Premiering June 11 at 7:30Pm Central & June 13 at 4:00 Pm Central
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Premiering June 11 at 7:30pm Central & June 13 at 4:00 pm Central Streaming for one year following premiere Craig Hella Johnson, Artistic Director Stefanie Moore, soprano Laura Mercado-Wright, mezzo-soprano Dann Coakwell, tenor Simon Barrad, baritone Thomas Burritt, drum set Austin Haller, piano Utah Hamrick, double bass Songs for Seasons Where’er You Walk (from Semele) George Frideric Handel Dann Coakwell, tenor I Wish It So Marc Blitzstein Simon Barrad, bass Laurie’s Aria (The Tender Land) Aaron Copland Stefanie Moore, soprano Sure on this Shining Night Samuel Barber Laura Mercado-Wright, alto Interlude Craig Hella Johnson April Showers world premiere Kile Smith I. That Old Gang of Mine II. All Alone III. The Prisoner’s Song IV. Tea For Two V. April Showers Austin Haller, piano 1 Texts & Translations Where’er You Walk (from Semele) Where’er you walk, Cool gales shall fan the glade; Trees where you sit Shall crowd into a shade Where’er you tread, The blushing flow’rs shall rise, And all things flourish Wher’er you turn your eyes - William Congreve I Wish It So I've an unrest inside me. And my heart clamors and prays Oh, it's long I have had such an unrest It will not come too late! inside me, And it's gettin' real bad. But when come it does I'm sleepin' at night, In the shape of love or life, And my heart beats so loud that I wake. I will give my life, All dizzy and light with the dreamin' and And my love, I know. feelin this ache. Such a thumpin' inside me, I've such grand aims, That I think I'll go mad. With so many names That I grow numb, For I wish it so! But sure, one is bound to come! What I wish I still don't know. Because I wish, I wish it so. But it's bound to come Though so long to wait. It's the unrest inside me, And I think I'll go mad. I keep saying "Tonight!" - Mark Blitzstein Or "Today!" through the endless days 2 Laurie’s Aria (The Tender Land) Sure on This Shining Night Once I thought I’d never grow tall as this Sure on this shining night fence Of starmade shadows round, Time dragged heavy and slow Kindness must watch for me But April came and August went This side the ground. Before I knew just what they meant The late year lies down the north. And little by little I grew All is healed, all is health. And as I grew I came to know High summer holds the earth. How fast the time could go Hearts all whole. Once I thought I’d never go outside this fence Sure on this shining night This space was plenty for me I weep for wonder But I walked down the road one day Wandering far alone And just happened I can’t say Of shadows on the stars. But little by little it came to be - James Agee That line between the earth and sky Came beckoning to me Now the time has grown short Interlude The world has grown so wide I’ll be graduated soon Why am I strange inside? What makes me think I’d like to try To go down all those roads beyond that line Above the earth and ‘neath the sky? Tomorrow when I sit upon The graduation platform stand I know my hand will shake When I reach out to take that paper With the ribboned band Now that all the learning’s done O who knows what will now begin? O it’s so strange I’m strange inside The time has grown so short The world so wide - Horace Everett 3 April Showers Commissioned by Craig Hella Johnson and Conspirare 1. That Old Gang of Mine (Billy Rose & Mort Dixon, 1923) I’ve got a longing way down in my heart For that old gang that has drifted apart. They were the best pals that I ever had, I never thought that I’d want them so bad. Gee but I’d give the world to see That old gang of mine! I can’t forget that old quartette that sang “Sweet Adeline”! Goodbye forever, old fellas and gals, Goodbye forever, old sweethearts and pals (God bless them)! Gee but I’d give the world to see That old gang of mine! Last night I strolled to that old neighborhood, There on that corner I silently stood, I felt so blue as the crowds hurried by, Nobody knew how I wanted to cry. 2. All Alone (Irving Berlin, 1924) Just like a melody that lingers on, You seem to haunt me night and day. I never realized till you had gone How much I cared about you. I can’t live without you. All alone, I’m so all alone. There is no one else but you. All alone by the telephone And I wonder when you will call again. I’m all alone ev’ry evening, All alone, feeling