- And now it is my distinct privilege to introduce you to the 2023 WSMA High School State Honors Mixed Choir and their distinguished conductor, Dr. Andrew Last.

[cheers and applause] ["Portones Abiertos y Rostros Brillantes"] ♪ ♪ - ♪ Claro, claro, claro que estoy contento, contento ♪ ♪ ¿No estuvieras tú?

Ah!

♪ ♪ Claro que estoy contento ♪ ♪ Cuando miro a portones abiertos y veo ♪ ♪ A portones abiertos ♪ ♪ Y veo un jardín lleno de vida ♪ ♪ De buena salud ♪ ♪ Y de sonrisas de rostros brilliantes ♪ ♪ Enciende mi espíritu ♪ ♪ Nunca, nunca, nunca antes ♪ ♪ Habia estado, estado tan exitado de estar vivo ♪ ♪ Y en el resplandor de paz que crece ♪ ♪ Se que cuando ♪ ♪ Me entrego al dormir ♪ ♪ Y el oceano de noche ♪ ♪ Acúnese mis suenos ♪ ♪ Suenos, suenos ♪ ♪ Puedo, puedo, puedo estar en solamente ♪ Solamente en un estado de ser ♪ ♪ Ah!

♪ ♪ Comple, completamente abierto ♪ ♪ Abierto, abierto ♪ [cheers and applause] - Gosh, it's good to be with you tonight.

I have had such a great time with these incredible, incredible musicians.

And I have been fortunate enough to be able to know them, and get to know them, for the last several months.

We got together in June and made some incredible music.

And they kind of set the bar pretty high at that summer camp.

They worked their tails off.

They were willing to dive in deep into the music that I presented to them.

And I challenged them on two things when they returned.

I said, one, I'd like you to make sure that you return with your music memorized.

Check, and then the other thing is, and I don't know if you've noticed this, but they're not standing in sections.

They're standing quartets, so none of them are standing next to their same part.

And that is a certain level of musicianship right there, especially when it's not an ensemble that you sing with during the normal school year.

So they have done exceptional work in that area.

And I am so glad and happy to share and showcase their talents with you tonight.

You did not come to hear me speak.

You came to hear them sing, so we'll continue our next piece in the program.

The next piece is written by a former high school student of mine, which was fun to kind of share with them, especially since they're at this age.

His name is James Deignan.

And James is a Luther grad, from the school in which I teach.

And so it's been fun to have that connection with him.

And this is a piece that I think James would share with people, as he wrote this piece, that he struggled with some mental health things when he was in high school, and he wanted to write this piece to kind of invite students and to invite the singers to be present in the moment.

What you need is here.

And that's kind of what we hear in this Wendell Berry text.

So "What We Need Is Here."

