Program notes for Brilliant Bach, May 2–4

The works on our Brilliant Bach program highlight the expressive range and stylistic breadth of Bach’s choral writing. His music speaks across centuries — regardless of belief — through its emotional force, formal clarity, and architectural beauty. These pieces offer not only spiritual depth, but a deeply human experience of reflection, wonder, and joy.

Today's program presents three choral works from different phases of Bach’s life. Each reveals a different facet of his approach to sacred music — early chorale-based counterpoint, festive adaptation, and polychoral writing.

Missa Brevis in G major, BWV 236 - Borrowings

Bach’s Missa Brevis in G major is one of four short masses that set only the Kyrie and Gloria, portions of the Latin Mass retained in Lutheran liturgy. Likely compiled in the late 1730s, these masses draw on movements from earlier Leipzig cantatas. Though Leipzig services were conducted in German, these Latin settings may have been intended for more cosmopolitan contexts, such as Dresden, where Latin remained in courtly use.

Bach used parody technique to adapt movements from cantatas BWV 17, 79, 138, and 179 to fit the Latin Mass text. This process involved more than simply changing the words; Bach reshaped vocal lines and phrasing to suit new meanings, creating a unified sacred work from diverse sources.

Some movements reflect the stylistic brightness of the galant style, with tuneful melodies and elegant phrasing that suggest Bach’s awareness of changing musical tastes. This blend of older counterpoint and a more modern style lends the work both gravitas and charm.

• Kyrie – Adapted from BWV 179, the movement unfolds in calm imitative counterpoint. Its serene, even somber, texture underscores the plea for mercy.

• Gloria – Presented in six sections:

• Gloria in excelsis Deo – A jubilant chorus adapted from BWV 79, with vigorous orchestral writing.

• Gratias agimus tibi – A lively bass solo from BWV 138, animated by flowing lines and a virtuosic melisma on the word gloria.

• Domine Deus – A supple and gracious duet for soprano and alto from BWV 79, blending expressiveness with elegance.

• Quoniam tu solus sanctus – A tenor solo from BWV 179, shaped with lyrical phrasing and gentle rhythmic motion.

• Cum Sancto Spiritu – A joyful fugue from BWV 17, with energetic counterpoint bringing the mass to a vibrant close.

Though more modest than the Mass in B Minor, this Missa Brevis distills Bach’s sacred style into a compact and expressive form.

Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, BWV 226

Composed in 1729 for the funeral of Johann Heinrich Ernesti, this double-choir motet combines polychoral texture with expressive clarity. Despite its somber occasion, the music celebrates the sustaining power of the Holy Spirit with vitality and transparency.

The first movement sets a passage from Romans 8 in graceful triple meter. Antiphonal exchanges between choirs give way to a unifying fugue, bringing all voices together and symbolizing the Spirit’s unifying strength.

The second movement, Der aber die Herzen forschet, is a four-voice double fugue. Two contrasting subjects — one rising, one falling — are developed and then combined, reflecting the theme of divine insight into the human heart.

The work closes with a simple chorale: Du heilige Brunst, süßer Trost. In homophonic style, it brings the motet to a serene and reassuring conclusion.

Transformations

Before turning to Bach’s Christ lag in Todesbanden, we present several earlier versions of the chorale tune that inspired it. The sequence begins with the plainchant Victimae paschali laudes, followed by Christ ist erstanden, in a setting by Bartholomäus Gesius (c.1562–1613), and two versions of Christ lag in Todesbanden by Johann Walther (1494–1570) and Lucas Osiander (1534–1604). These works chart the evolution of the tune from chant to chorale and set the stage for Bach’s expressive reimagining in BWV 4.

Christ lag in Todesbanden, BWV 4

This early cantata, likely written in 1707 or 1708, was almost certainly intended for Easter. Based on Martin Luther’s hymn of the same name, it offers a meditation on the themes of death, redemption, and resurrection. Though modeled on the older chorale motet tradition, it already displays Bach’s emerging voice and emotional depth.

The cantata opens with a serious Sinfonia whose harmonies and pacing establish a mood of solemnity and reflection. The chorale melody is already present, foreshadowing its central role in the work.

Verse 1 introduces the tune in the soprano line, with imitative counterpoint below. The alla breve “Halleluja” section adds urgency — more anxious than celebratory.

Verses 2–4 form a dramatic progression:

• Verse 2, a duet for sopranos and altos, evokes a sense of entrapment. The lines are tightly knit, suspended, and harmonically tense.

• Verse 3, for tenors, marks a turning point. The vocal line gains motion and lift, reflecting the proclamation that Christ has broken death’s grip.

• Verse 4, for full chorus, vividly depicts the battle between Life and Death. The altos hold the chorale tune while the other voices engage in animated fugal lines drawn from the same melody. The music builds to a triumphant unified “Halleluja.”

Verses 5–7 complete the emotional journey:

• Verse 5, for basses, powerfully affirms Christ as the Paschal Lamb with striking and wide-ranging vocal lines.

• Verse 6, a duet for sopranos and tenors, sparkles with triplets and dotted rhythms. Words like Sonne (sun) and Herz (heart) are painted with radiant musical gestures.

• Verse 7, a simple four-part chorale, concludes the cantata in quiet confidence. Its final “Halleluja” offers peace and resolution.

Throughout the cantata, the recurring “Halleluja” refrains shift in character—from restrained to exultant—mirroring the spiritual and emotional journey from death to resurrection.

Closing Reflections

This program traces a path through Bach’s sacred music, from the economical elegance of the Missa Brevis, through the polychoral vitality of Der Geist hilft, to the stark beauty of Christ lag in Todesbanden. Each work reflects a different dimension of Bach’s choral voice—his ability to unify structure and emotion, tradition and innovation.

Though rooted in religious tradition, this music resonates across boundaries. Its architecture, color, and depth speak to listeners in search of meaning, uplift, or simply beauty. The devotional becomes human; the spiritual, universal.

~ Pat Jennerjohn

Meet Our Soloists for From Tallis to Tavener, Feb 28–Mar 2

Elisabeth Reed, treble viol

Elisabeth Reed teaches Baroque cello, viola da gamba, and Baroque Ensemble at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and at the University of California at Berkeley. Recent teaching highlights include master classes at the Juilliard School, the Shanghai Conservatory and Middle School, and the Royal Academy of Music. She is the director of the Voice of the Viol (a program of Voices of Music) and is a soloist and chamber musician with Voices of Music, Archetti, Pacific Musicworks, and Wildcat Viols. Elisabeth has appeared with the Smithsonian Chamber Players, the Seattle, Portland, Pacific, and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestras, and the American Bach Soloists. She has performed at the Boston Early Music Festival, the Berkeley Early Music Festival, the Valley of the Moon Festival, the Ohai Festival, the Whidbey Island Music Festival, and the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival. She can be heard on the Virgin Classics, Naxos, Focus, Plectra, and Magnatunes recording labels and has many HD videos on the Voices of Music Youtube channel. She is a Guild- certified practitioner of the Feldenkrais Method of Awareness Through Movement, with a focus on working with musicians and performers.

Farley Pearce, tenor viol

Farley Pearce is a San Francisco musician who plays viols, violone, cello, and contrabass. He has performed with the Baroque orchestras of Vancouver, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, and is a member of the Voices of Music ensemble and the Sex Chordae Consort of Viols. He also has appeared with American Bach Society, Archetti, Magnificat!, Musica Pacifica, Marin Baroque, and the Albany Consort, as well as symphony orchestras in the Bay Area and the Spoleto Festival in Italy. His frequent recitals have featured old and new music for period contrabass as well as late 18th century music for viol and fortepiano.

