A CARTHAGE CHRISTMAS A FESTIVAL OF CAROLS AND READINGS Featuring the majestic sounds of the Fritsch Memorial Organ DEC. 1-3, 2017 a carthage christmas 2017 marks the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s challenge to the Church to reform itself. In 1517, the Bishop of Mainz unwittingly laid down the gauntlet in front of Luther. In part to pay the Pope for the honor of his appointment, the bishop dispatched emissaries throughout Germany to sell “indulgences,” official statements of forgiveness of sins. To Luther, this represented an intolerable violation of both the primacy of scripture and justification by faith, the idea that forgiveness and salvation stem solely from one’s faith and God’s grace. On Oct. 31, 1517, as the emissary approached Wittenberg, where Luther served as cleric and professor of scripture, tradition has it that Luther posted his famous Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Castle Church, challenging the Church to examine and reform itself. Instead of contemplating its own sins, the Church persecuted Luther. He was charged with heresy in 1519 and was excommunicated in 1521; only the protection of Frederick III, the Elector of Saxony, saved him from imprisonment or execution. He had begun his confrontation with Rome as a Catholic eager to see the Church reform itself. Now he was an excommunicant whose work would instead establish a new church and encourage further Protestant rebellions like those of John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli in Zurich.1 As a culmination of Carthage College’s yearlong 500th anniversary celebration, and through the generous support of Kenosha community member Mary Dixon, composer Jocelyn Hagen and poet Michael Dennis Browne were commissioned to create a work for combined choirs and instruments that was inspired by Martin Luther’s Christmas carol “Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her” (From Heaven Above to Earth I Come). Luther wrote this carol around the Christmas season in the period 1533-1535. Luther was accustomed every year to prepare Christmas Eve entertainment for his family. This carol was created for performance in his home and has 15 verses. By Luther’s instruction, the first seven verses of this carol were sung by a man dressed as an angel whom the children greeted with the remaining eight verses. The newly commissioned work, “From Heaven Above to Earth You Come,” will premiere in today’s program just before the Service of Light. From Heaven Above to Earth You Come by Michael Dennis Browne The earth before You came to be We once were shadow, now we shine; Was never such a place as this, All pilgrims on the path of light. So filled with Holy Mystery; O Kingdom come, we call Your Name; The earth before You came to be. We once were shadow, now we shine; You come to lead us all to You Our joy to be what You have dreamed, Who lay upon the simple straw Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her, With creatures breathing by your side; Our joy to know this grace You share, You come to lead us all to You. Ich bring euch gute neue Mär; O more than human tongue can tell, Within each heart You make Your home; Der guten Mär bring ich so viel; We once were hungry now we feed; Our joy to be what You have dreamed, You open every life to love; Davon ich singen und sagen will. Within each heart You make Your home. The Isabelle and William Wittig Nativity Star adorns the nave of the A. F. Siebert Chapel. 1Copyright 2000 by earthsongs; reprinted by permission Gathering Music: Glorificamus (Glory to You) John Redford Fritsch Memorial Organ (c. 1500 – 1547) Choralvorspiele, Vol. I Helmut Walcha No. 6, Den die Hirten lobten sehre (The shepherds praised) (1907 – 1991) No. 8, Zu Bethlehem geboren (Born in Bethlehem) Fritsch Memorial Organ Jesus, Jesus Rest Your Head Appalachian Carol Concert Band arr. Tom Wallace Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (Come, Gentle Savior) Dietrich Buxtehude Fritsch Memorial Organ (1637 – 1707) Vom Himmel hoch (From Heaven High, from Kleines Orgelbuch) Ernst Pepping Fritsch Memorial Organ (1901 – 