Saturday, March 22 at 8pm Friday, March 28 at 8pm

Steven Fox, Conductor
Saturday, March 22 at 8pm
Church of the Immaculate Conception,
Montclair
and
Friday, March 28 at 8pm
West Side Presbyterian Church,
Ridgewood
Steven Fox, Music Director
Janet Montgomery, Principal Accompanist and Assistant Conductor
Patricia Klecanda, Manager
Board of Trustees
Joseph DeFazio, President
Jane W. Stein, Vice President
Kenneth Benkovic, Treasurer
Louisa Bumagin, Constance J. Collins, Andrea Covais, Hugh Dougan,
Enid Hayflick, Dr. Edward Hedlund, Thomas Hellegers, Virginia Miner,
Royal Ronning, Susan Seay, Mary Jane Shevlin, Michael Stella
Save the Dates
Friday, June 6, 2014
50th Anniversary Gala Concert
F. Poulenc, Gloria
R.V. Williams, Dona Nobis Pacem
With Special Guest Conductor
Maestro John Nelson
and Orchestra Modern
West Side Presbyterian Church, Ridgewood
Saturday, June 7, 2014
50th Anniversary Gala Benefit
Ridgewood Country Club, Paramus
For more information, or to join our email list,
contact the Pro Arte Chorale office at (201)497-8400
Email: info@proartechorale.org
web: www.proartechorale.org
March 22, 2014 at 8:00pm
Church of the Immaculate Conception,
Montclair, NJ
March 28, 2014 at 8:00pm
West Side Presbyterian Church,
Ridgewood, NJ
Choral
Classics
The Pro Arte Chorale
Steven Fox, Conductor
Janet Montgomery, Piano and Organ
Molly Quinn, Soprano
Michael Steinberger, Tenor/Baritone
Johann Sebstian Bach (1685 – 1750)
Lobet Den Herrn, alle Heiden
Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897)
Warum ist das Licht gegeben
Geistliches Lied
~ INTERMISSION ~
Blegnet, Segnet!
Ave Maris Stella
Den Store, Hvide Flok
Dona Nobis Pacem
Edvard Grieg (1843 – 1907)
Komm, Jesu Komm
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)
Wade in the Water
There is a Balm in Gilead
Precious Lord
Great Day
arr. Norman Luboff (1917 – 1987)
William L. Dawson (1899 – 1990)
Thomas A. Dorsey (1899 – 1993)
arr. Warren Martin (1916 – 1982)
These programs are made possible in part by funds from the
New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State,
a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Performance venue is handicapped accessible.
Large print programs are available at every concert.
About Pro Arte Chorale
Pro Arte Chorale, a 60-member all-volunteer chorus now celebrating its 50th season, is
one of New Jersey’s most prominent choral organizations. The Chorale has appeared in
major concert venues across the region including the New Jersey Performing Arts Center,
Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the South Orange Performing
Arts Center. In addition to its own subscription series in Bergen County, the Chorale has
appeared with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, American
Symphony Orchestra, Westfield Symphony Orchestra, Mark Morris Dance Company,
and the New York Chamber Symphony. Currently under the musical direction of Steven
Fox, the Pro Arte Chorale has also been conducted by Joshua Greene, David Crone,
Roger Nierenberg, Bart Folse and John Nelson. In addition, the Chorale has sung under
the batons of Nicholas McGegan, Zubin Mehta, Julius Rudel, Hugh Wolff, Zdenek
Macal, Yuri Temirkanov, Leon Botstein, Gerard Schwartz, and David Wroe.
The Pro Arte Chorale, a proud recipient of funding from the NJ State Council of the
Arts, is committed to enriching the lives of its members, its audience and the broader
community by exploring many musical traditions and presenting performances of the
highest artistic quality.
Sopranos
Altos
Basses
Ursula Ball
Susan Aster
Ron Aldridge
Tammy Conti
Donna Carlson
Moshe Arad
Rachel Crawford
Gillian Columbus
Joe DeFazio
Jane Dougan
Andrea Covais
Hugh Dougan
Yelena Etkina
Connie DeFazio
Jim Freeman
Carol Gaslow
Frieda Holober
Howard Hanes
Marie Griffo
Patricia Klecanda
Tom Hellegers
Catherine Guinard
Arlene Lawton
Blake Kelly
Enid Hayflick
Nancy Malinoski
Robert Montoya
Kathy Jones-Smith
Charlene Marcus
Steven Palmieri
Mary Kimball
Dianne McKinnon
Walter Perog
Elisabeth Mannschott
Gisela O’Connell
Baron Rightmeyer
Elisabeth Ann McGrath
Janet Salisbury
Roy Ronning
Denise Michaud
Jonathan Weiner
Virginia Miner
Tenors
Carol Nelson
Richard Alsop
Jennifer Otto
Edward Hedlund
Susan Seay
Hewitt Jeter
Mary Jane Shevlin
Richard Schachter
Harry Sink
Michael Stella
Photo credit: Paul Donohoe
Karl Winters
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About the Artists
Called an ‘esteemed director’ by the New Yorker and
“visionary” by BBC Music Magazine, Steven Fox is Music
Director of the Pro Arte Chorale, Artistic Director of New
York’s Clarion Music Society and the Founder of Musica
Antiqua St. Petersburg, which he began as Russia’s first
Baroque orchestra at the age of 21. In the last two years he
has been engaged as a guest conductor with this country’s
leading Baroque orchestras: last season he made his debut
conducting the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston (called ‘stunning’ by The Boston
Globe), and with Juilliard’s Baroque orchestra, Juilliard415, at Lincoln Center (called
‘Exceptional’ by Seen and Heard International); next season he makes his debut
with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra in San Francisco in a set of Russian early
Classical concerts. Other debuts in 2013 include Handel’s Messiah and Humperdink’s
Hansel and Gretel with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, and a program of Bach
and Mozart with Fundacion Excelencia in Madrid. This past season he was Assistant
and Cover Conductor for the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artists Program
and Juilliard Opera. He returned for the fourth year to New York City Opera as an
Associate Conductor for Christopher Alden’s production of Cosi fan Tutte. He has
also been a guest conductor for the Aston Magna Festival and the Trinity Choir and
Baroque Orchestra.
