PROGRAM NOTES
Magnificat à sei voci
Claudio Monteverdi
Claudio Monteverdi was a church musician from an early age, a singer, organist and viol player, and was strongly influenced by the operas composed in his day. He wrote many fine operas himself which were highly innovative for their time. It was during his tenure as maestro di cappella at St. Mark’s beginning in 1613 that his fame spread. In his early 70s, just a few years before his death, Monteverdi published two large compilations of his vocal works written in Venice, mostly for presentation at Saint Mark’s, called the Selva morale et spirituale (Moral and Spiritual Forest). Today we present the Magnificat à sei voci from that collection. It is extremely expressive and declamatory in style. As in his operas, the music is dramatic and communicative. The Magnificat text, which originates in the Gospel of Luke, has been part of liturgies of Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant Christian churches for centuries and has been set to music by innumerable composers. Luke portrays Mary as the singer of this song of praise to God and humble acceptance of her pregnancy.
-Program notes by the Laudate Singers
Zadok The Priest, HWV 258
The first anthem was performed immediately after the Anointing of George II. The text describes the anointing of Solomon as King David’s successor and has been included in every English coronation ceremony since that designed by St. Dunstan for King Edgar (Ēadgār) the Peaceful at Bath in about 973. Handel’s setting of this text has likewise been included for every coronation since that for King George II in 1727. Soccer fans will recognize this as the source for the UEFA Champions League anthem.
The King Shall Rejoice, HWV 260
This anthem was performed at the Crowning of George II, though traditionally it would have been at the Recognition. Hearing the choir’s occasional loud bursts of brief phrases followed by rests, Charles Burney wrote of the anthem as being in the composer’s “big bow-wow” ceremonial style.
-Program notes by Early Music Vancouver
Magnificat, RV 610
Antonio Vivaldi
Arguably best known for his cycle of violin concerti Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons), Antonio Vivaldi is regarded as one of the finest composers of the Baroque period, and enjoyed widespread fame across Europe in his lifetime. As well as his prolific career as a musician, he was ordained at the age of 25 and gained the nickname Il Prete Rosso (‘the Red Priest’), on account of his red hair. He became master of violin at the Pio Ospedale della Pietà orphanage for girls in 1703; he wrote most of his compositions during the 30 years he was in post, including 140 concerti for the orphanage between 1723 and 1733 alone. Vivaldi’s setting of the Magnificat (a canticle with text taken from Mary’s visitation to Elizabeth) was first written in around 1715 for the Ospedale della Pietà, and revised it again in 1720, making it more suitable for male voices and adding two oboes to the instrumentation. Noted for its conciseness, Vivaldi recognised that it was a work that would be sung regularly, at each Vesper service, which may be a reason for such restrained writing.
-Program notes by St. Martin in the Fields
Sanctus in C major, BWV 237
Johann Sebastian Bach
A common myth about Martin Luther is that he wanted to replace Latin with the vernacular in Christian liturgy. While he emphasized making Scripture and liturgy more accessible through the vernacular, he also valued Latin, Greek, and Hebrew for Christian education. After Luther’s death, the use of Latin in Lutheran churches varied, but it remained integral for centuries. In Leipzig, Latin was especially important in liturgical practice. Bach composed Latin settings for Leipzig services, including two original works: the Sanctus settings in C major (BWV 237) and D major (BWV 238). The C major Sanctus, likely performed in Bach’s early months in Leipzig, is characterized by festive scoring and a text-driven, Italianate concerted style, culminating in a contrapuntally rich double fugue.
The Climate Mass
Loretta K. Notareschi
The Climate Mass, commissioned by the Regis University Office of Mission for the Regis University Singers, contains music by Loretta K. Notareschi and text from the traditional Latin mass combined with newly-written poetry by Alyse Knorr. This new text is inspired by Pope Francis’s encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si’. The piece is in the tradition of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem, Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem, Paul Winter et al.’s Missa Gaia, and other works that combine religious/liturgical text with additional language that reflects on the meaning of the liturgical words.
In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis implores all people of the world to respond to both the “cry of the Earth” and the “cry of the poor” by implementing policies of environmental and social justice. In the encyclical, Pope Francis analyzes how the degradation of the Earth harms the world’s most marginalized peoples. At the same time, he inspires us to work for a better future, when “care for the vulnerable” and care for the Earth are made possible by an “integral ecology” and a mindset of responsible stewardship. With the words and music of the Climate Mass, Notareschi and Knorr hope to join the Laudato Si’ movement in stirring audiences to action for both people and the Earth.
llluminare
Elaine Hagenberg
llluminare is Elaine’s first extended work, consisting of five-movements for SATB chorus and chamber orchestra. Using lesser-known sacred Latin texts, the piece takes us through a season of beauty and goodness that has been disrupted by darkness and confusion. But as Light gradually returns, hope is restored, illuminating our future and guiding us in peace.
