David Deffner, organ ian Howell, countertenor robert Stafford, bass ...

UC DaviS Department of mUSiC preSentS tHe
Kimberlee Uwate, viola
David Deffner, organ
ian Howell, countertenor
robert Stafford, bass-baritone
8 pm, Sunday, 2 December 2007
Jackson Hall, mondavi Center

2
program ...................................2
Chamber Singers ........................3
University Chorus .......................3
notes .......................................4
text and translation ...................6
about the artists ......................10
Chorus endowment ....................11
founder’s Club members .............11
annual Donors ...........................11
Mit Fried und Freud, BuxWV 76/1
Contrapunctus I
Evolutio
Contrapunctus II
Evolutio
Klage Lied, BuxWV 76/2
Jesu, meines Lebens Leben, BuxWV 62
Sinfonia
Aria
Jubilate Domino, omnis terra, BuxWV 64
8 pm, SUnDay, 2 DeCember 2007
JaCKSon Hall, monDavi Center
UniverSity CHorUS & CHamber SingerS
Jeffrey tHomaS, ConDUCtor
JeSSiCa beJarano, aSSiStant ConDUCtor
program
works by Dietrich buxtehude (c. 1637–1707)
Herzlich lieb hab ich dich o Herr, BuxWV 41
Versus I
Versus II
Versus III
Chamber Singers
Ian Howell, countertenor
Robert Stafford, bass-baritone
Katherine Kyme, violin - Carla Moore, violin
Lisa Grodin, viola - David Daniel Bowes, viola
William Skeen, viola da gamba - Steven Lehning, violone
Kate van Orden, dulcian - David Deffner, organ
intermiSSion
Carols for Christmas
Lux Aurumque Eric Whitacre
b. 1970
Canticles of Light Bob Chilcott
b. 1955
O Come, O Come, Immanuel arr. John Rutter
b. 1945
Fantasia on Christmas Carols Ralph Vaughan Williams
1872–1958
University Chorus
Robert Stafford, bass-baritone
David Deffner, organ
Philip Daley, tubular bells
William Skeen, violoncello
This concert is being recorded professionally for the university archive.
Please remain seated during the music, remembering that distractions will be audible on the recording.
Please deactivate cell phones, pagers, and wristwatches.
Flash photography and audio and video recording are prohibited during the performance.

Sopranos
Amy Banham
Sara Marostica
Molly Reagh
Sara Scheller
Isabel To
Tess Weathers
Sopranos
Amy Banham
Amanda Boardman
Ji Eun (Lydia) Callahan
Courtney Coffin
Meghan Davis
Tyra Dennis
Carrie Harrell
Yi Ju Celine Ho
Kseniya Ishina
Sarah Jimison
Alyssa Kenville
Shannon Ko
Yen-Tsun Lu
Sara Marostica
Kate Mintun
Elizabeth Parks
Samantha Ponce
Elissa Refsdal
Miriam Rocke
Paige Seegan
Thea Smith-Nilsson
Adele Sonora
Diane Soto
Lisa Sueyres
Karina Summers
Stacey Twisdale
Nicole van den Haak
Kaleigh Vance
Shipley Walters
Jane Wong
altos
Meghan Eberhardt
Rebecca Fong
Emma Gavenda
Julia Lazzara
Susanna Peeples
Jamie Romnes
Ashley Tang
altos
Kelly Aguirre
Kathleen Baker
Evelina Chang
Rebecca Fein
April Ferre
Sara Franssen
Elizabeth Frey
Susan Garbini
Emma Gavenda
Sally Gray
Anne Ish Green
Kirstin Haag
Mary Herbert
Tina Hu
Julia Kulmann
Yick Yee Lee
Christie Leu
Darcey Lewis
Meghan McMahon
Deepti Menon
Shanna Mok
Patricia Peacock
Carrie Rocke
Meredith Saba
Charito Soriano
Ashley Tang
Christine Twisdale
Jessica Zamora
CHamber SingerS
tenors
Stephen Fasel
Tatz Ishimaru
Joy Li
Amanda Ou
Matthew Zavod
UniverSity CHorUS
tenors
Ryan Asistin
Nguyen Cao
Stephen Fasel
John Forell
Milton Jackson
Richard Kulmann
Michael Lahr
Newman Leung
Spencer Little
David Moschler
Jeffrey Paterson
Jerry Schimke
Kefeng Tan
Po En Brian Wu
for tHe UC DaviS Department of mUSiC
Phil Daley, events and publicity manager
Josh Paterson, events and production manager
Rudy Garibay, senior graphic designer
Jessica Kelly, senior writer
basses
Paul-Anthony Bernucci
Christopher Gee
Francis Giuliani
David Green
Matthew Yu
basses
Osama Almughrabi
Nick Baltazar
Paul-Anthony Bernucci
Tom Dotan
Mark Ferrando
Christopher Gee
David Green
James Hutchinson
Tetsushi Kawaguchi
Ian MacGregor
Eric Spears
Doug Underwood
Richard Walters
Sam Young
3

The first half of tonight’s program celebrates the work of one of the
most significant composers of the Baroque era, Dietrich Buxtehude (c.
