Download Program Notes 2015 Holiday Concerts

Program Notes
2015 Holiday Concerts
Deck the Hall
“Deck the Hall” is a traditional Welsh carol. The melody dates back to the sixteenth century,
while the English lyrics first appeared in 1862. This lively a cappella arrangement by British
composer John Rutter features the original English text, which differs slightly from the American
version we have come to know.
O magnum mysterium
“O magnum mysterium” is a responsorial chant from the monastic nighttime liturgy of
Christmas. It contemplates the great mystery that only the animals witnessed the birth of Christ.
The text has been set by many composers. We will sing two contrasting settings, one from a
master of the Renaissance era and one from a contemporary composer.
Tomás Luis de Victoria was the most well-known composer in sixteenth century Spain. His
setting of “O magnum mysterium” is marked by imitation between voice parts contrasted with
statements by all voices at once. The composer uses a different melodic gesture for each new line
of text. The triple meter “Alleluia” section is characteristic of sacred music of the Renaissance,
where the feeling of three is a nod to the Trinity.
When Morten Lauridsen served as composer-in-residence for the Los Angeles Master Chorale,
the first piece he wrote for them was his setting of “O magnum mysterium.” At the 1994
premiere of the piece, music director Paul Salamunovich stated that his favorite composer was
Tomás Luis de Victoria because his setting of “O magnum mysterium” is as fresh now as it was
hundreds of years ago. He predicted that Lauridsen’s setting would be the twentieth-century
counterpart of Victoria’s. It has become that and more. Performed thousands of times in the past
two decades, Lauridsen’s “O magnum mysterium” is the all-time best-selling choral octavo for
the Theodore Presser Company, the oldest continuing music publishing company in the United
States. This piece has become a choral classic.
Bring A Torch, Jeannette, Isabella
“Bring a Torch, Jeannette Isabella,” a Christmas carol from the Provence region of France, was
first known as the tune of a lively dance of the French nobility. The lyrics were first published in
1553 and an English translation appeared in the eighteenth century. The arrangement we will
perform was written in 1981 for the Dale Warland Singers by noted American composer Stephen
Paulus.
O Come, All Ye Faithful
This well-known Christmas carol was originally written in Latin as “Adeste Fidelis.” The
writers of both the lyrics and the tune are unknown, but the carol is believed to have first
appeared in the seventeenth century. The men of PCC will sing a setting of “O Come All Ye
Faithful” by composer Dan Forrest. The rich four-part texture of men’s voices and a four-hand
piano accompaniment are highlights of Forrest’s powerful arrangement of this Christmas
favorite.
Ave Maria
Daniel Elder is a fresh new voice in American choral music. His music is gaining widespread
acclaim and a CD of his works was recently released by Westminster Choir College. The
composer describes his “Ave Maria:” “An early sacred work for the concert stage, this piece for
mixed choir explores a flowing texture that wraps itself around and through the Latin text. From
the falling beginning to a darker liquid texture in the middle, a sense of abstract color pervades
this work.”
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
The text of this hymn is attributed to the English Poet Laureate Nahum Tate. It first appeared in
the 1700 supplement to Tate and Nicholas Brady’s New Versions of the Psalms of David of 1696
and was the only Christmas hymn authorized to be sung in the Anglican Church. The PCC
women will sing these classic words to a new tune by choral composer Craig Courtney.
Courtney has published over 200 choral works and is a member of the faculty of Capital
University in Columbus, Ohio.
Angels We Have Heard on High
“Angels We Have Heard on High” is a carol of French origin. It is a favorite to sing, most likely
because of the sequential “Gloria” refrain. Please join your voices with the PCC as we sing this
beloved carol.
Improvisation on “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen”
Myron J. Roberts (1912-2004) was born in San Diego, California and educated at Union
Theological Seminary in New York City. His career was focused in Lincoln, Nebraska, as both
professor of organ at the University of Nebraska and as organist of three prominent churches
there between 1940 and his retirement in 1974. His Improvisation on “God Rest You Merry,
Gentlemen,” written out in 1968, features the carol melody in canon extensively and ends with a
brilliant toccata section.
