Ensemble Series Choirs at the Conservatory Life and Love: Spring Choral Concert The annual concert to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Thursday, March 15, 2018, 7:30 p.m. Old Mission United Methodist Church LIFE AND LOVE: SPRING CHORAL CONCERT The annual concert to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure featuring University Singers Canticum Novum

PROGRAM

University Singers Jacob Narverud, graduate conductor Paul Thomas, piano

Let the Music Fill Your Soul (2017)...... Jacob Narverud (b. 1986) text by Robert Bode Emily Schaefer, horn

For a Breath of Ecstasy (2017)...... Michael John Trotta 1. Wealth Enough for Me (b. 1978) 2. Peace Flows Into Me text by Sara Teasdale 3. Who Gave My Soul to Me 4. For You I Am Still 5. Spend All You Have on Loveliness 6. And I for You 7. Let Me Love —midwest premiere— Devin Morton, oboe Samuel Huang and Elaine Ng, violins En-Ting Hsu, viola Esther Seitz, cello

Conservatory of Music and Dance concerts are recorded. Thank you for helping us maintain a silence in the hall that is conducive to music-making. Be sure to turn off all cell phones and paging devices. Canticum Novum Lorissa Mason, graduate conductor Paul Thomas, piano

My soul has a purpose. It is to love.

You (2017)...... James Keller (b. 1997) text by Megan Heitbrink (b. 1997) Danielle Schueller, flute

“Lullaby” from Three Nocturnes (2012)...... Daniel Elder (b. 1986)

When Hummingbirds do Sleep (2017)...... Lorissa Mason (b. 1976) text by Michael Marcades Samuel Huang and Elaine Ng, violins En-ting Hsu, viola Esther Seitz, cello Sean Sweeden, percussion Olivia Riley, soloist

The Ground (2010)...... Ola Gjeilo (b. 1978) Samuel Huang and Elaine Ng, violins En-ting Hsu, viola Esther Seitz, cello

The Hope of Loving (2015)...... Jake Runestad 1. Yield to Love (b. 1986) 2. Wild Forces text by Daniel Ladinsky 3. Wondrous Creatures 4. The Heart’s Veil 5. My Soul is a Candle 6. The Hope of Loving Samuel Huang and Elaine Ng, violins En-ting Hsu, viola Esther Seitz, cello Laura Panushka, soprano Ricky Wilson, tenor Robert Riordan, baritone

I Can Tell the World (1998)...... Traditional Spiritual arr. Moses Hogan TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS “Let the Music Fill Your Soul” by Robert Bode Come in, you sisters and brothers, Close your eyes and breathe together, Come in, you cousins and daughters, (Sit beside a perfect stranger) Come in, you seekers and doubters, Open to the Life around you, Let the music fill your soul. Let the music fill your soul. Come in, you seers and dreamers, Come in, you heroes and artists, Come in, you movers and shakers, Come in, you scholars and rebels, Come in, explorers and climbers, Come in, you singers and lovers, Let the music make you whole. Let the music make you whole.

For a Breath of Ecstasy (Poetry from “Love Songs” by Sara Teasdale) 1. “Wealth Enough For Me” 5. “Spend All You Have on Loveliness” I have no riches but my thoughts, Life has loveliness to sell, Yet these are wealth enough for me; All beautiful and splendid things, My thoughts of you are golden coins Blue waves whitened on a cliff, Stamped in the mint of memory; Soaring fire that sways and sings, And I must spend them all in song, And children’s faces looking up For thoughts, as well as gold, must be Holding wonder like a cup. Left on the hither side of death Life has loveliness to sell, To gain their immortality. Music like a curve of gold, Scent of pine trees in the rain, 2. “Peace Flows into Me” Eyes that love you, arms that hold, Peace flows into me And for your spirit’s still delight, As the tide to the pool by the shore; Holy thoughts that star the night. It is mine forevermore, It will not ebb like the sea. Spend all you have for loveliness, Buy it and never count the cost; I am the pool of blue For one white singing hour of peace That worships the vivid sky; Count many a year of strife well lost, My hopes were heaven-high, And for a breath of ecstasy They are all fulfilled in you. Give all you have been, or could be. I am the pool of gold When sunset burns and dies— 6. “And I For You” You are my deepening skies; The moon is a curving flower of gold, Give me your stars to hold. The sky is still and blue; The moon was made for the sky to hold, 3. “Who Gave My Soul to Me” And I for you; I gave my first love laughter, I gave my second tears, The moon is a flower without a stem, I gave my third love silence The sky is luminous; Through all the years. Eternity was made for them, My first love gave me singing, To-night for us. My second eyes to see, 7. “Let Me Love” But oh, it was my third love Until I lose my soul and lie Who gave my soul to me. Blind to the beauty of the earth, 4. “For You I Am Still” Deaf though shouting wind goes by, I sang my songs for the rest, Dumb in a storm of mirth; For you I am still; Until my heart is quenched at length The tree of my song is bare And I have left the land of men, On its shining hill. Oh, let me love with all my strength For you came like a lordly wind, Careless if I am loved again. And the leaves were whirled Far as forgotten things Past the rim of the world. The tree of my song stands bare Against the blue — I gave my songs to the rest, Myself to you. “You” by Megan Heitbrink Suspended in you like a cool and endless pool, I plunged to the bottom and drank you in, And pulled myself up to the stars, as to not waste a moment. With closed eyes, I breathed in the world, And let my lungs fill with dreams of light, Illuminated by your glow. I stood still, my stripped soul draped in silent love, The outside made a distant place by you…

