Celebration for the Next Century

Laude of the Fifteenth Century : 1. Dimmi, dolce Maria 2. O Maria, diana stella

In Closer Bonds of Love to Thee

This song is Juliana Hall’s first sacred song, a setting of a hymn text by the great hymn writer of the nineteenth century, Fanny J. Crosby. The song is suitable for concert performance, or for use in a religious service.

Missa O Magne Pater

Based on the chant O Magne Pater, composed in the 12th century by Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179). Several excerpts from the chant were used to provide thematic material for the Mass, with different chant fragments used in each of its five sections. The Mass was composed between February and October of 2014. -Frank Ferko

The Snow Lay on the Ground

This original setting of an anonymous 19th-century text is written in verse-anthem style. The scoring for harp and keyboard makes it an ideal companion piece for Britten’s A Cermony of Carols and Susa’s Carols andLullabies. Equally effective with either organ or piano, making it practical for use in both churches and schools. Duration: 2:15

The Snow Lay on the Ground

Released in 2007, this original setting of an anonymous 19th-century text is written in verse-anthem style. The scoring for chorus, harp, and keyboard makes it an ideal companion piece for Britten’s A Cermony of Carols and Susa’s Carols and Lullabies. Equally effective with organ or piano, making it practical for use in both churches and schools. This is especially true for the three new arrangements with keyboard accompaniment only. Duration 2:15

The Snow Lay on the Ground

Released in 2007, this original setting of an anonymous 19th-century text is written in verse-anthem style. The scoring for chorus, harp, and keyboard makes it an ideal companion piece for Britten’s A Cermony of Carols and Susa’s Carols and Lullabies. Equally effective with organ or piano, making it practical for use in both churches and schools. This is especially true for the three new arrangements with keyboard accompaniment only. Duration 2:15

Be Thou My Vision: Homage to an Ancient Hymn

The beloved hymn Be Thou My Vision has long been part of our rich musical heritage of hymnody. The text is by St. Dallan Forgaill (6th Century Irish), and the tune is Slane (Traditional Irish) which was added somewhat later to the text. Each verse is set differently, giving variety and expressiveness to the text, which sometimes departs from the original. The composer's intent was an expansive paraphrase of the tune and text, and the result is one of the most rewarding settings of this hymn that you will encounter. Duration: 6:00

Love Shall Live Forever

The texts for this set of three songs are mostly from the 19th century, but the sentiments are ageless. The special imagery in each of the poems finds its way into the musical setting. Evening Song features moonlight sparkling on glimmering waves. The Cloths of Heaven has the lover yearning to give his beloved beautiful gifts. She Walks in Beauty provides a strong close to the set, with a quote from the Song of Solomon (Set Me As A Seal) as a coda. Duration: 9:00 Contents: 1. Evening Song 2. The Cloths of Heaven 3. She Walks in Beauty

Ancient Airs and Dances : Suite No. 1

A transcription of the first suite to one of Respighi’s most famous and much-beloved works. The orchestral suite itself is a transcription of sixteenth-century lute works, of which Respighi also transcribed for piano 2- and 4-hands. The transcriber of this edition used the orchestral setting in order to match the orchestral instruments to their corresponding organ stops with as much accuracy as possible. The transciption is idiomatic and a delight to play. The first three movements are accessible while the fourth will require more practice time. The movements could be performed alone or with one another and would give an audience a unique and pleasant concert experience.Duration: 15:00

Three Settings of Ogden Nash

Ogden Nash is often cited as our country’s best-known author of humorous poetry. His style emphasizes unconventional rhyming schemes and invented words, both features of the three poems included in my set “Three Settings of Ogden Nash.” These three poems express a loose narrative of experiences and images from civilized urban and suburban life in mid-century America. “Tin Wedding Whistle,” is a marriage proposal. “Pretty Halcyon Days” is a humorous sketch of a day at the beach. “A Lady Who Thinks She is Thirty” explores the fears of growing old.: the narrator wisely reassures the lady that “beauty is timelessness for you.” To capture this tone musically, I strove to find a stylethat incorporated aspects of popular music, including gentle syncopations and jazz-influenced harmonies, integrated with the conventions of American classical Art Song. -David Conte

Three Settings of Ogden Nash

Ogden Nash is often cited as our country’s best-known author of humorous poetry. His style emphasizes unconventional rhyming schemes and invented words, both features of the three poems included in my set “Three Settings of Ogden Nash.” These three poems express a loose narrative of experiences and images from civilized urban and suburban life in mid-century America. “Tin Wedding Whistle,” is a marriage proposal. “Pretty Halcyon Days” is a humorous sketch of a day at the beach. “A Lady Who Thinks She is Thirty” explores the fears of growing old.: the narrator wisely reassures the lady that “beauty is timelessness for you.” To capture this tone musically, I strove to find a stylethat incorporated aspects of popular music, including gentle syncopations and jazz-influenced harmonies, integrated with the conventions of American classical Art Song. -David Conte

All Await

All Await was commissioned by Trinity Presbyterian Church, Berwyn, Pennsylvania, in celebration of the church’s 150th anniversary. It received its premiere performance at Trinity Church in December, 2012 by the Chancel Choir and Director Paul Vanderslice. Nancy Gifford was asked to compose a celebratory piece for this occasion based on an Advent theme. The text was inspired by a fourth-century hymn of St. Ambrose of Milan, Veni, Redemptor gentium. In this context, All Await echoes elements of traditional western sacred music while using today’s language. The piece begins plaintively in the E natural minor mode and suddenly breaks into joyful polyphony. In the second section (theGloria Patri adapted into English), we move into E Major and the music becomes more rhythmic and robust. The climax of the piece describes the angel Gabriel’s message to Mary, when “the Word of God descends.” Dramatically descending melodic lines appear, sung in turn by each voice part and then played by the organ. Repetition and reinvention of these musical ideas follow, with marked contrasts in texture, dynamics, articulation, and expression. Short organ interludes occur throughout the piece, introducing new sections of choral music. This work ends with a short coda, closing with the words “All await,” sung by the chorus three times and answered by the organ.

Mary Chesnut: A Civil War Diary

Mary Chesnut (1823 1886) was the wife of confederate Colonel James Chesnut. They owned a plantation near Camden, South Carolina, during the mid-to-late nineteenth century. They also owned many slaves, both field hands and household servants. They moved in privileged social circles, dining with politicians, judges, and ranking military leaders. Mary was a well-read, educated, and articulate southern woman. The words, emotions, and events that follow were diligently entered into her diary, creating an impressive chronicle of the times. No attempt was made to alter her views. Nor was any attempt made by the composer to make a political point or take a position on any issue.This story is Mary Chesnut’s, and it is from her singular point of view from which the drama springs. Some of her opinions and attitudes were very much of-the-day, and may offend current sensibilities. While slavery plays a critical role in the events contained herein, I have decided not to lean too heavily on it (that is another piece), focusing more on how the war impacted Mary’s personal life. A Diary from Dixie was originally published in 1905, edited by Isabella D. Martin and Myrta Lockett Avary. While there are other collections of Mary Chesnut’s writing available, this libretto was derived principally from A Diary from Dixie. -Steven Mark Kohn, 2012