O Holy Night
"O Holy Night" was composed by Adolphe Adam to the French poem "Minuit, chrétiens"
(Midnight, Christians) by Placide Cappeau. Cappeau had been asked to write the poem
following the renovation of the church organ in the town of Roquemaure. The song was
premiered there in 1847. One wonders whether anyone in attendance could have predicted the
lasting impact of the piece they heard for the first time that night. The arrangement we will
perform is by British composer John Rutter.
Amen from Messiah
The final chorus in Handel’s monumental oratorio, “Amen” is set as a fugue. The basses carry
the first statement of the fugue subject, followed by the tenors, altos, and sopranos. The next two
statements of the subject occur in the organ, then all voices enter with a triumphant four-part
statement. For the remainder of the fugue Handel overlaps entrances of the fugue subject
between voices, inverts it, fragments it, and weaves a masterful tapestry of sound that is a fitting
close to Handel’s best-known work.
A Feast of Carols
Texas composer Randol Alan Bass created this arrangement of six carols for the Dallas
Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in 1985. “Gloucester Wassail,” “Il Est Né, Le Divin Enfant,”
“O Come, O Come, Emanuel,” “The Holly and the Ivy,” “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,” and
“We Wish You a Merry Christmas” are each presented in this rousing medley that will make you
want to sing along. (Feel free!)
Silver Bells
The classic Christmas song “Silver Bells” was first performed by Bob Hope and Marilyn
Maxwell in the 1951 film The Lemon Drop Kid. The first recording of the song was made by
Bing Crosby and Carol Richards and became enormously popular. The a cappella setting we will
perform was arranged by vocal jazz composer Kirby Shaw. It features two soloists accompanied
by the members of the Chorale.
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
Sammy Kahn and Jule Styne wrote “Let It Snow” during a 1945 heat wave in California.
Longing for cooler weather, the two created a song that became a popular favorite at Christmas
time. The song was recorded later that same year by Vaughn Monroe and it reached number 1
on the Billboard music chart in 1946. Other notable recordings include Dean Martin (1959),
Bing Crosby (1962), Carly Simon (2005) and Rod Stewart (2012). Like “Silver Bells,” our a
cappella setting was arranged by Kirby Shaw.
Winter Wonderland
Honesdale, PA, located just northeast of Scranton, was the hometown of lyricist Richard Smith.
After seeing Honesdale’s Central Park covered in snow in 1934, Smith wrote the words that
became the lyrics to “Winter Wonderland.” Although Christmas is never mentioned in the
lyrics, the song has become a popular seasonal favorite. The song’s widespread appeal is evident
in that it has been recorded by more than 200 artists, ranging from Louis Armstrong to Bob
Dylan to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Home for the Holidays
Published in 1954, this song was a hit recording for Canonsburg, PA native Perry Como. He
recorded the song twice, in 1954 and in 1959. It is the 1959 version that we hear most frequently
today. “Home for the Holidays” has been arranged for many types of performing groups. The
voices of the PCC shine in this a cappella version by Mac Huff.
White Christmas
According to The Guinness Book of World Records, Bing Crosby’s recording of “White
Christmas” is the best-selling single of all time. Estimated sales worldwide top 100 million
copies. The song appeared in Crosby’s film Holiday Inn and won the Academy Award for Best
Original Song in 1942. It later appeared in the highest-grossing film of 1954, also featuring
Crosby, the musical White Christmas. It holds the #2 spot on the “Songs of the Century” list, as
voted by the members of the Recording Industry Association of America, behind Judy Garland’s
“Over the Rainbow.”
Joy to the World
The hymn “Joy to the World” was first published in 1719 in Isaac Watts’ collection The Psalms
of David: Imitated in the language of the New Testament, and applied to the Christian state and
worship. It is Watts’ paraphrase of the second portion of Psalm 98. The words were set to a
melody believed to have been composed by George Frideric Handel, although handel did not
write the entire tune. The arrangement we will sing was written by Mack Wilberg, conductor of
the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Join your voices with the PCC in this performance. Watch for
your cue!
Hark, the Herald Angels Sing!
The lyrics to this familiar carol were written in 1739 by Charles Wesley, brother of John Wesley,
the founder of the Methodist church. Wesley requested that his words be sung to a somber tune,
and originally they were. One hundred years later, Felix Mendelssohn set the words to a new
melody. It is this version of “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing!” that we know today. This setting
by Robert Hunter features the PCC and organist David Billings in a triumphant finale that
captures the wonder and majesty of this glorious season.