Welcome

God Bless Our Family

Fall 2008 Concert

Dan Krynak, Artistic Director
Jeffrey Cogan, Accompanist
Renee Bartholomew, Percussion
 

Program Notes

This is the first Christmas concert ever presented by the chorus. There is so much beautiful, joyous, jazzy and yes, silly, Christmas music in the choral repertoire, that it just seemed about time to bring some to our audiences. And we've got a couple of Hanukkah songs, too.

We sing this concert in English, Latin, Yiddish, German, and Spanish with a few other languages thrown in - Native American, Xhosa, Zulu, Afrikaans, Hebrew. The music stretches through history, from carols whose origins are unknown to modern compositions. The songs speak of the profound mystery of the birth of Jesus and the agonies of the modern shopping season, of Hanukkah in the early part of the 20th century and of creating a new South African nation in unity.

There is something in this concert for everyone, just as there is something in the Christmas season for everyone, not just Christians. It's a "magical, lyrical, annual miracle" and we wish you and your loved ones the very best wishes of the season.

	Ave Maria Arranged by: Jacob Arcadelt
	Angelus ad Pastores Ait Arranged by: David Burks Carol Sing A Long: Angels We Have Heard on High, Felice Navidad, We Wish You a Merry Christmas
	We Need A Little Christmas Jerry Herman Arranged by: Roger Emerson
	Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head Appalachian Carol Arranged by: Gwynn S. Bement and John Jacob Niles Soloists: Laura Dalton, Nora Carreras, Ginny DeChristopher, Cathy Nelson
	Huron Carol Traditional Arranged by: Edward Henderson
	Two Songs for Hanukkah
	Borukh Ate, Zingt Der Tate Avron Reisen and Solomon Golub
	We Come To You Children S. Tsesler and L. Dreytsel Arranged by: William Zukof and Elliot Z. Levine
	Stille Nacht Joseph Mohr and Franz Gruber Philip Lawson Guitar: Janie Womack
	Come, Colours Rise Grant McLachlan and Frank Barry
	God Bless My Family Ann Hampton Callaway Arranged by: Mac Huff Soloists: Donna, Laury, Cathy
	Nanita Lullaby Spanish Carol Arranged by: Earlene Rentz Guitar: Janie Womack
	Riu, Riu, Chiu Spanish Carol Arranged by: Russell Robinson Soloist: Nora Carreras
	The Holly and the Ivy 18th Century Carol Arranged by: Kirby Shaw
	Dashing Through the Slush Philip Hagemann Guest conductor: Caeden DelVuo
	Wassailin' Traditional English Carol Arranged by: Clifton J. Noble, Jr.
	Coming Out On Christmas Craig Sturgis Arranged by: Dean X. Johnson
	White Christmas Irving Berlin Arranged by: Roy Ringwald Guest Pianists: Nora Carreras and Cheryl Huber
	The Twelve Days of Christmas Traditional English Arranged by: Peter Harvey

