03-30 DCINY Whitacre_GP 3/17/14 5:03 PM Page 1 Sunday Afternoon, March 30, 2014, at 2:00 Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) Iris Derke, Co-Founder and General Director Jonathan Griffith, Co-Founder and Artistic Director presents Defying Gravity: The Music of Stephen Schwartz and Eric Whitacre DIstINGuIsheD CoNCerts sINGers INterNatIoNal ERIC WHITACRE, Composer and Conductor STEPHEN SCHWARTZ, Special Guest Artist ASHLEY BROWN, Special Guest Performer TALI TADMOR, Piano Program to be introduced from the stage ERIC WHITACRE Lux Aurumque Seal Lullaby the city and the sea (DCINY Premiere Project) No. 1. i walked the boulevard No. 3. maggie and milly and molly and may No. 5. little man in a hurry What If, from Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings STEPHEN SCHWARTZ Testimony Defying Gravity, from Wicked Ain’t It Good, from Children of Eden Intermission avery Fisher hall Please make certain your cellular phone, pager, or watch alarm is switched off. 03-30 DCINY Whitacre_GP 3/17/14 5:03 PM Page 2 lincoln Center ERIC WHITACRE A Boy and a Girl Animal Crackers, Vol. I I. The Panther II. The Cow III. The Firefly Animal Crackers, Vol. II (DCINY Premiere Project) I. The Canary II. The Eel III. The Kangaroo Sleep Fly to Paradise STEPHEN SCHWARTZ Keramos For Good, from Wicked Forgiveness’ Embrace Spark of Creation, from Children of Eden We Want To Hear From You! upload your intermission photos and post-show feedback to twitter, Instagram, and Facebook! #DefyingGravity | @DCINY DCINY thanks its kind sponsors and partners in education: Vh-1 save the Music, education through Music, high 5, and artist travel Consultants. DIstINGuIsheD CoNCerts INterNatIoNal NeW YorK 250 W. 57th street, suIte 1610 NeW YorK, NY 10107 212-707-8566 www.DCINY.org 03-30 DCINY Whitacre_GP 3/17/14 5:03 PM Page 3 lincoln Center Texts and Translations Lux Aurumque (“Light of Gold” ) ERIC WHITACRE Text: edward esch | Latin translation: Charles anthony silvestri Lux, light, Calida gravisque pura velut aurum Warm and heavy as pure gold Et canunt angeli molliter and the angels sing softly Modo natum. to the newborn baby. Seal Lullaby ERIC WHITACRE Text: Rudyard Kipling oh! hush thee, my baby, the night is behind us, and black are the waters that sparkled so green. the moon, o’er the combers, looks downward to find us, at rest in the hollows that rustle between. Where billow meets billow, then soft be thy pillow, oh weary wee flipperling, curl at thy ease! the storm shall not wake thee, nor shark overtake thee, asleep in the arms of the slow swinging seas! the city and the sea ERIC WHITACRE Text: e.e. cummings | Partially commissioned by the DCINY Premiere Project No. 1. i walked the boulevard i walked the boulevard while nearby the father a thick cheerful man i saw a dirty child with majestic bulbous lips skating on noisy wheels of joy and forlorn piggish hands pathetic dress fluttering joked to a girlish whore behind her a mothermonster with busy rhythmic mouth with red grumbling face and silly purple eyelids cluttered in pursuit of how she was with child pleasantly elephantine 03-30 DCINY Whitacre_GP 3/17/14 5:03 PM Page 4 lincoln Center No. 3. maggie and milly and molly and may maggie and milly and molly and may went down to the beach (to play one day) and maggie discovered a shell that sang so sweetly she couldn’t remember her troubles, and milly befriended a stranded star whose rays five languid fingers were; and molly was chased by a horrible thing which raced sideways while blowing bubbles: and may came home with a smooth round stone as small as a world and as large as alone. For whatever we lose (like a you or a me) it’s always ourselves we find in the sea No. 5. little man in a hurry little man who have failed (in a hurry who have cried) full of an lie bravely down important worry) sleep halt stop forget relax big rain big snow wait big sun (little child big moon who have tried (enter us) Testimony STEPHEN SCHWARTZ Texts inspired by the “It Gets Better” project I don’t want to be like this I’m an imposter