Hawaii presents Bridging the Centuries 2 Songs from Shakespeare’s Plays, Then and Now Love Songs of Petrarch and the Song of Songs

The Early Music Hawaii Chamber Singers Georgine Stark and Naomi Castro soprano Karyn Castro and Diane Koshi alto Karol Nowicki and Randy Reynolds tenor Jeremy Wong and Keane Ishii bass Katherine Crosier keyboard

Jeremy Wong conductor

Saturday, April 2, 2016, 7:30 pm Lutheran Church of Honolulu 1730 Punahou Street

Saturday, April 9, 2016, 5:00 pm Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity 77-165 Lako Street, Kailua-Kona

This program is supported in part by the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts through appropriations from the Legislature of the State of Hawaii and by the National Foundation for the Arts Program Please hold applause until the pause between each “set”

1. Poems by Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch ) and Ruffo I Vidi in Terra Baldassare Donato (1529-1603) Franz Liszt (1811-1896) Io Piango (Petrarch) (1553-1599) (Ruffo) Morten Lauridsen (b.1943)

2. From the Song of Songs Nigra Sum (1567-1643) Pablo Casals (1876-1973) Ego Flos Campi Jacob Clemens non Papa (1510-1556) I am the Rose of Sharon William Billings (1746-1800)

Intermission

3. A Midsummer Night’s Dream (and other plays) Ah Robin, Gentle Robin William Cornysh (1468-1523) Over Hill, Over Dale Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

4. Two Gentlemen of Verona Who is Silvia? Anon (16th century) George Shearing (1919-2011)

5. Twelfth Night & Measure for Measure O Mistress Mine (1558-1602) Matt Harris (b. 1956) Take, O Take Those Lips Away J. Wilson (early 17th century) Matt Harris 6. The Tempest Come unto These Yellow Sands Anon (17th century) The Master, the Swabber Anon (16th century) Where the Bee Sucks Robert Johnson (1583-1633) Full Fathom Five Thy Father Lies Robert Johnson Ralph Vaughan Williams

2 Bridging the Centuries During the 2014-2015 concert season, the EMH Chamber Singers presented “Bridging the Centuries,” contrasting 16th century sacred with modern settings of the same texts. The program, designed by the late Carl Crosier, was performed in his memory in Honolulu and Kealakekua. Appreciative audiences inspired us to reprise the theme with secular music this season. Happily, it coincides with the 4th centenary of William Shakespeare’s death in April 1616, and the songs from the Bard’s plays, then and now, feature exclusively in the second half of the program. But there are many other love songs from 16th century Europe based on great poetry which we wished to share at the same time; they occupy the first half of this program.

Petrarch and The Song of Songs Francesco Petrarca was the first great poet of the in 14th century Italy. While studying in Avignon, he first saw Laura, a young married beauty. She inspired him with a passion which has become proverbial for its constancy and purity - she may not even have known of his existence. More than 350 sonnets, the Canzionere, were addressed to her and inspired a multitude of 16th century Italian composers — and many others since. Baldassare Donato’s lovely setting of Sonnet #156, I vidi in terra, opens the program. In the 19th century, Franz Liszt was also taken by Petrarch’s passion and composed his own songs for Petrarch’s Laura, including I vidi. Luca Marenzio was a more famous 16th century composer of both secular and sacred . His setting of another Petrarch sonnet, Io piango, is paired with a similar text by the poet Ruffo set by one of today’s most prolific American composers, Morten Lauridsen, in a series titled Six “Fire Songs” on Italian Renaissance Poems.

While it is from the Old Testament, The Song of Songs is one of the most evocative love songs of all time. It was immensely popular with 16th century Italian madrigalists as an opportunity to introduce their love poetry legitimately to church services. To this day, composers have followed their example. Claudio Monteverdi’s Nigra sum—I am dark but comely was included in his Vespers of 1610 and is paired with a beautiful setting for a trio of women by the 20th century giant Pablo Casals. The extended text of The Rose of Sharon is an irresistibly bright finale by William Billings, the self-taught Boston tanner who led the popular movement of the 18th century Singing Schools which defined a new genre of distinctively American music, from folk hymns to gospel songs and psalm tunes.