1637–1707). The fact that Johann Sebastian Bach, when he was just
20 years old, walked more than 250 miles from Arnstadt to Lübeck
to hear Buxtehude play an organ recital provides testimony to the
stature and impressive reputation that he enjoyed. As a harmonist,
Buxtehude’s compositions rival the rich, chromatic intensity of those
by his English contemporary, Henry Purcell.
Buxtehude was renowned in his own lifetime as a splendid organist
and the producer of a series of concerts called Abendmusik, which was
an important precursor to what eventually would evolve into the early
Age of Enlightenment practice of shifting the performance of sacred
music into more or less secular concert contexts. The Abendmusiken
at Lübeck’s Marienkirche were probably instituted in the early part
of the 17th century, before Franz Tunder, another important North
German composer, was appointed as organist there. Under Tunder’s
direction, the concerts were modest affairs and would have involved
few performers other than himself on the organ and a singer or two.
But led by Buxtehude’s entrepreneurial panache, the performances
grew dramatically in size and reputation. Just one year after Buxtehude
was appointed as the Marienkirche’s new organist in 1668, he had
platforms built on either side of the pipe organ—a rather splendid
instrument with three manuals (keyboards) and 54 stops—to
accommodate the ensembles of up to 40 musicians that would be used
for the evening concerts, which were typically scheduled during the
Advent season (specifically, on the two Sundays immediately prior
to Advent Sunday, and on the three Sundays that followed, omitting
Advent Sunday since other celebratory events would have precluded
concerts on that night).
The concerts were free to the public despite the costs involved, which
were offset by what is known in today’s terminology as “corporate
sponsorship.” Local merchants would make contributions, as would
those who received printed copies of the programs’ texts. But since
admission was without charge, the Abendmusiken all too frequently
would be patronized by some who were apparently not seriously
interested in the music. The events became characterized by the
noises made by young children and by a sense of general disorder,
so much so that city guards were eventually employed to moderate
the mannerless throng, though sadly to little avail. Nevertheless,
Buxtehude’s music prevailed and, following his tenure at the
Marienkirche, the celebrated series continued for more than a century
after his death in 1707, the 300th anniversary of which we celebrate
this year along with countless musical organizations worldwide that
have been honoring this important contributor to the rich legacy of
North German vocal and instrumental music, which eventually would
include works by Bach and Telemann, as well.
Several amusing anecdotes are associated with Buxtehude, including
the story of the trip that a young George Frideric Handel and
his close friend, Johann Mattheson, made to Lübeck in 1703 to
investigate the possibility of succeeding Buxtehude in his position
at the Marienkirche. Apparently, it was decided that Buxtehude’s
successor would be required to marry the retiring organist’s
daughter, Anna, following a custom that resulted in Buxtehude’s own
marriage to the daughter of Franz Tunder, Anna Margarethe, 35 years
earlier in 1668. Buxtehude’s daughter, however, was notorious for
her infamously uninviting personal style. The two young musicians
are said to have literally run away, giggling all the way back to their
homes in Hamburg. Two years later, Johann Sebastian Bach turned
down the same job along with its “perks” and returned instead to
Arnstadt, where he soon married his second cousin, Maria Barbara.
