FACULTY OF MUSIC In High Voice U of T Soprano/Alto Chorus Dr. Elaine Choi, conductor Eunseong Cho, collaborative pianist U of T Chamber Choir Dr. Lori-Anne Dolloff, conductor Eunseong Cho, collaborative pianist with special guests Women on the Verge Elizabeth McDonald, soprano Kathryn Tremills, piano Sunday, February 9, 2020 2:30 pm Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Road We wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land. PROGRAM U of T Soprano/Alto Chorus Dr. Elaine Choi, conductor Eunseong Cho, collaborative pianist Saucēja Dziesma Līga Celma-Kursiete (b. 1978) Sarah Richardson and Joelle Wong, soloists Nada te turbe Joan Szymko (b. 1957) Lyndon Kwan, cello Song of Miriam Elaine Hagenberg (b. 1979) When Music Sounds Ruth Watson Henderson* (b. 1932) The Circle Game Joni Mitchell* (b. 1943) arr. Kate MacColl* (b. 1968) Claudia Rando and Kathleen Kovacs, soloists Women on the Verge Elizabeth McDonald, soprano Kathryn Tremills, piano Sie liebt mich (Göethe) Josephine Lang (1815–1880) Liebst du um Schönheit (Rückert) Clara Schumann (1819–1896) Die Mainacht (Hölty) Fanny Hensel (1805–1847) Lorelei (Heine) Clara Schumann Penelope (Cecilia Livingston after Homer’s Odyssey) Cecilia Livingston* (b. 1984) U of T Chamber Choir Dr. Lori-Anne Dolloff, conductor Eunseong Cho, collaborative pianist Turlutte acadienne montréalaise Marie-Claire Saindon* (b. 1984) From Behind the Caravan: Songs from Hâfez Abbie Betinis (b. 1980) I. we have come II. suffer no grief III. closer to the fire IV. boatpeople V. we have come (reprise) Nasim Niknafs, daf; Woosol Cho, viola Anika Venkatesh, Lissy Meyerowitz, Hermione Tankard, Abigail Sinclair, Alexa Frankian, Nathania-Rose Chan, Rosemonde Desjardins, Amelia Depiero, Leandra Dahm, soloists Combined Choirs Lake Isle of Innisfree Eleanor Daley* (b. 1955) Dr. Elaine Choi, conductor Eunseong Cho, piano Les sirènes Lili Boulanger (1893–1918) Dr. Lori-Anne Dolloff, conductor Elizabeth McDonald, soprano Eunseong Cho, collaborative pianist * denotes Canadian composer/arranger PROGRAM NOTES U of T Soprano/Alto Chorus Program Notes Born in Jelgava, Latvia, Līga Celma-Kursiete is a choral composer, conductor, vocalist and music educator. Saucēja Dziesma – Caller’s Song mimics the diverse sounds of different calling patterns. Building on one simple melody, this Latvian piece explores sounds, vocables, tones, and colours to create an engaging and captivating concert opener. Joan Szymko is an American choral composer, musical educator, and conductor. Szymko has published over 100 of her original choral compositions, making her a significant and prominent composer in the choral world today. Nada te turbe features solo cello and treble choir with text by Spanish nun Saint Teresa of Jesus. “The prayer “Nada te turbe” was found in the breviary of the 16th century Christian mystic and saint, Teresa de Ávila, written in her own hand. Her words have consoled countless numbers of people and where a particular help to me in times of personal struggle. I composed “Nada” for my select women’s choir, Viriditas, in the late 1990s. I wanted the audience to be able to hear Teresa’s message in real time, directly from the singer—not by reading program notes—so I made a conscious decision to include some key phrases in English in my setting.” – Note from composer American composer Elaine Hagenberg’s music “soars with eloquence and ingenuity” (ACDA Choral Journal). She is a well sought-after composer of the past decade. As a mother of four, composer, and pianist, Hagenberg is an admirable entrepreneur, self-publishing all her original compositions. Commissioned and premiered by Hopkins High School Bel Canto Choir, Song of Miriam is composed for SSA chorus with lush piano accompaniment. The text was written by Rabbi Ruth Sohn who gives us insight and details to Miriam’s inner thoughts throughout the passages of the Torah. “Inspired by the empowering poem by Rabbi Ruth Sohn, this piece describes the journey of a young woman who finds bravery amid uncertainty and fear. Middle Eastern harmonies paint an expansive desert landscape, while the voices search for faith and risk taking the first step, ultimately conquering fear to find the “song in my heart.” Soaring melodies and choral rhythms that create a delicious tension against the piano accompaniment make this a wonderful choice for mature treble choirs.” – Note from the composer When Music Sounds first premiered in 1995 by the Earl Haig Girl’s Chamber Choir and was commissioned by the Alliance for Canadian New Music Projects. It is a choral work composed for SSAA choir and piano. The text of this work was written by Walter de la Mare (1873-1956), an English poet who was known for