Remembering
Westminster Jubilee Singers
Vinroy Brown Jr., conductor
Lydia Reifsnyder, graduate assistant conductor
Akiko Hosaki, accompanist
April 23 at 7:30p.m.
Gill Memorial Chapel
Rider University
2083 Lawrenceville Road
Lawrenceville, N.J.
Program
Gloria in Memoriam George Walker
Lydia Reifsnyder, graduate assistant conductor*
Akiko Hosaki, organ
Olivia Venier, soprano
Abbey Ritter, soprano
Jenna Sims, alto
Oh, How Can I Keep From Singing?
Robert A. Harris
Lydia Reifsnyder, graduate assistant conductor*
Psalm 1 Nathan Carter
Lydia Reifsnyder, graduate assistant conductor*
Akiko Hosaki, organ
Deep River Moses Hogan
Lydia Reifsnyder, graduate assistant conductor* – Intermission –
The Cry of Jeremiah
I. Is Not His Word Like A Fire
II. O, Lord, You Have Deceived Me
III. Cursed Be the Day
IV. Hallelujah!
Rosephanye Powell
*Conducted by Lydia Reifsnyder in partial fulfillment of degree requirements for a master of music in choral conducting.
Program Notes
Written by Lydia ReifsnyderGloria in Memoriam George Walker
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Et in terra pax hominibus
bonae voluntatis
Laudamus te
Benedicimus te
Adoramus te
Glorificamus te
Gratias agimus tibi
propter magnum gloriam tuam
Domini Deus
Rex celestis
Deus Pater omnipotens
Domine Fili unigenite Christe
Domine Deus
Agnus Dei Fili Patris
Qui tollis peccata mundi
Agnus Dei miserere nobis
suscipe deprecationem nostram
Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris
miserere nobis
Quoniam Tu solus sanctus
Dominus Tu solus Altissimus
Jesus Christe Sancto
in Gloria Dei Patris
Alleluja
Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to all men of good will
We praise you
We bless you
We adore you
We glorify you
We thank you for your great glory
Lord God
king of the heavens
God almighty Father
Lord begotten son Christ
Lord God
Lamb of God son of the Father
take all sins from the world
Lamb of God have mercy on us receive our invocation
You who are seated at the right of the Father have mercy on us
Because only You are Holy
Only You are Highest
Jesus Christ
in the glory of God the Father
Alleluja
George Walker was born in 1922 in Washington, D.C. Walker was a gifted musician even from an early age, being accepted into Oberlin College, Ohio, by the age of 16 because of his musical talents, receiving further education at the Curtis Institute of Music. He studied under various famous musicians of the 20th century, such as Samuel Barber, Rudolf Serkin, and Nadia Boulanger. Walker was the first Black composer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1996, specifically for his orchestral/vocal work, Lilacs. Walker’s style of composition is very much
of the experimental and atonal era of the mid-20th century combined with the melodies and texts of African American spirituals.
Gloria in memoriam, written in 1963, is a prime example of Walker’s talents as a composer. Written for Treble voices and includes three soloists and Organ, though the accompaniment is minimal at best. It has its SSA parts weaving in and out between being three distinctive sections and one cohesive choir, starting and ending in octave unisons. Very few recordings of this piece are available online.
Oh, How Can I Keep From Singing?
My life flows on in endless song above earth’s lamentation. I hear the real tho’ far off hymn that hails a new creation.
No storm can shake my inmost calm, I hear the music ringing; It sounds and echoes in my soul, Oh, how can I keep from singing?
What tho’ the tempest ‘round me roars, I know the truth, it liveth!
What tho’ the darkness ‘round me falls, Songs in the night, it giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm, I hear the music ringing; Since love is Lord of heav’n and earth, Oh, how can I keep from singing?
