Welcome to the Orpheus Club’s annual Winter Concert. One of the oldest male choruses in the Northeast, Orpheus is dedicated to the continuance of men’s choral singing, fellowship and to providing audiences with an eclectic repertoire of enjoyable music.
Our singing membership is made up of men from all walks of life drawn together by the common bond of music. Our singers now come from throughout northern New Jersey. We welcome your inquiries about singing with us. If singing is not for you but you enjoy attending our concerts, we invite you to consider becoming a subscribing member. As such, you will be kept apprised of our upcoming concerts and will enjoy significant savings on the cost of tickets.
For more information feel free to speak with any singing member after the concert, visit our website (www.ridgewoodorpheusclub.org), or write to us (PO Box 114, Ridgewood).
JOHN J. PALATUCCI enjoys a career as a performing musician, conductor, clinician, an adjudicator, and educator. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in music education, a Master of Arts degree in music performance from Montclair State College of New Jersey, and a Master of Education degree in educational leadership with all accompanying certificates from NJ EXCEL. He started singing at the age of eight in a family Christmas pageant. His love affair with choral music began at the age of ten when he was selected for his hometown church's boy choir. While a student at Montclair State College, Mr. Palatucci was active in choral, musical theater and opera projects under Kenneth Cooper, David Randolph, Dr. Jack Sacher, and Dr. Benjamin Wilkes. He has pursued further study with Dr. Anton Armstrong, R. David Higgs, and Audrey Turner. For over thirty years he served as section leader, soloist, and assistant conductor for the choirs of Grace Presbyterian Church in Montclair, New Jersey. He has appeared as soloist for area churches and community organizations, performing with such noted conductors as Henry Brant, Lucas Foss, Morton Gould, Skitch Henderson and Karel Husa. During the summer of 1977, he toured Europe as a soloist with the International Congress of Christian Musicians. In 1980, for the 75th Anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi Church in his hometown of Haskell, Mr. Palatucci organized a massed choral festival for which he received an Apostolic Blessing from Pope John Paul II, returning to lead similar events in honor of the 50th anniversaries of D-Day and VE/VJ Days. He was honored by the Jaycees in 1982 with an "Outstanding Young Man of America" award.
A music educator since 1978, now retired, Mr. Palatucci taught in the Elizabeth and Ridgewood, NJ public schools. In 1983 he accepted the music department chairmanship of the Eastern Christian Schools of North Haledon. While teaching at Eastern Christian High School (ECHS), he developed a reputation as a builder of fine choral programs. He increased enrollment and upgraded the repertoire of the school's flagship ensemble, the Concert Choir, established a select chamber choir and, via mutual encouragement with his students, a Gospel ensemble dedicated to the performance of contemporary African American gospel music. The ECHS Concert Choir and Chamber Singers won five national level championships while consistently receiving Division I Superior ratings and, along with the Gospel Ensemble, received invitations to perform in Israel, at Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center and throughout the greater New York metropolitan area. Numerous members of his choirs were awarded places in regional, state, national and international honor ensembles. Many of these students have gone on to careers as professional musicians, music educators and school administrators while still others actively participate in local church and civic ensembles. After leaving EC in 1990, he assumed the directorship of choral and orchestral ensembles at Madison High School where his students again distinguished themselves at both the regional and state levels. From 1992 through 2018, he served the families of Livingston, NJ teaching instrumental, classroom and gifted and talented music. He has also served on the music department faculties of Caldwell College, Montclair State and William Paterson Universities as well as Columbia Teachers College, teaching applied music, brass pedagogy, and chamber music. In addition to conducting professional and amateur adult groups, Mr. Palatucci has guest conducted the American Boy Choir, the All-North Jersey JHS Orchestra, the Peninsula Combined HS Band, and the Central Jersey Intermediate School Band. In the spring of 2004, as guest conductor he led the Verona High School Concert Chorus to the North American Music Festival in Virginia Beach, Virginia, winning another Division I Superior rating and best-in-show title. He serves as an adjudicator and clinician for the New Jersey Music Education Association, Good News Travel and The Offstage Group of NYC, among others. He has been heard over WQXR, WFME, and SIRIUS XM radio and recorded for Delos Records International, The Educational Testing Service, Koch Records, The Musical Heritage Society and The US Merchant Marine Academy. Mr. Palatucci served on the executive committee for the 1991 Billy Graham Northern New Jersey Crusade where he was responsible for the recruiting and overseeing of a 3,000-voice choir. He served the Camp-of-the-Woods of Speculator, New York as 1993 music director. From 1996 through 1998, he led the Ridgewood Singers Mixed Chorus.