his works of children’s literature and poetry. The text speaks of the powerful effect that music has on our emotions, dreams, and memories through his depictions of nature. He also writes of its ability to cause us to transcend to different places, giving us an ‘out of body experience’. This work by de la Mare was set to music by Toronto-based composer Ruth Watson Henderson. From prodigious pianist to internationally acclaimed composer, Henderson has been honoured many times for her breathtaking choral compositions. In 2017, Henderson’s life and music were chronicled in the book I Didn’t Want It to Be Boring by author Dr. Hilary Apfelstadt, Professor Emeritus of Choral Studies, University of Toronto. The Circle Game was originally a folk song written by Canadian singer- songwriter Joni Mitchell. Throughout the song, Mitchell sprinkles themes and references of childhood through adulthood, with ups and downs just like the ever changing seasons. The song was adapted as an SSAA choral work by singer-songwriter Kate MacColl at the request of Vancouver-based treble ensemble Elektra’s Women’s Chorus. U of T Chamber Choir Program Notes Turlutte acadienne montréalaise is based on the traditional “mouth music” common in many cultures. Known as “lilting” in Celtic traditions or “puirt a beul” in Gaelic, the percussion of the vocables propels this simple melody along into Québecois foot percussion. Marie-Claire Saindon has composed many folksong arrangements, French-language carols, and is sought out to create new choral works through commissions. From Behind the Caravan: Songs from Hâfez Johann Wolfgang Goethe once wrote, “Only with you, Hâfez, do I wish to compete, for the older you get the younger you become. And religion is no obstacle, for if the word ‘Islam’ means to submit to God, we all live and die in Islam.” Khwajeh Shams al-Din Muhammad Hâfez-e Shirazi (ca. 1320–1390) was born in Shiraz, Persia (Iran). He wrote nearly 400 lyric poems, called ghazals, and is the undisputed master of that particular poetic form. His mystical writing is based on Sufism, a tradition of Islam that is associated both with the Sunni and Shi’a denominations, as well as many other currents of Islam. I was particularly drawn to these four ghazals because of the elegant way they depict longing… longing for Truth, longing for Reason, longing for Kindness, Love, and – always – longing for the Beloved. Also, as I was reading, I found that many of Hâfez’s poems seem to have in common beautiful metaphors of transience: fire, breath, breeze. Above all, I have tried desperately to remain true to the intonation of the language, and to Hâfez’s poetic instinct. Each poem unfortunately had to be shortened to create a concert piece, but I encourage anyone to seek out the original poems in their entirety. Special thanks to my friend Behrooz Alavi for his insights into Hâfez’s poetry, its pronunciation, and its rich performance practice. The music is my own, and not authentically Persian. It is my interpretation of an assortment of influences, including my study of Persian speech, scales and modes, but perhaps also from my distant memory of being four years old and dancing – joyfully and tirelessly – with my Greek relatives to music that whirled feverishly around me. – Program note by Abbie Betinis. Combined Choirs Program Notes Originally commissioned by Eileen Baldwin and St. Mary’s Children’s Choir for their 20th anniversary in 2001, Lake Isle of Innisfree was composed by Eleanor Daley using the text by Irish poet William Butler Yeats. The poem speaks of the welcoming joys of nature and the peace and solitude that one can have from the outer world – the buzzing of bees, lapping of lake water, and the glimmer of the lake with its purple glow. Toronto-based composer, Eleanor Daley is a celebrated organist, collaborative pianist, conductor, and choral composer. She is the Director of Music at Fairlawn United Church and was the winner of the National Choral Award for Outstanding Choral Composition of the Year in 2004. Lili Boulanger was a young female French composer, conductor, and teacher in the early 20th century. She was born in the year 1893 to a musical family. Her determination as a composer allowed her to become the first woman to win the Prix de Rome prize in 1913. Her works include compositions for vocal, choral, organ, and full orchestra. Les sirènes is composed for three-part chorus, piano, and soprano soloist. Charles Grandmougin was a playwright and French poet. In The Sirens, he writes about deadly sirens and mermaids in mythology who seek to deceive and devour men through seduction and their mesmerizing song. Boulanger tries to represent this lulling affect in her composition.