Robert A. HarrisRobert A. Harris was born in 1938 in Detroit, Michigan. He is a conductor, choral clinician and adjudicator who has written music for various schools and church organizations. Harris has taught at multiple universities, most notably serving as the Director of Choral Organizations and Professor of Conducting at Northwestern University for 35 years before stepping down in 2012. In his free time, he gives master classes about conducting globally, such as in South Africa and the Republic of China.
Oh, How Can I Keep From Singing? was written for the Area High School Concert Chorale from Williamsport, PA in 1988. It is an acapella piece for SATB choir
based on a traditional folk hymn from an anonymous writer. Like the text “My life flows on in endless song…,” Harris writes as if each part is a current in a river, flowing on top of each other until they collide in unison for “No storm…” The question of whether or not we can keep on singing is reflected in the piece’s minor key. However, at the very end, Oh, How resolves not only on a Picardy Third, resulting in it ending on the relative major key, but also contextually, affirming that despite any potential struggles coming our way that we can keep singing.
Psalm 1
Nathan CarterBlessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. Nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the light of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The ungodly are not so; but are like the chaff which the wind driveth a way. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly.
Nathan Carter was born in 1936 in Selma, Alabama. He primarily spent his career as the music director of the Morgan State University Choir; in his 34-year tenure, the choir would perform all across the United States and expand outwards into European, Asian, and African countries. Carter would frequently guest conduct and lecture at various colleges and universities in the United States within his spare time.
The text for this piece comes from the New King James edition of Psalm 1. It is more harmonically clear than the previous piece, choosing to go with a pleasant piano accompaniment underneath a SATB choir sound. One of its more
interesting features is how there is almost always a textual duet between two parts, where they will sing the same words in harmony. The piece delivers an uplifting tone that matches its calm and straightforward text.
Deep River Moses Hogan
Deep river, my home is over Jordan. Deep river, Lord, I want to cross over into campground.
O don’t you want to go to that Gospel feast? That promise land where all is peace?
Moses Hogan was born in 1957 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is most known for his over 80+ spiritual settings, serving as an editor of the Oxford Book of Spirituals, which was released a year before Hogan’s death. Hogan also founded and conducted the Moses Hogan Chorale and the Moses Hogan Singers in 1993 and 1997, respectively. Both groups have released albums and gained notoriety for their touring throughout the late 90’s and early 00’s.
The origin of Deep River’s text is relatively unknown, first appearing in “The Story of the Jubilee Singers: With Their Songs,” a multi-volume series about the history of the Fisk University Jubilee Singers. Today, it is recognized as being one of best known and most beloved spirituals. Hogan’s arrangement is harmonically dense, but feels lush to the ears. The piece is relatively soft in tone throughout, until it reaches a gorgeous eight-part split on the word “promise,” signifying the hopefulness of reaching across the Jordan to freedom.
Performance Notes from the Composer
The Cry of Jeremiah Rosephanye Powell
The Cry of Jeremiah is a four-movement work based textually on the 20th chapter of Jeremiah. The prophet Jeremiah, having experienced ridicule and imprisonment because of his prophecies, laments his present state.
I. Is Not His Word Like A Fire (Jeremiah 20:9)
Is not His Word like a fire shut up in my bones?
I am weary. When I hold it, it consumes me.
I must declare the Word of the Lord. Is not His Word like a burning fire!
If I say, “I will not mention Him, nor will I speak in His name.” His word is like a burning fire. I have no peace until I speak. How I am weary of trouble, weary of holding it in.
My sorrow consumes me. Bring peace, O Lord, by Thine own Word.
The work opens with Jeremiah boldly proclaiming that he prophesies, not because he wants to, but because he is compelled to. This song exemplifies the inner struggle within the prophet: confident yet insecure; doubtful yet resolved. Musically, the A section is full of “fire,” (intensity) expressing a commitment to the task. This is contrasted by a B section that expresses a weary prophet who longs to be silent and done with the whole matter. The vocal development of this song grew out of a BaroqueEuropean influence of contrapuntal writing in the A section and chant-like or recitative style singing in the B section. The A section is declamatory while the B section is more docile. It includes jazz harmonies and rhythmic vitality. The energetic, fiery organ introduction paints the compelling power of the Almighty God to drive Jeremiah onward. The coda (“I must declare it”) exposes Jeremiah’s resolve to persevere.