“Lullaby” by Daniel Elder Lullaby, sing lullaby, Close your eyes, breathe in the night; The day is far behind you. A softer bed I’ll make you. The moon sits high atop the sky, The trial is done, all danger gone; Now let sweet slumber find you. Now let far dreaming take you. Away, Away, The day is done, and gone the sun Where the ocean is lapping at a soft, pearly shore, That lit the world so brightly. And the swaying palms napping as their swinging The earth’s aglow with speckled show frond soar. Of twinkling stars so sprightly. Now the dark night approaches, Yet so soft and so mild. Away, Lullaby, sing lullaby; Where the sunlight is beaming Sleep now, my child. Through a deep, cloudless blue, And the treetops are gleaming With a fresh morning dew; Where the mountains are shining At the meadows below, In a brilliant white lining Of a new-fallen snow.

“When Hummingbirds do Sleep” by Michael Marcades For Melba Christine Youngblood Marcades (Rose Cherami) -September 13, 2012: Seale, AL (a.m., on the front porch – watching the hummingbirds feed) Can’t help I but imagine, within the foliage deep, the care that God provides the hummingbird, seldom as she sleeps. I wonder if the constant flutter of tail and wings combined, Stop for e’er one second, as in darkness, yesterday unwinds. If so, now perched on branch so thin, this tiny creature rests. Surely god around her cups – His hands, a warmly nest. Its heart can finally now slow down, consuming less and less. Within God’s nest her head bows low – inside sweet dreams abound, Of others who n’er have the time, to ever sleep so sound. For they are still consumed by nothing but themselves to keep, Oblivious to the truth that warns, that what they sow – they’ll reap. Without God’s overarching hands, protecting us through All, lives will soon be torn apart and man will surely fall. How sad it is that we, so smart, a simple truth can’t see, Yet hummingbirds, with God alone, in tandem freely be. The Ground (Traditional Latin text) Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua. Heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Osanna in excelsis. Hosanna in the highest. Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Osanna in excelsis. Hosanna in the hightest. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Dona nobis pacem. Grant us peace.

The Hope of Loving (adapted from Love Poems from God: Twelve Sacred Vocies from the East and West by Daniel Ladinsky) 1. “Yield to Love” (Rabia) 4. “The Heart’s Veil” (string quartet) I know about love the way the fields know 5. “My Soul is a Candle” (St. John of the Cross) about light, My soul is a candle that burned away the veil; the way the forest shelters us. only the glorious duties of light I now have. We are vulnerable like an infant. The soul is a candle that will burn away the darkness; We need each other’s care or we will suffer. only the glorious duties of love we will have. How will you ever find peace Tenderly, I now touch all things, unless you yield to love? knowing one day we will part. 2. ”Wild Forces” (St. Francis of Assisi) 6. “The Hope of Loving” (Meister Eckhart) There are beautiful, wild forces within us. What keeps us alive, what allows us to endure? Let them turn millstones inside It is the hope of loving, of being loved. filling bushels that reach to the sky. We weep when light does not reach our hearts. 3. “Wondrous Creatures” (Hafiz) We wither like fields if someone close O wondrous creatures, does not rain their kindness upon us. by what strange miracle My soul has a purpose, do you so often not smile? it is to love.

I Can Tell the World, traditional I can tell the world, yes, about this, I can tell the nations, yes, that I’m blessed. Tell ‘em what my Lord has done, Tell ‘em that the conqueror has come, And he brought joy to my soul.

