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KITKA WOMEN’S VOCAL ENSEMBLE Shira Cion, Executive Artistic Director Kelly Atkins & Kristine Barrett, Wintersongs Co-Directors Erin Lashnits Herman • Janet Kutulas • Hannah Levy Maclovia Quintana • Katya Schoenberg • Lily Storm ŠČO V PANA KHAZJAINA* bush, one was a red bush, the third was a golden bush. She did not care about the blue bush nor the red bush, but she was pleased with Pekariv, Černivs’ka region, Ukraine, the golden bush. The bird started to build a nest: she worked on it from the repertoire of Božyči Ensemble for a month, for a second month, for a third month, for a week in the A carol sung on the feast of Malanka, Ukrainian New Year’s Eve. The fourth month, for a bit more in the fifth month. She started to lay birch tree in Slavic folklore is a symbol of a pure, unmarried woman. eggs: she laid for a month, for second month, for a third month, for The goldsmith represents a destiny-making god. In ancient tradition, a week in the fourth month, and a bit more in the fifth month. One the smith required a piece of someone’s body (a lock of hair, a drop of chick became the moon for Kurland, the second became the sun for blood) to incorporate into his work to forge a positive future for his Pärnu County, the third became the world, the fourth became the customer. In this song, the bark symbolizes this ritual sacrifice. stars, and the fifth became the rainbow.” “At the home of the master of the house, in his courtyard, oh generous BALTIC KALEDA MEDLEY New Year’s Eve, in the midst of his grapevines stood a birch, slender and tall, with a broad canopy of leaves. On the way to the birch tree Arranged by Lily Storm was a beaten path. Who wore this path down? The girl Halochka Long before Christianity, Baltic tribes shaped their faith from the walked this path as she went to fetch water. Reaching for the tree, she natural world. The simple cosmology of the circle of life, of death, peeled off its bark, put it on a plate, and carried it to the goldsmith.” and rebirth formed the foundation of tradition and ritual. Before Christmas existed, the Balts celebrated Kaleda, the Winter solstice. ZVEZDA VEČERNICA* Šop region, Bulgaria, arr. Stefan Dragostinov, from the repertoire Vylks Dora Olu of the Philip Koutev Ensemble, via Tzvetanka Varimezova Latvia, from the repertoire of Grodi ensemble In Slavic mythology the Evening Star was a female deity associated “The wolf was brewing beer, and invited the goat for a drink. with the planets Venus and Mercury. By some accounts she was a ‘Welcome, neighbor goat!’ The wolf promised not to eat her for nine virgin goddess, and according to others she was the wife of the Moon summers, but he could not wait three days before he pounced.” god and mother of all the stars. Christian lore incorporated the Evening Star into the nativity story as the Star of Bethlehem. Sidrabiņa Lietiņš Lija Latvia, from the repertoire of Ensemble Rasa and Liga Priede “The evening star shone way up on high. It lit up the broad earth and even further afar.” “Silver rain fell on Winter Solstice night. All the tiny twigs were covered in silver, all the candles burned in silver candlesticks. LOOMINE The Moon is showing the way to the drivers who are carrying the Daughter of the Sun. The Sun married off her daughter from the Estonia, adapted from the arrangement of Margo Kõlar of netherworld to this one.” Heinavanker by Kristine Barrett A Runic folk hymn describing the creation of the world. Much like Už Girių, Girių Ugnelė Dege the spinning of fibers to create a thread, the lyrics and structure of this Lithuania, from the repertoire of Atalyja song work to spin into existence the world and its creatures. “Beyond the forest a campfire was burning. Some brothers were “A beautiful bluebird flew into our meadow, and made a nest in a grazing their horses by the fire—they fell asleep and the horses ran paddock. There were three bushes in the meadow: one was a blue back to their father’s manor…” Kalėdų Rytų Rožė Inžydo AMHRÁN MHUINSE Lithuania, from the recording archive of Genovaite Cetkavskaite Connemara, western Ireland, “On Christmas morning a rose bloomed; on Sunday morning a traditional sean-nós (“old-style”) song composed in the miracle occurred by the frozen lake: a young boy was breaking late 19th century by Máire Ní Chlochartaigh on her deathbed the ice to give his horse a drink. There came the Moose with The songwriter’s request to be buried at her birthplace was to be nine horns. On the first horn a fire was burning, on the second fulfilled by her cousin. However, three days