Central City Chorus
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Central City Chorus Sunday– 8 pm April 9,2000 central presbyterian church 593 park avenue new york city · 10021 Central City Chorus David Friddle, music director Classic Cole Porter Cole Porter 1. From This Moment On 1891–1964 2. Now You Has Jazz 3. True Love 4. Let’s Do It 5. Anything Goes 6. Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye Arranged by Mac Huff intermission Three Sacred Concerts Duke Ellington 1. In the Beginning God 1899–1974 2. Is God a Three-letter Word for Love?— My Love 3. Ain’t Nobody Nothin’ 4. Father Forgive 5. Almighty God 6. Somethin’ ‘Bout Believing 7. Come Sunday 8. Heaven Arranged by Phil Mattson Catherine Thorpe, soprano this program is made possible by a grant from the cornell fund 3 Central City Chorus Notes on the Program Sopranos Altos orn Albert Porter on June 9, 1891 The years following Cole’s graduation in the heartland of America, Cole saw him attempt to study law at Charlotte Sheane Denis Jamelyn Boxwill BPorter created his professional Harvard. The man who paid all of Cole’s Trish Eckert Keri Chryst identity by combining the surnames of bills, his grandfather J.O. Cole, disap- Clara Fagan Katherine Cohn his mother (Kate Cole) and his father proved of men choosing careers in the Elizabeth Hay Robin Frye (Sam Porter). Cole studied violin and arts; Grandfather Cole tried hard to con- Nancy Poor Jill Hamilton piano starting at age six; he continued his vince Cole to become a lawyer. Even Sharon Proctor Sally Porter Jenks musical education through college. Cole when Cole was young, J.O. tried to Marjorie Scott Ramirez Lois Morgan joined the Yale Glee Club and sang with instill a sense of rough individualism and business savvy that was lost on the Deborah Reynolds Nicole Possin it from 1909–1913, eventually becoming its director. pampered young Porter. Nancy Rogers Susan LeVant Roskin Cole’s Yale years were adventurous: he Although Cole started Harvard Law, Laura Smid Wendy Zuckerman produced a number of student musicals his primary attention was always on and he also forged several important music (including writing musicals for his Tenors Basses relationships that remained with him Yale friends). Although his mother knew, Cole’s grandfather didn’t learn Lou Reda John Bischoff throughout his life. Most Yale classmates came to know him for the fight songs he that Cole switched from the law school Jeffrey Silverman Michael Boonstra composed, many of them are Yale clas- to the school of arts and sciences at Kai Toen Jim Dittmer sics still. Harvard in order to pursue music. Todd Weeks Doug Holt A. Jordan Wright Matt Hoptman Tristan Marciano Joseph Palladino Alex Quinn Noel Werrett Andrei Yermakov PleasedtoHelp The Central City Chorus Orchestra Make a Joyful Noise! Piano Synthesizer Jonathan Oblander Tomoko Ohno Farnham Guitar Trumpets Roni Ben-Hur Jon-Erik Kellso Randy Sandke Bass David Finck Woodwinds Patience Higgins Drums Grisha Alexiev Trombone Larry Farrell 4 5 Eventually, Cole abandoned Harvard York by the Swedish Ballet—that was Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. altogether and moved to the Yale club in one of the century’s first expressions of Musically, Porter was one of the most New York to seriously began his music symphonic jazz. thoroughly trained popular songwriters career. 1929 saw the production of Wake Up of the 20th century. He was perhaps Porter’s initial efforts on Broadway— and Dream in London, along with Fifty even better known as a lyricist; his texts including his first big show in 1916, See Million Frenchmen in New York. Gay were in the height of fashion—seldom America First—were failures. The follow- Divorce with Fred Astaire followed in sentimental, filled with double-entendres ing year he moved to Paris where he 1932, with Anything Goes in 1934. Stage and witty rhymes, often referring to sex joined the French Foreign Legion. He legend Ethel Merman starred in Panama and drugs. DELI & RESTAURANT served three years, remaining in Paris Hattie during the 1940 season. Although his songs were considered at 807 Lexington Avenue after his 1919 discharge; he then mar- Despite the riding accident in 1937 first rather too shocking for the theater, between 62nd + 63rd ried a society lady. The newlywed couple that crippled one leg—eventually neces- today they retain much of their fresh- New York City hosted glamorous parties in Paris, sitating its amputation—Porter contin- ness and are classics, comprising a size- Venice and the Rivera. ued to write songs for Broadway with able portion of the repertoire of every Cole frequently performed his own his trademark witty and often cynical popular singer. Come join music at these parties; indeed, the songs words. Some of his most famous songs Porter broke ground in his composi- matched the chic esoteric mood of his date from