Welcome

The singers and I invite you to open your minds and hearts to the various experiences each of you carries into this concert hall to enable your own meaningful interaction with these songs. The repertoire is mainly singer selected and speaks to topics of their interests. At times, we sing for ourselves. At others, we find ourselves singing to give voice to those who have come Afternoon Recital Series 2018–2019 Season before or after us who may not be so privileged. Together, we hope to encourage individual understandings and find meanings to Helen M. Hosmer Hall Sunday, November 18, 3:00 PM understand our world and one another through song.

Yours,

VOICES BE HEARD: SONGS OF SOCIAL CONCIOUSNESS

- Andrea Maas, conductor

Potsdam Community Chorus Potsdam Community Chorus Andrea Maas, conductor

Lauren Behan, student conductor Tuba Traditional Xitsonga arr. Michael Barrett (b. 1983)

Dan Conroy, Chris DeNova, Isaiah James, and Jacob Hetman, leaders

March of the Women music, Dame Ethel Mary Smyth (1858–1944) lyrics, Cicely Hamilton (1872–1952)

Catie Dominy, drum

Be the Change Mark Kaplan and Colin Britt

Shannon Green, solo

Refugee Moira Smiley

Catie Dominy, Katelin Guerin, percussion

Where Do We Go? Anna Scoppattone (b. 1997) Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing James Weldon Johnson Erin Gingrich, Robin Duncan, and Dan Smith, soloists Lift every voice and sing Till earth and heaven ring, No One Is Alone (Into the Woods) Ring with the harmonies of Liberty; (b. 1930) Let our rejoicing rise High as the listening skies, Let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Pete Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, (1919–2014) Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us, arr. DeCormier Facing the rising sun of our new day begun Let us march on till victory is won.

This Land Is Your Land Stony the road we trod, (1912–1967) Bitter the chastening rod, arr. DeCormier Felt in the days when hope unborn had died; Yet with a steady beat, Daniel Conroy, solo Have not our weary feet Come to the place for which our fathers sighed? We have come over a way that with tears has been watered, Turn, Turn, Turn Pete Seeger We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered, arr. DeCormier Out from the gloomy past, Till now we stand at last Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast. Flander’s Fields (McCrae) Paul Aitken (b. 1970) God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou who has brought us thus far on the way; Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace John Rutter Thou who has by Thy might Led us into the light, (b. 1945) Keep us forever in the path, we pray. Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee, Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee; Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing lyrics, James W. Johnson Shadowed beneath Thy hand, (1871–1938) May we forever stand. music, J. Rosamond Johnson True to our God, (1873-1954) True to our native land. arr. Robles

Samantha Martin, soprano

Flanders Fields Text from “In Flanders Fields” by Lieutenant John McCrae Program Notes McCrae’s well-known poem “In Flanders Fields” memorializes the April 1915 battle Tuba in Belgium’s Ypres salient. For 17 days, McCrae, who was appointed consulting This traditional South African song gives reference to the dove that delivered the olive surgeon to the British Army, tended those injured in the battle. The poem, written after branch to Noah during the great flood, representing that the worst had passed. Some the death of a close friend, was first published in Punch magazine and led to the recall its usage as a peaceful during Apartheid but there is no scholarly adoption of the poppy as the Flower of Remembrance for the British and evidence to substantiate such claims. We sing these words as acknowledgment of the Commonwealth war dead. potential for peace ahead, realizing that the work is not finished, and that it is worth moving forward toward this goal. In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, March of the Women That mark our place; and in the sky "The March of the Women" was composed by Ethel Smyth in 1910, to words The larks, still bravely singing, fly by Cicely Hamilton. It became the official anthem of the Women's Social and Political Scarce heard amid the guns below. Union (WSPU) and more widely the anthem of the women's suffrage movement throughout the United Kingdom and elsewhere. Activists sang it not only at rallies but We are the Dead. Short days ago also in prison while they were on hunger strike. Legend has it that as a leading We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, suffragette of the 1900’s, Smyth was found conducting her fellow jail-mate- Loved and were loved, and now we lie, suffragettes in a rousing rendition of her anthem using a toothbrush. In Flanders fields.

