Boston Conservatory Combined Choruses

Boston Conservatory Choir
Conducted by William Cutter

FELIX MENDELSSOHN: From Six Duets, op.63
Herbstlied (Autumn Song) by Karl Klingemann
Gruss (Greeting) by L. von Eichendorff

FLORENCE PRICE (1887–1953): “The Moon Bridge”
The Moon Bridge by Mary Rolofson Gamble

MENDELSSOHN: Incidental Music from Midsummer Night’s Dream
Song with Chorus

Titania – Cait Winston
First fairies – Kat Lutz, Lucy Martindale
Second fairies – Madeline Darigan, Nicole DiPasquale

Boston Conservatory Chorale
Conducted by Stephen Spinelli

MOSES HOGAN (1957–2003): “Hear My Prayer”

MENDELSSOHN: “Verleih uns Frieden”

CLARA SCHUMANN: “Abendfeier im Venedig”—Conducted by Naomi Bennett (M.M. ’24, Choral Conducting) 

NED ROREM (b. 1923): From an Unknown Past                            
VI. Tears
VII. Crabbed Age and Youth

MARGARET BONDS (1913–1972): “Prayer of Saint Francis”

BONDS: “From Credo”
VII. I Believe in Patience

FELIX MENDELSSOHN: From Six Duets, op.63

Felix Mendelssohn’s wonderfully lyrical duets from opus 63 were meant to be sung in small social gatherings as charming entertainments. 

“Herbstlied” is marked allegro agitato (cheerfully agitated) as the singers lament the changing moods associated with the changing seasons, particularly the passing of summer when “merriment fades,” “the last green will be gone,” and “pleasure turns to pain.” With a text by Mendelssohn’s friend, Carl Klingemann, this duet stands out from the rest with the terrifically dramatic exchanges between the two voices.

 In Mendelssohn’s setting of “Gruss,” with its tender poetry by Eichendorff, we are told that “only love” is equal to the beauties of the natural world. 

Herbstlied (Autumn Song) 
by Karl Klingemann 

Ah, too soon the seasons fade.
Spring changes too soon to wintertime.
Too soon silence turns to mourning.
All merriment seems to fade.
Too soon will the last sounds vanish.
Too soon the last singer will be gone.
Too soon the last green will be gone.
All wish to go homeward. 

Ah, too soon the seasons fade.
Pleasure turns to pain.
Was it a dream, these thoughts of love?

Sweet as the Spring, and soon gone.

One thing alone will not change.
It is the longing that never goes away.

Gruss (Greeting) 
by L. von Eichendorff 

Whenever I walk and gaze at the valley, woods, the field,
From mountaintop to meadow,
I greet you a thousand times. 

In my garden I seek many beautiful, fine flowers
Weaving many wreaths and binding a thousand thoughts
And greeting them. 

I cannot give a wreath; to you so high and beautiful.
Only love has no equal and stays in my heart forever.

FLORENCE PRICE (1887–1953): “The Moon Bridge”

Florence Price graduated from the New England Conservatory in 1906 with a degree in organ performance and piano pedagogy. While there, she studied composition with, among others, George Chadwick, who is considered a representative composer of the Second New England School of American composers of the late 19^th century.

Price was the first African-American woman composer to earn national recognition with her orchestral works being premiered by leading American orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. 

Composed in 1930, “Moon Bridge” was originally an art song. With whimsical poetry by Mary Rolofson Gamble, we hear fantastical images of nature and the fairies who play in these magical settings. Price’s harmonic and musical language is not unlike Mendelssohn’s incidental music on the same theme of fairies in the forest. It is full of clever word painting accompanied by rich romantic harmonies.

The Moon Bridge 
by Mary Rolofson Gamble

The moon like a big, round ball of flame
Rose out of the silver bay,
And built a bridge of golden beams,
Where the fairies came to play.
I saw them dancing in jewel’d robes
On the wavelet’s rhythmic flow,
And I long’d to stand on the magic bridge,
In the moonlight’s mystic glow.
But over the sky a veil of mist
Thin, soft as a web of lace,
Was drawn, then parted, then came again,
With easy, coquettish grace.
And the moon put on a somber mask,
And frowned on the rippling wave,
And the beautiful bridge went under the sea,
Nor a beam could the fairies save!
I wonder’d if this would end their play,
And if, as the bridge went down,
They would lose their jewels so frail and fair,
And their queen her diamond crown!
But they glided away in merry mood,
To their home in the rosetree’s bowers,
And there they danced on the dewy grass,
Till the “wee sma” morning hours.

