The Choral Art Society Robert Russell, music director presents Christmas at the Cathedral featuring The Choral Art Singers Portland Brass Quintet • Dan Moore, organist Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Portland, Maine Saturday, December 5, 2015, noon & 8 pm Sunday, December 6, 2015, 2:30 & 7:30 pm Angelus ad virginem 13th c. Latin carol Verbum caro factum est 14th c. Latin carol Personent hodie voces puerulae (from Piae Cantiones, 1582) arr. Hoggard/Russell In dulci jubilo Michael Praetorius (1571–1621) Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847) Portland Brass Quintet All arranged by Richard Price Rejoice and be Merry Tautum Ergo Gloucestshire Wassail Betty Rines and Tucker Barney, trumpet; John Boden, horn; Mark Manduca, trombone; Jobey Wilson, tuba From Messiah George Frideric Handel Overture (1685-1759) And the glory of the Lord For unto us a child is born Hallelujah INTERMISSION Intrada Alfred Reed (1921–2005) Welcome all wonders Richard Dirksen (1921–2003) 1 Ave verum Karl Jenkins b. 1944 Sarah Bailey, soprano & Andrea Graichen, mezzo-soprano Christmas Day Gustav Holst (1874–1934) Portland Brass Quintet All arranged by Jack Gale God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen O Little Town of Bethlehem We Wish you a Merry Christmas Hark! the herald-angels sing Felix Mendelssohn We invite all to sing with us the first and third stanzas (please refer to program notes, page 11) He Never Failed Me Yet Robert Ray b. 1946 Aileen Andrews, contralto We Wish You a Merry Christmas (English traditional) arr. Arthur Warrell Silent Night Franz Gruber (1787–1863) Soloists: Caroline Koelker and Heidi Seitz, sopranos (Saturday noon) Molly Harmon and Heidi Seitz, sopranos (Saturday evening) Ginny Pomeroy, mezzo-soprano and Molly Harmon, soprano (Sunday afternoon) Donna Smith, contralto and Molly Harmon, soprano (Sunday evening) Special thanks to Harmon’s & Barton’s Flowers for the poinsettias Save the Date! April 27, 2016 Prelude to Spring Song A Bird's-Eye View of The Choral Art Society More information to come, visit our website at www.choralart.org 2 3 We are pleased to support The Choral Art Society and their mission to advance the art of choral singing through performance, collaboration, and outreach. www.gorhamsavingsbank.com Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender Ray Cornils Portland’s Municipal Organist Kotzschmar Festival Brass Parish Ringers Oratorio Chorale FEATURING Emily Isaacson, Director Ray Cornils Portland’s Municipal Organist Festival Brass Tickets Parish Ringers $41, $35, $20 Oratorio Chorale Reserved Seating Emily Isaacson, Director Merrill Auditorium www.porttix.com 20 Myrtle Street Portland, ME 207-842-0800 TICKETS $39, $34, $23 Merrill Auditorium Reserved Seating PORTTIX 20 Myrtle Street, Portland, ME www.porttix.com 207-842-0800 For More Info www.foko.org Find us on Facebook! 4 Program Notes by Linda Russell Angelus ad virginem 13th c. Latin carol Popular since medieval times, this cheerful carol tells the story of the Annunciation. It was probably Franciscan in origin and brought to Britain by French friars in the thirteenth century. Originally it had twenty-seven verses, each starting with a consecutive letter of the alphabet. Chaucer mentions it in his Miller's tale when the scholar Nicholas sings it, accompanied by his psaltery. Angelus ad virginem The angel came to the virgin Subintrans in conclave. in her chamber, Virginis formidinum dispelling the fears of Demulcens inquit "Ave. the virgin, and said: “Hail! Ave regina virginum, Hail, queen of virgins; Coeliteraeque dominum the Lord of earth and heaven Concipies you will conceive Et paries and bear, Intacta, chaste, Salutem hominum. the salvation of men; Tu porta coeli facta you have been made the gates of heaven, Medella criminum. the cleanser of crimes.” “Quomodo conciperem, “How shall I conceive quae virum non cognovi? when I have known no man? Qualiter infringerem, And how shall I break quae firma mente vovi?” what I have vowed with a firm mind?” “Spiritus sancti gratia “The Holy Spirit by grace Perficiet haec omnia; will accomplish all these things; Ne timaes, do not be afraid, sed gaudeas, but rejoice, secura, safe quod castimonia because your chastity Manebit in te pura shall remain untouched within you Dei potentia.” by the power of God.” Ad haec virgo nobilis To this the noble virgin Respondens inquit ei; replied and said to him: “Ancilla sum humilis “I am the humble handmaiden Omnipotentis Dei. of almighty God. Tibi coelesti nuntio, With you, the heavenly messenger, Tanta secreti conscio, I agree, and with so great Consentiens a mystery, Et cupiens And wish Videre to see factum quod audio, accomplished what I hear; Parata sum parere I am ready to obey Dei consilio.” the will of God.” 5 Angelus disparuit The angel disappeared, Etstatim puellaris and at once the girl’s Uterus intumuit