christmas with the consort

WASHINGTON BACH CONSORT

Christmas with the Consort

J. Reilly Lewis, Music Director


J. REILLY LEWIS, MUSIC DIRECTOR TODD FICKLEY, ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR

ANDREW FOUTS, CONCERTMASTER

2015–2016 SEASON NATIONAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | WASHINGTON, DC

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2015, AT 3:00 PM

CHRISTMAS WITH THE CONSORT J. Reilly Lewis, conductor

Todd Fickley, organ Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her (Chorale), BWV 243a Johann Sebastian Bach Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her, BWV 700 J.S. Bach

Todd Fickley, organ Susanni Grayston Ives Swete was the song the Virgine soong Stephen Caracciolo

Robin Beckman, soprano The holly and the ivy Matthew Owens

Kate Vetter Cain, soprano ~ Kyle Tomlin, tenor O leave your sheep Kenneth Leighton

Nuška Zakrajšek, soprano Fantasia on Adeste Fideles Bruce Neswick

Todd Fickley, organ Little baby born at dark midnight John Bertalot Sussex Carol David Willcocks Lullaby my Jesus Peter Warlock/Andrew Carter A Patre Unigenitus Carl Rütti

Rebecca Kellerman Petretta, soprano ~ Milena Gligic, alto ~ Natalia Kojanova, alto

Intermission

In dulci jubilo (Chorale), BWV 368 J.S. Bach In dulci jubilo, BWV 729 J.S. Bach

Todd Fickley, organ Wassail Carol William Mathias No Small Wonder Paul Edwards Jesus, Jesus, rest your head Paul Halley O mortal man Herbert Howells Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella Keith Chapman

Todd Fickley, organ The Salutation Carol Alan Gibbs Stille Nacht Geoffrey Webber

Suzanne Karpov, soprano ~ Patrick Kilbride, tenor ~ Andrew Sauvageau, baritone The little road to Bethlehem Michael Head Angelus ad virginem Andrew Carter

Chorus

Tenor Nicholas Fichter Patrick Kilbride Kyle Tomlin John R. Wiggins

Soprano Robin Beckman Kate Vetter Cain Suzanne Karpov Rebecca Kellerman Petretta Molly Grace Young Nuška Zakrajšek

Alto Milena Gligic Sarah Davis Issaelkhoury Natalia Kojanova Meghen Tuttle

Bass Scott N. Auby Joshua Brown Mark Duer Andrew Sauvageau Thomas Stork


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The Series at National Presbyterian Church 4101 Nebraska Avenue NW, Washington, DC

MASS APPEAL Sunday, September 20, 2015, 3:00 p.m. A program devoted J. S. Bach's Latin church music

CHRISTMAS WITH THE CONSORT Sunday, December 20, 2015, 3:00 p.m. Choral and organ music to celebrate the holidays

THE LITTLE ORGAN BOOK, PART 2 Sunday, March 13, 2016, 3:00 p.m. The second half of this remarkable collection of musical miniatures

SIMPLY MAGNIFICAT Sunday, April 24, 2016, 3:00 p.m. Four settings of the Magnificat, by Bach and his contemporaries

The Chamber Series First Congregational United Church of Christ 945 G Street NW, Washington, DC

CHIPS OFF THE OLD BACH Friday, November 13, 2015, 7:00 p.m. Instrumental treasures by Bach and sons

SUITE DELIGHTS Friday, February 26, 2016, 7:00 p.m. Music for solo lute, cello, and harpsichord

COFFEE CANTATA Friday, April 8, 2016, 7:00 p.m. A glimpse of the more personal side of Bach

Our 2015-2016 Season

October 6, 2015, 12:10 p.m. Cantata: Christus, der ist mein Leben, BWV 95 Prelude and Fugue in E Minor, BWV 548 J. Reilly Lewis, organ November 3, 2015, 12:10 p.m. Cantata: O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort, BWV 60 Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 541 Joy-Leilani Garbutt, organ December 1, 2015, 12:10 p.m.

Cantata: Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 190 Passacaglia in C Minor, BWV 582 Chuyoung Suter, organ March 1, 2016, 12:10 p.m.

Cantata: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1 Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 547 Jeremy Filsell, organ April 5, 2016, 12:10 p.m. Cantata: Am Abend aber desselbigen Sabbats, BWV 42 Prelude and Fugue in E-flat Major, BWV 552 Victoria Shields, organ May 3, 2016, 12:10 p.m. Cantata: Bringet dem Herrn Ehre seines Namens, BWV 148 Toccata and Fugue in F Major, BWV 540 Todd Fickley, organ

The Noontime Cantata Series Church of the Epiphany 1317 G Street NW, Washington, DC Free admission, no tickets required

The Washington Bach Consort ignites a passion for the music of J.S. Bach and his contemporaries, enriching every life touched by this music through its value and relevance.

CHRISTMAS WITH THE CONSORT

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PROGRAM NOTES

CHORAL INTROIT

Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her, BWV 243a Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)

This choral fantasia is one of the four “Christmas interpolations” Bach inserted in the original (E-flat Major) version

of the Magnificat performed his first Christmas at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig on December 25, 1723. Sopranos sing

the chorale melody as a cantus firmus, while the lower voices imitate the melody in counterpoint fragments. The text

and the tune of this Christmas hymn are attributed to Martin Luther; they were first published in his Geistliche Lieder

printed in Wittenberg in 1535.

Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her. Ich bring euch gute neue Mär, Der guten Mär bring ich so viel, davon ich singn und sagen will.

From heaven above to earth I come To bear good news to every home; Glad tidings of great joy I bring Whereof I now will say and sing.

—Martin Luther (1483-1546), 1535

trans., Catherine Winkworth, Lyra Germanica, 1855

PROCESSION

Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her, BWV 700 J. S. Bach

The Consort enters to the earliest of Bach’s chorale preludes on Vom Himmel hoch, dating to his formative years in

Armstadt. Bach returned again and again to this robust melody that has inspired composers for more than four

centuries. The chorale melody forms the foundation of his set of five Canonic Variations on Vom Himmel hoch BWV

769, which Dr. Lewis performed last Christmas. In addition to three settings of the chorale melody in his Christmas

Oratorio, Bach based no less than five chorale preludes on this melody.

