Program
Dr. Stuart Sladden, Artistic Director
Ruth Denton, Assistant Conductor
Charmaine Bacon, Collaborative Pianist
The Dreamers of Dreams
Gwyneth Walker (b. 1947)
From "Ode" by Arthur O'Shaughnessy (1844-1881)
We are the music makers.
We are the dreamers of dreams.
We walk by the lone sea-breakers,
and sit by desolate streams.
Of the world, we have forsaken
the paths where we do not belong.
We choose a road less taken.
We live a life of song.
For we, in the ages lying,
in the buried past of the earth,
built cities with our sighing,
and language with our mirth.
We spoke with prophesying
to the old of the new world’s worth.
Each age is a dream that is dying.
But ours is coming to birth!
We are the music makers!
For we, with our dreaming and singing,
Ceaseless, triumphant we!
The light around us clinging
of the glorious future we see.
Our souls with the music ringing:
O world! it must ever be
that we dwell, in our dreaming and singing,
apart from thee.
We are the music makers!
For we are afar with the dawning
And the suns that are not yet high.
And out of the infinite morning
Intrepid you hear us cry:
We are the music makers!
We are the dreamers of dreams!
We are the movers and shakers
on whom the pale moon gleams.
Songs of Nature (Op. 63)
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
Text by Vítězslav Hálek (1835-1874)
(Translation by F. Black)
1. Melodies fell into my soul
Melodies fell into my soul,
All in a moment, songs came unbidden;
As comes the dew at early morn,
onto the green grassy hills falling.
Dew of my hear, pearls flicker now:
Now I feel young before the sunrise.
I cannot tell if this is joy
or sad and forlorn crying deep in my soul.
But as the moon gives birth to dew,
Songs must come forth from us in joy or sorrow:
From me they flow in happiness
and tears of sadness, and they welcome the day,
As dawn's first light ushers in the morning.
3. In the Rye Fields
In the rye fields,
in the rye fields grain now ripens: "Look at me."
Every blade a fine musician,
Many thousands play for me.
Rustling stalks are silken ballgowns whispering,
as the wind blows, "Dance with me."
Every day the sun gives hugs and kisses
to the meadow: "Shine on me."
Bees and butterflies together
Hear the cornflowers "Come to me."
Chirrups come from beckoning crickets
in the hollows: "Stay with me."
In the rye fields, grain now ripens:
"Look at me."
Every blade a fine musician,
Many thousands play for me.
4. Out of the Woods
Out of the woods the white birch ran,
Like a nanny goes from the herd;
Our of the forest edge she ran,
So say the legends of the Spring.
Out like a bright young thing she burst,
Soft and slim and eager to play;
As through the forest quick she ran,
All Nature shivered with desire.
Legend says Spring comes with a buzz,
As on a shawm or violin;
Sweet smells the air and flowers appear,
A fresh young smile is on the world.
All of the trees now dress in green,
Each putting on their Sunday best;
While branches stir and buds put forth,
Speaking new tongues of the season.
Animals come from near and far,
Birds flock as bidden to a feast;
And when a day or two had passed,
Spring was soon seen in all the world.
Phoebus
Sir Joseph Barnby (1838-1896)
Text by Edwin Ransford (1805-1876)
Phoebus shines in splendour over us,
Let us through the meadows roam;
Nature's face, so bright before us,
Bids us wander from our home.
Woods and groves are all inviting,
Flowerets sweet adorn the ground;
Birds, their cheerful songs reciting,
Charm the lovely scene around.
Phoebus shines in splendour over us,
Let us through the meadows roam;
Nature's face, so bright before us,
Bids us wander from our home.
Fields are perfumed with the sweetness
Rising from the new-mown hay;
Deer, disturbed, bound on with fleetness,
Over hill and dale away.
Trees their giant limbs are spreading,
To afford a cooling shade;
And the scented shrubs are shedding
Sweets throughout the woodland glade.
