MARK SINGLETON, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR presents: Prelude ERIC WHITACRE CONDUCTOR AND COMPOSER-IN-RESIDENCE

Tuesday, October 22, 2019 – 7:00pm

Immanuel Congregational Church

10 Woodland Street, Hartford, CT 06105

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200 Seabury Drive Bloomfield, CT 06002 www.seaburylife.org PROGRAM

All works composed by Eric Whitacre (b.1970) Act 1:

Lux Nova

The City and the Sea

I. i walked the boulevard II. the moon is hiding in her hair III. maggie and milly and molly and may IV. as is the sea marvelous V. little man in a hurry

A Boy and a Girl

Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine

The Seal Lullaby

~ Intermission ~

Act 2:

Cloudburst Featuring Primi Voci of the Connecticut Children’s Chorus

Selections from The Sacred Veil

III. Home VII. I am Here VIII. Delicious Times XI. You Rise, I Fall XII. Child of Wonder

~ Fini ~

Encore

Sleep Texts and Translations

Lux Nova Text by Edward Esch (b. 1970) Translated to Latin by Charles Anthony Silvestri (b. 1965)

Lux, Light, Calida gravisque pura velut aurum warm and heavy as pure gold Et canunt angeli molliter and the angels sing softly modo natum. to the new-born babe.

The City and the Sea Text by E.E. Cummings (1894-1962)

I. i walked the boulevard

i walked the boulevard while nearby the father i saw a dirty child a thick cheerful man skating on noisy wheels of joy with majestic bulbous lips pathetic dress fluttering and forlorn piggish hands behind her a mothermonster joked to a girlish whore with red grumbling face with busy rhythmic mouth cluttered in pursuit and silly purple eyelids pleasantly elephantine of how she was with child

II. the moon is hiding in her hair

the moon is hiding in her hair. close her with the intricate faint birds The lily of heaven by daisies and twilights Deepen her, full of all dreams, draws down. Recite upon her flesh cover her briefness in singing the rain’s pearls singly-whispering.

III. maggie and milly and molly and may

maggie and milly and molly and may and molly was chased by a horrible thing went down to the beach (to play one day) which raced sideways while blowing bubbles: and maggie discovered a shell that sang and may came home with a smooth round stone so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles, as small as a world and as large as alone and milly befriended a stranded star for whatever we lose (like a you or a me) whose rays five languid fingers were; it's always ourselves we find in the sea

IV. as is the sea marvelous

as is the sea marvelous from god’s hands but the sea does not change which sent her forth to sleep upon the world and she goes forth out of hands and and the earth withers the moon crumbles returns into hands and is with sleep… one by one stars flutter into dust love, the breaking of your soul upon my lips V. little man in a hurry

little man (little child big rain (in a hurry who have tried big snow full of an important worry) who have failed big sun halt stop forget who have cried) big moon halt stop relax lie bravely down (hurry enter us) wait sleep

A Boy and a Girl Text by (1914-1998)

stretched out on the grass, stretched out on the beach, stretched out underground, a boy and a girl a boy and a girl a boy and a girl savoring their oranges savoring their limes, saying nothing never kissing, giving their kisses like waves giving their kisses like giving silence for silence. exchanging foam. clouds exchanging foam.

Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine Libretto-breve by Charles Anthony Silvestri Italian fragments taken from the notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519)

Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine… Vicina all’ elemento del fuoco . . . Tormented by vision of flight and falling, (Close to the sphere of elemental fire . . .) More wondrous and terrible each than the last, Scratching quill on crumpled paper, Master Leonardo imagines an engine Rete, canna filo, carta. To carry a man up into the sun . . . (Net, cane, thread, paper.) And he’s dreaming the heavens call him, Images of wing and frame and fabric fastened tightly. Softly whispering their siren-song: . . . sulla suprema sottile aria. “Leonardo, Leonardo, vieni a volare.” (. . . in the highest and rarest atmosphere.) (“Leonardo, Leonardo, come fly.”) L’uomo colle sua congiengniate e grandi ale, Master Leonardo Da Vinci facciendo forza contro alla resistente aria. Dreams of his Flying Machine… (A man with wings large enough and duly connected As the midnight watchtower tolls, might learn to overcome the resistance of the air.) Over rooftop, street and dome, The triumph of a human being ascending Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine… In the dreaming of a mortal man. As the candles burn low he paces and writes, Leonardo steels himself, Releasing purchased pigeons one by one Takes one last breath, Into the golden Tuscan sunrise . . . and leaps . . . . And as he dreams, again the calling, “Leonardo, Vieni a Volare! Leonardo, Sognare!” The very air itself gives voice: (“Leonardo, Leonardo, come fly! Leonardo, Dream!”) “Leonardo, Leonardo, vieni a volare.” (“Leonardo, Leonardo, come fly.”) The Seal Lullaby Text by (1865-1936)

Oh! Hush thee, my baby, the night is behind us, And black are the waters that sparkled so green. The moon, o’er the combers, looks downward to find us At rest in the hollows that rustle between.

Where billow meets billow, then soft be thy pillow; Ah, weary wee flipperling, curl at thy ease! The storm shall not wake thee, nor shark overtake thee, Asleep in the arms of the slow-swinging seas.

Cloudburst Text by Octavio Paz (1914-1998) Adapted by Eric Whitacre, translation by Lysander Kemp (1920-1992)

La lluvia The rain ... ojos de agua de sombra, Eyes of shadow-water ojos de agua de pozo, eyes of well-water ojos de agua de sueño. eyes of dream-water. Soles azules, verdes remolinos Blue suns, green whirlwinds, picos de luz que abren astros pecks of light that open como granadas. pomegranate stars. Dime, tierra quemada, no hay agua? But tell me, burnt earth, is there no water? Hay sólo sangre, sólo hay polvo, Only blood, only dust, sólo pisadas de pies desnudos sobre la espina? only naked footsteps on the thorns? La lluvia despierta The rain awakens ... Hay que dormir con los ojos abiertos, We must sleep with open eyes, Hay que soñar con las manos, We must dream with our hands Soñemos sueños activos de rio, we must dream dreams of active rivers Buscando su cause, sueños de sol soñando sus Searching for their cause mundos Dreams of the sun dreaming of its worlds hay que soñar en voz alta, we must dream aloud, hay que cantar we must sing till the song hasta que el canto eche casts roots, raíces, tronco, ramas, trunks, branches, birds, stars, hay que desenterrar la palabra perdida we must unearth the lost word, recordar que dicen sangre, la marea, and remember what the blood, the tides, la tierra y el cuerpo, the earth, and the body say, volver al punto de partida. and return to the point of departure.

Selections from “The Sacred Veil”

III. Home as all the kindergarten stared, Text by Charles Anthony Silvestri open-mouthed in wonderment. It’s been a very funny week. You feel like home. The kids have been amazing, And we’ve had some really delicious times together. VII. I am Here Stephen Scarlato, Piano, Sophie Shao, Cello XI. You Rise, I Fall Text by Charles Anthony Silvestri VIII. Delicious Times Text by Julie Silvestri Listening to your labored breath your struggle ends and mine begins. My hair started to fall out at precisely You rise, I fall. one o’clock on my birthday. Fading yet already gone By Thursday it was making a terrible mess what calls you I cannot provide? so the kids helped me shave off whatever was left. You rise, I fall. They’d pick up my hair from the ground, Broken with a heavy hand And slap it on my head and say: I reach to you and close your eyes. “You need more hair!” You rise, I fall. and they would laugh and laugh. Then at bathtime I wore my wig XII. Child of Wonder And they would beg me to take it off Text by Eric Whitacre and put it back on again, And they would laugh, they howled with laughter. Child of wonder, child of sky. At bedtime when my little one plays with my hair, Time to end your voyage time to die. She just stroked my head and said Silent slumber calls you dark and deep, “It’s so soft and clean!” child of soft surrender, child of sleep, She says, “Mommy your hair went bye-bye, child of sorrow, child of rain. but it’ll be back soon.” There is no tomorrow, no more pain. I was most worried about her Turn your silvered sail toward the light, because she loves my hair so much, Child of mourning, child of night. But she is just fine! Child of iridescence, child of dream, Today I visited my oldest at school and he shouted: Stars and moons will guide you down the stream. “Hey everybody my mom has a wig!” Stretched on ocean waves of endless foam, He was the star of the class welcome home my child, welcome home.