Todd Fickley, organ

Susanni (2011) Grayston Ives, b. 1948

The same Martin Luther hymn tune, Vom Himmel hoch, but with a different text, Vom Himmel hoch, O Engel kommt, is quoted in this setting in both voices and organ. “Susanni” is one of several variant spellings of the German root word “Sauseninne,” meaning “lullaby,” according to the Grimms Wörterbuch of 1635, which cites this Luther text as an exemplar of the word’s usage. The cry “eya” is a derivative of “ei,” the word “eiapopaia” being another word for lullaby. William Ives, writing under the name Grayston Ives, is a singer, conductor, teacher, and composer who began his musical career as a chorister at Ely Cathedral. A former member of The King’s Singers, he was for eighteen years director of the Magdalen College Choir at Oxford.

From heaven high, O angels, come, Come music, song, come pipe & drum, Let every instrument join in, Bring lute and harp and violin,

Send forth your voices louder yet, With organ and with flageolet, How heavenly must the music be, eya, Because a heavenly Child is He,

To men on earth all peace may be, And praise to God eternally, —Martin Luther, Gesangsbuch, 1535

Eya, eya, susanni, susanni, susanmi Alleluia, alleluia, of Jesus sing and Maria.


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Swete was the song the Virgine soong (2001) Stephen Caracciolo, b. 1962

Sung in Middle English pronunciation in a setting that evokes the style of that era, this anonymous Marian text comes

from a seventeenth-century manuscript held in the Library of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Stephen Caracciolo is

assistant professor of voice and conducting at the University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus, and a professional bass

in the Choir of Men and Boys at Washington National Cathedral. Newly appointed artistic director of the Lancaster

(OH) Chorale, he previously founded Bel Canto Singers, a professional chamber choral ensemble in Columbus.

Swete was the song the Virgine soong, When she to Bethlem Juda came And was deliver’d of a Sonne, Who blessed Jesus hath to Name. “Lulla, lullaby, Swete Babe” soong she.

‘My Sonne and eke [also] a Saviour borne, which hath vouchsafed from an high to visitt us that ware forlorne. Lulla, lullaby. “Lulla, lullaby, Swete Babe” soong she And rockt him gently one hir knee.

—William Ballet’s Lute-book, 1642

The holly and the ivy (2011) Traditional English Carol

Matthew Owens, b. 1971

In a conflation of an ancient pagan ritual dance and Christian symbolism, two evergreen rivals—holly (masculine) and

ivy (feminine)—joust for supremacy in the forest. First published in an English broadside of 1710, this folk carol was

collected by Cecil Sharp and published in his English Folk Carols in 1911. This imaginative setting by Matthew Owens,

organist and master of the choristers of Wells Cathedral since 2005, combines dancing cross-rhythms, exuberant

melodic writing, and a sparkling organ part—with a brand new tune.

The holly and the ivy, When they are both full grown; Of all the trees that are in the wood, The holly bears the crown. O the rising of the sun And the running of the deer, The playing of the merry organ, Sweet singing in the choir. The holly bears a blossom As white as any flower; And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ To be our sweet Saviour.

The holly bears a berry As red as any blood; And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ To do poor sinners good. The holly bears a prickle As sharp as any thorn, And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ On Christmas Day in the morn. The holly bears a bark As bitter as any gall, And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ For to redeem us all.

—English broadside, 1710

O leave your sheep (1962) Traditional French Melody Quittez, Pasteurs arr. Kenneth Leighton (1929–1988)

The French noël, Quittez Pasteurs, is clothed here in a tender and expressive arrangement for soprano solo, mixed

chorus, and organ by Kenneth Leighton, whose career as a professor at Leeds, Oxford, and Edinburgh was cut

short by death while in his mid-fifties. A prolific composer of opera, orchestra suites, chamber, and choral music,

Leighton’s choral writing has been characterized as “typically motivic and contrapuntal with rhythmic impetus and

at the same time beautifully lyrical.”


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O leave your sheep, your lambs that follow after, O leave the brook, the pasture and the crook, No longer weep, turn weeping into laughter, O shepherds, seek your goal. Your Lord, Your Lord, who cometh to console.

You’ll find him laid within a simple stable, A babe new born, in poverty forlorn, In love arrayed, a love so deep ‘tis able To search the night for you. ‘Tis he! ‘Tis he! ‘Tis he! the Shepherd true!

O kings so great! a light is streaming o’er you, More radiant far than diadem or star; Forego your state! a baby lies before you Whose wonder shall be told: Bring myrrh, Bring myrhh! Bring frankincense and gold.

—words, Alice Raleigh

Fantasia on Adeste Fideles (1997) Bruce Neswick, b. 1956

This setting of “O Come, All Ye Faithful” opens with a lyrical, jazz-like setting of the tune on a solo flute accompanied

by quiet harmonies reminiscent of Leo Sowerby’s style. The middle section features various phrases of the carol, growing

into a full toccata with double pedal. It subsides into a delicate duet between the carol in the pedals as the piece returns

to the lyrical mood of the opening. Bruce Neswick was founding music director of the Girl Choristers at Washington

National Cathedral and director of music for the St. Albans and National Cathedral schools. He is currently director of

music at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, Oregon.

Todd Fickley, organ

Little baby born at dark midnight (1980) Appalachian Mountain Melody Christopher’s Carol arr. John Bertalot, b. 1931

From 1983 to 1998, John Bertalot led one of the most ambitious Episcopal Church music programs in the United States

as director of music at Trinity Church in Princeton, where he founded the acclaimed Princeton Singers. Bertalot wrote this

simple and expressive carol for the christening of his godson Christopher. Bertalot’s text, a juxtaposition of opposites―

dark and light, kings and bare stable—is set to a traditional Appalachian melody.

