(slow music) - [Announcer] Funding for this program is provided in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.

(slow organ music) (overlapping chattering) (slow organ music continues) - I'm Rick Kvam, I'm the Artistic Director for Choral Arts Ensemble.

We're at Zumbro Lutheran Church in Rochester, Minnesota.

We're about to present our Christmas with Choral Arts Ensemble concerts.

So our first piece is "Make We Joy" by Derek Holman, and it uses a text that was found in a library in Oxford University which is maybe five, 600 years old, this text, and it was written maybe by some bored monks way back, and it's partly Middle English and partly Latin, and it rhymes, the two different languages rhyme.

And it's buoyant and fun and kind of playful, and the text is matched by the setting, which is also kind of modal and full of jumps and rhythms, and it's a fun beginning.

♪ Make we joy now in this feast ♪ (choir singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) ♪ Through a maiden is come to us ♪ ♪ Sing we of Him and say welcome ♪ (choir singing in Latin) ♪ A bright star made three Kings come ♪ ♪ For to seek with their presents ♪ (choir singing in Latin) ♪ So mighty a Lord was none as He ♪ ♪ For to our kind He hath given peace ♪ (choir singing in Latin) ♪ The Holy Ghost was ay her with ♪ ♪ In Bethlehem born He is, in Bethlehem born ♪ (choir singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) ♪ He lay between an ox and ass ♪ ♪ Of mother pure and maiden free ♪ (choir singing in Latin) - Our next piece is "Spotless Rose" by Herbert Howells.

A wonderful piece, Herbert Howells was an English composer, wrote this when he was maybe 25, his first choral pieces, and it's just a classic.

It's a gorgeous kind of modal harmony that floats up and down.

The text is "Lo, How A Rose," except a slightly different translation by Catherine Winkworth, so it's just a slightly different set of words, but it's gorgeous, got a beautiful baritone solo in it.

♪ A spotless Rose is blowing ♪ ♪ Sprung from a tender root ♪ ♪ Of ancient seers' foreshowing ♪ ♪ Of Jesse promised fruit ♪ ♪ Its fairest bud ♪ ♪ Unfolds to light ♪ ♪ Amid the cold, cold winter ♪ ♪ And in ♪ ♪ The dark ♪ ♪ Midnight ♪ ♪ The Rose which I am singing ♪ ♪ Whereof Isaiah said ♪ ♪ Is from its sweet root springing ♪ ♪ In Mary, purest maid ♪ ♪ For through our God's great love and might ♪ ♪ The Blessed Babe she bare us ♪ ♪ In a cold ♪ ♪ Cold winter's ♪ ♪ Night ♪ ♪ The Rose which I am singing ♪ ♪ Whereof Isaiah said ♪ ♪ Is from its sweet root springing ♪ ♪ In Mary, purest maid ♪ ♪ For through our God's great love and might ♪ ♪ The Blessed Babe she bare us ♪ ♪ In a cold ♪ ♪ Cold ♪ ♪ Winter's ♪ ♪ Winter's ♪ ♪ Night ♪ - The third song, we're very excited about 'cause it's a new commission, brand new piece, never heard anywhere in the world.

Dan Kallman is writing "In Dulci Jubilo," which is another text, this is half German, half Latin, ancient text, for hundreds of years old, and he set it in honor of Ed Pompeian, who was a wonderful pillar in this community.

He came here as a child, needed a kidney transplant, got treated by the Mayo Clinic.

He decided to give back to the world by starting the Gift of Life Transplant House, fantastic success with, I don't know, like, 80 rooms, and all these families stay, waiting for transplants, liver, heart, you know, kidney, whatever.

So he's made a huge impact on us.

Unfortunately, he was is no longer with us, but his whole family is, and they have commissioned this piece in his honor.

Interestingly, Dan Kallman's father stayed at the Gift of Life Transplant House when he was getting a transplant, so it's especially poignant.

(choir singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in Germane) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir singing in German) (choir continues German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) (choir continues singing in German) - Then we're gonna do a piece by Gretchaninoff, I guess that's the way he said it, it says in the footnotes from Musica Russica, and it's "Svete tihiy."