Songs from Shakespeare’s Plays Scholastic discussions surrounding the significance of music in Shakespeare’s plays abound. He was no musician but, with his deep understanding of popular culture, he used the tunes and verses every spectator would have known by heart to illuminate characters, changing scenes, magic interventions and atmosphere. More than 100 songs, snatches of or references to songs are scattered through the plays. Few

3 contemporary composers are known to have produced original music because the audience would have known the tunes already. Three popular exceptions included in today’s program include Thomas Morley’s O Mistress Mine (Twelfth Night) and Robert Johnson’s Where the Bee Sucks and Full Fathom Five (The Tempest). The most popular tune recognized today, Greensleeves, enjoys only a passing reference in The Merry Wives of Windsor. William Cornysh’s Ah Robin is also a reference, from nearly a century earlier, to Robin Goodfellow, alias the fairies’ agent Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

All of the original songs are quite short. Where direct compositions do not exist, we have used the ones identified by the expert Ross Duffin in his huge volume, Shakespeare’s Songbook.

Composers throughout the ages have delighted in recreating music for Shakespeare ­—in opera, theater, incidental music, individual songs and arrangements. Ralph Vaughan Williams has recreated the busy, errand-running Puck in Over Hill, Over Dale and the mysterious appeal of Ariel in Full Fathom Five. George Shearing captures the gentle envy of Julia in Two Gentlemen of Verona with Who is Silvia? Matt Harris, a popular 21st century composer in New York, has (so far) published 24 songs in five Shakespeare volumes for ensemble performance. The clown Feste tailors O Mistress Mine to suit the carefree character of Toby and Andrew in Twelfth Night, and Mariana’s brooding over her betrayal in Take, O Take Those Lips Away from Measure for Measure.

However you care to interpret Shakespeare’s intent, please enjoy today’s short selection of music for its own sake.

Ian Capps, The Early Muse, Hawaii Public Radio

Texts (Italian and Latin texts in English translation only)

I vidi in terra I saw on earth angelic qualities and heavenly beauties unique in the world, so that the memory pleases and pains me, for whatever I look on seems dreams, shadows and smoke. And I saw those two beautiful lights weeping that have a thousand times made the sun envious; and I heard amid sighs words that would make mountains move and rivers stand still. Love, wisdom, worth, piety and sorrow made, weeping, a sweeter music than any other to be heard in the world; and the heavens were so intent upon the harmony that no leaf on any branch was seen to move, so much sweetness filled the air and the wind. 4 Io Piango (Petrarch) I weep and she dries my face with her hand, and then she sighs sweetly and speaks words that might shatter stone; and afterwards departs, along with sleep.

(Ruffo) I weep, for the grief makes me cry, since I can find no other remedy for my fire. So trapped by love am I that ever I lie in torment, but the more I cry the less pain I feel. What cruel, unheard of fate that silence gives me death and weeping life!

Nigra sum I am dark but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem. Therefore the King hath loved me and hath brought me into his chamber and said unto me: “Rise up, my love, and come away; for lo, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone; the flowers appear in our land, the time of pruning is at hand.”

Ego flos campi (Clemens and Billings) I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valley. As the lily among the thorns, so is my love among the daughters. As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. (Billings continues) I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, his banner over me was Love. Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples, for I am sick of Love. I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes and by the hinds of the field, that you stir not up nor awake my love till he please. The voice of my beloved; behold, he cometh, leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. My beloved spake, and said unto me: “Rise up, my fair one, and come away; for lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.”

Ah, Robin Ah, Robin, gentle Robin, tell me how thy lemman (lover) doth and thou shall know of mine. My lady is unkind, I wis (know); alack, why is she so? She loveth another better than me and yet she will say no. I cannot think (understand) such doubleness, for I find women true. In faith, my lady loves me well; she will change for no new.

Over Hill, Over Dale Over hill, over dale, through bush, through brier; over park, over pale, through flood, through fire, I do wander everywhere, swifter than the moon’s sphere; and I serve the fairy queen, to dew her orbs upon the green. The cowslips tall her pensioners be; in their gold coats spots you see. Those rubies, fairy favors, in those freckles live their savors. I must go seek some dewdrops here and hang a pearl in every cowslip’s ear.

Who is Silvia? Who is Silvia, what is she, that all our swains commend her? Holy, fair and wise is she, the heaven such grace did lend her, that she might admired be. 5 Is she kind as she is fair? For beauty lives with kindness. Love doth to her eyes repair, to help him of his blindness; and being helped, inhabits there. Then to Silvia let us sing that Silvia is excelling; she excels each mortal thing upon the dull earth dwelling. To her let us garlands bring.

O Mistress Mine O Mistress mine, where are you roaming? O stay and hear your true love’s coming, that can sing high and low. Trip no further, pretty sweeting. Journeys end in lovers meeting, every wise man’s son doth know. What is love? ‘tis not hereafter; present mirth hath present laughter. What’s to come is still unsure. In delay there lies no plenty, then come kiss me, sweet and twenty. Youth’s a stuff will not endure.