Little baby born at dark midnight, Came from God that man may walk in light; Now a star is in the heav’n, and Christ on earth, Christ over us all doth shine. Alleluia.

Loving Father standing there so tall, Blessed Mother and the babe so small; He was made a man that I God’s child might be, Christ overwhelms my heart with love. Alleluia.

Simple shepherds leave their flocks of sheep, For a baby who is fast asleep; Jesus Christ became the Lamb of God for me, And leads me in the pastures green. Alleluia.

Mighty Monarchs offer gifts so rare, To a baby in a stable bare; Jesus Christ became the King of Kings for me, Christ over all the world doth reign. Alleluia.

In a manger made of wood he lies, On a cross all made of wood he dies; For the carpenter will rise and set me free, Christ overcame the grave for me. Alleluia.

I’ll live with him eternally.

Sussex Carol (1998) Traditional English Carol arr. David Willcocks (1919–2015) Sir David Willcocks, whose carol arrangements for organ and brass are synonymous with Christmas, died this past

September at the age of 95. As director of music at King’s College, Cambridge, from 1957 to 1974, he turned its Christmas

Eve live broadcast of A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols into appointment listening for millions around the world. He

served as music director of The Bach Choir of London for thirty-eight seasons. The Sussex Carol takes its name from the

region along the English coast, where Ralph Vaughan Williams first heard the music sung by a Harriet Verrall of Monk’s

Gate, near Horsham, Sussex, and noted it down for use in his Fantasia on Christmas Carols.


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On Christmas night all Christians sing, To hear the news the angels bring— News of great joy, news of great mirth, News of our merciful King’s birth.

Then why should men on earth be so sad, Since our Redeemer made us glad, When from our sin he set us free, All for to gain our liberty?

When sin departs before His grace, Then life and health come in its place; Angels and men with joy may sing, All for to see the new-born King.

All out of darkness we have light, Which made the angels sing this night: ‘Glory to God and peace to men, Now and for evermore. Amen!’

Lullaby my Jesus (1976) Peter Warlock (1894–1930)

From the Capriol Suite arr. Andrew Carter, b. 1939

According to Peter Warlock (the pseudonym of Philip Heseltine), he composed his Capriol Suite in 1926 based on tunes

he found in Thoinot Arbeau’s Orchésographie, a guidebook of Renaissance dances. The Siciliano rhythms of the fifth of its

six movements, “Pieds-en-l’air,” became the inspiration for Andrew Carter’s setting of his own text a half century later.

A native of Leicester, England, Carter read music at Leeds University and sang as a lay clerk for seven years at York

Minster under Francis Jackson. In 1965, he founded the mixed-voice Chapter House Choir at York Minster, which rose

to national prominence during his seventeen years as the choir’s conductor. In 1984, he returned to York and is today

the in-house composer for Oxford University Press.

Lullaby my Jesus, Lullaby my king. Lullaby my lording whom I sweetly sing. Slumber softly, slumber on your mother’s arm; She will rock you, she will keep you safe from harm.

Lullaby my Jesus, lullaby my son. Lullaby my child in whom God’s will is done. Be at peace, soft dreams beguile you as you lie; I will rock you, I will sing a lullaby: Lalulla, Lullaby.

—text, Andrew Carter

A Patre Unigenitus (2010) Carl Rütti, b. 1949

This fifteenth-century text for the Feast of the Epiphany honors the visit of the Magi and has been adapted and

translated by Hugh Keyte and Andrew Parrott. As with In dulci jubilo, this is a “macaronic” text. The original Latin was

an “abecedarian hymn, ” in which each verse began with sequential letters of the alphabet. This setting is by Swiss

composer Carl Rütti, who teaches at the Zürich Conservatoire. His fascination with the English choral tradition has

inspired him to write for a cappella choirs. His compositions have been performed numerous times as part of the Choir

of King’s College’s Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.

A Patre Unigenitus [The only-begotten of the Father] Is through a maiden come to us: Sing we of him and say ‘Welcome! Veni redemptor gencium. Eya! [Come, Redeemer of the Nations]

Agnoscat omne speculum [Let every age perceive (that)] A bright star made three kings to come Him for to seek with their presents, Verbum supernum prodiens. Eya! [The high Word forthcoming]

A solis ortus cardine [From the rising of the sun] So mighty a Lord is None as he, And to our kind he hath him knit, Adam parens quod polluit. [Which our father Adam defiled]

Make we joy now in this Fest In quo Christus natus est. Eya! [In which Christ is born]

Maria ventre concepit, [Mary conceived in her womb] The Holy Ghost was aye her with. Of her in Bethl’em born he is, Consors Paterni luminis. Eya! [Sharing in the light of his Father]

O Lux beata Trinitas! [O Light of the Holy Trinity] He lay between an ox and ass, Beside His mother maiden free: Gloria tibi, Domine! [Gloria to Thee, O Lord!]

—anon. fifteenth-century words and tune, Bodleian Library (Seldon MS.) adapt. and trans. by H. Keyte and A. Parrott


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In ducli jubilo (Chorale), BWV 368 J. S. Bach

In dulci jubilo is one of the earliest and best-known Christmas songs. According to a fourteenth-century German

manuscript in Leipzig University, this joyous carol was sung to a Dominican monk by angels who visited him in his

sufferings. Martin Luther included the tune in his Geistliche Lieder of 1535. It subsequently appeared in Michael Vehe’s

Gesangbuchlin of 1537 and in Piae Cantiones, a Finnish collection of sacred and secular medieval songs published in 1582.

In dulci jubilo is a prime example of a “macaronic,” or mixed language, text. Latin, the language of the Church, was

frequently interpolated in carols sung in the vernacular upper German dialect.

In dulci jubilo In quiet joy, Nun singet und seid froh! Now sing and be glad! Unsers Herzens Wonne Our hearts’ desire leit in praesepio, Lies in a manger, und leuchtet als die Sonne And shines like the sun Matris in gremio in His mother’s bosom. Alpha es et O, You are Alpha and Omega, Alpha es et O! You are Alpha and Omega.