Sleep Text by Charles Anthony Silvestri

The evening hangs beneath the moon, If there are noises in the night, A silver thread on darkened dune. A frightening shadow, flickering light; With closing eyes and resting head Then I surrender unto sleep, I know that sleep is coming soon. Where clouds of dream give second sight. Upon my pillow, safe in bed, What dreams may come, both dark and deep, A thousand pictures fill my head, Of flying wings and soaring leap – I cannot sleep, my mind’s aflight; As I surrender unto sleep. And yet my limbs seem made of lead.

About Voce: Its Mission and Its Musicians

Founded in 2006 by Mark Singleton, Artistic Director and Tom Cooke, President, Voce has grown to become one of New England’s premier choral ensembles. With an initial concept of giving and education, Voce continues to bring new works to a wide range of audiences, and collaborates with middle school, high school and collegiate ensembles to further develop the next generation of choral artists.

As Voce enters its second decade of performance, its music is better than ever. Voce’s commitment to harmony has caught the attention of some of the world’s greatest living choral composers, including National Medal of Arts Recipient , Ola Gjeilo, Ēriks Ešenvalds, Thomas LaVoy and Paul Mealor. After working with Voce, these composers offered high praise for Voce and its Artistic Director, Mark Singleton:

· Paul Mealor described Voce as “one of the finest choirs on the planet” with “a warmth of tone and beauty that is unique.”

· Ēriks Ešenvalds described Artistic Director Mark Singleton as “a very sensitive and smart conductor – he finds hidden beauties in the scores that most conductors would never know existed.”

· Morten Lauridsen praised Voce as “exemplifying choral performance at its finest.”

Voce’s sound is a direct result of Mark Singleton’s uncompromising commitment to the service of harmony. Singleton challenges each singer in the ensemble to “serve harmony, evoke its spirit and free yourself of discord. Dedicate yourself to your ensemble, your section and your neighbor. Be the embodiment of cooperation. Listen, connect and fulfill your duty to the music, the team and all those who hear you. Such is the substance of greatness – such is the foundation of harmony.”

Voce’s music is built on this creed, which begins every Voce rehearsal and resonates throughout every performance. The result is a uniquely welcoming experience for singers and audience members alike. Through harmony, our differences can be used to make music more beautiful and inclusive than anything we can do on our own.

Voce’s Board of Directors and Officers Voce’s Administration Team

Thomas F. Cooke II – President Sarah Armstrong - Voce Administrator Dylan Armstrong Andrew Brochu - Education Coordinator Robert Borden (ex officio, past President) Pam Johnson - Constant Contact Administrator Jane Currie Jennifer Lamson - Choral Librarian Jennifer Ferrand Kelly Jennifer McCann - Media Manager James A. Grigsby Patrick Nay – Media Analyst David Pettyjohn Ali Singleton - Producer & Marketing Manager Hal Rives John Skar Bob Willard

About Eric Whitacre

Grammy® Award-winning composer and conductor Eric Whitacre is among today’s most popular musicians. His works have been programmed worldwide by millions of amateur and professional performers, while his ground-breaking Virtual Choirs have united singers from over 120 different countries. Eric, a graduate of the prestigious of Music, is presently Artist in Residence with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, following five years as Composer in Residence at the University of Cambridge, UK.