Texts and Translations
Climate Mass
(Bolded text was written by Alyse Knorr and was inspired by Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical Laudato Si)
I. Kyrie
Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison.
(Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy.)
The giraffe’s splayed legs form a star on the land.
The last fruit bat shivers in his wings.
Our children will never meet the honey creepers, the golden frog,
the paddle fish, or the giant tortoise.
Rivers vanish! Rivers flood! Seas rise with plastic!
Glaciers melt! Glaciers crumble into the ocean, into the ocean!
Thirsty babies cry but lack the water to make tears.
An old man full of poison dies in a dirty bed.
Women wade the flood clutching toddlers in their arms.
A young boy wails for a toy that’s turned to ash.
Forgive us, God for choking the lungs of our mother.
Forgive us for burning up your forests,
For turning our backs to the poor, to the sick, to the weak, to the hungry.
II. Gloria
Gloria in excelsis Deo,
et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis
Laudamus te.
Benedicimus te.
Adoramus te.
Glorificamus te.
Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam.
Domine Deus, Rex caelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens.
Domine fili unigenite, Jesu Christe.
Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius patris.
Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Qui tollis peccata mundi suscipe deprecationem nostram.
Qui sedes ad dexteram patris miserere nobis.
Quoniam tu solus sanctus.
Tu solus Dominus.
Tu solus Altissimus, Jesu Christe.
Cum Sancto Spiritu in gloria Dei Patris. Amen.
(Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise you.
We bless you.
We adore you.
We glorify you.
We give thanks to you for your great glory.
Lord God, King of heaven, omnipotent Father God.
Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.
Who removes the world’s sins, take pity on us.
Who removes the world’s sins, accept our prayers.
Who sits at the right hand of the Father, take pity on us.
Because you alone are holy.
You alone are Lord.
You alone are supreme, Jesus Christ.
With the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father. Amen.)
With a word, you made the world: the heavens and the earth.
The birds, the fish, the trees, the soils, the seas and us.
All made out of love, all made out of love.
Sister moon and brother sun, sister water, brother wind:
your love spread stars across the sky, gave the sparrow wings to fly.
They sing their sacred hymn and praise you by being.
You willed it all, you made it all, you saw that it was good.
You willed it all, you made it all, you saw that it was good.
You burn within the blazing sun, and in the fall of night.
You’re in each raindrop, in each snowflake, and we are sacred too,
called to life to speak to you,
You made us all and saw that we were good.
Each flower’s petal had purpose, each wing on each butterfly,
the mountain’s rocky face, each cloud across the sky.
In our calling to the earth, we find ourselves anew.
You willed it all, you made it all, you saw that it was good.
You willed it all, you made it all, you saw that it was good.
III. Sanctus
Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth:
pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua.
Hosanna in excelsis.
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.
Hosanna in excelsis.
(Holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts:
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.)
I cannot see her face, daughter of my daughter’s daughter.
I cannot hear his voice, son of my son’s sons.
We do not know their names, our heirs of the future, who call us ancestors.
But we know we owe them a world, a slow breathing, rainbow world.
A world of sacred life, a world of common good,
the gift of the world as it was offered to us.
IV. Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,
miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi,
Dona nobis pacem.
(O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Grant us peace.)
Quiet all this noise, silence our distractions.
Let us hear your word in the rainsong, the wind, and the sea.
As waves carve out the shore, shape our hearts to seek the truth.
We need not fight the current. You will not let us drown.
Flood our inner deserts with the river of your grace.
Give us the courage to begin anew.
Give us the courage to awe again: the dewdrop, the leaf, the lonely mountain valley.
Awake in us a newfound reverence, humility, justice, and joy.
Give us the courage to begin anew.
Give us the courage to begin anew.
You willed us all, you made us all and saw that we were good.
O God let us begin again, O God let us begin again.
We can be good. We can still be good. Amen.
Illuminare
III. Nox
Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison.
Nox et tenebrae et nubila,
confusa mundi et turbida
Caligo terrae scinditur
percussa solis spiculo
(Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy.
Night and darkness and fog,
confused world and turmoil
dark gloom tears the earth
beats and stabs the sun)
- Prudentius Clemens