—Martin Luther, Geistliche Lieder, 1535

In dulci jubilo, BWV 729 J. S. Bach

A young Sebastian Bach wrote this setting as one of seven “Arnstadt congregational chorales,” so called because of their

alleged association with his reprove by the Arnstadt Consistory on February 21, 1706, “for having hitherto made many

curious variations in the chorales and mingled many strange notes in them, with the result that the congregation has been

confused.” Shortly thereafter, Bach decamped to Weimar. Since 1938, BWV 729 has been played each year as the first

organ voluntary at the close of the BBC’s live broadcast of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King’s College,

Cambridge.

Todd Fickley, organ

Wassail Carol, op. 26, no. 1 (1965) William Mathias (1934–1992)

The music of Welsh-born and Wales-identified composer William Mathias, who died at age 57, has been described as

“civilized modernism, sophisticated but free of exhibitionistic affectation, optimistically tonal but occasionally somber,

brilliantly idiomatic in instrumentation, and unequivocally populist in its euphonious appeal.” It has been remarked that

“this serene carol bears the hallmarks of Mathias’s unmistakable craftsmanship, such is the seamless contrast between

the chromatic opening material and the rich tonal harmonies of the sustained lullaby sections.”

Wassail, sing we in worship of Christ’s nativity

Now joy be to the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. That one God is in Trinity, Father of heaven, of mightès most.

And joy to the virgin pure That ever kept her undefiled, Grounded in grace, in heart full sure, And bare a child as maiden mild.

Bethlehem and the star so shen, That shone three kingès for to guide, Bear witness of this maiden clean; The kingès three offered that tide.

And shepherd heard, as written is, The joyful song that there was sung: Gloria in excelsis! With angel's voice it was out rung.

Now joy be to the blessedful child, And joy be to his mother dear; Joy we all of that maiden mild, And joy have they that make

good cheer.

—anonymous, sixteenth century Balliol College, Oxford, MS, 354, printed in The Early English Carols (Greene)


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No Small Wonder, op. 204 (1983) Paul Edwards, b. 1955

“I well remember Friday 18th November 1983, when the morning post brought Paul [Wigmore’s] text beginning,

‘Small wonder the star,’” recalls Paul Edwards. “I was on my way to the nearby ‘Washeteria’, so I took the verses and

some manuscript paper with me to while away an idle hour. And so it was that ‘No Small Wonder’ came into being.”

A prolific composer from Bedfordshire, Edwards began his career as a chorister at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London.

Small wonder the star, small wonder the light, the angels in chorus, the shepherds in fright; but stable and manger for God - no small wonder!

Small wonder the kings, small wonder they bore the gold and the incense, the myrrh to adore; but God gives his life on a cross - no small wonder!

Small wonder the love, small wonder the grace, the power, the glory, the light of his face; but all to redeem my poor heart - no small wonder!

—Words, Paul Wigmore (1925-2014)

Jesus, Jesus, rest your head (1998) Southern Appalachian Melody arr. Paul Halley, b. 1952

This unaccompanied eight-part arrangement of the traditional Appalachian Christmas carol simply and poignantly

describes the humbleness of Jesus’s birth. Composer Paul Halley, former director of music at St. John the Divine in

New York City, was for eighteen years principal composer and keyboardist of the Paul Winter Consort. Today, he is

director of chapel music at the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Kentucky folklorist John Jacob

Niles (1892-1980) collected this song in Hardin County, Kentucky, in the early twentieth century.

Jesus, Jesus, rest your head, You have got a manger bed. All the evil folk on earth Sleep in feathers at their birth. Jesus, Jesus, rest your head, You have got a manger bed.

Have you heard about our Jesus? Have you heard about his fate? How his mother went to that stable On that Christmas eve so late? Winds were blowing, cows were lowing, Stars were glowing, glowing, glowing.

To that manger came the wise men, Bringing things from hin and yon For the mother and the father

And that blessed little son; Milkmaids left their fields and flocks And sat beside the ass and ox. - —Southern Appalachian Folksong

O mortal man (early 20th c.) Traditional English Melody

Sussex Mummers’ Carol arr. Herbert Howells (1892–1983)

This traditional tune is arranged by Herbert Howells, one of the leading figures of twentieth-century British music.

This piece “remained unperformed until 1994,” according to Stephen Farr, conductor of the Choir of Worcester

College, Oxford, “when it was premiered by the choir of St. Paul’s Cathedral under the direction of John Scott. The

two manuscripts of the piece, discovered in the library of the Royal College of Music where Howells was a student and

later a teacher, are undated, but certain stylistic features suggest it is an early work. The two texted verses, which invite

the listener to contemplate aspects of the Passion, as well as the Nativity of Christ, are separated by a wordless a cappella

harmonization of the melody.”

O mortal man, remember well When Christ our Lord was born, He was crucified between two thieves, And crownéd with the thorn.

God Bless the master of this house, With happiness beside; Where e’er his body rides or walks, Lord Jesus be his guide. —Collected by Lucy Broadwood in

English Traditional Songs and Carols, 1908


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Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella (1976) arr. Keith Chapman (1945–1989)

This is one of many Provençal carols sung in torchlight processions on Christmas Eve as children, often dressed as

shepherds, walk to Midnight Mass carrying torches. This rollicking twentieth-century organ arrangement was made by

Keith Chapman, the virtuoso organist who presided for twenty-three years over the largest operational pipe organ in the

world, housed at Philadelphia’s famed John Wanamaker store. His premature death was a great loss to music.

Todd Fickley, organ

The Salutation Carol (1960) Fifteenth-century Carol

arr. Alan Gibbs, b. 1932 Alan Gibbs studied organ at Durham University. After National Service, he entered into a three-decade teaching career as

music director at Archbishop Tenison’s School, located in the London Borough of Lambeth and founded in 1685 by the

future Archbishop of Canterbury. Gibbs’s lively a cappella arrangement (made in 1960 for his Grammar School Choir)

expresses the mystical nature of the Angel Gabriel’s visit to the Virgin Mary by giving to the sopranos the words recorded

in the fifteenth-century text, while the lower voices hum or join in the jaunty syncopated refrain.