David H. Miller, tenor viol

David H. Miller is a musicologist, a performer, and an Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of California, Berkeley, where he directs the University Baroque Ensemble. As a performer, he focuses on early bowed instruments (including the viola da gamba, violone, and Baroque double bass) and the music of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. David has performed with the Handel and Haydn Society, Arcadia Players, Trinity Wall Street, and New York Baroque Incorporated, and collaborates often with Seven Times Salt. He holds a Ph.D. in musicology from Cornell University, and is a member of the American Musicological Society, the Society for American Music, the Viola da Gamba Society of America, and the Association of Anglican Musicians.

David Morris, bass viol and Baroque cello

David Morris has performed across the U.S., Canada, and Europe.  He is a member of Quicksilver and the Bertamo Trio and has been a continuo player for the Boston Early Music Festival since 2013.  He is a frequent guest performer on the New York State Early Music Association and Pegasus Early Music series and has performed with Tafelmusik, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Mark Morris Dance Group. He has been a guest instructor in historical performance practice at Cornell University and Oberlin College and has recorded for Harmonia Mundi, CBC/Radio-Canada, and New Line Cinema.

Yuko Tanaka, organ

Yuko Tanaka, a native of Tokyo, Japan, is active as soloist and ensemble performer on harpsichord, fortepiano and chamber organ.  Yuko performs with ensembles including Bertamo Trio, Music of the Spheres, Archetti, Musica Pacifica, and has recorded with Moscow Chamber Orchestra and American Bach Soloists. She also performed with the San Francisco Symphony and the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, and most recently with the Seattle Symphony performing Bach’s D major Harpsichord Concerto. For 15 years, Yuko was a soloist at the Carmel Bach Festival. Yuko directs Music Discovery Workshop (a program of San Francisco Early Music Society), maintains a private studio, conducts master classes, and appears as guest lecturer at various universities. Notable engagements include performances at the Frick Collection (New York City), Tage Alter Musik Regensburg (Germany) and the Istanbul International Music Festival. Yuko received a Doctor in Musical Arts (DMA) in early music from Stanford University and has studied with Margaret Fabrizio at Stanford University, Gustav Leonhardt in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Ketil Haugsand in Oslo, Norway.

Program notes for From Tallis to Tavener, Feb 28–Mar 2

English choral music has undergone a remarkable evolution since its medieval origins. Beginning with the monophonic Gregorian chants of the early Middle Ages, the tradition flourished with the development of polyphony in the later medieval period. The Renaissance era saw a golden age for English choral music, with composers like William Byrd and Thomas Tallis crafting intricate polyphonic works that balanced multiple independent vocal lines. The Baroque period brought new forms and styles, exemplified by Henry Purcell's expressive text-setting and melodic inventiveness. The 18th and 19th centuries saw the rise of choral festivals and the composition of large-scale works by Edward Elgar; while the early 20th century ushered in a distinctly English sound with Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gustav Holst incorporating folk melodies into their compositions. This period also saw Herbert Howells blending modern techniques with the English cathedral music tradition. In the latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st, composers like Benjamin Britten and John Tavener pushed boundaries with innovative harmonies and spiritual influences. Throughout this rich history, English choral music has consistently demonstrated an ability to evolve while maintaining a connection to its deep-rooted traditions.

Most of these composers are renowned for their large-scale choral works, but here we present a veritable treasure box of smaller gems for your musical delight. And we’ve sprinkled in a few surprises for you, namely, viol consort music from the Tudor and Jacobean eras.

In the late Renaissance and early Baroque, composers blurred the lines between vocal and instrumental music, especially for the viola da gamba. The viola da gamba’s expressive timbre closely mirrors the human voice, making it ideal for translating vocal music into instrumental form. Many composers of this era explicitly treated their works as interchangeable between voices and viols. Our guest artists will present fantasias, dance movements, and madrigals by William Byrd, John Wilbye, Giovanni Coperario, Thomas Tompkins, and Henry Purcell.

Thomas Tallis (c. 1505–1585) was a pivotal figure in English Renaissance music, serving under four Tudor monarchs. He composed numerous sacred works. Tallis's ability to adapt his compositional style to meet the changing religious demands of each monarch showcases his versatility and political acumen.

Although Tallis's mastery of polyphonic writing in the Renaissance style is well known, he also wrote simpler pieces as well. “O ye tender babes” is a didactic piece written in a very straightforward homophonic style, and the flexible, almost unmetered musical setting serves to focus on the words, which are an admonition to young people to turn their efforts towards education and virtue.

“Sumer is icumen in” (Anonymous)  is a medieval English round dating from the mid-13th century. It is one of the oldest known musical compositions. The song celebrates the arrival of summer with vivid imagery and lively lyrics. Structurally, it is designed for at least three voices to sing in a specific manner, with each voice starting at a different time. Its enduring popularity is evident in numerous modern performances and adaptations.

Imogen Holst (1907–1984), daughter of composer Gustav Holst, was a versatile musician who worked as a composer, arranger, conductor, and music educator. She composed choral works such as Three Psalms and arranged numerous folk songs. Notably, Holst served as Benjamin Britten's musical assistant and was an artistic director of the Aldeburgh Festival, playing a crucial role in promoting British music.

Holst was very interested in traditional English folk songs and arranged a number of them. “O Shepherd” and “My father gave me an acre of land” come from this rich tapestry of English pastoral folk music.

Sir Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) is best known for his collaborations with W.S. Gilbert in comic operas, but he also composed significant choral works. Interestingly, Sullivan's hymn tune "St. Gertrude," commonly known as "Onward, Christian Soldiers," remains widely popular in hymnals today.

“Fair Daffodils” is a setting of a poem by the Elizabethan poet Robert Herrick. It was composed well before Arthur Sullivan was a “sir,” at the tender age of 15 (he was a very precocious child). Herrick’s poem was likely inspired by observing the short-lived bloom of daffodils in spring, using their fleeting beauty as a metaphor for the brevity of life. 

Sir Henry Bishop (1786–1855) was a prolific composer of English operas, glees, and songs, including the famous "Home, Sweet Home." As a choral composer, he wrote numerous part-songs and arranged traditional melodies. Bishop was the first British musician to be knighted, receiving the honor in 1842.

“Foresters, sound the cheerful horn,” a rollicking glee, is one of Bishop's best-known works. The piece draws inspiration from the traditional association of forests, hunting, and horn calls, while recalling the playful gods and goddesses portrayed in earlier English madrigals. 

William Turner (c. 1651–1740) was a prominent composer of the English Baroque period, known for his verse anthems and services. He composed over forty anthems, including "The Queen shall rejoice." Turner's long career at the Chapel Royal, spanning four monarchs, underscores his enduring influence on English sacred music.

“The Queen shall rejoice” is a celebratory anthem, written for the coronation of Queen Anne in 1702. It showcases the grandeur associated with English court music of the period.

Maurice Greene (1696–1755) was a prominent English composer and organist during the Georgian era. He held prestigious positions including organist at the Chapel Royal, professor of music at Cambridge University, and Master of the King's Musick. Greene's acknowledged masterpiece is the anthem "Lord, let me know mine end," which showcases his skill in polyphonic writing and use of expressive harmonies.

Henry Aldrich (1648–1710) was a versatile figure in 17th century Oxford, serving as dean of Christ Church and vice-chancellor of Oxford University. His compositions include full and verse anthems, as well as settings of canticles for Anglican services. 

“Out of the deep” is a verse anthem, a form that alternates between sections for full choir and passages sometimes sung by soloists.  The mood is quiet and yearning, with a recurring upward musical motif representing the words of this prayer rising up “out of the deep”.

Henry Purcell (1659–1695) is widely regarded as one of the greatest English composers. His compositions for the church include numerous anthems and service music. In addition to his sacred music, Purcell composed for the theater, writing incidental music, semi-operas, and the first important English opera, Dido and Aeneas. 

Purcell's "Cantate Domino" exemplifies his mastery of Baroque choral writing. This joyful setting of Psalm 98 features vibrant rhythms, word-painting, and contrasts between homophonic and polyphonic textures. 

