ALSO BY WILLIAM FERRIS ON CEDILLE RECORDS SNOWCAROLS CDR 90000 101 “If you’re a choral music fan — and especially if you enjoy Christmas music — you really can’t afford to miss this unique recording. It offers not only a host of new and pleasing discoveries but also serves as an introduction to a lesser-known but revered American composer/conductor . whose friends/colleagues included Barber, Menotti, and Rorem. It’s easy to applaud — and recommend — important new additions to the recording catalog, and this is definitely one of them.” — ClassicsToday.com Reissue Producer: James Ginsburg MUSIC OF WILLIAM FERRIS (1937–2000) Remastering: Bill Maylone Art Direction: Adam Fleishman / www.adamfleishman.com 1 6 Cover: Sun Ray in the Woods Gloria for Mixed Chorus, Solo Bristol Hills, a Reflection for String Quartet, and Orchestra (18:57) Orchestra (7:45) Patricia Spencer, soprano London Symphony Strings Kathleen Meredith, alto Arnie Roth, conductor John Vorrasi, tenor Philip Skeris, bass Recorded January 12, 2001, Abbey Road Studios, London; Arnie Roth, producer; William Ferris Chorale Jonathan Allen, Andrew Dudman, and Dave Composer Festival Orchestra Forty, engineers William Ferris, conductor Recorded in concert May 15, 1992, in Our Lady Cedille Records is a trademark of The Chicago Classical Recording Foundation, a not- 7 Corridors of Light for Baritone, for-profit foundation devoted to promoting the finest musicians and ensembles in the of Mt. Carmel Church, Chicago; Hudson Fair, Oboe, Piano, Percussion, and String engineer Chicago area. The Chicago Classical Recording Foundation’s activities are supported Orchestra (21:18) in part by contributions and grants from individuals, foundations, corporations, and John Shirley-Quirk, baritone government agencies including the Alphawood Foundation, Irving Harris Foundation, Ed È Subito Sera, Solo Cantata for Sara Watkins, oboe Kirkland & Ellis Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince, NIB Tenor and String Orchestra (23:14) Foundation, Negaunee Foundation, Sage Foundation, Chicago Department of Cultural William Ferris Chorale Affairs (CityArts III Grant), and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. 2 I. Ride la gazza, nera sugli aranci (9:48) Composer Festival Orchestra 3 II. Ora che sale il giorno (5:00) William Ferris, conductor 4 III. Ed è subito sera (1:03) CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CHICAGO CLASSICAL RECORDING FOUNDATION Recorded in concert May 19, 1995, in Our Lady 5 IV. Forse il cuore (7:22) MAY BE MADE AT WWW.CEDILLERECORDS.ORG OR 773-989-2515. of Mt. Carmel Church, Chicago; Hudson Fair, John Vorrasi, tenor engineer Chicago String Ensemble Alan Heatherington, conductor Cedille FOUNDation is a trademark of World Premiere Recordings The Chicago Classical Recording Foundation Recorded in concert March 10, 1989, in St. 1205 W. Balmoral Ave, Chicago IL 60640 USA Paul’s United Church of Christ, Chicago and Total Time: (71:40) 773.989.2515 tel - 773.989.2517 fax www.cedillerecords.org March 11, 1989, in Christ Church of Oak Brook, CDR 7004 P & © 2010 Cedille Records Oak Brook IL; Richard Werner, engineer All Rights Reserved. Made in U.S.A. DDD 2 3 MUSIC OF WILLIAM FERRIS I believe William Ferris would have Notes by Francis Crociata created his significant body of music even if he had not attracted the William Ferris was a born story- loyal, fervent band of admirers and teller. Through words, gestures, benefactors who followed his career, and the alternately wistful, playful, swapping dubs of the rare orchestral and passionate melodies that were and chamber music performances, the heart of his compositions, he subscribing to season after season of communicated, in vivid detail, his his William Ferris Chorale concerts, experiences of life, love, faith, and art. enjoying the privilege of being I am not the first to observe that the present at the creation of music we quality and beauty of William Ferris’s were convinced would stand the music is far out-of-proportion to its test of time. Having been one of relative obscurity. Nor am I the first their number and having enjoyed to marvel that when Bill was taken the friendship of Bill Ferris for 41 from us in 2000, he left more than 500 years, I can honestly say I have never works for virtually every medium. It is encountered anyone else involved regrettable that his premature death in the making of art who was more (at age 63, as he led his Chorale in the thoroughly convinced that he was opening bars of the “Lux Aeterna” put on this earth for one purpose: of the Verdi Requiem) denied him to create this lyrically conceived and the joy of this disc — the first widely- lucidly expressed music — his music. distributed recording of a significant William Ferris was born in Chicago selection of his orchestral music. This in 1937, the son of Irish-American- is what Bill desired most