4
noteS
Buxtehude’s unhappy daughter was still single and now 30 years
old (10 years older than both Handel and Bach were at the time),
but she shortly became betrothed to Buxtehude’s pupil and deputy
assistant organist, Johann Christian Schiefferdecker, who eventually
was appointed as Buxtehude’s successor, possessing the necessary
musical skills and matrimonial intent.
The Chamber Singers will present four works by Buxtehude,
representing a wide array of his compositions for voices, including
a large-scale cantata, an elaborate chorale-based fantasy, a choral
chaconne with splendid dissonances, and a tour-de-force work for
countertenor that will feature one of our guest artists, Ian Howell.
The first work, Mit Fried und Freud, was composed in the style of
composition that is as much about form and compositional skill as
it is about affekt and programmatic content. Four verses of a hymn
text written by Martin Luther in 1524 (and based on Luke 2:30-32)
are given a four-part setting, but no specifics as to the accompanying
instruments are given in Buxtehude’s score as printed in 1674. The
first verse (Contrapunctus I) is realized in strict counterpoint, and
the second verse (Evolutio) is a clever rearrangement of the first: The
top and bottom lines are switched, as are the middle parts, creating
a kind of mirror image, and the entire verse is transposed down by
a fifth in order to accommodate the range of the bass singer. For the
third verse (Contrapunctus II), the chorale melody is retained, now
moved back to the top line, but the “accompanying” voices are much
more elaborate than those previously constructed. For the following
Evolutio, the transposition is now a true inversion of the preceding
verse, including the chorale melody: Ascending figures become
descending ones, and vice versa. This work was composed in 1671
for the funeral service of a Lübeck town official. Three years later,
however, Buxtehude returned to it for the funeral service of his own
father, who had lived with Buxtehude for the previous year. On this
occasion, Buxtehude appended the four verses with a “Klage Lied”
(lament) in which one finds the performance instruction, “Tremulo,”
indicated for the middle parts. The exact meaning of that direction
cannot be determined unquestionably, considering the date of the
composition, but it almost certainly meant that the strings should
play long notes as a series of evenly divided shorter values. Those
values could be, in this case, eighth notes or sixteenth notes. The
result is a movingly pathos-imbued dirge.
Jesu, meines Lebens Leben is based on a passion chorale by Ernst
Christoph Homburg (1605-1681). Following an opening sinfonia for
strings, five verses are presented over an ostinato bass of only eight
notes, which is played 41 times. The rhetorical effect of the repetition
of the two-bar figure is a direct reference to an excerpt from the
text, “tausendmal…Dank” (thousands of thanks). The composition
of variants over an ostinato bass was a favorite technique of many
composers, and Buxtehude’s works contain an especially significant
number of them. This format enabled a composer to demonstrate
both ingenuity and imagination. Here, in a work that includes text,
Buxtehude successfully combined those traits with effective means to
communicate specific words; for example, note the increasing number
of dissonances heard near the utterances of the words “Wunden
schlagen,” “Plagen,” “Dornen,” and “Zittern” (wounding blows, troubles,
thorns, and trembling), as well as those heard along with the words
“daß du möchtest mich ergötzen, mir die Ehrenkron aufsetzen” (so that
you might cheer me, and crown me with honor). In the latter case,
the difficult harmonies suggest both the difficult route to salvation
(as experienced by both leader and follower) and the unworthiness
of the faithful. Also of note is the fact that only one or three voices
alternately are used for the first four verses, perhaps making reference
to “one God” and the holy trinity. This scheme is altered dramatically

for the final verse, when all voices (and all peoples) unite in a final
thanksgiving, the text of which is divided curiously into relatively
short interjections, giving Buxtehude an opportunity to compose
similarly abbreviated quips that illuminate the rhetoric. No doubt, the
incessant ostinato helped make this piece especially memorable in the
minds of the listeners, making its message all the more effective.
