The Railroad Hour" and for Warner Brothers. He conducted the Norman Luboff choir, a popular vocal ensemble during the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, and established the publishing company Walton Music Corporation in 1950.
—adapted from Lou Rugani
PROGRAM NOTES
Hampton: Praise His Holy Name!
Keith Hampton is a composer, organist, and conductor. He has composed over 50 pieces, primarily sacred pieces to be performed by choruses in church, school, and community. A classically trained organist, Hampton has degrees from Westminster Choir College, Marywood University and Northwestern University. He has conducted a wide and varied repertoire, including works for chorus and orchestra, jazz ensembles, gospel ensembles, and several ethnic ensembles. Hampton has been chosen twice to conduct at the Oregon Bach Festival and many district, state and regional honors choruses.
—adapted from Keith Hampton
Esmail: The Love of Thousands
Reena Esmail works between the worlds of Indian and Western classical music, and brings communities together through the creation of equitable musical spaces. Esmail holds degrees from The Juilliard School and the Yale School of Music. A resident of Los Angeles, Esmail is the 2020–23 Swan Family Artist in Residence with Los Angeles Master Chorale, and the 2020–21 Composer in Residence with Seattle Symphony. She is a founder and artistic director of Shastra, a non-profit organization that connects the classical music traditions of India and the West.
“One afternoon in the summer of 2018, I was at the Corona Institute for Women, a women’s jail just outside of Los Angeles doing a concert of some of my choral work, when a Catholic nun who happened to be visiting from Minnesota introduced herself to me. We connected immediately and deeply. At the end of our conversation she said, ‘I heard this phrase somewhere, and I feel you must set it to music. I don’t know where it’s from, but I think it will speak to you.’ And she made me write down these words into my phone: ‘You are the result of the love of thousands.’
That interaction, and that phrase, stayed with me. I later researched it and found its author, the incredible Native American poet Linda Hogan. I set it first for San Francisco Girls Chorus, and revised it substantially into this SATB version of the work. The message is so true, and so hopeful. Each one of us exists in this world because of generations of ancestors, and also because of countless people who have shaped the course of our lives in ways we cannot begin to enumerate. It is miraculous.”
—Reena Esmai
Weston: Visions of Glory
Trevor Weston’s music has been called a “gently syncopated marriage of intellect and feeling” (Detroit Free Press). Weston’s honors include the George Ladd Prix de Paris from the University of California, Berkeley, a Goddard Lieberson Fellowship and the Arts and Letters Award in Music from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and residencies from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the MacDowell Colony and a residency with Castle of our Skins at the Longy School of Music.
Visions of Glory was commissioned by the Sumter High School Concert Choir directed by Erik Wilkinson. The text is taken from Martin Luther King Jr.’s last speech “I See the Promised Land,” given on April 3, 1968.
—Trevor Weston
Bach: Nun Komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 62
Bach wrote Cantata 62, Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (Come now, Savior of the Gentiles), in 1724 for the first Sunday in Advent. This work was composed during a stretch of nine and a half months in which Bach wrote a new cantata for each Sunday and holiday as part of his duties as the director of church music for the city of Leipzig. The chorale fantasia “Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland,” which is based on Martin Luther’s hymn of the same name, opens the cantata.
—adapted from calbach.org
Bach: Jesus Bleibet meine Freude (Jesus Remains My Joy), BWV 147
“Jesus Bleibet meine Freude” is a chorale from Bach’s cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147. The text is a verse of Martin Jahn’s hymn “Jesu, meiner Seelen Wonne,” using a melody by Johann Schop (which set a completely different chorale text). This is the tune known in Englishspeaking lands as “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.” Composed originally in 1716 in Weimar, Cantata 147 was revised by Bach during his Leipzig years, and premiered in an expanded version in 1723 for the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
—adapted from bach.org
PROGRAM NOTES
Kring: Constantly
Katie Kring is a composer, writer-of musicals, conductor and professor based in Springfield, MO. Katie is a prolific composer, drawing influences from rock, jazz, pop, and musical theatre idioms, and a large body of choral and musical theatre work. She is particularly interested in creating work that empowers disadvantaged communities and is a passionate advocate for writing good parts for altos. She currently serves as an adjunct professor at Missouri State University, teaching music theory and music appreciation.
