A Byzantine Christmas
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VOCAL ENSEMBLE 26th Annual Season October 2017 Tchaikovsky: All-Night Vigil October 2017 CR Presents: The Byrd Ensemble November 2017 Arctic Light II: Northern Exposure December 2017 A Byzantine Christmas January 2018 The 12 Days of Christmas in the East February 2018 Machaut Mass with Marcel Pérès March 2018 CR Presents: The Tudor Choir March 2018 Ivan Moody: The Akáthistos Hymn April 2018 Venice in the East A Byzantine Christmas: Sun of Justice 1 What a city! Here are just some of the classical music performances you can find around Portland, coming up soon! JAN 11 | 12 FEB 10 | 11 A FAMILY AFFAIR SOLO: LUKÁŠ VONDRÁCˇEK, pianist Spotlight on cellist Marilyn de Oliveira Chopin, Smetana, Brahms, Scriabin, Liszt with special family guests! PORTLANDPIANO.ORG | 503-228-1388 THIRDANGLE.ORG | 503-331-0301 FEB 16 | 17 | 18 JAN 13 | 14 IL FAVORITO SOLO: SUNWOOK KIM, pianist Violinist Ricardo Minasi directs a We Love Our Volunteers! Bach, Beethoven, Schumann, Schubert program of Italy’s finest composers. n tns to our lol volunteers o serve s users ste re o oe ersonnel osts PORTLANDPIANO.ORG | 503-228-1388 PBO.ORG | 503-222-6000 or our usns or n ottee eers n oe ssstnts Weter ou re ne to JAN 15 | 16 FEB 21 us or ou ve een nvolve sne te ennn tn ou or our otent n nness TAKÁCS QUARTET MIRÓ QUARTET WITH JEFFREY KAHANE “The consummate artistry of the Takács is Co-presented by Chamber Music Northwest ou re vlue rt o te O l n e re rteul simply breathtaking” The Guardian and Portland’5 Centers for the Arts FOCM.ORG | 503-224-9842 CMNW.ORG | 503-294-6400 JAN 26-29 FEB 21 WINTER FESTIVAL: CONCERTOS MOZART WITH MONICA Celebrating Mozart’s 262nd birthday, Baroque Mozart and Michael Haydn string quartets DEC 20 concertos, and modern concertos performed by Monica Huggett and other PDX VIVALDI’S MAGNIFICAT AND GLORIA CMNW.ORG | 503-294-6400 favorites. All female chorus and orchestra 45THPARALLELPDX.ORG Led by Monica Huggett FEB 2 PBO.ORG | 503-222-6000 CHANTICLEER MAR 3 | 4 This Grammy award-winning male vocal THE TUDOR CHOIR DEC 31 ensemble will perform their program “Soldier” John Taverner’s Western Wind Mass and World AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! FOCM.ORG | 503-224-9842 Premiere by Nico Muhly Concert by the Florestan Trio with baritone CAPPELLAROMANA.ORG | 503-236-8202 Kevin Walsh and pianist John Strege. FEB 3 FOCM.ORG | 503-224-9842 MACHAUT MASS with MARCEL PÉRÈS MAR 5 & 6 from Paris QUATOUR EBÉNE JAN 6 The earliest Mass setting by a single composer, “One of the most exciting and distinctive of the 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS IN THE EAST with exotic Latin chants new generation” New York Times Medieval and modern works for Twelfth Night CAPPELLAROMANA.ORG | 503-236-8202 FOCM.ORG | 503-224-9842 CAPPELLAROMANA.ORG | 503-236-8202 FEB 8 | 9 MAR 9 JAN 7 THREE VOICES CURTIS ON TOUR: BERNSTEIN’S 100TH PROJECT TRIO The Quince Ensemble BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION MYS will join them on stage for this not-to-be- Performs Morton Feldman Classic works by Bernstein, Copland, and missed concert. THIRDANGLE.ORG | 503-331-0301 Gershwin FOCM.ORG | 503-224-9842 CMNW.ORG | 503-294-6400 2 A Byzantine Christmas: Sun of Justice Byzantine Chant for Christmas in Greek, Arabic, and English Thursday, 14 December 2017 at 7:30 pm Greek Orthodox Community of Salem, Blanchet High School, Salem, Oregon Friday, 15 December 2017 at 8:00 pm St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, Seattle, Washington Alexander Lingas Saturday, 16 December 2017 at 8:00 pm Music Director and Founder St. Mary’s Cathedral, Portland, Oregon Sunday, 17 December 2017 at 3:00pm John Michael Boyer St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, East Portland, Oregon Associate Music Director Tuesday, 19 December 2017 at 7:30pm Deacon John (Rassem) El Massih Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Sacramento, California Guest Soloist Program *Βηθλεὲμ ἐτοιμάζου / Bethlehem make ready Petros Peloponnesios (1730–1778) chanters Text by Patriarch Sophronios of Jerusalem (560–638) Richard Barrett *Joseph spoke thus to the Virgin John Michael Boyer (b. 1978) Kristen Buhler Text by Sophronios of Jerusalem Photini Downie Robinson Prokeimenon of the First Hour Dn. John Rassem El Massih (b. 1981)/ Nicholas Fine Traditional/Boyer Samuel Herron Sarah Jenks *Doxastikon of the Ninth Hour El Massih/Boyer Alexander Khalil Constantine Kokenes *1st Sticheron of Great Vespers Boyer David Krueger Emily Ann Laliotis Αὐγούστου μοναρχίσαντος / When Augustus reigned Theophanis the Monk Mark Powell Text by Kassia (Kassiani) the Nun (9th c.) of Vatopaidi (b. 1977) Markayla Stroubakis *First Troparion at the Prophecies Boyer David Stutz *Apolytikion of the Nativity Mitri El Murr (1880–1969)/Boyer/ Monk Chrysostom Agiographos (19th–20th c.) INTERMISSION Thank you for