II. Oh Lord You Have Decieved Me (Jeremiah 20:7-9)
O
Lord,
You have deceived me, I was deceived
and overpower’d.
All day long, I stand here ridiculed. You have deceived me. You have prevailed. They all mock me when I cry out. They all mock me at your word.
I am weary of being ridiculed. You have deceived me. You have prevailed.
The dejected prophet complains, accusing the Lord of deception – making false promises of success and victory over his enemies. He feels alone, betrayed by God and despised of men. Jeremiah laments and despairs to the point of utter exhaustion, heard in the final “huh” of the song. It is as if the prophet has been punched in the gut by the very hand of God. In contrast to the previous song, “O Lord, You Have Deceived Me” is a ballad that begins with a lamenting A section, contrasted with an angry B section, as Jeremiah remembers the mocking of his enemies.
This song is characterized by African-influenced, percussive vocalizations; an underlay of African drums; exotic colors in the orchestra; jazz flavors in the vocal and organ parts; and vocal moans and wails associated with the AfricanAmerican spiritual. The sense of dejection and loneliness experienced by the prophet is painted in the organ intro.
III. Cursed Be the Day (Jeremiah 20:14-18)
Cursed be the day! Cursed be the day I was born!
Cursed be the day my mother bore me.
Cursed be the man who brought the news.
Cursed be the day he told my father.
Cursed! If I say, “I will not mention Him, nor will I speak in His name.” His word is like a burning fire. I have no peace until I speak. How I am weary, weary of trouble, weary of holding it in. My sorrow consumes me.
In his despair, Jeremiah not only accuses God of deceit but calls his wisdom into question, cursing the very day he was born. The A section of this song is full of anger which can be heard in the vocal, organ and orchestral parts –harmonically, rhythmically and melodically. There is much dissonance and tension in this section through the use of seconds and repeated pitches. The B section is a return to the middle section of the opening movement. I repeated
this idea to demonstrate the fluctuation of emotions and thoughts one experiences when in despair. One moment he is speaking forth curses, and the next, he is quite calm. In spite of his anger, disillusionment and dejection, Jeremiah is still compelled to speak.
IV. Hallelujah! (Jeremiah 20:11-13)
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord above. He will deliver me.
Hallelujah! Faithful God of love; His glory I will see.
Rest in the Lord, O my soul. Trust in God.
Fear not; He’s always near. Stand on the Word of the Father. Pray in the spirit; believing God always hears.
Hallelujah! Sing to the Lord of love, for He will provide for me.
Hallelujah! Almighty God above; His glory I will see.
Rest in the Lord, O my soul. Trust in God. Fear not; He’s always near.
Stand on the Word of the Father.
Pray in the spirit; believing God always hears.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice! God will deliver me.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice! His glory I will see.
God is my refuge, strong mighty tower. He is my deliverer.
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
Jeremiah’s complaint grows into praise as he reconciles that God is faithful to his promise to deliver the righteous. Jeremiah encourages himself to “Praise the Lord” (v13), knowing that he will be vindicated and his enemies brought to shame.
Musically, “Hallelujah” begins serenely, revealing that Jeremiah has resolved his issues with God. The song builds to a joyful celebration of God’s faithfulness. The organ introduction is stylistic of the piano or Hammond organ solos found in many contemporary gospel songs. The specific style of gospel song in which “Hallelujah” is composed is the praise and worship style. Indicative of gospel, in the final section, called the “special,” vocal parts are repeated independently and in harmony to build energy and develop to a climax. The orchestra and organ provide energy and contrast with accents and
varied parts to build to the climax. As in the gospel style, a drum set provides the rhythmic foundation.
