RIDER UNIVERSITY
Westminster Choir College
Returning to Joy
Westminster Choir Lynnel Joy Jenkins, conductor Sunday, November 14 | 3 p.m. Gill Memorial Chapel Rider University Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Conductor’s Note An infectious joy describes the emerging emotion in the first week of in-person rehearsals with Westminster Choir. The excitement to return to choral singing after a hiatus was evident in the jubilant sounds of our music-making. Today’s programming depicts a tumultuous journey of returning to our beloved choral singing after a storm of life, the pandemic. We acknowledge the most difficult parts of the dark surroundings of the pandemic as we move forward into the light. The lengthy period of silence during the pandemic gripped us with grief and anguish that resonates in the sorrowful texts set by Vittoria, Poulenc, and Ames in the opening set, mourning. A lament of isolation, betrayal and devastation threads through the first three works, O vos omnes, “Vinea mea electa’’ from Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence, and the traditional spiritual I’ve Been in the Storm So Long. In the second set, a new song, Dale Trumbore ushers us into the new light with the ethereal setting of Barbara Crooker’s poem, After the storm, followed by Bach’s Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied BWV 225: Sing Unto the Lord a New Song. We relish in expressions of comfort in Rheinberger’s Abendlied and the cherished hymn Abide with Me, which frames the third set, comfort. God’s constant presence through the trials of life and death is assured in the traditional South African song Ndikhokhele Bawo. With gained assurance, we encourage each other to “love each other with a sincere heart” in Gjeilo’s setting of Ubi caritas. In the final set, celebration, our praise is expressed with joy in Elaine Hagenberg’s buoyant setting of St. Augustine’s Alleluia text. In Stacey Gibb’s arrangement of the spiritual Great God Almighty, the text vividly depicts the cruelty of slavery and the perseverance and determination to overcome circumstances. Turning mourning into dancing, Christopher Harris sets Sara Teasdale’s text, “I am sandaled with wind and with flame, I have heart-fire and singing to give, I can tread on the grass or the stars, Now at last I can live!” which is from her poem titled Joy. We conclude with Joseph Flummerfelt’s Danny Boy to commemorate our joyous return to our traditions, and creating and sharing choral music again with the Westminster Choir community. May we continue to have indescribable joy in our creative force each time we gather to sing together. —Lynnel Joy Jenkins
Returning to Joy mourning Ludovico Tommaso da Vittoria (1548 — 1611) arr. James A. Reilly
O vos omnes Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence II. Vinea mea electa
Francis Poulenc (1899 — 1963)
I’ve Been in the Storm So Long Spiritual arr. Jeffrey L. Ames Zoe Beaton, solo
a new song After the Storm Passes Dale Trumbore (b.1987) Zoe Beaton, Zoe Bennett, Marion Jacob, and Charlie Ibsen, solos
Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied BWV 225 Mvt. I Katherine Cherbas, cello
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 — 1750)
comfort Abendlied, Op. 69, No. 3 Ubi caritas Ndikhokhele Bawo Abide with Me
Josef Rheinberger (1839 — 1901) Ola Gjeilo (b. 1978) Traditional isiXhosa arr. Michael Barrett William Henry Monk (1823 — 1889)
Rejoice in the Lord alway Anonymous
celebration Elaine Hagenberg (b. 1979)
Alleluia
Great God Almighty! Spiritual arr. Stacey V. Gibbs Christopher Harris (b.1985)
I Am Loved
Irish Air arr. Joseph Flummerfelt
Danny Boy
Texts & Translations O vos omnes O vos omnes qui transitis per viam, attendite et videte:
O all ye that pass by the way, attend and see:
Si est dolor similis sicut dolor meus.
If there be any sorrow like to my sorrow.
Attendite, universi populi, et videte dolorem meum.
Attend, all ye people, and see my sorrow:
Si est dolor similis sicut dolor meus.
If there be any sorrow like to my sorrow
Text: Lamentations 1:12
Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence II. Vinea mea electa Vinea mea electa, ego te plantavi:
O vineyard, my chosen one, I planted you:
quomodo conversa es in amaritudinem,
How have you been changed into bitterness,
ut me crucifigeres et Barabbam dimitteres?
that you would crucify me and set Barabbas free?
Sepivi te et lapides elegi
I build a fence around you and picked the stones
ex te, et ædificavit turrim.
from you and built a watchtower.