My Lord done just what he said. Yes He did, Oh Lord, yes He did. He healed the sick and He raised the dead. Yes He did, Oh Lord, yes He did. He lifted me when I was down. Yes He did, Oh Lord, yes He did. He placed my feet on solid ground. Yes He did, Oh Lord, yes He did.

Oh Lord, He brought joy that mornin’, When He saved me. Joy that mornin’, When He blessed me. I’ll tell it, How He brought this joy to my soul. PROGRAM NOTES

UNIVERSITY SINGERS

Let the Music Fill Your Soul by Jacob Narverud Based on the recurring phrase “come in” from Bode’s poem, Let the Music Fill Your Soul is a spirited call to sing which welcomes all types of people to experience the joy of being a member of an ensemble or community. Set to a rocking piano accompaniment, the energetic melodic vocal lines are intertwined with the horn obbligato throughout. The middle section, which harkens to the early American shape-note style of singing, propels the piece into the final phrase, “Close your eyes and breathe together, sit beside a perfect stranger, open to the Life around you, let the music fill your soul.” Commissioned by the Platte County High School Chamber Choir, Brian von Glahn, Director, for their performance at the 2018 Missouri Music Educator’s Association Convention. This is the second performance of this piece.

For a Breath of Ecstasy by Michael John Trotta For a Breath of Ecstasy is seven-movement work for chorus, strings, and oboe. The poems for this major work come from an extensive collection of poetry by Sara Teasdale, Love Songs, that won her the first Pulitzer Prize in Poetry in 1918. The poems in Trotta’s cycle are reflections on life and love by Teasdale, grateful for the affection she has received. The lyrical verses prompted the composer to summon equally lyrical musical responses, with appealing melodic lines, tender harmonies and a palette of glowing vocal and instrumental colors. Trotta binds the cycle together with a beguiling theme, first played by the oboe, that leads to all manner of lovely choral lines. The “ecstasy” soars in the fifth song, “Spend all you have on loveliness,” a poignant and apt thought, especially for a poet who was called “first, last and always a singer” in an early review of Love Songs. Commissioned by Northwestern Louisiana State University, Nicholaus B. Cummins, Director of Choral Activities, Premiere Winter 2017. This is the second performance and midwest premiere of this major work.

Sara Teasdale (1884-1933) was an American lyric poet from St. Louis, Missouri. Each of the movements of For a Breath of Ecstasy chronicle’s Teasdale’s search for solace amidst life’s many storms. The tapestry of different vocal forces set against the backdrop of Oboe and Strings reveals moments of yearning, love, joy, and peace. Vivid imagery portrays transcendent moments of solace that are revealed in an individual’s relationship to nature and in love. CANTICUM NOVUM Love exists in many forms. It is not tangible. It takes on new meanings as we grow up and as we grow old. Love is sometimes elusive, sometimes smothering… Love is essential to our existence. Our program today is a kaleidoscope of love, how it encompasses us as human beings, and how it evolves. Some of our singers share with you here what love has taught them:

“Love is a commitment. It transcends emotion. It means not giving up, in spite of changing moods and circumstances.” “Love feels like a hug from your grandmother.” “Love is feeling safe, understood, accepted. Never having to doubt or wonder why. There should be no questions. Love is a beautiful thing.” “Love is a reminder of one’s own humanity.” “To be loved is to watch your whole life fall into place.” “Having love gives one the ability to have hope at the end of the darkest days.” “Love is when someone knows your soul, every single part of it. When even the silences feels sweet.” “Love is when someone embraces all of you, even your insecurities and flaws.” And our journey begins… —Young Love—

You by James Keller and Megan Heitbrink Over the past few months, I’ve had the honor of collaborating with James as he wrote this beautiful, thoughtful, and comforting piece for Canticum Novum. When he asked me to write the text, he didn’t give me any idea as to what it would sound like, what mood he was going for, or what the subject matter was. After a less-than-desirable first attempt at writing a poem, he finally clued me into what the overall theme was going to be: love. As you listen to this piece and how James’s dream-like and expertly nuanced melodies communicate the text, think about someone you love and how it feels to be wholly accepted, comforted, and sheltered by them. Being vulnerable often isn’t easy, but becomes natural when you have someone in your life who takes you as you are. —Megan Heitbrink When Lorissa asked me to write a piece for Canticum Novum, I immediately turned to Megan for the text. I figured nothing could be more relevant and meaningful than a new text written for right now, for this piece. What she wrote is incredibly elegant and inspiring, and I tried my best to mimic that in the music. The poem starts off slightly mysterious, and I tried to mirror that with some dissonance in the first entrance of the choir. The text builds, reaching two peaks at the words “stars” and “light,” and then provides a comforting conclusion with “the outside made a distant place by you,” showing how a loved one can become a bit of a home for the heart. The piece ends with a warm sound to represent this.

