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Welcome to this, the second concert of our 60th anniversary season presenting free choral performances to our community. We are grateful for your presence here today as an appreciative and engaged audience.
Nature is full of uncomposed music and some of today’s concert seeks to bring nature’s music into this hall. We hope you enjoy these pieces, and all our offerings as much as we have enjoyed preparing them for you. The cycle of the seasons is especially on my mind as we leave another Winter behind, anticipate Spring just around the corner, and look forward to our big celebration of the anniversary and the Story Music Project in July.
Today’s performance, the July celebration, and all future seasons can happen only through the ongoing and generous support of the music lovers who form our audience. Thank you for being part of that audience, and thanks for all the support you give in whatever form it takes.
Jeff DeMeritt, Cantata Singers President
CELEBRATE OUR 60th ANNIVERSARY WITH US IN CORNING!!
July 12-13 Summer Choral Festival and 60th Anniversary Celebration
Nassar Civic Center Plaza Skating Rink
Join us for a huge performance with full orchestra at 4 pm on Saturday, July 13, 2024 under the shade of the skating rink roof at the Nassar Civic Center Park in Corning, NY. The performance will include Listening: An Act of Love made up of the newly composed “Story Music Project” works and feature a huge choir performing John Rutter’s Gloria for a fitting conclusion for 60 years of choral music in the Elmira-Corning Area! We will also have 2 open dress rehearsals if you want to watch us work before the performance. All events are free and open to all.
Full Schedule for the weekend:
Friday, July 12 -
6-7 pm Orchestra and Choirs - Open Rehearsal for John Rutter’s Gloria
7-9 pm Cantata Singers Open Rehearsal for Listening: An Act of Love
Saturday, July 13 -
10am - 12 pm Cantata Singers Open Dress Rehearsal for Listening: An Act of Love
12 - 12:30 pm Open Dress Rehearsal for John Rutter’s Gloria
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch break (on your own)
1:30 - 3:30 pm: Choral Singing Workshop and performances by participating choirs
4:30 pm: Performance!
6 pm (time approximate) Afterglow and Anniversary Celebration! (BYO Picnic)
We would love to have you sing John Rutter’s Gloria with us! To register or to get further information please email us at cantatasingers@ymail.com
Additional Rehearsals for John Rutter’s Gloria:
Sunday, July 7, 6 - 7 pm
Wednesday, July 10, 6 - 7 pm
Singers for Gloria should plan to attend at least one of these two additional rehearsals.
There is no cost to sing Gloria, but you must provide your own copy of the score.
All events will be held in or near the Ice Skating Rink at the Nassar Civic Center Park.
The Cantata Singers are:
Soprano - Ruth Bruning, Andi Dietrich, Jessica Fierro, Amy Lange, Joy McFarland, Susan Nagle, Joy Perry, Desiree Rogers, Nan Woodworth
Alto - Christine Barulich, Sally Davis, Martha Horton, Gail Lewis, Nancy Pangia, Jean Papandrea, Pat Peters, Irene Peterson, Nancy Ruda, Betsy Sentigar
Tenor - Bill Brodginski, Mark Cox, Tom McClosky, Michael Saxton, Gary Tucker, Lydia Wickham, Barry Winters
Bass - Tony Ciccariello, Jim Cook, Stephen Nagle, David Rosplock, Ron Tunison
Will Wickham - Music Director, Mark Cox - Assistant Music Director, Frances McLaren - Piano
The Players are:
Strings - - Violin - Margaret Matthews, Rachel Allen, Viola - Max Buckholtz, Cello - Christine Lowe-Diemecke, Bass - Leo Gonta
Flute - - Angela McBrearty
Clarinet - - Luis Ingels
Piano - - Frances McLaren
Guitar - - Melvin Williams
Percussion - - Simon Bjarning, Collin Smith
Today’s Program
When spring comes walking - - music Bob Chilcott, text Charles Bennett
Specks of Earth - - music Andrew Steffen, text Rabindranath Tagore
I Stray Birds
II The Desert
III O Sea, O Sky
IV Leaves
(solo Desiree Rogers)
V O, Moon
VI The Stars
VII Shadow
(solo Desiree Rogers)
VIII Fields
IX Love
Wind - - - - - - - Robert S. Cohen
conducted by Assistant Music Director Mark Cox
Moonlight Sound Design - - Raimonds Tiguls
soli Amy Lange & Jessica Fierro
Deer Song - - - - - Craig Hella Johnson
solos Andi Dietrich, Amy Lange, & Jessica Fierro
Intermission (15 minutes)
Away in the Woods - - Music Jonny Priano, words William Butler Yeats
