City of Derry International Choir Festival presents…

CHANTICLEER, AFTER A DREAM

Saturday 23 October 2021, 8pm

Cortez Mitchell, Gerrod Pagenkopf*, Kory Reid, Alan Reinhardt, Logan Shields, Adam Ward – countertenor

Brian Hinman*, Matthew Mazzola, Andrew Van Allsburg – tenor Andy Berry*, Zachary Burgess, Matthew Knickman – baritone and bass

Tim Keeler – Music Director

close[r], now Ayanna Woods Lauda Jerusalem, from Vespro della Beata Vergine Claudio Monteverdi Indi per alto mar, from Standomi un giorno Orlande de Lassus Vidi civitatem sanctam Orazio Vecchi Motet for 12 Singers† Carlos Rafael Rivera Music, from Triumvirate Ulysses Kay Après un rêve Gabriel Fauré, arr. Adam Ward Cortez Mitchell, solo On a Clear Day Burton Lane, arr. Gene Puerling Laudibus in sanctis William Byrd Regina caeli – Resurrexit Vicente Lusitano You Gotta Be Des’ree Weekes and Ashley Ingram, arr. Jason Hainsworth I Feel Better† Wouter De Backer “Gotye”, arr. Darmon Meader †These pieces have been recorded by Chanticleer. *Andy Berry occupies The Eric Alatorre Chair given by Peggy Skornia. Brian Hinman occupies The Tenor Chair, given by an Anonymous Donor. Gerrod Pagenkopf occupies The Ning G. Mercer Chair for the Preservation of the Chanticleer Legacy, given by Ning and Stephen Mercer.

PROGRAM NOTES Within a dream, anything can happen. After a dream, nothing is the same. For many of us, the past year has felt strange and foreign. The future was cloudy, and the present existed within the same four walls day in and day out. In Chanticleer, our lives completely changed. We went from packed concert halls to isolation as we waited for the merest insight into aerosols and transmissibility. Smiles and connection were replaced with masks and separation. We lived in a hazy, stagnant dreamworld. We commissioned composer Ayanna Woods to write us a piece that would help us understand and grapple with everything we were going through. The source material for close[r], now is an LA Times editorial from March 2020 detailing the reasons why theaters and the performing arts should “close, now.” Woods restructured and resampled the article to create a new text full of yearning. She highlights the changes we’ve had to make to connect. Through isolation and distance, we’ve been forced to “hone the dexterity of love” and to be creative with how we care for each other. The commission was conceived in collaboration with director Richard Dent IV, whose work with commedia dell’arte masks provides the perfect visual companion for the composition. Masks allow us to hide, but that disguise can also act as a window through which we are free to reveal a more full and true version of ourselves. Filmed amongst Richard Serra’s captivating installation Snake Eyes and Boxcars at Oliver Ranch, close[r], now collapses music, drama, sculpture, and landscape into one syncretic artform. Woods closes the piece with an imperative for the world: “come back to life.” In Chanticleer, it’s our hope that the life we return to after this dream is more compassionate, more caring, and more creative than the one we left in 2020. To celebrate the return, we move immediately to Claudio Monteverdi’s Lauda Jerusalem from his Vespers of 1610. The psalm chant, sung throughout by tenor Andrew Van Allsburg, is flanked by dueling choirs that bring the text to life. Monteverdi treats the delicate snow, the blowing wind, and the flowing water with hallmarks of his famous secular madrigals. Here, however, the sacred chant adds heft and majesty to these vivid musical depictions. The following two pieces draw us back into the world of the dream. Indi per alto mar by Orlande de Lassus, is a setting of the second stanza of Petrarch’s canzone Standomi un giorno. The poem comes from Petrarch’s collection Rerum vulgarium fragmenta, the central theme of which is Petrarch’s love for a certain Laura. While many of the poems in this collection describe Laura’s beauty, each stanza of Standomi un giorno describes a vision of Laura’s untimely death. Indi per alto mar is a vision – a dream – of a beautiful ship encountering a terrible storm and foundering on a reef. While not explicitly stated, the storm is often interpreted as representing the plague, which swept through Avignon in 1348, coinciding with the time and place of Laura’s death.