blue, Wond’ring where you are, and how you are, And if you are all alone too. Just for a moment you were mine, and then You seemed to vanish like a dream. I long to hold you in my arms again. My life is very lonely, For I want you only. 4 3. The Prisoner’s Song (Vernon Dalhart, 1924) Oh, I wish I had someone to love me, Someone to call me their own. Oh, I wish I had someone to live with ’Cause I’m tired of livin’ alone. Oh, please meet me tonight in the moonlight, Please meet me tonight all alone, For I have a sad story to tell you, It’s a story that's never been told. I’ll be carried to the new jail tomorrow, Leaving my poor darlin’ alone, With the cold prison bars all around me And my head on a pillow of stone. Now if I had the wings of an angel, Over these prison walls I would fly, And I’d fly to the arms of my poor darlin’, And there I’d be willing to die. 4. Tea For Two (Irving Caesar, 1924) I’m discontented with homes that are rented so I have invented my own. Darling this place is a lover’s oasis where life’s weary chase is unknown. Far from the cry of the city, where flowers pretty caress the streams, Cozy to hide in, to love side-by-side in. Don’t let it abide in my dreams. Picture you [me] upon my [your] knee, just tea for two and two for tea, Just me for you and you for me, alone! Nobody near us, to see us or hear us, No friends or relations on weekend vacations, We won’t have it known, dear, that we have a telephone, dear. You are revealing a plan so appealing I can’t help but falling for you, Darling, I planned it; can’t you understand it is yours to command it, so do. 5. April Showers (B.G. Desylva, 1921) Life is not a highway strewn with flowers, Still it holds a goodly share of bliss, When the sun gives way to April showers, Here is the point you should never miss. 5 Though April showers may come your way, They bring the flowers that bloom in May So if it’s raining have no regrets Because it isn’t raining rain you know, it’s raining violets, And where you see clouds upon the hills, You soon will see crowds of daffodils, So keep on looking for a blue bird And list’ning for his song, Whenever April showers come along. I have learned to smile when skies are gloomy, Smile although my heart’s about to break, When I know that trouble’s coming to me, Here’s the happy attitude I take. April Showers Composer Note: We were mired in the 2020 global pandemic when Craig Hella Johnson asked me for music for soloists and piano for an April 2021 “virtual” concert. With sickness and political turmoil on everyone’s mind, I looked at poems from the end of the last pandemic—1918’s Spanish Flu—and the end of World War I. Searching for optimistic texts, I didn’t find much beyond Siegfried Sassoon’s “Everyone Sang,” which I had just set. But then popular songs of that time, with their themes of solitude, loss, love, dreams, and hope, spoke to me, especially (for a choral organization) when leading off with missing “That Old Gang of Mine.” Each of these sing of a particular aspect of our separation from, and our love for each other, and of our hopes in reuniting. All music here is entirely new. I approached this as a solo quartet: that is, each singer takes both substantial and brief solo turns, and all act as backup singers to the others. 6 SONGS FOR SEASONS Craig Hella Johnson, Artistic Director and Pianist Soloists Stefanie Moore, soprano – Los Angeles, CA Laura Mercado-Wright, mezzo-soprano – Austin, TX Dann Coakwell, tenor – Ithaca, NY Simon Barrad, baritone – San Francisco, CA Instrumentalists Thomas Burritt, drum set – Leander, TX Austin Haller, piano – Austin, TX Utah Hamrick, double bass – Universal City, TX Concert Production Conspirare singers captured most audio and video. Additional video capture by TRCOA Conservatory Creative Direction and Video Directors Robert Harlan and John Stinson Audio Mixing, Video Production, and Livestream Broadcast Stinson Studios / TRCOA Conservatory John Stinson, Producer Alec Hand, Audio Engineer Carlos Cuevas, Camera Operator Mastering Engineer Randall Squires Video Librarian Ambassadors Kendall Walshak Wravan Godsoe Cyndi Griesser Sync Licensing Georgina Hudspeth Jaime Leighton Bill Hulsey Beverly McCune Event Graphics Lauren Vick Hornaday Design PRODUCED BY Craig Hella Johnson, Robert Harlan, and Ann McNair 7 PERFORMING NOTE: Conspirare has the privilege of performing in a variety of beautiful venues that best enhance choral performances.