In stark contrast to the previous two works, Buxtehude’s setting of
Psalm 98:4-6 is triumphantly joyful. The entirely extroverted text of
Jubilate Domino is paired with musical figures, both sung and played
(by the viola da gamba), that are equally effusive. An overall plan of
alternation between voice and viol is begun by the viol alone (with
contributions from the accompanying basso continuo group) in the
form of the opening Sonata that at once presents rather jubilatory
music and demonstrates some of the stereotypical capabilities of the
instrument. At the first entrance of the voice, the viol is silent, but a
complimentary dialogue soon is underway when the text “Cantate et
exsultate et psallite” suggests that music should be used to supplement
the extolments. Predictably, clever word-painting is used throughout.
The largest and final work in tonight’s tribute to Buxtehude is a
chorale cantata of three verses, Herzlich lieb hab ich dich o Herr.
Typical of the technique used to compose chorale preludes (usually
for organ) is the imitation of the chorale melody that is heard both
before and after each melodic phrase. By this we mean that fragments
of the chorale (or hymn) melody are used to introduce each
successive phrase. The straightforwardness of the short first verse
enables it to serve as much as an opening sinfonia (but with voices!)
as the presentation of the melodic material that will generate the
entirety of the remainder of the work. In the second verse, several
types of writing predominate, including imitative gestures that are
handed from one voice to another, and homophonic statements
that are often in a triple meter (a technique that is quite common
among the works of Michael Praetorius, the German composer and
theorist who anteceded Buxtehude by more than 60 years). But this
is no second-rate stuff! Buxtehude set the words meaningfully and
with a sense of rhetoric that rarely delves into obvious or pedestrian
word-painting. In other words, the melodic gestures that he chose
don’t imitate the meanings or definitions of each individual word,
per se, but rather they suggest the affects that are the natural result of
understanding those words. Especially satisfying are his settings of
lines from the third verse, in which the transition from gentle rest to
triumphant awakening is so effortlessly yet effectively conveyed. It is
this verse (and melody) that Bach chose as the final movement in his
1725 version of the St. John Passion. The final “Amen” is as ebullient
as any composer’s setting in this context, made all the more jovial
by the use of hemiolas that make the meter seem to be a zealous
sequence of [1-2-3] [1-2] [1-2] [1-2].
The second half of this program is devoted to contemporary works
by American composer Eric Whitacre and British composers
Bob Chilcott, John Rutter, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. An
accomplished conductor and lecturer, Eric Whitacre (still in his mid-
30s) quickly has become one of the most popular and performed
composers of his generation. The Los Angeles Times has praised
his compositions as “works of unearthly beauty and imagination,
[with] electric, chilling harmonies,” while the Philadelphia Inquirer
has called him “the hottest thing in choral music.” Though he had
received no formal training before the age of 18, his first experiences
singing in college choir changed his life, and he completed his first
concert work at the age of 21. Eric went on to the Juilliard School,
earning his Master of Music degree and studying with Pulitzer prize-
and Oscar-winning composer John Corigliano. His setting of Lux
noteS
Aurumque is quite stunning in its simplicity yet immensely satisfying
as a work that employs gentle and warmly voiced tone clusters to
create sonorities that perfectly support the meaning of the text.
Bob Chilcott is one of the most active composers and choral
conductors in Britain today. Over the last eight years, he has poured
his energy into choral composition, conducting, and promoting
choral singing throughout the world. Organists’ Review has noted
that his music “possesses the winning combination of melodic
beauty, harmonic attractiveness, imaginative textures, and thematic
development, which together form an immediately appealing style
reaching across the age barrier in any choir.” Canticles of Light is a
magical work for one mixed choir, one antiphonal upper-voice choir,
organ, and tubular bells. The composer writes, “Canticles of Light is
a setting of three Latin hymns from the Liturgia Horarum [Liturgy of
the Hours]. The first two, which are dark in character, are evening
hymns that entreat God for protection and comfort through the
night. The music lightens for the final hymn, a song for the morning
that expresses the belief that with God’s help the light of day will
encourage new strength and hope.”