- ♪ Hm, ah, mm ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Hm, ah, mm ♪ ♪ Hm, ah, mm ♪ ♪ Do do do ♪ - ♪ Geese appear high over us ♪ ♪ Pass, and the sky closes ♪ ♪ Abandon, as in love or sleep, holds them to their way ♪ ♪ Clear in the ancient faith ♪ - ♪ What we need is here ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Geese appear high over us and pass ♪ ♪ And the sky closes ♪ ♪ Abandon, as in love or sleep, holds them to their way ♪ ♪ Clear in the ancient faith ♪ ♪ What we need is here ♪ - ♪ And we pray not for new heaven or earth ♪ ♪ But to be quiet in heart and in eye ♪ - ♪ And we pray not for new heaven or earth ♪ ♪ But to be quiet in heart and in eye ♪ ♪ And we pray not for heaven or earth ♪ ♪ But to be quiet in heart and in eye ♪ ♪ And we pray not for heaven or earth ♪ ♪ But to be quiet in heart and in eye ♪ ♪ And we pray not for heaven or earth ♪ ♪ But to be quiet in heart and in eye ♪ ♪ Clear, clear ♪ ♪ Clear ♪ - ♪ What we need is here ♪ - ♪ Hm, ah, mm ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Hm, ah, mm ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Hm ♪ [cheers and applause] ["Let Their Celestial Concerts All Unite"] ♪ Let their celestial concerts all unite ♪ ♪ Let their celestial concerts all unite ♪ ♪ Ever to sound His praise, to sound His praise ♪ ♪ To sound His praise, ever to sound His praise ♪ ♪ In endless blaze of light ♪ ♪ To sound His praise ♪ ♪ To sound His praise ♪ ♪ In endless blaze of light ♪ ♪ Let their celestial concerts all unite ♪ ♪ Let their celestial concerts all unite ♪ ♪ To sound His praise ♪ ♪ Ever, ever, ever to sound ♪ ♪ His praise in endless blaze of light ♪ ♪ To sound His praise ♪ ♪ To sound His praise in endless blaze ♪ ♪ In endless, endless blaze of light ♪ ♪ Let their celestial concerts all unite ♪ ♪ Let their celestial concerts all unite ♪ ♪ Let their celestial concerts all unite ♪ ♪ In endless blaze of light ♪ ♪ To sound His praise, to sound His praise ♪ ♪ In endless blaze of light ♪ ♪ Let their celestial concerts all unite ♪ ♪ Let their celestial concerts all unite ♪ [vocalizing] ♪ To sound His praise ♪ ♪ In endless blaze of light ♪ ♪ Ever to sound, to sound His praise ♪ ♪ In endless blaze of light ♪ ♪ In endless blaze of light ♪ ♪ Let their celestial concerts all unite ♪ ♪ Ever to sound, to sound His praise ♪ ♪ In endless blaze of light ♪ ♪ In endless blaze of light ♪ ♪ Let their celestial concerts all unite ♪ ♪ Ever to sound His praise ♪ ♪ In endless blaze ♪ ♪ Of light ♪ ["KwaMashu"] ♪ Wen' usebenza KwaMashu maye ♪ ♪ Wen' usebenza KwaMashu maye ♪ ♪ Kusethe kwinima KwaMashu maye ♪ ♪ Kusethe kwinima KwaMashu maye ♪ ♪ Wen' usebenza KwaMashu maye ♪ ♪ Wen' usebenza KwaMashu maye ♪ ♪ Wen' usebenza KwaMashu maye ♪ ♪ Wen' usebenza KwaMashu maye ♪ ♪ Wen' usebenza KwaMashu maye ♪ ♪ Wen' usebenza KwaMashu maye ♪ ♪ Kusethe kwinima KwaMashu maye ♪ ♪ Kusethe kwinima KwaMashu maye ♪ ♪ Wen' usebenza KwaMashu maye ♪ ♪ Wen' usebenza KwaMashu maye ♪ ♪ Wen' usebenza KwaMashu maye ♪ ♪ Wen' usebenza KwaMashu maye ♪ ♪ Tiwiwi wiwi Tiwiwi Tiwi ♪ ♪ Tiwiwi wiwi Tiwiwi Tiwi ♪ ♪ Tiwiwiwiwiwi Tiwiwi Tiwi ♪ ♪ Tiwiwiwiwiwi Tiwiwi Tiwi ♪ ♪ Tiwiwiwiwi Tiwiwiwiwi ♪ ♪ Tiwiwiwiwi Tiwiwiwiwi ♪ ♪ Tiwiwiwiwi Tiwiwiwiwi ♪ ♪ Tiwiwiwiwi Tiwiwiwiwi ♪ ♪ Wen' usebenza KwaMashu maye ♪ ♪ Wen' usebenza KwaMashu maye ♪ ♪ Kusethe kwinima KwaMashu maye ♪ ♪ Kusethe kwinima KwaMashu ♪ ♪ KwaMashu ♪ ["Arise, Beloved"] ♪ ♪ ♪ Arise ♪ ♪ Arise ♪ ♪ Arise, arise ♪ ♪ Arise, arise ♪ ♪ My love ♪ ♪ Arise, beloved, fair one, come away ♪ ♪ Arise, beloved, fair one, come away ♪ ♪ For lo, the winter is past ♪ ♪ Beloved, come away ♪ ♪ Arise, arise ♪ ♪ Beloved, come away ♪ ♪ Arise, arise ♪ ♪ Arise, beloved, fair one, come away ♪ ♪ Arise, beloved, fair one, come away ♪ ♪ For lo, the winter is past ♪ ♪ Beloved, come away ♪ ♪ Arise, arise ♪ ♪ Beloved, come away ♪ ♪ Arise, arise ♪ ♪ Come, the rain has gone, the flowers appear ♪ ♪ The birds are singing ♪ ♪ Come, your hand in mine ♪ ♪ We'll taste of the grapevines ♪ ♪ And hear the turtle doves ♪ ♪ Their voices sing of joy and love ♪ ♪ Hush, do not awaken, love ♪ ♪ Do not arouse till it pleases ♪ ♪ As the gazelles and does of the fields ♪ ♪ So is my beloved ♪ ♪ Arise ♪ ♪ Arise ♪ ♪ Arise, arise ♪ ♪ Arise ♪ ♪ Arise, arise ♪ ♪ Arise ♪ ♪ Arise, arise ♪ ♪ Arise, beloved, fair one, come away ♪ ♪ Arise, my love ♪ ♪ Arise, beloved, fair one, come away ♪ ♪ Arise, my love ♪ ♪ Arise, my love ♪ ♪ Arise, my love ♪ ♪ Arise, my love ♪ ♪ Arise, my love ♪ ♪ Arise, arise ♪ ♪ Arise, arise, arise, arise ♪ ♪ Arise ♪ ["Where Riches Is Everlastingly"] [vocalizing] ♪ Into this world this day did come ♪ ♪ Jesus Christ, both God and man ♪ ♪ Lord and servant in one person ♪ ♪ Born of the blessed Virgin Mary ♪ ♪ I pray you be merry and sing with me in worship ♪ ♪ Of Christ's nativity ♪ ♪ I pray you be merry and sing with me in worship ♪ ♪ Of Christ's nativity ♪ [vocalizing] ♪ He that was rich without a need ♪ ♪ Appeared in this world in right poor weed ♪ ♪ To make us that were poor indeed ♪ ♪ Rich without any need truly ♪ ♪ I pray you be merry and sing with me in worship ♪ ♪ Of Christ's nativity ♪ ♪ I pray you be merry and sing with me in worship ♪ ♪ Of Christ's nativity ♪ [vocalizing] ♪ A stable was his chamber, a crib was his bed ♪ ♪ He had not a pillow under his head ♪ ♪ With maiden's milk that babe was fed ♪ ♪ In poor clothes was wrapped the Lord Almighty ♪ ♪ I pray you be merry and sing with me in worship ♪ ♪ Of Christ's nativity ♪ ♪ I pray you be merry and sing with me in worship ♪ ♪ Of Christ's nativity ♪ ♪ A noble lesson here is taught ♪ ♪ To set all worldly riches at naught ♪ ♪ I pray that we may be thither brought ♪ ♪ Where riches is everlastingly ♪ ♪ I pray you be merry and sing with me in worship ♪ ♪ Of Christ's nativity ♪ ♪ I pray you be merry and sing with me in worship ♪ ♪ Of Christ's nativity ♪ [applause] This next piece in the program is entitled "Love: Then and Still."

