Our Christmas concert with correct titles, composers, composer dates, and texts.
Why am I posting this again? Google does a great job of picking up blogger blogs (probably because they own blogger). Anyway, I'm putting this 'out there' on the internet so that choral conductors will be able to find this information for their own programs in the future.Valley SingersHeather Cantwell, conductorFum, Fum, Fum Mack Wilberg(b. 1955)On December five and twenty, Fum, Fum, Fum!
On December five and twenty, Fum, Fum, Fum!
On, a child was born this night,
So rosy white, so rosy white.
Son of Mary, Virgin Holy,
In a stable mean and lowly, Fum, Fum, Fum!
On December five and twenty, Fum, Fum, Fum!
On December five and twenty, Fum, Fum, Fum!
On December’s most important day,
Let us be gay, let us be gay!
We go first to church and then
We have the sweetest buns and candy, Fum, Fum, Fum!
God will send us days of feasting, Fum, Fum, Fum!
God will send us days of feasting, Fum, Fum, Fum!
Both in hot months and in cold,
For young and old, For young and old,
When we tell the Holy Story,
Ever singing of his glory, Fum, Fum, Fum!
O Magnum Mysterium
Tomás Luis de Victoria
(1549-1611)*combined with UAB Chamber Singers O great mystery and wonderful sacrament
That animals see the Lord born
Lying in a manger.
Blessed virgin whose womb
was worthy to bear Lord Christ. Allelujah.
Carol of the Bells arr. Peter Wilhousky (1902-1978)Hark! how the bells, sweet silver bells all seem to say, "Throw cares away."
Christmas is here bringing good cheer to young and old, meek and the bold.
Ding, dong, ding, dong, that is their song with joyful ring all caroling
One seems to hear words of good cheer from ev'rywhere filling the air.
Oh how they pound, raising the sound, o'er hill and dale, telling their tale,
Gaily they ring while people sing songs of good cheer. Christmas is here.
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas
On, on they send on without end their joyful tone to ev'ry home.
UAB Women's ChoirDr. Philip L. Copeland, conductorDeo Gracias Jim Leininger(b. 1942)Kristina Howard, percussion
Erin Pair, conductor
Deo gracias!
Adam lay ibounden, Bounden in a bond;
Four thousand winter, Thought he not too long.
And all was for an apple, An apple that he took.
As clerkès finden, Written in their book.
Ne had the apple taken been, The apple taken been,
Ne had never our ladie, Abeen heav'nè queen.
Blessèd be the time That apple taken was,
Therefore we moun singen.
Deo gracias!
There Is No Rose Z. Randall Stroope(b. 1953)Dale Reynolds, piano
Aaron Glenn, oboe
There is no rose of such virtue
As is the rose that bare Jesu; Alleluia.
For in this rose contained was
Heaven and earth in little space; Resmiranda.
The angels sungen the shepherds to:
Gloria in excelsis deo: Gaudeamus.
Now leave we all this worldly mirth,
And follow we this joyful birth; Transeamus Domini.
The angels sungen the shepherds to:
Transeamus, Gaudeamus, Resmiranda, Alleuia.
There is no rose of such virtue
As is the rose that bare Jesu; Alleluia.
Jefferson State ChoirsJessica L. Hall, conductorJefferson State Choir
Gloria from Missa Brevis in FGiovanni Palestrina(1525-1594)Glory be to God on high,
and on earth peace, good will towards men.
We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee,
we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory,
O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.
For thou only art holy; thou only art the Lord;
thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost,
art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Jefferson State Singers
Ave Maria: A Choral Prayer Jessica Franchi(b. 1977)Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus [Christ].
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Jefferson State Chamber Singers
Wassail Song R. Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)Wassail, Wassail, all over the town,
Our bread it is white and ale it is brown;
Our bowl it is made of the green maple tree;
In the Wassail bowl we'll drink unto thee.
Here's a health to the ox and to his right eye,
Pray God send our master a good Christmas pie,
A good Christmas pie as e'er I did see.
In the Wassail bowl we'll drink unto the
Here's a health to the ox and to his right horn,
Pray God send our master a good crop of corn,
A good crop of corn as e'er I did see,
In the Wassail bowl we'll drink unto thee.
