STRATHMORE.ORG | 301.581.5100 | Music Center at Strathmore

Strathmore Presents

STRATHMORE CHILDREN’S CHORUS THIS SHINING NIGHT

Featuring

the Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School Choirs

Tuesday, December 6, 2016, 7:30pm

Christopher G. Guerra, Founding Conductor and Artistic Director, Concert Chorus

Mary J. Hochkeppel, Associate Director, Training Chorus

Heather Fetrow, Associate Director, Treble Chorus

Jonathan Meszaros, Associate Director, Young Men’s Chorus

Hei Jung Kim, Principal Accompanist, Treble, Concert, and Young Men’s Choirs

Rodney Long, Accompanist, Training Chorus

Victoria Campbell Osborne, Managing Director, Strathmore Children’s Chorus

Wil Gonzales, Assistant Director and Choral Manager, Concert Chorus

Ashley Manion, Choral Manager, Treble Chorus

Laura Weiss, Choral Manager, Training Chorus

Alice Dillon, D.M.A., Vocal Coach

Lisa Itkin, Choral Director, Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School Choirs

Lauren Campbell, Director of Education, Strathmore; Program Director, Strathmore Children’s Chorus

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PROGRAMSCC Training ChorusThis Little Light of Mine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spiritual (arr. Ken Berg)Velvet Shoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Music, Randall Thompson; Lyrics, Elinor WylieFirst Flakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy F. Bernon

SCC Treble ChorusAve Maria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J.S. Bach/Charles Gounod (arr. Jim Leininger)Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Music, Vera Kistler; Lyrics, Robert FrostLunar Lullaby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Music, Jacob Narverud; Lyrics, Kathleen Nicely

SCC Young Men’s ChorusOh Mary, Don’t You Weep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Spiritual (arr. Rollo Dilworth)Thulalila Lele . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Traditional African Song (arr. John Englert)

Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School ChoirsAdvanced ChorusBonse Aba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Traditional African Song (arr. Andrew Fischer)

Chamber SingersCome Away Sweet Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thomas GreavesLet it Go. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kristen Lopez, Robert Lopez (arr. Robert Emerson)

Strathmore Children’s Chorus Concert ChorusEl Cielo Canta Alegra! (Heaven is Singing for Joy!) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Roger Bergs, Text, Pablo SousaLa Nuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jean-Phillippe Rameau (arr. Nancy Grundahl)Psalm 100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rene Clausen

Strathmore Young Men’s Chorus, Concert Chorus, Bethesda-Chevy Chase Choruses Light One Candle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Yarrow (arr. Robert DeCormier)Sure on This Shining Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Music, Morten Lauridsen; Lyrics, James Agee

Combined ChoirsHallelujah Chorus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .G.F. Handel (arr. Martin Ward)

Guest accompanists: Isabelle DeLeon, percussion; Daniel Heagney, percussion, Charlie Peterson, trumpet; MCYO: Jenna Wang, cello, Hannah Lee, flute, Evelyn Sturrock, harp.

PROGRAM NOTES

THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE is a traditional Negro Spiritual. Within this arrangement, there is a blues-style chordal structure in the piano accompaniment, along with a pensive cello part that supports the smooth, distinctive melody. The refrain refers to the light inside each individual and how, whether standing alone or joining together, each little bit of light can break the darkness.

VELVET SHOES features the famous winter poem by Elinor Wylie where diction, imagery, and detail build an overall soothing tone: “Let us walk in the white snow

in soundless space; with footsteps quiet and slow, at a tranquil pace, under veils of white lace…” The poem’s message is that when people take care of their world, it will protect, shelter, and nurture them in return The choral parts flow easily like soft snow and the piano interludes add their own winter imagery between the verses.

FIRST FLAKES is a delightful piece that illustrates a child’s sense of anticipation and wonder at the first snowfall of the year. Within the composition, there is wordplay, contrasts between staccato and legato sounds,

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and engaging syncopation that offers an upbeat, swirling, twirling winter experience.