Malcolm Singer (b. 1953) is a contemporary British composer and educator known for his diverse musical output. His choral works include Kaddish for choir and orchestra, and The Mask of Esther for children's choir. Singer's unique contribution to British music lies in his role as director of music at the Yehudi Menuhin School from 1998 to 2016, where he nurtured young musical talents and composed works that bridge classical and contemporary styles.

“Psalm 117,” composed in 1995, is set for double choir. It consists of only two verses; the composer exploits this constraint by combining long lyrical phrases and sections that explore the Hebrew language via intricate rhythmic patterns.

“The Agincourt Carol,” (Anonymous) also known as "Deo gratias Anglia," is a celebrated English folk song from the early 15th century, composed shortly after the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. This piece is one of the earliest examples of English carols and represents a significant milestone in the development of English polyphonic music. 

John Tavener (1944–2013) was a prominent figure in contemporary British classical music, known for his deeply spiritual compositions. His choral works, such as "The Lamb" and "Song for Athene" (famously performed at Princess Diana's funeral), are characterized by their mystical quality and Orthodox Christian influences. 

"The Lamb," composed in 1982,  is a setting of a poem by William Blake, the renowned English poet and artist. It features a simple, haunting melody that is passed between voice parts in a canon-like structure. 

Sir Edward Elgar (1857–1934) was one of the most celebrated English composers of his time. While best known for orchestral works like the Enigma Variations, Elgar also composed significant choral pieces, including "The Dream of Gerontius" and "The Music Makers." Elgar's importance in British music is underscored by his role in establishing an English national style that gained international recognition, bridging the gap between the Victorian era and 20th-century modernism.

"Ave Maria," Op. 2 No. 2, was composed in 1887. This early work exemplifies Elgar's rich, late-Romantic harmonic language. The piece features lush choral textures, with Elgar's characteristic long, arching melodic lines

Herbert Howells (1892–1983) was a key figure in 20th-century English church music. His choral compositions, including numerous settings of the Anglican service, are characterized by their rich harmonies and expressive depth. Howells' unique contribution lies in his ability to blend modern compositional techniques with the English cathedral music tradition, creating a distinctive sound that has profoundly influenced subsequent generations of British composers.

"My eyes for beauty pine" is a masterful anthem composed in 1925, to a text by Robert Bridges. Howells employs his characteristic rich harmonic language, including modal inflections and carefully crafted dissonances, to create a sense of yearning and transcendence. 

Benjamin Britten (1913–1976) was one of the most significant British composers of the 20th century. His choral output is extensive and varied, ranging from large-scale works like his War Requiem to smaller pieces like A Ceremony of Carols. His innovative approach to text setting and his ability to write accessible yet sophisticated music left a lasting impact on British musical culture.

"Concord" is the second choral dance from the opera Gloriana, composed in 1953 for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

“Ballad of Green Broom” is part of Britten's "Five Flower Songs," Op. 47, composed in 1950. It is a lively, folk-inspired work that displays the composer’s wit and humor. The composition blends traditional elements with modern techniques, resulting in a work that is both accessible and sophisticated.

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958) was one of the most influential British composers of the 20th century. His work played a crucial role in establishing a distinctly English musical voice, drawing inspiration from folk songs and Tudor music. As a teacher at the Royal College of Music, he nurtured a new generation of composers, including Michael Tippett and Benjamin Britten, ensuring his legacy would continue to shape British classical music for decades to come.

"The Willow Song" is a setting of text from Shakespeare's Othello. Composed in 1913, it is part of his "Three Elizabethan Part Songs." The setting is tender and poignant, foreshadowing Desdemona's tragic fate. 

— Patrica Jennerjohn

Program notes for Gaudete, Dec 13–15

Our program's juxtaposition of Advent and Christmas text settings offers a unique opportunity to compare six centuries’ worth of composers’ settings of well-loved words of contemplation, wonder, and joy.  The ancient and medieval settings lay the foundation; the Renaissance and early Baroque works showcase clear polyphonic writing and modal harmonies; and their modern counterparts employ more complex harmonies, varied textures, and often a more intimate relationship between text and rhythm. Despite these differences, all the works richly evoke a contemplative, spiritual atmosphere. These pairings of old and new invite listeners to experience the timeless beauty of these texts through distinct musical lenses, separated by centuries yet united in their reverence for the subject matter: new life and renewed hope amid darkness.

Ave Maria: Gregorian Chant

The Gregorian chant setting of Ave Maria dates to the medieval period, likely originating between the 9th and 11th centuries. This monophonic melody has been a staple of Catholic liturgy and devotional practice for centuries. The chant setting uses the original Latin text of the Hail Mary prayer, its unadorned melodic line allowing the text to take precedence.

Three Carol-Anthems by Herbert Howells (1892–1983)

Written in his early maturity, Herbert Howells's Three Carol-Anthems represent a masterful blend of Renaissance-inspired polyphony and 20th-century harmonic language. As a university student, Howells had been sent to the new Westminster Cathedral, where Richard Terry was putting on pioneering performances of Renaissance polyphony.

Each of Howells’ settings is paired with a Renaissance counterpart.

 A Spotless Rose/Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, by Michael Pretorius (1571–1621)

A Spotless Rose is perhaps the most famous of Howells's Carol-Anthems. Its sweeping lines create an atmosphere that captures the mystery of the Incarnation of Jesus, with a plangent baritone solo at the heart of the piece. The sensuous final cadence of A Spotless Rose caused fellow composer Patrick Hadley to exclaim to Howells that “it [was] a stroke of genius. I should like, when my time comes, to pass away to that magical cadence.”

Praetorius's harmonization of Es ist ein Ros entsprungen offers a direct link to the piece's original Renaissance setting. His treatment is simple but inspired, and his setting is still sung today in English as Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming.

Here is the Little Door/Magi veniunt ab oriente, by Jacobus Clemens non Papa (c. 1510–1555)

Howells's Here is the Little Door opens the set with a depiction of the Magi's arrival. The piece alternates between intimate simplicity and vivid outburst, mirroring the depiction of  Jesus’s birth and subsequent trials.

Clemens non Papa's "Magi veniunt ab oriente" provides a Renaissance perspective on the same theme. Clemens, a prolific Netherlandish composer of the mid-16th century, was known for his mastery of polyphonic writing. (He was called “non Papa” as a joke by his publisher, to distinguish him from Pope Clement VII.)

Sing Lullaby/Coventry Carol

Howells concludes his set with Sing Lullaby, a tender and hypnotic cradle song.

The Coventry Carol, arranged by Francis Melville (born 1995), provides a poignant Renaissance/modern contrast. This 16th-century lullaby, with its minor melody, comes from the Massacre of the Innocents narrative, in which King Herod ordered the killing of all infant males in a cruel search for the baby Jesus. 

There is no rose of swych vertu: Medieval Carol

There is no rose of swych vertu is a carol dating back to the early 15th century. The text, preserved in a manuscript at Trinity College, Cambridge (MS 0.3.58), blends Middle English and Latin in a devotional meditation on the Virgin Mary. This mixing of languages, known as macaronic verse, was a common feature in medieval religious poetry, serving both artistic and educational purposes.

There Is No Rose, from A Ceremony of Carols

Benjamin Britten (1913–1976) composed his setting of There Is No Rose as part of A Ceremony of Carols in 1942. This was one of several compositions written by Britten during his sea voyage in 1942 (he was returning from a rather unsuccessful sojourn in the United States during WWII). Originally scored for three-part treble chorus and harp, this program features an adaption for SATB voices and piano. There is a beautiful lilting quality to the accompaniment, with the voices expressing merriment at the prospect of meeting the baby Jesus.

Ein Kind ist uns geboren, by Heinrich Schütz (1585–1672)/A Child is Born, by Thad Jones (1923–1986)

Schütz's Ein Kind ist uns geboren (A Child is Born to Us) comes from his first collection of Kleine geistliche Konzerte  (Small Sacred Concertos, Op. 8), written in straitened circumstances during the Thirty Years’ War (1618–48). This intimate setting for four voices and basso continuo demonstrates the composer’s mastery of subtle vocal interplay.