of stormy seas made the blacksmiths were hammering…” journey there impossible and she had to be buried in Leitir Calaidh. Wakes were a ritual practiced for generations even though they were OJ KOLEDO, MOJ KOLEDO forbidden by unsympathetic priests and the English. To help ward off Bulgarian Macedonia, evil spirits, family and friends would take turns sitting with the body, laid out on a table in the best room in the house—drinking, eating, from the repertoire of Daniel Spassov and Milen Ivanov singing, and keening. A woman, often the local midwife, would be “Oh Koleda, my Koleda! The carolers began to sing, praising God and hired to keen over the deceased. praying: ‘May the golden wheat grow, and red wine. May this year be abundant, may the little children be healthy. We sing to you, oh master “If I were three leagues out at sea or on mountains far from home, of the house!’” without any living thing near me but the green fern and the heather, the snow blowing down on me, and the wind snatching it off again, ZAPELI SE DVA SLAVEJA and if I were to be talking to my fair Taimín, I would not find the night long. Serbia, village of Ošljane, from the repertoire of Zorka Miladinović, via Svetlana Spajić “Faithful Mary, what will I do, this winter is coming on cold. Isn’t it a pity now, to be leaving you during the fine weather? Oh bring “Two nightingales sang, announcing the birth of Christ. As they were me west to Muínis, the place I will be mourned (keened) highly. The flying over the fields to his christening, the wheat bowed in reverence, lights will be on the dunes, and loneliness will not be on me there.” but the oats did not. The Mother of God cursed the oats, saying, ‘May you not be mixed into bread, may you not be carried into church!’” K’VIRIA* OTSDAKHUTSA DEK’EMBERSA Svaneti, Georgia, composed by Ilia Paliani (1886-1966), from the repertoire of the Rustavi Choir and the Kartuli Ensemble Kakheti, Georgia, from Ketevan Mindorashvili and Zedashe In the isolated, proud, and independent region of Svaneti, high in This Christmas carol, from Eastern Georgia’s wine growing region, the Caucasus Mountains in northwestern Georgia, the pre-Christian refers to Shio Mghvimeli, a saint in the Georgian church, one of the god K’viria is still celebrated with song, dance and ritual. This piece thirteen Assyrian Fathers who helped spread Christianity in Georgia was composed by the Svan composer Paliani and utilizes many in the 6th century. Legend has it that the wine vessels in the wine traditional regional polyphonic motifs. A pagan hero and son of gods, cellar at Shio’s monastery would never empty, but keep filling to the K’viria served as mediator between the supreme god (Ghmerti) and top whenever anyone took wine from them. The obvious parallel humanity as protector of society and an instrument of divine justice. here is to the Holy Communion, and the endless supply of blood for forgiveness. Georgian carolers often carried baskets, into which the “Oh, K’viria! Sun of the Heavens, K’viria! Almighty K’viria!” receivers of their songs would place eggs, fruits, and sweets. IM HASHEM LO YIVNEH BAYIT “On the 25th of December, Christ was born. Grace to those who brought us such great news and joy to those receiving it. Alatasa Hebrew text from Psalms 127:1 and 121:4, Song of Ascents, of Balatasa, I shall put out a basket. Women, bring out some eggs for us, Solomon. Melody by Reb Sholom Yehuda Rechnitz, from the and God will give you a bountiful harvest. Oh merry host, you are our repertoire of the Shira Choir, arr. Kitka joy. Your wine cellar’s rusty door creaks as it opens and closes. Please Interpreters of these psalms connect their messages to the cherished bring out some wine for us, and fill out throats with it. May God give importance of building a home, a family, and a community with you the bounty he gave to Shio. May god give you plenty of wine and perpetual reverence and awareness of the Divine Creator. The bread and a barn full of livestock and goods.” Hebrew words ben (son) and bath (daughter) are closely related to the root word banah (to build) because sons and daughters make up CEL FĂR’ DE-NCEPUT a household, as stones and timber make up a building. While humans Romania, Byzantine carol from the repertoire of the nuns of must sleep, God’s eyes never close on wants of the world. Camarzani Monastery, arr. Lily Storm “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless “Today the One without beginning has descended and come to dwell the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.

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