We are grateful to the following organizations

for their generous support of our choir:

 

 

     

         

Our Guest Artist  

 

                 Christina Thanisch-Smith, 18,   is the soprano Choral Scholar at Westworth United Church. Since she began studying voice with Phyllis Thompson at the age of 9, she has been awarded trophies from the Winnipeg Music Festival as the most outstanding singer in every possible age class. She has been awarded medals for receiving the highest mark in Manitoba on her last three Royal Conservatory of Music Voice Exams. In 2013, she was the recipient of the S.C. Eckhardt-Grammatté Scholarship, and in 2014 she received the Mary Campbell Memorial Bursary. This year, she was selected to perform a solo at the New Music Festival, and was also the recipient of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s “Rising Stars” award. As a result, she will be performing Verdi’s “Ave Maria” with the Winnipeg Symphony. Christina is thrilled to be performing as a guest artist this evening. We are proud to introduce her to a new audience, and predict that she has a great performance career ahead of her!  

 

Artistic Director Debbie McLeod Accompanist Steven Webb SOPRANOS

Joyce Burns, Stephanie Craciun, Brianne Curtis, Mary DeGrow, Sydney Earpwiebe, Jennifer Enns, Baden Gaeke Franz, Sara Gossen, Pam Holunga, Tara Hull, Sarah LaRue, Morgan Mackenzie, Marguerite Massicote, Kim Mitchell, Helen Peters, Layla Teichroeb, Sheryl White, Taryn Wichenko, Lucinda Williams

ALTOS Breanna Barker, Susan Cowtan, Barb Enders, Maria Enright, Steph Klassen, Sara Kos-Whicher, Vera Kostyshyn, Andrea Kroeker, Krista Malyk, Emily Nicholson, Emily Penner, Tasha Prychitko, Nicole Sterne, Ashleigh Uhrich, Jessica Wilson

TENORS Richard Bevan, Aaron McLeod, Rob McMahon, Rob Rawluk

BASSES David Bergen, Mitchell Greene, Andrew Enns, Jordan Laidlaw, Andy Malyk, Gordon McLeod, Manuel Ortega, Jonas Pagé, Henry Peters, Harrison Schwartz, Lachlan Williams

      Do you have a voice that is waiting to be heard?

“Vocal Ascent” has openings for new singers. For information about joining our choir,

attending concerts, or volunteering, contact us at

vocalascent@gmail.com

Check us out and “like” us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/VocalAscent

W eb page http://vocalascent.com /

 

~Two Spirituals~ “Swing  Low/Lonesome  Valley”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Spiritual,  arr.  Douglas  E.  Wagner    

If a slave heard “Swing Low” being sung, it was sometimes a message to prepare to escape. The Underground Railroad (sweet chariot) was coming south (swing low) with a band of angels (helpers) over Jordan (the Ohio River) to carry him home (to freedom). Today, “Lonesome Valley” is strongly associated with the Christian season of Lent. Originally, it was a term used to describe intense penitential preparation before baptism, where slaves reflected on their sin and attempted to draw close to God. In the context of the American revival movement, it was the passage from the Wilderness into the Promised Land, from death to life, from alienation into the family of God. Slaves did not change clothes or wash until the day of their baptism, the culmination of the conversion process. The fact that these two spirituals can be sung simultaneously shows that spirituals often followed the same style or format, which made them easier to learn by ear. This predictability was important because very few slaves were allowed to learn how to read or write words or music.  “Walk  in  Jerusalem”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Spiritual,  arr.  Rollo  Dilworth  The idea of “readiness” in this lively spiritual has the hidden message of slaves making preparations to escape to freedom. “Jerusalem” was one of several code words for Canada. However, it is important to remember that the meaning of this and of all spirituals was not merely a secular political message couched in religious metaphor and code. The message was both worldly and other-worldly, and all of it was religious.          

Thank you for attending our concert. You are warmly invited to join us for

refreshments at a post-concert reception.  

