THE UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL THE UNIVERSITY CHORAL UNION DONALD BRYANT, Conductor KATHRYN BOULEYN DAY, Soprano CARROLL FREEMAN, Tenor GAIL DUBINBAUM, Mezzo-soprano STEPHEN BRYANT, Bass-baritone NANCY HODGE, Harpsichordist MARILYN VAN DER VELDE, Organist MEMBERS OF THE ANN ARBOR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 2, 1989, AT 8:00 SUNDAY AFTERNOON, DECEMBER 3, 1989, AT 2:00 HILL AUDITORIUM, ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN Messiah A Sacred Oratorio George Frideric Handel was born in the German city of Halle on February 23, 1685, and died in London on April 14, 1759. He traveled widely as a young man and, after a sojourn in Italy in his twenties, began writing Italian operas. He settled in London at the age of 26 to write more of them, but when the popularity of Italian opera began to decline, he turned his efforts to writing oratorios, which were, in essence, operas without stage action. Most of Handel's oratorios were on Biblical subjects, chosen from the Old Testament, but not in any true sense sacred works. Messiah, his only oratorio based on the New Testament, was something different. It is not a dramatic work like the oratorios before and after it, but a contemplative one, which Handel called "A Sacred Oratorio." Messiah is in three parts. The first celebrates the birth of Jesus, from eager anticipation and prophecy to jubilant fulfillment and thanksgiving. The second part deals with the Passion and its redemptive significance, culminating in the magnificent "Hallelujah" chorus, and the third is a great affirmation of faith, growing from quiet profundity to the ringing jubilation of the chorus "Worthy Is the Lamb" and the final grand "Amen." The University Musical Society appreciates Great Lakes Bancorp 's grant in support of these Messiah concerts. This sponsorship demonstrates the company's interest in and commitment to the performing arts in our city. We salute Great Lakes Bancorp for its significant participation in this community-wide holiday offering. For the convenience of our patrons, the box office in the outer lobby is open during intermission for purchase of tickets to upcoming Musical Society concerts. The harpsichord heard in these concerts is a double manual, five-octave instrument built in 1978 by Willard Martin, Opus 101, owned by Marilyn Mason, Professor and University Organist, U-M. Cameras and recording devices are not allowed in the auditorium. Halls Cough Tablets, courtesy of Warner Lambert Company, are available in the lobby. 14th & 15th Concerts of the lllth Season Nineteenth Annual Choice Series In order that the continuity of the work be maintained, it is requested that the audience refrain from applause until the end of each part of the program. Sinfonia And suddenly there was with the angel a Tenor: Comfort ye, My people, saith your multitude of the heavenly host praising God, God, speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and and saying: cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, Chorus: Glory to God in the highest and that her iniquity is pardon'd. The voice of him peace on earth, good will toward men. that crieth in the wilderness. Prepare ye the Soprano: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a Zion. Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem. Be­ highway for our God. hold, thy king cometh unto thee. He is the Every valley shall be exalted, and every righteous Saviour and He shall speak peace mountain and hill made low; the crooked unto the heathen. straight, and the rough places plain. Contralto: Then shall the eyes of the blind be Chorus: And the glory of the Lord shall be open'd, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for Then shall the lame men leap as an hart, and the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. the tongue of the dumb shall sing. Bass: Thus saith the Lord of Hosts: Yet once Contralto and Soprano: He shall feed His flock a little while, and I will shake the heavens and like a shepherd, and He shall gather the lambs the earth, the sea and the dry land; and I will with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, shake all nations; and the desire of all nations and gently lead those that are with young. shall come. The Lord, whom ye seek, shall Come unto Him, all ye that labor and are suddenly come to His temple, e'en the mes­ heavy laden, and He will give you rest. Take senger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: His yoke upon you, and learn of Him, for He behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of is meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find Hosts. rest unto your souls. But who may abide the day of His coming Chorus: His yoke is easy, His burden is light. and who shall stand when He appeareth For He is like a refiner's fire. INTERMISSION Chorus: And He shall purify the sons of Chorus: Behold the Lamb of God that taketh Levi, that they may offer unto the Lord an away the sin of the world. offering in righteousness. Contralto: He was despised and rejected of Contralto and Choms: Behold, a virgin shall men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His grief He gave His back to the smiters, and His name EMMANUEL: God with us. O thou that cheeks to them that plucked off the hair. He tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into hid not His face from shame and spitting. the high mountain! Lift up thy voice with Chorus: Surely He hath borne our griefs, and strength! Lift it up, be not afraid! Say unto the carried our sorrows: He was wounded for our cities of Judah, Behold your God! Arise, shine transgressions, He was bruised for our iniqui­ for thy light is come; and the glory of the Lord ties, the chastisement of our peace was upon is risen upon thee! Him. Bass: For behold, darkness shall cover the And with His stripes we are healed. earth, and gross darkness the people: but the All we like sheep have gone astray; we have Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall turned every one to his own way; and the Lord be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. to Thy light, and kings to the brightness of Tenor: All they that see Him laugh Him to Thy rising. scorn: they shoot out their lips, and shake their The people that walked in darkness have heads, saying: seen a great light, and they that dwell in the Chorus: He trusted in God that He would land of the shadow of death, upon them hath deliver Him: let him deliver Him, if He de­ the light shined. light in Him. Chorus: For unto us a Child is born, unto us Tenor: Thy rebuke hath broken His heart; a son is given, and the government shall be He is full of heaviness. He looked for some upon His shoulder; and His name shall be to have pity on Him, but there was no man, called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty neither found He any to comfort Him. God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like Peace. unto His sorrow. He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of thy people was He Pastoral Symphony stricken. Soprano: There were shepherds abiding in But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell, the field, keeping watch over their flock by nor didst Thou suffer Thy Holy One to see night. And lo! the angel of the Lord came corruption. upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone Chorus: Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and round about them, and they were sore afraid. be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for King of glory shall come in. Who is this King behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the which shall be to all people. For unto you is Lord mighty in battle. Who is this King of born this day in the City of David, a Saviour, glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of which is Christ the Lord. glory. Please note the following change in the program: MARK BEUDERT, TENOR, will replace CARROLL FREEMAN who has had to cancel due to illness. MARK BEUDERT was a winner of the 1985 Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition and has recently been invited by Mr. Pavarotti to succeed him in his role in La Favorita at the Teatro Fenice in Venice. His undergraduate work was done at Columbia University, followed by two years of study with inter­ nationally-famed tenor Franco Corelli. Thence followed two years singing in various opera houses in America, Mexico, and the Caribbean in repertoire ranging from Monteverdi through the major French and Italian roles to Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress. He made his New York City Opera debut in 1986 and has returned there each year since, appearing as Alfredo in La Traviata and the title role in The Student Prince, which he sang with the company on their tour of China, For the past two years Mr, Beudert has been based in Great Britain where he made his debut in May 1988 with the Scottish Opera in the title role of Bernstein's Candide.