Take, O Take those Lips Away Take, O take those lips away, that so sweetly were forsworn; and those eyes, the break of day, lights that do mislead the morn. But my kisses bring again; seals of love but sealed in vain. Hide, O hide those hills of snow, which thy frozen bosom bears; on whose tops the pinks that grow, are of those that April wears. But first set my poor heart free, bound in those icy chains by thee.

Come Unto These Yellow Sands Come unto these yellow sands, and then take hands. Curtsied when you have, and kissed the wild waves whist. Foot it featly here and there, and sweet sprites the burthen bear. Hark, hark, bow wow. I hear the strain of strutting Chanticleer cry cock-a-doodle-doo.

The Master, the Swabber The master, the swabber, the boatswain and I; the gunner and his mate loved Mall, Meg and Marian, and Margerie, but none of us cared for Kate. For she had a tongue with a tang, would cry to the sailor go hang. She loved not the savour of tar nor of pitch, yet a tailor might scratch her where e’er she did itch. To the sea, boys, and let her go hang.

Where the Bee Sucks, There Suck I Where the bee sucks, there suck I; in a cowslip’s bell I lie. There I couch when owls do cry, on the bat’s back I do fly, after summer merrily. Merrily, merrily, shall I live now, under the blossom that hangs on the bough.

Full Fathom Five Thy Father Lies Full fathom five thy father lies, of his bones are coral made; those are pearls that were his eyes; nothing of him that doth fade but doth suffer a sea-change, into something rich and strange. Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell; hark, now I hear them, ding dong bell.

6 The EMH Chamber Singers The EMH Chamber Singers are all members of the larger EMH Choir, which was formed in 2013 under the artistic direction of the late Carl Crosier. The ensemble is made up of Honolulu’s finest early music performers, most of whom will be recognized as veterans in the performance of this repertoire as well as in the more modern works in this concert. They first performed as the EMH Choir inOratorio, which featured the music of 17th century composers for the Roman Oratories in September 2013. The women singers starred in September 2014 in Triumph over the Odds, featuring the works of women composers from the 9th to the 17th centuries, and the full choir received accolades for the 2015 production of Musica Poetica, with music of the 17th century German Baroque. The Chamber Singers feature well known local soloists, notably Georgine Stark, Naomi Castro, Jeremy Wong and Keane Ishii. Jeremy Wong also directs other choral ensembles on Oahu. He conducts the Chamber Singers today from inside the group, much as would have been the practice in early times. Katherine Crosier applies her versatility in many keyboard genres to the demands of today’s varied program. Mahalo to our Generous Donors 2015-2016 Season

Monteverdi ($1,000+) Tallis (continued) Jeannette and Ian Capps Robert and Alexandra Bley-Vroman Katherine Crosier Don Conover and Ernest Harada Marilyn and Carl Bernhardt Glenn Goya Garrett and Julie Webb Blake Johnson Evelyn Lance Robert Littman Josquin ($500-$999) Irene Sakimoto Anonymous (2) Jim Skibby David Austin and Jennifer Loh Cliff Slater Robert Bowman and Coral Mack Mark and Carol Solien Yvonne Hsieh Alan Teraoka Lynne Johnson John Week Herbert Sato in memory Eldon Wegner of Joseph McAlister Sue and Len Welter

Palestrina ($250-499) Friends of EMH (up to $99) Charldyn Aina David Behlke Anonymous in grateful memory David Braaten of Carl Crosier Alice and Tom Daniel The Department of Arts & Humanities Elizabeth Kaneshiro at Hawaii Pacific University Marcia Morse and Eliot Deutsch Jane Mowry Tallis ($100-$249) Paul Auslander Adolf and Janet Austin Thomas Blackburn 7 Acknowledgments

Volunteers We thank the lovers of early music on Oahu and Hawai’i Island who consistently give their time as volunteers to make these concerts run smoothly.

Lutheran Church of Honolulu EMH gives special thanks to the Lutheran Church of Honolulu for hosting this and other concerts in the 2015-2016 season. The church resonates with the exceptional acoustics, intimate ambience and warm aloha which suit the early music repertory so well.

Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity, Kailua-Kona We are excited to be performing in the Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity for the first time. We are most grateful for the church’s warm response to our request at short notice and hope that it will be the first of many such collaborations.

www.earlymusichawaii.com

Early Music Hawaii is a nonprofit organization established in 2004 to promote the performance and enjoyment of medieval, renaissance and baroque music in our islands and to explore historical performance practices. Modest membership dues, concert proceeds and freewill donations sustain these efforts. Please consider helping us to achieve these objectives by donating online at www.earlymusichawaii.com.