In fall of 1990, Mr. Palatucci became music director of the Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus (OCMC) of Ridgewood, NJ. During his tenure, he has striven to uphold and enhance the OCMC's proud history, tradition, and reputation. These efforts include performing Johannes Brahms' Alto Rhapsody with the Adelphi Chamber Orchestra, Randall Thompson's The Testament of Freedom and Giuseppi Verdi's Hymn to the Nations with the Orchestra of Saint Peter-by-the-Sea, Howard Hanson's Song of Democracy, Ottorino Respighi's Laud to the Nativity, Aaron Cop-
land's Old American Songs, the revised finale to Richard Wagner's opera Tannhäuser, David Avshalomov’s arrangement of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album with the Ridgewood Concert Band, now the NJ Wind Symphony, and Carmina Burana with the Summit Chorale as well as commissions of new music for tenor-bass chorus which are dedicated to him and the OCMC.
In the spring of 2005, he led the OCMC in its Lincoln Center debut at the Lincoln Center Library with the Palisades Virtuosi chamber ensemble. Under him, the OCMC became a charter member of the New Jersey Choral Consortium (NJCC) in 2008 where he sat on the board of directors and served as vice president. In January 2009, he was honored by his colleagues at Montclair State University as speaker at the annual Dr. Jack Sacher Memorial Lecture. Also in 2009, during the OCMC’s centennial year, he led a Ridgewood community choral festival which culminated in a performance with orchestra and soloist Ron Levy of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy. In 2011, his setting of Percy Grainger’s Sussex Mummers’ Christmas Carol is published by the International Percy Grainger Society. With Mr. Levy, he prepared the OCMC and its sister ensemble, the Ridgewood Choral, for a performance of the Beethoven Choral Fantasy with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. Under the auspices of the NJCC, with the OCMC and the Rutgers University Glee Club, in 2012 he helped organize and oversee an inaugural state-wide men’s chorus workshop and concert at Rutgers University. A 2013 debut performance at Carnegie Recital Hall with members of the OCMC included the NYC premieres of Peter Findley’s “Ubi caritas” and Godfrey Schroth’s “Orpheus with his lute.” In December 2016, he made his Lincoln Center David Geffen Hall conducting debut at the 49th annual Messiah SingIn sponsored by the National Chorale, returning five more times. In 2019, he conducted at the 65th annual Ocean Grove Choir Festival and with the OCMC appeared at NYC’s Saint Patrick’s Cathedral’s 40th annual Christmas concert. On Memorial Day 2021 he sang “God bless America” with the 89th NY (National) Guard Band at Yankee Stadium.
RON LEVY, international acclaimed pianist, has been called "first-class" by the New York Times. He regularly appears in major venues, both as a soloist and collaborative artist, and has been pianist and harpsichordist of many symphony orchestras. A resident of Vermont for over 20 years, Ron was a faculty and Board member of the Manchester Music Festival, Music Director and Conductor of the Opera Theatre in Weston, and Program and Music Director at the historic Equinox Hotel. A graduate of Oberlin, he has taught at numerous colleges, and is currently on the faculty of Montclair University's Cali School of Music, as well as The Ridgewood Conservatory. In addition, he is Music Director of the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood, Pianist & Assistant Conductor of the Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus, a member of the Arundo Trio, and pianist of the award-winning Palisades Virtuosi, of which he is a founding member (PV recently celebrated its 20th anniversary with a gala celebration in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall;
this fall they were awarded the coveted American Prize for the performance of American chamber music). A prolific recording artist, CDs by Mr. Levy are available on the Albany, Centaur, Eroica, 4-Tay, Great Kate, High Point, Koch International, Phoenix, South Mountain and Summit labels. Several of the individual CDs comprising PV's 'New American Masters' series (Albany & 4-Tay Records) have been submitted for Grammys. A two-term President of the Professional Music Teachers' Guild of NJ, Mr. Levy is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Rockland and Monmouth Symphony Orchestras; he is also a consultant to BIM Music Publications, Switzerland. Mr. Levy is the unintentional star of the YouTube video "Top Five Worst Page Turn Fails," which has gone viral with over two million hits.