It's from the Vesper Service, "Gladsome Light," as they bring the crowd into the sanctuary with incense after they've been outside and put up all the lights as this reverent and yet joyous text from Orthodox Church, and it's just a great, great piece.

Shows off our low bases and our high sopranos.

(choir singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (choir continues singing in Russian) (no audio) - We're doing a new piece, a relatively new piece by Christopher Harris.

He's a composer born in Texas, he's young, a choir director down I think in Arkansas now, and he wrote a piece called "Alleluia For This Day" on a text by Devondra Banks, who's from Houston, and it's a lovely poem and an amazingly great setting.

He uses all kinds of jazz harmonies and complicated, dense chords that slowly shift, and kind of almost like a little kaleidoscope, and the choir has to sing six, eight parts at a time, and it's really a neat, neat setting.

There's not a lot of pieces like it.

So we really enjoy that one.

(slow piano music) (slow piano music continues) (slow piano music continues) ♪ Bleak and cold ♪ ♪ Was the night ♪ ♪ That chilled ♪ ♪ Ignited and warm ♪ ♪ Were the souls ♪ ♪ Filled ♪ ♪ With expectancy ♪ ♪ For the love ♪ ♪ The love to come ♪ (slow piano music continues) ♪ Bleak and cold ♪ ♪ Was the night ♪ ♪ That chilled ♪ ♪ Ignited and warm ♪ ♪ Were the souls ♪ ♪ Filled ♪ ♪ Filled with expectancy ♪ ♪ For the love ♪ ♪ The love to come ♪ ♪ Love ♪ ♪ To which hearts succumb ♪ (slow piano music continues) ♪ Fragile shoulders ♪ ♪ Will burdens bear ♪ ♪ Small hands ♪ ♪ Hold the world ♪ ♪ The world's despair ♪ ♪ Tiny ♪ ♪ Feet will print our journey's way ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ For this day ♪ ♪ For this day ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ For this day ♪ ♪ For ♪ ♪ For this day ♪ ♪ For ♪ ♪ For this day ♪ (slow piano music continues) ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ (slow piano music continues) ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh, ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ (no audio) - Our next piece is a real classic Christmas piece by Eric Whitacre, "Lux Aurumque."

And "light like gold" is the text, and it's supposed to shimmer like gold.

There isn't a lot going on in the piece, sort of.

In a way, there's, like, a chord that just kind of expands and comes back, and then there's a little different chord, but the spacings are so great and the dissonances are so neat that it just kind of shimmers as it goes, and a typical Whitacre piece, it's very effective.

We love singing it, but it's a challenge 'cause the singers have to really sustain these long chords.

(choir singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) - We end the first half with an "Alleluia" by Elaine Hagenberg.

She's a young woman from Iowa, graduated from Drake, I think, just 2002, sometimes like that, and started teaching school, had a music ed degree, but she was a composer, as well, and she started doing a little composing, and slowly it kind of took over her life, and now she's a full-time composer, being performed all around the world.

And when you hear this piece, you'll understand why.

It's simple, straightforward, but really great piece, and it's great for choir, and it's fun, it's accessible.

I think that you'll really like it.

♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪ ♪ All shall be ♪ ♪ Amen ♪ ♪ And alleluia ♪ ♪ All shall be ♪ ♪ Amen ♪ ♪ We shall rest ♪ ♪ And we shall see ♪ ♪ We shall see and we shall know ♪ ♪ We shall know ♪ ♪ And we shall love ♪ ♪ Behold our end which is no end ♪ ♪ Our end which is ♪ ♪ No ♪ ♪ End, alleluia, alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ All shall be amen ♪ ♪ Amen ♪ ♪ Amen ♪ - The second half we get to start by featuring the Honors Concert Choir.

It's a group of kids from grades 10 through 12 from around southeast Minnesota.

They come every Sunday throughout the whole academic year to rehearse for three hours, and they're great kids, you know, I mean, to make that much of an effort to come that distance.

Very talented kids and focused.

Some are musical theater types, others are kind of more classical music types.

A lot of them play instruments, and it's fun to watch them interact 'cause they're from all over, you know, Houston, Minnesota, or Owatonna, or Pine Island, or wherever, as well as Rochester.