FELIX MENDELSSOHN: Incidental Music from Midsummer Night’s Dream

It's difficult to believe that a 17-year-old Mendelssohn penned this famous 1827 overture to what we now know as the incidental music to Midsummer Night’s Dream, and would not return to complete the score until 1843 at the urging of Frederick William IV, who was an admiring of the composer’s music.

Mendelssohn used many of the themes from the overture to craft an integrated score. The first of the score’s two concerted vocal pieces, “you spotted snakes,” opens Act II’s second scene, as Titania’s (Queen of the fairies) attendants sing incantations to protect their queen as she sleeps.

Chorus with Song

TITANIA: 
Come, now a roundel (dance) and a fairy song; 
Then, for the third part of a minute, hence;
Some, to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds; 
Some, war with rear-mice (bats) for their leathern wings, 
To make my small elves coats;
And some keep back 
The clamorous owl, the nightly hoots and wonders at our quaint spirits,
Sing me now asleep; then to your offices, and let me rest.
You spotted snakes with double tongue, 
Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen;
Newts and blind-worms, do no wrong, 
Come not near our fairy queen. 
Philomel, with melody
Sing in our sweet lullaby; Lulla, lulla, lullaby:
Never harm,
Nor spell nor charm,
Come our lovely lady nigh; 
So, good night, with lullaby.
Weaving spiders, come not here;
Hence, you long-legged spinners, hence! 
Beetles black, approach not near;
Worm nor snail, do no offense. 
Philomel, with melody...

MOSES HOGAN (1957–2003): “Hear My Prayer”

Moses Hogan was a composer, pianist, and arranger of international repute who is best known for his arrangements of African American spirituals. As editor of the Oxford Book of Spirituals, which remains one of the most comprehensive collections of spirituals, Hogan brought overdue attention to the richness of the tradition. Shortly before his untimely death in 2003, he founded the Moses Hogan Chorale. The ensemble quickly earned broad acclaim as a leading artistic force with a particular focus on the performance and preservation of the spiritual. “Hear My Prayer” is an original composition dedicated to the memory of Hogan’s mentor, the great Jester Hairston.  

Hear My Prayer

O Lord, please hear my prayer; 
In the morning when I rise.
It's your servant bound for glory. 
O dear Lord, please hear my prayer.
O Lord, please hear my prayer. 
Keep me safe within your arms.
It's your servant bound for glory. 
O dear Lord, please hear my prayer.
When my work on earth is done, 
And you come to take me home.
Just to know I'm bound for glory; 
And to hear You say, "Well done!"
Done with sin and sorrow. 
Have mercy. 
Mercy.

FELIX MENDELSSOHN: “Verleih uns Frieden”

It is hard to imagine a world without the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, and yet when Felix Mendelssohn began his studies, the music of Bach was scarcely available. Many thanks to a small cohort of mentors, teachers, and friends who had collected Bach’s manuscripts, Mendelssohn studied Bach’s music. He became a leader in the revival of Bach’s music, reintroducing the world to the St. Matthew Passion through a centennial reconstruction of the work, which had not been heard since Bach’s time in Leipzig.

In 1830, Mendelssohn was gifted an old Lutheran hymnal. It is this hymnal inspired Mendelssohn to compose six chorale cantatas, two motets, and the present hymn-setting, which plainly presents Luther’s words, “grant us peace.” The text is first presented in unison, next in two-part counterpoint, and finally in a four-part chorale setting that evokes the rich history of Lutheran congregational singing.

Verleih Uns Frieden

Verleih uns frieden gnädiglich,
Graciously grant us peace

Herr Gott! zu unsern zeiten
Lord God, in our time;

Es ist doch ja kein ander nicht,
there is no one else

Der für uns könnte streiten,
who could fight for us

Denn du unser Gott alleine.
except you, our God, alone.

CLARA SCHUMANN: “Abendfeier im Venedig”

Clara Schumann is one of the most significant women in music history. Apart from her tremendous success as a pianist and pedagogue, she was a gifted and prolific composer who often performed her works in concert. Her husband, Robert Schumann, was a leading composer and music critic. Robert’s life was cut short due to struggles with mental health, which may have been exacerbated by mercury poisoning. In 1954, he jumped from a bridge into the Rhine and was subsequently institutionalized. He remained under medical supervision until his death two years later.