Since he began as Artistic Director of Clarion in 2006, Mr. Fox has taken the Clarion
Orchestra and Clarion Choir to Lincoln Center on the White Light and Scope Festivals,
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Miller Theatre
at Columbia, and The Morgan Library; he has garnered critical praise from The New
York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, Seen and Heard International,
Musical America, BBC Music Magazine, and The Boston Globe. Steven graduated a Senior Fellow with High Honors from Dartmouth College and
with Distinction from the Royal Academy of Music, London, where, in 2010, he
was named an Associate for ‘significant contributions to his field in music’. He has
given master classes and clinics at Dartmouth College, The Juilliard School and Yale
University. He has also served as a preparatory conductor for the Yale University
Schola Cantorum.
Janet Montgomery has won acclaim as a pianist, organist,
coach, and conductor. She has appeared in concert at venues
ranging from Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center to
Washington National Cathedral, and the Juilliard School. She
has accompanied such groups as the New York Choral Society,
the Gregg Smith Singers, Musica Sacra, and the Masterwork
Chorus. She is a founding member of the Serafini Brillanti Trio;
the group has recorded a CD and has performed extensively in
New Jersey, Florida, and the Chicago area. Ms. Montgomery is
the director of music at the Community Church of Glen Rock and is the accompanist
and keyboard assistant at the Barnert Temple of Franklin Lakes. She is also on the
music faculty of the Dwight Englewood School. Ms. Montgomery graduated from
the Oberlin Conservatory with a bachelor’s degree in piano performance and has a
master’s degree in accompanying from the Manhattan School of Music. She also holds
the AAGO certification from the American Guild of Organists.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Molly Quinn, Soprano
Praised for her “Radiant Sweetness” and “Arresting Sweetness and Simplicity” by
the New York Times, Soprano Molly Quinn continues to delight audiences in a wide
variety of repertoires. Miss Quinn has appeared as part of Moscow’s Golden Mask
Festival and Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival in the acclaimed Mark Morris
Dance Group production of Dido and Aeneas. She has toured as part of Costa Rica’s
Credomatic Music Festival, and has appeared as a soloist with such notable early music
ensembles as Apollo’s Fire, The Folger Consort, Quicksilver, and The Clarion Music
Society. Miss Quinn is a featured soloist on several recordings including the Grammy
nominated Israel in Egypt (Trinity Baroque Orchestra/2011) Ave Maria (Seraphic
Fire/2013) and Uno+One: Italia Nostra (TENET/2013.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michael Steinberger, Tenor
Tenor Michael Steinberger is in high demand for his skill in a wide variety of musical
genres. Featured under the batons of many esteemed conductors, including Michael
Stern, Kent Tritle, Martin Gester, and Andrew Parrott, he has appeared with preeminent
ensembles like the New York Philharmonic, American Symphony Orchestra, New York
Collegium, Musica Sacra, and Vox Vocal Ensemble. Highlights of this past season
include the role of evangelist in Schütz’ Matthæus-Passion with Amor Artis, Arabic
folk songs and Vaughan Williams’ sublime Mass in G on the Great Music in a Great
Space series at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and with Musica Sacra, a chamber
program entitled “The Tudor Traverse.” Critics have described his voice as a “clarion
tenor” (Los Angeles Times), a “mellifluous and lyrical voice” (Danbury News-Times),
exhibiting “the most solid and beautiful singing” (The Washington Post), and “astute
and moving” (New Music Connoisseur). Also a dedicated ensemble singer, Michael
is a member of New York Virtuoso Singers, Waverly Consort, and Pomerium. Recent
recording credits include Bobby McFerrin’s VOCAbuLarieS, which received three
Grammy nominations in 2011, and Pomerium’s A Voice in the Wilderness.
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Acknowledgments
The Pro Arte Chorale deeply appreciates the support and assistance
of the following throughout our 2013-2014 season:
730 Franklin Lakes Road, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
Pastor Louis Kilgore
(201) 891-0511
Cestaro’s Furniture Finishing
Stripping ~ Antiques Restored
Fine Furniture Refinishing
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Tel: (973) 278-5570
Suite 245
86 Lackawanna Avenue
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Lisa Stitt and Paul Mensing¸West Side Presbyterian Church
Shailja Rastogi, Central Unitarian Church, Paramus
Nell Seymour, Unitarian Society of Ridgewood
Cindy Keegan, Graphic Design
Jon Bognar and Victoria Schmidt, Printology
Nicholas Finch, AvG Digital Inc.
The Pro Arte Chorale gratefully acknowledges the following volunteers
for all their help this season!
