JS Bach, Magnificat - Musicians of St Clare

Musicians of St. Clare
J. S. Bach, Magnificat
with the Weihnachts Oratorium 2nd movement
St. Paul Lutheran Church
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Denver, Colorado
3:00 p.m.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The choir wishes to thank the following for their ongoing generous support of the choir, and encourages you to visit them and thank them personally for this support.
Bull and Bush Restaurant and Brewery—Glendale,
for their most excellent post-rehearsal hospitality
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church—Denver,
for the use of their sanctuary for rehearsal
Saint Paul Lutheran Church—Denver,
for inclusion in their Music at St Paul concert series
Trattoria on Pearl—Boulder,
for generous hospitality to our Volunteer Appreciation Dinner
Dolce Sicilia—Wheat Ridge,
for the fine Italian pastries provided to our volunteer staff
Boss Printing—Broomfield,
for their fine printing of our publicity and program materials
Spirit of Christ Catholic Community—Arvada,
for hosting our sung evening prayer services
Imagine a Better World—Castle Pines,
for professional recording services
Colorado Ushers—Denver,
for providing concert staff
Volunteer Match—Denver,
for volunteer recruitment on volunteermatch.org
ArtReach—Denver,
for distribution of unsold tickets to underserved populations in the Denver area
Pergamentum Solutions—Medford, Mass,
for web hosting services
King Soopers & Safeway
for their contributions to our Appreciation Dinner
GoodSearch.com and GoodShop.com,
for continuing donations to the nonprofit world.
And last, but by no means least, our Volunteers:
Tom Beckwith—artistic design and program notes, Beyer Patton—program layout and printing
support, Joyce Randolph—research, Kayla Allen—Stage Manager,
and all the ushers, ticket takers, and other staff we rely on for generosity of time and spirit.
Please thank them for their hospitality and kindness on your way out.
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Carma Romano-Lamorte
C
arma Romano-LaMorte began her musical education in the San Francisco Bay
Area, under such noted conductors as Maestro
Vincenzo Giannini and Hugo Rinaldi of the
San Francisco Opera. Her early liturgical education was in the Dominican tradition, with
the Dominican Congregation of San Rafael,
and at the San Domenico School.
After secondary school, she entered the
Oberlin College Conservatory of Music in
Ohio, where she held a double major in violin
performance and choral conducting, studying
with members of the New Hungarian String
Quartet, and with famed choral conductor
Daniel Moe.
After a summer fellowship at the Aspen
Music Festival in Colorado, graduate school
took her to New York, where she was enrolled
at Sarah Lawrence College and the Juilliard
School. She studied violin with Dorothy Delay,
and was a member of the Sixten Ehrling Conductors Master Class at Juilliard. She studied
counterpoint with noted American composer
David Diamond, and choral conducting with
Harold Aks.
In 1977, Romano-LaMorte made her first
appearances in Switzerland and Austria as
assistant conductor of the Sarah Lawrence
College Choir. That same year, she won the
Choral Conductors’ Prize at the International
Bach Festival in San Moritz, Switzerland. The
jury was chaired by Sir Neville Marinner, with
whom she completed post-graduate study in
London.
Romano-LaMorte came to Colorado in
1978 to spend the next four years on the music faculty at the University of Northern Colorado. Moving to Denver in 1982, she became
active as a violinist in area orchestras and music
festivals. In 1991, she accepted the invitation to
become Director of Liturgy for the Archdiocese of Denver. In 1993, in addition to forming
the Musicians of Saint Clare, Romano-LaMorte was Liturgical Director for Catechesis for
World Youth Day, administering the liturgies
at twenty catechetical sites, for 150,000 participants in eight different languages.
Since 1996, the Musicians of Saint Clare
has been an independent non-profit corporation. The choir maintains a busy yearly concert
schedule, as well as international tours and pilgrimages, including Christmas 1999 in Saint
Peter’s Basilica, Rome, for the opening of the
Jubilee Year 2000, in the presence of His Holiness Pope John Paul II, and Easter 2002 at the
Vatican. In November, 2003, she prepared the
Musicians of Saint Clare for a performance of
the Mozart Requiem in Rome, under the direction of Paul Salumunovich with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra.
From 2000 to 2006, Romano-LaMorte held
the podium of the Golden Concert Choir, a
civic chorale dedicated to the performance of
major classical choral works for the community
of Golden and surrounding Jefferson County,
Colorado.