~Earth and Fire~

“Fire,  Fire”                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Thomas  Morley  (c1557-­1602)  

Morley, an English Renaissance composer, organist, and theorist, was the first of the great English madrigalists. He held a number of church musical appointments throughout his life, the most notable being at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Morley’s compositions are written in two distinct styles that may be chronologically separated. As a young pupil of William Byrd, Morley first composed sacred music in the current English style of broad and strong polyphony. Morley’s later works, which were written after he travelled to Europe and came under other influences, exhibit his mastery of the secular Italian madrigal style. Morley’s madrigals are characterized as quick, clear, light, cheerful and singable. “I  Will  Be  Earth”                                                    Poem  by  May  Swenson  (1913-­1989),  music  by  Gwyneth  Walker  (b.  1947)  

May Swenson was one of the most important and original poets of the 20th century. Her questioning and creative spirit made her childhood difficult; writing became an escape from the rigidity of her Mormon upbringing. As a young adult, Swenson moved to New York City and had a prolific and highly successful career, which included stays at several American universities as the Writer-in-Residence. She received numerous literary awards and nominations for her poetry. Four months before her death, Swenson wrote: “The best poetry has its roots in the subconscious to a great degree. Youth, naivety, reliance on instinct more than learning and method, a sense of freedom and play, even trust in randomness, is necessary to the making of a poem.” Gwyneth Walker was born in New York City, but has been a lifelong resident of rural Vermont. Her earliest memories are of creating and composing music to be performed by her childhood friends. After receiving her doctorate in composition, she took a university teaching position, but gave it up two years later to become a full-time composer. Walker's catalog includes over 300 commissioned works for orchestra, band, chorus and chamber ensembles. Her music is beloved by performers and audiences alike for its energy, beauty, reverence, drama, and humor. In her own words: “Writing music that communicates to other people is my approach...I am a joyous and sensitive person with plenty to say. These qualities come through in the music.…I try to write a piece of music that is well structured and to the point--a work that holds together well and says something. I aim to be a good craftsman.”

 

~4 Love Songs in 4 Languages~

 “Ouvre  tes  yeux  bleus  “                                                                                    Poem  by  Paul  Robiquet  (1848-­1928),  music  by  Jules  Massenet  (1842-­1912)    

Massenet was a leading composer of French opera. His music was admired by many of his contemporaries for its lyricism and sensuality. His 24 operas are characterized by a graceful, thoroughly French melodic style. The sweet sentimentality of much of his music fell out of favour as public taste changed over the years. However, as a world-renowned teacher of composition at the Paris Conservatoire, the influence of Massenet is felt in French composition to the present day. LUI - HE SAID: Ouvre tes yeux bleus, ma mignonne: Open your blue eyes, my darling: Voici le jour! The day has come! Déjà la fauvette fredonne un chant d'amour. Already the warbler sings a song of love. L'aurore épanuit la rose: The dawn brings forth the rose: Viens avec moi Come with me Cueillir la marguerite éclose. To pick the blooming daisy. Réveille-toi! Réveille-toi! Wake up! Wake up! Ouvre tes yeux bleus, ma mignonne: Open your blue eyes, my darling: Voici le jour ! The day has come! ELLE - SHE SAID A quoi bon contempler la terre What good is it to contemplate the earth Et sa beauté? And its beauty? L'amour est un plus doux mystère Love is a sweeter mystery Qu'un jour d'été Than a summer day; C'est un moi que l'oiseau module It is in myself that the bird is singing Un chant vainqueur, His triumphant song, Et le grand soleil qui nous brûle And the great sun that burns us Est dans mon cœur! Is in my heart!

 “Amarilli,  mia  bella  “                                                            Giulio  Caccini  (c1550-­1618)    

Caccini was a singer and composer whose songs helped to establish the new monodic music introduced in Italy about 1600. This music was in direct contrast to the traditional polyphonic style with its complex interweaving of several melodic lines. Caccini’s collection of madrigals showed the new style most clearly. The melody was an elegant and pliable vocal line that followed the inflections of the words and was heightened by embellishments. The harmonies were evocative but not intrusive, with a subdued chordal accompaniment in diatonic harmony improvised from the newly invented basso continuo. Amarilli, mia bella Amarilli, lovely Amarilli Non credo. O del mio cor dolce desio, Donʼt you believe, oh my heart's sweet desire D'esser tu l'amor mio? That you are my love? Credilo pur, e se timor t'assale, Believe, itʼs true: and if fear assails you Prendi questo mio strale, Doubt not its truth Aprimi il petto e vedrai scritto in core: Rip my bosom open, and see written on my heart: Amarilli, Amarilli, Amarailli è il mio amore. Amarilli, Amarilli, Amaraili is my beloved.

