06-22 DCINY_CH Rental 6/11/14 10:21 AM Page 1 Sunday Afternoon, June 22, 2014, at 2:00 Isaac Stern Auditorium / Ronald O. Perelman Stage Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) Iris Derke, Co-Founder and General Director Jonathan Griffith, Co-Founder and Artistic Director presents Under the Western Sky Hometown Praise: Music from Utah UTAH VOICES and THE LEGACY BRASS ENSEMBLE MICHAEL D. HUFF, Director CARRIE MORRIS, Accompanist WILLIAM WALKER “Saints Bound for Heaven” from arr. Mack Wilberg The Southern Harmony (1835) KURT BESTOR “Prayer of the Children” arr. Andrea S. Klouse LEROY ROBERTSON “The Lord’s Prayer” from Oratorio from the Book of Mormon Music by J. ELLIS “How Firm a Foundation” Lyrics by ROBERT KEEN arr. Mack Wilberg Music by CRAWFORD Selections from Promised Valley GATES, Lyrics by ARNOLD SUNDGAARD WILLIAM CLAYTON “Come, Come Ye Saints” arr. Mack Wilberg SAMUEL A. WARD “America, the Beautiful” arr. Michael D. Huff IRISH FOLK SONG “Be Thou My Vision” arr. Michael D. Huff ENGLISH FOLK SONG “Thou Gracious God, Whose Mercy Lends” arr. Mack Wilberg Intermission PLEASE SWITCH OFF YOUR CELL PHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES. 06-22 DCINY_CH Rental 6/11/14 10:21 AM Page 2 MARIACHI ESPUELAS DE PLATA NORTH SIDE HIGH SCHOOL (TX) RAMON NIÑO III, Director IMELDA MARTINEZ, Director PEPE GUIZAR “Tema y Guadalajara” arr. Crescencio Hernández/ Carlos Martinez TRADITIONAL “Trompetas del Diablo” Polka arr. José Hernández VERACRUZ FOLK SONG “El Alegre” arr. José Hernández / Eduardo López DISTINGUISHED CONCERT SINGERS INTERNATIONAL CRISTIAN GRASES, DCINY Debut Conductor CARLOS CUEVAS, Piano WALDO CHAVEZ, Bass AARON SERFATY, Percussion DAWN DRAKE, Percussion ALBERTO GRAU “El Viento ” from Opereta Ecológica ALBERTO GRAU “La Cucaracha” LARRY FARROW “Jamaican Market Place” CRISTIAN GRASES Gloria (World Premiere) Gloria Te Alabamos Señor Dios Porque Solo Tú Am én CRISTIAN GRASES “Tottoyo” CRISTIAN GRASES “Calypso “ We Want to Hear From You! Upload your intermission photos and post-show feedback to Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. #UndertheWesternSky | @DCINY 06-22 DCINY_CH Rental 6/11/14 10:21 AM Page 3 Notes ON THE PROGRAM Hometown Praise: Music from Utah Evidence of Utah’s rich history reaches The Mormon settlers were people of deep back about 12,000 years, as the area faith, and it was a combination of their now known as Utah was inhabited distinctive doctrine and flourishing by Paleolithic peoples (10,000–8,000 popu lation that led to troubles with their B.C.), and Desert Archaic people (ca. neighbors in Missouri and Illinois. The 8,000 B.C.). The land was unoccupied Mormons were driven at gunpoint from for thousands of years as the Great their frontier homes, and ultimately the Basin was covered with water. The decision was made by church leaders to Fremont and Puebloan cultures flour - leave the United States and seek safety ished separately for hundreds of years among the mountain valleys of what was thereafter. And in about A.D. 1200, the then Mexican territory. They travelled by Shoshone, Goshutes, Utes, and Paiutes covered wagon and on foot, many pulling inhabited the land. In the 16th century, handcarts, from Iowa to Utah in, what the Navajo and Apache lived in parts of historians call, the great Mormon migra- what is now Utah. tion. From these troubled beginnings, Utah has flourished to become a center of Spanish explorers during the 16th and culture and commerce. The population is 17th centuries passed through but did still LDS-dominant, and Utahans cele - not settle in Utah. Fur trappers, includ - brate their unusual heritage each July 24 ing Jim Bridger, explored the area. But by commemorating Mormon leader, Brig- it wasn’t until 1847—when early mem - ham Young’s entrance into the Salt Lake bers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Valley. The first half of today’s program Latter-day Saints (LDS), also known as seeks to capture some of the fervor and Mormon pioneers, entered the valley of faith of Utah’s present-day inhabitants by the Great Salt Lake—that the land was offering music created by Utah composers permanently settled. that connect history with present-day life. WILLIAM WALKER “ Saints Bound for Heaven” from The Southern Harmony “Saints Bound for Heaven” comes church-goers during the 19th century. from The Southern Harmony , a shape- Arranger Mack Wilberg (b. 1955) has note hymn and tune book compiled by taken four of the original seven verses William Walker, originally printed in to create a thrilling anthem that speaks 1835 and in regular use by American of deliverance and rejoicing. 