As conductor of the Eric Whitacre Singers, he has released such chart-topping albums including Light and Gold and Water Night. In high demand as guest conductor, he has drawn capacity audiences to concerts with the Netherlands Radio Choir, London Symphony Orchestra, Flemish Radio Choir, and Minnesota Orchestra. His creative versatility shines through collaborations with legendary Hollywood composer and British pop icons , and , and major classical commissions for, among others, the BBC Proms, Minnesota Orchestra, Rundfunkchor Berlin, , , Los Angeles Master Chorale and The King’s Singers.

A charismatic speaker, Eric Whitacre has given keynote addresses for many Fortune 500 companies and global institutions, from Apple and Google to the World Economic Forum in Davos and the United Nations Speaker’s Programme, while his two mainstage talks at the hugely influential TED conference in Long Beach CA received standing ovations. He reached new audiences in 2018 when his composition Deep Field became the foundation for a pioneering audiovisual collaboration between Eric, NASA, the Space Telescope Science Institute, Music Productions and 59 Productions.

About Mark Singleton, Artistic Director

Stephen Mark Singleton is a renowned conductor, composer, writer and guest speaker. His unique career path has taken him all over the world including China, Africa, South America and Europe. As a frequent guest conductor and clinician, Mark has worked with choirs and orchestras of all ages and styles. His energetic and magnetic leadership has made him one of the most sought-after conductors in New England.

Mark is frequently asked to be a guest speaker at concerts, universities, and faith communities. He currently serves on the faculty of the Hartt School of Music Community Division as Director of Primi Voci from the Connecticut Children’s Chorus. Mark has also served on the faculty of the University of Connecticut and Central Connecticut State University as well as in public schools. While at UConn, he conducted the Concert Choir, Collegium Musicum and the Women's Chorus.

He has prepared choruses and served as guest conductor for many orchestras including the National Symphony of China, Hartford Symphony Orchestra, New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Liberty Symphony Orchestra, Arcadiana Symphony Orchestra, Yale Symphony Orchestra and the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra. Currently, Mark serves as the Artistic Director of Voce and Director of Music at Immanuel Congregational Church, and served as Chorus Director for the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra for 18 years. Mark holds an undergraduate degree in cello performance and church music from William Jewell College and a Master of Music degree in choral conducting from the University of Connecticut. He has pursued additional conducting studies at the Robert Shaw Festival, the Dennis Keene Choral Festival and the Conductor’s Institute of South Carolina. His principal conducting teachers include Peter Bagley, Charles Bruffy, and Phillip C. Posey.

Mark made his New York City debut with Voce and Paul Mealor, performing at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in May 2017. Mark also prepared the Connecticut Children’s Chorus to perform at the Berkshire Choral Festival International in July 2017. In March 2019, he was appointed as the Conductor-in-Residence at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, working alongside Paul Mealor.

Members of Voce include: Mark Singleton, Artistic Director Stephen Scarlato, Accompanist

Soprano Alto Tenor Bass Jennifer Lamson* Pamela Frigo Johnson* Jack Anthony Pott* Tom Cooke* Liz Bologna Sarah Armstrong Adam Atkins Dylan Armstrong Sarah Bowe Sarah Chasse Andrew Brochu Robert Borden Marinne Cheney Genevieve Clements Ehren Brown Jonathan Clune Annelise Ellars Gretchen Collins Floyd Higgins Gregory Flower Jennifer Ferrand-Kelly Anna Koogler Josh Hummel Brian Jones Jennifer McCann Rachel Watson Alex O’Neil Herb Menzel Ali Singleton David Pettyjohn Patrick Nay Andrey Stolyarov *Principal Jermaine Woodard Jr.

Featuring Sophie Shao, Cello

Voce would like to thank Minuteman Press, Bob Bingham, Steve Lurie, Choral Arts New England, WWUH, New England Public Radio, and the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts – partnering with Voce to promote excellence in Chamber Music in New England.

Voce’s new album “Blessing: The Music of Paul Mealor” is coming on March 13, 2020! Get Voce’s most recent album, “Music of the Spheres” at the ticket table during Intermission. Also available are "Sure on This Shining Night," featuring the works of Morten Lauridsen, and copies of “Voce Live.”