About the Artists
WESTMINSTER JUBILEE SINGERS
Composed of students selected by audition, the Westminster Jubilee Singers is modeled after the historically acclaimed Fisk Jubilee Singers. Its repertoire, while specialized and select, is very diverse and focuses on solo and ensemble artistic expressions from its singers. Part of Westminster Choir College’s Sacred Music Department, the ensemble performs literature that includes AfricanAmerican spirituals and folk songs; classical music by African-American composers; gospel music and secular songs by musical greats such as William Dawson, Duke Ellington, Walter Hawkins, Andraé Crouch, Richard Smallwood, Kirk Franklin and Dr. Nathan Carter, as well as Westminster graduates, Rosephanye Powell, Donald Dillard and M. Roger Holland. Also explored and performed are works by non-African-American composers, including George Gershwin, Alice Parker, Robert Shaw, Robert Page, Gail Poch, Steve Pilkington and others who have composed and/or arranged music of the AfricanAmerican experience.
In addition to its rich repertoire of African-American spirituals, hymn arrangements and gospel songs, the Westminster Jubilee Singers has performed classical works, such as AndTheyLynchedHimOnaTreeby William Grant Still and ShoutforJoyand IWillLiftUpMyEyesby Adolphus Hailstork. Highlights of recent seasons include the performance of Duke Ellington’s SacredConcertsand R. Nathaniel Dett’s TheOrderingofMoses . The ensemble’s 2021-2022 season included concerts in Lawrenceville, participation in AnEveningofReadingsandCarolsin Princeton, and a concert at the Bent But Not Broken Choral Festival in Wilmington, Delaware.
Previous seasons have included appearances at the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) in Kansas City and Regional Conference in Baltimore; the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Eastern Regional Convention in Boston; a performance with Denyce Graves at New York’s Apollo Theater to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Children’s Defense Fund; a joint concert entitled LivingtheDreamwith Penn State University’s Essence of Joy ensemble
as a tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and its Lincoln Center debut performing in AnEveningofChoralArtistry , presented by the American Choral Directors Association. The ensemble has performed at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops Orchestra, under the baton of Skitch Henderson, in a concert version of Porgy and Bess. At the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, Westminster Jubilee Singers presented joint concerts with the Fisk University Jubilee Singers and the legendary Sweet Honey in the Rock.
VINROY D. BROWN, JR., CONDUCTOR
Vinroy D. Brown, Jr. holds credits in conducting, sacred music and music education. He is a member of the choral studies, music education and sacred music faculty at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, where he conducts the Westminster Jubilee Singers and teaches in the Baccalaureate Honors Program. A church musician, he is director of music & worship arts at Elmwood United Presbyterian Church. He is also artistic director and conductor of Capital Singers of Trenton.
A sought-after clinician and lecturer, he has presented at numerous academic institutions and education conferences, and conducted honor choirs and headlined festivals throughout the country. This year, he will lecture at both Yale and Princeton universities, conduct the Central Jersey Region II Intermediate Treble Choir, headline the Bucks County Women’s Chorus Festival in addition to residences and guest conducting opportunities nationwide. He will also serve as Cover Conductor for the North Carolina premiere of Rihannon Gidden's Omar with Carolina Performing Arts Center.
Professor Brown holds active membership in numerous music and educationbased organizations. In addition, he is Vice President of the Board of Trustees of Essence of Harmony Choral Society, a Board Member of the Open Arts Performing Center, a grant panelist for the Arts Institute of Middlesex County and sits on the board of the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. for which he is Eastern Region Director and Chief Editor of EMERGENCE: Research & Performance Topics in Black Music, a scholarly publication which will be released in 2023. Brown is also a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, Inc. He holds the Master of Arts in Practical Theology degree from Regent University, and Bachelor of
Music degrees in Sacred Music and Music Education from Westminster Choir College of Rider University.