The following vision, Vidi civitatem by Orazio Vecchi, is much more optimistic. Here, visions of a “new Jerusalem” prophesy a brighter future. Those of you familiar with this text, perhaps from Edgar Bainton’s beautiful And I saw a new Heaven, know that the following verses from the Book of Revelation foretell that “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying.” It’s a future we all hope comes true. After the dream – the nightmare – of 2020, visions of a new future fill us with hope. Written for Chanticleer in 1996, Motet for 12 Singers by Carlos Rafael Rivera (The Queen’s Gambit) describes a path forward into that new future. Motet for 12 Singers starts in dissonance and chaos and ends in unity and enlightenment. Inspired by Buddhist teachings and Tibetan Chant, Rivera’s work takes the listeners on a spiritual and musical journey down the Middle Path of perfect balance. The piece is filmed around Robert Stackhouse’s Russian River Bones at Oliver Ranch. The ensemble journeys from one end of the sculpture to the other, beginning and ending by standing in an “x” formation. The physical journey around the sculpture parallels the spiritual journey of the music. Rivera specifically requests an “x” formation in the score to highlight the three SATB quartets that comprise the piece. Out of the apparent chaos and disarray of Motet for 12 Singers comes harmony and beauty. Ulysses Kay captures a similar sentiment in Music. Taken from a set of three pieces written for the de Paur Infantry Chorus in 1953, Kay uses the Ralph Waldo Emerson poem of the same name as his text. The piece is a forceful reminder that beauty exists even where we least expect it. It serves as a fitting tribute to the difficulties of the past year; as the last line states, even “in the mud and scum of things / There alway, alway something sings!” In Gabriel Fauré’s Après un rêve, performed by countertenor soloist Cortez Mitchell, the narrator remembers a dream of happiness and companionship. Upon waking, he understands that the vision is merely a delusion. How many of our dreams were lost over the past year and a half? As the world reopens and we rise to a new day, let us remember our goals and ambitions and return to them with passion. Gene Puerling captures the clarity and focus of that new day in his arrangement of On a clear day, which was commissioned by Chanticleer in 2000. His classic jazz harmonies and rock-solid voice leading lend the piece a feeling of certainty and assurance. The clear day represents a clear path forward and a new understanding of what was left behind. The piece is filmed in and around Oliver Berry’s Darwin at Oliver Ranch. Conceived as a kind of sundial, the upper arch of Darwin aligns precisely with the winter path of the sun, while the lower arch aligns precisely with the summer path of the sun. Thus, the sculpture works in synchrony with Puerling’s arrangement by providing a physical representation of the music’s clarity of purpose. William Byrd’s motet Laudibus in sanctis closes this set with a raucous celebration. Generally grouped with the generation of composers just prior to Monteverdi, the versatility of Byrd’s writing here shows him to be intimately familiar with the intensely colorful melodic language of his successors. The writing is exciting, spontaneous, and practically leaps off the page.

Regina caeli by Vicente Lusitano is a Marian antiphon calling for joy and celebration at Christ’s resurrection. Lusitano’s sublime and carefully constructed partwriting places him firmly in the soundworld of the late Renaissance. We filmed this stunning work in the equally stunning tower designed by Ann Hamilton at Oliver Ranch. Hamilton specifically created this space to be a venue for live performances. With its reflecting pool at its base, its double helix spiral staircases, and its grand views from the top, the systematic yet human design of the tower reflects the careful yet expressive counterpoint of Lusitano’s composition. The venue is, in essence, a small, private Gothic cathedral situated in the rolling hills of Sonoma County. The final two pieces send us off into the new world with confidence and excitement. Des’ree’s 90’s classic You gotta be, arranged for us by Jason Hainsworth, is the musical representation of a best friend picking us up after a tough day or after a tough year: “listen as your day unfolds / challenge what the future holds … You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold, you gotta be wiser.” We can’t accept a return to the status quo. The lessons of the past year’s dreamworld must push us to a better and brighter future. Finally, Gotye’s I feel better, arranged for us by Darmon Meader of New York Voices, ends the film with levity and joy. The dreamworld of the past year provided an opportunity to reflect and reconsider. Now, after the dream, we must use what we’ve learned to make the real world a better place. We’re back to normal. Let’s just make normal even “better than before.”