“Abendfeier in Venedig” comes from a set of three choruses by Clara Wieck Schumann, composed in 1848. After Johann Goethe published Italian Journey in 1816, chronicling his visit through Sicily and southern Italy, German-speaking artists developed a deep interest in Italian culture. We see this in musical settings of, for example, Goethe’s “Kennst du das Land? Wo die Citronen blühn?” (Do you know the land where lemons blossom?). Here, Emanuel von Geibel’s poetry describes the experience of stepping away from the hustle and bustle of Venice, and taking refuge in an empty, grand cathedral. Schumann’s music is unmistakably romantic, but at times she evokes the “old style” of Renaissance part-writing, which—in combination with Geibel’s poetry—places Venice in a picturesque time capsule.

Abendfeier In Venedig

Ave Maria! Meer und Himmel ruh’n,
Ave Maria! Sea and sky are at rest,

Von allen Türmen hallt der Glocken Ton.
Bells ring out from all the towers.

Ave Maria! Laßt vom ird’schen Tun,
Ave Maria! Leave all earthly activity,

Zur Jungfrau betet, zu der Jungfrau Sohn!
Pray to the Virgin, to the Virgin’s Son!

Des Himmels Scharen selber knieen nun
The angelic throng now is kneeling

Mit Lilienstäben vor des Vaters Thron,
With lilies wrapped around their staves,

Und durch die Rosenwolken wehn die Lieder
And through the roseate clouds, the songs

Der sel’gen Geister feierlich hernieder.
Of blessed spirits float ceremoniously down.

NED ROREM (b. 1923): From an Unknown Past

American composer Ned Rorem turns 99 on October 23. A winner of the field’s most prestigious prizes, including the Guggenheim Fellowship and the Pulitzer Prize, Rorem is a proud alum of both the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School. Rorem has deep ties to Massachusetts, having spent many of his summers on Nantucket. His vast repertory includes operas, symphonies, chamber works, choral music, and more than 500 songs. 

His song cycle, From an Unknown Past, sets seven texts of unknown origins. Tonight’s performance features the sixth and seventh movements of the cycle: “Tears” and “Crabbed Age and Youth.” 

“Tears” describes a mourner finding respite in sleep. The text was set by the great John Dowland in his final book of songs and airs, originally published in 1603. “Crabbed Age and Youth” describes the stereotypical and opposing virtues of youth and old age, noting one exception: the timeless experience of falling in love. The poem may be an extant text by William Shakespeare, but this has not been proven.

VI. Tears

Weep you no more, sad fountains;
What need you flow so fast?
Look how the snowy mountains
Heaven’s sun doth gently waste.
But my sun’s heavenly eyes
View not your weeping,
That now lie sleeping
Softly, now softly lies
Sleeping.

Sleep is a reconciling,
A rest that peace begets.
Doth not the sun rise smiling
When fair at even he sets?
Rest you then, rest, sad eyes,
Melt not in weeping
While she lies sleeping
Softly, now softly lies
Sleeping. 

VII. Crabbed Age and Youth

Crabbed age and youth cannot live together:
Youth is full of pleasance, age is full of care;
Youth like summer morn, age like winter weather;
Youth like summer brave, age like winter bare.
Youth is full of sport, age's breath is short;
Youth is nimble, age is lame;
Youth is hot and bold, age is weak and cold;
Youth is wild, and age is tame.

Age, I do abhor thee; youth, I do adore thee;
O, my love, my love is young!

Age, I do defy thee: O, sweet shepherd, hie thee,
For methinks thou stay'st too long.

MARGARET BONDS (1913–1972): “Prayer of Saint Francis”

Margaret Bonds was a pianist, music director, pedagogue, and composer whose legacy is only now receiving warranted attention. Florence Price, who would become a lifelong friend of Bonds, was one of her earliest teachers. It is worth noting that Bonds was one of Ned Rorem’s early piano teachers. 

Shortly after graduating from Northwestern University with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in piano performance, Bonds became the first Black soloist to perform with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She then moved to New York City to study composition with Richard Starer at the Juilliard School. She remained in New York until the late 1960s, performing, composing, and collaborating with the leading creatives of her time. These collaborators include Langston Hughes, Leontyne Price, and many others.