~SongS of Great Britain~

“Gaiete  and  Orior  “                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Music  by  Michael  Head  (1900-­1976)    

This song is a marriage of music and text created about 800 years apart from each other. Although the text, based on a French ballad, is ancient, its story is the all-too-familiar one of a man causing problems between two women. Two sisters (Gaiete and Orioir) are inseparable until a knight (Gerard) comes along and seduces Gaiete. Gaiete chooses Gerard over Orioir, telling her sister to leave so that she can be alone with her lover. Composer Michael Head toured all over the British Empire as a concert recital singer. His English Art Song compositions are second to none, and are considered standard repertoire for voice students. “The  Loom”                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Welsh  Folk  Song,  arr.  Grace  Williams  

Wales is referred to as “The Land of Song.” From at least the 12th century until the present day, Welsh bards and musicians have participated in poetic, theatrical and musical contests called eisteddfodau. Welsh folk music was strictly suppressed during the Act of the Union (1701). Designed to promote the English language, it was coupled with the Methodist revival movement in Wales. Traditional music became associated with drunkenness and immorality, and puritanical reforms nearly obliterated Welsh folk song. Many secular songs were lost altogether. Revival of this music began in the 1860’s, with the formation of Welsh societies throughout England. The songs that survived reflect the old traditions, and have been embraced and revitalized by arrangers ever since.    “Who’ll  Buy  My  Lavender?  “          Sir  Edward  German  (1862-­1936)    Street cries, the short lyrical calls of merchants hawking their products on city streets, were very common in England in the 1800’s. A familiar example is “Hot Cross Buns.” Many street cries were cataloged by musicologists in large collections and even incorporated by composers into larger musical works, preserving them from oblivion. Some English composers, including Edward German, were inspired to compose entire songs in a similar vein. “Who’ll Buy my Lavender?” is one of many Victorian/Edwardian compositions with a “street-song” style of text. Edward German was best remembered for his extensive output of incidental music for the English stage, and as a successor to Arthur Sullivan in the field of English comic opera.

“Beau  Soir”  (continued)  Lorsque au soleil couchant, les rivières sont roses, When at sunset, the rivers glow pink, Et quʼun tiede frisson court sur les champs de blè, A shivery breeze runs over the fields of wheat, Un conseil de goûter le charme Advising us to savour the charm Dʼêtre au monde, Of our earthly existence, Cependant quʼon est jeune Et que le soir est beau. While we are young and while the sky is beautiful. Car nous nous en allons. For we all are travelling Comme sʼen vacette onde… Like an undulating wave… Elle à la mer The wave is pulled back to the sea, Nous au tombeau. We are pulled to the tomb.

 

~Wind and Water~  “Sea  Fever”                                                                                              Poem  by  John  Masefield  (1878-­1967),  music  by  David  Brunner  

John Masefield was a self-made and largely self-educated man who rose from humble origins as an apprentice sailor to become a wealthy man, an accomplished writer of poetry and prose, a sought-after touring lecturer, the recipient of many awards and honorary doctorates, and the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 1930 until his death in 1967. Although Masefield always loved to read and write, he credited the beginning of his journey to become a writer to a single poem he read in a New York newspaper at the age of 17. Ten years later, he wrote a letter thanking Duncan Campbell Scott for being his muse and inspiration! "I had never (till that time) cared very much for poetry, but your poem impressed me deeply, and set me on fire. Since then poetry has been the one deep influence in my life, and to my love of poetry I owe all my friends, and the position I now hold."  “The  Blue  Bird”                      Poem  by  Mary  E.  Coleridge  (1861-­1907),  music  by  Charles  Stanford(1852-­1924)