Two hauntingly beautiful settings of traditional carols by John
Rutter and Ralph Vaughan Williams feature another of our guest
artists, bass-baritone Robert Stafford. Rutter is known for his
prolific output of compositions for chorus, orchestra, and chamber
ensembles. With hundreds of compositions and arrangements to his
credit, BBC Music Magazine has rather understatedly affirmed his
status as “the most successful and well-known composer of choral
music in recent British history.” His setting of O Come, O Come,
Immanuel is rather simple on first glance, but it reveals what must
be sincere eulogies to the harmonic languages of two of Rutter’s
most important predecessors in the capacity endorsed by BBC Music
Magazine, namely, Edward Elgar and Ralph Vaughan Williams.
The Fantasia on Christmas Carols, which premiered at the Three
Choirs Festival at Herford in 1912, is the first of several Christmas
pieces composed by Vaughan Williams, including the masque On
Christmas Night, the full-scale cantata Hodie, and the Nativity play
The First Nowell. It is the most restrained of these, and is based
not on completely familiar carols but rather on those most in need
and deserving of preservation, according to the composer. One of
them, “On Christmas night,” was collected by Vaughan Williams
himself in Sussex. The more traditional English carols quoted in
the Fantasia are “The truth sent from above” from Herefordshire,
“Come all you worthy gentlemen” from Somerset, “On Christmas
night” from Sussex, and “There is a fountain” from Herefordshire
(tune only). Fragments of other carol tunes, including a brief and
subtle reference to “The First Nowell,” are not sung but played, in
this version, on the organ.
It is easy enough for some to dismiss Vaughan Williams’ highly
conscientious interest in the preservation of his national heritage of
folk melodies as merely a quaint and convenient source of melodic
material for his compositions. But this is a great disservice to his
work and might be due, in part, to our own tendencies to dismiss a
considerable portion of American melodic heritage as equally quaint,
yet perhaps culturally inferior to British folk tunes. After all, it is by
a form of inheritance that the English, Irish, Welsh, and Scottish
tunes are ours, so it can be natural to view them in the same light
of humility with which we illuminate—and usually not brightly
enough—our own history of melody. But Vaughan Williams’ work
as a preservationist is no less important than that of Béla Bartók, for
example, whose passion for folk song research was greatly esteemed
and highly regarded. —JT
5

mit fried und freud, buxwv 76
Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin
In Gottes Willen.
Getrost ist mein Herz und Sinn,
Sanft und stille.
Wie Gott mir verheiszen hat,
Der Tod ist mein Schlaf worden.
Das macht Christus, wahr Gottes Sohn,
Der treue Heiland,
Den du mich, Herr, hast sehen lahn
Und machst bekannt
Dasz er sei das Leben und Heil
In Not und auch im Sterben.
Den hast du allen vorgestellt
Mit groszen Gnaden,
Zu seinem Reich die ganze Welt
Heiszen laden,
Durch dein teuer heilsam Wort,
An allen Ort erschollen.
Er ist das Heil und selig Licht
Für die Heiden,
Zu erleuchten die dich kennen nicht,
Und zu weiden.
Er ist deines Volks Israel
Der Preis, Ehr, Freud und Wonne.
Musz der Tod denn auch entbinden
Was kein Fall entbinden kann?
Musz sich der mir auch entwinden,
Der mir klebt dem Herzen an?
Ach! Der Väter trübes Scheiden
Machet gar zu herbes Leiden;
Wenn man unsre Brust enthertzt,
Solches mehr als tödlich schmerzt.
Jesu, meines lebens leben, buxwv 62
Jesu, meines Lebens Leben,
Jesu, meines Todes Tod,
der du dich vor mich gegeben
in die tiefste Seenot
in das äußerste Verderben,
nur daß ich nicht möchte sterben:
tausend, tausendmal sei dir,
liebster Jesu, Dank dafür.
Du, ach! Du hast ausgestanden
Lästerreden, Spott und Hohn,
Speichel, Schläge, Strick und Banden,
du gerechter Gottessohn,
nur mich Armen zu erretten
von des Teufels Sündenketten:
tausend, tausendmal sei dir,
liebster Jesu, Dank dafür.
