NC State Choirs: Illuminate and Rejoice

The NC State Department of Music presents

NC State Choirs

Illuminate and Rejoice

Chamber Singers, University Singers and State Chorale

Dr. Nathan Leaf, conductor
Ariadna Nacianceno, piano
Tom Koch, piano
David Danielson Eaton, organ

Program

State Chorale

Rejoice in the Lamb, Opus 30
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
Soloists: Francesca Balestrieri, Day Steed, Devon Olds and Parker Klinck

University Singers

Jerusalem
Michael McGlynn (b. 1964)
Soloists: Katie Krull, Niasha Kodzai and Sloane Hovey

Ubi Caritas
Michael John Trotta (b. 1978)

Chamber Singers

Sicut Cervus
G. P. da Palestrina (c. 1525-1594)

Exsultate Deo
G. P. da Palestrina

State Chorale

At the Round Earth’s Imagined Corners
Williametta Spencer (b. 1927)

Ave Maris Stella
Trond Kverno (b. 1945)

Chamber Singers

Lumen
Abbie Betinis (b. 1980)

University Singers

Illuminations of Julian of Norwich
Daniel J. Hall (b. 1971)
Soloists: Sloane Hovey, Cadence Olszeski

Cantique de Jean Racine, Opus 11
Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)

Bound for the Promised Land
Stennett, arr. Craig Courtney

Chamber Singers

Laudate Nomen Domini
Christopher Tye (c. 1505-1572)

Lord, For Thy Tender Mercy’s Sake
Richard Farrant (1525-1580)

If Ye Love Me
Thomas Tallis (c. 1505-1585)

State Chorale

In Thy Light, We See Light
Nathan Leaf (b. 1976)
*North Carolina premiere performance

O Radiant Dawn
James MacMillan (b. 1959)

Combined Choirs

I Was Glad
C. Hubert H. Parry (1848-1918)

Welcome and Notes on the Program

The NC State University choirs are thrilled to be performing again at Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral. It is a joy to make music in this beautiful and reverberant space. Our concert tonight is organized around the theme, Illuminate and Rejoice, and features music intended for and well-suited to a space such as this.

The longest work on the program is also the first. Rejoice in the Lamb is a seminal work in sacred Western choral music. Composed by Britten in 1943, the lengthy text is taken from a longer work, Jubilate Agno, by the 18^th-century writer, Christopher Smart, who composed the poem while in an asylum. Occasionally chaotic in form and evoking creative images, the poem depicts idiosyncratic praise and worship of God by all sorts of different things including animals, musical instruments, and even letters of the alphabet. 

The rest of the concert features a wide variety of sacred music, both ancient and modern. Settings of ancient texts and music are paired with modern texts and music. The two works by Palestrina, Sicut Cervus and Exsultate Deo are gems of the choral cannon. Cantique de Jean Racine is also a favorite of many singers. Alongside these, the concert will feature many works by living composers, including the North Carolina premiere of Nathan Leaf’s In Thy Light, We See Light. The concert will conclude with all the choirs combining to sing the English composer C. H. H. Parry’s I Was Glad, a majestic choral classic. The text, consisting of verses from Psalm 122, has been traditionally sung for centuries in the Church of England at the coronation of the British monarch. Parry’s setting of the text, written in 1902, is arguably the most famous setting in this long tradition that includes works by such notable composers as Henry Purcell and William Boyce.

We are so glad you have joined us this evening. Enjoy the concert.

State Chorale

Soprano

Sharanya Ananth
Patricia Costes
Lindsey Cox
Sofia Leander
Margaret Lucas
Maddie Martin
Emily Morris
Anna Muchukot
Mollie Powell
Kaitlyn Riley
Mary Schrader
Jade Vogelsong

Alto

Kathryn Adams
Francesca Balestrieri
Elise Boorom
Lily Campbell
Sonia Dubiansky
Sammie Graff
Nizhoni Henry
Katherine Hunt
Liz Marsh
Charmaine Pereira
Tsedey Pretto
Lily Rowland
Zoë Smith
Day Steed
Sara Trimesh

Tenor

Michael Clark
Drew Colven
Justin Farmer
Dylan Magistrado
Devon Olds
Mason Sluder
Samuel Tucker

Bass

Niko Ayers
Kevin Ballesteros
Jack Bishop
Ryan Bishop
Coltan Compton
Ryan Faucette
Parker Klinck
Trevor Libner
Ian McGregor
Noel Osagie
Landon Perry
Radim Ptak
Benjamin Radspinner
Alex Yoshizumi