Charles Stanford was born in Ireland to a well-off family. He received a musical education at the University of Cambridge, then in Leipzig and Berlin. At 29, he became one of the founding professors of the Royal College of Music, where he taught composition for the rest of his life. At 35, he also became a Professor of Music at Cambridge. As a teacher, he was steeped in old Brahmsian traditions, skeptical about modernism, and highly critical of any signs of “modernism” shown in the work of his pupils -- many of whom were rising composers whose fame went on to surpass his own. Stanford’s best-remembered pieces are his choral works in the Anglican tradition and his secular choral work “The Blue Bird,” whose text is from a poem by Mary Coleridge. Stanford was acquainted with Coleridge through her family connections to the Royal College of Music.  

“Vergebliches  Standchen  “                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Johannes  Brahms  (1833-­1897)  

Considered a giant among composers, Brahms composed for piano, chamber ensembles, symphony orchestra, voice and chorus. His love and reverence for the simple folk song is evident in much of his work, described in German as "volksthumlich", or "artistically idealizing the folk song style." He wrote, "Songs today have gone so far astray that one cannot cling too closely to one's ideal, and that ideal is the folk song.” ER: HE SAID: Guten Abend, mein Schatz, guten Abend, mein Kind! Good evening my darling, good evening my girl Ich komm' aus Lieb' zu dir, I come out of love for you, Ach, mach' mir auf die Tür, mach' mir auf die Tür! Ah, open the door, open the door to me! SIE: SHE SAID: Meine Tür ist verschlossen, My door is locked, Ich laß dich nicht ein. And I wonʼt open it. Mutter, die rät' mir klug, Mother warned me well Wär'st du herein mit Fug, That if you were to come in Wär's mit mir vorbei! It would be all over for me! ER: HE SAID: So kalt ist die Nacht, so eisig der Wind, The night is so cold, the wind is so icy Daß mir das Herz erfriert, Mein' Lieb' erlöschen wird. That my heart will freeze, my love will expire. Öffne mir, mein Kind! Open for me, my girl. SIE: SHE SAID: Löschet dein' Lieb'; lass' sie löschen nur! You say your love is dying; let your love die. Löschet sie immerzu, Youʼre always saying that. (I donʼt believe you.) Geh' heim zu Bett, zur Ruh'! Gute Nacht, mein Knab'! Go home to bed, and rest! Good night, my boy!

“Til  There  Was  You,”                                                                                                  from  “The  Music  Man”  by  Meredith  Wilson  (1902-­1984)  

Meredith Wilson was best known for writing the book, music and lyrics for the hit Broadway musical, “The Music Man,” which first appeared on Broadway in 1957. He wrote three other hit musicals, composed symphonies and popular songs, and his film scores were twice nominated for Academy Awards.

~Utter Nonsense~

“Jabberwocky”                                                              Poem  from  “Through  the  Looking  Glass”  by  Lewis  Carroll  (1832-­1898),  music  by  Sam  Pottle    

“Jabberwocky,” considered one of the greatest nonsense poems written in the English language, is described as “the ultimate satire of heroic narrative poetry in English literature.” It was designed as verse showing how not to write verse. The supreme irony is that the poem itself became the subject of pedestrian scholarship, and was incorporated into classroom learning.  

   “Jabberwocky”  (continued)  Though the poem contains many nonsensical words, there is a clear narrative, because English syntax and poetic forms are observed, such as the quatrain verses, the general ABAB rhyme scheme and the iambic meter. Though the reader cannot know the precise meaning of the poem, the imagination is left free to run wild. American composer Sam Pottle’s musical setting is as much a satire of the western choral tradition as the poem is of the western literary tradition. Adding to the satire is the fact that the piece is to be sung with the seriousness and vocal technique of a piece on par with any of the greatest choral works ever composed. Just as “nonsense words” are used, Tuttle uses nonsense instrumental and vocal sound effects. Listen for the following nonsense words, in the order in which they appear…..brillig, slithy, toves, gyre, gimble, wabe, mimsy, borogoves, mome, raths, outgrabe, Jubju, frumious, Bandersnatch, vorpal, manxome, Tumtum, uffish, whiffling, tulgey, burbled, vorpal, snicker-snack, galumphing, snicker-snack, galumphing, beamish, frabjous, Caloo, Callay, and chortled!!      “The  Duck”                                                                                                                            Poem  by  Ogden  Nash  (1902-­1971),  music  by  Christine  Donkin    “The  Panther”                                                                                                                Poem  by  Ogden  Nash  (1902-­1971),  music  by  Christine  Donkin    