AVE MARIA is a bit of a musical curiosity, as it is a collaboration of two great composers whose lives did not overlap. The accompaniment was composed 130 years before the melody, by J.S. Bach (1685-1750) in Book 1 of The Well-Tempered Clavier and was titled Prelude In C Major. Charles Gounod (1818-1893) was introduced to many of Bach’s keyboard works by Fanny Mendelssohn, pianist and wife of composer Felix Mendelssohn. Gounod improvised a melody over Bach’s Prelude, and the resulting composition became his most famous work during his lifetime. It was first published under the title “Meditation” and is reflective of this title in the deeply nourishing and spiritually uplifting effect it has on listeners. It is often heard in weddings and church services.

Translation: Hail Mary, full of grace / The Lord is with you, / Blessed are you among women, / And blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus, / Holy Mary, pray for us sinners / Now and in the hour of our death. / Amen.

STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING celebrates the sounds and images of this magical season—sleigh bells, snow, and the feeling of darkness all around. The story begins with a traveler on horseback coming upon a stretch of woods owned by someone who lives in the village nearby. He stops to consider that it is fitting he has stopped there for reflection on the darkest evening of the year. In the middle section we hear the horse shake his harness bells, interrupting his rider’s reverie to question the reason for the stop. The musical and dramatic climax are synchronized to remind the poet to keep his promises, in spite of the overwhelming beauty and delightful solitude in the woods. We hear the journey continue as the sleigh bells resume their pattern at the close of the piece.

LUNAR LULLABY was written by a high school student who sang in the Allegro Choirs of Kansas City for nine years and performed extensively across the United States and abroad. The music was composed by the Composer in Residence and conductor of the Allegro Choirs. The swirling accompaniment evokes celestial images of stars and planets in motion. The choral parts feature bright, shining chords and playful rhythmic patterns traded back and forth between the parts, settling into a warm and dream like memory of the celestial child. The listener is left wondering whether who the child is: a dream, a hope, or a memory?

OH MARY, DON’T YOU WEEP uses text from a traditional Negro Spiritual, adding gospel elements such as the walking bass line in the piano and a sense of swing. The gradual

building of harmonic layers through the repeated opening section leads into two homophonic verses declaring the hope for a better future—an important aspect of the spiritual style. Then we return to the initial theme with a revitalized energy leading to a triumphant conclusion.

THULALILA LELE utilizes a “call and response” format at the beginning, where one part begins with a main motif followed by the full ensemble echoing the text in robust and full harmony. The format continues through the work with each new line of text introduced in the same manner, before a closer interaction between all parts takes over and continues to the end. As with many pieces from South Africa, the text is repeated many times to reaffirm its importance.

EL CIELO CANTA ALEGRIA is an Argentinean worship song written in 1958 by Methodist pastor Pablo Sosa. Available in several voicings, it is presented by SCC in the SSA arrangement. It has become a staple part of the children’s chorus repertoire and is often performed for all-state honors chorus performances. Written in a verse-chorus form, upbeat and lively, the infectious rhythm drives the music through three verse and chorus permutations. Percussion has been added to add authenticity to the style.

Translation: Heaven is singing for joy, Hallelujah! / For in your life and in mine is shining the glory of God. Hal-lelujah! / Heaven is singing for joy, Hallelujah! / For in your life and mine unite in the love of our God. Hallelujah! / Heaven is singing for Joy, Hallelujah! / For your life and mine wll always bear witness to God. Hallelujah!