Nowell! Nowell! Nowell! Nowell!

This is the salutation of the angel Gabriel.

Tidings true there be come new, Sent from the Trinity By Gabriel to Nazareth, City of Galilee. “A clean maiden, a pure virgin, By her humility Shall now conceive the Person Second in Deity.” When that he presented was Before her fair visage, In most demure and goodly wise He did to her homage; And said, “Lady, from heaven so high, That Lordés heritáge, For he of thee now born will be; I’m sent on his message.

“Hail, virgin celestial, The meek’st that ever was! Hail, temple of the Deity! Hail, mirror of all grace! Hail, virgin pure! I thee ensure, Within a little space Thou shalt conceive, and him receive, That shall bring great solace.” Then bespake the maid again And answered womanly,

“Whate’er my Lord commandeth me I will obey truly.” With “Ecce sum humillima Ancilla Domini; Secundum verbum tuum.” She said, “Fiat mihi.”

—Bodleian Library. MS. Arch. Selden B. 26. XV Century

Stille Nacht (1989) Franz Xaver Gruber (1787-1863) arr. Geoffrey Webber, b.1959 This luscious arrangement of the beloved Austrian carol has cameo appearances for tenor and bass soloists and a more extensive role for the soprano soloist. Educated at Oxford University, Dr. Geoffrey Webber served as organ scholar at New College until his appointment as University Organist at Magdalen College. He has been Precentor at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, since 1989, where he directs the Caius College Choir. Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht! Alles schläft, einsam wacht Nur das traute, hochheilige Paar. Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar, Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh’. Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright. Round yon virgin, mother and child, Holy infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace.

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht! Hirten erst kund gemacht Durch der Engel Halleluja, Tönt es laut von fern und nah: Christ, der Retter ist da! Silent night, holy night, Shepherds quake at the sight, Glories stream from heaven afar, Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia, Christ the Saviour is born!

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht! Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht Lieb’ aus deinem göttlichen Mund, Da uns schlägt die rettende Stund’. Christ, in deiner Geburt! Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love’s pure light, Radiant beams from thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord at thy birth.

—Franz Mohr (1792–1848)


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The little road to Bethlehem (1945) Michael Head (1900–1976)

A quality of reflective intimacy pervades The little road to Bethlehem, the best known of Michael Head’s choral works. A

sheep-bell figures prominently in Margaret Rose’s text, said to have been inspired by the sight of the lambs in the fields

at sunset in North Weald, Essex. Michael Head was pianoforte professor at the Royal Academy from 1927 until his

retirement in 1975. Throughout the London Blitz, Head continued teaching in London and gave hundreds of concerts

in factories and in small towns. As I walked down the road at set of sun, Across the air the silver sheep-bell rang. The lambs were coming homeward one by one. “The lambs are coming home,” sweet Mary sang. I heard a sheep-bell softly calling them, “Your Star of gold is shining in the sky. Along the little road to Bethlehem. So sleep, my little King, go lullaby.”

Beside an open door, as I drew nigh, As I walked down the road at set of sun, I heard sweet Mary sing a lullaby. The lambs were coming homeward one by one. She sang about the lambs at close of day, I heard a sheep-bell softly calling them, And rocked her tiny King among the hay. Along the little road to Bethlehem.

—text, Margaret Rose, c. 1936

Angelus ad virginem (1981) arr. Andrew Carter, b. 1938

Devotion to the Virgin Mary was particularly strong in the Middle Ages. Angelus ad Virginem is a fourteenth-century Latin

carol of the Annunciation, believed to be Franciscan in origin, which appears in a Dublin missal. It is mentioned in “The

Miller’s Tale,” the second of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, as sung by Nicholas, the Clerk of Oxenford: “And all above ther

lay a gay sautre (psaltery)/On which he made anightes melodye /So swetely that all the chamber rang/ And Angelus ad

virginem he sang.”

Angelus ad virginem The angel, coming secretly Ad haec virgo nobilis To these words the noble maiden, Subintrans in conclave to the Virgin’s room, Respondens inquit ei: replying, said to him, Virginis formidinem calming the Virgin’s fears, “Ancilla sum humilis “I am the humble handmaiden Demulcens inquit, “Ave, “Ave.” said, “Hail! Omnipotentis Dei. of the all-powerful God. Ave! regina virginum, Hail, Queen of Maidens! Tibi coelesti nuntio, By your heavenly announcement Coeli terraeque Dominum The Lord of Heaven and Earth Tanti secreti conscio, I am made aware of great secrets; Concipies you shall conceive, Consentiens I am in agreement Et paries Intacta, and give birth, still a maiden, Et cupiens Videre and I desire to see Salutem hominum: to the Salvation of mankind; Factum quod audio; done the things of which I hear. Tu porta coeli facta, you, made the Gateway of Heaven, Parata sum parere. I am ready to give birth Medela criminum.” the remedy for sins.” Dei consilio.” according to God’s will.” “Quomodo conciperem “In what way shall I conceive, Eia mater Domini, “O Mother of the Lord, Quae virum non cognovi? who have not known a man? Quae pacem reddidisti who has given back peace Qualiter infringerem How shall I break that which Angelis et homini, to the angels and mankind Quod firma mente vovi?” I vowed with constant mind?” Cum Christum genuisti; when you bore Christ, Spiritus Sancti gratia The grace of the Holy Ghost Tuum exora filium. pray to your Son that he Perficiet haec omnia; will do all this; Ut se nobis propitium show himself Ne timeas, don’t be afraid Exhibeat, to be gracious to us, sed gaudeas, Secura, but be pleased and safe, Et deleat Peccata; and that he cancel our sins Quod castimonia for chastity Praestans auxilium granting refuge, Manebit in te pura will remain in you, pure Vita frui beata for the enjoyment of felicity, Dei potentia.” by the power of God.” Post hoc exilium. after this exile.