Trans. High Ross
I’ve Been in the Storm So Long I’ve been in the storm so long, I’ve been in the storm so long, children. I’ve been in the storm so long, Oh give me little time to pray. Oh let me tell my mother how I come along, Give me little time to pray; With a hung down head an’ a achin’ heart, Oh give me little time to pray. I’ve been in the storm so long, I’ve been in the storm so long, children. I’ve been in the storm so long, Oh give me little time to pray. Oh when I get to heaven I’ll walk all about, Give me little time to pray. Dere’ll be nobody dere to turn me out, Give me little time to pray. I’ve been in the storm so long, Oh give me little time to pray. Text: Traditional Spiritual
After the Storm Passes After the storm passes passes, the wind rinses the sky to aquamarine. In this clean new light, the corn is polished, carved of jade, leaves of beryl, viridian; the gold of the wheatfields, stripes of beaten ore. Under this great glass eye we stand, on the rim of summer, the bones of winter under our feet, washed again in this bright loud light. Text: Barbara Crooker (b. 1945)
Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied,
Sing a new song to the Lord!
Die Gemeinde der Heiligen sollen ihn loben
The company of the saints shall praise him!
Israel freue sich des, der ihn gemacht hat
Praise him with drums and dances,
Die Kinder Zions sei’n fröhlich über ihren König.
praise him with strings and pipes!
Sie sollen loben seinen Namen im Reigen,
Everything that has breath, praise the Lord!
Mit Pauken und Harfen sollen sie ihm spielen.
Lord God, we thank you!
Lord God, we praise you!
Alleluia!
Text: Psalm 149: 1-3 Trans. Pamela Dellal
Abendlied Bleib bei uns,
Bide with us,
denn es will Abend werden,
for evening shadows darken,
und der Tag hat sich geneiget.
and the day will soon be over.
Text: Luke 24:29
Ubi caritas Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
Where charity and love are, God is there.
Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor.
Christ’s love has gathered us into one.
Exultemus, et in ipso iucundemur.
Let us rejoice and be pleased in Him.
Timeamus, et amemus Deum vivum.
Let us fear, and let us love the living God.
Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero.
And may we love each other with a sincere heart.
Text: Anonymous Trans. Ola Gjeilo
Ndikhokhele Bawo Ndikhokhele Bawo
He paid for me (by dying on the cross), my Father
Ndikhokhele Mmeli wami
He paid for me by representing me
Zalomhlaba Bawo
While on earth, my Father
Bawo ndiya bonga ngoba wena
Father I thank you because you
Usandi gcinile. Zundikhokhele
will always keep me (safe). I implore you to lead me (so that I may follow)
Ezintsizini
During times of sorrow/strife
Hlal’ Uhlele duze kwami
You are always standing nearby.
Traditional isiXhosa Text: Based on Psalm 23
Abide with Me Abide with me; fast falls the eventide; The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide. When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O abide with me. Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day; Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away; Change and decay in all around I see; O Thou who changest not, abide with me. I need Thy presence every passing hour. What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power? Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me. Text: Rev. Henry Francis Lyte (1793 — 1847)
Rejoice in the Lord alway Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, rejoice. Let your softness be known unto all men: the Lord is at hand.
Be careful for nothing: but in all prayer and supplication, let your petitions be manifest unto God with giving of thanks. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesu. Amen. —1549 Book of the Common Prayer Text: Phillipians 4:4-7
Alleluia All shall be Amen and Alleluia. We shall rest and we shall see. We shall see and we shall know. We shall know and we shall love. Behold our end which is no end. Text: St. Augustine (354 — 430)
Great God Almighty! Great God almighty, Great God almighty, mighty! Ridin’ in a hurry, ridin’ like he angry, bullwhip in one hand, cowhide in the other. Singing great God almighty, Great God almighty mighty! Captain went to yellin’ – Did you hear the captain shout? “Take off your shirt now, ‘cause I’m gonna kill ya!” Great God almighty, Great God almighty, mighty! Hear the captain comin’, ridin’, won’t be no more runnin’ and hidin’. O hear my cry, O Lord, please hear my plea, O Lord! Bully went to pleadin’, O Lord, have mercy. Please don’t you kill me, don’t kill me, Captain! No —Stop! I’m fightin’ till my death. I’m gonna keep on a-runnin’ til my very last breath!
