Saturday, December 18, 2004 8:00 p.m.
Ford Community & Performing Arts Center
Dearborn, Michigan
Vanguard Voices & Brass
• G. Kevin Dewey, Director
Gloria* Ryan
D. Neaveill
O Magnum Mysterium Frank
La Rocca
Gloria* Edmund
Jolliffe
A Basque Lullaby* Dan
Forrest
Song of Reflection/Psalms of Praise** Augustus
O. Hill
*Vanguard
Premieres Choral Composition Contest: Honorable Mention
**Commissioned by Vanguard Voices
Dearborn Community Chorus
• Steven H. Olsen, Director
Repertoire to be announced
Vanguard Voices & Brass
and
Dearborn Community Chorus
A Hymn to the Virgin
Benjamin Britten
Ave Maria Franz
Biebl
Heilig Felix
Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
In Dulci Jubilo Old
German carol, arr. R. L. Pearsall
Carol of the Bells M.
Leontovich, arr. Peter J. Wilhousky
Carol Sing-Along
The concert will also include selections by Vanguard Brass Quintet.
Reserved Tickets: $14,
$11, $8
Program Notes
by Pamela Willwerth Aue
Vanguard Voices Repertoire
Vanguard Voices is pleased to be giving world premiere performances of four new works this evening. A Basque Lullaby and both settings of Gloria were awarded honorable mention in the 2004 Vanguard Premieres Choral Composition Contest; Song of Reflection/Psalms of Praise was commissioned by Vanguard Voices.
Gloria. Ryan D. Neaveill received his bachelor’s degree in music composition and theory in 1989 from Illinois Wesleyan University. He has served as the Minister of Music at Grace United Methodist Church in Decatur since 2002. Neaveill is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers; the American Choral Directors Association; the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers; and the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts. In Gloria, Neaveill makes dynamic use of metrical shifts, with 5/8 and 6/8 rhythms that convey the excitement of praise—“Glory to God in the highest!”—alternating with the more tranquil 4/4 phrases that portray the hope for peace on earth to those of good will.
O Magnum Mysterium. Frank La Rocca received a B.A. in Music from Yale University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in composition from the University of California at Berkeley. He is Head of Composition and Theory at California State University, Hayward. Although this shimmering setting of the timeless text of O Magnum Mysterium came to Vanguard Voices through the Composition Contest, its premiere performance took place in North Carolina earlier this year.
Gloria. Edmund Jolliffe studied at Oxford and the Royal College of Music and has won recognition for numerous works. His commissions include Piano 40 (Purcell Room, 2001), the Chapel Royal, St. James’ Palace (1997) and the choir of St. Margaret’s Church, Westminster. His latest work, Electric City, was recently premiered in London by the Kensington Chamber Orchestra. Gloria, with its upbeat and rhythmic style that employs multiple meters and recurring patterns of syncopation, was composed as a joyous celebration and interpretation of the text.
A Basque Lullaby. Dan Forrest received a B.Mus. and an M.Mus. in Piano Performance from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. A faculty member at BJU, he is currently on leave of absence, pursuing a D.M.A. in composition at the University of Kansas. In A Basque Lullaby, the third and final movement of a suite of a cappella choral settings of children’s poems, a traditional verse from the disappearing Basque culture is poignantly wrapped in a soothing melody and tucked in all around with gentle, lilting harmonies.
Song of Reflection/Psalms of Praise. About these works, composer Augustus O. Hill has written: “Song of Reflection begins with a verse from Psalm 39 and contemplates the reality that, regardless of its duration, one’s life, indeed, is short, when compared to eternity. Psalms of Praise is simply a joyful celebration, having a text which includes several familiar verses coming from chapters 18, 23, 27, 144, and 150 of the Book of Psalms.” Bitonality, jazz harmonies, rapidly shifting meters, and recurring gospel motifs combine to make this an exciting challenge for the choristers of Vanguard Voices.
Combined Chorus Repertoire
(Vanguard Voices and Dearborn Community Chorus)A Hymn to the Virgin. This piece was composed in 1930 when Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) was not yet seventeen. The 13th-century text is an example of a type of verse that combines Latin, the language of the church, with the vernacular, or language of the people. This configuration first appeared in carols of the Middle Ages, which were based on popular dances and folk music. Some scholars believe that the introduction of Latin phrases into these singable tunes was a way for the clergy to claim the popular music of the day for the purpose of reaching the masses. By the 16th century, this form of poetry had become known as “macaronic.” The often comic verse form was indeed named after the dish made of a coarse mixture of flour, butter, cheese, and assorted spices that was then called “macaroni.” In this work, Britten calls attention to the macaronic verse formula by dividing the text amongst two groups of singers: one provides the arching melody line in English, while the other answers in Latin.
Ave Maria. A highly respected figure in German choral music during the 20th century, Franz Biebl (1906-2001) is best known in the United States for this polychoral setting of the familiar Ave Maria text. Its current popularity with American choristers stems from its revival in 1994 by the San Francisco-based men’s ensemble, Chanticleer. Biebl’s association with this country began in 1944 when, having been drafted into service on behalf of Germany in World War II, he was captured by American troops. He spent his POW time at Michigan’s Fort Custer, near Battle Creek. He later said of the experience, “I learned to know the Americans and a little bit of American life . . . . [They] helped me to arrange concerts with choir, soloists and chamber music.”
Heilig. Despite a lifespan of less than four decades, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847) was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century. Educated in Italy, England, Scotland, and Wales, he earned popular and professional respect wherever he traveled and worked. His compositional style—bridging the structural restraint of classicism with the intensity of emotion and spirit that characterizes romanticism—is evident in his liturgical choral works, such as the Missa breve (short Mass) for double choir, of which Heilig is the third division.
In Dulci Jubilo. This old German Christmas hymn, familiar to Americans as “Good Christian Men, Rejoice,” is an early example of macaronic verse. Over six centuries old, the original text was a mixture of Latin and German set to a monophonic tune—meaning there was melody only. Praetorius and J. S. Bach were among the illustrious composers who eventually created multipart choral voicings for the tune. The text has been modified and tailored for both Catholic and Protestant settings. In this edition, which makes fine use of two full choirs and a solo trio, the melody is inseparably woven into soaring harmonies that tell us, without having to use the words, “This is Christmas!”
Carol of the Bells. One of the most often performed works of Christmas choral music, Carol of the Bells began its life as a Ukrainian New Year’s carol written by one of the Ukraine’s most popular composers. First performed in 1916, it by students at Kiev University and soon became a popular addition to the repertoire sung by carolers on Schedrij Vechir (New Year’s Eve; January 13 by the Julian calendar). In 1936, Peter J. Wilhousky penned a Christmas text in English and arranged the bell motif harmony to accompany the spirited Ukrainian carol tune, and a new American holiday classic was born.