Spring Choral Festival David P. DeVenney and Ryan Kelly, Directors
Thursday, April 11, 2019 Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall Philips Memorial Building 8:15 P.M.
PROGRAM Introit: I Will Magnify Thee, O God ............................................ Gustav Holst (arr. Wagner) (1874-1934) Missa brevis in D, Op. 53 ................................................................................. Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) I. Kyrie II. Gloria III. Sanctus IV. Agnus Dei
Women’s Chorus Sándor Kádár, organ David P. DeVenney, director
Come, Ye Sons of Art ............................................................................................ Henry Purcell (1659-1695) I. Overture II. Come, Ye Sons of Art (alto and chorus) III. Sound the Trumpet (soprano and alto) IV. Come, Ye Sons of Art (chorus) V. Strike the Viol (alto, flutes) VI. The Day that Such a Blessing Gave (chorus) VII. Bid the Virtues, Bid the Graces (soprano, oboe) VIII. Nature Rejoicing (soprano, baritone, chorus)
InYoung Lee, soprano Emily Bullock, alto JR Schmitt, tenor Ryan Mitchell, trumpet, Morgan Turner and Grace Obert, flutes John DeBiase, oboe, Hyewon Jo, cello Sándor Kádár, organ
Men’s Chorus and Cantari Donne David P. DeVenney, director
Please Turn Off All Electronic Devices
Program Notes
Early in 1959, Britten attended a performance of his work Ceremony of Carols featuring the Boys of Westminster Cathedral Choir under the leadership of George Malcolm. The very next day, Malcolm was invited by letter to the Red House, Britten’s country home in Aldeburgh, to “talk more about collaborations!” In late February, the composer and conductor discussed the details of the new mass. Soon after, Malcolm announced his upcoming retirement as organist at Westminster Cathedral. Britten quickly turned his attention to composition in order for the mass to be completed for performance under Malcom’s leadership. Because of its abbreviated form, Britten came to call the piece “mass in short trousers.” It was premiered at the Capitular High Mass on the morning of July 22. The composer was not in the audience for the first performance, but heard the mass on July 26. In a letter to Peter Pears he stated that he “was rewarded by a good performance, & also a sweet presentation by George & the choir of a lovely Liber usualis, all the Gregorian chants, signed by all of them!” The gift from the choir of the Liber usualis, a nineteenth century compendium of commonly used Gregorian chants, was significant. The motivic inspiration for Missa Brevis is based on the plainchant intonation from Mass XV in the Liber. A direct quotation is found at the beginning of the “Gloria.” A form of the motive, in transposed retrograde, occurs at the beginning of both the “Kyrie” and the “Agnus Dei.” Beyond this, the motive is ubiquitous. Even the first three notes of the twelvetone row use in the “Sanctus” are a transposed, jumbled mix of the motive. It is interesting to note that the twelve-tone row used here resembles the “screw” theme in Britten’s opera The Turn of the Screw. (Modified from the score of the work, published by Boosey & Hawkes.)
Henry Purcell, throughout his musical life, was intimately connected with the Chapel Royal in St. James’ Palace, now no longer used for musical celebrations, but modeled at the time on the French royal chapel. His ode Come, Ye Sons of Art may be taken as representative of Purcell’s odes, in general: a sort of choral cantata made up of alternating solo and choral movements, instrumentally accompanied, with some intervening instrumental ritornelli, and opening with a symphony or overture. In some of the odes, the instrumentation is restricted to strings and continuo, in others it adds a few winds and in several instances trumpets and – rarely – timpani. Come, Ye Sons of Art was written for Queen Mary’s 33rd birthday, April 30, 1694; the author of the text is unknown. The choruses are all in the modern four-part, as opposed to the older five-part, texture, and, with the exception of a half-dozen measures at the opening of No. 6, are purely homophonic. One of the strengths of the work is the variety of its movements and the way they all flow together in a greater unity. (Taken in part from the vocal score of the work, published by G. Schirmer.)