—Franciscan origin, 13th-century Harley MS, British Library

Program Notes by Margaret Shannon © 2015.


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Meet the Artists

Todd Fickley is the assistant conductor and keyboard artist of the Washington Bach Consort. In addition, he is the associate music director and chorus master of the Cathedral Choral Society, assistant director and keyboard artist for The Choralis Foundation, and the organist of The Falls Church Anglican in Falls Church, Virginia A native Washingtonian, Mr. Fickley began his organ studies at the Washington National Cathedral under Bruce Neswick. He spent years teaching and preparing choirs of all ages using the Royal School of Church Music system for performances of repertoire such as Bach’s Passions and Cantatas, Handel’s Messiah, and annual Nine Lessons and Carols programs.

At the age of 23, Mr. Fickley was made a Fellow of the American Guild of Organists (AGO). He also holds the AGO Choirmaster Diploma as well as the M.A. in Organ Performance with High Distinction from the University of Wales. A prize-winning organist, Mr. Fickley has been featured numerous times on NPR and PRI and has performed and conducted across the United States, Israel, and Europe. In 2014 he launched “The Bach Project.” a cycle of concerts performing and recording all of Bach’s organ works, the first time in almost a quarter of a century that such a project has been undertaken in the DC area. Two volumes of this cycle have been released on the MSR Classics label and the first was praised in Fanfare Magazine as “some of the most enthralling Bach organ playing you are likely to hear anywhere by anyone”. Mr. Fickley is frequently seen as conductor, soloist, accompanist and speaker in the Washington DC metro area. He is an officer in the Order of St. John. www.toddfickley.com

J. Reilly Lewis has served as the music director of the Washington Bach Consort since founding it in 1977. He was raised in Washington and studied at Oberlin Conservatory and The Juilliard School of Music. While at Oberlin, Dr. Lewis was the youngest contestant ever to win the prestigious National Organ Playing Competition. His teachers have included Nadia Boulanger, Anthony Newman and Albert Fuller. As a Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Lewis spent a year in Germany studying the music of Johann Sebastian Bach with Helmut Walcha. He is recognized internationally as an accomplished conductor and keyboard artist as well as a leading specialist of baroque music, particularly the music of J. S. Bach.

Dr. Lewis has served as organist and choirmaster at Clarendon United Methodist Church in Arlington, Virginia, since 1971 where, in addition to leading the well-established adult choir, he also developed an outstanding youth music program, both chorally and instrumentally. In 1985, he was appointed music director of the Washington Cathedral Choral Society. As a keyboard artist, Dr. Lewis has been very active both in the United States and abroad. Over the years, Dr. Lewis has performed with virtually all of this area’s distinguished choruses and orchestras as well as in prominent chamber ensembles. His performing and conducting career has included appearances with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Handel Festival in Halle, the International Bach Festival in Leipzig, the Aspen Music Festival, the Cologne New Music Festival, and the Mozart Festival in New York and Washington. He made his National Symphony Orchestra debut in December 2002 guest conducting Handel’s Messiah at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Dr. Lewis has received many honors and awards including the Paul Hume Award, presented by the Levine School of Music, for outstanding commitment to enriching the cultural life of Washington. His active work with children and youth includes the education and outreach programs of both the Washington Bach Consort and the Cathedral Choral Society. In April 2004, Dr. Lewis received the Distinguished Washingtonian Award presented by the University Club of Washington, DC, in honor of its centennial. Washingtonian magazine named Dr. Lewis as a 2005 Washingtonian of the Year. Dr. Lewis has also received many other awards recognizing and honoring his commitment to and excellence in the arts, including a Cultural Leadership Citation from Yale University and an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Virginia Theological Seminary.

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WASHINGTON BACH CONSORT artistry - tradition - magnificence

The Washington Bach Consort wishes to thank its generous donors. This list represents gifts made between December 1, 2014, and December 10, 2015.

If you notice an error in your listing, please accept our apologies and contact us at 202.429.2121 during business hours so we may correct it.

T. Michael & Erna Kerst David A. Klaus, in Memory of Margaret Anthon Dr. William M. Leach David & Becky Legge Dr. & Mrs. Wayne J. Lehrer Rosemary Monagan Drs. Doreen Moreira & Marc Schlosberg Robert & Beatrice Newkirk QVC, Inc. Mark & Jean Raabe William D. & Annette D. Reilly Mr. & Mrs. Peter D. Robinson Margaret Shannon Joy Fowler Spragens RDML Robert J. Steele (USN, Ret.) Lynn Trundle Mr. Hans N. Tuch

BENEFACTORS $350 TO $749 Ann Stuart Anderson & Nina Haramis Anderson, in Honor of the 91st Birthday of Rev. Father Alister Anderson Anonymous Judith Barnett Patricia Bauman Janet Bickel Mary Ellen Bork N. Prentice Bowsher & Sally Steenland Geraldine Carr James Chin Douglas Cochrane Dr. Rafael J. Convit William Craven Stanley & Ann Degler Susan Dillon Joyce & Barry Eisenstein Joe Francis Marilyn Wong Gleysteen Margaret Gonglewski & John Heins C. Boyden Gray Karen L. Handorf Rebecca G. Hayes The Katherine Lindsay Howell Fund David Hoover & Bill Roberts Robert E. Jamroz & Jordan L. Morgenstern Anna Karavangelos Norris & Miriam Keeler David & Anne Kendall Robert Kessler & Swanee Busic Willard & Carolyn Larkin

Kendrick R. Lee David Miller Nancy & Herb Milstein Jeffrey Mora & Wendy Fuller-Mora William B. Munier, MD Carolyn Nagler Ms. Julia O'Brien John Odling-Smee Yoshie Ogawa Barbara Negri Opper Frances Pratt Mr. Corey Ramsden Raymond P. Rhinehart James E. Rich Liz Savage Carol M. Sikkelee Guy T. Steuart II Mr. & Mrs. Viguen Ter-Minassian Heike Terrell United Way of the National Capital Area Carmela Veneroso Stephen & Diana Watkins Carleen Dixon Webb Dorothy B. Wexler Anita L. Woehler Gretchen Young

