Walden Pond, an American Choral Music Celebration, Dale Warland
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new release! Christmas with the DALE WARLAND SINGERS Susanni Patapan Huron Carol Carol of the Bells familiar tunes Silent Night dressed up in new arrangements Fum, fum, fum! Prepare the Way The Friendly Beasts brand new carols Hark! The Herald Angels Sing a mid-winter breath of fresh air Ai, nama mamina Three Nativity Carols With this recording, Il est ne, le divin enfant The Virgin's Cradle Hymn the dale warland singers respond Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mine to thousands of requests for a Tomorrow shall be my dancing day new Christmas album. Gabriel's Message o Little Town of Bethlehem From beginning to end, this CD is a Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming Christmas treat not to be missed. Sweet Was the Song the Virgin Sang Available November 15th To order, call: 651.632.5870 table of contents The Dale Warland Singers 6 Dale Warland, Founder and Music Director 8 Dwight Bigler, Assistant Conductor 9 Frank Ferko, Composer-in-Residence 9 From the Board 10 Walden Pond: An American Choral Celebration 12 Program Notes 14 Singers' Biographies 22 Honor Roll 26 Event Patrons 28 Recordings 29 Acknowledgements 30 3 2002-03 concert season Echoes of Christmas Saturday, December 7, 2002, 8:00 pm St. Olaf Catholic Church, Minneapolis pre-concert organ recital by Dr. Lynn Trapp, 7:30 pm Sunday, December 8, 2002, 4:00 pm Wayzata Community Church, Wayzata Saturday, December 14, 2002, 8:00 pm Central Presbyterian Church, St. Paul Some 1.5 million listeners across the United States tune in to the Dale Warland Singers' annual Echoes of Christmas broadcast, but being there in person is something you will never forget! Welcome the season with songs that will warm and inspire you, including Alf Houkom's Rune of Hospitality, Dale Warland's Coventry Carol and Healey Willan's The Three Kings. Sponsored by Minnesota Monthly Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil (Vespers) Saturday, February 1, 2003, 8:00 pm The Basilica of Saint Mary, Minneapolis Rachmaninoff's monumental All-Night Vigil is one of the 20th century's greatest and most important choral works. Masterfully performed, the music resonates in every alcove and archway of the breathtaking Basilica of Saint Mary. Don't miss this unique and stirring musical event. Sponsored by General Mills Tickets available through Ticket Works at: 612.343.3390 4 Cathedral Classics Saturday, March 22,2003,8:00 pm The Basilica of Saint Mary, Minneapolis Enjoy sacred choral treasures performed in the magnificent Basilica of Saint Mary. One of the most popular events of every season, this year's concert features Miserere, an exquisite work for cello and choir by Belgian composer Rudi Tas, and the world premiere of a new composition by J. Aaron McDermid, winner of the 2001 Choral Ventures ™ annual commissioning program. Tavener's haunting Song for Athene and Mahler's lush Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen also contribute to this inspiring evening of masterworks. Sponsored by Ecoleb, Inc. 30th Anniversary Concert Sunday, April 27, 2003, 4:00 pm Celebrate 30 years of choral excellence with an evening of favorites and new works created especially for the Dale Warland Singers. Hear the charming Magic Songs by R. Murray Schafer, an ethereal, atmospheric piece for French horns and double choir by Australian composer David Hamilton, and a much-anticipated world premiere by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, Aaron Jay Kernis. Dale Warland himself contributes a new work, and DWS Alumni join the Singers for a spectacular finale. Order tickets early for this musical extravaganza! Sponsored by Deluxe Corporation Fbundation Special discounts for group sales available through the Dale Warland Singers office: 651.632.5870 5 the dale warland singers Now celebrating its 30th Anniversary This summer the choir made its debut season of concerts, tours, radio broad- at the Ravinia Festival (Chicago). The casts, and critically acclaimed record- choir also performed at the American ings, the Dale Warland Singers is rec- Society of Harpists National ognized as one of the world's foremost Conference and the Sixth World a cappella choral ensembles. The 40- Symposium on Choral Music, both voice professional choir is based in held in the Twin Cities. Minneapolis/St. Paul. The Dale Warland Singers also per- The Dale Warland Singers has earned forms in collaboration with other Twin a reputation for its commitment to Cities arts organizations including the commissioning and performing new Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the choral music. The ensemble has kept Minnesota Orchestra, and the James the choral genre fresh and alive by Sewell Ballet. The Singers have commissioning works from Dominick worked under the batons of the late Argento, Stephen Paulus, Libby Robert Shaw, Hugh Wolff, Edo de Larsen, Carol Barnett, George Waart, Leonard Slatkin, Bobby Shearing, Peter Schickele, Bernard McFerrin, David Zinman, and Roger Rands, Emma Lou Diemer, Alice Norrington. Parker, Frank Ferko, Brent Michael Davids, Mary Ellen