Shoutin’ great God almighty Great God almighty, mighty. Great God, almighty God! Text: Traditional Spiritual
I Am Loved I am wild, I will sing to the trees, I will sing to the stars in the sky, I love, I am loved, he is mine, Now at last I can die! I am sandaled with wind and with flame, I have heart-fire and singing to give, I can tread on the grass or the stars, Now at last I can live! Text: Sara Teasdale (1884 — 1933)
Danny Boy O Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling, From glen to glen and down the mountain side. The summer’s gone and all the roses falling, it’s you, it’s you must go and I must bide. But come ye back when summer’s in the meadow, Or when the valley’s hush’d and white with snow. It’s I’ll be here in sunshine or in shadow, O Danny Boy, O Danny Boy, I love you so. But when ye come and all the flow’rs are dying, If I am dead, as dead I well may be. Ye’ll come and find the place where I am lying, and kneel and say an “Ave” there for me. And I shall hear though soft you tread above me, And all my grave will warmer, sweeter be. For you will bend and tell me that you love me, And I shall sleep in peace until you come to me. Text: Frederic E. Weatherly (1848 — 1929)
About the Artists WESTMINSTER CHOIR Lynnel Joy Jenkins, conductor Setting the standard for choral excellence since 1920, the Westminster Choir is composed of students at Westminster Choir College, a division of Rider University’s Westminster College of the Arts. Recent seasons have included concert tours in Beijing, China and Spain, as well as participation in the World Symposium on Choral Music in Barcelona and groundbreaking performances of Julia Wolfe’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Anthracite Fields at the historic Roebling WireWorks as part of Westminster’s Transforming Space project. The ensemble’s performance of John Adams’ El Niño at the 2014 Spoleto Festival U.S.A. was praised by The New York Times as “… superb. Meticulously prepared, the chorus was remarkable for its precision, unanimity and power.” The Westminster Choir has been recording choral masterworks for nine decades. American Record Guide wrote about its newest recording, Frank Martin: Mass for Double Choir, “This is gorgeous singing…with perfect blend, intonation, diction, ensemble and musicality.” The Heart’s Reflection: Music of Daniel Elder, was described by Classics Today as “first rate” and “highly recommended.” Noël, a collection of French Christmas music and sacred works, also features Westminster alumna Jennifer Larmore, mezzo-soprano, and organist Ken Cowan. It was the centerpiece of the PRI Radio broadcast Noël —A Christmas from Paris, hosted by Bill McGlaughlin. The choir’s debut recording Flower of Beauty received four stars from Choir & Organ magazine and earned critical praise from American Record Guide, which described the Westminster Choir as “the gold standard for academic choirs in America.” Praised by The New York Times for its “full-bodied, incisive singing,” the Westminster Choir also forms the core of the Westminster Symphonic Choir, which has performed and recorded with the leading conductors and orchestras of our time.
Westminster Choir Lynnel Joy Jenkins, conductor Akiko Hosaki, accompanist Hyungbin Lim, graduate assistant conductor
Soprano Jocelyn Alam, Mendham, NJ
Claire Fritz, Elizabethtown, PA
Zoe Bennett, Malvern, PA
Marion Jacob, Bear, DE
Margaret Louise Bergmark, Macon, GA Michelle Kwok, Hong Kong, China Katie Blanton, Mansfield, TX
Ashley J. Reinhardt, Stroudsburg, PA
Maryrose Canevari, Pawling, NY
Alto Zoe Beaton, Palm City, FL
Chelsea Holbrook, Quakertown, PA
Victoria Borrelli, Berlin, NJ
Leigh Huber (Alto II), Bridgewater, NJ
Joy Brunson, Newark, DE
Emily Huguenin, Howell, NJ
Grace Comeau, Bristow, VA
Morgen Zwicharowski, Hagerstown, MD
Tenor Charlie Ibsen, San Jose, CA
Hyungbin Lim, Seoul, South Korea
Tyler-Minseok Kim, Siheung, South Korea Robert Lapore, Elizabeth, NJ Jacob Keleman, Larchmont, NY
Gregory Nappa, Newton, NJ
Joe Kelley, Sanatoga, PA
Orry Walter, Middleburg, PA
Bass Yusef J. Collins-Bryant, Frankford, PA
Thomas Stella, Plainsboro, NJ
Jordan Mongell, North Andover, MA
Samuel Stephenson, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Christopher Palmer, West Chester, PA
Ruihang Zeng, Shenzhen, China
Craig Peters, Palmerton, PA Kyle St. Sauveur, Simsbury, CT
LYNNEL JOY JENKINS, CONDUCTOR Lynnel Joy Jenkins ’94 has varied conducting and teaching experience ranging from the elementary to the collegiate level. Dr. Jenkins’ passion is in cultivating community in the choral classroom while inspiring artistry. She is a choral music educator of international stature, lecturing and conducting in Canada, China, Hong Kong, Iceland, South Africa, and Switzerland. Jenkins has conducted honor choruses at national, divisional, and several state conferences for American Choral Directors Association and Organization for American Kodály Teachers and numerous all-state choruses and choral festivals. An active clinician, she presents interest sessions and workshops on fostering human connection and community in the choral rehearsal at professional music association conferences and colleges. She is artistic director of Westrick Music Academy and choral educator in the Hopewell Valley Regional School District in New Jersey. At Westrick Music Academy, she conducts touring groups, Princeton Girlchoir Ensemble and Concert Choir. Before these appointments, she served as assistant professor of Music Education at Westminster Choir College of Rider University and conductor of the Resident Training Choir at the American Boychoir School in Princeton, N.J. She was also on the conducting and teaching staff of the Temple University Children’s Choir in Temple University’s Music Preparatory Division and The Haverford School in Pennsylvania. Dr. Jenkins was inducted into the Music Education Alumni Hall of Fame and presented the Alumni Merit Award in 2014 by Westminster Choir College for her contributions to music education. She has earned degrees from Westminster Choir College of Rider University (B.M.), Temple University (M.M.), and University of Arizona (D.M.A.), and at the first two institutions was awarded the Elaine Brown Conducting Award. Her choral foundations are rooted in the ensemble experiences in Westminster Chapel Choir with Constantina Tsolainou and Westminster Symphonic Choir with Dr. Joseph Flummerfelt.