Refugee Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw Moira Smiley is a Singer / Composer who creates and performs new work for The torch; be yours to hold it high. voices. A musical polyglot, and vocal shape-shifter, her voice – and composing – are If ye break faith with us who die heard on feature films, BBC & PBS television programs, NPR, and on more than 60 We shall not sleep, though poppies grow albums. Moira’s recordings feature spare, vocally driven collections of warped traditional songs, original polyphony and body percussion. In 2018, she released a In Flanders fields. solo album and choral songbook called ‘Unzip The Horizon’ which includes today’s selection. Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing "Lift Every Voice and Sing" was written as a poem by James Weldon Johnson. Born To quote the composer, "Refugee is about feeling bereft and misunderstood, and in Florida in 1871, Johnson was a national organizer for the NAACP and an author of inviting empathy. We are all much closer to being refugees than we want to imagine. poetry and nonfiction. The poem was performed for the first time by school children Realizing this may remind us of our humanity – especially those of us who have in celebration of President Lincoln's Birthday on February 12, 1900 at the relatively plenty.” segregated Stanton School in Jacksonville, Florida where Johnson was principal.

The poem was set to music by Johnson’s brother, John Rosamond Johnson, and soon Where Do We Go adopted by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People This piece was written by a 16-year-old, first-time, student composer as part of the (NAACP) as its official song. Since then, countless musicians have performed their Music-Comp (www.music-comp.com) mentor-composer program in Vermont. It own renditions of the song and it has been used in peaceful protest such as On October highlights the importance of creative opportunities like these for students to express 19, 2017, when white nationalist leader Richard Spencer spoke at the University of their ideas through song and for composition to serve as an outlet for young musicians Florida-the university’s carillon played “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” to convey a to better understand the world around them. Scoppettone describes “Where Do We message of unity. Most recently, on April 14, 2018, Beyoncé included the song in the Go?” as: "A piece describing the plight of refugees and their attempt to find a safe set list of her concert at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. place to live. The words are my own, but the situations featured in them are from first- hand accounts of the experience of refugees. The piece is about a family escaping from Dr. Zanaida Robles (arranger) reminds us that “Lift Every Voice and Sing” is one of an unknown place of conflict and traveling over the ocean to a safe haven, only to be the most cherished songs of the African American and is often received by distrusting and sometimes hostile people. Although I have no personal referred to as the Black National Anthem. As such, you are welcomed to stand as is experience in this matter, I believe my words are accurate, and I hope when people often done to give honor to this tradition. Given that this is a concert arrangement, this hear it they look upon refugees with compassion instead of fear. " is not necessary, but is important to recognize as part of our collective history and

Anna Scoppettone-student composer, Music-Comp.org tradition of this piece.

PERSONNEL

Potsdam Community Chorus

Andrea Maas, conductor Lauren Behan, student conductor Gerrie McGrath, piano

Kyle Lee, lead Jake Bradford, guitar Anthony Klenke, upright bass, bass guitar Sean Tierson, drumset, djembe

Singers

Reykwaan Adorno Emily Hamilton-Honey Emma Pietrzykowski Pat Arquette Jacob Hetman Rebecca Poole Elizabeth Baker Connor Hogan Kerry Ramirez Sarah Baker Rick Hunter Caleb Reid Ethan Bates Isaiah James Trinity Robin Emily Berardicelli Justin Kehati Jamie Salerno Natalie Bojanowski Anthony Klenke Anna Simmons Brian Carl Kiana Lafleche Michael Smith Aaron Charlack Savannah Legg Daniel Smith Sharon H.J. Cheng Sara Beth Lieberman Jessica Sokol Daniel Conroy Jazzy Lites Nicholas Southworth Lois Cutter Rebecca Lundberg Katie Spriggs Paul Cutter Lora Lunt Adelle St. Onge Chris DeNova Richard Lunt Julia Stowell Tyler Deskins Janet MacFarland Sarah Taylor Catie Dominy Samantha Martin Alexander Tunison Robin Duncan Alex Matula Aaron Turck Danielle Edwards Marna McCallie Madeline Vail Ava Fisher Elizabeth McFarland-Porter Matthew Varden Becky Fulton Carolina Medina Eric Villalta Erin Gingrich Cynde Morin Sean Vitali Shannon Green Tom Ortmeyer Evelyn Weissman Katelin Guerin Dominick Perraglia

Special Thanks to: Douglass McKinnie & Robert Zohlner for audio and multi-media support, Alexander Tunison for poster design, Linda Radtke and Chris Albertine of Vermont Public Radio for their contribution to the DeCormier tribute.