Our primary method of keeping in touch with the greater Voce community is through email. We would love to include you on our email list. Please help us to stay in touch with you by sending an email to [email protected], asking that you be added to our email notification list. Please provide us with your name, as well. You can also sign up for notifications through a link in our website, www.voceinc.org. There you will also find a lot of other interesting information about Voce.

Mark your calendars!

Voce’s 2019-2020 season “Symphony of Harmony” has just begun.

A Voce Christmas

Saturday, December 14, 2019, 7:00pm – Simsbury, CT Sunday, December 15, 2019, 4:00pm – Hartford, CT

Voce's holiday program will feature carols and anthems of the holiday season and Primi Voci, the premier ensemble of the Connecticut Children’s Chorus. Join Voce in a celebration of the harmonies of Christmas in a concert that has become a holiday tradition!

Gladdening Light!

Saturday, March 14, 2020, 7:00pm – Hartford, CT Album launch celebration to follow

Join Voce in a concert celebrating its new album – “Blessing: The Music of Paul Mealor” - to be released by Signum Classics on March 13, 2020 just before the concert! In addition to works from the new album the program will feature choral classics from the last 100 years including repertoire penned by Gerald Finzi and Charles Wood, and more recent compositions by British composers Patrick Hawes and Will Todd. Let Voce bring light into your life in the warmth of St. Patrick-St. Anthony Church's stunning sanctuary as winter draws to a close!

Paul Mealor: The Souls of the Righteous

Saturday, May 16, 2020, 7:00pm – Hartford, CT

Voce brings composer Paul Mealor back to New England for a performance of his “Requiem: The Souls of the Righteous,” written in 2018 to remember those who fell a century ago in the First World War. After its US premiere at Carnegie Hall, New York Concert Review critic Jeffrey Williams described Mealor's work as "filled with serene beauty from start to finish." Voce will also be joined by four up-and-coming composers from the University of Aberdeen to write reflections on Mealor’s “Requiem” and premiere them – alongside a very special world premiere by Mealor himself!

Concert Sponsors for “Prelude”

Kenneth Bartschi Steve and Cindy Lurie Douglas Brisco David Pettyjohn Sarah Clune Matthew Provost Jane Currie and Pam Perry Peter Pulsifer Barbara David Hal Rives and Marki Ware Terri Fisher Jonathan Saxton Rebecca Gold John Skar Jim Grigsby and Linda Fazio Sally Taylor Carrie Hammond Albert van Stok Amanda Hanzlik Rosalind van Stolk Helen and Don Hughlett Karen Vitale Kathleen Jones Ellen G. Voth Virginia Lewis Bob Willard

Voce’s 2019-2020 Sponsors and Supporters

Sustaining Sponsors - $5,000 and above Donors - $250 and above Thomas Cooke and Rosalind van Stolk Dylan and Sarah Armstrong Sky Investments (Season Sponsor) Robert and Salli-Jo Borden Susan M. Bullock Sponsors - $2,500 and above Ann and Dan Conable Charitable Fund Jane Currie and Pam Perry Jonathan Clune and Sarah Potter Rachel and John Golder Carl Delmolino The Nicholas B. Mason Charitable Fund Pamela and Matthew Johnson David Pettyjohn Robert and Jill Lautensack Goldman Sachs (matching contributions) Keith Powell Seabury (Season Supporter) David and Gail Ryan Harvey & Lewis (Season Supporter) Travelers Matching Grants Webster Bank (Season Supporter) Contributors – up to $249 Supporters - $1,000 and above Suzanne Gates Jennifer Ferrand Kelly David Gladstein Thomas Flanigan and John Stone Helen and Don Hughlett James A. Grigsby and Linda Fazio Lynn Johnson Hal Rives and Marki Ware Susan Johnson and Trent Repko John and Alison Skar Albert van Stolk Choral Arts New England/Alfred Nash Patterson Grant (2018-2019 Season) Connecticut GI www.voceinc.org

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We’re pleased to sponsor the VOCE concert series.

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