She lives in Golden, Colorado, with her
husband, Andrew LaMorte, who is a technical
writer, tenor, and the Organizational Director
of the Choir.
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The Musicians of Saint Clare
Mission Statement
The mission of the Musicians of Saint Clare is twofold:
first, to encourage the best in musical performance of choral works from the 10th to the 21st centuries;
and second, to be an example of peace and unity in a time of increasing international aggression and discord.
“Clare-Choir” was founded in 1993,
in preparation for the VIII World
Youth Day, when Pope John Paul II visited Denver. After participating in that
great event, the choir began a schedule
of concerts and liturgies in America,
as well as regularly scheduled concert
tours and pilgrimages to Rome, Assisi,
and northern Europe. The choir typically gives four concerts yearly in Colorado or the United States and tours internationally once every other year.
Today, the choir is a non-sectarian,
ecumenical organization. Since 1996,
the Musicians of Saint Clare, Inc. has
been an independent, non-profit corporation with IRS 501(c)3 status. Donations are tax deductible.
Admission to the Musicians of Saint
Clare is by audition only. Prospective
members must have choral experience
and have fluent musical sight-reading ability. If you would like information on auditions, concert schedules,
volunteer opportunities, purchasing
CD’s, supporting the choir, or joining a pilgrimage or tour, please call
303.384.9492.
To receive our newsletter, Canticum
Novum, drop us a line with your address.
The Musicians of Saint Clare, Inc.
PO Box 292, Denver, CO 80201
Phone 303.384.9492 • Fax 303.278.4181 • Email contact: [email protected]
Please visit our website to learn more and to hear examples of our performances.
mscchoir.org
CD recordings of our concerts may be ordered online, by mail, or by calling 303.384.9492.
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Friends,
T
oday, as all of us begin to think about our family Christmas celebrations, we offer you and yours a musical
Christmas offering—The Bach Magnificat, BWV 243
(Christmas version), and the second cantata from Bach’s Weihnachts-Oratorium, BWV 248. As you can see, these pieces were
written fairly close to one another in time. The Magnificat, with
it’s four Christmas “interpolations” (in the form of chorales or
solos) was so popular during Bach’s lifetime that he was obliged
to publish a second edition, without the Christmas music, for
general use during the rest of the liturgical year. His Christmas
Oratorio was conceived as a group of six cantatas, each complete
in itself, to be performed on Christmas Day, and on several of
the days in the octave of Christmas, as liturgical music to match
those feast days. Today, we offer the second cantata in the series,
which includes, among other famous tunes, Brich an, o schöenes
Morgenlicht, “Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavn’ly Light”.
May this performance give you light and joy during this Advent season. All of us at the Musicians of Saint Clare wish you
and your families a most blessed Christmas.
Pax et bonum,
Carma Romano-LaMorte
Conductor and Artistic Director
Musicians of Saint Clare
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Program
WEIHNACTS-ORATORIUM, BWV 248
II. Teil: Am 2. Weihnachtstag
Johann Sebastian Bach
Nr. 10 Sinfonia
No. 11 Recitativo
Andrew LaMorte, tenor
Nr. 12 Chorale: Brich an, o schönes Morgenlicht
Nr. 13 Recitativo
Andrew LaMorte, tenor
Nr. 14 Recitativo
Tom Beckwith, baritone
Nr. 15 Aria
Nr. 16 Recitativo
Rick Crompton, tenor
Andrew LaMorte, tenor
Nr. 17 Chorale
Nr. 18 Recitativo
Tom Beckwith, baritone
Nr. 19 Aria
Karen Harris, contralto
Nr. 20 Recitativo
Andrew LaMorte, tenor
Nr. 21 Chorus
Nr. 22 Recitativo
Nr. 23 Chorale
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Tom Beckwith, baritone
(1685-1750)
MAGNIFICAT IN D, BWV 243
Johann Sebastian Bach
(1685-1750)
Nr. 1
Magnificat Nr. 2
Et exsultavit spiritus meus
Einlagesatz / Insert A.. Von Himmel hoch
Nr. 3
Quia respexit humilitatem
Nr. 4
Omnes generations Nr. 5
Quia fecit mihi magna
Einlagesatz / Insert B. Freut euch und jubiliert
Nr. 6
Et misericordia
Diana Heyburn, contralto
Rick Crompton, tenor
Nr. 7
Fecit potentiam
Chorus
Chorus
Ellie Seligmann, soprano
Chorus
Mary Rose Thompson, soprano
Chorus
Gary Schneider, baritone
Einlagesatz / Insert C. Gloria in excelsis Deo
Chorus
Chorus
Nr. 8
Deposuit potentes
Nr. 9
Esurientes implevit bonis
Einlagesatz / Insert D. Virga Jesse floruit
Rick Crompton, tenor
Karen Harris, contralto
Angela Long, soprano
Gary Williams, baritone
Nr. 10
Suscepit Israel
Nr. 11
Sicut locutus est
Chorus
Nr. 12
Gloria Patri
Chorus
Lynne Snyer, soprano
Mary Rose Thompson, soprano
Anne Buja, contralto
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Bach Christmas Music
S
ince at least the high Middle Ages, composers have mined the liturgical texts of
the Church for musical inspiration. Most
well-known is the Mass, which consists of the
Kyrie, Gloria in excelsis, possibly a Credo, a
Sanctus, and an Agnus Dei. At first simple compositions based on the Gregorian tones and
intended for liturgical use, in time the Mass
escaped the confines of the Church and found
its way into the concert hall. There, increasing elaboration and embellishment as well as
changing musical taste meant that the Mass as
an art form had little to do with the liturgical
texts it was descended from.