Mary Jane Shevlin, Chorus Manager
Hugh and Jane Dougan, Grant Writing
Mike Stella, Marketing and Publicity
Vince Bogucki, Database and Website Management
Tom Otto and Marc DeFazio, Ushers and Concert Management
Dianne McKinnon and Nancy Malinoski, Fundraising Events
Ron Aldridge, Program Notes
Kathy Jones-Smith and Jennifer Otto, Member Directory and Ticket Administration
James Freeman, Rehearsal Set Up
Annual Giving – Pro Arte Chorale
Benefactors ($1,000+)
Friends ($25-99)
Constance J. Collins
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In memory of Joan and Bob Puglis
Patrons ($500-$999)
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and Kate Kunz
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Our thanks to all who have made
donations for special events this past
season, to patrons whose names may
have been inadvertently omitted,
and for contributions that were
received after our program printing
deadline. Your names will be gratefully
acknowledged in our next program.
Program Notes
The pieces we sing tonight are all choral classics and provide a taste of the diversity
of Western choral music. That music had its roots in Christianity, and all of the
works we sing are religious. It is fitting that we feature two motets by one of the
greatest composers of Christian music, Johann Sebastian Bach. Choral music
evolved in the able hands of Romantic composers like Brahms and Grieg, whose
religious feeling was more personal than institutional. And choral music was
immeasurably deepened by the contributions of African-American slaves, whose
personal religious expression in spirituals was rejected by the institutions of their
day. We hope you enjoy the beauty and variety of today’s program.
Because Lobet den Herrn alle Heiden (Praise the Lord, all Heathen) was published
relatively late, in 1821, and because its writing often seems more appropriate for
instruments than voices and presumably unBachlike, some scholars question whether
this work is even by Bach, or is even a motet. Our enjoyment of this work, like
enjoyment of Shakespeare’s plays, need not depend on our exact knowledge of its
author. The text is Psalm 117, a song of praise to God. The rising arpeggios on the
opening word Lobet are a motif that Bach typically uses to express praise, and the
fugal structure conveys waves of praise from all mankind. The turning motif of
the second section, set to the text Lobet den Herrn alle Völker (Praise the Lord, all
peoples) is Bach’s common means of expressing the intensity of crowds. In contrast,
the following section, with the text Denn seine Gnade und Wahrheit waltet über uns
in Ewigkeit (For his grace and truth reign over us forever) is homophonic, conveying
the stability of God’s rule. For effect, the word Ewigkeit (eternity) is elongated by
each voice in succession. The motet ends as a celebration with a dancelike Alleluia.
The occasion for Bach’s composition of the motet Komm, Jesu, Komm is not known,
possibly a funeral at St. Thomas Church or St. Thomas School in Leipzig, where he
was music director at the end of his career. Most likely only such a special occasion
would have granted Bach the funding for the motet’s double chorus. Bach took as
his text the first and last verses of an eleven-verse poem that had been adapted as a
sacred song by his predecessor as cantor in Leipzig, Johann Shelle, for the funeral in
1684 of the rector of St. Thomas School.
The first stanza begins with the two choruses pleading for Christ’s coming, then
singing lines of weariness and despair with falling phrases. The text painting is
adept: the phrase der saure Weg (the thorny path or “sour way”) is expressed through
dissonant drop of a diminished seventh. The mood brightens with text of submission
to God sung in duple time: Komm, ich will mich dir ergeben (Come, I yield myself to
you). Then the stanza concludes joyfully with an extended exposition of a passage
from John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” set to a minuet. This section
proceeds through sixteen circles of fifths, giving the sense that placing one’s life
in God’s hands brings order and stability. Throughout this stanza Bach uses the
double chorus with versatility: the two choruses engage in dialogue, or one chorus
sings a fugue while the other adds interjections as chordal accompaniment, or one
chorus sings an eight-bar phrase and is exactly echoed by the other, or all the singers
together sing eight-part polyphony. In contrast to the emotional contrasts of the first
stanza, the second stanza is a stately chorale expressing confidence in God as the
foundation of every Christian’s life.
--In 1853, composer and pianist Robert Schumann met and befriended the 20-year-old
Johannes Brahms and published an article praising his talent. Brahms also developed
a lifelong friendship with Robert’s wife Clara, a talented musician in her own right.
The following year, Schumann attempted suicide and was confined to an asylum
from which he was never released, and Brahms temporarily put aside his musical life
to help Clara cope with the crisis, including organization of the Schumanns’ library
of early and Renaissance music. Brahms and Clara Schumann frequently exchanged
musical ideas, and Brahms suggested that they both undertake the composition of
canons. Brahms’s study of Renaissance music had led him to develop great skill
and confidence in this form; he told Clara that he “could make canons in all possible
artistic forms.” Brahms’s idea for this exercise may derive from his memory of
Clara’s own suggestion to her husband ten years earlier that Robert undertake similar
exercises in counterpoint to ease his depression. While Brahms did not persuade
Clara to participate in this project, he did persuade another friend, the composer
Joachim Raff, and Clara was very much on his mind during this work. For their
amusement, Brahms and Raff exchanged canons on alternating Sundays, with
any delinquent party required to pay the other one thaler. One such exercise was
Geistliches Lied (Sacred Song). The text, a punning adaptation of a passage from
the Gospel of St. Luke by the 17th century German poet Paul Flemming, may have
been intended by Brahms to soothe Clara in her distress over her husband: “Let
nothing afflict you with grief; be calm, as God ordains, and so shall my [Jesus’s]
will be satisfied.” The organ introduction quotes a passage from Robert Schumann’s
Fourth Symphony, which he called Clara’s Symphony. Raff found Brahms’s
counterpoint “rugged” and occasionally “harsh,” although our modern ears are more
likely to find it innovative and refreshing. Brahms was most pleased with the Amen,
which abandons the canon for soaring melodies and harmonic suspensions above a
pedal point.