Jones's jazz standard A Child is Born (1969) offers a contrasting perspective. Originally composed as an instrumental piece by trumpeter and band leader Thad Jones, its haunting and gentle melody is immediately captivating. Written in a 32-bar form in 3/4 time, it later acquired lyrics by Alec Wilder and is perhaps best known as a ballad performed by singer Tony Bennett and pianist Bill Evans.

O magnum mysterium, by Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548–1611)

One of the staples of Renaissance polyphony, Victoria’s justly famed setting employs smooth polyphony and subtle harmonic shifts to convey a sense of wonder and awe of the miracle of Jesus’s birth.

Quem vidistis pastores dicite, by Francis Poulenc (1899–1963)

Poulenc's Quem vidistis, from his Quatre Motets pour le Temps de Noël (1951–52), brings the listener to the shepherds’ fields, where the open plains are evoked with bright melodies accompanied by humming.

Videntes stellam, by Orlande de Lassus (1532–1594)

Videntes stellam (1562) is a prime example of Renaissance motet writing, with a bold rising motif at the beginning that seems to look up at the star and continues on with elegant, flowing lines.

Hodie Christus natus est, by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562–1621)

This motet is joyful and uninhibited.  It is a perfect exemplar of the early Italian-influenced Baroque style with its contrasting sections and varied choral textures.

Excerpts from Gaudete—traditional texts and melodies, arranged by Anders Öhrwall (1932–2012)

The Swedish conductor Anders Öhrwall was the director of music at Adolf Fredrik Church in Stockholm. Gaudete was composed for the Youth Choir of the Swedish Radio in 1962 to introduce Swedish Christmas music for mixed choir and instruments in settings suitable for all ages.

The melodies are from the Piae Cantiones, which was published in 1582 and includes 74 Latin and Swedish/Latin songs that were sung at the time in Scandinavian cathedral schools. Many of these carols, translated into English, form the foundation of Christmas carols familiar to us today, especially the 1961 Carols for Choirs arrangements by Sir David Willcocks. Öhrwall’s work gives a modern twist to the 16th-century style, and is a warm tribute to that era’s tradition of joint singing and playing. His notes indicate that these settings can be performed in many different combinations of voices and instruments, depending on the forces available. This program features three of the ten pieces in Gaudete: In dulci jubilo, To us a Child has been born today, and Let the earth with praise resound.

 Ave Maria, by Franz Biebl (1906–2001)

Franz Biebl's Ave Maria, composed in 1964, represents a modern take on this timeless text. Written for double choir, it interweaves portions of the Ave Maria with verses from the Angelus prayer (a devotional prayer to the Virgin Mary). Biebl's setting employs lush, sustained chords to overwhelm the listener with beauty. Originally written for an all-male firemen's chorus in Germany, it has since become popular with choirs worldwide, especially after the all-male choral group (and local favorite) Chanticleer recorded the work.

~ Derek Tam and Patricia Jennerjohn

Meet Our Soloists for Tesori Dorati, October 2024

Lauded by the Los Angeles Times for her “luxuriant large soprano” and by the Washington Post for her “arresting, magisterial voice and presence,” soprano Clarissa Lyons has appeared with the Metropolitan Opera, the Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Wolf Trap Opera (the latter in the US premiere of Glassman’s 1769 work, L’Opera seria).  Clarissa is also a passionate recitalist and has performed at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall, the Park Avenue Armory, Lincoln Center’s Bruno Walter Auditorium, the Frick Collection, and Carmel’s Sunset Center.

Clarissa holds master’s degrees from Bard College Conservatory and the Manhattan School of Music.  A native Californian, Clarissa graduated with honors from the University of California Berkeley, where she was the recipient of the 2006 Eisner Prize for Excellence in the Arts and the 2014 Hertz Memorial Traveling Fellowship.  She was also named the winner of the Carmel Music Society Competition and West Bay Opera’s Henry and Maria Holt Competition. Clarissa teaches voice and lives in the East Bay with her two children, husband, and basset-hound mix. 

Filipino countertenor Kyle Sanchez Tingzon has been praised for his "powerful countertenor" (The Wall Street Journal) and "lovely, plummy voice" (Opera Today). Kyle appeared as soloist in last year’s California Bach Society concerts of the Biber Requiem, Steffani Stabat Mater, and Bach’s B Minor Mass. Other recent performances include work with American Bach Soloists, Philharmonia Baroque Chorale, his soloist debut with Pacific Opera Project in the US premiere of Vivaldi's Ercole su'l Termodonte, his debut with Tacoma Opera  in the world premiere of Tacoma Method, and his debut in Handel’s Rinaldo with the Glimmerglass Festival.

In 2022, Kyle completed his graduate and postgraduate studies in vocal performance, with a historical performance emphasis, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying under César Ulloa. While there, he made role debuts in Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto (in the title role) and Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea (as Ottone).

He is the first-prize winner of the Handel Aria Competition, third-prize winner of the Loren L. Zachary Society National Vocal Competition, and a Colorado-Wyoming district winner and Rocky Mountain regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.

A Bay Area resident for more than 40 years, tenor Trente Morant is an accomplished and popular conductor, arranger, accompanist, and singer. For many years, he toured the country as a performer and lecturer, specializing in music from the Harlem Renaissance. He also served as musical director at theaters in the New York Tri-City area for numerous productions.  

In the Bay Area, he conducted the Berkeley Broadway singers, sang the role of the "leading player" in Pippin with the Alameda Civic Light Opera, and performed Carmina Burana with the Oakland Ballet. Other singing performances include Porgy and Bess, Bernstein's Mass, and Messiah with the Oakland East Bay Symphony.

Former artistic director of the Oakland Youth Chorus, Trente conducted the chorus in performances and workshops with such luminaries as Bobby McFerrin, Charlie Haden, Nancy Wilson, and Pete Seeger. Under his direction, the chorus performed at the White House and on CBS's The Morning Show. 

He has also conducted at the Monterey and San Francisco Jazz Festivals. Recently he served as vocal director for Woodminster Summer Musicals in Oakland. A three-time recipient of an “Artist in Residence” grant from the California Arts Council, Trente is a graduate of Westminster Choir College.

Critics have described bass Sepp Hammer as delivering “masterful and expressive solos” (San Francisco Classical Voice) and showing “warm baritone gravity” (The Boston Globe). His concert engagements in recent seasons have included Bach’s St. Matthew Passion (as Jesus) with the California Bach Society, Schubert’s Mass in G Major with Bay Choral Guild, Handel’s Dixit Dominus with San Francisco Choral Society, Bach’s Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir with Santa Cruz Chorale, Rutter’s Mass of the Children with the Solano Symphony, Zelenka’s Gloria with Chora Nova, and Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs with Contra Costa Chorale. 

Sepp appeared in the role of Eupolemus in Handel’s Judas Maccabaeus with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and he sings regularly with the PBO Chorale. With various ensembles, he has also performed the Schütz Symphoniae Sacrae, Bach Magnificat, Bach B Minor Mass, Haydn Lord Nelson Mass, Brahms Requiem, Fauré Requiem, and Duruflé Requiem. Sepp holds a master’s degree in vocal performance from New England Conservatory and a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of California, Berkeley. 

Program Notes for Tesori Dorati, Oct 25–27

Domenico Zipoli (1688–1726)

Domenico Zipoli was an Italian Baroque composer and Jesuit missionary who spent much of his career in South America, specifically in Córdoba, Argentina. Initially trained in Italy under prominent composers like Alessandro Scarlatti and Bernardo Pasquini, Zipoli joined the Society of Jesus in 1716 and soon traveled to the Jesuit Reductions of Paraguay.

In Córdoba, Zipoli served as music director at the local Jesuit church while completing his theological studies. He composed extensively during his time in South America, and his works became well known throughout the region. Zipoli died in 1726 from an illness before achieving ordination.

