PRESENTS
Nature and the Human Spirit
The Fort Myers High School Greenwave Singers
Florida Music Educators’ Association President’s Concert
Matthew Koller, Director Janet Carter, Piano January 13, 2016 The Spheres Ola Gjeilo Walton Music
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy
Ziguenerlieder, Op. 103 Johannes Brahms Breitkopf & Haertel USA
5. Brauner bursche führt zum tanze
A tanned lad takes to the dance his blue-eyed beauty. He clashes his spurs together, the czardas melody begins. He kisses and hugs his sweet little dove, He twirls her, leads her, shouts joyfully and leaps; He tosses three shining silver coins on the cymbal so it rings.
6. Röslein dreie in der Reihe blühn so rot
Three little roses in the row bloom so red, That a lad may go to a girl - This is not forbidden! Dear God, if it were forbidden, The beautiful wide world would no longer exist; It would be a sin to remain single!
The most beautiful city in Alfold is Ketschkemet, There many young girls are pretty and nice! Friend, find yourself a bride there, Ask for her hand and make a home, Drink your cup of joy.
9. Weit und breit schaut niemand mich an
Far and wide no one notices me, And if they hate me, what do I care? Only my sweetheart shall love me always, Shall kiss me, embrace me, and caress me forever.
-Hugo Conrat
Six Chansons Paul Hindemith Schott Music
1. La biche (The doe)
O doe, what lovely ancient forest Depths abound in your eyes; How much open trust Mixed with how much fear. All this, borne by the brisk gracility of your bounds. But nothing ever disturbs that unpossessive Unawareness of your brow.
2. Un cygne (A swan)
A swan advances over the water All wrapped up in itself Like a gliding tableau. This at certain moments A being that one loves Seems just like a moving space. He draws near, doubled Like that swan who swims Across our troubled soul, Who adds to this being The trembling image Of happiness and of doubt.
3. Puisque tout passe (Since all is passing)
Since everything passes, Let us make fleeting melody; The one that refreshes us Will get the better of us. Let us sing that which is leaving us With love and art; Let us be quicker Than its swift departure. -Rainer Maria Rilke
Богородице Дево Sergei Rachmaninoff Musica Russica Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, Mary full of grace, the Lord is with You. Blessed are You among women, And blessed is the Fruit of your womb, For You have borne the Savior of our souls.
The Same Stream Thomas LaVoy GIA Music Commissioned by Fort Myers High School
The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.
It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.
It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth and of death, in ebb and in flow.
I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of the world of life. And my pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in my blood this moment. -Rabindranath Tagore, 1861-1941 “Stream of Life,” verse 69 from Gitanjali, 1912
The Human Touch Gerald Custer Manuscript
‘Tis the Human Touch in this world that counts, The touch of your hand in mine, That means far more to the fainting heart Than shelter and bread and wine.
For shelter is gone when the night is o’er, And bread lasts only a day. But the touch of the hand and the sound of the voice Sing on in the soul always. -Spencer Michael Free
Occasionally you meet someone you immediately realize you’ve known all your life. Matt Koller is one of those rare individuals. The opportunity to work with Matt and his gifted singers at Fort Myers High School was a magical encounter with a kindred spirit, and an experience I know I’ll remember for as long as I make music with voices.
So to thank Matt and his choirs, here’s a little tune on a text that I know means a lot to them, with great affection for them all and my sincere thanks for allowing me to enter their musical world for a little while. -Gerald Custer
Soon-ah-will-be-done William Dawson Neil A. Kjos Music Company
About the Artists… Hailed by composer Thomas LaVoy as “a prime example of choral music education in practice in the United States,” the Fort Myers High School Greenwave Singers are known for their compelling performances and full, rich tone. While they enjoy performing the works of the masters, they annually commission new pieces to support the field of choral music and its composers. They maintain a very busy performance schedule in the Fort Myers area and are frequently called upon by churches and other civic organizations to present concerts. The Greenwave Singers have collaborated with the Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers, the choirs of Florida Gulf Coast University, and the Spirit of the Gulf Chorus. This February, they will present the world premiere of Paul Mealor’s Jubilate Deo and the NYC premiere of his Stabat Mater at Carnegie Hall under the direction of GRAMMY® nominated conductor, James Jordan. In March, they will perform Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers and the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra. Greenwave Singers released their first CD, The Ties that Bind Us, in 2014. It is available on iTunes and through other streaming interfaces.