attending today! God is with us (in Greek, Arabic, and English) Trad./V. Rev. Nicholas Malek/Boyer Learn more at cappellaromana.org Eklogë (Selected Psalm Verses) for Christmas Lycourgos Angelopoulos (1941-2014) *Ode I of the First Canon of Christmas Petros Peloponnesios/ Text by St. Kosmas of Maïuma (7th-8th c.) Ioannis Vyzantios (1800–1866)/Boyer *Kontakion on the Nativity Petros Peloponnesios/ Text by St. Romanos the Melodist (490–556) V. Rev. Romanos Joubran (b. 1966) Please ensure all electronic devices are switched off. *Ode IX of the First Canon of Christmas Petros Peloponnesios/Ioannis Vyzantios/ Text by St. Kosmas of Maïuma El Murr Kindly return any extra concert programs to be used at the next concerts, *Kalophonic Eirmos: Χριστὸς Γεννᾶται / Christ is born. Ioannis Arvanitis (b.1961) or for recycling. Kratema Balassios the Priest (c.1615-c.1700) ON THE COVER: The church of Agia * Featured on the new double CD Sun of Justice by PRÓTO (John Michael Boyer, Eirene, Athens, Greece Dn. John Rassem El Massih), available at this concert. 3 Byzantine Christmas: Sun of Justice This may account for the fact that one of the main hymnological themes for Christmas is that of light in general and the sun specifically: Orthodox hymnography refers to Christ “dawning from a Virgin,” to his Nativity making “the light of knowledge dawn on the world,” calls him the “Dayspring from on high,” or “Dayspring from the east,” and even applies the title “Sun of Justice” for Jesus Christ. Christians seemed to say, “You The ecclesiastical feast day celebrating the Nativity all worship the sun in the sky or call this false god of Jesus Christ – which came to be called simply Mithras the ‘Sun of Justice,’ whereas we worship the “Christ’s Mass,” or “Christmas” in English – was true God, the spiritual, noetic ‘Sun of Justice’: Jesus added to the calendar in the Eastern Church Christ, the Son of God and true giver of light and somewhat later than other major feasts. Originally, life.” Christ’s Nativity and Baptism were celebrated on the same day: Epiphany (January 6). Much has This theme permeates the hymnography of been said concerning the origins and influences – Christmas, along with the paradox of God becoming whether Pagan, Persian, or Christian – of December man and of the Virgin giving birth; the humility of 25th becoming the feast day of the Nativity of the Son of God in his Incarnation; the sanctification Christ; suffice it to say that the late Roman Pagan of the earth, deification of humanity, and the holiday of the Birth of the Unconquered Sun, the reconciliation of God and Man in the God-Man, ancient Persian celebration of the birth of Mithras Jesus Christ. The hymns reflect on all these themes, – the “Sun of Justice,” – and the celebration of culminating in the universal exultation of creation: the birth of Jesus Christ were each to one extent “Now Christ is born: therefore glorify!” “Sing your or another in the mind of the Roman populace praise to the Lord, all the earth!” “Glory to God in during the development of the Christian calendar. the highest!” Visions and Visionaries In Mulieribus Anna Song, Artistic Director 2017-18 Concert Season Noël! It's a holiday tradition! We invite you to come celebrate the wonder, mystery, and beauty of Christmas with us in a program of medieval French carols, songs of the nativity, and other seasonal favorites, featuring works by Binchois, Dufay, Taverner, and others. Wednesday, December 20, 2017 at 7:30pm Proto-Cathedral of St. James the Greater 218 W 12th Street Vancouver, Washington Friday, December 22, 2017 at 8:00pm Domenico Ghirlandaio (1449-1494), The Nativity, St. Mary’s Cathedral 1492, Tempera on Wood, 45 x 42 cm, Vatican Pinacotheca. 1716 NW Davis Portland, Oregon Season brochure and subscription information available online at inmulieribus.org or by calling 503-283-2913 4 We present our program of a Byzantine Christmas in liturgical order, spending a moment or two in each worship service of the Orthodox Church for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The liturgical journey begins with the service of Great (or “Royal”) Hours, celebrated on Christmas Eve morning or afternoon. Structured around the traditionally monastic rite of the First, Third, Sixth, and Ninth Hours, the Great Hours are now most often celebrated together as a single service. Each Hour begins with Psalm readings, after which the choirs sing a series of three Idiomela (through- composed pieces of hymnography) that reflect on the significance of the holiday. In particular, they focus on the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and on the inherent paradoxes of Christmas: God becoming human, a virgin giving birth, and the King of Kings being born in a cave and laid in a manger. Sung hymnography is followed by declamation of an Old Testament prophecy, chanting of a New Testament Apostolic epistle, and chanting of a Gospel pericope.