The motet Warum is das Licht gegeben dem Mühseligen? (Why is light given to
him that is in misery?) is generally considered to be Brahms’s finest work of a
capella choral music. It also has its origin in the earlier canonic exercises, although
the work was not finished and published until 1878. Brahms was especially proud
of his choice of texts, which resemble those of the German Requiem in their
originality. The first movement sets a passage of despair from Job to an Agnus
Dei that Brahms had written earlier as a canon. The descending line on the word
Mühseligen (misery) is repeated in the next phrase in which the subject seeks
relief through death, followed by a shift to a major key to express, ironically, joy
in death. The movement ends with a restatement of the opening canon in 3/4 time.
The second movement, a passage from Lamentations that finds comfort in worship
of God, is a resetting of an earlier Benedictus that Brahms had written as a canon.
The third movement, taken from the book of James and extolling imitation of Job’s
patience, is a resetting of an earlier Dona Nobis Pacem. The final movement is a
traditional chorale in homage to Bach. Brahms dedicated this entire motet to the
great Bach scholar Philipp Spitta, then considered withdrawing the dedication in
fear of the public’s misunderstanding that he was arrogantly claiming to be Bach’s
successor, but ultimately let the dedication stand.
--While Edvard Grieg had an early ambition to become a priest, his religious views
evolved to become more individualized and less institutional, and he eventually
became a Unitarian. He wrote to the composer Delius, “You know me well enough
to realize that preachers viewed as a tribe are anathema to me.” Nonetheless, his
religious faith compelled him to add his contributions to the mainstream Christian
choral tradition. In 1898-99, Grieg wrote adaptations for eight-part chorus of two
of his early solo songs and published them as Two Religious Choruses. The first is
Blegnet, Segnet (Pale, Blessed), an arrangement of a song Grieg had written in 1873
under the title Ved en unghustrus Båre (Beside the Grave of a Young Wife), using
as its text a poem by the Norwegian clergyman Olaf Monrad. The poem’s subject
is the search for hope and meaning by the young woman’s mourning family. While
very slow and sad throughout, the final chord, on the word Håb (hope), is fittingly
in a major key.
The second of these religious choruses is Ave Maris Stella, a Latin poem of
unknown authorship dating from the 9th century or earlier and popular in the
Middle Ages. It is still sung in the Roman Rite at various services dedicated
to the Virgin Mary. Many composers, including Palestrina, Dufay, and Byrd in
the Renaissance, Monteverdi in the early Baroque, and Liszt and Dvorak in the
Romantic period, have set it to music. Grieg wrote it originally as a solo song
in Danish, then reworked it as a choral piece in the original Latin. His setting is
simple, but with unusual and abrupt key changes typical of the composer.
In 1869, Grieg made a discovery that changed the course of his musical career—a
collection of Norwegian folk music by the organist Ludvig Lindeman. Grieg
returned to this collection repeatedly throughout his career for material and
inspiration. For example, in 1877, he wrote twelve songs for male choir that
portrayed Norway’s virile peasant folk culture. One of the songs, Den Store, Hvide
Flok (The Great White Host), takes as its text a Danish hymn written by H. A.
Brorson in 1765. It is based on a passage in Revelation 7 in which a large choir
sings before the throne of God. Grieg adapted an old Norwegian folk tune from
Lindeman’s collection that had a meter matching Brorson’s text. The effect of the
piece is one of spiritual ecstasy.
Grieg’s Dona Nobis Pacem was written not as a movement of a complete Mass
but as a stand-alone piece. It is another adaptation of a song for solo voice and
piano, which Grieg had written as a counterpoint exercise as a student at Leipzig
Conservatory in 1862. The work is an exploration of chromaticism typical of the
early Grieg and other Romantic composers of the time.
--Spirituals began as a folk medium in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. At
camp meetings particularly during the second Great Awakening of 1780-1830, black
slaves often outnumbered whites. These slaves introduced to the singing of white
Protestant hymns such African musical customs as the call and response and the
ring shout. In the call and response, the leader sings out a statement or a question
and the congregation answers, often with a repeated phrase that overlaps with the
call (Call: I looked over Jordan and what did I see?/Response: Comin’ for to carry
me home./Call: A band of angels comin’ after me./Response: Comin’ for to carry
me home.). The African ring shout was a dance in a counter-clockwise motion that
accompanied religious singing, beginning slowly, then building in fervor and usually
accompanied by drums. Such drums were prohibited by American slavemasters, so
slaves substituted hand claps, stomping, and beating of sticks.
Slaves used these techniques not just with existing hymns but also began to create
their own hymns—spirituals—for their own worship. Their ceremonies generally
took place apart from whites, not only in camp meetings but also at late-night
gatherings in secluded natural settings, in praise houses on plantations, or in their
own slave quarters. These folk spirituals were often about oppressed Biblical
characters—New Testament figures like Jesus, Joseph, and Mary and Old Testament
figures like Daniel, Jonah, David, and especially Moses, leading a captive people
to a promised land. The spirituals, as we shall see, often had subliminal meanings
relevant to slavery. These folk spirituals were transmitted orally and not written
down or recorded, so many of their details have now been lost. They probably would
have been too informal and improvisational to lend themselves to musical notation
anyway.