And it's written by a Missouri composer named Susan LaBarr, and those of you who have a little bit of background in choral music, you may recognize the lyricist's name on it, Charles Silvestri.

And choral directors may recognize that name, as Charles has oftentimes collaborated with Eric Whitacre on many, many pieces that he's written.

But this piece is a much more personal kind of reflection of Charles.

Charles lost his wife several years ago and wanted to write a piece of poetry, that then Susan set to text.

And Susan sets this beautifully.

It really programmatically kind of tells the story about their wonderful, happy family that they had, at the start of the piece, until hearing that something was not quite right in the middle.

And then, as we all have to do when we lose someone that we are close to or we love, we have to figure out how life continues.

And Susan writes so beautifully, and sets this text so beautifully, in ways that you may not even understand when you hear it.

But there's a moment in which Susan writes about the family of four becoming a family of three.

And on that moment, the melody line ends not on the tonic, or the root, or the first-scale degree, but she ends the melody intentionally on the third-scale degree to kind of highlight that moment that now it becomes a family of three.

So really listen to the text, and if you can-- I'm not sure if the text is in the program or not, but if it is, follow along as we sing "Love: Then and Still."

- ♪ We were married in late September ♪ ♪ Among the changing leaves ♪ ♪ Crimson banners in the courtyard ♪ ♪ Heralding our union ♪ ♪ We were so happy then ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ The music we shared brought us together ♪ ♪ Brought us together ♪ ♪ A duet most unlikely ♪ ♪ Work and home and son and daughter ♪ ♪ Busy in joy and love ♪ ♪ How simple it seemed then ♪ ♪ But who could have known ♪ ♪ What fate awaited, awaited ♪ ♪ Our little family of four?

♪ ♪ A spectre came ♪ ♪ And dwelt among us ♪ ♪ And robbed us of our joy ♪ ♪ And then we were only three ♪ ♪ But time has passed and wounds have healed ♪ ♪ Leaving scars behind ♪ ♪ But scars remind us, remind us ♪ ♪ Of what was and what yet may be ♪ ♪ That we loved, that we loved, that we loved ♪ ♪ That we loved, that we loved, that we loved ♪ ♪ That we loved, that we loved, that we loved ♪ ♪ That we loved ♪ ♪ And love you still ♪ [applause] - Just a quick thank you-- a public thank you-- to our wonderful section leaders that you were introduced to earlier, and especially our collaborative pianist for the week, Kira.

Would you help me give Kira a round of applause?

[cheers and applause] I hope all of you parents, grandparents, friends, family of these young singers know I would be honored to work with them any time-- any time--again.

And I work at a college.

And if any of you need a place to kind of land in the next four years, I know a guy that probably can get you a scholarship.

So see me afterwards, and I'd love to be able to talk with you and maybe snag your sons and daughters for the next four years of their singing experience.

We're gonna close tonight with a piece by Shawn Kirchner, who is an Iowa native, who now is composer-in-residence with the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

And this is his setting of "Sweet Rivers."

[bright piano music] ♪ ♪ - ♪ Sweet rivers of redeeming love ♪ ♪ Lie just before mine eyes ♪ ♪ Had I the pinions of a dove ♪ ♪ I'd to those rivers fly ♪ ♪ I'd rise superior to my pain ♪ ♪ With joy outstrip the wind ♪ ♪ I'd cross o'er Jordan's stormy waves ♪ ♪ And leave the world behind ♪ ♪ A few more days, or years at most ♪ ♪ My troubles will be o'er ♪ ♪ I hope to join the heav'nly host on Canaan's happy shore ♪ ♪ My rapt'rous soul shall drink and feast ♪ ♪ In love's unbounded sea ♪ ♪ The glorious hope of endless rest ♪ ♪ Is ravishing to me ♪ ♪ Oh, come, my Savior, come away ♪ ♪ And bear me through the sky ♪ ♪ So quickly draw thou nigh ♪ ♪ Then I shall join the angel throng ♪ ♪ And circle round thy throne ♪ ♪ I'll sing through all the ages long ♪ ♪ And joy to be thine own ♪ ♪ Joy to be thine own ♪ ♪ Joy to be thine own ♪ ♪ Joy to be thine own ♪ ♪ Joy to be thine own ♪ ♪ Joy to be thine own ♪ ♪ To be thine own ♪ ♪ Sweet rivers of redeeming love ♪ ♪ Lie just before mine eyes ♪ ♪ Had I the pinions of a dove ♪ ♪ I'd to those rivers fly ♪ ♪ I'd rise superior to my pain ♪ ♪ With joy outstrip the wind ♪ ♪ I'd cross o'er Jordan's stormy waves ♪ ♪ And leave the world behind ♪ ♪ I'd cross o'er Jordan's stormy waves ♪ ♪ And leave the world behind ♪ ♪ Leave the world behind ♪ ♪ Sweet rivers of redeeming love ♪ ♪ Sweet rivers of redeeming love ♪ ♪ Sweet rivers of redeeming love ♪ ♪ Lie just before mine eyes ♪ [cheers and applause]