Missa Encarnación

This Mass is attributed to Domenico Zipoli and is believed to have been written during his time as a Jesuit missionary in South America. It was discovered in the Archivo Musical de Chiquitos, a collection of almost 600 musical works preserved at the Cathedral of Concepcion in Bolivia.

The Mass follows the traditional structure, including the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei. It is written for choir and a small orchestra, with instrumental textures that invite performances using contrasts between full choir and smaller groupings such as solos, duets, and trios. While the vocal writing, musical texture, and use of counterpoint are sophisticated, the brevity of the piece emphasizes its liturgical purpose.

Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643)

Claudio Monteverdi was a pivotal Italian composer whose work marked the transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque era. He made significant contributions to both secular and sacred music, excelling in the development of opera and shaping early Baroque innovations.

Baci soavi e cari 

This madrigal is included in Monteverdi's First Book of Madrigals, published in 1587. The text, written by Battista Guarini, describes the sweetness and life-giving nature of kisses. Monteverdi uses a five-voice arrangement (SSATB) to create rich, interwoven textures which enhance the emotional impact of the text through word painting techniques.

Ecco mormorar l'onde

Featured in Monteverdi's Second Book of Madrigals (1590), this celebrated madrigal sets text by Torquato Tasso. It beautifully captures the serene scene of dawn by the sea, with voices entering successively to mimic the gentle motion of waves and soft singing of birds.

Lasciatemi morire 

This piece is a madrigal arrangement for five voices and continuo from Monteverdi's Sixth Book of Madrigals (1614). It is based on the famous lament from his lost opera "L'Arianna." The lyrics, by Ottavio Rinuccini, express Ariadne's deep sorrow after being abandoned by Theseus, emphasized through expressive harmonies and dissonances.

Salamone Rossi (ca. 1570–1630)

Salamone Rossi was an Italian Jewish violinist and composer who served at the Gonzaga court of Mantua for forty-one years. He was a transitional figure between the late Italian Renaissance period and early Baroque.

Rossi and Monteverdi were both employed at the Gonzaga court in Mantua during overlapping periods. Despite their proximity, there is no concrete evidence that Rossi and Monteverdi directly collaborated or even met.

Rossi was the first person to compose and publish Jewish choral music to illuminate sacred Hebrew texts. His most notable work, "Ha-Shirim Asher Li-Shlomo" (The Songs of Solomon), includes settings of Psalms, hymns, and other liturgical texts.

Al Naharot Bavel (By the Waters of Babylon, Psalm 137)

This psalm is a poignant lament reflecting the sorrow of the Jewish people during their exile in Babylon. The emotions in this psalm range widely from sorrow and sadness to bitterness and rage.  The musical lines are slow moving and almost static, seeming to portray the powerless nature of captivity. The piece is often performed for Tish'a Be'Av (a day of mourning in Judaism) and Holocaust memorial events.

Shir Hama'alot (A Song of Ascents, Psalm 126)

In complete contrast, this psalm celebrates the time when the Lord at last returned the exiles of Zion. This uplifting psalm is also often sung in Jewish liturgy. Rossi created several settings of this psalm, with the one performed here composed for three voices.  The lively tempo, ornamented vocal lines and the shifts from duple to triple meter convey a sense of joy and celebration.

Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741)

Antonio Vivaldi was an Italian composer and virtuoso violinist who had a significant influence on European music, particularly in orchestration and the development of the concerto form. He composed over 500 concertos, numerous sacred choral pieces, and more than 50 operas.

Magnificat in G minor, RV 610

Vivaldi composed multiple versions of his Magnificat in G minor, setting the text of the biblical canticle and doxology to music. The most well-known version, RV 610, was written for soloists, choir, and orchestra. Originally composed around 1715 for the Ospedale della Pietà, a Venetian orphanage for girls where Vivaldi worked, it was later revised in the 1720s and 1730s.

The Magnificat is structured in nine compact movements, each corresponding to a verse of the canticle. Vivaldi's interpretation is vibrant, combining grand choral sections with intimate solo passages. The work emphasizes contrasting emotions such as mercy and fear through chromatic lines and expressive harmonies. The final movement, "Gloria Patri," features a fugue that mirrors the opening, concluding with a lively and majestic "Amen."

Program Notes written by Patricia Jennerjohn

New Directions for CBS

The Board of California Bach Society is excited to announce new artistic leadership for CBS. We want to express our appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Paul Flight for the significant musical contributions he made during his 17-year tenure with the choir and for the many memorable concerts we presented under his direction. We wish Paul well in his future endeavors.

Beginning this fall, acclaimed and beloved Bay Area choral conductor Magen Solomon will join us as interim artistic director for the 2024-2025 season. Because Magen will not be available for our December concert set, we are thrilled to welcome Derek Tam as a guest conductor for that set.

We are looking forward to taking CBS in some new and exciting directions—but we also want to assure our audiences and supporters that we will continue to present the exquisite repertoire and innovative programming you love! We thank you for your support, and we hope you’ll join us for what promises to be another outstanding CBS season.

Magen Solomon

Interim Artistic Director, 2024-2025 Season

An innovative teacher and conductor, Magen Solomon is active across the US and abroad as a clinician, teacher, and guest conductor. She has been engaged with early music as a conductor, singer, scholar, and editor for over four decades and has collaborated on performances of major choral-orchestral works with Michael Tilson Thomas, Kent Nagano, Nicolas McGegan, and Helmuth Rilling, among others. 

Artistic director of the San Francisco Bach Choir since 2014, Dr. Solomon directed the Oakland Symphony Chorus for 12 years, and the Stockton Chorale for 4 years. She taught at the University of Southern California from 2004-2010, and directed choral activities at Santa Clara University, UC-Berkeley, and several other colleges and universities. Chair of ACDA’s Julius Herford Dissertation Prize Committee since 2007, she has also published a scholarly performing edition of 16th-century German partsongs with A-R Editions.

Recognized as a champion of contemporary choral works, Dr. Solomon avidly cultivates engagements with living composers to bridge the gulf between audience, composers, and performers. She has been the artistic director of San Francisco Choral Artists since 1995, during which time SFCA has premiered over 300 works, won several national prizes, and has established six different programs to support and promote new composition.

Derek Tam

Guest Conductor, December 2024 concert set

Praised not only for his “deft” conducting (San Francisco Chronicle​) but also as “a master of [the harpsichord]” (San Francisco Classical Voice) and “the fortepianist of the beguiling fingers” (Bloomington Herald-Times), Derek Tam appears regularly throughout the Bay Area and beyond as a conductor and historical keyboardist.

He is the executive director of the San Francisco Early Music Society, a major advocate for early music in the United States, and serves as the artistic director of the biennial Berkeley Festival & Exhibition, an internationally-renowned celebration of early music. Tam is the most recent past president of the board of Early Music America, a national organization dedicated to strengthening historical performance.

Program Notes for North German Masters

Johann Schop (c. 1590–1667) was a German violinist and composer, much admired as a musician and a technician. He was a virtuoso, whose compositions for the violin set impressive technical demands for that time. In 1756 Leopold Mozart commented on the difficulty of a trill in a work by Schop, probably composed before 1646. A melody of his was used by Johann Sebastian Bach for the chorale movements of his cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147. Under the English title of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, Bach's chorale on the Schop melody has been arranged for different instruments and has gained wide popularity.

Christ lag in Todesbanden, a renowned Lutheran hymn, is set as a chorale fantasia for treble voices.  Consistent with his violin writing, this has some florid vocal moments, but is otherwise a very sweet and intimate setting. It is presented as a dialogue between the two voice parts—which intertwine and frequently cross—accompanied only by continuo instruments. The hymn tune is subtly present, but changing meters and ornamental lines soften the effect.  

Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele is a sturdy and vigorous motet on the text of Psalm 103. It is somewhat reminiscent of Heinrich Schütz in its alternations of homophonic passages, duets between two voice parts, and imitative passages.  It is rarely performed and has never been recorded to our knowledge.  

Franz Tunder (1614–1667) was a German composer and organist of the early to middle Baroque era. He was an important link between early German Baroque style, based on Venetian models, and the later Baroque style, which culminated in the music of J.S. Bach. Tunder’s surviving output suggests a marked preference for the chorale fantasia style.

In 1641 he was appointed as organist at Lübeck's main church, the Marienkirche. In 1647 he became administrator and treasurer and remained there for the rest of his life.  Tunder began the tradition of “Abendmusiken,” free concerts in the Marienkirche, the most elaborate of which were during Advent. The earliest of these concerts occurred in 1646. The concerts seem to have originated as organ performances specifically for the businessmen who congregated at the weekly opening of the town's stock exchange. These concerts continued through the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and were distinguished from other concerts by having free admission, being financed by the business community.

The motet Nisi Dominus was composed for the Abendmusik concerts. It is a complex, multi-section setting of Psalm 127 (“Unless the Lord built the house, those who built it labor in vain”), a text that seems to beg for word painting, with its vivid imagery. 

Although not set for multiple choirs, the composer uses dialogues between different sections of the choir and varies the density of the writing to create a call and response effect that is reminiscent of Venetian composers such as Gabrieli. The sections are separated by florid bass solos.

After the introductory movement and the first bass solo, we encounter a vigorous rising motif to illustrate the word “surgite” (rise up), which halts on the words “postquam sederitis” (after resting). A plaintive series of suspensions describes how we work hard for our bread; then the music descends through the lower voices to describe how those beloved of God are granted peaceful sleep. In a subsequent section, also set off by a bass solo, florid melismas and trumpet-like outbursts describe contending with opponents in court. The Psalm concludes with the traditional doxology, which reprises themes from the opening movement.

Streuet mit Palmen is a motet for the Advent season. It describes the preparations for the coming of Jesus.  It is a much simpler and more straightforward work than Nisi Dominus, consisting of an instrumental introduction and four verses alternating with an instrumental ritornello. The verses invite us to receive the eternal Prince of Peace and prepare our hearts for his arrival. The symbolism of palms, olives, and myrtles refers to hope, peace, and joy, and also slightly foreshadows the darker events of the Passion. 

Dieterich Buxtehude (c. 1637–1707) was a Danish-German organist and composer of the Baroque period. He composed in a wide variety of vocal and instrumental idioms, and he strongly influenced many composers, including Johann Sebastian Bach. Today, Buxtehude is considered one of the most important composers of the German mid-Baroque. His surviving church music is praised for its high musical qualities rather than its progressive elements. The librettos for his oratorios survive, but none of the scores do. This is particularly unfortunate because his German oratorios seem to be the model for later works by Johann Sebastian Bach and Georg Philipp Telemann. 

Buxtehude's last post, from 1668, was at the Marienkirche in Lübeck. There he succeeded Franz Tunder. In 1673 he reorganized the musical performances initiated by Tunder, known as Abendmusiken, which remained a feature of the church until 1810. He married Tunder's daughter Anna Margarethe in 1668. It was a not uncommon practice for a man to marry the daughter of his predecessor in his occupation. In 1703, Buxtehude offered his position in Lübeck to Handel and Johann Mattheson, but stipulated that the organist who ascended to it must marry his eldest daughter. Both Handel and Mattheson turned the offer down and left the day after their arrival. 

In 1705, J.S. Bach, then a young man of twenty, walked from Arnstadt to Lübeck, a distance of more than 400 kilometers (250 miles), and stayed nearly three months to hear the Abendmusiken. Legend has it that Buxtehude extended the same offer of his position to Bach, who also declined.

Nimm von uns, Herr, du Treuer Gott is a chorale cantata, a composition that is based on the text and melody of a hymn, in which each movement or section treats each stanza with a different technique.

The hymn tune used for the text is the tune composed by Marin Luther for the hymn Vater unser im Himmelreich.  The Nimm von Uns text consists of seven stanzas; Buxtehude sets the first three and the seventh stanza, along with an Amen.  

Jesu, meines Lebens Leben opens with an instrumental sinfonia. The five verses of this hymn are presented in a series of variations. Buxtehude shows off his ability to work creatively by confining the bass line to two measures that repeat for the duration of the piece (a chaconne) and using the upper voices and accompanying instruments to play off this self-imposed limitation. Each variation/verse also alters the number of voice parts in a rather clever fashion.

Verse one has the sopranos singing alone. Verse two utilizes the lower three voices (alto, tenor, and bass), but omits the sopranos. Verse three is sung by the tenors, and then verse four is assigned to the sopranos, altos, and basses, leaving the tenors out this time. All four voices join in verse five, finishing off with an “Amen” in a more imitative style, still built over the two-measure bass line.

Georg Philipp Telemann (1681–1767) was a German Baroque composer and instrumentalist. Almost completely self-taught in music, he became a composer against his family's wishes. Telemann was and still is one of the most prolific composers in history (at least in terms of surviving works), and was considered by his contemporaries to be one of the leading German composers of the time—he was compared favorably both to his friend Johann Sebastian Bach, who made Telemann the godfather and namesake of his son Carl Philipp Emanuel, and to George Frideric Handel, whom Telemann also knew personally. Telemann's music incorporates French and Italian styles and is even at times influenced by Polish popular music. He remained at the forefront of all new musical tendencies, and his music is an important link between the late Baroque and early Classical styles.

The music of Telemann’s youth is quite different from his mature works. Schaffe in mir, Gott, ein reines Herz (Psalm 51:10-12) was written when Telemann was only seventeen years old. It hearkens back to Schütz and other earlier North German masters. The setting is simple, elegant, and very confident. The youthful composer skillfully changes the musical mood as the words seem to dictate.

Telemann shows off his technical expertise by setting the first section as a chaconne. The vocal writing is constructed above a ground bass that is a constantly repeating a descending scale. The instrumental accompaniment plays an additional independent line that weaves through the texture.

The second section is for tenor voices only and is very lightly scored. The full chorus comes back in the next part, a cheerful and vigorous alternation between homophonic and imitative writing. A simple and sweet soprano and alto duet follows. The finale is a treatment of a verse from the Lutheran hymn “Komm, Heiliger Geist.” The vocal parts are set in a relatively standard chorale harmonization. What makes this movement unique is the lively instrumental accompaniment under the chorale.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), the young man who walked to Lübeck to hear Buxtehude’s Abendmusiken, requires little introduction, of course.  A German composer and musician of the late Baroque period, he enriched established German styles through his mastery of counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organization, and his adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France. 

When he composed his motets, works without contemporary poetry and without an independent orchestra, the genre was already out of fashion. However, there was evidently a demand for such works at funerals, a ceremony for which at least some of Bach's motets were written. 

Fürchte dich nicht, BWV 228, is such a funeral motet, set for double chorus. The work in two movements draws its text from the Book of Isaiah and a hymn by Paul Gerhardt. Scholars disagree about the composition time and place, which was traditionally believed to be 1726 in Leipzig, while more recent scholarship suggests for stylistic reasons that it was composed earlier, during the years Bach lived in Weimar.

The first verse from Isaiah is the text for the first movement. In the second movement, the second verse from Isaiah is set as a fugue in the three lower voices, juxtaposed with the chorale by Gerhardt, sung by the sopranos. The lower voices are set in a double fugue, with the subject derived from the beginning of the chorale melody and the counter subject an inversion. At one point there is also a strong textual correspondence of biblical quotation and hymn. The conductor John Eliot Gardiner points out that "the biblical 'Ich habe dich bei deinem Namen gerufen' (I have called thee by thy name) leads climactically to the hymn-line 'Ich bin dein, weil du dein Leben ... [gegeben]' (I am thine, for thou hast given thy life). The movement ends with a recapitulation of the music from the first movement for double choir on the final line of the second verse of the Isaiah text. 

