Special thanks to you, our Friends of Voci for your support! Our 25th Anniversary season is made possible through your generous contributions, and by grants from the Alameda Arts Commission, the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, and the Zellerbach Family Foundation. Special thanks to Orinda Community Church, St. Mary Magdalen Church, St. Perpetua Catholic Church, Faith Fellowship of Walnut Creek, Holy Names University, and West Coast Arts for supporting our Fall 2016 season. Thank you to all the friends, family, and members of Voci who volunteer hours of work to make our performances possible! Voci is a not-for-profit charitable organization, and donations are deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Please consider joining the Friends of Voci by making a donation today. Voci Women’s Vocal Ensemble 4024 Everett Avenue, Oakland, CA 94602 www.facebook.com/vocisings www.paypal.me/Voci www.vocisings.org About Today’s Program Voci Staff This afternoon’s concert—Voci Playlist—presents a collection of pieces selected by Voci singers, past directors, and accompanists. Artistic Director: Dr. Anne K. Hege It provides a look at where Voci has been and what Voci has loved Assistant Conductor: Edna Yeh over the last 25 years. It also, in a fascinating way, shows us Voci’s Accompanist: Anne Rainwater unique collective taste for specific kinds of music. You can hear our love of early music, our interest in texts that speak about the Chorus Manager: Mishaela De Vries female experience, as well as our interest in female composers. Communications & Marketing: You can also hear our love of contemporary music that is Elizabeth Brashers, Susan Sands, Lezak Shallat, challenging and heartfelt. Stephanie Neumann, Nicky Reed Website & Graphic Design: Edna Yeh We begin with Eleanor Daley’s Rise Up, My Love, a setting of an Concert Production: Terry Meyers, excerpt of the Song of Solomon. Daley’s use of the minor mode Karla Sagramoso, Victoria Skeritt, and members of Voci and descending lines that fall from unison suggest a disrobing and Head Librarian: Katherine McStravick the vulnerability of new love. This theme of vulnerability extends Program: Elizabeth Brashers, Anne Hege, Lezak Shallat, into Stephen Hatfield’s setting of a traditional Kentucky folk song, Rose Hansen, Dorothy Isaacson Read Queen Jane (referring to Henry the VIII’s third wife, Jane House Staff: John Gibbins, Seymour). Hatfield’s use of open fifths echoes early music styles, James King, Fran Meredith-Picconi, as does the text itself, which tells of the queen’s untimely death Tony Meredith-Picconi, Sherrie Reed, during childbirth. From here, we travel to the fourteenth century Nate Deremiah, Alicia Bright and Guillaume de Machaut’s work Rose, Liz, Printemps, with its Recording Engineer: Brian Shiratsuki lilting rhythms and weaving parts. Eve Beglarian follows with her recent work Lullaby. This piece superimposes a traditional Gregorian chant over a minimalist setting of Janet Lewis’ striking poem about Mary’s motherly love for Christ. Similarly, Duruflé’s Voci Board of Directors 1960 work, Tota pulchra es, is inspired by traditional Gregorian chant phrases. Duruflé uses modern mixed meter with traditional Susan Sands (President), Lisa Sanders (Treasurer), counterpoint techniques to create music that is both modern and Elizabeth Brashers (Secretary) reminiscent of an earlier time. Erzsébet Szőnyi’s work, Canticum Mishaela De Vries, Terry Meyers Sponsae continues in a similar style. I have fallen in love with this Anne K. Hege, Edna Yeh (ex officio) piece over this semester. It is written in short episodes that form waves building to a beautiful conclusion. We follow Szőnyi with one of Brahms’ most famous canons, which mimics the sound of hurdy-gurdy, and Holst’s gorgeous, swaying, two-choir Ave Maria, which reminds me of silt slowly settling in water. We end the first half with Lauridsen’s Dirait-on. In this depiction of the beauty of a rose, you can feel the velvet luxuriousness of the flower, and how the wealth of petals unfurls as it blossoms. The second half of the program honors our commitment to new works for treble chorus, as well as our history of dedicating our fall concerts to voices in peace. We begin with Karin Rehnqvist’s striking work, I Himmelen, where she depicts the heavenly hall as a dining hall filled with people singing a traditional Swedish folksong, made more radiant by the calls of shepherdesses across the mountain tops and the ringing of church bells. This is followed by the first and last fragments of (former Voci Artistic Director) Jude Navari’s Siddhartha Fragments. These pieces, which were a gift from Navari for Voci’s 20th anniversary, speak to the beauty and complexity of our world and allow us to showcase our new accompanist, Anne Rainwater. Three short Bartók works and Mendelssohn’s fabulous Lift Thine Eyes to the Mountains follow, sharing our love of harmony and the simple beauty of a cappella works. We end the program with two works for organ, Poulenc’s Ave Maria and Benjamin Britten’s Missa Brevis in D. The