womb swelled up Vi partus salutaris. by the power of the birth of Salvation. Qui, circumdatus utero He, having been contained in the womb Novem mensium numero, for nine months, Hinc Exiit came out from it Et iniit and entered Conflictum, the conflict, Affigens humero taking on his shoulder Crucem, qua dedit ictum the Cross, by which he gave Hosti mortifero. the blow to the mortal enemy. Eia Mater Domini, Accordingly, mother of the Lord, Quae pacem reddidisti you who brought back peace Angelis et homini, to the angels and to man, Cum Christum genuisti; when you bore Christ; Tuem exora filium beseech your son Ut se nobis propitium that he might show mercy Exhibeat, upon us, Et deleat and blot out Peccata; our sins: Praestans auxilium and that he might help us Vita frui beta to enjoy a blessed life Post hoc exsilium. after this time of exile. Verbum caro factum est 14th c. Latin Carol Found in the fourteenth-century Aosta manuscript, the text of this Latin carol comes from John 1:14 and was used as the final responsory of Christmas Matins. Verbum caro factum est de The Word is made flesh by the virgine Maria. Virgin Mary. Dies est leticie, This is a joyful day, Nam natus est hodie for today a Son Filius de virgine, is born of a virgin, De virgine Maria! of the Virgin Mary. Ovos omnes, psallite! Sing praises, everyone; Pace facta credite, believe that peace has come, Angelo nunciante, through the message of an angel, De Virgine Maria! by the Virgin Mary. Lux venit de Lumine The Light within a pure virgin In intacta Virgine; comes from the Light; Noë! Noë! Dicite sing Nowell! Nowell! De Virgine Maria! for the Virgin Mary. 6 Portam clausam graditus, He proceeds through the closed gate, Qui alcio geritur: he who is born from on high; Deus homo nascitur God is born a man De virgine Maria. by the Virgin Mary. Fatur a pastoribus, It is told by the shepherds Dum natus est parvulus, that a little Child is born, Rex potens fortissimus, a great and mighty King is born De Virgine Maria. of the Virgin Mary. O Jesu, quem credimus, O Jesu, in whom we believe, Da salute omnibus grant us all salvation Super in celestibus among those who dwell above in heaven, De Virgine Maria! through the Virgin Mary. Personent hodie voces puerulae (from Piae Cantiones, 1582) arr. Hoggard/Russell Both the tune and text for our processional are found in Piae Cantiones, a collection of anonymous Latin school and religious songs compiled by a Finnish student in 1582. The songs spread to Sweden, where they were still sung in schools in the 1700s. They remained popular in Finland through much of the nineteenth century. Personent hodie voces puerulae, Let youthful voices resound today laudantes iucunde qui nobis est natus, praising joyously Him who is born to us, summo Deo datus, et de Virgineo ventre given of God on high and born of the procreatus. Virgin’s womb. In mundo nascitur, pannis involvitur He is born on earth, is wrapped in cloths, praesepi ponitur stabulo brutorum, is placed in a manger, in the animals’ stable. Rector supernorum, Ruler of heaven, perdidit spolia princeps infernorum. prince of hell, he has done away with sin. Magi tres venerunt, munera offerunt, Wise men three have come; they offer gifts, parvulum inquirunt, stellulam sequendo, they seek a babe by following a star, ipsum adorando, to worship him, aurum, thus, et myrrham ei offerendo. to offer him gold, frankincense and myrrh. Omnes clericuli, pariter pueri, Let all priests and young men alike cantent ut angeli: sing as did the angels: advenisti mundo, laudes tibi fundo. You have come to earth. ideo Gloria in excelsis Deo. Glory to God in the highest. In dulci jubilo Michael Praetorius The original melody, found in a 1570 German publication, is called “a very ancient song (uraltes Lied) for Christmas Eve.” In parts of Germany where people retain old customs, the song is used as a Christmas Eve processional. Lutheran composer Michael Praetorius’s setting of In dulci jubilo for voices and four-part brass choir is included in his nine-volume Musae Sioniae which contains 1,244 chorale settings. Praetorius’s setting of In dulci jubilo is a lilting dance in 3/4 meter; the text is in two languages—Latin and German. 7 In dulci jubilo, In sweet rejoicing, Nun singet und seid froh! now sing and be glad! Unsers Herzens Wonne Our hearts' joy Leit in praesepio; lies in the manger; Und leuchtet wie die Sonne And it shines like the sun Alpha es et O! You are the alpha and omega! Verleih uns Frieden gnädiglich Felix Mendelssohn Felix Mendelssohn, grandson of the Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn and son of an art-loving banker, grew up in a wealthy and intellectual home. His excellence in a number of roles—pianist, conductor, educator, organizer of musical events—brought him an adoring public, but also created a public career that taxed his energies and contributed to an early death.