These Northern German composers all lived during a time when the Lutheran faith was firmly established in this part of the world.  The texts of many of these motets and choral concertos are firmly rooted in traditional Lutheran teachings.  Yet, their mixture of pessimism, shame, yearnings for redemption, hope, and praise is embedded in music that lifts the listener away from the rather dark nature of some of the texts.

—Patricia Jennerjohn

Program Notes for Voices of Ukraine and Estonia

Voices of Estonia

Arvo Pärt, a composer of contemporary classical music, was born on September 11, 1935, in Estonia, which was annexed in 1940 by the Soviet Union. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs tintinnabula (the impression of ringing bells), a compositional technique he invented. Pärt’s music is also inspired by Gregorian chant.

Pärt was severely criticized in 1962 for employing serialism in one of his compositions, which exhibited his “susceptibility to foreign influences.” But nine months later Pärt won first prize in a competition of 1,200 works, awarded by the Union of Soviet Composers, indicating the Soviet regime’s inability to agree on what was permissible. His first overtly sacred piece, Credo (1968), was a turning point in his career and life: on a personal level he had reached a creative crisis that led him to renounce the techniques and means of expression used so far; on a social level the religious nature of this piece resulted in him being unofficially censured and his music disappearing from concert halls. For the next eight years he composed very little, focusing instead on the study of medieval and Renaissance music to find his new musical language. In 1972 he converted from Lutheranism to Orthodox Christianity. He reemerged as a composer in 1976 with music in his new composi- tional style and technique, “tintinnabula.”

Bogoroditse Devo (Rejoice, O Virgin Mary) is a setting of the well-known Orthodox version of the Hail Mary, and was commissioned in 1990 by the King’s College Choir, Cambridge, for their Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. It alternates lightweight, chant-like, and transparent writing with sturdy, full-bodied choral writing in traditional Orthodox style.

Cantate Domino, for choir or soloists with organ, was composed in 1977 (revised in 1996). Based on Psalm 96 (95), one could easily say that it is one of the most joyful works in Pärt’s tintinnabula music. Two pairs of voices, soprano/alto and tenor/bass, move throughout almost the entire composition step by step in opposite directions, while the organ plays the notes of a B-flat major triad, creating various combinations with the vocal parts. There is much emphasis on word rhythm, creating some interesting syncopations.

The Woman with the Alabaster Box is set for a capella mixed choir. It was composed for the 350th anniversary of the Karlstad Episcopacy in Sweden and premiered by the Eric Westberg Vocal Ensemble. This text from the Gospel of Matthew is shaped as music, but with much attention to word rhythm and slowly changing harmonies. Female voices dominate the story of the woman who poured precious ointment on Jesus’s head. The displeasure of the disciples is expressed via a duet of male voices. Jesus’s reply is communicated in the bass voices, through a rising and falling line anchored by a static note. The prediction of his death is expressed by the full choir, with a quiet acknowledgment at the end.

Veljo Tormis (7 August 1930–21 January 2017) is regarded as one of the great contemporary choral composers and one of the most important composers of the 20th century in Estonia. Internationally, his fame arises chiefly from his extensive body of choral music, which exceeds 500 individual choral songs, most of them a cappella. The great majority of these pieces are based—either textually, melodically, or merely stylistically—on traditional Estonian folksongs. His work demonstrates the conviction that traditional Estonian and other Balto-Finnic music represents a treasure which must be guarded and nourished, and that culture may be kept alive through the medium of song.

Autumn Landscapes is a set of seven pieces for mixed chorus that invite us to contemplate the changing seasons, the fleeting beauty of nature, and the emotions stirred by transitions. We are performing the first two movements and the final movement.

The opening movement uses placid harmonies to describe the late summer sun casting shadows on the landscape, hinting at the approaching autumn. The second movement is a vivid musical description of clouds racing across the sky, driven by a chilly wind. The final movement describes the brilliant autumn sun illuminating the landscape, with building excitement.

Urmas Sisask (9 September 1960–17 December 2022) was an Estonian composer who was deeply fas- cinated by the interplay between astronomy, nature, and music.

Building on the calculation of the trajectories of the planets in the Solar System, he created a “planetary scale,” a mode consisting of the pitches C#, D, F#, G#, and A. Later, he discovered to his surprise that this was exactly the same as the Japanese Kumajoshi mode, which is also known as the Japanese pentatonic scale.

Many of his compositions are built around this scale and various harmonic permutations of this scale.

Te gratias ago, Creator Universi! is the final movement from a set of twenty-four sacred songs, “in tones of exoplanets.” The set of songs is constructed using only the five pitches of his “planetary scale.” They feature hypnotic repetition, strong rhythms, and abrupt dynamic changes.

This final movement is a song of thanks to the Creator of the Universe at the end of the singer’s life “in this Land.”

Voices of Ukraine

Mykola Dyletsky was a music theorist and composer born in Kyiv and active in Russia. He was widely influential in late 17th-century Russia with his treatise on musical composition, A Musical Grammar, of which the earliest surviving version dates from 1677. Dyletsky’s followers included the Russian composer Vasily Titov.

Tsariu nebesny (O Heavenly King) is a sacred concerto meant to be performed during a service, but it is not a part of the regular liturgy. It is sweetly and simply set for four vocal parts.

Slava/Pryjdite, Liudiye (Come, O People) is a setting of the Troparion (liturgical hymn) sung after the second antiphon of the traditional Orthodox Christian liturgy, for eight-part unaccompanied choir. The text is clarified by varying the texture of the setting, with full eight-part choruses alternating with duets, trios, and quartets sung by various solo voices. The result is a fusion of European Baroque musical writing with a distinctive Slavic musical coloration.

Hanna Havrylets was born in 1958 and died suddenly on February 27, 2022, of unknown causes. A student of Myroslav Skoryk, she was one of the brightest representatives of the Lviv school of composition. Her works are regularly performed at concerts and festivals in Ukraine, Europe, United States, and Canada. She was born in Ternopil, Ukraine, and graduated from the Lviv Conservatory. She continued her studies at the Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music in Kyiv, where she became professor of composition. She was awarded the Shevchenko National Prize in 1999 and became an Honoured Artist of Ukraine in 2005.

Molytva (Prayer to the Virgin) is a setting of a prayer from the Orthodox Prayer Service to the Mother of God. Solo voices introduce the first line, first over a drone in the bass, then over the gently hummed harmony, then with the full chorus. The dynamic level is not intense, but the harmonic progression lends urgency to the prayer, then becoming quieter, with a whispered request at the very end.

Songs

Oi u vyshnevomu sadu (Oh, in the Cherry Orchard) is a folksong telling the story of a young woman’s bitter- sweet encounter with her lover in the spring.

Reve ta stohne Dnipr shyrokyj (The Mighty Dnipro Roars is a favorite chorus (and can be found in many different arrangements). It is a setting of a poem by the renowned Ukrainian poet, Taras Shevchenko. This original setting has the character of a sturdy folk hymn.

Mykola Vitaliyovych Lysenko (22 March 1842 – 6 November 1912) was a Ukrainian composer, pianist, conductor, and ethnomusicologist of the late Romantic period. In his time he was the central figure of Ukrainian music. He is often credited with founding a national music tradition during the Ukrainian national revival, in the vein of contemporaries such as Grieg in Norway, The Five in Russia, as well as Smetana and Dvořák in what is now the Czech Republic. By studying and drawing from Ukrainian folk music, promoting the use of the Ukrainian language, and separating himself from Russian culture, his com- positions form what many consider the quintessential essence of Ukrainian music.

Molytva za Ukrainu (Prayer for Ukraine) is Lysenko’s arrangement of a poem by Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko, a revered Ukrainian poet, writer, and public figure, whose literary heritage is regarded as the foundation of modern Ukrainian literature and the modern Ukrainian language. This beloved composition is essentially the unofficial Ukrainian national anthem.