AKIKO HOSAKI, PIANO/ORGAN & ACCOMPANIST
A native of Osaka, Japan, Dr. Akiko Hosaki is acclaimed for her sensitive playing, and one of the most sought-after collaborative pianist and vocal coach in the New York – New Jersey area. She is currently an adjunct assistant professor and the pianist coordinator of the University Accompanist Program at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, and a staff member at the College of New Jersey and Bard College.
Dr. Hosaki was the assistant to Dalton Baldwin, legendary collaborative pianist, at Académie internationale d’été de Nice since 2013 until his passing in 2019, and at Mozarteum Sommerakademie in 2017 and 2018. She has collaborated with opera companies, such as Castleton Festival, New Jersey State Opera, Opera North, Opera New Jersey, Boheme Opera, and Princeton Festival Opera. She also enjoys collaborating with instrumentalists, and frequently performs in chamber music concerts and the keyboard/basso continuo in orchestras.
Dr. Hosaki holds degrees from Musashino Academia Musicae in Japan, Westminster Choir College, and University of Minnesota. Her future engagements include Voice Advantage Princeton Immersion during Summer 2023.
WESTMINSTER JUBILEE SINGERS
Vinroy D. Brown, Jr., conductor
Akiko Hosaki, accompanist
Lydia Reifsnyder, graduate assistant conductor
Jordan Samuel Allen, graduate assistant
SOPRANO
Jocelyn Alam, Mendham, NJ
Juliana Chiriboga, Huntington, NY
Olivia M. Dixon, Woodbury, NJ
Debbie-Ann Francis, The Bronx, NY
Abbey Ritter, Geneva, NY
Jennie Mae Sprouse, Nashville, TN
Olivia Venier, Gardiner, NY
Dominique White, Southampton, PA
Julia Wilder, Carmel, NY
TENOR
Andrew Chojnacki, Delran, NJ
Skylar Derthick, Camas, WA
Michael Woods, Colonie, NY
ALTO
Hayley Ashe, Quakertown, PA
Adrianna Barnett, West Grove, PA
Emilie Beals, Carlisle, PA
Azhaneet Blackwell, Trenton, NJ
Emily Huguenin, Howell, NJ
Lydia Reifsnyder, Mount Desert, ME
Abigail A. Rose, Perkasie, PA
Jenna L. Sims, Reno, NV
Jasmin Villatoro, Holbrook, NY
BASS
Andre Baldasserini, Freehold, NJ
Jacob Hale, San Antonia, TX
Lucas Heredia, East Brunswick, NJ
Arseniy Vasilyev, Green Brook, NJ
About Rider University & Westminster Choir College
Located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Rider University is a private co-educational, student-centered university that emphasizes purposeful connections between academic study and real-world learning experience. Rider prepares graduates to thrive professionally, to be lifelong independent learners, and to be responsible citizens who embrace diversity, support the common good, and contribute meaningfully to the changing world in which they live and work.
The Colleg e of Arts and Sciences is dedicated to educating students for engaged citizenship, career success, and personal growth in a diverse and complex world. The college cultivates intellectual reflection, artistic creativity, and academic maturity by promoting both broad academic inquiry and in-depth disciplinary study, while nurturing effective and ethical applications of transferable critical skills. The College consists of four schools: the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the School of Communication, Media, and Performing Arts, the School of Science, Technology, and Mathematics, and Westminster Choir College.
Culturally vibrant and historically rich, Westminster Choir College has a legacy of preparing students for thriving careers as well-rounded performers and musical leaders on concert stages, in schools, universities, and churches, and in professional and community organizations worldwide. Renowned for its tradition of choral excellence, the college is home to internationally recognized ensembles, including the Westminster Symphonic Choir, which has performed and recorded with virtually all of the major orchestras and conductors of our time. In addition to its choral legacy, Westminster is known as a center for excellence in musical pedagogy and performance.