After the Civil War, interest in folk spirituals grew, and groups like the Fisk
Jubilee Singers used folk spirituals as the basis for creating arranged spirituals to
be performed in concerts. The ring shout was replaced with a chorus in concert
formation; pitches were clearly defined for the first time; harmonies were added
and assigned to vocal parts; rhythms were regularized; the overlapping call and
response sections were separated. Three pieces that we sing today are such arranged
spirituals.
Wade in the Water was first published in New Jubilee Songs as Sung by the Fisk
Jubilee Singers in 1901 by John Wesley Work II and his brother, Frederick J. Work.
John Work II was one of the first and most important collectors of spirituals in the
late 19th and early 20th centuries. He attended and later taught Latin and history at
Fisk University and was a leader of the Jubilee Singers. A possible subtext of this
spiritual is a warning to runaway slaves to wade in water to throw off the scent for
pursuing dogs. The abolitionist Harriet Tubman is thought to have sung this song to
many of the former slaves she helped escape on the Underground Railroad. In fact,
she may be the song’s author.
Typical of spirituals, the history of There is a Balm in Gilead is unclear. Its first
appearance is in a hymnal published by Washington Glass in 1854. He may have
written the verses of Gilead as an addendum to a 1790 hymn by John Newton
(author of Amazing Grace) that contains the line There is but one Physician can cure
a sin-sick soul, very similar to the line in Gilead: There’s power enough in heaven to
cure a sin-sick soul. Or Glass may have written down a folk spiritual that he heard.
This song refers to a passage in Jeremiah 8:22: “Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there
no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wounds of [God’s] people?”
that speaks to the desire of the people of Israel for spiritual healing. Gilead is
thematically complex, expressing two very different meanings indicative of multiple
or collective authorship: yearning for spiritual healing from sinfulness (to cure the
sin-sick soul) and yearning for fulfillment in one’s work (think my work’s in vain…
If you cannot sing like angels, if you cannot preach like Paul, You can tell the love of
Jesus).
The judgment day was a natural subject of spirituals, as slaves longed for the justice
in the next world denied them in this one. Famous examples are When the Saints Go
Marchin’ In and our selection today, Great Day. Note the call and response structure
with the repeated line “God’s gonna build up Zion’s walls.” Great Day was first
published in Negro Songs in 1940 by John Work III, who carried on the work of his
father John Work II as collector of spirituals, professor of music, and director of the
Jubilee Singers at Fisk.
Arranged spirituals inspired a new type of music in the early twentieth century.
Gospel music brought the rhythms and harmonies of jazz and the blues and a new,
intensely personal expression to Christian music and coincided with the Great
Migration of blacks out of the south into the urban north. We sing a gospel song
today, Precious Lord, written in 1932 by Thomas Dorsey (not to be confused with
the big band leader Tommy Dorsey). Thomas Dorsey was an African-American jazz
pianist who performed with the singer Ma Rainey among others, and who began
to compose and record gospel music along with his jazz recordings in the 1920s.
Known as the father of gospel music, Dorsey’s contributions to this form were so
important that early gospel songs were called dorseys. Precious Lord was written
as Dorsey’s personal expression of grief for the death of his wife in childbirth and of
the son she bore. The melody is based on the hymn tune Maitland by George Nelson
Allen, a professor at Oberlin College in the mid-nineteenth century. Precious Lord
was Dr. Martin Luther King’s favorite song, and he often asked the gospel singer
Mahalia Jackson to sing it at civil rights rallies. She sang it at Dr. King’s funeral.
Bravo
Morgan Stanley is proud to support Pro Arte Chorale
The D&L Group at Morgan Stanley
Diane M. Alecci
Senior Vice President
Financial Advisor
201-712-4035
diane.m.alecci@ms.com
Lynn Blanchard
Senior Vice President
Financial Advisor
201-712-4085
lynn.blanchard@ms.com
South 61 Paramus Road
Paramus, NJ 07652
1-855-498-9955
www.morganstanleyfa.com/thed&lgroup
© 2013 Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Member SIPC.
NY CS 7181474 SUP020 07/12 GP10-01837P-N08/10
Celebrate with the
50th Anniversary Gala weekend featuring
glorious music and specials guests
Friday, June 6, 2014
Gala Concert
Steven Fox, Conductor
With Special Guest Conductor
Maestro John Nelson
(Pro Arte Chorale Music Director 1965-1974)
Orchestra Modern and Pro Arte Chorale Alumni
Gloria, F. Poulenc
Dona Nobis Pacem, R. Vaughan Williams
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Gala Benefit Dinner
Honoring Pro Arte Chorale’s founder John Coulter
and Music Directors Past and Present
Cocktail Hour, Dinner, Live Music
For more information, visit our website at
www.proartechorale.org
Text and Translations
Johann Sebastian Bach
Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden, BWV 230
Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden,
Und preiset ihn, alle Völker!
Denn seine Gnade und Wahrheit
waltet über uns in Ewigkeit.
Alleluja!
Praise the Lord, all nations,
And praise Him, all peoples!
For His mercy and truth reign over
us forever.
Hallelujah!