Du hast lassen Wunden schlagen,
dich erbärmlich richten zu,
um zu heilen meine Plagen,
um zu setzen mich in Ruh;
ach, du hast zu meinem Segen
lassen dich mit Fluch belegen:
tausend, tausendmal sei dir,
liebster Jesu, Dank dafür.
6
teXt anD tranSlation
With peace and joy I go on my way
in God’s will.
My heart and mind are comforted,
peaceful and calm.
As God promised me,
death has become my sleep.
This is the work of Christ, God’s true son,
the faithful savior,
whom you, Lord, have allowed me to see
and made known
that He is our life and salvation
in trouble and also in dying.
You have set him before everybody
with great mercy,
that to his kingdom the whole world
may be called and invited,
through your precious healing word
that has resounded everywhere.
He is salvation and a blessed light
for the gentiles,
to enlighten those who do not know you,
and to give them pasture.
For your people Israel He is
their reward, honor, joy, and delight.
Must death then unbind
what nothing can unshackle?
And must he be wrest from me,
who clings fast to my heart?
Ah! My fathers’ woeful passing
brings with it such bitter grief
that when the heart is torn from the breast,
the pain exceeds that of death.
Jesus, life of my life,
Jesus, death of my death,
You who gave yourself for me
into the deepest distress,
into the most extreme condemnation,
just so that I might not die:
Thousands and thousands of times to you,
dearest Jesus, be thanks given for that.
Oh! You have suffered
slander, mockery, and scorn,
spit, beatings, ropes, and ties,
you righteous Son of God,
just to save me, a poor person,
from the devil’s chains of sin:
Thousands and thousands of times to you,
dearest Jesus, be thanks given for that.
You have mercifully allowed wounding blows
to be dealt to you
in order to heal my wounds,
in order to give me peace;
oh! for the sake of my blessing you have
let a curse be laid upon yourself:
Thousands and thousands of times to you,
dearest Jesus, be thanks given for that.

Man hat dich sehr hart verhöhnet,
dich mit grossem Schimpf belegt,
gar mit Dornen angekrönet;
was hat dich dazu bewegt,
daß du möchtest mich ergötzen,
mir die Ehrenkron aufsetzen:
tausend, tausendmal sei dir,
liebster Jesu, Dank dafür.
Ich, ich danke dir von Herzen,
Jesu, vor gesamte Not,
vor die Wunden, vor die Schmerzen,
vor den herben, bittern Tod,
vor dein Zittern, vor dein Zagen,
vor dein tausendfaches Plagen:
tausend, tausendmal sei dir,
liebster Jesu, Dank dafür. Amen.
Jubilate Domino, omnis terra, buxwv 64
Jubilate Domino, jubilate omnis terra;
Cantate et exsultate et psallite.
Psallite Domino in cithare et voce psalmi,
In buccinis et voce tubae.
Jubilate in conspectu regis Domini.
Herzlich lieb hab ich dich o Herr, buxwv 41
Herzlich lieb hab’ ich dich, o Herr,
Ich bitt’, woll’st sein von mir nicht fern
Mit deiner Güt’ und Gnaden.
Die ganze Welt nicht freuet mich,
Nach Himmel und Erd’ nicht frag’ ich,
Wenn ich dich nur kann haben.
Und wenn mir gleich mein Herz zerbricht,
So bist doch du mein’ Zuversicht,
Mein Teil und meines Herzens Trost,
Der mich durch sein Blut hat erlöst.
Herr Jesu Christ,
Mein Gott und Herr, mein Gott und Herr,
In Schanden laß mich nimmermehr!
Es ist ja, Herr, dein G’schenk und Gab’
Mein Leib und Seel’ und was ich hab’
In diesem armen Leben.
Damit ich’s brauch’ zum Lobe dein,
Zu Nutz und Dienst des Nächsten mein,
Woll’st mir dein’ Gnade geben!
Behüt mich, Herr, vor falscher Lehr’,
Des Satans Mord und Lügen wehr,
In allem Kreuz erhalte mich,
Auf daß ich’s trag’ geduldiglich!
Herr Jesu Christ,
Mein Herr und Gott, mein Herr und Gott,
Tröst mir mein’ Seel’ in Todesnot!