JUSTIN KEMP is a drummer and percussionist based out of Bergen County, NJ. Versed in all genres of music, he can often be seen performing throughout the Tri-State Area in various theater companies, colleges, and high school pit orchestras, as well as subbing for pop, rock, and jazz bands. Beyond his experience performing, Justin is the Band Director for Rochelle Park Public Schools and is the Percussion Caption-Head for the Chatham High School Marching Band.
TACONIC MUSIC is a not-for-profit organization in Manchester, VT, with violinist Joana Genova and violist Ariel Rudiakov at its core, presenting year-round chamber music concerts, as well as music in schools, libraries, assisted-living homes, art galleries, and other venues.
Bulgarian-born violinist JOANA GENOVA is Co-Artistic Director of Taconic Music, second violinist of the Indianapolis Quartet and adjunct faculty member at Montclair State University and Williams and Bennington colleges. She has performed internationally in Bulgaria, Holland, Germany, Italy, and BosniaHerzegovina.
Violinist LAURA HAMILTON is the Artistic Director and Concertmaster for the Nevada music festival Classical Tahoe, and Concertmaster for the conductorless chamber orchestra CityMusic Cleveland. She teaches violin and chamber music at New York University. Previously, she was Principal Associate Concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for 33 years. OCMC attendees will remember Laurie as the guest artist soloist from our December 2018 concerts!
LANNY PAYKIN, cellist, is a graduate of Wesleyan University and Juilliard, and has performed with many of Lincoln Center's orchestras, including the Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic, and the New York City Opera and Ballet orchestras. He has participated in music festivals in Nevada, St. Barts, and Greece.
Violist and conductor ARIEL RUDIAKOV is founder and Co-Director of Taconic Music, Inc. He attended Manhattan School of Music Pre-College, SUNY Purchase, University of Illinois at Champain-Urbana and Yale, where he earned Bachelor and Masters degrees. Ari was Artistic Director of the Manchester (VT) Music Festival for 16 years and a founding member of SONYC (String Orchestra of NYC). In addition, he is Associate Conductor of the Greenwich (CT) Symphony, and Music Director and conductor of the Danbury (CT) Symphony Orchestra. Recently, Ari performed chamber music at the Kawaii a Ledo Festival in Italy. He lives in Vermont with his family; he plays a viola made in 2000 by Geoffrey Ovington.
For more information, visit taconicmusic.org
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Now you can support as you shop! Amazon.com has a program whereby they will donate ½ percent of the purchase price of whatever goods and services you purchase to Orpheus. You pay nothing extra for this program and it looks exactly as you’re used to seeing when you access the regular Amazon web site. To login to Amazon Smile merely reference this link: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/22-3597641 and you will see our name displayed at the top of the screen. Shop exactly the same as you would under regular Amazon. There is also a download link that will install an icon on your PC that will start you in Amazon Smile: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1002402211
To keep “the song alive” the members of the Orpheus Club are committed to support future generations of musicians in their endeavors. To that end, for more than two decades the Orpheus Club has been proud to sponsor a scholarship program designed to honor and assist a graduating high school senior who has demonstrated extraordinary accomplishments in music and who intends to continue musical studies on the collegiate level. Since taking its current form in 1993, the program has made grants totaling over $27,000.The Harriet & Edward Levy Memorial Scholarship was established to honor the memory of the Levy children's parents, Harriet & Edward, both of whom were accomplished amateur musicians.They instilled their love of music in Ron, Dennis, Walter & Lorrie, and provided them with music lessons and encouragement. It is in this spirit that this award is given.