Constantly, adapted from John Muir’s meditations on nature’s ceaseless generosity, pulsates with intricate rhythms and lush harmonies. This composition propels singers and audiences through a relentless cascade of sound, celebrating the boundless abundance of the natural world.
—Katie Kring
Johnson: Follow the Drinking Gourd
Follow the drinking gourd. Follow the drinking gourd. For the old man is a–waiting for to carry you to freedom, Follow the drinking gourd.
When the sun comes back and the first quail calls, Follow the drinking gourd. For the old man waits for to lead you home, Follow the drinking gourd.
Follow the drinking gourd. Follow the drinking gourd. For the old man is a–waiting for to carry you to freedom, Follow the drinking gourd.
The riverbank will make a mighty good road, Dead trees will show you the way. And the left foot, peg foot, traveling on, Just follow the drinking gourd.
Follow the drinking gourd. Follow the drinking gourd. For the old man is a–waiting for to carry you to freedom, Follow the drinking gourd.
The river ends between two hills, Follow the drinking gourd.
There's another river on the other side, Follow the drinking gourd.
Follow the drinking gourd. Follow the drinking gourd. For the old man is a–waiting for to carry you to freedom, Follow the drinking gourd.
—Spiritual
Bonds: Hold On
Noah, Noah let me come in.
Doors all fastened and the windows pinned. Keep your hand on that plow. Hold on. Noah said: "You done lost your track. Can't plow straight and keep a-lookin back". Keep your hand on that plow and hold on.
Hold on. (Hold on.)
Hold on. (Hold on.)
Keep your hand on that plow, hold on.
Mary had a golden chain, Every link was in my Jesus name. Keep your hand on the plow, Hold on.
Keep on a-plowin’ an’ don’t you tire,
Ev’ry round goes higher and hi’er.
Keep your hand on that plow, Hold on.
Hold on. (Hold on.)
Hold on. (Hold on.)
Keep your hand on that plow, hold on.
Wanna go to Heav’n, I'll tell you how. Keep your hand on the gospel plow. Keep your hand on-a that plow, Hold on. I was blind and could not see, Jesus opened my eyes for me
Keep your hand on that plow and hold on.
Hold on. (Hold on.)
Hold on. (Hold on.)
Keep your hand on that plow, hold on.
Luboff: All My Trials
If religion was a thing that money could buy, The rich would live and the poor would die.
All my trials, Lord, soon be over.
Too late my brothers, Too late but never mind, All my trials, Lord, soon be over.
Now, hush little baby, don’t you cry, You know that man is born to die.
All my trials, Lord, soon be over.
Too late my sisters, Too late but never mind, All my trials, Lord, soon be over.
Hampton: Praise His Holy Name!
Sing till the power of the Lord come down.
Shout Hallelujah! Praise His Holy name!
—Spiritual
—Bahamian Spiritual
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me; I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind, but now I see.
Jesus, Jesus, how I love Thee! Shout Hallelujah! Praise his Holy name!
Sing till the power of the Lord come down.
Shout Hallelujah! Praise His Holy name!
Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free?
No, there's a cross for ev'ryone and there's a cross for me. Jesus, Jesus, how I love Thee! Shout Hallelujah!
Praise His Holy Name!
Sing till the power of the Lord come down. Shout Hallelujah! Praise His Holy name!
Hallelujah! Praise His Name! Let us Praise His Name, Hallelujah, Lord! Praise His Holy Name! Hallelujah Oh, ohPraise High Holy Name! Praise Him!