Ach, Herr, laß dein’ lieb’ Engelein
Am letzten End’ die Seele mein
In Abrahams Schoß tragen!
Der Leib in sein’m Schlafkämmerlein
Gar sanft, ohn’ ein’ge Qual und Pein,
Ruh’ bis am Jüngsten Tage.
Alsdenn vom Tod erwecke mich,
Daß meine Augen sehen dich
In aller Freud’, O Gottes Sohn,
Mein Heiland und mein Gnadenthron!
Herr Jesu Christ,
Erhöre mich, erhöre mich;
Ich will dich preisen ewiglich! Amen.
teXt anD tranSlation
They have cruelly derided you,
they have abused you,
they have even crowned you with thorns;
what moved you to allow that?
so that you might cheer me,
and crown me with honor:
Thousands and thousands of times to you,
dearest Jesus, be thanks given for that.
I thank you heartily,
Jesus, for all the misery,
for the wounds, for the pain,
for the hard, bitter death,
for your trembling, for your great distress,
for your thousands of scourges:
Thousands and thousands of times to you,
dearest Jesus, be thanks given for that.
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
Sing to the Lord with the harp and the sound of a psalm,
with trumpets and the sound of a horn.
Shout joyfully before the Lord, the King.
From my heart I hold you dear, o Lord,
I ask that it may be your will to be not far from me
with your kindness and mercy.
The whole world gives me no delight,
I do not ask for heaven and earth,
if only I can have you.
And even if my heart at once breaks,
you are still my reassurance,
my portion and my heart’s comfort,
who has redeemed me through his blood.
Lord Jesus Christ,
my God and Lord, my God and Lord,
never again let me be put to shame!
It is, Lord, your present and gift,
my body and soul and what I have
in this poor life.
So that I may use this for your praise,
for the benefit and service of my neighbor,
may it be your will to grant me your grace!
Guard me, Lord, from false teaching,
defend me from Satan’s murder and lies,
sustain me in every affliction [cross],
so that I may endure with patience!
Lord Jesus Christ,
my Lord and God, my Lord and God,
comfort my soul in death’s distress.
Ah Lord, let your dear angels
at my last end carry my soul
to Abraham’s bosom,
while my body in its narrow chamber of sleep,
gently without pain and torment
rests until the last day!
Then awaken me from death,
so that my eyes may see you
in all joy, O God’s son,
my savior and throne of mercy!
Lord Jesus Christ,
hear me, hear me;
I want to praise you for ever! Amen.
7

lux aurumque
[poem by Edward Esch; translated into
Latin by Charles Anthony Silvestri]
Lux calida gravisque pura velut aurum
Et Canunt angeli molliter
Modo natum.
Canticles of light
1. Te lucis ante terminum
Te lucis ante terminum,
Rerum Creator poscimus,
ut solita clementia
sis praesul ad custodiam.
Te corda nostra somnient,
te per soporem sentiant,
tuamque semper gloriam
vicina luce concinant.
Vitam salubrem tribue,
nostrum calorem refice,
taetram noctis caliginem
tua collustret claritas.
Praesta pater omnipotens
per Jesum Christum Dominum
qui tecum in perpetuum
regnat cum Sancto Spiritu. Amen.
2. Christe, qui, splendor et dies
Christe, qui, splendor et dies,
noctis tenebras detegis,
lucisque lumen crederis,
lumen beatis praedicans,
Precamur, sancte Domine,
hac nocte nos custodias;
sit nobis in te requies,
quietas horas tribue.
Somno si dantur oculi,
cor semper ad te vigilet;
tuaque dextra protegas
fideles, qui te diligunt.
Defensor noster, aspice,
insidiantes reprime,
guberna tuos famulos,
quos sanguine mercatus es.
Sit, Christe, rex piissime,
tibi Patrique gloria,
cum Spiritu Paraclito,
in sempiterna saecula. Amen.
3. O nata lux de lumine
O nata lux de lumine
Jesu redemptor saeculi
dignare clemens supplicum
laudes preces que sumere.
Qui carne quondam contegi
dignatus es pro perditis.
Nos membra confer effici,
tui beati corporis.