Britten was one of the first works I ever learned in choir, and the Gloria from this mass often arises out of nowhere in my mind’s ear. Benjamin Britten lived through two world wars, and you can hear his experience of vicious conflict in the Agnus Dei, asking for mercy, and the final resolution, “dona nobis pacem,” asking for peace. We end our concert with an invitation to you, to join us in singing the traditional round, Dona Nobis Pacem (see program insert). Throughout this concert, my hope is that you feel our love for these pieces. Like a friend sharing her favorite keepsake, I hope that you leave this concert feeling that you have been showered by our love for this music. We are so thankful to all of you for sharing our passion for music for all these years. Thank you! —Anne Hege Katherine Piccus Sarah Paden †In Memoriam Program Judy Pickles Michelle Persoff *Voci Founders Sandra Bernero Connie Phillipp **Current Singers Pastermack† Fran Smith Rise Up My Love Eleanor Daley Teressa Plaskett Sallie Smith Rachel Plotinsky Suzy Spradlin Queen Jane Traditional Kathy Post Laura Stanfield Arr. Stephen Hatfield Sarah Powers Laura Stern- Elenka Proulx Grossmann Rose, liz, printemps, verdure Guillaume de Machaut Lynx Quicksilver Jeanne Henzel Swartz Jean Racik Joanna Taylor (Rose, lily, springtime, greenery) Alma Raymond Teresa Taylor Dorothy Isaacson Maggie Tenenbaum Elizabeth Brashers, Ayyana Chakravartula, Mishaela De Vries, Read** Eve Terran Susan Martin, Katherine McStravick, Terry Meyers, Tammy Reardon Melinda Thomas* Karla Sagramoso, Edna Yeh Nicky Reed** Miranda Thorman** Lullaby Eve Beglarian Elizabeth Reifler- Judy Turley Insko Katrina Turman Edna Yeh Jan Reinhardt Mary Tyson Our performance of Lullaby today is in honor of Houlihan June Vance Susan Sands, celebrating her 24 years of dedication to Voci Barbara Reisner Michelle Vasey Lori Rizzo* Barbara Venook Tota pulchra es Maurice Duruflé Peggy Rock Jennifer Vlahos (Thou art all fair) Naomi Rose Martha Vlahos Debbie Rosen- Teresa Vosper** Canticum Sponsae Erzsébet Szőnyi Kanofsky Karen Wait (Song of the Bride, from the Book of Solomon) Johanna Rothe Elizabeth Warden Terry Meyers Judith Holliday Liz Warren Katherine McStravick Rothman Larissa Washburn Karla Sagramoso** Mary Weineke Our performance of Canticum Sponsae today is in honor of Terry Meyers, celebrating her retirement as Administrative Director Lisa Sanders** Paula White and 25 years of dedication to Voci Susan Sands** Helen Wolfe-Visnick Adina Sara Carol Wong Einförmig ist der Liebe Gram Johannes Brahms Anna Savant Edna Yeh** (Sad love is always the same) Wilma Schroeder Andrea Sevetson Mishaela De Vries, Susan Martin, Terry Meyers, Stephanie Neumann, Nicky Reed, Lisa Sanders, Karla Sagramoso, Edna Yeh Anjuli Shah-Johnson Lezak Shallat** Ave Maria Gustav Holst Heida Sigurdardottir Victoria Skerritt** Dirait-on Morten Lauridsen Susan Marquez Owen (So they say) — INTERMISSION — Voci Singers, 1991–Present I himmelen Traditional (In heaven) Arr. Karin Rehnqvist Kulning: Mishaela De Vries, Susan Martin, Emily Acker Dawn Emery Ruth Levine Ekhaus Karla Sagramoso, Miranda Thorman Mary Anderson Janet Falk Janice Lim Corinne Allen Nina Fallon Joyce Liu Small group: Elizabeth Brashers, Stephanie Neumann, Lisa Sanders, Edna Yeh Ruth Allen-Hunt Marcella Fasso Ginny Lorencz Alison Altstatt Vicky Faulk Beatriz Lozada Selections from Jude Navari Jennifer Ashworth Harriett Feltman Christiana Macfarlane Siddhartha Fragments Elizabeth Ayres Arsinoe Ferry Catherine Jane Bailowitz Lynne Frame MacGuiness I. Beautiful is the World Tiffany Barnes Amy Frey Katie Manasse VII. Everything is One Lucy Beck Rebecca Gambatese Beth Mann Susan Martin Edna Yeh, bowed piano Joan Bell Laura Garrison Judy Margulis Janet Biblin** Lisa Gartland Christy Martin Group #7 from Gyermek-és nóikarok Béla Bartók Julie Blade** Joyce Gilbrick Susan Martin** (Choruses for Women’s Voices) Christina Bogiages Rachel Goldsmith Pauline Ma-Senturia Dale Allen Boland Sally Goodman Mary McConneloug Bánat (Sorrow/Grief) Brenda Bonhomme Ronni Gravitz† Marcia McCormack Heather Bourne Susan Hall Jane McCrea Ne Láttalak Volna! (If Only I Had Never Seen You) Elizabeth Brashers** Rose Hansen** Katherine Elizabeth Brashers, Mishaela De Vries, Stephanie Joy Hartono, Mimi Brennan** Sarah Hanson McStravick** Susan Martin, Katherine McStravick, Terry Meyers, Deb Bryant Angela Harris Michelle McTamaney Lisa Sanders, Edna Yeh Kate Buckelew Naomi Harris Kathleen Merchant Elment a Madárka (The Little Bird is Gone) Jacqueline Celenza Stephanie Joy Terry Meyers** Susan Martin, Lisa Sanders, Edna Yeh Ava Chante de l’Esprit Hartono** Lynne Anne Miles Ayyana Maren Haynes Jacqueline Mintz Lift Thine Eyes Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Chakravartula** Dierdre Hedick Nancy Mitchell Jennifer Cheng Anne Hench Margaret Moore Loren Chuse Julie Herndon Lindsay Mugglestone Ave Maria Francis Poulenc Alice Clark Alison Howard† Helen Munch (from Dialogues of the Carmelites) Lucy Collier Nona Hungate Heather Mundy Sarah Costanzo Lauren Jensen Kaneez Munjee Missa Brevis in D, op.