—Keith Hampton
Esmail: The Love of Thousands
Walking
I am listening to a deeper way Suddenly
All my ancestors are behind me
Be still, they say Watch and listen You are the result of the love of thousands You are.
Weston: Visions of Glory
—Linda Hogan
I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land. And I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man.
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.
—Martin Luther King, Jr
.
Bach: Nun Komm, der Heiden
Heiland
Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, Der Jungfrauen Kind erkannt, Des sich wundert alle Welt, Gott solch Geburt ihm bestellt.
—Martin Luther
Bach: Jesus Bleibet meine Freude
Jesus bleibet meine Freude, Meines Herzens Trost und Saft, Jesus wehret allem Leide, Er ist meines Lebens Kraft, Meiner Augen Lust und Sonne, Meiner Seele Schatz und Wonne; Darum lass ich Jesum nicht Aus dem Herzen und Gesicht.
—Martin Jahn
Bach: Now Come, Savior of the Gentiles
Now come, [Jesus,] savior of the gentiles,
Known as child of the virgin [Mary], Of this all the world marvels: God ordained him such a birth.
—trans. Michael Marissen, Daniel R. Melamed
Bach: Jesus Remains My Joy
Jesus remains my joy, The consolation and sap/blood of my heart;
Jesus bars all sorrow; He is the [protecting] power of my life, The desire and sun of my eyes, The treasure and bliss of my soul; Thus I will not let Jesus Out of heart and sight.
—trans. Michael Marissen, Daniel R. Melamed
Kring: Constantly
One is constantly reminded of the infinite lavishness and fertility of Nature, inexhaustible abundance amid what seems enormous waste. And yet when we look into any of her operations that lie within reach of our minds, we learn that no particle of her material is wasted or worn out. It is eternally flowing from use to use, beauty to yet higher beauty; and we soon cease to lament waste and death, and rather rejoice and exult in the imperishable, unspendable wealth of the universe, and faithfully watch and wait the reappearance of everything that melts and fades and dies about us, feeling sure that its next appearance will be better and more beautiful than the last.
—John Muir
Monica Adams has worked as a collaborative pianist at University of the Pacific since 1995. She currently serves as assistant professor of practice and directs the University Chorus.
Adams holds a bachelor’s degree in music performance, voice, from University of the Pacific, where she studied piano with Frank Wiens, voice with William Whitesides, George Buckbee, and John DeHaan, and conducting with William Dehning and Robert Halseth.
Adams has performed as a pianist with the Stockton Symphony Orchestra and sang the roles of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, Old Maid in Old Maid and the Thief, and has served as Musical Director and conductor at Pacific for Pajama Game (Fallon House), Paint Your Wagon (Fallon House), You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, Apple Tree, Falsettoland, Assassins, and 1940's Radio Hour. Adams has also musicdirected Oliver, La Cage aux Folles, Babes in Arms, Footloose (conducted, also), Beauty and the Beast (Santa Rosa Repertory Theater), The Full Monty (Santa Rosa Repertory Theater) and Godspell for various theatres. In 2004 Adams participated in the summer SongFest program, which included coachings with Martin Katz, Graham Johnson, D'Anna Fortunato, John Hall, Judith Kellock and John Harbison, and performing in multiple recitals.
Valérie Sainte-Agathe is a guest conductor at University of the Pacific for 2024-25. She has conducted the San Francisco Girls Chorus (SFGC) since 2013, including performances with renowned ensembles throughout the United States and beyond. Through transformative choral music training, education, and performance, Sainte-Agathe empowers young women and champions the music of today throughout the choral world.
At the SFGC, Sainte-Agathe welcomes collaborators including the San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Symphony, Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer, Opera Parallele, and folk sensation Aoife O’Donovan. She joined Philharmonia Baroque as their chorale director in 2022 and was featured in the 2022 book Music Mavens: 15 Women of Note published by the Chicago Review Press.