LA NUIT is a delicate treble-voiced setting of Joseph Noyon’s SATB arrangement, “Hymn à la nuit” (or “Ô Nuit”), which itself is an arrangement of a melody from the 18th century Jean-Philippe Rameau opéra, Hippolyte et Aricie. Additionally, this song was prominently featured in the 2004 academy award-winning French film, Les Choristes. Its text uses the literary device of “apostrophe,” where the speaker refers to an inanimate object or a force of nature, particularly utilizing the exclamation “O.” In the case of this song our speaker addresses night. In two verses, the French text questions night about its enchanting mystery and the sweetness of the dreams it inspires.

Translation: O night, come bring to the Earth, / the calm enchantment of your mystery, / The shadow which follows you is so sweet, / So sweet is the harmony of your voice singing of hope, / So great is your power transforming all into happy dreams. / O night, oh leave the Earth again, / the calm enchantment of your mystery, / The shadow which follows you is so sweet, / Is it a loveliness as fair as the dream? / Is it truth sweeter than hope?

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PSALM 100 was commissioned by the Kansas Boys Choirs and their conductor Billie Hegge. It is a joyous selection with an exuberant sound and shifting meters to keep the pulse moving forward. The alternating meters of 6/8, 3/4, 6/8, and 2/4 keep the rhythm dancing and light, and engages both the performers and audience alike. It begins as a staggered entrance round-like section and concludes in a 6/8, 5/8, 10/8, 3/4 unison voicing, ending with a joyous Hallelujah.

LIGHT ONE CANDLE was first performed at Carnegie Hall in 1982 at the Peter, Paul, and Mary Chanukah/Christmas Concert and later recorded by the group. It has since become a well-known song of hope and remembrance, a universal need for both Jewish and non-Jewish alike. The light and candle may be seen as the struggles and challenges, and yet the possibilities, of a better world. It is composed in a familiar verse-chorus form, common to many folk songs.

SURE ON THIS SHINING NIGHT, the first of three Nocturnes, premiered in February 2005 at the American Choral Directors Associations’ Los Angeles National

Convention. Lauridsen set James Agee’s poem to music in the warm D flat key. In 2006 Morten Lauridsen was designated an “American Choral Master” by the National Endowment for the Arts and in 2007 was awarded the National Medal of Arts.

HALLELUJAH CHORUS is the signature piece of the larger oratorio, Messiah, by George Frideric Handel. Written in 24 days, it was first performed in Dublin, Ireland, on April 13, 1742, with the composer conducting. The libretto was prepared by Charles Jennens in three parts. The Hallelujah Chorus concludes the second section and the text is “Hallelujah, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.” from Revelation 19:6. Handel begins with the motive introduction and proceeds into “Hallelujah” sung five times and then repeats the text one step higher. Unison singing and four-part is performed throughout with new texts and sections often heralded by one voice section, followed by staggered entrances of the remaining sections. This movement celebrates the victory of God over all enemies, including death.

BETHESDA-CHEVY CHASE CHOIRS

ADVANCED CHOIRSopranosMadeline BrownSusan CollardAmil GoldmanErin GrayCaroline HollandCatherine JarvisGabriela JeliazkovJakaylah JonesMcKinley LettreMicaylah LoebigKate ManyinMichelle MarlinMaya PayneClara Toujas-BernateKarina VasudevaKitty Zheng AltosNadia AbdoTalia ArmozaRachel BachmannAnnabel Baniak

Aria Bruachi Ella ChotinerRose CorcoranRaven Dela CruzGeralann DillonNia FrazierKimberly JolyLilah MeekinsGenevieve MessnerNatalia Romero TorresSarah SiegelElizabeth Theodorakos TenorsMaximillion BlockEli KalesZachary MartelBenjamin MoranLogan Paterson BassesAluwotosin AroyewunCampbell CashRichard Donnelly

Rafe Garcia-HidalgoJackson KalatDavid KratochvilStan PeekEthan SmithJason SteinEarl Taylor IIIMichael Walters

CHAMBER SINGERSAltosCathy BayasAnanya BernardoMaya BroadwaterJulia ChertkofShelby FountainElizabeth HoganAriel Levin-AntilaJulia Mencher

