Program Notes
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Home delivery plus 2021 SeRIeS LIVING THE DREAM… SINGING THE DREAM Washington Performing Arts Gospel Choirs Michele Fowlin & Theodore Thorpe III, Artistic Directors Stanley J. Thurston, Artistic Director Emeritus Choral Arts Scott Tucker, Artistic Director PREMIERING FRI, FEB 19, 8PM (ET) STREAMING ON DEMAND THROUGH THU, FEB 25, 11:59PM (ET) Program THY NAME BE PRAISED Music and lyrics: James Glover PRESENTATION OF Combined Choir HUMANITARIAN AWARD Michele Fowlin, Conductor AVE MARIA GLORY (from Selma) Music: R. Nathaniel Dett Music and lyrics: Choral Arts Symphonic Chorus John Stephens, Lonnie Lynn, and Che Smith Scott Tucker, Conductor (arr. Eugene Rogers) Men’s Chorus GOD SAID IT, I BELIEVE IT Theodore Thorpe III, Conductor Music and lyrics: Willie DeVone Konshens The MC, Hip Hop Artist Men and Women of the Gospel Choir Theodore Thorpe III, Conductor A FRIEND UNFAILING Tiffany Watson, Soloist Music and lyrics: Danny McCrimmon Combined Choir FIGHT ON Michele Fowlin, Conductor Music and lyrics: Ralph Alan Herndon, Soloist Kevin Davidson and Marque Walker Children of the Gospel Choir IF I CAN HELP SOMEBODY Michele Fowlin, Conductor Music and lyrics: Alma Bazel Androzzo Hope Harden, Soloist (arr. Stanley J. Thurston) Combined Choir Stanley J. Thurston, Conductor More Info, Series Sales, and Donations: WashingtonPerformingArts.org 1 featuring Soloman Howard, Co-Host Allison Seymour, Co-Host Anthony “Tony” Walker, Music Director/Keyboard Ralph Alan Herndon, Piano/Vocals Mark Francis, Keyboard Hamilton Hayes, Bass Guitar Denise Sloan and Jeffrey Bowden, Daryl Hunt, Keyboard Carroll Dashiell III, Percussion Sign Language Interpreters Rick Massey, Keyboard Tim Steele, Percussion Murray Horwitz, Scriptwriter Alvin White, Electric Guitar Dr. Judi Moore Latta, Scriptwriter Text and lyrics THY NAME BE PRAISED FIGHT ON We’ve come to give Him the glory and all of the honor In this walk you face many battles We’ve come to give Him the glory and all of the praise But they’re not yours Oh give thanks unto the Lord They belong to the Lord Thy name be praised Put on the armor of God Delight yourself in His Word Oh Lord, how excellent is thy name Thy name in all the Earth Don’t give up the fight When I think of the goodness of Jesus It’s too late to give up now And all he’s done for me Don’t give up the fight Thy name be praised So be encouraged my brother Hold on my sister AVE MARIA There’s a way of escape for you and for me Ave Maria, gratia plena, Be strong, stand on His word Dominus tecum. God has promised to fight every one of your battles Benedicta tu in mulieribus, Don’t give up the fight et benedictus fructus ventris tui, It’s too late to give up now Jesus. Don’t give up the fight Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, The war was won by Jesus on a hill called Calvary ora pro nobis peccatoribus, Where he gave His life for you and me nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Dry your eyes, don’t you cry Amen. Everything’s gonna be alright Now weeping may endure for a night GOD SAID IT, I BELIEVE IT But hold on, joy is coming in the morning time The Lord is everything to me, yeah, He said He would my comfort be. Fight on! God said He would be right there, I know he is everywhere. God said it. I believe it. God said it. I believe it. I’m going to take Him at His word. I am standing on the promises of Jesus, I know He’ll never let me down; God said He would be right there, I’m so glad He’s everywhere. God said it. I believe it. God said it. I believe it. I’m going to take Him at His word. 2 GLORY (from Selma) A FRIEND UNFAILING One day when the glory comes Christ alone will guide us It will be ours, it will be ours When the storms betide us Oh one day when the war is won He alone is every day the same We will be sure, we will be sure None but He can keep us Oh glory When the billows, they sweep us Hands to the Heavens, no man, no weapon For He’s a friend unfailing Formed against, yes glory is destined I’m gonna bless His name Every-day women and men become legends All the way to Heaven Sins that go against our skin become blessings Please let our best be given The movement is a rhythm to us Ever let His glory, Freedom is like religion to us Let it be our aim Justice is juxtapositionin’ us Yonder He