Nordic Choir Allen Hightower, Conductor
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Nordic Choir Allen Hightower, conductor WINTER TOUR 2012 1 TOUR PROGRAM WINTER 2012 APPEARANCES Part I Saturday, January 21 Trinity Lutheran Church O Clap Your Hands Blue Earth, Minnesota Orlando Gibbons (1583–1625) Oxford University Press, 43.2525 Sunday, January 22 Zion Lutheran Church O clap your hands together, all ye people, Iowa City, Iowa O sing unto God with the voice of melody. Friday, January 27 For the Lord is high and to be feared; First Christian Church He is the great King of all the earth, Des Moines, Iowa He shall subdue the people under us, Saturday, January 28 and the nations under our feet. First Plymouth Congregational Church He shall choose out an heritage for us, Lincoln, Nebraska even the worship of Jacob, whom he loved. Sunday, January 29 God is gone up with a merry noise, First Congregational Church and the Lord with the sound of the trumpet. Greeley, Colorado O sing praises unto our God: Monday, January 30 O sing praises unto the Lord our King. Augustana Lutheran Church For God is the King of all the earth: Denver, Colorado sing ye praises with the understanding. God reigneth over the heathen: Tuesday, January 31 God sitteth upon his holy seat. Bethany Lutheran Church of Denver For God, which is highly exalted, Cherry Hills Village, Colorado doth defend the earth, as it were with a shield. Thursday, February 2 Grace Cathedral Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, Topeka, Kansas and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, Friday, February 3 and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. St. Andrew’s Methodist Church Omaha, Nebraska Saturday, February 4 I sat down under His shadow Basilica of Saint Mary Edward C. Bairstow (1874–1946) Minneapolis, Minnesota Oxford University Press, 43 P 002 Sunday, February 5 I sat down under His shadow with great delight, Wayzata Community Church and His fruit was sweet to my taste. Sunday Morning Services He brought me to the banqueting house, Wayzata, Minnesota and His banner over me was love. Tuesday, February 7 Center for Faith and Life Luther College Part II Decorah, Iowa Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden, BWV 230 J.S. Bach (1685–1750) C.F. Peters Corp., 6106 Sung in German Praise the Lord, all you nations, and praise Him, all you people. For His grace and truth reign over us for evermore. Alleluia! 2 Liebeslieder Walzer DR. ALLEN Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) HIGHTOWER Associated Music Publishers, Inc., E.S.-929a Allen Hightower is professor of Sung in German music at Luther College, where No. 8 he serves as conductor of the When your eyes so gently renowned Nordic Choir and and so fondly gaze on me, artistic director of the annual every last sorrow flees Christmas at Luther concert. that once had troubled me. Also Luther’s director of choral activities, he leads a choral This beautiful glow of our love— program that includes four do not let it die! choral conductors, six choirs, and more than 500 singers. Never will another love you as faithfully as I. Prior to joining the faculty at Luther, Hightower served No. 9 as professor of music and director of choral activities On the Danube’s bank there stands a house, at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) in Huntsville, and there a rosy maiden gazes out. Texas. During his tenure, the SHSU Chorale performed The maiden is quite well protected; for the 2007 National Convention of the American Choral ten iron bars are blocking her door. Directors Association (ACDA), the 2010 Southwestern Ten iron bars—that’s a joke! Division of ACDA, and the 2003, 2006, and 2010 I’ll break them as if they were only glass. conventions of the Texas Music Educators Association. Before joining the faculty at Sam Houston, Hightower served on the faculty of California State University, Long Abendlied Beach (CSULB), conducting the CSULB Chamber Singers. Josef Rheinberger (1839–1901) His high school teaching experience includes positions GIA Publications, Inc., G-7460 at Klein High School in Houston, Texas, and at Odessa Sung in German (Texas) Permian High School. Under his direction, the Remain with us, Permian High School Kantorei performed for the 1996 because it will be evening, Texas Music Educators Association convention. and the day is closing. A lifelong church musician, Hightower has served Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Congregational churches in Texas and California. He served as the Duesenberg Part III Concert Choir Chair for Lutheran Summer Music Academy and Festival in 2007 and 2011. From 2005–10, Hightower was music director of Kyrie (from Luther Mass) the Houston Masterworks Chorus, Houston’s largest Stephen Paulus (b. 1949) independent chorus. Performances with this chorus