this period: Let’s Do It, Night tion with his use of innovative rhythmic us after social circle. Nevertheless, his music was and Day, I Get a Kick Out of You, Begin the elements and by extending his melodies, slow to find acceptance on the stage. Beguine, Just One of Those Things, You’re and hence the length of the individual the concert! During the 1920s, his luck began to the Top, It’s Delovely and others. His song songs. He made clever use of word paint- turn. In 1923 he composed a ballet writing success culminated in 1948 with ing (think of the haunting turn in “Every 212.755.0122 score—performed both in Paris and New his masterpiece Kiss Me, Kate, based on Time We Say Goodbye” when the lyrics 212.755.0123 speak of “…major to minor…”). Porter also possessed an especially fine ear for the pronunciation, natural speech patterns and rhythms of the English language. One example is the Best hop -scotching syncopations in “Anything Goes”—the words skipping by our ears like pebbles across a pond. Comfortable in almost any form or style, Cole’s musical legacy is vast, diverse and Wishes! impressive. Porter died in 1964. In accordance with his wishes, he is buried between his COMPANY, INC. wife Linda and his father. The populari- ty of his songs has long outlasted knowl- edge of the man himself. Many of his A TRADITION Craft most famous songs were presented to OF FINE PRINTING the public only in the context of musi- SINCE 1909 cals or movies—works that also con- Cleaners tained non-Porter songs. Still, until the 237 WEST 54TH STREET 1950s Porter created the most theatrical- NEW YORK, NY 10019 ly elegant, sophisticated and musically TEL (212) 333-3033 212·838·5097 1065 Third Avenue New York City complex songs of American 20th-centu- FAX (212) 333-3036 ry popular music. 6 7 dward Kennedy Ellington—one of finest music imaginable. Strayhorn, formed at Grace Cathedral in San Three-letter Word for Love?”—the the most significant figures in jazz openly homosexual, was taken into the Francisco, Westminster Abbey and matrix of Ellington’s personal theology. Ehistory—was born in 1899. His Ellington apartment in Harlem and numerous German churches. Romantic love as doxology continues father, a White House butler, intended lived there as family. (Indeed, the gene- Phil Mattson, jazz performer and peda- into “My Love,” where Duke’s lyrics young Edward to become an artist from sis for “Take the A Train” were came gogue, arranged selections from contain phrases such as “…Oh say my the beginning of his life. He began study- from Ellington’s travel directions to Ellington’s Three Sacred Concerts into a love, I pray, my love, we stay as we ing piano at age seven—influenced by Strayhorn.) The unparalleled intimacy compilation that effectively demonstrates are…” and “…Of all the lovely love I the prevailing ragtime style—and made between Duke—a notorious womaniz- the breadth and the depth of Ellington’s love, Love is the loveliest.” his professional debut in 1916, aged sev- er—and Billy fueled speculation that musical language. The first movement, Performed tonight by a small ensem- enteen. there was a sexual component to their “In the Beginning God” incorporates a ble, “Ain’t Nobody Nothin’ ” is a classic Ellington was already known as Duke many-faceted, prodigious partnership. variety of rhythmic elements. Smooth close-harmony swing tune, that, save for for his sartorial elegance and immaculate The band grew continually during the legato choral singing gives way to Samba, its underlying religious connotations appearance when he first came to New 1940s, even as it suffered from disconti- which then becomes swing. This move- could well be sung in the Cotton Club. York in 1922. He found no success then nuity of personnel. Starting in 1950, ment sets the stage for the remainder of Built over the vocal equivalent of a pizzi- but on the advice of jazz legend Fats Ellington began to expand the scope of the work, which is equally diverse in com- cato string bass, the soprano solo and the Waller, he moved to Manhattan in 1923 his compositions; the advent of LP positional techniques. (The spoken narra- bass frame the accompanimental “doo- with his Washington band. Between recording allowed him to compose and tion—as with all verbal parts in this ops” of the choir. The text proclaims, 1923–27, he transformed this small record longer, multi-movement works. work—is by Ellington.) albeit without judgment, the futility of ensemble into a full orchestra whose first His foreign tours were even more fre- The second and third movements life without the presence of God. recordings proved startlingly original. quent and successful; he also composed consider God’s love for humans and our “Father Forgive” is composed in a From 1927–1932, Ellington and his his first movie score, Anatomy of a love of God in quasi romantic terms, completely different style yet.