— PROGRAMME —
Four Directions
Thomas TALLIS (1505-1585); arr. by Andrew BALFOUR
Sainte-Chapelle
Eric WHITACRE (b. 1970)
Let My Love Be Heard
Jake RUNESTAD (b. 1986)
Exaudi
Jocelyn MORLOCK; Morag NORTHEY Cello
15 - M I N U T E I N T E R M I S S I O N
Ave, Maris Stella
Traditional Latin Canticle;
arr. by Dianne LOOMER conducted by Joanna HENRY
Ecce Nunc*
Jan Dismas ZELENKA (1679-1745)
Soloists: Kim Reinhart, Joanna Henry, Jasper Buys
Da Pacem Domine*
Jan Dismas ZELENKA (1679-1745)
Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied*
Johann Sebastian BACH (1679-1750)
Soloists: Joanna Henry, Julia Millen, Boyd Hansen, Brian Hryciw
—————————————————————
* with String Theory Music Collective
— Guest Performers —
Morag Northey Cellist
Morag is a cellist, a teacher, a multidisciplinary artist, writer, composer, singer, producer, and director. Her work, regardless of medium, digs deep, moving and transforming lives. Spirit, community, and healing have always been central to Morag. Her 35-year career in classical performance, string pedagogy, passion for creating unique multi-genre art, and transformative instructional philosophies have shaped the artistic development of generations of young Canadian cellists.
String Theory Music Collective
Founded in 2017, String Theory Music Collective has established a reputation as Calgary’s visionary early music ensemble. String Theory’s innovative, multi-disciplinary programming seeks to inspire curiosity and appreciation for early music and promote an understanding of its role and relevance in today’s contemporary musical and cultural landscape.
Andrea Neumann Artistic Co-Director
Andrea has enjoyed more than 25 years performing as a soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician across western Canada. She is a co-founder of String Theory, a violinist with Juno award winning Rosa Barocca, and in 2021 she attended Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute. Andrea loves the creative and multi-faceted role of Artistic Co-Director which involves curating, researching, composing, arranging, promoting, educating, collaborating and performing.
Louise Stuppard Artistic Co-Director
Alberta native Louise Stuppard has a wealth of performance experience both in Canada and the United States as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. Louise’s interest in historical performance practice began at Towson University and eventually led to three summers at the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute. She is a co-founder of String Theory, a violinist with Juno award winning Rosa Barocca, and in 2018 she received the Red Deer Women of Excellence Award in Arts, Culture & Heritage for her contributions to the arts in Red Deer.
— Text and Translations —
Ecce Nunc (Psalm 133)
Canticum graduum.
Ecce nunc benedicite
Dominum, omnes servi Domini:
qui statis in domo Domini,
in atriis domus Dei nostri.
In noctibus attollite voces vestras
in sancta,
et benedicite Dominum.
Benedicat te Dominus ex Sion,
qui fecit caelum et terram.
Gloria Patri, et Filio,
et Spiritui Sancto,
Sicut erat in principio,
et nunc et semper,
Et in saecula saeculorum.
Amen
English:
Behold now,
bless ye the Lord,
all ye servants of the Lord:
who stand in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God.
Lift up your voices
in the night,
and bless the Lord.
May the Lord bless thee out of Sion,
who made heaven and earth.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
World without end.
Amen.
Singet dem Herrn
Chorus I & II (Psalm 149:1–3)
Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied;
die Gemeine der Heiligen
sollen ihn loben.
Israel freue sich des,
der ihn gemacht hat.
Die Kinder Zion sei’n
fröhlich über ihrem Könige,
sie sollen loben seinen Namen
im Reigen; mit Pauken und mit Harfen
sollen sie ihm spielen.
Chorale (Johann Gramann, 1530)
Wie sich ein Vater erbarmet
über seine junge Kinderlein,
so tut der Herr uns allen, so wir ihn
kindlich fürchten rein.
Er kennt das arm Gemächte,
Gott weiß, wir sind nur Staub,
gleichwie das Gras vom Rechen, ein
Blum und fallend Laub!
Chorus I & II (Psalm 150:2,6)
Lobet den Herrn in seinen Taten;
lobet ihn in seiner
mächtigen Feste!
Alles, was Odem hat,
lobe den Herrn!
English:
Chorus I & II (Psalm 149:1–3)
Sing to the Lord a new song;
let the congregation of saints
praise him.
Let Israel rejoice
in him who made him.
Let the children of Zion
be joyful over their King;
they shall praise his name
in the dance; with tambourine and harp
shall they praise him.
Chorale (Johann Gramann, 1530)
As a father pities
his children,
so the Lord pities
t•hose who fear him.
He knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust,
as for man, his days are as grass;
as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
Chorus I & II (Psalm 150:2,6)! Praise him for his mighty acts;
praise him according to his
excellent greatness!
Let everything that has breath
praise the Lord!
– Program Notes –
Ecce Nunc Jan Dismas Zelenka
Composed around 1739, Ecce nunc benedicite (Behold, now bless the Lord) is a setting of Psalm 133, which celebrates the unity and harmony among brethren. Zelenka was highly influenced by the Baroque contrapuntal tradition, and his choral works employ intricate fugues and canonic techniques. In Ecce nunc benedicite, Zelenka uses this contrapuntal style to give the choir a sense of dialogue - the voices interact with each other, creating a rich, textured soundscape that enhances the liturgical context of the piece. Zelenka, a Bohemian composer who spent much of his career in Dresden as a member of the Saxon court chapel, was known for his intricate and expressive choral works. This piece, scored for SATB choir and orchestra, features a group of four soloists. The composition’s lyrical lines and rich harmonies reflect the psalm’s message of peace and fellowship. Zelenka’s use of contrasting textures and expressive phrasing enhances the spiritual depth of the text, making it a notable example of Zelenka’s choral writing.
Singet dem Herrn JS Bach
I am odd, I am new I wonder if you are too I hear voices in the air I see you don’t, and that’s not fair I want to not feel blue I am odd, I am new I pretend that you are too I feel like a boy in outer space I touch the stars and feel out of place I worry what others might think I cry when people laugh, it makes me shrink I am odd, I am new I understand now that so are you I say I feel like a castaway I dream of a day that that’s okay I try to fit in I hope that someday I do I am odd, I am new.