and Paulus Productions, SP 552.pv professional orchestra included Orff’s Carmina Burana, Sung in Latin Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Haydn’s Creation, masses by Luther Mass was commissioned by Luther College from Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, as well as the requiem Stephen Paulus in honor of the college’s 150th anniversary. masses of Fauré, Mozart, and Brahms. It was premiered at Luther on April 16, 2011. The full Hightower holds degrees from Sam Houston State recording is available in the lobby. University, Baylor University, the Eastman School of Music, Lord have mercy, and UCLA. He won first prize in the graduate division Christ have mercy, of the ACDA Conducting Competition in 1997. From Lord have mercy. 1997–2000 he served as conducting intern with the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Hightower has been mentored by choral conductors Bev Henson, Donald Neuen, Paul Salamunovich, Joe Flummerfelt, and Weston Noble. During the 2011–12 academic year, Hightower will conduct in Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Arkansas, and Texas as well as throughout the British Isles. 3 TOUR PROGRAM JACOB The Three Kings WATSON ‘12 Healey Willan (1880–1968) Waverly, Iowa Oxford University Press, OCS 718 Music major, “Who knocks tonight so late, so late?” management minor the weary porter said. Postgraduation Three kings stood at the gate, plans: Attending each with a crown on head. graduate school for The serving man bowed down; a degree in music the inn was full, he knew. education Said he, “In all this town is no fit place for you!” How did you end up at Luther?: A light the manger lit: “As a senior in There lay the Mother meek. high school, I Said they, “This place is fit: was involved Here is the rest we seek!” with a lot of extracurricular activities, most of which They loosed their latchet strings; revolved around music. Even though I didn’t see so stood they all unshod. myself pursuing a career or major in music, my one Come in, come in, ye kings! requirement for the college I chose was being able And kiss the feet of God. to participate in the music program no matter what major I declared. On my first campus visit, I got the chance to sit in on a Nordic Choir rehearsal. Five Holy, Radiant Light minutes of listening to the choir rehearse sealed the Alexandre Gretchaninov (1864–1956) deal: I wanted to be a part of that!” ed. Noble Cain G. Schirmer, Inc., 8081 Holy, radiant Light, Thou holy radiance of the Father, glorious and mighty, HANNAH Thou only begotten Son of God eternal, holy Jesu. MYOTT ‘13 Minneapolis, Minn. Come we, now, to the hour of setting sun; Anthropology and the lights of evening ’round us shine; German major, Holy, O holy Ones, Holy Trinity eternal, music minor we sing Thy praise, evermore we sing Thy praise, Holy Trinity. O holy! Postgraduation With undefiled lips evermore plans: Teaching Thy glory to be praised, abroad in Asia or Worthy art Thou to be praised evermore. living in Germany before attending Holy Son of God, source of ev’ry life, graduate school now all the world doth praise Thee, evermore praise Thee, Thou Son of God What do you Holy, radiant Light, appreciate most about the liberal arts experience?: praise Thee now and evermore. “I’m someone who loves to try many different things, and a liberal arts education allows me to do that. It’s also very flexible—last year I switched my major from music to environmental studies and then to communication studies before finally deciding on anthropology and German. Where else could I do that and still graduate on time?” 4 INTERMISSION ANNE WALSH ‘12 Minnetonka, Minn. Part IV Music major, education minor Sigalagala (Let there be ululation!) Postgraduation arr. S.A. Otieno plans: Teaching Earthsongs abroad before Sung in Luo graduate school for Vocal Performance The Shepherd, the High Priest is passing by. Come and see my Lord. What do you love Yes, Jesus is passing by. about Jenson- Come and see him. Noble Hall of He is calling: Music?: “The thing Come, we all go to heaven. that I have noticed Jesus has brought salvation. about Jenson-Noble over the years is this magical Let there be ululation. ability to motivate me to practice. Everywhere you look in that building there are dedicated musicians He has brought forgiveness. coming from a practice room or rehearsal room, and it Let there be ululation. makes you think, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!” Only through him can there be salvation. Let there be ululation. Mary, Molly, and June SHANE (Nr. II from Two Parables) WILSON ‘13 Vaclav Nelhybel (1919–1996) Bolingbrook, Ill. Franco Columbo Publications Math major, Where do you go? computer science We go to the woods. minor What will you do? What will you do in the woods? Postgraduation What? plans: Attending Cut down a tree.