SopranosElizabeth BudinMaeve Day

Caitlin FoxCaroline HersmanMadeline HeymanMolly KingRebecca LetsingerEdith StoneTheresa Velisek

TenorsVikram AkweiWilliam CameronBenjamin ColasitoMitchell CostelloJonathan GeyerOliver Miranda

BassesZachary AlfonsoDaniel Germino-WatnickJohn NarvaizTyler SherrodSamuel Swinnerton

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STRATHMORE CHILDREN’S CHORUS

TRAINING CHORUSAlana Adelman Allison Andreyev Maya Berdia Dara Elia Blecher Zoe Buzzell Abigail Callahan Alexandra Espina Alvand Fallahi Joanne Fan Melina Fotopoulos Taya Gill Sophia Hallberg Sophia Hashimoto Katherine Hu Sophie Huang Lauren Jain Savannah Jairrels Lucas Kissh Anya Kleinman Olivia Kwon Genevieve Lacroix Zack Lam Othilie Le Cannu Zhihan Liao Rebecca Liftik Clara Liftik Sherry Lin Roland Major Zora Sydney Osborne Andres Parra Mia Payson Trinity Pitts Patricija Pupine Ella Rehfield Sadie Schulman Tess Senehi Ada Shin Allyson Siro Annie Sun Ruthiga Veerasingham Sofia Veshi Sarah Wang David Wang Andrew Wang Benjamin Whiting-Eisemann Jingjing Wu Alice Xiao Yun-Mo Zhang Holly Zhang

TREBLE CHORUSSydney Emefa Akpebu Lana Anderson Sophie Bagheri Zoe Brown Maya Buchmuller Zoe Cantor Jonah Carzon Harold Carzon Brooklyn Chavers Victoria Chazin Liam Darnell Augustina DeLapp Sophia Denaro Joshua Fawole Isabella Foelsch Maya Fonseca-Jersild Amara Geibel Sophia Gilmore Isabella Gilmore Jasmine Gong Isabella Carys Goodman Elizabeth Hays Helen Heetderks Timothy Heiser Ellie Helgeson Linnea Hultman Cecilia Gabrielle Ilagan Jack Joncas Jane Joncas Jeanne Joublin Marina Kamezawa Jacob Kim Dahn Kim Alexandra Kirin Armand Kobayashi-Nguyen Karolina Konieczny Violet Learn Chloe Lee Kaitlyn Lee Nolan Lewis Rachel Liu Iris Lu Hannah Markov Esther Markov Angelo Mazhandu Maggie McHugh Allison Munoz Flores Reheth Narula Amaya Norton-Scherer

Megan O’Neil Emily Ott Keerthi Padmanabhan Dhruv Pai Taylor Pinthiere Addison Puleio Jessica Qiu Kimberly-Elise Recas Katie Reff Samantha Sarceno Fernandez Dena Shao Jaina Simon Ella Smith Ceci Snyder Maalini Srinivasan Ipsita Srivastava Annika Subrahmanian Catherine Tenny Anna Grace Uehlein Miranda Wang Heather Wang Natalie Watson Sophie Wohlstadter Eliana Wong Lingwen Xu Eileen Yang TongTong Ye Olivia Zaid Eileen Zhang Jonathan Zhou Joyce Zhou

CONCERT CHORUSAnnabelle Adams Monica Amery Sona Chudamani Evelyn Connor Lauren Cooke Mehana Daftary Leah Derenoncourt Catherine Dunphy Anna Job Lindsay Keiser Varsha Krishnan Ananya Krishnan Kayla Laws Vivian Li Madeline Matson Megan McWright Paige Meyer

Caroline Mollenauer Brieanna Patterson Sofia Pereira Laura PiresMackenzie Polgreen Grace Reachmack Jennifer Ren Shreya Sharma Raenya Sharma Nikita Singh Nicoletta Smith Molly Grace Starkenburg Mae Sullivan Samantha Ventola Klaudia Weidlich Chuning Yang Claire Yang Julie Yang Amy Zhong