Women’s Chorus David P. DeVenney, director Kirsten Banter Destinee Bebout Hannah Black Julia Carey, president Skyler Cole Megan DiCamillo Christina Douglass Tatianna Dragon Amy Dulaney Emma Flinchbaugh Jacqueline Griffith, secretary/treasurer Amanda Hepner Julianna Johnson Marissa Kane Bailey Karst Alyssa Kenny Morgan Kock Caitlin Lennox Katherine Mash Dominique Maynard Riley McGowan Grace Obert Shivani Ortiz Elena Panettiere Mae Prasch Destiny Riley Andrea Rouse Laura Sachaczenski Megan Sendatch Melodie Senwesky Hannah Shields Amy Smith Cassandra Stevens Morgan Turner
Cantari Donne Ryan Kelly, director Hannah Atlas Adella Brady Samantha Chibbaro, secretary/treasurer Ilyana Correa Katherine Fox Hailey Gonzalez Casey Jennings Zoe Kecskemethy Emma Lane Andrea Lee Katelyn Lopez, president Anna Luchetti Audrey Rake Jacqueline Ranieri Jacqueline Scheck Jordan Schreiber, vice president Melanie Schwartz Jane Shier Abigail Simbiri Elesa Stoltzfus Julia Strohl Yihan Xie
Men’s Chorus David P. DeVenney, director Zachary Alex Griffin Cain Taylor Cope John DeBiase James Frangione Jackson Goslin Max Halperin Andre Harding Brendan Hartner Tyler Hoffman Daemyung Hyun Michael Kaplan Robert Kiesel Stephen Lowrie Justin McCarty Sean McWilliams Matthew Megraw Noah Mellott-Lillie, president Omar Mendoza Alexander Mielechowsky Ryan Mitchell Matthew Mycek Neel Patel John Peacock Benjamin Pessognelli Andrew Puleo Adam Rack Devon Rickert Christian Ryan JR Schmitt, secretary/treasurer Glenn Seibel Caleb Sharp John Sigafoos Spencer Sigman Jason Spiegelman John Westenberger Devin Williams Sean Wilson
UPCOMING WELLS SCHOOL OF MUSIC EVENTS For full event details visit www.wcupa.edu/music or call (610) 436-2739 Sunday, April 14, 2019, 3:00 PM Liberty Youth Wind Symphony Andrew Yozviak, director Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall Philips Memorial Building Sunday, April 14, 2019, 3:00 PM Pre-Collegiate Piano Competition Winners' Recital Anita Greenlee, director Ware Family Recital Hall Swope Music Building Sunday, April 14, 2019, 5:30 PM Senior Recital: Ava Zinno, soprano Mary Ellen Schauber Ware Family Recital Hall Swope Music Building Sunday, April 14, 2019, 7:00 PM 20th Annual Cat Angel Network Benefit Henry Grabb, director Madeleine Wing Adler Theatre Performing Arts Center Monday, April 15, 2019, 7:30 PM Faculty Recital: Elizabeth Pfaffle, horn Elizabeth Pfaffle, director Philips Autograph Library Philips Memorial Building *Tickets required for this event.
Steinway & Sons Piano Technical, Tuning and Concert Preparations by Gerald P. Cousins, RPT A majority of performances are available to watch via live stream at Facebook.com/ArtsAtWCUPA and LiveStream.com/wcupa. Mr. Robert Rust, Audio & Visual Technician Events at the Wells School of Music are often supported by individual sponsors and organizations. Contributions to the Wells School of Music may be made out to: West Chester University Foundation 202 Carter Drive, West Chester, PA 19382
For further information, please call (610) 436-2868 or contact Dr. Christopher Hanning, Dean. If you do not intend to save your program, please recycle it in the baskets at the exit doors. The Wells School of Music | West Chester University of Pennsylvania Dr. Christopher Hanning, Dean