Phoebus shines in splendour over us,
Let us through the meadows roam;
Nature's face, so bright before us,
Bids us wander from our home.
The Road Not Taken
Randall Thompson (1899-1984)
Text by Robert Frost (1874-1963)
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Earth Song
Frank Ticheli (b. 1958)
Sing, Be, Live, See ...
This dark stormy hour,
The wind, it stirs.
The scorched Earth cries out in vain:
Oh war and power, you blind and blur.
The torn heart cries out in pain.
But music and singing have been my refuge,
And music and singing shall be my light.
A light of song, shining strong:
Alleluia! Alleluia.
Through darkness and pain and strife,
I'll sing, I'll Be, I'll Live, See ...
Peace.
Sure on This Shining Night
Morten Lauridsen (b. 1943)
Text by James Agee (1909-1955)
Sure on this shining night of starmade shadows round,
Kindness must watch for me this side the ground,
on this shining night.
The late year lies down the north, all is healed, all is health.
High summer holds the earth. Hearts all whole.
Sure on this shining night.
I weep for wonder wandering far alone
Of shadows on the stars.
Sure on this shining night.
Ballade to the Moon
Daniel Elder (b. 1986)
On moonlit night I wander free,
my mind to roam on thoughts of thee.
With midnight darkness beckoning
my heart toward mystic fantasy:
Come, dream in me!
How beautiful, this night in June,
And here, upon the velvet dune;
I weep with joy beneath the moon.
The path lies dark before my sight,
And yet, my feet with pure delight
trod onward through the blackened vale,
beneath the starry sky so bright.
O, share thy light!
These woods, their weary wanderer soon
in awe and fearful wonder swoon;
I weep with joy beneath the moon.
And as the darkened hours flee,
my heart beats ever rapidly.
Though heavy hang my eyes with sleep,
my singing soul, it cries to thee:
Come, sing with me!
The twinkling sky casts forth its tune:
O, must I leave thy charms so soon?
I weep with joy beneath the moon.
As Torrents in Summer
Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
from the contata "King Olaf"
Text by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
As torrents in summer,
Half dried in their channels,
Suddenly rise, tho' the sky is still cloudless.
For rain has been falling.
Far off at their fountains;
So hearts that are fainting
Grow full to o'erflowing,
And they that behold it, Marvel, and know not
That God at their fountains
Far off has been raining!
A Gaelic Blessing
Text from a traditional Gaelic blessing
Music by Derek K. Hakes
Peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the shades of night to you
Moon and stars always giving light to you
Deep peace of Love, the Hope of Peace to you.
Ruth Denton, Assistant Conductor
Charmaine Bacon, Collaborative Pianist
The Dreamers of Dreams
Gwyneth Walker (b. 1947)
From "Ode" by Arthur O'Shaughnessy (1844-1881)
We are the music makers.
We are the dreamers of dreams.
We walk by the lone sea-breakers,
and sit by desolate streams.
Of the world, we have forsaken
the paths where we do not belong.
We choose a road less taken.
We live a life of song.
For we, in the ages lying,
in the buried past of the earth,
built cities with our sighing,
and language with our mirth.
We spoke with prophesying
to the old of the new world’s worth.
Each age is a dream that is dying.
But ours is coming to birth!
We are the music makers!
For we, with our dreaming and singing,
Ceaseless, triumphant we!
The light around us clinging
of the glorious future we see.
Our souls with the music ringing:
O world! it must ever be
that we dwell, in our dreaming and singing,
apart from thee.
We are the music makers!
For we are afar with the dawning
And the suns that are not yet high.
And out of the infinite morning
Intrepid you hear us cry:
We are the music makers!
We are the dreamers of dreams!
We are the movers and shakers
on whom the pale moon gleams.
Songs of Nature (Op. 63)
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
Text by Vítězslav Hálek (1835-1874)
(Translation by F. Black)
1. Melodies fell into my soul
Melodies fell into my soul,
All in a moment, songs came unbidden;
As comes the dew at early morn,
onto the green grassy hills falling.