And the first piece that they're gonna do together is a piece by Ola Gjeilo called "Ecce Novum."

Basically the text is, "Behold a new joy, behold a new miracle."

It's an ancient text from, you know, Middle Ages time.

But Ola is a Norwegian composer.

He was born in the '80s, maybe, moved to New York and studied at Julliard, and now he lives in New York and he writes great music for choirs, (laughs) so it's really a nice piece, and they sound great on it.

(slow piano music) ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ (choir singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (slow piano music continues) (choir singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) (choir continues singing in Latin) ♪ Amen ♪ ♪ Amen ♪ (slow piano music continues) ♪ Amen ♪ (no audio) - The second piece they're gonna do is a piece written by Bob Chilcott.

He was a choir boy in England when he was growing up and sang in the King's Singers for a number of years as a tenor.

He's a wonderful performer and a great composer, and his singing career kind of got pushed out by his arranging and composing career.

He started doing more and more for the singers, as this piece was written I think in 1988 or '89 for a CD, but he wrote so well, he started doing that full time.

And this is one of those pieces written for the King's Singers, so it's in six parts, and the kids have a little challenge there, but they're up to it.

♪ The gift we deliver ♪ ♪ The gift we receive ♪ ♪ The gift we deliver ♪ ♪ The gift we receive is the living spirit Mary did conceive ♪ ♪ The royal gift of love, incandescent flame ♪ ♪ Is given to all mankind ♪ ♪ In His name ♪ ♪ Joy, joy ♪ ♪ Joy, it is our true delight ♪ ♪ To give and receive ♪ ♪ To receive on this wondrous night ♪ ♪ A boy child ♪ ♪ To Mary is born and His light will shine ♪ ♪ On beyond the dawn ♪ ♪ The gift we deliver ♪ ♪ The gift we receive ♪ ♪ The gift we deliver, the gift the we receive ♪ ♪ The gift we receive is the living spirit Mary did conceive ♪ ♪ The royal gift of love, incandescent flame ♪ ♪ Is given to all mankind ♪ ♪ In His name ♪ ♪ A boy child to Mary, it is the true delight ♪ ♪ To Mary is born, to give on this wondrous night ♪ ♪ A boy child to Mary, to Mary is born ♪ ♪ To Mary is born, and his light will shine on ♪ ♪ A boy child to Mary, beyond the dawn ♪ ♪ To Mary is born ♪ ♪ A child to Mary born ♪ ♪ Mary born ♪ - For Choral Arts' final set, we start with "Huron Carol."

It's by Sarah Quartel.

She's a Canadian composer.

She started in music ed and taught for a number of years, and like Elaine Hagenberg earlier in the program, her composition career kind of squeezed everything out, and she's now writing for choirs all around the world, has too many commissions to know what to do with.

This piece is a Canadian carol, maybe the oldest Canadian carol, written by one of the saints, St. Jean de Brébeuf, or something like that, who was a missionary to some of the Natives in Ontario, I think it was.

And so he wrote a French carol and borrowed a secular French tune, and now that's been translated into English, and it's a very effective, neat arrangement.

(slow piano music) (slow piano music continues) (slow piano music continues) ♪ Twas in the moon of wintertime ♪ ♪ When all the birds had fled ♪ ♪ That mighty Gitchi Manitou ♪ ♪ Sent angel choirs instead ♪ ♪ Before their light the stars grew dim ♪ ♪ And wandering hunters heard the hymn ♪ ♪ Jesus your King is born ♪ ♪ Jesus is born ♪ ♪ In excelsis gloria ♪ (slow piano music continues) ♪ Within a lodge of broken bark ♪ ♪ The tender babe was found ♪ ♪ A ragged robe of rabbit skin ♪ ♪ Enwrapped his beauty round ♪ ♪ But as the hunter braves drew nigh ♪ ♪ The angel song rang loud and high ♪ ♪ Jesus your King is born ♪ ♪ Jesus is born ♪ ♪ In excelsis gloria ♪ ♪ The earliest moon of wintertime ♪ ♪ Is not so round and fair ♪ ♪ As was the ring of glory ♪ ♪ On the helpless infant there ♪ ♪ And chiefs from far before him knelt ♪ ♪ With gifts of fox and beaver pelt ♪ ♪ Jesus your King is born ♪ ♪ Jesus is born ♪ ♪ In excelsis gloria ♪ (slow piano music continues) ♪ O children of the forest free ♪ ♪ O sons of Manitou ♪ ♪ The Holy Child of Earth and Heaven is born today for you ♪ ♪ Come kneel before the radiant boy ♪ ♪ Who brings you beauty, peace and joy ♪ ♪ Jesus your King is born ♪ ♪ Jesus is born ♪ ♪ In excelsis ♪ ♪ Gloria ♪ (slow piano music continues) (slow piano music continues) - So the next piece is a Christmas favorite.