Students from Ridgewood, Indian Hills, Paramus, Pequannock, Glen Rock, Ramapo, Northern Valley (Old Tappan), Eastern Christian, Northern Highlands, Fair Lawn, Verona, Roxbury, Montclair, Leonia, Lakeland, Kittatinny, Glen Ridge and West Essex Regional high schools and the Bergen County Academy have been past recipients of Orpheus Club and the Levy Memorial awards. These outstanding young musicians have gone on to study at Oberlin College, the University of Miami, the University of North Carolina, the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Boston University, the Mannes College of Music, Miami University (Ohio), Rutgers University, Calvin College (Michigan), the Manhattan School of Music, Boston College, the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, Hamilton College (New York), Brandeis University, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the University of Michigan, West Chester University (PA), the Colburn School of Music (Los Angeles) and Princeton University.
Orpheus awarded the 2022 Roland L. Meyer Scholarship award of $2,000 to Ms. Yoona Park from Paramus High School. Ms. Park is attending Juilliard.
The 2022 Harriet and Edward Levy Memorial Scholarship award of $1000 was awarded to Ms. Margot Jerkovich from Ridgewood.
We thank all those individuals and groups who have made donations to this valuable effort and encourage you to continue your support of our students in the arts. Donations of any size are welcomed. Make your check payable to the Orpheus Club Scholarship Fund and give it to any singing member or mail it to:
Orpheus Club, Inc.
P.O. Box 114 • Ridgewood, NJ 07451
All contributions are tax-deductible.
Hallelujah, Amen
...................................................
From “Judas Maccabaeus”
George Fredrich Handel
Arranged by Archibald T. Davison
You Will Be Found .......................................... Benn Pasek and Justin Paul
From “Dear Evan Hansen” Arranged by Tim Sarsany Mitchell Shapiro, tenor • Gunnar Holmberg, baritone
Sleigh Ride
Leroy Anderson
Lyrics by Mitchell Parish II
In the Bleak Midwinter ...........................................................
Gustav Holst
Arranged by Joseph Turrin World Premiere Ron Levy, piano
Allegro ma non tanto ........................................
Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)
From “Piano Quintet No. 2 in A Major, Op. 81 [1887]” Taconic String Quartet & Ron Levy III
Glorious Apollo ....................................................................
Samuel Webbe
Arranged by Christopher W. Peterson
Robert Husband, tenor • Hal Maxwell, baritone • Robert Silvera, bass
Credo .....................................................................................
The Work of Christmas
Joseph Turrin
Text by E.A. Robinson
Dan Forrest
Lyrics by Howard Thurman
Text from Rev. Dr. Howard Thurman
There will be a fifteen-minute Intermission.
'This program is made possible in part by a grant administered by the Bergen County Division of Cultural & Historic Affairs from funds granted bythe New Jersey State Council on the Arts.'
Our sincerest gratitude to Ridgewood Arts Foundation for once again promoting arts in the township and in particular supporting Orpheus.
IV
Hallelujah ............................................................................
Leonard Cohen
Arranged by Roger Emerson Andrew Ferretti, baritone
Jingle Bell Rock .................................................................... Bobby Helms
Arranged by John Palatucci
Vernon Reed, Mitchell Shapiro, Lou Fucito, Dave Strife; tenors Pete Bernich, Gunnar Holmberg; baritones Ed Brouillard, Bob Casparian; basses
A Clarification
Richard Lane
Va Pensiero ........................................................................ Giuseppe Verdi
From “Nabucco” V We Wish You a Merry Christmas English Traditional
Arranged by Matthew Naughtin
Silent Night ........................................................