Program Notes

	Ave Maria. What better way to start a concert of women's voices than with the traditional prayer for the intervention of the mother of Jesus. This arrangement of Ave Maria was written by Jacob Arcadelt, a Flemish composer who was born in 1505. This "homophonic" style was new for its time. (Homophonic just means the voices move together at the same time creating chords, as opposed to polyphonic, where voices move independently.) The translated text is: Hail Mary, full of grace: the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.
	Angelus ad Pastores Ait. "The Angel said to the Shepherds" is a text taken from Luke 2:8-11. It is the second antiphon for Morning Prayer of Christmas Day. This setting was written for the women of the Torrance Civic Chorale in 2002. The translated text is: The angel said to the shepherds: I bring you tidings of great joy for unto you is borth this day the Savior of the world. Alleluia!
	We Need A Little Christmas was written in 1966 for the hot musical Mame and has become a holiday standard. It's been performed by Angela Lansbury, the Muppets, Johnny Mathis and now, CPWC.
	Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head is an Southern Appalachian (Kentucky) carol and was collected and arranged by John Jacob Niles (1892 - 1980). He didn't state the source or date of his version but he collected in that area in 1912-13 and 1932-24. Niles was an American composer, singer and collector of traditional ballads, and an important influence on the folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s.
	Huron Carol is Canada's oldest Christmas song, written in 1643 by Jean de Brébeuf, a Jesuit missionary among the Hurons. He wrote the lyrics in Huron to a French carol; they were translated into English in 1926. The translated version used images from the Native American setting rather than the traditional Nativity story. The original version spoke less about the baby and more about those who found him and greeted him with reverence (literally, "greased his scalp"). The name of God used in the hymn, Gitchi Manitou, is actually Algonquin.
	Songs for Hanukkah, one sung in Yiddish and one in English, convey the participants' sense of wonder at the Festival of Lights. Borukh Ate, Zingt Der Tate tells the story of the holiday in a poor immigrant household from the point of view of a child: "Bless these candles," sings my papa with such humble grace, and the flicker of the flames lights his weary face. As the holy fire kindles in his eyes, my tired and worn-out papa straightens up and smiles. I can see and I can feel that papa is still strong, and I smile and love him dearly. Holy is his song. Ancient prayers, long forgotten? No, they ring out clear. >Sing, my father, "Bless these candles" for your child to hear.
	We Come To You Children is sung in 18th century style, but is actually from a Buenos Aires children's songbook.
	Stille Nacht, Silent Night, is the traditional carol, sung in German with guitar accompaniment, the way it was written and performed originally in 1818.
	Come, Colours Rise is a South African Christmas Anthem, dedicated to Desmond Tutu. The inspiration for the song was Tutu's reference to the South Africans as the "Rainbow Nation." The rainbow and other images refer both to the natural beauty of the country and to the many colours of its people. The Xhosa words (a language related to Zulu) echo the English - "come, colours rise, under African skies. Christ has come!" The composers point out that so many Christmas carols mention snow, which most South Africans have never seen. In its first words, we are reminded that Christmas in the southern hemisphere takes place in the summer.
	God Bless My Family Callaway is a jazz and pop singer-songwriter. She wrote and performed the theme song from "The Nanny" TV show. Her writing embraces many styles- romantic ballads, humorous novelty songs, inspirational anthems, jazz and bossa nova. Ann devotes much of her time to philanthropic causes, both as a singer performing in numerous benefits, and as a songwriter composing songs in times of need. This song was written at the height of the AIDS epidemic. Ann was getting ready for Christmas and all of the friends she had lost came rushing into her soul; this song came rushing out.
	Nanita Lullaby is based on a Spanish carol. The song is sung by a person to whom the child is dear, probably a grandmother or great aunt. She sings: "My child is sleepy. He will be blessed. Like a fountain that runs clear with the sounds of running water, like a bird singing in the forest, he sings and cries. He is quieted in the cradle that is swinging."
	Ríu, Ríu, Chíu (river, roaring river) was written in the Renaissance in approximately 1550. This was a traditional call the Spanish shepherds used when guarding their flocks by the river. The carol is a metaphor for the shepherd (God) guarding the lamb (Christ Child) from the black wolf (the Devil).
	The Holly and the Ivy is a jazzy version of the traditional carol.
	Dashing Through the Slush describes today's experiences in the mall.
	Wassailin' was arranged for a vocal jazz ensemble. It's rowdy and raucous all over the town.
	This arrangement of Irving Berlin's White Christmas is ethereally beautiful with its four-hand piano arrangement.
	The Twelve Days of Christmas are December 25 through January 6. The song could date from as early as the sixteenth century. The cumulative costs of the items mentioned in the song have been used as a form of economic indicator (maintained by PNC Bank). The arranger, Peter Harvey, is a tenor and comedian.