The advent of the Protestant Reformation
early in the sixteenth century in no way impeded this tendency to set liturgical texts to music;
it just changed the texts. Although the Lutheran model of worship tended to mirror the older
pattern of the Catholic Church—Lutheranism
was, after all, initially a reform movement and
not a secessionist one—the increased emphasis
on biblical texts meant that the Mass was not
the only pattern that could be used for liturgical musical compositions.
By the third decade of the eighteenth century, a minor Italian musical form, the Cantata,
Sinfonia
Tenor Recitative: Evangelist
Und es waren Hirten in der selben
Gegend auf dem Felde bei den Hürden,
Die hüteten des Nachts ihre Herde.
Und siehe, des Herren Engel trat zu ihnen,
Und die Klarheit des Herren leuchtet um sie,
Und sie furchten sich sehr.
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Weihnachts-oratorium (BWV 248)
had become a vibrant and coherent liturgical
musical form, and Bach had made it his own.
The cantata had become the standard for Lutheran worship, replacing the Mass. Bach’s cantatas (we know of almost two hundred of them,
and he surely wrote more) were generally based
on the Gospel reading for the day. They consisted of a mixture of chorales, arias, recitatives,
and sinfonias coherently organized around
biblical readings, but sometimes incorporating
non-biblical texts as well, and were intended to
be sung by the choir and soloists in the course
of a worship service.
Bach wrote the Christmas Oratorio for
Christmas, 1734. It is a series of six cantatas,
one for each of the major celebrations of the
season, from Christmas Day to the Epiphany. It
was sung in the churches of St. Thomas and St.
Nicholas in Leipzig. After that performance, it
was not heard again until December 17, 1857,
when the Sing—Akademie of Berlin revived
it under the baton of Eduard Grell. Today, the
Musicians of St. Clare sing the second Cantata.
Intended for the second day of Christmas, it recounts the annunciation of the birth of Jesus to
the shepherds.
And there were shepherds in that very region
In the field nearby their sheepfolds,
Who kept their watch by night
over their flocks.
And see now, the angel of the Lord
came before them,
And the glory of the Lord
shone round about them,
And they were sore afraid.
Chorale
Brich an, o schönes Morgenlicht,
Und laß den Himmel tagen!
Du Hirtenvolk, erschrekke nicht,
Weil dir die Engel sagen.
Daß dieses schwache Knäbelein
Soll unser Trost und Freude sein,
Da zu den Satan zwingen
Und letztlich Friede bringen!
Break forth, of beautiful morning light
And usher in the day of Heaven!
Thou shepherd folk, be not afraid,
For you the Angel announces
This helpless little boy
Shall be our comfort and our joy.
He comes to conquer Satan
And at last to bring us joy!
Tenor and Soprano Recitative
Evangelista:
Und der Engel sprach zu ihnen:
Evangelist:
And the angel spoke to them:
Engel:
Fürchtet euch nicht,
Angel:
Be not afraid!
Evangelista:
Siehe, ich verkündige euch große Freude,
Die allem Volke widerfahren wird,
Denn euch ist heute der Heiland geboren,
Welcher ist Christus, der Herr,
in der Stadt David.