AKIKO HOSAKI, ACCOMPANIST A collaborative pianist and vocal coach, Dr. Akiko Hosaki frequently appears with singers, instrumentalists, and conductors in the New York metropolitan area. She is currently an adjunct assistant professor at Westminster Choir College of Rider University and serves as the head of vocal staff accompanists and coordinator. During summer, she teaches Westminster’s High School Solo Vocal Artist program as music director. Well-known for her “sensitive playing,” she was the assistant to Dalton Baldwin, legendary collaborative pianist, at Académie internationale d’été de Nice, France, from 2013 until his passing in 2019, and was at Mozarteum Sommerakademie in 2017 and 2018. She was invited to give a master class in Hong Kong in 2016 and 2017.
Dr. Hosaki has collaborated with the Princeton Festival Opera, New Jersey State Opera, Opera North, Castleton Festival, American Boychoir, Princeton Girlchoir, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Riverside Symphonia and Garden State Philharmonic, among others. In the instrumental world, she has performed at the World Saxophone Congress XIII, Tubonium2 and 3, and she enjoys collaborating in chamber music concerts. She also frequently performs with solo handbell ringer Hyosang Park, as Duo Grazioso. A native of Osaka, Japan, Dr. Hosaki holds degrees from Musashino Academia Musicae in Japan, Westminster Choir College, and the University of Minnesota.
KATHERINE CHERBAS, CELLIST Cellist Katherine Cherbas has performed in the pit ensembles for over 30 Broadway and Off Broadway shows. As an orchestral player, she appears regularly with the Encores! Orchestra at New York City Center and has also performed with the New York Philharmonic and the New Jersey Symphony. Her interests as a chamber musician range from Baroque continuo playing to collaborations with composers on new works. After studying at the Indiana University School of Music while in high school, Katherine moved to New York City and completed an undergraduate degree at Columbia University, a master’s degree from The Juilliard School, and a doctoral degree at SUNY-Stony Brook.
About Us RIDER UNIVERSITY’S WESTMINSTER COLLEGE OF THE ARTS is composed of four divisions: Westminster Choir College; the School of Fine and Performing Arts; Westminster Conservatory, the community music school, and Westminster Continuing Education. Mission Westminster College of the Arts inspires, prepares, and empowers emerging artists through a supportive, immersive, and unique arts community. Our students achieve a high level of artistry and acquire the professional skills to become contemporary leaders who transform local and global communities through humanity, inclusion, and access for all. Vision Westminster College of the Arts aspires to be a flourishing arts destination for creative students, artists, community members, and industry professionals; a center for public-facing artistic projects supported by faculty and student research; and a catalyst for innovation through the arts. Westminster Choir College is a four-year music college and graduate school that prepares musicians for careers as leaders in schools, universities, and churches; on concert stages and in professional and community organizations. Renowned for its tradition of choral excellence, Westminster has become a center of excellence in solo performance as well. The college has three curricular choirs, including the Westminster Symphonic Choir, which has performed and recorded with virtually all of the major orchestras and conductors of our time, and four choirs selected by audition. Celebrating 95 years of music excellence, Westminster Choir College of Rider University has significantly influenced the cultural life of our nation.
Rider University’s COVID-19 Policy for Public Performances Rider University’s Westminster College of the Arts is pleased to return to presenting live performances. The health and well-being of the Rider community remain our top priority, and we have instituted the following policies for live performances in the fall 2021 semester. Audience Guests at all events who are not current Rider students, faculty or staff will be asked to accept a required assumption of risk agreement when purchasing tickets. Based on current university policy, masks are required indoors at all times and must be worn for the entirety of the performance. Performers All students, faculty, and staff involved with a staged production or an ensemble performance are required to test the week before and the week of the dress rehearsal and performance(s). Vaccinated individuals with negative COVID-19 tests are permitted to remove their masks for approved dress rehearsals and performances. If they prefer, they also have the option to wear a mask for the performance. We look forward to welcoming audiences back to performances on campus and in the community.
Westminster College of the Arts
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