Further highlights of her illustrious career include her Carnegie Hall and Barbican Center debuts with the Philip Glass Ensemble, conducting the SFGC for
the New York Philharmonic Biennial Festival at Lincoln Center, and collaborating with The Knights for the SHIFT Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. She has made two recordings as the SFGC’s Music Director, Final Answer (2018) and My Outstretched Hand (2019). Sainte-Agathe served as Music Director for the Young Singers program of the Montpellier National Symphony and Opera in France from 1998 to 2011 and participated in eight recordings with the Montpellier National Orchestra and the Radio France Festival.
Pianist Diego Bustamante ‘21 received his bachelor’s degree in music performance from University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Frank Wiens and Sonia Leong. Before beginning his college career at Pacific, Bustamante studied with the late and beloved Robert Bowman in his hometown, Chico, California. Bustamante has been an active performer throughout Northern California, appearing as a solo artist, chamber musician, collaborative pianist, and concerto soloist. Appearances include performing the first movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D Minor with the North State Symphony and the first movement of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto no. 1 with University of the Pacific’s Symphony Orchestra, as well as multiple chamber music concerts in Chico and Redding.
In 2024, Bustamante received his master’s degree in piano pedagogy and performance from Westminster Choir College (WCC) in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, where he studied with James Goldsworthy. Having a special interest in opera, he held a graduate assistantship as a rehearsal pianist for WCC’s opera program.
Currently Bustamante works as a collaborative pianist for Opera Modesto, Modesto Junior College, Downey High School, and as a freelancer.
Patricia Grimm currently serves as organist at Fremont Presbyterian Church in Sacramento. At Pacific she teaches sight-singing and collaborative piano, and also serves as a collaborative pianist. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in sacred music from Duquesne University, a Master of Music degree in choral conducting from Kent State University, and a Master of Music degree in collaborative piano from the Hartt School of Music.
PACIFIC CHOIRS
University Chorus
The ensemble is a large, mixed chorus that performs both a cappella and choral-orchestral works in a wide variety of genres, often collaborating with other ensembles at Pacific.
Sopranos
Isabella Andino
Rachel Cross
Lina Huey
Alizon Lopez
Vanessa Lopez
Rebecca Mahon
Raquel Reginato
Olivhea Ross
Amanda Sun
Angelina Sun
Altos
Evelyn Aburto
Jade Anderson
Katie Carlos
Huey Chan
Mackenzie Deems
Natalie Gong
Jingling Li
Grace Liaw
Arianna Pereyra
Sylvia Valverde
Tenors
Patrick Bartholomy
Davis Robinson
Michael Shove
Basses
Victor Alcaraz
Mitchell Amos
Connor Hsu
Seth Morris
Wesley Shafer
Aiden Valdez
Jason Wu
Pacific Singers
The ensemble is a select, mixed-voice chamber choir who collaborate with the University Chorus for two choral concerts each semester and perform at major university events and ceremonies. They also work with the University Symphony Orchestra and the Stockton Symphony to perform major choral and orchestral pieces.
Sopranos
Amber Medlen
Charlize Price
Katie Pelletier
Magdalena Bowen
Shannon Lyons
Ria Patel
Rose Krueger
Shannon Shepherd
Bell Souza
Maya Chung
Michelle Miracle
Altos
Elizabeth Neumeyer
Mia Janosik
Miranda Duarte
Zoie Macapanpan
Stella Mahnke
Tenors
Leo Hearl
Ian Orejana
Michael Megenney
Leo Hogan
Basses
Ernesto Pena
Jordan Reece Guitang
Landon Horstman
Daniel Campbell
Pacific Voice and Choral Faculty
Daniel Ebbers, program director
Eric Dudley
James Haffner
Heidi Moss Erickson
Monica Adams
Valérie Sainte-Agathe
Jonathan Latta, ensembles program director
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