Texts and translations close[r], now – Ayanna Woods (b. 1992)

the point of ease is a window. dream—fathom—

hone the dexterity of love. the mask/ a [path] through come back/ come back to

life. Lauda Jerusalem, from Vespro della Beata Vergine – Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) Lauda, Jerusalem, Dominum; Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem: lauda Deum tuum, Sion. praise thy God, O Zion. Quoniam confortavit seras portarum tuarum; For he hath made fast the bars of thy gates: benedixit filiis tuis in te. and hath blessed thy children within thee. Qui posuit fines tuos pacem, He maketh peace in thy borders: et adipe frumenti satiat te. and filleth thee with the flour of wheat. Qui emittit eloquium suum terræ: He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: velociter currit sermo ejus. and his word runneth very swiftly. Qui dat nivem sicut lanam; He giveth snow like wool: nebulam sicut cinerem spargit. and scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes. Mittit crystallum suam sicut buccellas: He casteth forth his ice like morsels: ante faciem frigoris ejus quis sustinebit? who is able to abide his frost? Emittet verbum suum, et liquefaciet ea; He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: flabit spiritus ejus, et fluent aquæ. he bloweth with his wind, and the waters flow. Qui annuntiat verbum suum Jacob, He sheweth his word unto Jacob: justitias et judicia sua Israel. his statutes and ordinances unto Israel. Non fecit taliter omni nationi, He hath not dealt so with any nation: et judicia sua non manifestavit eis. neither have the heathen knowledge of his laws. Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper As it was in the beginning is now and forever, et in sæcula sæculorum, Amen. world without end, Amen. Psalm 147

Indi per alto mar, from Standomi un giorno – Orlande de Lassus (1532-1594) Indi per alto mar vidi una nave, Then I saw a ship in the deep ocean, Con le sarte di seta, e d’or la vela, with silken ropes, and golden sails, Tutta d’avorio e d’ebeno contesta; the rest equal to ivory and ebony: E’l mar tranquillo, e l’aura era soave, the sea was calm, and the breeze was gentle, E’l ciel qual è se nulla nube il vela, and the sky as when no cloud veils it, Ella carca di ricca merce honesta: and she carried a rich cargo of virtue: Poi repente tempesta then a sudden tempest Oriental turbo si l’aer’e l’onde, from the East churned air and waves, Che la nave percosse ad uno scoglio. so that the ship foundered on a reef. O che grave cordoglio! Oh what a heavy sadness! Brev’ hora oppress’e poco spazio asconde, a brief hour conquered, a small space hid, L’alte richezze a null’altre seconde. that noble treasure without a peer. Text by Francesco Petrarca Translation by Anthony S. Kline

Vidi civitatem sanctam – Orazio Vecchi (1550-1605) Vidi civitatem sanctam Hierusalem novam I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, descendentem de coelo a Deo paratam, coming down out of heaven from God, paratam sicut sponsam ornatam viro suo. made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. Alleluia. Alleluia. Revelation 21:2 Motet for 12 Singers – Carlos Rafael Rivera (b. 1970) Music, from Triumvirate – Ulysses Kay (1917-1995)

Let me go where’er I will, I hear a sky-born music still: It sounds from all things old,

It sounds from all things young; From all that’s fair, from all that’s foul,

Peals out a cheerful song.

It is not only in the rose, It is not only in the bird,

Not only where the rainbow glows, Nor in the song of woman heard, But in the darkest, meanest things

There alway, alway something sings.

‘Tis not in the high stars alone, Nor in the cup of budding flowers, Nor in the redbreast’s mellow tone,

Nor in the bow that smiles in showers, But in the mud and scum of things

There alway, alway something sings!