Johannes Brahms
Warum ist das Licht gegeben dem Mühseligen
1. Warum ist das Licht gegeben
dem Mühseligen
Und das Leben den betrübten
Herzen? Warum?
Die des Todes warten und kommt
nicht,
Und grüben ihn wohl aus dem
Verborgenen;
Die sich fast freuen und sind
fröhlich,
Dass sie das Grab bekommen.
Warum?
Und dem Manne, dess Weg
verborgen ist,
Und Gott vor ihm denselben
bedekket. Warum?
1. Why has light been given to the
weary,
And life to the troubled hearts?
Why?
They who wait for death, and it
doesn’t come;
They who dig for it even out of
secret places;
Those who almost rejoice and are
happy
That they achieve the grave. Why?
And to the man whose way is
hidden,
And from whom God has been
concealed? Why?
2. Lasset uns unser Herz samt
den Händen aufheben zu Gott im
Himmel.
2. Let us lift up our hearts,
together with our hands, to God in
heaven.
3. Siehe, wir preisen selig, die
erduldet haben.
Die Geduld Hiob habt ihr gehöret,
Und das Ende des Herrn habt ihr
gesehen;
Denn der Herr ist barmherzig und
ein Erbarmer.
3. Behold, we value them as
blessed who have endured.
You have heard of the patience of
Job,
And the Lord’s conclusion you have
seen:
For the Lord is merciful and
compassionate.
4. Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr
dahim in Gottes Willen,
Getrost ist mir mein Herz und Sinn,
sanft und stille.
Wie Gott mir verheissen hat, der
Tod ist mir Schlaf worden.
4. With peace and joy I depart in
God’s will,
My heart and mind are comforted,
calm and quiet.
As God had promised me: Death
has become my sleep.
Johannes Brahms
Geistliches Lied
Lass dich nur nichts nicht dauren
Mit Trauren,
Sie stille,
Wie Gott es fügt,
So sei vergnügt
Mein Wille!
Let nothing indeed make you
Endure grief;
Be at peace!
If God ordains it,
May my will
Accept it.
Was willst du heute sorgen
Auf morgen?
Der Eine
Steht allem für,
Der gibt auch dir,
Das Deine.
Why worry today
About tomorrow?
God
Stands for all;
He also gives you
What is yours.
Sei nur in allem Handel
Ohn’ Wandel,
Steh faste,
Was Gott beschleusst,
Das ist und heisst
Das Beste.
Amen.
In all your dealings
Be without whim Stand firmly!
That which God decides
Is and means
The best.
Amen.
Edvard Grieg
Blegnet, Segnet!
Blegnet, blegnet!
Hun, midt i Livets Glød.
Segnet, signet!
Hun, som ej aned Død.
Døden agted ej
Livets Blomstervej,
Fagrest Blomst den brød.
Fagrest Blomst den brød.
Sorgens Toner lyde,
Kan ej Fred betyde,
Turn pale, turn pale!
You, in the middle of life’s glowing
fire.
Sunk away, sunk away!
You, who did not suspect death.
Death paid no attention to the path
Of life’s blooms,
He broke the most beautiful flower.
He broke the most beautiful flower.
Songs of grief ring out,
Laengslens Suk og Råb
Kan det rumme Håb?
Båren, Båren,
Saenkes i Jorden ned,
Tåren, Tåren
Spejler det mørke Sted.
Hansom misted jo
Kjaerlig Lykkes Ro,
Far og Morstå ved,
Far og Morstå ved.
Da usynlig kommer
Livets store Dommer,
Laerer dem det Råb,
Som kan rumme Håb.
Cannot bring peace.
Sighs and cries of desire,
Can they bring hope?
The coffin, the coffin
Will be lowered into the earth,
The tear, the tear
reflects the dark place.
He, who lost
The peace of happy love,
Father and mother are standing by,
Father and mother are standing by.
When the invisible one comes,
The great judge of life
Teaches them the call,
Which can bring hope.
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Grieg
Den Store, Hvide Flok
Den store, hvide Flok vi se,
Som tusind Bjerge fuld av Sne,
Med Skov omkring av Palmesving
For Tronen. Hvo er de?
Det er den Helteskare, som
Av hin den store Trengsel kom
Og har seg todd i Lammets Blod,
Til Himlens Helligdom.
Der holder de nå Kirkegang,
Med uopphørlig Jubelklang,
I høje Kor hvor Gud han bor
Blant alle Englers Sang.
Ave Maris Stella
Ave maris stella,
Dei Mater alma,
Atque semper Virgo,
Felix coeli porta.
Hail, star of the sea,
Nurturing Mother of God,
And ever Virgin,
Happy gate of Heaven.
Solve vincla reis,
Profer lumen caecis,
Mala nostra pelle,
Bona cuncta posce.
Loosen the chains of the guilty,
Send forth light to the blind,
Dispel our evil,
Entreat (for us) all good things.
Vitam praesta puram,
Iter para tutum:
Ut videntes Jesum
Semper collaetemur.
Bestow a pure life,
Prepare a safe way:
That seeing Jesus,
We may ever rejoice.
Sit laus Deo Patri,
Summo Christo decus,
Spiritui Sancto
Tribus honor unus.
Amen.
Praise be to God the Father,
To the Most High Christ (be) glory,
To the Holy Spirit
(Be) honor, to the Three equally.
Amen.
The great, white host we see,
As a thousand mountains full of snow,
With a forest around of waving palms,
Before the throne. Who are they?
