December 20, 7:30pm Seattle Girls Choir YouTube A Ceremony of Carols, Op. 28 IVa • That Yongë Child • Anonymous, 14th century Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) When the baby Jesus began to cry, Mary sang a lullaby. The nightingale sang too, but Mary’s song was better; Anybody In May 1939, the young (25-year old) who stops listening to Mary is making a mistake! English composer Benjamin Britten and his partner, tenor Peter Pears, embarked IVb • Balulalow • Martin Luther on what they intended to be a three-month Immediately following “That Yongë Child” is Mary’s lullaby visit to Canada and the United States. They itself. Britten’s haunting music shifts seamlessly and extended their stay a little, but just as they were ready to leave constantly between parallel major and minor modes, and the start of World War II made the return trans-Atlantic journey constantly plays with the meter: At times the pulse is too perilous to attempt. They spent the next three years organized as three groups of two, at others two groups of composing and performing in the USA, until in March 1942 they three, and the barline gets deliberately obscured. The text decided to risk the trip back to England aboard the Swedish is from Martin Luther’s Christmas carol “Von Himmel hoch” cargo vessel MS Axel Johnson. During the five-week (written for his son Hans), translated into English by the journey, Britten worked. First, he reconstructed (from Wedderburn brothers in 1567. memory) his choral masterwork “Hymn to St. Cecilia,” whose manuscript had been seized by US customs V • As Dewe in Aprille • Anonymous, c. 1400 officials afraid of coded messages embedded in Using different metaphors, the poet shows us that Mary’s the music. He then turned his attention to a poetry labor was painless, a gift only fitting for such a blessed lady. anthology he had picked up during a stopover in Nova Scotia titled The English Galaxy of Shorter VI • This Little Babe • Robert Southwell (1561? – 1595) Poems, edited by Gerald William Bullett, and to two The intense music of this piece reflects on the metaphors manuals for harp composition he had brought along in of the striking text, which contrasts violent, martial imagery preparation for a harp concerto he had been commissioned with that of an infant. to write. The result was an early version of A Ceremony of VII • Interlude Carols for harp and women’s voices, which featured mostly This piece for solo harp is among the classic 15th and 16th century Middle English texts from anonymous literature for the instrument. It is written the authors. After some revisions, the Fleet Street Choir premiered key of C major, the harp’s most resonant key the work in December 1942. A year later it was published,  (no, music theory nerds, it’s not the same with the addition of two more pieces (“That Yongë Child” and thing as the key of B!), and is based upon the the interlude for solo harp), and performed by the Morriston chant used in the procession and recession. Boys Choir, who subsequently made the first recording of the work under the composer’s supervision. A Ceremony of Carols VIII • In Freezing Winter Night • Robert Southwell has since become a staple of women’s and children’s choirs The most “contemporary” piece in the Ceremony, this piece Christmas repertoire across the world. is written in 5/4 and is highly dissonant due to the echo I • Procession: Hodie, Christus natus est between the first and second sopranos. The song depicts Britten borrowed this chant from the liturgy for Christmas the irony of the King of Heaven being born in a stable, by Day, where it is sung before each verse the same poet who penned “This Little Babe.” of the Magnificat (the Song of Mary). The alleluias at the IX • Spring Carol • William Cornish (d. 1523) end are Britten’s own addition, and were to be repeated A duet to thank God for the coming of Spring after winter. “when the duration of procession necessitates.” This piece bookends the entire work: It is repeated again at the X • Deo Gracias • Anonymous, 15th century conclusion of A Ceremony of Carols. According to Medieval theology, Adam remained in limbus Today Christ is born; Today the savior has appeared; patrum (“limbo of the fathers”) from the time of his death Today the angels sing on earth, The archangels rejoice; until he was redeemed through Jesus’ crucifixion (some Today the righteous rejoice, saying: “four thousand winters”). This was in punishment for taking ”Glory to God in the highest.” the fruit of the tree of knowledge (“and all was for an Alleluia. apple…that he took”). However, had the apple not been taken, then “our lady” (Mary) would never have been the II • Wolcum Yole! • Anonymous, 14th century “heavené Queen” (the Mother of God), therefore we sing This ancient text calls on the saints, martyrs and innocents “Thanks be to God.” to help proclaim the New Year. It is a miniature of the liturgical calendar of the Christmas season, naming several XI • Recession: Hodie, Christus natus est important feast days and events. III • There Is No Rose • Anonymous, 14th century Mary was unparalleled; within her body were both God and man (“Heaven and Earth”). Britten uses medieval symbolism in his treatment of this text, where the number three represents the divine, and two the mundane. Listen for the “divine” triplets that mark the Latin commentary concluding each verse: Res miranda (Miraculous thing) Pares forma (Of equal form) Gaudeamus (We rejoice) Transeamus (Let us go) Prime Voci Frances Alls Aspen Lillywhite Abigail Assadi Sylvia Lindblad Claire Balcom Kaylee Meyers Skye Duplessis Amelie Petit Seattle Girls Choir provides a Clara Foltz Madeline Price robust education in the choral Sonya Fues Greer Rattray arts, helping girls build skills to Xahria Hatch Ellie Rice succeed in life, and enriching Sophia Hillstrom Vesela Tsenkova the cultural landscape of the Pacific Northwest. Serving Arundati Iyer Lilliana Wald girls from ages 5-18, SGC is Ruby Jefferson Yuchen Yang a place where long lasting Eleanor friendships are built while Karis-Sconyers great music is made. seattlegirlschoir.org

Jacob Winkler • Artistic Director, Prime Voci Conductor Jake attended the University of Washington, where he studied piano with Holly Herrmann and Marc Seales, ultimately earning his Master of Music in orchestral conducting under the late maestro Peter Erös. Jake has served on the staff of the Northwest Choirs for twenty years as an accompanist and director, advancing to the position of Associate Music Director before joining the Seattle Girls Choir in the fall of 2009.

Juliet Stratton • Harpist Juliet Stratton performs regularly as soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. Prior performances include the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, and Cincinnati Symphony. Her numerous recording credits include motion picture scores, video games, symphonies, choral, solo, and chamber recordings. She currently freelances throughout the Pacific NW and maintains an active ONLINE TICKETS AVAILABLE AT BYRDENSEMBLE.COM private teaching studio. Susanna Valleau • Prime Voci Accompanist DO YOU KNOW Meaghan Leferink • Executive Director A GIRL WHO Stacia Cammarano • Office Manager LOVES TO SING? Let her voice be heard! Auditions are being scheduled for Entrata choir level Seattle Girls Choir would like to acknowledge which is resuming January 2021. Entrata is designed the support and commitment of all the parents as an entry point into SGC for girls in 3rd-5th grades by during this unprecedented year. We are truly providing slightly more focused musicianship instruction so that their skill levels will more closely match honored to be working with your chorister(s). peers that started in SGC at a younger age. Let your friends know! seattlegirlschoir.org/join/ Thank you! for Placement Audition Form link.