of all — the Catholic parents. He was the product chance for his music to be heard by of Catholic parochial education, listeners with open ears and open William Ferris the survivor of an extended hos- hearts. Photo by Lisa Howe-Ebright pitalization for polio, and a believing 4 5 Catholic whose faith stayed with him musician to them was also most an informal, master-apprentice basis. more change your style than you can all his life. Habits of study, instilled important to Ferris the composer: One story illustrates the most change your face. So you might as early, also stayed with him. He was they were artists who stayed true important lesson Bill derived from well get used to it and learn to use it. widely and eclectically read in fiction, to their own styles, regardless of his five years in Sowerby’s studio. And besides, Bill, would you really non-fiction, and poetry. During his the winds of fashion. When Bill He had just heard, for the first time, want to be the composer of The Rite long, productive career, in addition encountered that integrity in a fellow a live performance of Stravinsky’s of Spring?” Bill’s answer is heard on to writing music, he constantly composer, his commitment to the this disc — works from the 1960s and The Rite of Spring, presumably at worked as an organist/choirmaster, person and his music was absolute. one of Hans Rosbaud’s memorable 1990s, all exhibiting the composer’s taught composition, and directed Ferris’s own musical gifts were Chicago Symphony concerts. Bill distinctive sound. the William Ferris Chorale, often recognized early. As a child, his was thunderstruck and his sense of In the course of his life, Bill was augmented by an orchestra that over pleasing boy soprano voice was called himself as a creative artist was shaken fortunate to meet and receive the the years became “his” orchestra. upon at the boisterous gatherings of to the core. William Ferris was the help of key figures who provided With his lifelong partner and his extended family, heard at countless most self-reflective person I’ve ever decisive assistance at crucial periods. collaborator, the tenor and poet John morning masses, and won prizes on known and when it came to wrestling Sowerby and Vorrasi were two of Vorrasi, Bill made miraculous music radio amateur hours. As he finished with his own emotions, there was these. So was the legendary Catholic and miraculously raised money to high school, his keyboard skill and nothing half-way. Sowerby, who knew priest and preacher, Bishop Fulton provide a forum for composers such facile score-reading ability won him a thing or two about laboring in J. Sheen, who invited Bill to serve as William Walton, Ned Rorem, David the position of organist at Chicago’s semi-obscurity, assured his protégé as composer-in-residence at his Diamond, Robert Ward, Dominick Holy Name Cathedral, a post he held that any composer “worth his salt” Cathedral in Rochester, NY. There Argento, Howard Hanson, Vincent during his studies with Arthur Becker, would feel humbled and challenged was John Edwards, president of the Persichetti, William Schuman, Gian Paul Stassevitch, and Alexander by this bedrock composition that Chicago Symphony, who arranged a Carlo Menotti, John McCabe, William Tcherepnin at DePaul University. did so much to free the creativity of commission for Bill’s organ concerto, Mathias, and many more, all of whom Bowled over upon discovering 20th century artists. But he added Acclamations, and engaged him to he recognized as kindred spirits. They the Organ Symphony of fellow- that any good composer would play it four times with the Symphony were composers with highly personal Chicagoan Leo Sowerby, he queried look inside himself, find something in Orchestra Hall. And, lastly, Father styles, too conservative for the Dr. Becker and learned that Sowerby worthwhile to say, and get it down on Thomas Healy, who brought Bill to academically prevailing avant garde taught at a local conservatory. Ferris paper. “And forget about copying Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish on and too modern for conservatives. soon became Sowerby’s student on Stravinsky or anyone else. You can no Chicago’s North Side, giving him What attracted Ferris the performing 6 7 the freedom to write and perform lies in the impulse to recreate in of musical color. Although filled with Giuseppe Ungaretti and like the great composer-organists the concert hall the sheer joy this with contrasts, the work flows Eugenio Montale, he is one of the who inspired Ferris — his teacher, moment in the familiar Catholic forward in an inevitable manner. foremost Italian poets of the 20th Sowerby, the Frenchmen Vièrne, liturgy engenders in the faithful. And, The mood is one of fervent prayer century. Quasimodo’s mature style Dupré, Widor, and Messiaen, and the indeed, this is a defining work in the and rich celebration.