—James Keller Working with the singers in this ensemble has been the highlight of my time at UMKC. These students have many talents, passions, and thoughts, and they inspire me every day. I first heard James’s music in spring of 2017, and when I knew I would get to work with him in Canticum Novum, I asked him if he had other choral music we could look at or if he would like to write a piece specifically with this ensemble in mind. He mentioned that Megan was good with text and that he would like to ask her to write the poetry. I knew then that this seed of an idea could turn into something really unique and special for all of us, and I was right. This piece, entitled simply You, is the product of collaboration with a composer, poet, and ensemble that I am honored to work with on a regular basis. I am honored to work with inspiring young artists like these, and doing this piece today will be something I will count as a highlight in my career.

—Lorissa Mason

—Love of a Mother—

Lullaby by Daniel Elder Lullaby is the third of Daniel Elder’s Three Nocturnes for mixed chorus and piano. The cycle explores both observational and psychological experiences associated with love, nature, darkness, and light. Lullaby is as a mother would sing to her young child as the day comes to a close. It also alludes to grief for a loss, bringing comfort and peace to the listener. The piece also reminds us of a certain beauty that comes with simplicity.

—Love of a Son—

When Hummingbirds do Sleep by Lorissa Mason My first experience in the world of choral music was under the direction of Dr. Michael Marcades. He was an inspiration to me for many reasons. At the time, he was in the completion stages of his doctorate as a choral conductor. He had a background in instrumental music as a trumpet player. He was intelligent, demanding, and passionate about his work. I loved singing for him. And a whole new world was opened to me. I discovered my love for singing, and I finally knew what I would do with a degree in music. I wanted to become a conductor. It was only many years later that I learned of another facet of Dr. Marcades’ life. I had read of and been intrigued by the story of Rose Cherami since before I even knew Dr. Marcades. The first I heard of the story was from Oliver Stone’s movie JFK, released in 1991. What a surreal feeling it was in 2016 to learn that the man who had become my first mentor in my career was also the son of Rose Cherami. Dr. Marcades’ book about his mother was published in 2016. In the front of the book is a poem he wrote in dedication to his mother, entitled “When Hummingbirds do Sleep.” The poem struck a chord of sentimentality in me, painting a picture simultaneously of a child’s admiration and a grown man’s longing for his mother, whom he loved. I contacted him to get his permission to set his beautiful words to music. He told me of a quiet morning, sitting on a porch in Georgia watching a hummingbird and drinking his coffee, when the words just came to him and he hurried to write them down. It is these words you will hear through music this evening. We dedicate this premiere to Dr. Michael Marcades, to his journey to tell the world his mother’s story, and to Rose Cherami. —Lorissa Mason —Love of God—

The Ground by Ola Gjeilo Ola Gjeilo’s The Ground is based on the last movement of his Sunrise Mass composed in 2008, originally scored for choir and string orchestra. He later adapted that music into this piece, first for chorus and piano, and then with the addition of string quartet. The latest version also includes a new introduction and concluding material that mainly features the piano. He composed this piano line with a rhythmic duplet that obscures the meter, giving the music a sense of floating as it moves forward. The choir and strings take on the role of accompaniment in these sections. Gjeilo uses the text from the final movements of the Mass Ordinary in a prayerful setting, and he describes this music as a kind of peace, grounded in strength.

—Love’s Hope—

The Hope of Loving by Jake Runestad The Hope of Loving is six-movement work for chorus and string quartet. The text for this major work is adapted from Love Poems from God: Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West, by Daniel Ladinsky. Born and raised in St. Louis, Ladinsky writes poetry and interprets mystical poetry. Jake Runestad set the text as a commission piece for the professional vocal ensemble, Seraphic Fire.

Jake Runestad writes of his composition: “When starting my work on this new composition, I opened Ladinsky’s book to find a treasure trove of quaint parables and sage advice for us all as we seek meaning in our human condition. The Hope of Loving uses a selection of writings inspired by spiritual mystics throughout history to explore the idea of love and its manifestation in our lives.

