| I. Cold Winter's Ice Is Fled | Thomas Weelkes, 1575-1623 |
| Cold Winter's Ice Is Fled | Cold winter's ice is fled and gone, and summer brags on every tree;
The redbreast peeps amid the through of woodborn birds that wanton be .... |
| Sing We at Pleasure | Sing we at pleasure, content is our treasure, Fa La.
Sweet love shall keep the ground Whilst we his praises sound; All shepherds in a ring shall sing Fa La. |
| II. Il Bianc'e Dolce Cigno | Jacob Arcadelt, ca. 1505-1568 |
| The white and lovely swan weeps at the end of life as do I.
Those things I have not done die with me, yet I die blessed, filled wtih joy and desire. I shall feel no pain, only content on the day that I die, out of a thousand deaths. | |
| Recorders: Margaret Broughall, Brent Chivers, Ronald Boucher, Stephen Thompson | |
| III. Christ Lag in Todesbanden | Johannes Eccard, 1553-1611 |
| Christ lay in bonds of death, given for our sins.
He has again arisen, and life to us has given. Wherefore we sing praise and thanks, Alleluia. | |
| IV. Christ Lag in Todesbanden; two organ preludes | J. S. Bach, 1685-1750 |
| a) BWV 695 | for manuals only, with the tune in the alto |
| b) BWV 625 | from the Little Organ Book.
The recurring sixteenth-note figure is thought
to symbolize the rolling away of the stone at the entrance to the tomb. |
| V. Kyrie and Gloria | |
| Mass for Five Voices | William Byrd, 1543-1623 |
| Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy. | |
| Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace, good will to men.
We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we glorify Thee.... | |
| VI. Ruhe Sanft | |
| aria from the opera Zaide | W.A. Mozart, 1756-1791 |
| Barbara Alushin, soprano; Sue Dickson, piano | |
| VII. Regina caeli, K. 127 | W.A. Mozart |
| Queen of Heaven, rejoice. Thou wert worthy
to bear the Lord who has risen. Alleluia. | |
| Barbara Alushin, soloist | |
| INTERMISSION | |
| VIII. Jauchzet dem Herrn, alle Welt | Felix Mendelssohn, 1809-1847 |
| Praise the Lord, all ye lands.
Serve the Lord with gladness and come before Him with singing.
He is God our Lord. He has made us, not we ourselves. O go into His gates with thanksgiving. For the Lord is gracious, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endoureth forever. (Psalm 100) | |
| IX. David's Lamentation Easter Anthem |
William Billings, 1746-1800 |
| X. When David Heard that Absalom Was Slain | Thomas Weelkes |
| When David Heard that Absalom Was Slain | When David heard that Absalom was slain he went up
to his chamber over the gate and wept and thus he said: "O my son Absalom, would God I had died for thee." |
| Alleluia! | I heard a voice as of strong thunderings, saying
"Alleluia - Salvation and glory and honor and power be unto the Lord our God and to the Lamb forevermore, alleluia." |
| XI. O Sacred Head | Johann Kuhnau |
| O Sacred Head (chorale prelude) | |
| Tristis est anima mea | My soul is sorrowful unto death; would ye not watch
with me; a crowd surrounds me and I go to be sacrificed. |
| XII. Lob und Ehre und Preis | J. S. Bach |
| The Lamb that was sacrificed is worthy to have might
and riches and wisdom, power, honor and praise. Glory and honor be unto Him forever. Alleluia, Amen. | |
Thomas Weelkes was one of the great English madrigalists, as well as composer of several outstanding works for the Anglican Church service. He served as Organist and Master of the Choristers at Chichester Cathedral.
Johannes Eccard's five-voice setting of Christ Lag is typical of what must be hundreds of late Renaissance and early Baroque settings of German chorale tunes. The tune itself is a German Easter song which predates the Reformation and was modified by Martin Luther for use in the liturgy. It forms the basis of many later compositions, including cantatas and organ chorale preludes.
Bach wrote three organ preludes on Christ Lag, as well as a cantata (#41) consisting of vocal variations on the tune.
Wiliam Byrd remained a Roman Catholic in his native England, while writing prolifically for the new Anglican rite. His Latin motets and Masses are his crowning vocal achievement; and the masses, of which there are only three, considered the finest by any English composer.
Our program includes contrasting settings of two Biblical texts. The lament of King David for his son Absalom appears in a short, rather stark four-voice anthem by the American composer William Bilings, and in the extended six-part sacred madrigal When David Heard by Weelkes. The triumphant verses familiar to most of us as Worthy is the Lamb at the conclusion of Handel's Messiah are here equally impressive compositions by Weelkes (Alleluia - I Heard a Voice) and Bach (Lob und Ehre und Preis).
Johann Kuhnau was Bach's predecessor at St. Thomas' Church in Leipzig, where he was first organist and then Cantor. He composed mainly for harpsichord and four choirs, in a uniquely expressive style.
Sopranos: Hellen Gelband, Norma Meyer, Jane Thomas, Joanne Vesper, Debbie Pieper
Soprano/Alto: Charlotte Bristow
Altos: Margaret Broughall, Robin Costanza, Carol Pierstorff, Enid Rubenstein
Tenors/Alto: Ronald Boucher, Brent Chivers, Louise Lee
Tenors/Bass: Tim Burr, Stephen Thompson
Basses: Rich Gillam, Erven Meyer
Director: Louise Lee
SUE DICKSON, our organ and piano accompanist, holds a Master of Music degree from Southern Illinois University. She has been presented in recital by National City Christian Church and other area churches, has appeared at the Kennedy Center, and frequently accompanies local choral groups. Ms. Dickson is director of music ministries at the Navy Chapel in the Naval Security Station in Washington.
BARBARA ALUSHIN, sporano, has been soloist with the Capitol Hill Choral Society, Philomela, and D.C. al Fine. She was assistant cantor at Temple Shalom in Chevy Chase, Maryland and continues to be a cantorial soloist. Ms. Alushin is a teacher of French and Spanish in the Montgomery County Public Schools.
LOUISE LEE, director, holds a Master of Music from Indiana Universty. She has appeared in area chamber music recitals and has directed the Ad Hoc Sinters for fifteen years. Ms. Lee is organist at Arlington Forest United Methodist Church in ARlington, Virginia.
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