It is the multitude that
Has through the great tribulation
come
And washed themselves in the Lamb’s
blood
For heaven’s holiness.
There they now go to church
With unheard-of jubilation
In the high choir where God abides
Amidst all of the angels’ songs.
Edvard Grieg
Dona nobis pacem
Dona Nobis Pacem
Give us peace.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Komm, Jesu, Komm, BWV 229
Komm, Jesu, komm, mein Leib ist
müde,
Die Kraft verschwind’t je mehr und
meht,
Ich sehne mich nach deinem Friede;
Der saure Web wird mir zu schwer!
Komm, komm, ich will mich dir
ergeben;
Du bist der rechte Weg, die Wahrheit
und das Leben.
Come, Jesus, come, my flesh is
weary,
My strength is fading fast,
And I long for your peace;
The thorny path is too hard for me!
Come, come, I will yield myself to
you.
You are the way, the truth, and the
life.
Aria:
Drauf schliess ich mich in deine Hände
Und sage, Welt, zu gutter Nacht!
Eilt gleich mein Lebenslauf zu Ende,
Ist doch der Geist wohl angebracht.
Er soll bei seinem Schöpfer schweben,
Weil Jesus ist und bleibt der wahre Web
zum Leben.
So I give myself into your hands,
And bid goodnight to you, O world!
Though the course of my life
hastens to its end,
The spirit is truly ready.
Let it dwell with its Creator,
Since Jesus is and ever shall be the
true way to life.
Wade in the Water
Wade in the water,
Wade in the water, children,
Wade in the water,
God’s a-gonna trouble the water.
See that band all dressed in red
(God’s a-gonna trouble the water)
It looks like the band that Moses led.
(God’s a-gonna trouble the water)
See that band all dressed in white
(God’s a-gonna trouble the water)
The leader looks like an Israelite.
(God’s a-gonna trouble the water)
Everybody wade in the water,
Wade in the water, children,
Wade in the water,
God’s a-gonna trouble the water.
There is a Balm in Gilead
Great Day
Chorus:
Great day,
Great day, the righteous marching
Great day,
God’s going to build up Zion’s walls.
Chariot rode on the mountain top.
(God’s going to build up Zion’s walls.)
My God spoke and the chariot did stop.
(God’s going to build up Zion’s walls.)
Chorus
We want no cowards in our band.
(God’s going to build up Zion’s walls.) This is the day of jubilee.
We call for valiant-hearted men.
(God’s going to build up Zion’s walls.)
(God’s going to build up Zion’s walls.) The Lod has set His People free.
(God’s going to build up Zion’s walls.)
Chorus
Chorus
Chorus
Chorus:
There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole,
There is a balm in Gilead,
To heal the sin-sick soul.
If you cannot sing like angels,
If you cannot preach like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus,
And say, “He died for all.”
Sometimes I feel discouraged,
And think my work’s in vain,
But then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again.
Congratulations
For 50 Years of
Performing Great
Choral Music
Chorus
Precious Lord
Precious Lord, take my hand.
Lead me on, let me stand.
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light.
Take my hand, Lord, and lead me
home.
When my way grows drear,
Precious Lord, linger near.
When my life is almost gone,
At the river, Lord, I stand.
Guide my feet and hold my hand.
Take my hand, Lord, and lead me
home.
CLEMENTS-STELLA-GALLAGHER
MARKETING
Representatives for Commercial
Foodservice Equipment
Michael Stella
201-767-5710
Support The Arts!!!!
UPCOMING CONCERTS IN RIDGEWOOD
Parlance Chamber Concerts
Sunday, March 30 and Sunday April 27, 2014
4:00pm
West Side Presbyterian Church, Ridgewood
Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra
Friday, May 2, 2014
8:00pm
West Side Presbyterian Church, Ridgewood
Ars Musica
Saturday, June 7, 2014
8:00pm
West Side Presbyterian Church, Ridgewood
Ridgewood Concert Band
Winter Festival
Sunday, May 9, 2014
2:00 pm
Suffern High School, Suffern, NY
West Side Presbyterian Church Church Concert Series
Sunday, April 6, 2014
4:00pm
West Side Presbyterian Church, Ridgewood
PRESTIGE
PROUDLY SUPPORTS & CONGRATULATES
THE PRO ARTE CHORALE
ON THEIR 50TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY SEASON!
2014 TOYOTA COROLLA
Prestige Toyota
1096 Route 17 North
Ramsey NJ, 07446
888 356 2136
2014 LEXUS GX
Prestige Lexus
1000 Route 17 North
Ramsey, NJ 07446
888 231 7460
2014 CLA250 COUPE
Prestige Motors
755 Route 17 South
Paramus, NJ 07652
888 718 9212
2014 JAGUAR XF
Prestige Jaguar
405 Route 17 South
Paramus, NJ 07652
201 693 4058
2014 RANGE ROVER SPORT
Prestige Land Rover
405 Route 17 South
Paramus, NJ 07652
201 693 4058
www.DrivePrestige.com
Andrew McKinnon
Proprietor
Serving the community since 1928 and family owned
for over 45 years. Ridgewood Cycle Shop meets
the needs of all cycling enthusiasts, from families to
professional riders, triathletes, road racers, mountain
bikers, children and adults of all ages.