YOUNG MEN’S CHORUSClark Abbott Marc Burlina Frederick Chang Jacob Coffey Rafael Friedlander David Klos Wilmer Leon IV Thomas Li Christian Maffei Gabriel Mouallem Yosef Nelson Alex Nevo Brandon Parada Max Powers Alexander Roth Rafael Virador Austin Zhu

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Outside Presenter

MOSCOW BALLET’S GREAT RUSSIAN NUTCRACKERMon & Tues, Dec 21 & 22, 8pmExperience the exquisite artistry of world-class dancers, playful puppets, and the splendor of handcrafted costumes in this beloved holiday tradition. With guest performers from CityDance School & Conservatory.TICKETS $28–$88

—————————————————Outside Presenter

SALUTE TO VIENNANEW YEAR’S CONCERTSun, Jan 3, 3pmCelebrate the new year with Vienna’s signature music—timeless Strauss waltzes and sweeping melodies from Die Fledermaus and The Merry Widow.TICKETS $49–$95

—————————————————Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

OFF THE CUFFRACHMANINOFF SYMPHONY NO. 3Fri, Jan 8, 8:15pmMarin Alsop, conductor Rachmaninoff suffered greatly after he and his family fled Bolshevik Russia. Symphony No. 3 encapsulates the composer’s connection to his motherland and is filled with his love and longing for his Russian heritage.TICKETS $35–$99

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BRIAN GANZ PLAYS CHOPINSat, Jan 9, 8pm Iwona Sobotka joins pianist Brian Ganz for an evening of rarely performed songs by Chopin in the bel canto style. Ganz also plays selected nocturnes and the Sonata No. 3 in B minor.TICKETS $29–$89

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

RACHMANINOFF SYMPHONY NO. 3Sun, Jan 10, 3pmMarin Alsop, conductorJoseph Young, conductorLeon Fleisher, pianoAlsop taps into Rachmaninoff ’s Romantic melancholy. The Baltimore-themed first half opens with a 1952 overture by locally born Alan Shulman conducted by Peabody alum Joseph Young.TICKETS $35–$99

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EROICAThu, Jan 14, 8pmMarin Alsop, conductorKatherine Needleman, oboeBeethoven’s Eroica weaves tragedy and triumph into a story that celebrates human possibility. BSO Principal Oboe Needleman expresses the lyrical themes and technical fireworks of Baltimore-native Christopher Rouse’s oboe concerto.TICKETS $35–$99

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BACH VIOLIN CONCERTO NO. 2Sat, Jan 16, 8pm Piotr Gajewski, conductor Mozart’s inventive and virtuosic Divertimento in D Major opens this marvelous concert also featuring Philharmonic concertmaster Colin Sorgi playing Bach’s Violin Concerto No. 2. This program includes music by Grieg and Britten.TICKETS $29–$89

—————————————————Strathmore Presents

STEP AFRIKA!STEP XPLOSIONIN HONOR OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.Sun, Jan 17, 4pmThis percussive step troupe puts on an electrifying show that brings to light this art form that first emerged from historically African-American fraternities and sororities.TICKETS $25–$40 (STARS $22.50–$36)

UPCOMING IN THE MUSIC CENTER

Julian Wachner, Music Director

Christmasa Candlelight

Song & Spectacle

Monday, December 19 at 7:30 PMMusic Center at Strathmore

Sunday, December 11, at 2 PMSaturday, December 17, at 4 PMTuesday, December 20, at 7 PMWednesday, December 21, at 7 PMThursday, December 22, at 7 PMKennedy Center Concert Hall

tickets: $18 - $72 call: the Washington chorus: 202.342.6221Music center at strathmore: 301.581.5100

online: thewashingtonchorus.org, or strathmore.org