Franz Gruber (1787-1863) Arranged by Matthew Naughtin Christmas Cornucopia [2010]
Kermit Poling Taconic String Quartet VI
Gloria ................................................................................
Fantasia on Christmas Carols
Antonio Vivaldi
Adapted by John Palatucci
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Arranged by Herbert W. Pierce
Carol of the Bells ...................................................................M. Leontovich Lyrics and Arrangement Peter Wilhousky
Hallelujah ..............................................................
From “Messiah”
George Frederick Handel
Arranged by Louis Koppitz
Sam Shaw
................................................................
President
Vernon Reed Chairman
John McKeon
Vice President, Administration
Robert Silvera Vice President, Membership
Paul Nelson Treasurer Rick Swanson ............................................................ Librarian
Greg Farrell
James Miskowski
Lou Fucito
Jim Lisanti
Sam Shaw Marlin Townes
Dotti Fucito Marcia Perry Phillip Raspe
Walter White
Paul Berinato Music Eric Schwarz Publicity
Bob Husband .....................................................................................Fund Raising
George U. White
Frank F. Knothe
George W. Campbell
Wilbur Morris
Paul J. Howe
Herbert R. Talbot
George A. Steves
Theodore Northrup
Robert Nutt, Jr.
Ray M. Gidney
Harry Wiltshire
Richard H. Long
Chester S. Lawton
William J. Crawford
Arthur I. Demarest
Leon A. Payne
Albert W. Staub
Clifford D. Ackerman Howard R. Leroy
Richard G. Mannheim
Frederick A. Blanpied
Charles R. Dewhurst
Stanley M. Staples
Howard M. Liechty
John Bing
Walter C. Doscher
Frederick E. Ray
Theodore H. Mastin, Jr. Herbert S. Buzzard
Otis H. Grendler
Jack D. Morrison
Oliver H. Hiester
Karel V. Ctibor
Vincent G. Beck
Robert J. Egner
Charles B. Hepburn
George W. Billings
Jerome Wyckoff E. Raymond Greve
Carl F. Bilz
Robert E. Duane
Frank Strobl
Roland L. Meyer
James W. Rash
Paul D. Berinato
Dan Williams
Lou Fucito Jim Lisanti
Pat O’Brien Joe Lisella
Robert Silvera
Greg Farrell Bob Husband
VERNON REED*, Part Captain
PETE BERNICH* FRANK FARRELL BOB HUSBAND* JIM LUPFER MITCHELL G. SHAPIRO
LOU FUCITO**, Part Captain
PAUL BERINATO*** JOE BURNEY
BILL DEBLOCK* TOM GRAHAM ROBERT GREMILLOT NEIL NEUBERT* RICHARD REHBEIN DAVID STRIFE RICK SWANSON*
PAUL NELSON, Part Captain
ANDREW FERRETTI ERIC HOLMBERG GUNNAR HOLMBERG HAL MAXWELL JIM MISKOWSKI JIM O’ROURKE TOM PURWIN RAY PIXLEY GARY STARK
SAM SHAW*, Part Captain EDWARD J. BROUILLARD*** BOB CASPARIAN* STEVE FELL JOHN MCKEON* ROBERT SILVERA***
WILLIAM AMAZZINI* HERB COHEN*
GREG FARRELL* JOHN GALVIN* ROGER JACOBSON JIM LISANTI** JOE LISELLA** JIM MATTHEWS **
RICHARD REGAN ERIC SCHWARZ DAVID SILVER MARLIN TOWNES * Each star represents ten years of music making
Original Italian English Translation Va', pensiero, sull'ali dorate; Hasten thoughts on golden wings. Va, ti posa sui clivi, sui colli, Hasten and rest on the densely wooded hills, ove olezzano tepide e molli where warm and fragrant and soft l'aure dolci del suolo natal! are the gentle breezes of our native land!
Del Giordano le rive saluta, The banks of the Jordan we greet di Sionne le torri atterrate… and the towers of Zion. Oh mia Patria sì bella e perduta! O, my homeland, so beautiful and lost! O membranza sì cara e fatal! O memories, so dear and yet so deadly!