Dew of my hear, pearls flicker now:
Now I feel young before the sunrise.
I cannot tell if this is joy
or sad and forlorn crying deep in my soul.
But as the moon gives birth to dew,
Songs must come forth from us in joy or sorrow:
From me they flow in happiness
and tears of sadness, and they welcome the day,
As dawn's first light ushers in the morning.
3. In the Rye Fields
In the rye fields,
in the rye fields grain now ripens: "Look at me."
Every blade a fine musician,
Many thousands play for me.
Rustling stalks are silken ballgowns whispering,
as the wind blows, "Dance with me."
Every day the sun gives hugs and kisses
to the meadow: "Shine on me."
Bees and butterflies together
Hear the cornflowers "Come to me."
Chirrups come from beckoning crickets
in the hollows: "Stay with me."
In the rye fields, grain now ripens:
"Look at me."
Every blade a fine musician,
Many thousands play for me.
4. Out of the Woods
Out of the woods the white birch ran,
Like a nanny goes from the herd;
Our of the forest edge she ran,
So say the legends of the Spring.
Out like a bright young thing she burst,
Soft and slim and eager to play;
As through the forest quick she ran,
All Nature shivered with desire.
Legend says Spring comes with a buzz,
As on a shawm or violin;
Sweet smells the air and flowers appear,
A fresh young smile is on the world.
All of the trees now dress in green,
Each putting on their Sunday best;
While branches stir and buds put forth,
Speaking new tongues of the season.
Animals come from near and far,
Birds flock as bidden to a feast;
And when a day or two had passed,
Spring was soon seen in all the world.
Phoebus
Sir Joseph Barnby (1838-1896)
Text by Edwin Ransford (1805-1876)
Phoebus shines in splendour over us,
Let us through the meadows roam;
Nature's face, so bright before us,
Bids us wander from our home.
Woods and groves are all inviting,
Flowerets sweet adorn the ground;
Birds, their cheerful songs reciting,
Charm the lovely scene around.
Phoebus shines in splendour over us,
Let us through the meadows roam;
Nature's face, so bright before us,
Bids us wander from our home.
Fields are perfumed with the sweetness
Rising from the new-mown hay;
Deer, disturbed, bound on with fleetness,
Over hill and dale away.
Trees their giant limbs are spreading,
To afford a cooling shade;
And the scented shrubs are shedding
Sweets throughout the woodland glade.
Phoebus shines in splendour over us,
Let us through the meadows roam;
Nature's face, so bright before us,
Bids us wander from our home.
The Road Not Taken
Randall Thompson (1899-1984)
Text by Robert Frost (1874-1963)
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Earth Song
Frank Ticheli (b. 1958)
Sing, Be, Live, See ...
This dark stormy hour,
The wind, it stirs.
The scorched Earth cries out in vain:
Oh war and power, you blind and blur.
The torn heart cries out in pain.
But music and singing have been my refuge,
And music and singing shall be my light.
A light of song, shining strong:
Alleluia! Alleluia.
Through darkness and pain and strife,
I'll sing, I'll Be, I'll Live, See ...
Peace.
Sure on This Shining Night
Morten Lauridsen (b. 1943)
Text by James Agee (1909-1955)
Sure on this shining night of starmade shadows round,
Kindness must watch for me this side the ground,
on this shining night.
The late year lies down the north, all is healed, all is health.
High summer holds the earth. Hearts all whole.
Sure on this shining night.
I weep for wonder wandering far alone
Of shadows on the stars.
Sure on this shining night.
Ballade to the Moon
Daniel Elder (b. 1986)
On moonlit night I wander free,
my mind to roam on thoughts of thee.
With midnight darkness beckoning
my heart toward mystic fantasy:
Come, dream in me!
How beautiful, this night in June,
And here, upon the velvet dune;
I weep with joy beneath the moon.
The path lies dark before my sight,
And yet, my feet with pure delight
trod onward through the blackened vale,
beneath the starry sky so bright.
