Our 2023-2024 season!
Sunday, November 12, 2023, 3:00 p.m.
Rainbow Mennonite Church
Bridges to Britain, and Beyond
Sunday, March 17, 2024, 3:00 p.m.
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
Sunday, June 2, 2024, 3:00 p.m.
Resurrection Brookside
Memento Mori
Celebrating composers with centenary years in 23-24
Jay Carter and Ryan Olsen, conductors
Sunday, November 12, 2023 at 3:00 PM
Rainbow Mennonite Church
1444 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, KS
Preview the printed program for this concert here.
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Autumn strikes particularly nostalgic notes in the Northern Hemisphere. Whether the shortening of days or the unmistakable change of seasons is responsible, this time has become the natural time for recollection, recognition, and remembrance. When those weeks on the calendar coincide with the commemoration of composers who celebrate important anniversary years, it seems appropriate to take note! Thus, our first concert of the 2023-2024 season explores a few composers whose birth or death year coincides with our calendar years, and who we feel ought to be specifically highlighted.
These works, many of them lesser-known, survey both secular and sacred compositions, and are as broadly expressive of the human experience. Like poets and composers who penned them, each work is entirely unique and speaks/sings with its own distinct voice.
Program
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William Byrd (d. 1623)
Ave verum corpus
Stanford (d. 1924)
Eight Partsongs
1. The Witch
3. The Bluebird
4. The Train
Anton Bruckner (b. 1823)
Psalm 23, WAB 34
Du bist wie eine Blume, WAB64
Giacomo Puccini (d. 1923)
Requiem Aeternam
Aleksander Arcahngelsky (d. 1924)
Vzbrannoi voyevodye
Svyete Tikhiy
Faure (d. 1924)
Les Djinns
Cantique Jean Racine
Pavane
Gustav Holst
Nunc Dimittis
Evening Watch from Two Motets (1924)
Bridges to Britain, and Beyond
Exploring the connections to the British Isles
Jay Carter, conductor
Sunday, March 17, 2024 at 3:00 PM
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
6401 Wornall Terrace, Kansas City, MO
Preview the printed program for this concert here.
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Apart from the American Revolution and War of 1812, America and Britain have shared a friendly relationship encompassing Social and Political movements, Technological and Scientific development, and a shared body of artistic influences – including poetry and song. Increased economic ties in the late 19th century, and the wars of the first half of the 20th century, caused a number of British citizens to spend time in America. A significant number of composers participated in this cross-pollination and enjoyed fruitful relationships with American composers and librettists. Some made fleeting visits with professional ensembles or lectured at universities, while others spent years in the States, like Benjamin Britten and Frederick Delius. Percy Grainger spent more time living in America than he ever did as a subject of the Empire.
This concert explores some of the most fruitful, and now often overlooked, musical bridges across the Atlantic artistically linking America and the United Kingdom - which included domains across the whole world, and whose cultural influence is inextricably linked to British music - as is cuisine, literature, and visual art.
Annalies
Ryan Olsen, conductor
Sunday, June 2, 2024 at 3:00 PM
Resurrection Brookside
5144 Oak St, Kansas City, MO
Annelies is a 75-minute choral work for soprano soloist, choir and instrumentalists. The libretto is compiled and translated by Melanie Challenger from The Diary of Anne Frank. Music is by James Whitbourn. Annelies is the full forename of Anne Frank, now commonly referred to by her abbreviated forename, Anne. Annelies is divided into fourteen movements.
1. Introit - prelude (instrumental)
2. The capture foretold
3. The plan to go into hiding
4. The last night at home and arrival at the Annexe
5. Life in hiding
6. Courage
7. Fear of capture and the second break-in
8. Sinfonia (Kyrie)
9. The Dream
10. Devastation of the outside world
11. Passing of time
12. The hope of liberation and a spring awakening
13. The capture and the concentration camp
14. Anne’s meditation
The world premiere of Annelies was given on April 5, 2005 at the Cadogan Hall, London. Leonard Slatkin conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Choir of Clare College Cambridge and soprano Louise Kateck.
The US premiere of Annelies was given on April 28, 2007 in Westminster Choir College, Princeton, NJ. James Jordan and James Whitbourn conducted the Westminster Williamson Voices, an instrumental ensemble and soprano Lynn Eustis.
The world premiere of Annelies in its completed chamber version was given on June 12, 2009 in the German Church, The Hague, The Netherlands. Daniel Hope (violin) led the ensemble, with the Residentie Chamber Choir (conductor Jos Vermunt) and soprano Arianna Zukerman.