1981) Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring Johann Sebastian Bach Concert Band Transcription: Erik Leidzen Gelobt sei Gott (God be praised, from Grosses Orgelbuch) Ernst Pepping Fritsch Memorial Organ This festival program is designed to flow from beginning to end without interruption. To maintain the continuity of the program, all are encouraged to hold applause until the end of the Service of Light. Please turn off all electronic devices prior to the performance. Display screens from cameras, cellphones, and video cameras are particularly distracting to those around you. Please leave them off throughout the performance. Introit: Sing We to This Merry Company John Rutter Combined Choirs (b. 1945) Alleluia (from O magnum mysterium) Hyo-Won Woo Carthage Choir (b. 1974) My Lord Has Come Will Todd Carthage Choir (b. 1970) Score Alleluia (from Loben den Herrn alle Heiden, BWV 230) Johann Sebastian Bach Carthage Choir (1685 – 1750) Audience All rise to sing. Carol: Angels from the Realms of Glory REGENT SQUARE b œ. œ & b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 1. An - gels,œ from the realms ofJ glo - ry, wing your flight o'er all theœ earth;˙ 2. All cre - a - tion, join in prai - sing God, the Fa - ther, Spir - it, Son, b œ. & b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ Ye whoœ sang cre - a - tion'sJ sto - ry, now pro - claim Mes - si - ah's birth: Ev - er - more your voic - es rais - ing to the e - ter - nal Three in One. b œ. œ œ & b œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ Come andJ wor - ship, come andJ wor - ship. Wor - ship Christ, the new - born King. Please be seated. Reading: Isaiah 9 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness — on them light has shined. You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and for evermore. Carols: Christum wir sollen loben schon (We should now praise Christ) Martin Luther Lincoln Chamber Singers (1483 – 1546) Lullay My Liking Philip Lawson Lincoln Chamber Singers (b. 1957) Bright, New Love Gregory Berg Lincoln Chamber Singers (b. 1960) Prelude and Tollite Hostias (from Oratorio de Noël) Camille Saint-Saëns Wind Orchestra (1835 – 1921) Transcription: Jos van de Braak © Merry Christmas 1941 Bohuslav Martinuº Wind Orchestra (1890 – 1959) Transcription: Roger Ruggeri Audience All rise to sing. Carol: Of the Father’s Love Begotten DIVINUM MYSTERIUM b & b b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ 1.œ Of the Fa - ther's love be - got - ten˙ Ere the worlds be - gan to be, 2. O that birth for - ev - er bless - ed, When the Vir - gin, full of grace, 3. O ye heights of heav'n, a - dore him; An - gel hosts, his prais - es sing; b œ œ & b b œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ He is Al - pha and O - me - ga,˙ Heœ theœ source,œ the endœ œ- ingœ he,˙ Ofœ the things that are, that By the Ho - ly Ghost con-ceiv-ing, Bare the Sav - iour of our race; And the Babe, the world's Re - Powers, do-min-ions, bow be - fore him, And ex - tol our God and King; Let no tongue on earth be b & b b œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ have been, Andœ thatœ fuœ - tureœ yearsœ shallœ see, Evœ - er -more and ev - erœ - more.˙ deem - er, First re - vealed his sa - cred face,˙ Ev - er-more and ev - er - more. si - lent, Eve - ry voice in con - cert ring, Ev - er-more and ev - er - more. Please be seated. Reading: Micah 5 But you, O Bethlehem, who are little among the thousands of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And this shall be peace; when he comes into our land and treads within our borders. Carols: Sanctus (from Mass for Double Choir) Frank Martin Carthage Choir (1890 – 1974) Veni, Domine, et noli tardare (Come, Lord, and do not delay) Peter Dennee Carthage Women’s Ensemble (b. 1964) L’Adorazione dei Magi (The Adoration of the Magi, from Trittico Botticelliano) Wind Orchestra Ottorino Respighi (1879 – 1936) Transcription: Douglas McClain Respighi’s “L’adorazione dei Magi” is based on a painting of the Italian master Botticelli. The pastoral setting is established by solo oboe and bassoon, which is then followed by the carol “O Come Emmanuel”.