Download Proceeds from today`s freewill offering will go to the Rising Hope

Virginia Bronze Handbell Ensemble
under the direction of Carol Feather Martin
Proudly Presents:
Night and Day
at
Washington Street United Methodist Church
115 S. Washington St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Proceeds from today’s freewill offering will go to the
Rising Hope United Methodist Mission Church
(www.risinghopeumc.org) and the Virginia Bronze
Handbell Ensemble (www.vabronze.org).
Enjoy some wonderful Christmas music at Washington
Street’s “Advent Lessons and Carols” on December 14.
More about Virginia Bronze 2008-2009
PROGRAM – NIGHT AND DAY
Members: Kristin Banek, Rebecca Bostron, Mya Dundzila, Todd
Fisher, Genevieve Hanson, Nick Hanson, Laura Wrubel, Daniel
Stern, David Lemmons, Fred Lemmons, Dawn Mosteller, Gillian
Penn, Betsy Preston, Adam Shuler, Judith Sondheimer, Daniel Stern,
Fran Vaughan, Laura Wrubel
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (1787)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Serenade for Strings in G Major #13 K525
(1756-1791)
Movement 1
arr. Raymond Herbek
About the Director: Carol Feather Martin, a native of North
Carolina, graduated from Oberlin Conservatory with a BM in piano
performance in 1978 and a double major MM degree in Organ
Performance and Piano Chamber Music and Accompanying
Performance from Catholic University in 1985. Carol has completed
her seventeenth year as Director of Music and Arts and Organist at
Trinity Presbyterian Church in Arlington, Virginia. She frequently
serves as clinician for professional organizations and is a member of
The American Guild of Organists, Choristers Guild, American Guild
of English Handbell Ringers and The Hymn Society of America.
Carol resides in Alexandria, Virginia with her husband, two children,
and four animals.
About the Group: Virginia Bronze is a community-based,
auditioned handbell ensemble performing a wide range of handbell
music including secular, sacred, popular, original and regional
pieces. Virginia Bronze's primary outreach activity is through concert
performances. The ensemble is available for events within existing
concert series, retirement community centers, churches and
educational institutions. For further information:
www.vabronze.org
Upcoming Performances
 December 20, 2008 – with the Metropolitan Chorus at
Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Arlington, VA
 December 31, 2008 –First Night Alexandria in Alexandria,
VA
Cumulonimbus (2005)
Nocturne #3 (1850)
(Liebestraum)
Within the Darkest Night (2004)
Intermezzo (Moonlight and Roses)
Op. 83, No. 2 (1888)
Carol Feather Martin, organ
Lumière (2000)
Greet the Rising Sun (2006)
La cathédral engloutie (1910)
The Sunken Cathedral
Perpetual Light (1996)
Matthew Prins
(1977- )
Franz Liszt
(1811-1886)
ed. and trans. John H. Muschick
Derek Hakes
Edwin H. Lemare
(1865-1934)
Fred Gramann
(1950 - )
LE PING Chinese Folk Tune
arr. Sondra K. Tucker
Claude Debussy
(1862-1918)
trans. Kevin McChesney
Hart Morris
(1946 - )
Radiance (2006)
William A. Payn
(1946 - )
Nova (1987)
William A. Payn
(1946 - )
Program Notes for NIGHT AND DAY -- Twenty-Four Hours
of a Summer Day
EINE KLEINE NACHTMUSIK (A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC)
Mozart wrote the Serenade in G during the summer of 1787, two
years before his death. He scored it for strings alone and called it
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik – A Little Night Music. Although it is one of
Mozart’s most famous compositions, it is not known if he ever heard
it performed. As you hear it performed, you can imagine dusk on a
summer evening - that time of day when daylight is gradually and
peacefully becoming darkness.
CUMULONIMBUS
An evening thunderstorm develops! A cumulonimbus is a vertically
developed cumulus cloud, often capped by an anvil-shaped cloud. It
is also called a thunderstorm cloud and is frequently accompanied by
heavy showers, lightning, thunder and sometimes hail or gusty
winds. If this definition doesn’t give you an idea of what this
composition holds, then visit Iowa in tornado season!
NOCTURNE NO. 3 “LIEBESTRAUM”
As the night and darkness settle in, the atmosphere is calm and
serene. Liszt’s Nocturne gives us this feeling, displaying the
composer’s reflective mood. It sounds like a romantic song, and
indeed it is a transcription of a vocal setting that he made for a poem
titled O Love As Long As You Can.
WITHIN THE DARKEST NIGHT
We are now at the period of total darkness when everything is quiet
and still. The somber melody of this piece depicts this time of night.
The composer of this composition has also indicated that the music
represents an emotional look at the crucifixion.
INTERMEZZO (MOONLIGHT AND ROSES)
This piece is one of Edwin Lemare's few well-known original
compositions for organ. It became so popular that he was asked to
play it in nearly all his concerts. It sold tens of thousands of copies,
though he did not initially make any money out of it. Lemare did not
call it Moonlight and Roses nor did he attach any words to the tune;
it was American songwriters Ben Black and Charles N. Daniels
(under the pseudonym Neil Moret) who added words to the melody,
without permission, in 1921. The piece became extremely popular
and sold over one million copies. Lemare threatened legal action in
1925, resulting in his obtaining a share of the royalties; he finally
profited from his popular tune.
LUMIÈRE
As the moon goes down, there is a period of nothingness between
night and sunrise. The opening measures of “Lumiere” depict
Genesis 1:4, “…and God separated the light from the darkness.” The
first chord represents the first feeble ray of light, while the second
chord represents darkness. Then, the light and the darkness co-exist,
growing in intensity. The two elements go in and out of focus. Then,
they are separated, leaving a pure beam of light which grows to a
radiant brightness.
GREET THE RISING SUN
The Chinese folk tune “Le P’ing” (Happy Peace) is the foundation for
this interesting composition depicting a sunrise. In addition to
handbells and handchimes, finger cymbals, and windchimes are used
to bring us from the first morning rays of the sun to a brilliant and
colorful sunrise.
LA CATHEDRAL ENGLOUTIE (THE SUNKEN
CATHEDRAL)
Following sunrise there is a period of haze and mist while the
morning fog burns off. In composing La Cathedral Engloutie (The
Sunken Cathedral), which is one of five Preludes composed in 1910,
Debussy recalled the legend of a village on the coast of Brittany.
Because of the evil deeds of a sorceress there, the island was
engulfed, but tradition said that during bad weather sailors still
heard singing in the church. Debussy creates representations of
submerged chimes at the beginning, allows the cathedral to begin to
rise out of the mist, presents a sonorous chorale and then allows the
sonority of the church bells to become engulfed again under the sea.
PERPETUAL LIGHT
The next period of the day is during mid-morning, when there is full
and bright light. This original composition could also be name
“Perpetual Motion”. The fast and steady rhythms and the many
chromatic changes make it a fascinating piece to hear. It is also a
dramatic representation of the brightness of day and the wonder of
this regular occurrence.
RADIANCE
Webster defines “radiance” as “emitting light or heat; glowing
brilliantly; filled with a strong projecting quality”. This piece
illustrates those qualities. The beginning and end emit beautiful
light in a serene manner which offsets the driving intensity of the
middle section. During a summer afternoon we experience the
strongest heat of the day and the most intense period of light.
NOVA
Nova is a variable star that suddenly becomes very bright and then
gradually dims over a period of time. In this original composition,
Payn uses accents and syncopated rhythms to literally portray the
explosions of a star. We end with the brightest light known to
humans which as it explodes completes the cycle of the day. The heat
and light begin to wane into the period prior to dusk.
Virginia Bronze wishes to thank the following sponsors and supporters:
Individuals