06-22 DCINY_CH Rental 6/11/14 10:21 AM Page 4 KURT BESTOR “ Prayer of the Children” As a young man, Kurt Bestor (b. 1958), a then witnessed the tragedy of war in that Utah composer best known for his work land, his deep emotional connection with in film and commercial music, served as a those people led him to write “Prayer of missionary for the LDS Church in the for - the Children,” a poignant plea for peace mer Yugoslavia. After he returned, and in a troubled world. LEROY ROBERTSON “ The Lord’s Prayer” from Oratorio from the Book of Mormon Leroy Robertson (1896–1971) was per - his best-known works is “The Lord’s haps one of Utah’s best-known 20th Prayer,” taken from his Oratorio from century composers, having studied with the Book of Mormon (1953), and Ernest Bloch at the San Francisco recorded by the Mormon Tabernacle Conservatory of Music, and later with Choir (the “flip side” of this single was Hugo Leichtentritt in Berlin. Among The Battle Hymn of the Republic ). J. ELLIS “ How Firm a Foundation” Mack Wilberg’s setting of the Christian LDS Hymnal . It is one of the few hymn hymn, “How Firm a Foundation” was texts in which Our Lord speaks in the a favorite of Confederate General first person, offering words of hope: Robert E. Lee, and is a staple in the “I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!” CRAWFORD GATES Selections from Promised Valley In 1946, then 25-year-old Utah composer, was signed as the lead in Promised Crawford Gates (b. 1921) was asked t o Valley , along with Jet McDonald and a write a musical to commemorate the strong cast of local actors in supporting 100th anniversary of the Mormon settle - roles. Lowell Lees directed the show, ment of the Salt Lake Valley. His instruc - with Utah Symphony conductor Maurice tions were to create “the Oklahoma of the Abravanel directing the music. The per - Mormons.” The resulting musical pro - formance was staged at the University of duction, Promised Valley , with book Utah stadium to audiences that exceeded and lyrics by Arnold Sundgaard, told the 10,000, and the show ran for more than story of the Mormon migration across a month in 1947. It subsequently played the Great Plains to Utah through the for 19 summers at the Promised Valley eyes of a young couple. Alfred Drake, Playhouse in Salt Lake City, and has who had been singing and starring on enjoyed countless revivals among LDS Broadway for four years in Oklahoma , communities and congregations. 06-22 DCINY_CH Rental 6/11/14 10:21 AM Page 5 WILLIAM CLAYTON “ Come, Come, Ye Saints” William Clayton was an early English wives, Diantha, had given birth to a convert to the LDS Church, and migrat - healthy baby boy, William Adriel Benoni ed with the Mormons to Utah. In April Clayton. In his journal, he wrote “… [I] 1846, while camped near Locust Creek composed a new song, ‘All is Well.’ I feel on the plains of Iowa, Clayton wrote the to thank my heavenly father for my boy words to the LDS hymn, now known as and pray that he will spare and preserve “Come, Come, Ye Saints” which is sung his life and that of his mother and so to the music of a traditional English order it so that we may soon meet song, “All is Well.” The hymn was in again .” For today’s Latter-day Saints, response to good news from Mormons this hymn is a much-loved anthem of still living in Nauvoo. One of his plural faith and hope. SAMUEL A. WARD “ America, the Beautiful” Utah celebrates two major holidays in United States to the Valley of the Great July: the 4th of July commemorates the Salt Lake. Utahans are proudly patriotic, signing of the Declaration of Indepen- and Michael Huff’s setting of “America, dence and the 24th of July commemo - the Beautiful” gives voice to Utah’s rates the Mormon Exodus from the hometown pride. IRISH FOLK SONG “ Be Thou My Vision” Folk and hymn tunes from the British Dallán Forgaill in the 6th century. The Isles permeate Utah’s hymnody. The English text was first versified by Eleanor original Old Irish text of “Be Thou My Hull in 1912. Michael D. Huff has set the Vision” is often attributed to Saint text to an old Irish Folk tune. ENGLISH FOLK SONG “ Thou Gracious God, Whose Mercy Lends” Oliver Wendell Holmes penned the “The Water is Wide”. With words of text, “Thou Gracious God, Whose thanks, and a resounding Amen , we Mercy Lends,” which speaks of home, end our program of hometown praise, fidelity, friendship, loving ties, and the music of faith by Utah composers, sung love of God. Mack Wilberg has set by Utah Voice s. the text to the English folk tune, “O Waly, Waly,” more popularly known as —Program notes by Michael D. Huff 06-22 DCINY_CH Rental 6/11/14 10:21 AM Page 6 ALBERTO GRAU “ El Viento” from Opereta Ecológica Alberto Grau was born in Spain in 1937 textures from Latin America and the and relocated to Venezuela at an early Caribbean, rhythmic motives that age.