Evangelist:
See, I proclaim to you news of great Joy,
Which all the folk of the wide world will learn:
To you is born today the Savior,
Who is the Christ, the Lord,
in the city of David.
Bass Recitative
Was Gott dem Abraham verheißen,
Das läßt er nun dem Hirtenchor erfüllt erweisen
Ein Hirt hat alles das zuvor
Von Gott erfahren müssen.
Und nun muß auch ein Hirt die Tat,
Was er damals versprochen hat,
Zuerst erfüllet wissen.
What God promised to Abraham
This he has revealed and proven
to the shepherd choir.
Once before, a shepherd was destined
To learn all of this.
And now a shepherd will be the first
To see the promised deed completed.
Tenor Aria
Frohe Hirten, eilt ach eilet,
Eh ihr euch zu lang ver weilet,
Eilt, das holde Kind zu sehn;
Geht, die Freude heißt zu schön,
Sucht die Anmut zu gewinnen,
Geht und labet Herz und Sinnen.
Joyful Shepherds, haste, oh hasten
That you not wait here too long.
Haste, the gracious child to visit.
Go, your gladness is too fair.
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Evangelist recitative
Und das habt zum Zeichen:
Ihr werdet finden das Kind in Windeln
Gewikkelt und in einer Krippe liegen.
And have this as a Sign:
You will find the Child wrapped
In swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.
Chorale
Schaut hin, dort liegt im finstern Stall,
Des Herrschaft gehet über all!
Da Speise vormals sucht’ ein Rind,
Da ruhet itzt der Jungfrau’n Kind
Look there, he lies in a humble manger.
His lordship rules over all.
Where once the ox found fodder
Now is lying the Maiden’s Child.
Bass recitative
So geht denn hin, ihr Hirten, geht,
Daß ihr das Wunder seht:
Und findet ihr des Höchsten Sohn
In einer harten Krippe liegen,
So singet ihm bei seiner Wiegen
aus einem süßen Ton
und mit gesamtem Chor
dies Lied zur Ruhe vor!
So go then, you Shepherds, go,
That you see this wonder:
And when you find the Son of the Most High
Lying in that humble manger,
Then sing to him beside his cradle
In sweetly ringing tones
And with the same Choir
Bring this song of slumber.
Alto Aria
Schlafe, mein Liebster
Genieße der Ruh,
Wache nach diesem
Vor aller Gedeihen.
Labe die Brust
Empfinde die Lust,
Wo wire unser Herz erfreuen.
Sleep now, by dearest,
Enjoy your rest.
Wake the next morning
To flourish in splendor.
Lighten your breast
Be blest with joy,
Where we hold our heart’s great pleasure.
Evangelist recitative
Und alsobald war da beidem Engel
Die Menge der himmlischen Heersharen,
Die lobten Gott und sprachen:
And suddenly there was with the Angel
The multitude of heavenly hosts
Praising God and saying:
Chorale
Ehre sei God in der Höhe
Und Friede auf Erden
Und den Menschen ein Wohlge fallen.
Glory to God in the Highest
And joy to the earth
And to men of good will.
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Bass recitative:
So recht, ihr Engle, jauchzt und singet,
Daß es uns heut so schön gelinget!
Auf denn!
Wir stimmen mit euch ein,
Uns kann es so vie euch erfreun.
It is right, you angels, to be sing with triumph,
That we today have gained such fortune!
Up then!
We’ll join our voice to yours
We’ll rejoice as much as you.
Chorale
Wir singen dir in deinem Heer
Aus aller Kraft Lob, Preis, und Her,
Daß du, o lang gewünschter Gast,
Dich nunmehr eingestellet hast.
We sing to you among your Host
With all our might, joy, fame, and praise
That you, or long-hoped-for guest
Have come into the world at last.
Magnificat in D (BWV 243)
A
fter the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was to bear the son of the Most High
God, she sang a song of praise that proclaims the intent of God to upend the established
order of the world. Liturgically, her song was traditionally sung as the Gospel canticle at
Vespers, the evening prayer of the Church. In Lutheranism, it retained its place. Bach divides the
text into chorales, arias, and recitatives, and he embellishes the text with additional sections to be
sung at Christmas time in a form similar to that of an extended cantata or oratorio.
Chorale
Magnificat anima mea Dominum.
My soul magnifies the Lord.
Soprano aria
Et exsultavit spiritus meus
In Deo salutari meo.
And my spirit has rejoiced
In the God of my salvation.