Thanks

Thanks to Yevgeniya Ignatenko for her help in producing performing editions of the two motets by Mykola Dyletsky that we are performing for this set—very likely the first time this music has been performed in the United States. Yevgeniya Ignatenko is a notable figure in the field of Ukrainian and Belarusian church music. She teaches at the Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music in Kyiv, one of the oldest and the most prestigious higher music education institutions in the country. We would also like to thank Ivetta Irkha, a Ukranian musician and pianist residing in Stockholm, Sweden, for providing her father’s arrangement of The mighty Dnipro roars. And finally, thanks to Gary Graden, an American conductor who is currently the Director of Music at the Stockholm Cathedral, who provided the other scores for our Ukrainian selections.

Acknowledgements:

Music of the Spheres: Astronomy and Shamanism in the Music of Urmas Sisak, David Michael Edmonds, B.M., M.M., Doctoral Dissertation, August 2012, University of North Texas.

Wikipedia

Paul Hillier Ensemble, liner notes from their re- cording of music by Arvo Pärt

—Patricia Jennerjohn

Program Notes for The Christmas Story

Johann Rosenmüller, date unknown

Johann Rosenmüller’s music is exquisite, yet not well known and seldom performed. He was born in 1619 in Oelsnitz, Saxony, Germany. He studied at the University of Leipzig, graduating in 1640. He served as organist of the Nikolaikirche in Leipzig from 1651, and had been assured of advancement to cantor, a position later held by J.S. Bach.  However, in the wake of a personal scandal, he fled to Italy and, by 1658, was employed at Saint Mark's in Venice.  

He composed many vocal works while teaching at an orphanage for girls in Venice (Ospedale della Pietà, where Vivaldi would later teach), between 1678 and 1682. The works of Giovanni Legrenzi were among his Italian influences; his sacred compositions show the influence of Heinrich Schütz (who had also been influenced by the Italian style during his stay in Venice, where he studied with Giovanni Gabrieli).  

In his last years, Rosenmüller returned to Germany, where he served as choir master in the court of  Duke Anton-Ulrich of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. He died in Wolfenbüttel in 1684 and is buried there.

The Christmas Story

Weihnachtshistorie is a loose narrative telling the story of the nativity. It is formed of sacred compositions by Johann Rosenmüller and Heinrich Schütz, arranged in the order of the story in the Gospels. It was first compiled in this fashion by Konrad Junghänel and recorded by Cantus Cölln in 2004.

Piazza San Marco by Canaletto, ca. late 1720s. Both Rosenmüller and Schütz spent time in Venice studying and composing.

The young Rosenmüller composed a number of these sacred works in the period 1645-50, when he was enjoying a rapid rise to eminence in Leipzig. He was perceived in his time as the musical successor to Heinrich Schütz by Schütz himself, and the stylistic inheritance is obvious in these motets, which have all the rich palette of instrumental virtuosity of Schütz’s “Psalmen Davids.”

Long before his enforced exile in Venice, a typically Italian suavity is already clearly perceptible all through these remarkable settings of St Luke’s account of the Nativity, and other sacred texts and poems.  Many of the pieces on this program are for multiple choirs: two vocal choirs, plus a choir of cornetti and sackbuts, and a choir of strings.

We are presenting our own version of the Weihnachtshistorie, compiled by our artistic director, Paul Flight.  We also thank Brian Clark, who contributed greatly to this compilation.  He worked from microfilm of the original manuscripts from the repository of Rosenmüller’s work in Berlin’s Staatsbibliothek and provided modern scores of many of the pieces on our program. He also suggested one of the most interesting pieces, “Siehe, eine Jungfrau ist schwanger,” which to our knowledge has never been recorded.  In fact, our 2010 performance may have been a world premiere.

The other pieces are very much in the style of Schütz and were written for various occasions; in addition to the flamboyance of Rosenmüller’s theatrical writing (Magnificat, Gloria), moments of sweet simplicity are revealed in O nomen Jesu and Lieber Herre Gott.  

Magnificat – This composition was written while Rosenmüller was living in Venice.  The text is the song of joy and submission sung by Mary during the Annunciation.  The ten sections (corresponding to the verses of the text) explore all of the permutations possible in the Venetian polychoral style – from lyrical duets to eight-part double choruses, full instrumental ensembles, and a lively double fugue for the final doxology (Gloria Patri/Sicut erat in principio).

Siehe, eine Jungfrau ist schwanger (Behold, a virgin is with child) is a six-part composition that celebrates the coming birth of Mary’s son, and the blessings that will come to him.  The musical ideas are tossed back and forth, almost like a conversation, between the full chorus and lighter duets and trios.

Verbum caro factum est (The Word was made flesh) is a work by Rosenmüller’s teacher, Henrich Schütz.  It is from his Kleine Geistliche Konzerte, a collection of works for small musical forces.  This is a simple and lyrical duet for sopranos and continuo.

O Nomen Jesu is from a collection of simple motets, published by Rosenmüller, called Kernsprüche (Core Teachings) This particular motet is a setting of a prayer dating back to medieval times.  It is a prayer in praise of the name of Jesus, and its saving powers.  Musical interest comes from the alternation of duple and triple meter, used to emphasize the text in key areas.

Strictly speaking, the ‘Christmas Story’ of the title is only partly found in an account of the angels’ visitation of the shepherds in Es waren Hirten auf dem Felde. This was written 20 years before Schütz’s Weihnachtshistorie. The evangelist starts the story, with the angel appearing to a group of shepherds – and the heavens (alternating between full choir and antiphonal responses) resound in joy; the amazed shepherds (their conversation conveyed in a charming rustic style) decide to go to Bethlehem.  An instrumental sinfonia (perhaps representing the shepherds’ journey) leads into a resplendent final song of praise for twelve-part double chorus, in full Venetian style.

Another contribution by Schütz from his Kleine Geistliche Konzerte is Ein Kind ist uns geboren (Unto to us a child is born)—one of two settings of the same text in that collection.  Although simply written for four parts and continuo, this piece provides a great deal of musical interest with its subtle rhythmic permutations.

Christus ist mein Leben is a work meant for the feast of St. Stephen (December 26).  It is set into three distinct sections, based on the text.  After an introductory Symphonia, the first section declares the dedication of the soul to Christ.  Then, the words of Christ to the thief crucified with him are presented in a strong and stately bass solo.  The final section wraps the words in colorful word painting to describe the soul’s journey to heavenly rest, finally wrapping up with setting of the text to the chorale Denn Jesu Christus, Gottes Sohn, accompanied with brilliant writing in the instrumental accompaniment. 

Another offering from Rosenmüller’s Kernsprüche is the sweet and lively Lieber Herre Gott with the unusual combination of solo soprano and sackbuts.  It is likely Martin Luther’s translation of a pre-Reformation collect for Advent.

Gloria in excelsis/Das Wort ward Fleisch (Gloria in excelsis/The word became flesh) is set for six vocal parts and full orchestra, combining the traditional Latin text from the Gospel of St. Luke —“Gloria in excelsis,” with a German translation of text from the Gospel of St. John—“Das Wort ward Fleisch.” The two sections of the text define the musical structure, contrasting the heavenly angels and earthly mankind, using the high and the low voices. The texts in Latin represent the heavenly realm, and the German texts represent humanity. The top voices, sopranos, introduce the sprightly and glorious theme that opens the work; they carry this theme above the other parts throughout. The lower voices bring in the earthly themes: “Et in Terra pax” (And peace on earth) and “Das Wort ward Fleisch” (The word became flesh). The final section is sung by all voices, uniting heaven and earth at last: “Pax hominibus bonae voluntatis” (Peace to people of good will).

—Patricia Jennerjohn

Sources:
Wikipedia
Barbara Davidson, program notes from our 2010 concert
Paul Flight
Liner notes from Cantus Cölln album
Review of Cantus Cölln album