Arpa d'or dei fatidici vati, Golden harp of our prophets, perché muta dal salice pendi? why do you hang silently on the willow? Le memorie nel petto raccendi, Rekindle the memories of our hearts, ci favella del tempo che fu! and speak of the times gone by!
O simile di Solima ai fati, Or, like the fateful Solomon, traggi un suono di crudo lamento; draw a lament of raw sound; o t'ispiri il Signore un concento or permit the Lord to inspire us che ne infonda al patire virtù! to endure our suffering!
Orpheus is especially thankful for all our patrons and donors who have supported us throughout these trying times. Our performances and our scholarship programs would not be possible without your kind generosity.
Ms. Margaret Jane Budd* Mr. Jacques Du Bois Mr. & Mrs. Gregory Farrell Mr. Steve Fell Ms. Dorothy P. Fucito* Mr. James Rash & Ms. Marcia Guthrie* Ms. Marcia Perry** Mr. Robert J. Petretti** Mr. & Mrs. Steven M. Steiner** Mr. Tom Veit
Bergen County Division of Historic and Cultural Affairs Ridgewood Arts Foundation
The Herb and Arlene Cohen Trust Network for Good
ORPHEUS
Mr. Peter Bernich Ms. Margaret Jane Budd Mr. Robert Silvera Ms. Marcia Perry Ms. Alex Rainer-Meyer Michael and Yolanda Thomas THE HARRIET & EDWARD LEVY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP Ron Levy Administrator
Mr. Peter Bernich
The Herb and Arlene Cohen Trust Mr. Thomas Purwin Mr. Robert Silvera
Gold Circle Support ($500 - $999) Mrs. Susan Kaplan Ms. Marcia Perry Ms. Margaret Jane Budd
Copper Circle Support ($100 - $249)
Mr. Robert Casparian Mr. Jacques Du Bois Mr. Robert Silvera Mr. David Strife Mr. Ed Brouillard
Mr. Herb Cohen Mr. Mitchell Shapiro Mr. Peter Bernich Mr. Richard Regan Mr. Robert Gremilot Mr. Robert Petretti Mr. Joseph Rigolio Mr. Sam Shaw Mr. Tom Graham
Mr. & Mrs. Steven M. Steiner Mr. Tom Veit Mr. Ted Richter
Bronze Circle Support ($50 - $99) Mr. Bill DeBlock Bob Husband
Mr. Jim O'Rourke Mr. Lou Fucito Ms. Concetta DeLuca Michael & Yolanda Thomas
We, the singers of the Orpheus Club Men’s Chorus (OCMC), are delighted that you have chosen to share this evening of music making with us. Your support means so much especially in these troubled and troubling times. As these concerts seek to focus on seeing the season through the eyes of children, it is our hope that our efforts get you in the holiday spirit with good will to all!
Composed in 1746, the oratorio recounts the story of Hanukkah, the Jewish freedom fight against the Seleucid Empire (Hellenistic Kings following the Macedonian Empire of Alexander the Great). Judah, son of Mattathias the priest, leads the rebels vowing to fight for their faith. “Hallelujah, Amen” ends the work. It was the very first piece conducted in concert by the OCMC’s current music director.
The Tony Award winning musical Dear Evan Hansen tells the story of a teenager suffering from social anxiety exacerbated by a fellow classmate’s suicide. He expresses his grief in the only place where he feels he will be heard; on an online site dedicated to his classmate’s memory. The song offers a message of hope to any and all who are suffering due to a sense of loss or marginalization.
Leroy Anderson’s well-known winter anthem was written in July 1946, strangely enough, at his home in Woodbridge, Connecticut during a heat wave. He is best known for his long a ssociation with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops. Premiered in 1949, the ever-popular tune’s lyrics were set in 1950 by Mitchell Parrish.
Samuel Webbe was an English composer of the late 18th century and is considered the father of the glee club sound. Glees are defined as songs for acapella voices in three or more parts. This example was his first “hit.” It references Apollo, the Sun God associated in part with the winter solstice, and Polyhymnia, the muse of poetry, music, and dance. Together they are the parents of a very special hero - Orpheus!