It's "What Sweeter Music" by John Rutter.

The "What Sweeter Music" text is by Robert Herrick from, like, 1610, I think, and Rutter, who was a boy soprano way back, I know he was in the first Britain War Requiem performance, you know, he just kind of grew up in the choir tradition in England, and he wrote this for the ceremony of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's College in 1987, and it was immediately a success and it's been performed 1,000 times all over the, you know, country every year, I'm sure.

It's just so luscious and beautiful, and the singers love to sing it.

(slow piano music) (slow piano music continues) ♪ What sweeter music can we bring ♪ ♪ Than a carol for to sing ♪ ♪ The birth of this, our Heavenly King ♪ ♪ Awake the voice, awake the string ♪ ♪ Dark and dull night ♪ ♪ Fly hence away ♪ ♪ And give the honor ♪ ♪ To this day ♪ ♪ That sees December ♪ ♪ Turn to May ♪ ♪ That sees December ♪ ♪ Turn to May ♪ ♪ Why does the chilling ♪ ♪ Winter's morn ♪ ♪ Smile like a field ♪ ♪ Beset with corn ♪ ♪ Or smell like a meadow newly shorn ♪ ♪ Thus on the sudden ♪ ♪ Come and see ♪ ♪ The cause why things ♪ ♪ Thus fragrant be ♪ ♪ Tis he is born ♪ ♪ Whose quickening birth ♪ ♪ Gives life and luster ♪ ♪ Public mirth ♪ ♪ To Heaven ♪ ♪ And the under-earth ♪ ♪ We see him come and know him ours ♪ ♪ Who with his sunshine ♪ ♪ And his showers ♪ ♪ Turns all the patient ground to flowers ♪ ♪ Turns all the patient ground to flowers ♪ ♪ The darling of the world is come ♪ ♪ And fit it is, we find a room ♪ ♪ To welcome him ♪ ♪ To welcome him ♪ ♪ The nobler part of all the house ♪ ♪ Here is the heart ♪ ♪ Which we will give him, and bequeath ♪ ♪ This holy and this ivy wreath ♪ ♪ To do him honor, who's our King ♪ ♪ And Lord of all this reveling ♪ (slow piano music continues) ♪ What sweeter music can we bring ♪ ♪ Than a carol ♪ ♪ For to sing ♪ ♪ The birth of this ♪ ♪ Our Heavenly King ♪ ♪ The birth of this ♪ ♪ Our Heavenly ♪ ♪ King ♪ (slow piano music continues) - The close of the Choral Arts set is "A Merry Christmas" by Arthur Warrell.

He's an English composer, born in Somerset, I think, and he wrote this in about 1935.

It's just a very playful and a little bit virtuosic arrangement of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," which only takes about two minutes, but there's a lot of notes in that two minutes.