SUPPORTERS $200 TO $349 Eric P. Andersen & W. David Young II Larry & Sue Anderson Anonymous Jean Bedenbaugh Irene Berns Kathleen A. Brion Margarita Brose William and Michelle Patrick Bukowski Michael F. Butler Antonio Cardona, in Honor of Charles Reifel Karen C. Coe Alan F. Coffey & Janet S. Potts Clark Conkling Albert & Nancy Currier Alison Drucker & Tom Holzman Jan Dugoff Marc Eisenberg Elise R. Fisher Tom & Margaret Greene William & Margaret Greer Julia Habrecht Nancy Hardy

ANGELS $15,000 AND ABOVE Arcana Foundation AT&T Betty J. Beard Robert Beizer The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Mr. & Mrs. David P. Condit DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities Chris & Susan DeMuth Tamera Luzzatto & David Leiter The Millstream Fund in Honor of John D. Rockefeller The National Endowment for the Arts The Estate of Cecil S. Richardson The Honorable & Mrs. John D. Rockefeller IV

BACH SOCIETY $7,500 TO $14,999 L. Brent & Norma Bozell Clark-Winchcole Foundation The Estate of Gertrude Delfino Jill Kent & Mark Solomons Charles Reifel & Janie Kinney Billy Rose Foundation Christine Stelloh-Garner Isabel T. Wallop Stephen C. Wright

CONDUCTOR’S CIRCLE $5,000 TO $7,499 Elizabeth Carl & Victoria Hill The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region Shannon & Jim Davis Lynne & Joe Horning Girl Reporter Fund Mary and Daniel Loughran Foundation Hope P. McGowan Pew Charitable Trusts Employee Matching Gift Program Mr. & Mrs. William T. Semple Catherine Ann Stevens US Cellular Mr. & Mrs. John D. Van Wagoner Sally Wells

DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE $2,500 TO $4,999 Admiral & Mrs. Charles Abbot Anonymous Scott N. Auby & Jill R. Newman

Richard & Beth Ayres Dallas Morse Coors Foundation Davis Construction Deutsche Telekom, Inc. Stephenie Foster Glen S. Fukushima Mary Ann L. Gardner Mr. & Mrs. Charles L. Kinney Alan J. Kriegel Laura Linderman Dr. Brian R. McNeill & Kathryn McKenzie Christopher & Allison Putala Siemens Corporation Arina van Breda Mrs. Beatrix von Hoffmann Walt Disney Company Elizabeth K. Weisburger, Ph.D. Reinhard Wieck John C. Wohlstetter

ARTISTS’ CIRCLE $1,250 TO $2,499 Jon Adelstein Donald Baker & Nina McLemore Amy Berger & Glen Nager Howard Brown C. John & Janet C. Buresh Joan Challinor Nancy M. Folger The Honorable & Mrs. Paul M. Homan Captain & Mrs. Don P. Johnson Edward Killham Mary Elizabeth Lewis Thomas G. MacCracken Dr. Lee Monsein Bradley J. & Martha A. Olson Lilian M. Penna David Post & Nancy Birdsall Alfred S. Regnery Donald & Lydia Rice Mr. & Mrs. Hank Schlosberg Mr. & Mrs. McKim Symington

PATRONS $750 TO $1,249 Herschel Abbott Sandra M. Baer Catherine H. Beauchamp Mary Martha Churchman David Edminster Ted Hirt Michael Horowitz & Devra Marcus

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Judith M. Harper Lindy Hart Mr. & Mrs. Louis Hering Frederick S. Hird Erika Joyce Mr. & Mrs. Louis E. Kahn Janie Kinney, in Honor of Charles Reifel Peter Koltay & Rosemary Hogan Cathy & Mark Knepper Dominique Lallement Mr. David W. Lankford Steve & Rosalie Learned Ray & Eleanor Lewis Justin & Stephanie Lilley Kenneth Lowenberg Frances M. Lussier Verna Joy Macdonald Hanna H. Marks Jean Matthews Leilane G. Mehler Dan Moore Sondra Myers Mark & Martha Orling Alec Orudjev Mr. & Mrs. Robert E. Park Laurence Pearl Lawrence A. Plumlee Lindsay Reifel, in Honor of Charles Reifel David Pozorski & Anna Romanski Larry & Eva Ravitz Renaissance Charitable Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Fred T. Richards Jr Jo Ellen & Mark Roseman Mr & Mrs. Doug Rumble In Honor of Liz Savage Madeleine & James Schaller Mrs. Patricia R. Schettino Gregory Schoepfle Schwab Charitable Fund Kathryn Seddon Daniel B. Silver Thomas M. Sneeringer Ilse Stauffer Barbara Steingaszner Mr. & Mrs. Roger Stone, in Memory of Kathleen Warner Pierre & Claire Wagner

FRIENDS $100 TO $199 Dr. Stephen Ackert Eleanor Adams Alister & Ann Anderson Anonymous Livia & David Bardin Bob & Peggy Barry Panagiota Batsakis Jeffrey D. Bauman Michael & Elizabeth Biernoff Dwayne Blair Mr. Thomas Bleha Inga C. Blust James Bromley Janet & Norman Brown Michael Calingaert Toni Carey Ms. Susan F. Carter Tim & Glenda Christenson