University Singers

Soprano

Janet Brock
Rebecca Brown
Kat Caughron
Abby Dayton
Hayden Driver
Charlotte Edwards
Katie Farrell
Sam Hayes
Emma Johnson
Varsha Karuturi
Natascha Kraus Feld
Sara Lafortune
Kaitlyn Lincoln
Alicia Marrero
Cadence Olszeski
Julia Reinbold
Maddie Saltzman
Sarah Savage
Olivia Smith
Katie Thompson
Emily Vera

Alto

Alyssa Allen
Tessa Bowers
Zofia Cavalli
Preethi Coulter
Novi de Britto
Maria Diaz
Rachel Falkowski
Alexandra Fountain
Kayden Foyles
Kira Hageness
Jolie-Dean Hipps
Sloane Hovey
Dani Huston
Hannah King
Niasha Kodzai
Katie Krull
Sheena Perdiz
Anna Russell
Cecilia Shaw
Eva Vestal
Ruthie Wainwright
Carynne White

Tenor

Jacob Cassell
Howard Jacobs
Jack Medlock
Kyle Setzer
Ty Smoak
Logan Tyler
Amar Woodrow
Yanzee Zhang

Bass

Christopher Bacogeorge
Parker Bolton
Graham Otten
Bennett Perry
Sadie Reese
Ben Rutledge
Michael Voight

Chamber Singers

Kathryn Adams, mezzo soprano
Sharanya Ananth, soprano
Francesca Balestrieri, mezzo soprano
Parker Klinck, baritone
Dylan Magistrado, tenor
Maddie Martin, soprano
Anna Muchukot, soprano
Devon Olds, tenor
Charmaine Pereira, contralto
Landon Perry, baritone
Samuel Tucker, tenor

Selected Texts and Translations

Rejoice in the Lamb
(Christopher Smart, 1722-1771)

Rejoice in God, O ye Tongues;
Give the glory to the Lord,
And the Lamb.
Nations, and languages,
And every Creature
In which is the breath of Life.
Let man and beast appear before him,
And magnify his name together.
Let Nimrod, the mighty hunter,
Bind a leopard to the altar
And consecrate his spear to the Lord.

Let Ishmail dedicate a tyger,
And give praise for the liberty
In which the Lord has let him at large.

Let Balaam appear with an ass,
And bless the Lord his people
And his creatures for a reward eternal.

Let Daniel come forth with a lion,
And praise God with all his might
Through faith in Christ Jesus.

Let Ithamar minister with a chamois,
And bless the name of Him
That cloatheth the naked.

Let Jakim with the satyr
Bless God in the dance,
Dance, dance, dance.

Let David bless with the bear
The beginning of victory to the Lord,
To the Lord the perfection of excellence.

Hallelujah, hallelujah,
Hallelujah for the heart of God,
And from the hand of the artist inimitable,
And from the echo of the heavenly harp
In sweetness magnifical and mighty.
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.

For I will consider my cat Jeoffry.
For he is the servant of the living God.
Duly and daily serving him.

For at the first glance
Of the glory of God in the East
He worships in his way.
For this is done by wreathing his body
Seven times round with elegant quickness.
For he knows that God is his saviour.
For God has bless’d him
In the variety of his movements.
For there is nothing sweeter
Than his peace when at rest.

For I am possessed of a cat,
Surpassing in beauty,
From whom I take occasion
To bless Almighty God.

For the Mouse is a creature
Of great personal valour.
For this is a true case–
Cat takes female mouse,
Male mouse will not depart,
but stands threat’ning and daring.
If you will let her go,
I will engage you,
As prodigious a creature as you are.

For the Mouse is a creature
Of great personal valour.
For the Mouse is of
An hospitable disposition.

For the flowers are great blessings.
For the flowers are great blessings.
For the flowers have their angels,
Even the words of God’s creation.
For the flower glorifies God
And the root parries the adversary.
For there is a language of flowers.
For the flowers are peculiarly
The poetry of Christ.

For I am under the same accusation
With my Savior,
For they said,
He is besides himself.
For the officers of the peace
Are at variance with me,
And the watchman smites me
With his staff.
For the silly fellow, silly fellow,
Is against me,
And belongeth neither to me
Nor to my family.
For I am in twelve hardships,
But he that was born of a virgin
Shall deliver me out of all,
Shall deliver me out of all.

For H is a spirit
And therefore he is God.
For K is king
And therefore he is God.
For L is love
And therefore he is God.
For M is musick
And therefore he is God.
And therefore he is God.

For the instruments are by their rhimes,
For the shawm rhimes are lawn fawn and the like.
For the shawm rhimes are moon boon and the like.
For the harp rhimes are sing ring and the like.
For the harp rhimes are ring string and the like.
For the cymbal rhimes are bell well and the like.
For the cymbal rhimes are toll soul and the like.
For the flute rhimes are tooth youth and the like.
For the flute rhimes are suit mute and the like.
For the bassoon rhimes are pass class and the like.
For the dulcimer rhimes are grace place and the like.
For the clarinet rhimes are clean seen and the like.
For the trumpet rhimes are sound bound and the like.