Text by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Après un rêve – Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924), arr. Adam Ward

Dans un sommeil que charmait ton image In a slumber charmed by your image Je rêvais le bonheur, ardent mirage, I dreamt of happiness, an ardent mirage, Tes yeux étaient plus doux, ta voix pure et sonore, Your eyes were sweeter, your voice pure and sonorous, Tu rayonnais comme un ciel éclairé par l’aurore; You were radiant like the clear sky at dawn; Tu m’appelais et je quittais la terre You called to me and I left the earth Pour m’enfuir avec toi vers la lumière, To fly away with you toward the light, Les cieux pour nous entr’ouvraient leurs nues, For us, the skies parted their clouds, Splendeurs inconnues, lueurs divines entrevues, Unknown splendors, glimpses of divine light, Hélas! Hélas! triste réveil des songes Alas! Alas! Sad awakening from dreams Je t’appelle, ô nuit, rends moi tes mensonges, I call to you, o night, give me back your lies, Reviens, reviens radieuse, Return, return in radiance, Reviens ô nuit mystérieuse! Return, o mysterious night! Text by Romain Bussine

On a Clear Day – Burton Lane (1912-1997), arr. Gene Puerling

On a clear day, Rise and look around you,

And you’ll see who you are,

On a clear day, How it will astound you,

That the glow of your being Outshines every star,

You’ll feel part of it,

Ev’ry mountain, see and shore, And you can hear, From far and near,

A world you never heard before,

And on a clear day, On that clear day,

You can see forever and ever more.

Text by Alan Jay Lerner

Laudibus in sanctis – William Byrd (c. 1540-1623) Laudibus in sanctis Dominum celebrate supremum: Praise the Lord most high with holy praise: firmamenta sonent inclita facta Dei. let the firmament echo God’s glorious deeds. Inclita facta Dei cantate, sacraque potentis Sing his glorious deeds, and with loud voice voce potestatem sæpe sonate manus. proclaim the power of his mighty hand. Magnificum Domini cantet tuba martia nomen: Let the martial trumpet sound the Lord’s great name: pieria Domino concelebrate lira, celebrate the Lord with the Pierian lyre. Laude Dei resonent resonantia tympana summi: Let timbrels resound to the praise of the highest God, alta sacri resonent organa laude Dei. let lofty organs sound the praise of the holy God. Hunc arguta canant tenui psalteria corda, Let clear harps sing of him with subtle strings, hunc agili laudet læta chorea pede. let agile feet praise him in joyful dance. Concava divinas effundant cymbala laudes, Let hollow cymbals pour forth divine praises, cymbala dulcisona laude repleta Dei. sweet-sounding cymbals full of the praise of God. Omne quod æthereis in mundo vescitur auris Let everything on earth fed by the air of heaven Halleluya canat tempus in omne Deo. sing Alleluia to God, now and forever more. Based on Psalm 150 Regina caeli – Resurrexit – Vicente Lusitano (d. after 1561) Regina caeli laetare, alleluia! Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia! Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia! The Son you merited to bear, alleluia! Resurrexit sicut dixit, alleluia! Has risen as he said, alleluia! Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia! Pray to God for us, alleluia!

You Gotta Be – Des’ree Weekes (b. 1968) and Ashley Ingram (b. 1960), arr. Jason Hainsworth

Listen as your day unfolds Challenge what the future holds

Try and keep your head up to the sky Lovers, they may cause you tears

Go ahead release your fears Stand up and be counted Don’t be ‘shamed to cry

You gotta be

You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold, You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard,

You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm,

You gotta stay together. All I know, all I know, love will save the day.

Herald what your mother said

Read the books your father read Try to solve the puzzles in your own sweet time

Some may have more cash than you Others take a different view

my oh my heh, hey… Time asks no questions, it goes on without you, Leaving you behind if you can’t stand the pace.

The world keeps on spinning, can't stop it if you tried to. The best part is danger staring you in the face.

Remember, Listen as your day unfolds

Challenge what the future holds Try and keep your head up to the sky

Lovers, they may cause you tears Go ahead release your fears

Stand up and be counted Don’t be ‘shamed to cry

You gotta be

You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold...

I Feel Better – Wouter De Backer (b. 1980), arr. Darmon Meader

There was a time I was down, down I didn’t know what to do

I was just stumblin’ around, around Thinkin’ things could not improve I couldn’t look on the bright side

Of anything at all That’s when you gave me a call

Now I feel better, better

Better than before I feel better, better

Now I’m not down anymore

And there were times I was sure, so sure I couldn’t turn it around I couldn’t care anymore

About the good things I found That’s when you gave me a reason

To make me smile again I only have to see you and then

I feel better, better...

Life sometimes seems to get the best of you

Like everything just brings you down Just when you think there’s nothing you can do

A friendly face will bring you around

And you'll feel better, better...