Mr. David A. Churchill Claudia Copeland Mr. & Mrs. Frank Correl Marcia P. Crandall Dimitri Darras Jolly de Give Mary Ann Dickie Sharrill Dittmann Sally Katzen Dyk Nicolas Eberstadt Murray Eisenberg Emerson & Joyce Elliott Mr. & Mrs. Richard Fidler Dr. & Mrs. Dennis Fitzgerald Mr. & Mrs. Karl Flicker Mary Foster Gary & Linda Glick Susan Grad Susan Grosser Jon Haber & Bonnie Levin Hannah Hall Robert Hanrott & Martha Horsley David R. Hearn Patricia Hevner Eric Hirschhorn Marjorie Hobart Thomas M. Hollenhorst Patricia H. Horan Joshua Horwitz & Ericka Markman John Howe Richard Hunt Mary K. Huntington Edward Hurwitz Gabriel Paul Johnson Dennis Kaspar John Keck Hans Keithley Grace Kent Ms. Veronique Kessler David Keto Pamela King Richard Koretz Dale & Joanne Krumveide Ms. Faye Laing Ms. Janice Lockard Mrs. Sieglinde B. Lord Thomas Lott Frank & Dale Loy Nancy & Alan Mandel M. Lynne Martin Mark Mattucci Edward & Tessa McBride Susan McCloskey Patrick McDermott Mr. David R. McGown Kathleen Meagher, in the Name of Marc Eisenberg Theodore Myer Reverend & Mrs. Bernard F. Nass George Newman & Barbara Fairchild David Ogilvie & Louisa Woodville Mark W. Ohnmacht, in Honor of Ren Stelloh Mr. & Mrs. David Osnos Ellen & Ed Passman Elizabeth Peterson Dr. & Mrs. Stephen Peterson Patricia Pickard

Susannah Prindle Mr. & Mrs. Lloyd Randolph Elizabeth W. Ratigan Noel Reifel, in Honor of Charles Reifel Mark Reifel, in Honor of Charles Reifel Evelyn & Frederick Rooney Peter & Anne Sandlund Ann Imlah Schneider Ms. Eleanor Schreiber Alan Schwartz David Seidman & Ruth Greenstein Donald Shapero Marlene Shaul John & Linda Sibert Anne Soens Irene Solet Milford Sprecher Thomas Stanley L. Bradley Stanford Inge Steiner Mr. & Mrs. Philip M. Teigen Leslie Tentler

Roy & Carol Thomas Mr. & Mrs. Charles F. Trunk, III Jane Udelson United Way of Greater Philadelphia & Southern New Jersey Frederik van Bolhuis David Wallace Marilyn Wandrus In Memory of Kathleen Warner— the Ascher Kalb Family Drs. Richard & Elisabeth Waugaman Anne & Ernest Weissenborn George Whitley & Candace Ballard Elsa Williams Dr. Katherine J. Williams David & Theolyn Wilson The Winkler Family, in Honor of Ren & Bee Stelloh Edith C. Wolff Ms. Patricia Woods Mr. & Mrs. Stephen W. Worrel S. Zilliacus

The Washington Bach Consort honors the members of the

1685 Society GIVING BACH TO THE FUTURE

L. Brent & Norma Bozell Mr. & Mrs. David P. Condit

Shannon & Jim Davis Jill E. Kent & Mark E. Solomons

Dr. & Mrs. J. Reilly Lewis Mary Elizabeth Lewis

Tamera Luzzatto & David Leiter Dr. Brian R. McNeill & Kathryn McKenzie

Michael Ochs Laura E. Phillips*

Charles Reifel & Janie Kinney William T. & Sally Semple

Isabel T. Wallop Sally Wells

Stephen C. Wright

*in memoriam

By making the Washington Bach Consort a beneficiary of your estate, you will support the artistic and education programs of the Consort for years to come. Create a lasting legacy to the Consort and ensure that future generations will continue to enjoy the music of J.S. Bach here in our nation’s capital. Contact us for more information.

Ritornello Society “A term, diminutive of the Italian ritorno (‘return’)

signifying a ‘little return’ of a short recurring passage.” —The New Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians Join the Ritornello Society by pledging to make a monthly gift of $10 or more. Call the Bach Consort office or visit BachConsort.org to set up a monthly giving plan.

Institutional Partners This program is brought to you in part by these generous sponsors.

Our Mission

The Washington Bach Consort is a professional choral and orchestral ensemble based in Washington, DC that is committed to ensuring that current and future audiences experience the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries, by:

performing the music of Bach and his contemporaries to the highest artistic standards,

sharing the joy of Bach’s music by broadening audiences in the nation’s capital,

nurturing the appreciation of Bach’s music through education and community outreach activities, and

interpreting the music of Bach for audiences of today, thereby ensuring his legacy.

Washington Bach Consort Board of Directors Tamera Luzzatto, President

Stephen Wright, Vice President

Charles Reifel, Treasurer

David Condit, Secretary

Herschel Abbott, Jr.

Richard Ayres

Sandra Baer

L. Brent Bozell III

Shannon Davis

Melvin Dubee

Glen S. Fukushima

Jill Kent

Charles Kinney

Mary Elizabeth Lewis

Doreen Moreira, MD

Christopher Putala

Alfred Regnery

The Honorable John D. Rockefeller IV

Joy Spragens

Catherine Ann Stevens

Reinhard Wieck

John Wohlstetter

Staff

J. Reilly Lewis, Founder & Music Director

Marc Eisenberg, Executive Director

Janey Moskowitz, External Affairs Manager

Carolyn Purcell, Patron Services Manager

Carolyn Davies, Operations Manager

Jared Chamoff, Administrative Assistant

Adam Jackson, Assistant to Dr. Lewis

Giving Bach

Throughout its history The Washington Bach Consort has made music education programs and audience outreach activities central to its mission. Its Giving Bach to the Community initiatives have offered a range of free or low-cost educational and enrichment activities to residents of the greater Washington DC area. Designed to bring the mastery of Bach’s music as well as the artistry of the Consort to those who, for reasons of cost, location, schedule or lack of familiarity with the music, are unlikely to be regular attendees at any classical music concert, the program includes Bach to School, the Noontime Cantata Series, and Talking Bach. These programs showcase the talents of Consort musicians, guest artists and guest lecturers, and provide thousands of DC area residents with the opportunity to hear, learn, and be inspired by top-notch classical music performances.

christmas with the consort

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