Composer Christine Donkin was born into a musically active Canadian family, and exposed to many musical styles. The diversity of her compositions reflects this. She is active in the field of music as a teacher, adjudicator, clinician and arranger, and has composed for piano, voice, and wind, reed, string and brass instruments. She has won awards both nationally and internationally for her compositions, and seven companies publish her music. Ogden Nash, born in New York, loved working and playing with language ever since he was a boy. His first publication of poetry and all that followed were extremely well-received. Playful quotes like “Progress might have been all right once, but it has gone on too long" and "People who work sitting down get paid more than people who work standing up” endeared Nash to everyday readers and critics alike. His best-selling collection of animal poetry is still popular today.

~French Poetry and Song~

“Charmant  Papillon  “                                                                                                                                                Poem  by  Antoine  Danchet,  music  by  André  Campra    (1660-­1744)    

Campra, like many composers of his time, was employed by the Catholic Church, which enabled him to earn a living. At 44, he received his most prestigious church appointment, as the director of music at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. However, it was as a composer of secular music that Campra was most well known. He was a leading composer of French opera, and was credited with creating a new genre, the “opéra-ballet.” There are records of his being reprimanded by superiors at various churches, as some of his secular music was considered “profane” at the time. At times, he even composed under his brother’s name to avoid criticism or censure. Fortunately for us, he persevered, and wrote some beautiful songs which are still enjoyed today. Text by Antoine Danchet Translation by Faith J. Cormier Charmant papillon dont lʼaile dʼor Charming butterfly, whose golden wing Passe dans lʼespace comme une fleur! Fills space like a flower! Que ne puis-je, Why canʼt I Sur ta trace, mʼenvoler avec toi comme une soeur! Fly away behind you like a sister? Charmant papillon dont lʼaile dʼor Charming butterfly, whose golden wing Passe dans lʼespace comme une fleur! Traverses space like a flower! Je voudrais voler avec toi comme une soeur! I would like to fly with you like a sister! Cʼest à peine si tu te poses, You barely alight Sur la feuille tendre des roses, On the tender rose leaf Dans lʼespace que tu parcours, In the space you flit through Ah! Que tes bons jours sont courts! Oh, How brief your good days! Charmant papillon dont lʼaile dʼor Charming butterfly, whose golden wing Passe dans lʼespace Comme une fleur! Fills space like a flower! Je voudrais voler avec toi comme une soeur!. I want to fly with you like a sister!

“Beau  Soir”                Poem  by  Paul  Bourget  (1852-­1935),  music  by  Claude-­Achille  Debussy  (1862-­1918)  

Debussy’s life was full of controversy and scandal. Perhaps for this reason, he did not spawn a single disciple or protégé. But his influence on composers who followed was enormous. An indispensable link in the evolutionary chain of music, he was the most prominent figure associated with the birth and rise of Impressionist music, and was a pivotal figure between the music of the late Romantic and the 20th century eras. Debussy resented the words “Impressionist” and “nebulous” being applied to his music, as it implied his music was not carefully structured and crafted. To the contrary, he created a purposeful and unique syntax of sounds including: a highly developed rhythmical sense, the whole-tone scale, medieval modes, parallel motion of 4ths and 5ths, and chords built from the harmonics and overtones of instruments. The English translation to Paul Bourget’s beautiful poem is not “word for word”; it is enhanced to show the subtle undercurrents of the French text which otherwise would be lost in translation.