Bonds’ Prayer to Saint Francis is a colorful setting of a famous plea for inner peace. In the early 1930s, Bonds wrote, “The congregation at Berean secretly admired my playing on Sunday mornings when I relieved Mother, for I would always throw in a few blue notes in the hymns and even in the ‘Lord’s Prayer.’ However, mother had to put a stop to the way I played the ‘Holy Holy’ She said I’d throw the whole choir off.” This anthem unapologetically embraces the blue note and a broad range of sophisticated harmony that lend new meaning to an old text.

MARGARET BONDS (1913–1972): “Credo”

In 1972, just months after Margaret Bonds’ death, Zubin Mehta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic performed four movements of Bonds’ “Credo” (a setting of the “Credo” of W.E.B. Du Bois). “I Believe in Patience,” the final movement of her twenty-minute work, places Bonds’ resilience and captivating musical strength on display through a plea for patience as a key ingredient in the manifestation of a better world.

Stephen Spinelli, D.M.A., conductor, is cofounder and director of ONEcomposer, an arts advocacy initiative dedicated to the legacies of historically erased musicians. Through this work, Spinelli has become a prominent champion of the music of underserved composers. He previously served as assistant director of choral programs at Cornell University, and has led a robust performance career, singing with some of the country’s leading contemporary vocal ensembles. Learn more about Spinelli.

William Cutter, D.M.A., conductor, is a seasoned conductor and director, having served as assistant conductor of Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood Festival Chorus and chorus master for Boston Lyric Opera and Odyssey Opera, and having guest conducted for the New England Conservatory Chamber Singers and Boston Choral Ensemble. Also a composer, Cutter’s choral music is published by Hal Leonard Corporation, E.C. Schirmer, Walton Music Publishers, Alfred Music Publishers, Galaxy Music Publishers, Colla Voce Music, and Hinshaw Music. Learn more about Cutter.

Naomi Bennett (M.M. ’24, Choral Conducting), graduate assistant conductor, most recently served as director of choral music at Marshfield High School in Coos Bay, Oregon, and artistic director of the Corvallis Community Choir in Corvallis, Oregon. Bennett received her Bachelor of Arts in music education from Oregon State University in 2020.

Leona Cheung, piano, is a distinguished choral pianist known for her musical leadership and responsiveness while collaborating with singers and conductors. In addition to performing extensively at several international festivals, Cheung has accompanied ensembles such as the Grammy Award-nominated Seraphic Fire, Handel and Haydn Society, Boston Children's Chorus, Boston Choral Ensemble, and MIT Women's Chorale. Learn more about Cheung.

Boston Conservatory Choir:

SOPRANO I
Claire Burreson
Madeline Darigan
Nicole DiPasquale
Csenge Szugyiczki
Allison Verani

SOPRANO II
Ciara Cuneo
Kat Lutz
Natalie Hansel
Lourdes Marie Ruiz
Sophia Ysrael

ALTO I
Lucy Martindale
Anna Bryk
Elycia King
Montserrat Martinez Buganza
Isabella Napoli
Demitra Ypsilantis

ALTO II
Manuela Cardona
Gwen Clores
Chirbee Dy
Alex Roges
Aoife Schenz
Xingue Wanyan
Grace Watson
Cait Winston

Boston Conservatory Chorale:

Jackson Alfrey
Riley Austin
Jenny Baena-Brito
Devon Bain
Naomi Bennett
Justin Berg
Paulina de la Fuente
Reid Duran
Marissa DuVall
Alex Georgopoulos
Peter Han
Kyle Huang
Klara La Guardia
Madeline Lee
Maria Leonardi
Rachel London
Oscar Medina
Sarah Mesibov
Elizabeth Muñoz
Vaughn Nesmith
Caitlin Otto
Anthony Paredes
Maisy Parker
Delilah Rau
Alex Robinson
Paulina Rodriguez
Luis Salazar
Laura Santamaria
Victoria Schmidt
Andrew Steele
Hanqing Sun
Treshor Webster
Shouzheng Wei
Charles Wolfer
Xin Zheng

Senior Manager of Concert Services – Luis Herrera 
Concert Production Coordinator – Matthew Carey
Concert Production Manager – Kendall Floyd
Senior Manager of Performance Technology – Wes Fowler
Performance Technology Technicians – Sara Pagiaro, Goran Daskalov