O, share thy light!
These woods, their weary wanderer soon
in awe and fearful wonder swoon;
I weep with joy beneath the moon.
And as the darkened hours flee,
my heart beats ever rapidly.
Though heavy hang my eyes with sleep,
my singing soul, it cries to thee:
Come, sing with me!
The twinkling sky casts forth its tune:
O, must I leave thy charms so soon?
I weep with joy beneath the moon.
As Torrents in Summer
Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
from the contata "King Olaf"
Text by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
As torrents in summer,
Half dried in their channels,
Suddenly rise, tho' the sky is still cloudless.
For rain has been falling.
Far off at their fountains;
So hearts that are fainting
Grow full to o'erflowing,
And they that behold it, Marvel, and know not
That God at their fountains
Far off has been raining!
A Gaelic Blessing
Text from a traditional Gaelic blessing
Music by Derek K. Hakes
Peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the shades of night to you
Moon and stars always giving light to you
Deep peace of Love, the Hope of Peace to you.
Special Thanks To:
The parish church of St. John Brebeuf and Father Patrick Neufeld
for allowing us use of their wonderful space to both rehearse and perform in.
Another heartfelt thank you to Bethel Mennonite Church for providing a space for this concert.
The parish church of St. John Brebeuf and Father Patrick Neufeld
for allowing us use of their wonderful space to both rehearse and perform in.
Another heartfelt thank you to Bethel Mennonite Church for providing a space for this concert.
Members of the Choir
|
Soprano
Kathleen Bell Marnie Bolland Susan Bond Jill Brandes Joyce Burns Marianne Clipsham Ruth Denton Emma Gehrs-Whyte Beth Helliar Donna Jones Gayle Kolson Michelle Larose-Kuzenko Charlotte Lazaruk Marguerite Massicotte Linda McAllister Helen Peters Diane Prescott Jill Scott Donna Stone Susan Thorpe Lucinda Williams Stevi Wood Trish Wood Janice Yon Debra Young |
Alto
Amanda Anderson Maria Arruda Liz Barker Jewel Casselman Donna Edwards Heather Gerardy Dana Grindean Sarah Hoffman Crystal Hood Kathy Hornshaw Sandie Isaac Judith Kerr Joanne Kusiak Dawn Lazar Susan Leeson Terry Martin Lynne Mitchell-Pedersen Maureen Morrison Jane Nattrass Janis Prochera Julie Schmidt Carole Senchuk Kimberley Slugoski Jenessa Spencer Lesley Summers Suzanne Thille Katherine Woodward |
Tenor
Keith Davies Jones Gordon Hart William Helgason Pamela Jeffrey Mark Raho John Tanner Robin Wiens |
Bass
Neil Arnason Vijay Chalasani Wayne Drury Roy Halstead Brian Hood Johan van Wyk Laurent Vouriot Artistic Director Dr. Stuart Sladden Collaborative Pianist Charmaine Bacon Assistant Conductor Ruth Denton |
Joie de Vivre Community Choir (JDV) was founded in 2002 by Helga Anderson and Ann Lugsden as a program within the Division of Preparatory Studies at the Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music, University of Manitoba. In 2014 JDV established itself as a mainstay in the Winnipeg community choral landscape under the direction of John Tanner and since then the choir has been fortunate to call the Parish of St. John Brebeuf home. In 2018 Dr. Stuart Sladden began his tenure as the choir’s music director and in 2019 our apprentice conductor program was established. Ruth Denton, our Assistant Conductor, joined the artistic team through that program in the fall of 2022. JDV is a non-auditioned community choir that welcomes singers of all experience levels, so if you are interested in joining the choir please do not hesitate to be in touch with us, by speaking with Dr. Sladden or by sending us an email at [email protected]. Thank you so much for joining us today for our Spring 2024 program, In Nature's Realm. We hope you have enjoyed the program as much as we have enjoyed sharing it with you. Stay tuned to our website, joiedevivrechoir.ca, for some exciting announcements about next season!