Blooming Eternal - - - - music Will Wickham, poetry J McKnight
Part of the Story Music Project
As Through Darkest Night - - Will Wickham
solo Jessica Fierro
Part of the Story Music Project
So wa dada? (Are you good?) - - music Will Wickham, text Joy Williams
Part of the Story Music Project
Counterpoint of the Animals - - - - - - Adriano Banchieri
translated and arranged by Russell Robinson
Unicornus Captivatur - - - - - Ola Gjeilo
Program notes
The 2023-24 Cantata Singers 60th anniversary season continues even as the Story Music Project, Listening: An Act of love, moves toward July’s final performance in Corning. Today’s program includes some of those stories that are very close to our hearts. Today’s program is also special to us as some of the music was originally intended for performance in June of 2020, a concert made impossible by the Covid pandemic. While some songs were “performed” on YouTube in ’20 and ’21, others had to wait until today. It is a true delight to celebrate this music with you in person!
We begin today’s program with When spring comes walking, an intricate piece that brings together new music wrapped around a very familiar tune and text. Bob Chillcot’s work explores themes of rebirth, nature, and celebration through a juxtaposition of a familiar Advent hymn with Charles Bennett’s poetry.
Specks of Earth, a delightful set of nine choral miniatures, is drawn from poems in Tagore’s Stray Birds collection. These brief settings are wonderful examples of text painting. We hope these gems delight you as much as they do us!
Robert Cohen’s Wind is another wonderful example of text painting. You might actually feel the wind from Frances McLaren’s flowing accompaniment. Between her flying hands and the collective breathing of the choir, the wind is a thing!! This is Assistant Director Mark Cox’s second appearance on the Cantata Singers podium.
One of the most ethereal choral songs I’ve ever heard is Moonlight Sound Design. Written in 2012, the piece is dedicated to the composer’s father who tragically died as the result of an accident. Inspiration was provided by a window in the composer’s studio in his father’s attic through which comforting moonlight streams, reminding him of his dad.
The tragic, senseless death of Matthew Shepard in 1998 rightly continues to haunt our collective conscience. Deer Song, a movement from Considering Matthew Shepard, portrays the deer that had been lying near the fence where Shepard had been beaten and left to die. This is a beautiful example showing that even when we feel the most alone, the most vulnerable, nature itself sees and cares for and about us.
William Butler Yeats romantic poem “Love Song” highlights our ability to escape into the beauty of nature. Jonny Priano’s setting of that poem, Away in the Woods, is a touching reminder that in the woods we can revel in the beautiful tranquility of nature even as we can, for a moment, also escape the eventuality of death.
Two pieces dedicated to very close friends of the Cantata Singers on today’s program are part of the Story Music Project. Lynn Dates was a constant presence in the artistic community of Elmira and Corning for many years. Her work in and passion for the arts continued even after career change brought her to the Food Bank of the Southern Tier, but it was cancer that eventually took her from us. J McKnight knew Lynn through book club participation. According to J, "she told members of our group… she would appreciate any small gestures to lift her spirits." J chose to send photographs of the natural world around his home in Hector to honor Lynn’s request. This practice expanded to include a poem with the daily photos. When J learned of Lynn’s passing, he offered this poem and the photo of the rose to other daily recipients. Our music now seeks to extend the “light and healing energy” that Lynn found so precious. As Through Darkest Night was written for and dedicated to Marge MacPherson, a most amazing and inspiring person and friend to all. Despite (or perhaps because of) her formative years during the Great Depression and World War II, Marge was a giver! She gave tens of thousands of hours volunteering in health care at Arnot Ogden and equal or more time dedicated to teaching and celebrating music in both volunteer and professional roles. While Marge clearly had the gift of music, even more she had the gift of a generous spirit.