Matthew Koller is the choral director at Fort Myers High School, where he leads seven ensembles. The choirs have performed several masterworks, including Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Schubert’s Mass in G, Pinkham’s Christmas Cantata, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, and a fully staged production of Purcell’s 1685 opera, Dido and Aeneas. The choirs annually commission new works from composers such as Blake Henson, Gerald Custer, Peter Fischer, and Thomas LaVoy. In addition to his responsibilities at Fort Myers High School, Matthew is the assistant director of the Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers, where he has assisted in the preparation of Verdi’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Symphony #9, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, and Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem. He has guest conducted performances of Dido and Aeneas for Florida Gulf Coast University Opera. Matthew has also led Gulfshore Opera in a performance featuring internationally-acclaimed tenor Anthony Kearns. Many of Matthew’s former students have gone on to careers as music educators and performers. They have performed on Broadway, on television, and on national tours, and work in fields such as sacred music, theater, and arts administration. Matthew is most proud that he has a large percentage of alumni who continue to sing in university and church choirs after graduation. Matthew is a graduate of Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, NJ. He has studied choral conducting with James Jordan, Joseph Flummerfelt, and Andrew Megill. He is a member of FMEA, FVA, and ACDA. Janet Carter is currently the music specialist at Orangewood Elementary and the accompanist for the Fort Myers Mastersingers. She accompanies frequently at all- county honor choir concerts in Lee County and has twice served as the accompanist for the Elementary All-state Choir. Janet is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and completed a masters degree at Northern Illinois University.
A Personal Thanks from Matthew Koller
Mark Dahlberg, Music Educator, Fort Myers High School Dr. Gregory Adkins, Superintendent, Lee County Schools David LaRosa, Principal, Fort Myers High School Lorie Carlsen, Fine Arts and World Languages Coordinator Dr. Trent Brown, Director of Choral Studies, Florida Gulf Coast University Jeff Faux, Director of the Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers Dr. James Jordan, Professor, Westminster Choir College of Rider University Christina Koller, Choir Director, Island Coast High School Soprano 1 Katherine Mavridou-Hernandez Mary Katherine Boring 1 2 4 Abigail Reynolds Jessica Forbes 1 2 3 4 Ariana Johnson Tenor Jinji Martine Palmer Haffner 1 2 4 Melissa Quesinberry Christian Koller 1 2 3 4 Jillian Reers Brandon Knight Kelsey Trent Justin Nguyen Emily Zalud Jacob Roberge Anthony Rodriguez Soprano 2 Sander Simon Estelle Ayomen Christina Bloy 1 Baritone Katrina Chew Matthew Bishop 1 Jenna Counts Christian Bottorff Tykira Henry Joseph Carnegie Eva Holly Lucas Costa Rachel Hujsa Mike Edouard Christie Jones Ben Fetterhoff Emery Lowden Nathan Ghantous Megan Miller 1 Jethro Ignacio 1 Olivia Morales Christopher Lewis Genevieve Patrick Simon Lynch Kelsey Parker Jack Simmonds-Short Maria Simic Vincent Tovar Dias Fanny Varain Samuel Tursky
Alto 1 Bass Sarah Adler Joshua Brusseau 1 Adriana Amaris Dawson Bryant Jaycie Elliott Steven Chance Nara Guanes Jacob Goodman Kaylie Heyner Noah Grossman Maggie Knox Nicholas Hubbard Haise Loren Elliot Negin 1 Sarah Mattis 1 2 Karlin Stage Elizabeth O’Connor 5 1 Section Leader Alto 2 2 All State 2016 Alexandria Achinapura 3 ACDA National 2015 Jessica Evangelista 1 4 ACDA Southern 2016 Bianca Ferrara 5 All State Band 2016 Taylor Kent 1 Special Thanks to our Sponsors! The Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre The Galloway Group Zaxby’s Harbour Risk Management, LLC Advanced Pain Management & Spine Specialists Freedom Boat Club, LLC Omar Rieche, MD PA MAI Capital Management, LLC Real Living Cypress Realty, Inc. Sonny’s BBQ Coast Chiropractic Center Grossman Law & Conflict Management Gulf Coast Orthodontics Edison Sailing D&V Mortgage Signs by Tomorrow Wolter Financial Group Steven Teuber, Attorney at Law Lawhon’s Grocery Family Thrift Three Fishermen Right Choice Realty Mark Loren Designs Oxford School of Music
Upcoming Events Sunday, January 31 Monday, February 15 Messiah Lutheran Church, 3PM The Music of Paul Mealor 2691 NE Pine Island Road Carnegie Hall, NYC Cape Coral, FL 33909
Saturday, February 27 Sunday, March 6 St. Hilary’s Episcopal Church, 7:30PM Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem 5011 McGregor Blvd. With FM Mastersingers and Fort Myers, FL 33901 Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra Barbara B. Mann PAH, 7PM