Chorale (the first Christmas addition)
Von Himmmel hoch da komm ich her,
Ich bring euch gute neue Mär.
Der guten Mär bring ich so viel,
Davon ich sing’n und sagen will.
From heaven above to earth I come
To bring good news to everyone!
Glad tidings of great joy I bring
Of which I must both say and sing.
Soprano aria
Qui respexit humilitatem ancillæ suæ:
Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent.
Chorale:
Omnes generationes.
He has regarded the humility of his servant:
Behold, from henceforth I will be called
“blessed” by…
All generations
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Bass aria
Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est
Et sanctum nomen eius.
For he who is mighty has made me great
And holy is his name.
Chorale for sopranos, altos, and tenors
(the second Christmas addition)
Freut euch un jubiliert
zu Bethlehem gefunden wird
Das herzeliebe Jesulein
Das soll euer Freud un Wonne sein.
Joy and jubilation
You will find in Bethlehem
Jesus the love of hearts
You’ll find with joy.
Alto and Tenor Duet
Et misericordia a progenie
in progenies timentibus eum
And his mercy is from generation
To generation of those who fear him.
Chorale
Fecit potentiam in bracchio suo,
Dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.
Chorale (the third Christmas addition)
Gloria in excelsis Deo,
Et in terra, pax hominibus bona voluntas.
Tenor aria
Deposuit potentes de sede
Et exaltavit humiles.
Alto aria
Esurientes implevit bonis
Et dimisit inanes.
Soprano and Bass duet
(the fourth Christmas addition)
Virga Jesse floruit,
Emmanuel noster apparuit.
Induit carnem hominis,
Fit puer delectabilis.
Alleluia.
Soprano I & II and Alto Trio
Suscepit Israel puerum suum
Recordatus misericordæ.
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He has shown the strength of his arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination
of their heart.
Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth, peace to men with whom he is
pleased.
He has put down the mighty from their seat
And exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
And the rich he has sent away empty.
The stem of Jesse will flower.
Our Messiah will appear.
He will put on the flesh of men
And become the wished-for boy.
Hallelujah!
He, remembering his mercy,
Has come to the aid of his servant, Israel.
Chorale
Sicut locut est ad Patres nostros,
Abraham et semini eius in sæcula.
As he promised our Fathers,
Abraham and his seed forever.
Chorale
Gloria patri
Gloria filio,
Gloria et Spiritui sancto!
Sicut erat in principio
Et nunc et semper
Et in saecula saeculorum. Amen
Glory to the Father,
Glory to the Son,
And Glory to the Holy Spirit
As it was in the beginning,
Is now and forever
And to the ages of ages. Amen.
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The Musicians of Saint Clare
Carma Romano-LaMorte, Conductor and Artistic Director
Melanie DeYoung, Assistant Conductor
Andrew LaMorte, Organizational Director
Tad Koriath, Rehearsal Accompanist
Kayla Allen, High School Intern, Stage Manager
Soprano
Krista Beckman
Jeannine Crompton
Joanna Franklin
Kristin Hurley
Angela Long
Elvadine Seligmann
Lynne Snyer
Mary Rose Thompson
Alto
Karen Harris
Diana Heyburn
Anne Koloc-Buja
Martha Moe
Kelly Van Oosbree
Alisha Yackley
Rebecah Ziegler
Tenor
Alfred Born
Rick Crompton
Richard Ellis
Andrew LaMorte
Hugh McIsaac
Michael Stenhouse
Sandy Wong
Bass
Tom Beckwith
Michael Fick
Pat Heid
Gary Schneider
Douglas Weber
Gary Williams
Dick Wilson
Christopher Netter
Please accept this invitation to attend our upcoming program here at St Paul.
May 3, 2009
Ludwig von Beethoven
Choir and Orchestra
Missa Solemnis, opus 123
Tickets may be obtained through any choir member, online at mscchoir.org, or by mail. Discounts for students and seniors are given, and group discounts with preferred seating is available. Advance purchase recommended; tickets $2 higher the day of performance.
Programs recorded at earlier performances are available on compact disc, and include:
• Requiem, K.626 – WA Mozart
• Marian Concert – Monteverdi: Magnificat (1610 Vespers); Górecki: Totus Tuus;
Mozart: Laurentian Litany, K.195
• Mass in B Minor, BWV 232 – JS Bach
• Concert for the Sistine Chapel – Palestrina, Bartolucci, Heid, Allegri, Arcadelt
• I Tesori della Cappella
Coming Soon!
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