Come, butler, come fill us a bowl of the best;
Then I pray that your soul in heaven may rest;
But if you do bring us a bowl of the small,
May the Devil take butler, bowl and all!
Then here's to the maid in the lily white smock,
Who tripp'd to the door and slipp'd back the lock;
Who tripp'd to the door and pull'd back the pin,
For to let these jolly Wassailers walk in.
UAB Men's ChoirDr. Philip L. Copeland, conductorAve Maria Franz Biebl (1906-2001)Hewitt-Trussville SingersNicholaus B. Cummins, conductorThe Glory of the Father Egil Hovland (b. 1924)The Word was made flesh,
And dwelt among us,
We beheld the glory of the Father,
Full of grace and truth.
In the beginning was the Word,
The Word was with God.
In him, in him was life,
And the life was the light of men.
He came to his own,
And his own received him not.
The Word was made flesh,
And dwelt among us,
We beheld the glory of the Father,
Full of grace and truth.
Silent Night Edwin Fissinger (1920-1990)Sing We Now of Christmas arr. Fred Prentice(1927-1990)Sing we now of Christmas, sing we all noel.
Of our Lord and Savior we the tidings tell.
Sing we noel, for Christ the King is born.
Sing we now of Christmas, sing we all noel.
Angels from on high say, "Shepherds come and see.
He is born in Bethlehem, a blessed lamb for thee."
Sing we noel for Christ the King is born.
Sing we now of Christmas, sing we all noel.
Shepherds found the child lying in a manger stall.
Joseph standing by and mother Mary mild.
So now sing we noel, for Christ the King is born.
Sing we now of Christmas, sing we all noel.
Magi oriental journeyed from afar.
They did come to greet Him 'neath the shining star.
Glory to God, for Christ the King is born.
Sing we now of Christmas, sing we all noel.
UAB Concert ChoirDr. Philip L. Copeland, conductorAve Maria Javier Busto (b. 1949)The Three Kings Healy Willan (1880-1968)"Who knocks tonight so late," the weary porter said.
Three Kings stood at the gate, each with a crown on head.
The serving man bowed down, the inn was full, he knew.
Said he, "In all this town is no fit place for you.”
A light the manger lit: there lay the Mother meek.
Said they, "This place is fit: Here is the rest we seek."
They loosed their latchet strings, so stood they all unshod.
Come in, come in ye Kings, ye Kings, ye Kings.
Come in and kiss the feet of God.
-Laurence Housman
Choose Something Like a Star Randall Thompson (1899-1984)O Star (the fairest one in sight), We grant your loftiness the right
To some obscurity of cloud It will not do to say of night,
Since dark is what brings out your light. Some mystery becomes the proud.
But to be wholly taciturn In your reserve is not allowed.
Say something to us we can learn By heart and when alone repeat.
Say something! And it says "I burn." But say with what degree of heat.
Talk Fahrenheit, talk Centigrade. Use language we can comprehend.
Tell us what elements you blend. It gives us strangely little aid,
But does tell something in the end. And steadfast as Keats' Eremite,
Not even stooping from its sphere, It asks a little of us here.
It asks of us a certain height, So when at times the mob is swayed
To carry praise or blame too far, We may choose something like a star
To stay our minds on and be staid.
-Robert Frost
Jingle Bells arr. Ben Parry (b. 1965)Combined ChoirsDr. Philip L. Copeland, conductorOf the Father's Love Begotten arr. Paul Wohlgemuth (1927-1987)Rachel Hicks, soprano
Of the Father's love begotten,
ere the worlds began to be,
he is Alpha and Omega,
he the source, the ending he,
of the things that are, that have been,
and that future years shall see,
evermore and evermore!
O that birth for ever blessèd,
when the Virgin, full of grace,
by the Holy Ghost conceiving,
bare the Savior of our race;
and the Babe, the world's Redeemer,
first revealed his sacred face,
evermore and evermore!
O ye heights of heaven, adore him;
angel-hosts, his praises sing;
powers, dominions, bow before him,
and extol our God and King;
let no tongue on earth be silent,
every voice in concert ring,
evermore and evermore!
-Aureliss C. Prudentius
Alrighty, just got off the phone with a nice manager at Rave Theaters, Vestavia.