So wa dada? tells the story of Babatunde Ayunfodun, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion specialist at Corning Community College. Tunde, as he is known, admits to having been a lackluster student but he has the gift of deep empathy and the ability to reach people deeply. Having worked his way through “imposter syndrome” he is a force of nature to students and colleagues, bringing the best kind of change to many lives. His real passion is doing exactly what he’s doing now. Many days he’s with students at the college as early as 6 am and working with them into the evening. When asked what he’d do with limitless funding his immediate answer was to start a local school for underprivileged kids. Along with his wife and stepsons, Tunde is “living the dream” in Horseheads, NY.
Benedictine Monk and composer Adriano Banchieri, 1568-1634, provides a bit of comic relief through this very fun Russell Robinson arrangement of his Counterpoint of the Animals. Clearly, the early Baroque was not all that serious…
Unicornus Captivatur presents various animals as allegory for the fall of man and subsequent salvation through Christ. The composer calls it “one of those pieces that [is] simply born out from the inspiration of a particular text that lights a spark in a composer’s heart.” Gjeilo reports being, “…inspired by… the sheer drama, joy, and sense of triumph that the text exudes.” Truly a fitting ending for an afternoon of music about the reawakening of spring and the natural world! - - Will Wickham
Special thanks to our 2023-2024 Donors
Benefactors - $250 plus
Loueda Bleiler, Lynda Brand, Ruth Bruning, Anthony Ciccariello, James & Tracey Cook Sally & Douglas Davis with Bruce MacPherson & Mark MacPherson, Robin Fitzgerald Joy Perry, Richard Perry, Martha Pierce & Jack Walsh, Lisa Sand Sullivan in remembrance of Lou Sand, Lydia Wickham
Patrons - $100 - $249
Tedd & Carol Arnold, Helen Czajkowski, Diane Edwards, Hank S. Jonas, Jürgen & Jane Kerber, Susan & Stephen Nagle, Margaret Petrillose in Memory of Marge MacPherson, Tony & Jean Papandrea, Irene Peterson, Mr. & Mrs. Ralph H. Roberts Jr., Nancy Ruda, Mark Sand, Brittany & Chris Wickham, Nan Woodworth
Sponsors - $50-$99
Sue Amisano, Judy Butterfield, Barbara & Robert Chapman, Gary & Bonnie Chollet Jeffery DeMeritt, Jennifer Fais, Martha Horton, Denis Kingsley, Judith Edson Sheasley, Kathleen Shimeta & Dan Holland, Mila Meier, The Benedictine Foundation of New York State Mount Savior Monastery, Joe & Melody Ponzi, David Rosplock Rev. Betsy Sentigar, Marilynn Sullivan, Jean & Bob Tedrick, Ann M. Thorner
Donors - $25 - $49
Harry & Bess Barrigar, David Brockway, Bill Brodginski, William & Mary Chervenak Melody Chilson, James & Alicia Hare, Donald & Donna Hoff, Sara K. Hurley, Janet Kostolansky, Gail Lewis, Frances McLaren, Suzanne Mettler, Erica Unterman, Cera & Cali Waite, Jane Winters
Other
Amy Bush, Lizzie Curreri, Gillian Clark, Christa Heyward, Ann O. Jennings, Barbara L. Horn, Kelly Lewis, Michelle Logan, Meg Wickham, Casey Winston
In Memory of Walt Personius
Alpha Delta Kappa, Dorothy Bennett, Kristen Bennett, Diane Edwards, Doris & Robert Personius, Catherine Pritchett, Stuart & Lucy Schweizer
The Cantata Singers offer our most profound thanks to the following for their help making this program a reality. Hilliard Corporation of Elmira, Rev. Henry Pascual, Joyce Nelson and the people of First Congregational United Church of Christ, Corning, Gary Tucker and First Presbyterian Church of Elmira, Horseheads High School, and St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church of Horseheads, Doug Davis and Tony Papandrea
Cantata Singers programs are made possible, in part, with funds from The New York State Council on the Arts and The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes. This program is part of the Cantata Singers Southern Finger Lakes Story Composer-in-Residence program funded by a generous Artist Employment Grant administered by Creatives Rebuild New York