Ken & Quincy Butler

Ron and Nellrena Carr

Frank and Hanya Collins in honor of Frances Vaughan

Faye M. Holt

Marshall and Betty Howie

Vida Kosmonas

Michael Martin

John and Bette Miller

Dalia Povilaitis

David and Deborah Rice

Carlyle and Jane Lee Ring

Robert and Maryan White in honor of Fran and Jim Vaughan

Virginia Williams

Robert and Inge Wolfe
Businesses

Booz Allen Hamilton

Huton Chiropractic Health Center, PC

Inova Health System

Laporta’s Restaurant

Vaughan Construction and Management
Bronze Donors

Anonymous ($5,000)

Anonymous ($3,000) in memory of Sharon Erskine Campbell

Anonymous ($2,000) in memory of John Gil

Anonymous ($1,000)

Parra and Kevin Vaughan ($1,000) in honor of Frances Vaughan
Virginia Bronze is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Virginia Bronze is a recipient of
grants from the Alexandria Commission for the Arts and the Arts Council of Fairfax
County.
Special Thanks To:

Hammond Middle School in Alexandria for providing us with rehearsal
and storage space for the 2008-2009 season

Trinity Presbyterian Church in Arlington for the loan of additional
bells, mallets, etc. to round out our equipment
(1946
- United
)

Washington
Street
Methodist Church for their ongoing
support of arts in the community by hosting this concert

Ft. Myer Chapel Ringers for use of the 6th octave

John White for providing additional graphics work