will meet us Justice for all just ain’t specific enough And it’s with a smile Jesus will greet us One son died, his spirit is revisitin’ us For He’s a friend unfailing Truant livin’ livin’ in us, resistance is us I’m gonna bless His name That’s why Rosa sat on the bus He’s a friend unfailing That’s why we walk through Ferguson with our hands up Bless His name! When it go down we woman and man up He alone to save us They say, “Stay down,” and we stand up Freely came Shots, we on the ground, the camera panned up When the storms betide us King pointed to the mountain top and we ran up He will keep and guide us One day when the glory comes He’s a friend unfailing It will be ours, it will be ours Bless His name! Oh one day when the war is won We will be sure, we will be sure IF I CAN HELP SOMEBODY Oh glory If I can help somebody as I pass along, Now the war is not over, victory isn’t won If I can cheer somebody with a word or song, And we’ll fight on to the finish, then when it’s all done If I can show somebody he is trav’ling wrong, We’ll cry glory, oh glory Then my living shall not be in vain. Selma’s now for every man, woman and child If I can do my duty as a good one ought, Even Jesus got his crown in front of a crowd If I can bring back beauty to a world upwrought, They marched with the torch, we gon’ run with it now If I can spread love’s message that the Master taught, Never look back, we done gone hundreds of miles Then my living shall not be in vain. From dark roads he rose, to become a hero Then my living shall not be in vain, Facin’ the league of justice, his power was the people Then my living shall not be in vain; Enemy is lethal, a king became regal If I can help somebody as I pass along, Saw the face of Jim Crow under a bald eagle Then my living shall not be in vain. The biggest weapon is to stay peaceful We sing, our music is the cuts that we bleed through Somewhere in the dream we had an epiphany Now we right the wrongs in history No one can win the war individually It takes the wisdom of the elders and young people’s energy Welcome to the story we call victory The comin’ of the Lord, my eyes have seen the glory One day when the glory comes It will be ours, it will be ours Oh one day when the war is won We will be sure, we will be sure Oh glory When the war is won, when it’s all said and done We’ll cry glory Oh glory 3 Program notes Living the Dream…Singing the Dream, co-produced by concert, this selection “sets the scene,” encouraging Washington Performing Arts (WPA) and Choral Arts (CA), audience members to actively engage with the music is a musical homage to and celebration of Dr. Martin and prepare for a night of celebration as well as a night Luther King, Jr.’s life and mission. Choral Arts founder of reflection. The next two selections are contemplations Norman Scribner “wanted to pay tribute to Dr. King’s of sacred hope. R. Nathaniel Dett’s setting of “Ave Maria” legacy through music, in other words, [to use music] as is a reverent prayer of praise and petition, while Willie an instrument for peace” and conceived of an annual DeVone’s “God Said It, I Believe It” is a bold declaration concert to achieve this goal. Similarly, the Washington that there are brighter days to come. Although the lyrics Performing Arts Gospel Choirs spotlighted musical of the latter song specifically reference holding the divine tributes to Dr. King during their annual performances, creator accountable to “His” promises, in the context featuring a variety of guest artists. Recognizing this of this production, we are also reminded of Dr. King’s shared mission, we formed a co-presentation using the frequent call out to America to “make real the promise of language of music to showcase our stories in song and to democracy.” We too, as a nation, must be accountable for stir the consciousness of our audiences. Now in its 12th what we have “said on paper.” Nevertheless, if we keep the collaborative production, Living the Dream is led by our faith and stay the course, our higher power will certainly artistic team: Michele Fowlin, artistic director of Children intervene in our just cause. of the Gospel Choir; Theodore Thorpe III, artistic director The final three selections are designed to encourage for Men and Women of the Gospel Choir; and Scott Tucker, even the most disheartened listener.