Childs, Janika The Dale Warland Singers records on Vandervelde, Aaron Jay Kernis and the American Choral Catalog label. Augusta Read Thomas, among others. During the 1999-2000 season, the choir released a new recording featur- The Dale Warland Singers' Choral ing Leonard Bernstein's Chichester Ventures '" program solicits works Psalms and Benjamin Britten's Rejoice from emerging composers, and in the Lamb. Past recordings include through this program, over $100,000 in Blue Wheat, a collection of American commissions have been awarded to folk music which The Seattle Times over fifty talented musicians. described as "the loveliest choral disc to emerge in a long time ... sung by In 1992, the Dale Warland Singers what is probably America's best cho- became the first-ever recipient of the rus." Another of the Singers' lauded Margaret Hillis Achievement Award releases is December Stillness, which for Choral Excellence. The organiza- BBC Music magazine gave its highest tion shares this honor only with rating for performance and sound, Chanticleer and the Vancouver calling it, "... splendid, melting stuff." Chamber Choir among professional The South Jersey's Courier-Post called choirs. The group's extraordinary the 1994 release of Cathedral Classics, efforts on behalf of composers and "an unmatched musical experience, " new music resulted in ASCAP Awards while The Oregonian stated simply, for Adventurous Programming in 1992, "peerless." Earlier recordings by the 1993, 1996, and 1999. Singers include, Fancie, A Rosein Winter, Christmas Echoes, Carols for In addition to a subscription season in Christmas, Choral Currents, as well as the Twin Cities, the Dale Warland 12 others. Singers tours throughout the United States and abroad. In 1990, the ensemble traveled to Stockholm and Helsinki to represent North America at the Second World Symposium on Choral Music. During the 1999-2000 concert season, the group concertized in the Southeastern United States. It has also appeared on Garrison Keillor's original A Prairie Home Companion and has been featured on Public Radio International's Saint Paul Sunday. The annual Echoes of Christmas and Cathedral Classics broadcasts reach listeners nationwide. 6 Soprano Alto Beth Althof Abbie Betinis Wendi Buck Galina Erickson Marie Spar Dymit* Joanne Halvorsen * Victoria S. Feldman Melissa Holm-Johansen Jodi Hermanson Lynette Johnson Pamela Marentette Natalia Kojanova Melissa Morey Mary C. Maiden Muller Deborah Loon Osgood Anna George Meek Dawn Schuffenhauer Krista Palmquist Monica Stratton Tenor Bass Joel Beyer Duane E. Andersen Joel C. Fischer* Jeffrey Bipes Eric N. Hopkins Matthew Culloton * Justin Karch Dave Jacobson David Nordli Brian Kremer Hal Snyder Patrick McDonough Anthony Sofie Michael Meyer Gregory Tambornino Jack Nelson Kevin Michael Norberg Tim O'Brien Brian L. Steele * section leader 7 dale warland, founder and music director P The 2002-2003 season marks founder Dale Warland's thirtieth season as Music Director of the Dale Warland Singers. Warland has devoted his professional life to attaining the highest artistic level in choral singing. Through musicianship and attention to detail, he has built one of the finest choral ensembles in the United States. Under Warland's leadership, the Dale Warland Singers has thrilled choral music enthusiasts not just in its Twin Cities home, but throughout North America and Europe. In August 2002, Dale Warland was recognized by Chorus America and the American Dale Warland Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) with a special award honor- founder and music director ing 30 years of pioneering vision, leadership and commitment to commissioning and performing new choral works at the highest level of artistry. In presenting the award, composer Stephen Paulus, the symphony and concert representative to the ASCAP Board, remarked that, "His insistence on perfection and that perfectly balanced sound of the Dale Warland Singers has inspired hundreds of composers and amazed audi- ences the world over." Dale Warland recently received the Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal from Chorus America at its annual conference in Denver, CO. The award is given every other year "to an individual who through his or her work with a member ensemble of Chorus America has demonstrated innovative action and entrepreneurial zeal in developing a professional choral ensemble." He was also given the 2001 McKnight Distinguished Artist Award in recognition of his lifetime achievements as a choral conductor, and his continued contribution to the arts in Minnesota. Warland's outstanding accomplishments in the field of choral music were recognized in June 1995, when he received the Michael Korn Founder's Award at the annual Chorus America Conference in Seattle. This award, the highest honor for a choral conductor in the United States, has previously been given to Robert Shaw, Margaret Hillis, and Roger Wagner, among others. Dale Warland often receives invitations to guest conduct, lecture, compose and pres- ent choral workshops. He has conducted the Swedish Radio Choir, Danish Radio Choir, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and Israel's Cameran Singers.