I don’t want to be who I am I am a spy behind enemy lines every day that I don’t change I pack my feelings so deep inside me I blame myself they turn to concrete I am not trying hard enough (I don’t want to be like this (I don’t want to be like this) I don’t want to be who I, how I, what I I am not trying hard enough am) (I don’t want to be how I am) every night I ask God to end my life When they find out (I am an abomination) No one will love me overlapping: I’ll lose my family God take this away or take me away … and all of my friends I don’t want to be like this … (I’m trapped like a fish with a hook in I don’t want to be who I am, I don’t its mouth) want to be how I am, I don’t want to I am impersonating the person I show be what I am as me I don’t want to be anymore … 03-30 DCINY Whitacre_GP 3/17/14 5:03 PM Page 5 lincoln Center today I’m going to hang myself But there’s no part of me today I’m going to slit my wrists still crying: “hide me” today I’m going to jump off my building … I would have missed take me away, take me away, take me the chance to sing out like this away … With people I love beside me hang in, hang on I have been brave Wait just a little longer I grew, and so did those around me hang in, hang on and now look what a life I’ve earned I know it now, I know it now It gets more than better If I had made myself not exist It gets amazing and astounding there is so much that I would have If I could reach my past, I’d tell him missed … what I’ve learned: I would have missed I was more loved so many travels and adventures than I dared to know More wonders than I knew could be there were open arms so many friends I could not see With jokes and laughter, not to mention and when I die the joy of living in authenticity and when it’s my time to go sometimes I cry I want to come back as me life can still be hard I want to come back as me. Defying Gravity, from Wicked STEPHEN SCHWARTZ something has changed within me Kiss me goodbye something is not the same I’m defying gravity I’m through with playing by the rules and you can’t pull me down of someone else’s game unlimited too late for second-guessing My future is unlimited too late to go back to sleep and I’ve just had a vision It’s time to trust my instincts almost like a prophecy Close my eyes and leap I know it sounds truly crazy It’s time to try and true, the vision’s hazy Defying gravity But I swear someday I’ll be I think I’ll try up in the sky Defying gravity Defying gravity and you can’t pull me down Flying so high I’m through accepting limits Defying gravity ‘Cuz someone says they’re so they’ll never pull me down some things I cannot change so if you care to find me But till I try, I’ll never know look to the western sky too long I’ve been afraid of as someone told me lately: losing love I guess I’ve lost everyone deserves the chance to fly Well, if that’s love and if I’m flying solo It comes at much too high a cost at least I’m flying free I’d sooner try to those who ground me Defying gravity take a message back from me 03-30 DCINY Whitacre_GP 3/17/14 5:03 PM Page 6 lincoln Center tell them how I am defying gravity and nobody in all of oz I’m flying high No Wizard that there is or was Defying gravity Is ever gonna bring me down and soon I’ll match them in renown Ain’t It Good, from Children of Eden STEPHEN SCHWARTZ oh, look out there If those clouds in the eastern sky, would ever break. is that a hint of light? But no storm oh, come and look, will last forever, I need to know though we felt if I am seeing right. so helpless then. We’ve lived so long in dark, Now we raise a joyful chant I’m almost frightened to believe for a glimpse of olive plant! those clearing skies on haven’t seen one since I can’t that glist’ning horizon. I can’t remember when… Please tell me my eyes ain’t it good do not deceive me… oh, ain’t it good ain’t it sweet our hearts are dancing! to smell the morning, ain’t it good, so good! in a world washed fresh and clean? We’ve got a second chance Now the storm has left its warning and we see, we see a hint of green.