Diane Walters, soprano

PRESENTS

DIANE WALTERS, SOPRANO

SUNDAY, JANUARY 28, 2024 TSC PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, BROWNSVILLE

PROGRAM From The British Isles On This Island op. 11 Let the florid music praise!

Now the leaves are falling fast Seascape Nocturne As it is, plenty

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

Ariel I. Come unto these yellow sands II. I boarded the King’s ship!

III. O IV. All hail, great master!

V. Is there more toil?

Jonathan Dove ( b . 1 9 5 9 )

On the Palmy Beach 1. Fabliau of Florida 2. The Glass-hulled Boat 3. Basking Shark 4. I started Early – Took my Dog

Judith Weir (b. 1954)

Diane Walters, soprano assisted by Michael Ensign, piano Natalie Haugeberg, cello

PROGRAM NOTES On This Island op. 11 (1937) On This Island is a collection of five poems set by British composer Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) taken from British-American poet W. H. Auden’s (1907-1973) Look, Stranger! (1936). Auden and Britten met in 1935 working for the GPO Film Unit, part of the UK General Post Office, providing music and poetry for documentary films. This was Britten’s first published group of songs. Written in a particularly turbulent period of his youth, after losing both his parents and a close friend, this group of songs demonstrate a plainness and simplicity to the poetic settings. Britten wrote them with soprano Sophie Wyss in mind, and they were often sung by tenor Peter Pears. “Let the florid music praise!” begins with a Baroque-like trumpet fanfare and ends with a longing reminiscent of Handel’s Piangerò la sorte mia or Purcell’s Dido’s Lament. The dichotomy of the sterile, driving 16th notes in “Now the leaves are falling fast” makes the suspended texture of the Tranquillo section all the more stunning. In “Seascape”, Britten uses the piano and sweeping vocal lines to paint a vibrant picture of the sea. Britten displays a heartbreaking simplicity in “Nocturne”, employing the use of block chords until he quotes the vocal line in the piano at the end. “As it is, plenty” is a dance-like satire of the bourgeoisie, much like Sinclair Lewis’s Babbitt.

Ariel (1998) British composer Jonathan Dove (b.1959), best known for his operas and choral works, has a deep understanding of the voice, with significant contributions to the repertoire. He studied with Robin Holloway at Cambridge. Dove’s writing is both sympathetic and exciting. Ariel is for unaccompanied soprano using text from The Tempest (~1610-1611) by William Shakespeare (1564-1616). The texts do not appear in the same order as the play but create a dramatic

PROGRAM NOTES retelling of the spirit Ariel until he is freed by Prospero. Ariel, a magical spirit, serves the sorcerer Prospero by helping him shipwreck the King of Naples’ ship to take revenge on his brother who usurped him as the Duke of Milan. With invigorating rhythms and sweeping vocal lines, Dove captures the mysticism of Ariel and the island, all using only the voice.

On the Palmy Beach (2019) British composer Judith Weir (b. 1954) currently serves as Master of the King’s Music, writing music for important royal events. She is the first woman to hold this position. She studied with John Tavener and Robin Holloway. Her compositions include many operas, orchestral pieces, and in recent years a greatly expanding choral repertoire.

Her writing blends the traditional with the modern. From the composer: “On the Palmy Beach comprises four idiosyncratic views of life in the sea and on the beach. ‘Fabliau of Florida’ (Wallace Stevens (1875-1955)) is a complex sea view with powerful, everchanging textures. ‘The Glass-hulled Boat’ (Kathleen Jamie (b.1962)) reveals a phantasmagorical jellyfish, represented musically by the cello. ‘Basking Shark’ (Norman MacCaig (1910-1996)) relates another personal encounter with a sea-creature, provoking reflections about pre-history and evolution. ‘I started Early – Took my Dog’ (Emily Dickinson (1930-1886)) is a gripping account of the waves on a beach, and their almost sexual pursuit of the poet (who, it is thought, never actually saw the sea in her lifetime.)”

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS Diane Walters, described as a “clear, beautifully colored soprano” (Broad Street Review) and “sweetly endearing” (Music in Cincinnati), is an artist based in Brownsville, Texas. A specialist in collaborative music and frequent soloist, Diane has sung with ensembles across the country and in Europe, including The Crossing, Cincinnati’s Vocal Arts Ensemble, Alium Spiritum, Chorosynthesis, RedShift, Taylor Festival Choir, Weimar Bach Cantata Academy, Berwick Chorus of the Oregon Bach Festival, Dallas Choral Festival, and JSB Ensemble of the International Bachakademie Stuttgart. She can be heard on several commercial recordings including the 2022 GRAMMY® nominated recording Rising w/The Crossing. Diane is on the voice faculty at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and is soprano faculty for Berkshire Choral International. She holds degrees from the Capital University Conservatory of Music and the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University.

Diane enjoys knitting, cooking, and spending time with her husband, Sean, and daughter, Cecilia.

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS Natalie Haugeberg is a graduate of The Florida State University, where she was a member of the Eppes String Quartet and earned her Master of Music in Cello Performance. She earned her Bachelor of Music Education at The University of South Carolina where she was actively involved in the String Project and taught students of all ages and abilities. She has been teaching in public schools for nine years and privately for 15 years. Natalie is a member of the Valley Symphony Orchestra and is an active chamber musician. She currently teaches orchestra at Vela and Gutierrez middle schools in Harlingen, TX.

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS Michael Ensign, Collaborative Pianist, earned his bachelor's degree in Music Education with a Vocal Emphasis from Millikin University as well as his master's degree in Piano Performance from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Ensign has participated in master classes, including those conducted by pianist Aldo Mancinelli, and provided accompaniment for various guest artists. Ensign attributes his success to his accomplished mentors, such as Dr. Johnathan Tsay, Dr. Brendan Kinsella, and Dr. Judith Mancinell.

With over 25 years of collaborative experience, Ensign has engaged with numerous musiciansvocalists and instrumentalists alike. Ensign operates a private voice and piano studio from his residence; a number of his voice students have shared their talents with renowned opera companies and esteemed institutions such as the Academy of Vocal Arts. Michael Ensign has also contributed his expertise to the Chloe Trevor Music Academy, showcasing his dedication to fostering musical talent and enriching the artistic community.

Ensign's commitment extends to serving his community as the accompanist for the VSO Chorale and organist at the First Methodist Church of Harlingen. Presently, he directs music at the Harlingen Community Theatre and teaches theatre at Vanguard Academy Beethoven.

BECOME A PATRON UTRGV Patron of the Arts has a renewed purpose, allowing you to invest in the present and future of the Arts in the Rio Grande Valley! With your support, UTRGV will continue to bring world-class performances and events to the Valley and train future Valley artists.

We are able to bring these amazing performers and feature our own UTRGV faculty and students because of generous donors like you. By donating as little as $10.00 per month, you will become a member of the Patron of the Arts, our premiere circle of supporters of UTRGV ARTS. With this membership, you will receive discounted tickets to all of our events – the more you donate, the greater your discount! Click here to become a Patron of the Arts.

IGNITE THE ARTS! JOIN TODAY 50 % off events

$10/month

60% off events

$25/month

70 % off events

$50/month

80% off events

$60/month

90% off events

$70/month

Questions? Call us!

Edinburg: (956) 665-3881 Brownsville: (956) 882-7025

@utrgvarts

/UTRGV Arts