♪ We wish you a Merry Christmas ♪ ♪ We wish you a Merry Christmas ♪ ♪ We wish you a Merry Christmas ♪ ♪ And a Happy New Year ♪ ♪ Good tidings we bring to you and your kin ♪ ♪ We wish you a Merry Christmas ♪ ♪ And a Happy New Year ♪ ♪ Now, bring us some figgy pudding ♪ ♪ Now, bring us some figgy pudding ♪ ♪ Now, bring us some figgy pudding ♪ ♪ And bring some out here ♪ ♪ Good tidings we bring to you and your kin ♪ ♪ We wish you a Merry Christmas ♪ ♪ And a Happy New Year ♪ ♪ For we all like figgy pudding ♪ ♪ For we all like figgy pudding ♪ ♪ For we all like figgy pudding ♪ ♪ So bring some out here ♪ ♪ Good tidings we bring to you and your kin ♪ ♪ We wish you a Merry Christmas ♪ ♪ And a Happy New Year ♪ ♪ And we won't go until we've got some ♪ ♪ We won't go until we've got some ♪ ♪ And we won't go until we've got some ♪ ♪ So bring some out here ♪ ♪ Good tidings we bring to you and your kin ♪ ♪ We wish you a Merry Christmas ♪ ♪ And a Happy New Year ♪ ♪ A Happy New Year ♪ ♪ We wish you a Merry Christmas ♪ ♪ And a Happy ♪ ♪ New ♪ ♪ Year ♪ - We'll finish our program with bringing the Honors Choirs back, and we'll do a couple of carols, "Away in a Manger."

The audience is encouraged to sing along, and the Choral Arts will do an acapella verse in the middle, and then "Hark the Herald," the Mendelssohn carol, also with the audience singalong, and a little soprano descant, just to make it more festive.

And as usual, we finish with "Stille Nacht" by candlelight.

(slow piano music) ♪ Away in a manger ♪ ♪ No crib for a bed ♪ ♪ The little Lord Jesus ♪ ♪ Laid down his sweet head ♪ ♪ The stars in the sky ♪ ♪ Looked down where he lay ♪ ♪ The little Lord Jesus ♪ ♪ Asleep on the hay ♪ ♪ The cattle are lowing ♪ ♪ The poor baby wakes ♪ ♪ But little Lord Jesus ♪ ♪ No crying he makes ♪ ♪ I love Thee, Lord Jesus ♪ ♪ Look down from the sky ♪ ♪ And stay by my side ♪ ♪ Until morning is nigh ♪ ♪ Be near me, Lord Jesus ♪ ♪ I ask Thee to stay ♪ ♪ Close by me forever ♪ ♪ And love me, I pray ♪ ♪ Bless all the dear children ♪ ♪ In thy tender care ♪ ♪ And take us to Heaven ♪ ♪ To live with Thee there ♪ (no audio) (slow piano music) ♪ Hark the herald angels sing ♪ ♪ Glory to the newborn King ♪ ♪ Peace on Earth and mercy mild ♪ ♪ God and sinners reconciled ♪ ♪ Joyful, all ye nations rise ♪ ♪ Join the triumph of the skies ♪ ♪ With angelic host proclaim ♪ ♪ Christ is born in Bethlehem ♪ ♪ Hark, the herald angels sing ♪ ♪ Glory to the newborn King ♪ ♪ Christ, by highest Heaven adored ♪ ♪ Christ, the everlasting Lord ♪ ♪ Late in time behold him come ♪ ♪ Offspring of the virgin's womb ♪ ♪ Veiled in flesh the Godhead see ♪ ♪ Hail the incarnate Deity ♪ ♪ Pleased in flesh with us to dwell ♪ ♪ Jesus, our Immanuel ♪ ♪ Hark, the herald angels sing ♪ ♪ Glory to the newborn King ♪ ♪ Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace ♪ ♪ Hail the Sun of Righteousness ♪ ♪ Light and life to all he brings ♪ ♪ Risen with healing in his wings ♪ ♪ Mild he lays his glory by ♪ ♪ Born that we no more may die ♪ ♪ Born to raise us from the earth ♪ ♪ Born to give us second birth ♪ ♪ Hark, the herald angels sing ♪ ♪ Glory to the newborn King ♪ (audience applauds) ♪ Silent night ♪ ♪ Holy night ♪ ♪ All is calm ♪ ♪ All is bright ♪ ♪ Round young virgin ♪ ♪ Mother and child ♪ ♪ Holy infant ♪ ♪ So tender and mild ♪ ♪ Sleep in heavenly ♪ ♪ Peace ♪ ♪ Sleep in heavenly ♪ ♪ Peace ♪ - [Announcer] Funding for this program is provided in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.

(slow music)