The work begins with the string quartet playing a descending sequence of a single musical interval — the perfect fourth. This interval appears throughout the work as a musical motive but also a sign post; acting as a sort of character or embodiment of love. The string quartet, soloists, and chorus serve equal roles throughout the work in bringing these mystical words to life. In each of the six movements, I have endeavored to capture various ways we, as humans, respond to and act on our idea of love; hopefully creating opportunities for introspection and realization. Love is our most valuable resource, our most precious possession, our doorway into fostering compassion. May you consider these texts and this music with an open mind and ask yourself, “to whom can I give more love in my life?” For it is through love, both given and received, that our world can change.” —Jake Runestad —Love of Humanity—

I Can Tell the World by Moses Hogan Moses Hogan was a renowned pianist, conductor, and arranger. He was best known for he collection of African-American spiritual arrangements. He arranged this work in dedication to Mr. Leo H. Davis, Jr. and the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church Sanctuary Choir in Memphis, Tennessee. We close our portion of the program with this song with the hopes that we have inspired you, made you smile, and given you hope. Without love and compassion, humanity cannot survive.

Private music lessons Did you know the Conservatory’s Academy offers private music lessons? We have piano, guitar, composition, voice, strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion.

Lessons are weekly for 30, 45, or 60 minutes for the entire semester (or the remainder of the semester, if enrolling mid-semester)

Fall and Spring Semesters are 18 weeks. Summer Session is 9 weeks. All lessons are taught on the UMKC Conservatory campus.

Call 816-235-2741 or email [email protected] conservatory.umkc.edu UNIVERSITY SINGERS Jacob Narverud, graduate conductor Paul Thomas, piano

Soprano Alto Tenor Bass Natalie Boos Alaina Bottini Michael Bader Sean Bryant Haley Egan LeAnna Cates Chris Beeman Jordan Davis Ciera Farrens Emilia Chiroy Nico Caruso Joshua East Candace French Emily Cooper Adam Holthus Jason Foster Joy Godsy Chandalynn Denson Jackson Lamping Jacob Furry Chandler Kime Elise Eastin Josh Maize Niko Horton Bessie Krulewich Hannah Habiger Christopher Mosz Bryson McClung Anna O’Renick Laura Holthus David Muolo Peerapol Opaspanwong Hailey Quinn Julia Kasten Zac Pitts Adam Reeb Elena Rogers Yasamin Mashayekhi Henry Waters Hannah Smith Lorissa Mason Ben White Emma Steiner Camille Meeks Thou Yang Chloe Stewart Allison Moline Beth Schwinke

CANTICUM NOVUM Lorissa Mason, graduate conductor Paul Thomas, piano

Soprano Alto Tenor Bass Anna Frontaura Camryn Brown Kennan Ford Matt Baumler Olivia Gregory Elise Eastin Eli Huber David Figueroa Anna O’Renick Hannah Habiger Byron Hyde James Keller Christiann Sapp Megan Heitbrink Holden Joynes Val Mathenia Klarissa Sheffield Justas Miles Max Kuenzi Carter Messner Olivia Riley Quinn Sheehan

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Support Our Students Your support of scholarships and other educational opportunities for our students is more important than ever. Please consider making a gift to the Conservatory at umkc.edu/invest. UMKC CONSERVATORY VOCAL STUDIES Raymond Feener, voice, chair of Vocal Studies Robert Bode, director of Choral Studies Charles Robinson, choral, choral music education Vinson Cole, voice Fenlon Lamb, director of opera Maria Kanyova, voice Dale Morehouse, voice, opera Natalia Rivera, vocal coach/accompanist Aidan Soder, voice Lee D. Thompson, vocal coach/accompanist Richard Williams, vocal coach/accompanist

UPCOMING CHORAL AND SPECIAL EVENTS

Operation Breakthrough Benefit Concert Tuesday, April 10, 2018, 7:30 p.m. Visitation Catholic Church, 5141 Main Street, KCMO — free admission, donations accepted —

Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass Sunday, April 15, 2018, 4:00 p.m. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 11 E. 40th Street, KCMO — free admission —

Finale, Conservatory Orchestra and Choirs (Conservatory Artist Series) Featuring the Conservatory Orchestra and Conservatory Choirs, directed by Robert Olson and Robert Bode, respectively. The exciting program includes Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms, directed by Robert Bode, with orchestra, choirs, and Conservatory dancers. Tuesday, May 1, 2018, 7:00 p.m. Helzberg Hall, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts — Tickets: $25 general public; UMKC faculty, staff and all students $10 with UMKC or student ID. —