For the trumpet of God is a blessed intelligence
And so are all the instruments in Heav’n.
For God the Father Almighty plays upon the harp
Of stupendous magnitude and melody.
For at that time malignity ceases
And the devils themselves are at peace.
For this time is perceptible to man
By a remarkable stillness and serenity of soul.

Hallelujah, hallelujah,
Hallelujah for the heart of God,
And from the hand of the artist inimitable,
And from the echo of the heavenly harp
In sweetness magnifical and mighty.
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.

Ubi Caritas
(ancient hymn)

Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est. Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor. Exultemus, et in ipso iucundemur. Timeamus, et amemus Deum vivum. Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero. Amen.

Where charity and love are, God is there. Christ’s love has gathered us into one. Let us rejoice and be pleased in Him. Let us fear, and let us love the living God. And may we love each other with sincere heart. Amen.

Sicut Cervus
(Psalm 42:1)

Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum, ita desiderat anima mea ad te, Deus.

Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks, so longeth my soul after thee, O God.

Exultate Deo
(Psalm 81)

Exsultate Deo adiutori nostro, iubilate deo Iacob. Sumite psalmum et date tympanum, psalterium iucundum cum cythara, buccinate in neomenia tuba in insigni die solemnitatis vestrae.

Rejoice in God our helper: sing aloud to the God of Jacob. Take the psalm and bring hither the timbrel: the merry harp with the lute. Blow the trumpet in the new moon, even on our solemn feast day.

Ave Maris Stella
(medieval Marian hymn)

Ave, maris stella, Dei mater alma, atque semper virgo, Felix cæli porta. Sumens illud Ave Gabrielis ore, funda nos in pace, mutans Evæ nomen. Solve vincla reis, profer lumen cæcis, mala nostra pelle, bona cuncta posce. Monstra te esse matrem, sumat per te precem qui pro nobis natus tulit esse tuus. Virgo singularis, inter omnes mitis, nos culpis solutos mites fac et castos. Vitam præsta puram, iter para tutum, ut videntes Jesum semper collætemur. Sit laus Deo Patri, summo Christo decus, Spiritui Sancto tribus honor unus. Amen

Hail, star of the sea, Nurturing Mother of God, And ever Virgin Happy gate of Heaven Receiving that “Ave” From the mouth of Gabriel, Establish us in peace, Transforming the name of Eve. Loosen the chains of the guilty, Send forth light to the blind, Our evil do thou dispel, Entreat (for us) all good things. Show thyself to be a Mother: Through thee may he receive prayer Who, being born for us, Undertook to be thine own. O unique Virgin, Meek above all others, Make us, set free from (our) sins, Meek and chaste. Bestow a pure life, Prepare a safe way: That seeing Jesus, We may ever rejoice. Praise be to God the Father, To the Most High Christ (be) glory, To the Holy Spirit (Be) honor, to the Three equally. Amen.

Lumen
(historical Latin)

Lumen accipe et imperti. Do ut des.

Receive the light and pass it on. I give that you may give.

Cantique de Jean Racine
(Jean Racine, 1639-1699)

Verbe, égal au Très-Haut, notre unique espérance, Jour éternel de la terre et des cieux; De la paisible nuit nous rompons le silence, Divin Sauveur, jette sur nous les yeux.   Répands sur nous le feu de ta grâce puissante, Que tout l’enfer fuie au son de ta voix; Dissipe le sommeil d’une âme languissante, Qui la conduit à l’oubli de tes lois!   O Christ, sois favorable à ce peuple fidèle Pour te bénir maintenant rassemblé. Reçois les chants qu’il offre à ta gloire immortelle, Et de tes dons qu’il retourne comblé!

O Word, equal of the Most High, Our sole hope, eternal day of earth and the heavens, We break the silence of the peaceful night. Divine Savior, cast Thine eyes upon us!   Shed the light of Thy mighty grace upon us. Let all Hell flee at the sound of Thy voice. Dispel the slumber of a languishing soul That leads it to the forgetting of Thy laws!   O Christ, be favorable unto this faithful people Now gathered to bless Thee. Receive the hymns it offers unto Thine immortal glory And may it return laden with Thy gifts.

Laudate nomen Domini
(from Psalm 112)

Laudate nomen Domini, vos servi Domini; ab ortu solis usque ad occasum ejus. Decreta Dei justa sunt, et cor exhilarant: laudate Deum principes et omnes populi.

Praise the name of the Lord, ye servants of the Lord; from the rising of the sun until the same setting. The decrees of the Lord are just, and [their] heart is glad: Praise the Lord ye princes and all ye people.