At Ridgewood Cycle Shop, we are commited to
providing outstanding customer satisfaction through
superior customer service. Our knowledgeable sales
staff will assist with purchasing the right bicycle for
you. We offer all ranges of mechanical services from
our friendly and qualified service team. In addition to
sales and service we offer group rides and different
levels of fit services by certified fit technicians
including Retul, a precise 3D Motion Capture System.
35 North Broad Street
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Tel: (201) 444-2553
Fax: (201) 444-1059
www.ridgewoodcycle.com
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10am to 6pm.
Thursday 10am to 8pm. Saturday 9am to 6pm,
Closed Sunday
Ridgewood Prosthodontic Associates
Ridgewood Periodontics
Mark Samani, D.M.D.
Min-Hee Cho, D.M.D.
Jin Ha Joung D.M.D.
Miles Lazerwitz D.D.S.
166 Franklin Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ
www.RidgewoodDental.com
201.652.2474
www.Masterwork.org
SPRING 2014
Bach St. John Passion
Saturday, March 22, 2014 @ 8:00 pm
Dorothy Young Center
for the Arts at Drew Univ.
Tickets: $36 - $75
800-838-3006 or Masterwork.org
________________________________
Britten Rejoice in the Lamb
Vierne Messe Solenelle
African American
Spirituals
Saturday, May 17, 2014 @ 8:00 pm
Calvary Episcopal Church,
Summit, NJ
Tickets: $30
800-838-3006 or Masterwork.org
This concert is a sneak peak at the
repertoire we will be bringing on our tour
to Germany, May 22-30, 2014, with our
German hosts, Cäcilien-Chor in Frankfurt,
Heidelberg, and Wachenheim.
SUMMER 2014
Coming in June and July 2014
Our Annual Summer Sings,
beginning on Wednesday, June 18.
2014
Funding has been made possible in part by Morris Arts through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
N
NOW OPE
Y
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in RAM
1315 Route 17 South
Ramsey, NJ 07446
201-962-9099
318 Madison Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030
201-656-2161
430 Route 17 S.
Carlstadt, NJ 07072
201-933-4000
42 Newark Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030
201-710-5520
417 West Stone Dr.
Kingsport, TN
37660
www.BiggiesClamBar.com
AP Accident Reconstruction & Analysis, Inc.
Forensic Mapping, Crash Reconstruction
Definsive Driver Training
Phone 201-348-0171
Fax 201-865-6493
545-39th Street, Suite 100
Union City, NJ 07087
apaccidentrecon@verizon.net
Andrew Pisani
ACTAR #1778
Let Our Experienced Make-up Artists Create a Special Look just for You!
Proms, Graduations, Weddings, Bar and Bat Mitzvah and and Special Occasion.
Gifts for Babies and Children • Hostess Gifts • Teacher’s Gifts
201-652-0013
60 E. Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood, NJ
Expert and affectionate care in your own
home for small domestic pets and plants.
Specializing in cats. 20+ years experience.
Call CONNIE at 201-444-9069
SC
Steven T. Cirillo, CPA, LLC
Accounting Services
Tax & Audit Services
Consulting Services
SAT ACT
Sturbridge Commons
345 Kinderkamack Road
Westwood, NJ 07675
Tel: (201) 666-4477
Fax: (201) 666-3112
Cell: (201) 320-8803
Email: scrillo@msn.com
DOMENIC PARISI
Be Prepared
DOMENIC & PIETRO’S
BARBER STUDIO
SAT / ACT
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616 NORTH MAPLE AVENUE
HOHOKUS, NJ 07423
(201) 652-8488
TUES. TO FRI. 8 AM – 6 PM
SAT. 7:30 AM – 5 PM
CLOSED MONDAY
CALL TODAY AND RECEIVE
A FREE DIAGNOSTIC TEST
Families throughout our community have come to rely on
Chyten Premier Tutoring and Test Preparation to help their
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PREMIER TUTORING
AND TEST PREPARATION
20 Wilsey Square,
Ridgewood NJ 07450
G U I D E
T O
T O M O R R O W
201.857.4840
PAUL D. RENNIE
PAULINE C. RENNIE
TIRE & AUTO SERVICE
Quality • Value • Service • Integrity • Since 1935
209 S. Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450
www.richtersauto.com
e-mail: service@richtersauto.com
Tel: (201) 652-4818
Join Us!
If you are interested in auditioning
for Pro Arte Chorale,
please contact our office
at (201)497-8400
or email: info@proartechorale.org
DERMATOLOGY ASSOCIATES
Sharon A. Galvin, M.D.
Jonathan S. Dosik, M.D.
348 South Maple Avenue, Glen Rock, NJ 07452
201-652-6060
Chestnut Catering
HAPPY 50TH ANNIVERSARY !
CHEERS TO ANOTHER FIFTY !
25 Chestnut Street., Ridgewood, NJ 07450
201-445-3031
ChestnutCatering@gmail.com
www.ChestnutDeliCatering.com
POMPANOOSUC MILLS
REAL AMERICAN FURNITURE
HANDCRAFTED IN VERMONT
Did you know all of our furniture is made by hand and
made to order from solid North American hardwoods?
NOW CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF
BUILDING HEIRLOOM QUALITY FURNITURE
257 East Ridgewood Ave
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
201-493-0815
www.pompy.com
Modern American Tavern
30 Oak Street
Downtown Ridgewood
Tel 201 445 5400
Pro Arte Chorale
P.O. Box 662
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Tel: (201) 497-8400
Email: info@proartechorale.org
www.ProArteChorale.org