Joseph Turrin is an award-winning composer and conductor for orchestras such as the NY Philharmonic and the Boston Symphony as well as for film and theater. On the faculties of Kean, Montclair State, and Rutgers Universities, one of his early teachers was Richard Lane, the OCMC’s long-time and beloved accompanist. Pulitzer winner Edward Robinson’s text slowly considers looking to the “glory of the light.”
Howard Thurman was an African-American theologian, pastor, and educator who mentored a young Martin Luther King, Jr. His poem about the significance of the Christmas season, especially as set here by composer Dan Forrest, rings just as true today as it ever has.
“Hallelujah” was released in 1984 on Cohen’s seventh album entitled “Various Positions” without much notoriety or success. As time passed, other performers included the song in their concerts and brought it to prominence. Cohen never specified any special meaning for the song, so it is left up to you the listener to provide its meaning. In 2001, it was featured in the animated film “Shrek.”
Since hitting the airwaves in 1957, this number has never left the top of the winter holiday pop charts. Listen carefully and you will hear our basses quote Lydia Marie Child’s poem “Over the River and Through the Woods.”
So, what exactly happened when Jack and Jill went up that hill? The late great Richard Lane had his own thoughts on this and other related nursery rhymes, freely sharing them in this rollicking novelty number that is full of whimsical fun. Listen to current OCMC pianist Ron Levy’s playing as he quotes tunes such as “Mary had a little lamb,” “The farmer in the dell.” Feel free to giggle out loud and good luck explaining yourself to the kids.
Very loosely based on the Babylonian exile of the early Judean Israelites, Nabucco (King Nebuchadnezzar, the Great) was a huge success for Verdi. The chorus “Va pensiero” became a source of national pride, a rallying call for a united Italy identifying with the ancient story while seeking to throw off its own oppression under the then Austro-Hungarian empire.
The angels’ call as recounted in Saint Luke’s Nativity story serves as a portion of the Roman Catholic Mass Ordinary. Rediscovered in the early 20th century, this setting of that text along with the larger work remains among the Italian Baroque master’s most popular compositions. Like Gloria, many of his over 2,000 compositions were written during Vivaldi’s tenure as the music master at a Venice home for orphaned girls.
The music world celebrates Ralph Vaughan Williams’ 150th birthday in 2022 (1872-2022). He would travel throughout England collecting carols either on paper or with phonograph during the early 20th century. These collections eventually found their way into not only our concert today but his ballet “On Christmas Night,” the nativity play “The First Nowell,” and his largescale choral symphony “Hodie” as well.
2022 marks the centennial of the Ukrainian folk melody “Shchedryk (The Little Swallow)” being introduced in America at Carnegie Hall. Adapted by Mykola Leontovych in 1916, it was originally sung during new year celebrations and suffered neglect under Soviet occupation. Peter Wilhousky, a Ukrainian-American composer and one time head of NYC’s school music programs, wrote the English lyrics in 1936 leading to its renewed popularity and recognition. The OCMC sings in solidarity here with lovers of freedom everywhere. Slava Ukraini!
Arguably the most famous choral anthem from perhaps the most famous work for chorus and orchestra ever presented. Messiah was first performed in Dublin, Ireland on April 12, 1742 and received its London premiere nearly a year later. After an initially modest public reception, the oratorio gained in popularity. Handel retained a great fondness for the piece and at his annual benefit concerts for London’s Foundling Hospital always included it. In 1759, blind and in failing health, he insisted on attending a performance of “Messiah” at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden, just eight days before his death
John Palatucci, music director THE ORPHEUS CLUB MEN’S CHORUS
Join today and support our mission to promote the arts in and around Ridgewood. Your contributions help fund worthy artisic endeavors by visual and performing artists in our community. RAF offers three levels of membership with an array of exciting benefits. Higher level members receive admission to our annual art tour and Honors event.