8
teXt anD tranSlation
Light, warm and heavy as pure gold
And the angels sing softly
To the new-born baby.
[Hymn at Compline from Liturgia Horarum]
Before the end of day,
creator of all things, we ask you
with your wonted kindness,
be our protector and guardian.
Let our hearts dream of you,
let us feel you near while sleeping,
and let us celebrate always your eternal glory
in the light of the new dawn.
Grant our bodies health,
restore our strength,
and let the foul gloom of the night
be illuminated by your brightness.
Do all this, omnipotent Father,
through Jesus Christ the Lord,
who with you forever
reigns with the Holy Ghost. Amen.
[Hymn at Compline from Liturgia Horarum]
Christ, brightness of the light of day,
you who roll away the shadows of the night,
who bestowed the light of light,
telling of the light to come for the blessed,
We pray, Holy Lord,
that you watch over us this night;
let us find rest in you,
and grant us peaceful hours.
Though our eyes be given over to sleep,
let our hearts be filled with you through the night;
and with your right hand protect
the faithful who cherish you.
Look upon us, our protector,
check those who beset us,
and guide your servants
whom you have redeemed with your blood.
Glory be to you Christ,
holiest of kings, and to the Father,
and to the Holy Ghost,
forever and ever. Amen.
[Hymn at Laudes]
O light born of the light,
Jesus the redeemer of mankind,
kindly deign to accept
the praises and prayers of your supplicants.
You who once deigned to take on human form
on behalf of those who were lost,
grant that our weary limbs
find a resting place in you.

o Come, o Come, immanuel
[18th-century Latin, translated by J.M. Neale]
O come, O come, Immanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! rejoice! Immanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell thy people save,
And give them victory o’er the grave.
Rejoice! rejoice!...
O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! rejoice!...
fantasia on Christmas Carols
[traditional texts]
1. This is the truth sent from above
This is the truth sent from above,
The truth of God, the God of Love:
Therefore don’t turn me from your door
But hearken all, both rich and poor.
The first thing which I will relate
Is that God did man create,
The next thing which to you I’ll tell,
Woman was made with man to dwell.
Then, after this, ’twas God’s own choice
To place them both in Paradise,
There to remain, from evil free,
Except they ate of such a tree.
And they did eat, which was a sin,
And thus their ruin did begin,
Ruined themselves, both you and me
And all of their posterity.
Thus we were heirs to endless woes.
Till God the Lord did interpose,
And so a promise soon did run,
That he would redeem us by his Son.
2. Come all you worthy gentlemen
Come all you worthy gentlemen that may be standing by,
Christ our blessed Savior was born on Christmas day,
The Blessed Virgin Mary unto the Lord did pray.
O we wish you the comfort and tidings of joy!
Christ our blessed Savior now in the manger lay,
He’s lying in the manger, while the oxen feed on hay.
The Blessed Virgin Mary unto the Lord did pray.
O we wish you the comfort and tidings of joy!
teXt anD tranSlation
O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
Who to thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! rejoice!...
O come, thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! rejoice!...
3. On Christmas night all Christians sing
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.
When sin departs before thy grace,
Then life and health come in its place;
Angels and men with joy may sing,
All for to see the newborn King.
4. God bless the ruler of this house
God bless the ruler of this house, and long may he reign,
Many happy Christmases he live to see again!
God bless our generation, who live both far and near
And we wish them (you) a happy New Year
(Both now and evermore. Amen.)
From out of darkness we have light,
Which makes the angels sing this night:
‘Glory to God and peace to men,
Both now and evermore, Amen.’
9

10
aboUt tHe artiStS
ian Howell (countertenor) noted for his “polished sound, clear resonance, and powerful
enunciation…” by San Francisco Classical Voice, has performed on major concert stages across the United
States, Europe, Mexico, Canada, Japan, and Taiwan. Howell recently took first prize at the American
Bach Soloists International Solo Competition with an acclaimed performance of Bach’s cantata,
Vergnügte Ruh, and third prize (and made his Carnegie Hall debut) at the Oratorio Society of New
York’s competition. This Virginia native can be heard with the all-male chamber choir, Chanticleer,
on one DVD and seven CDs, including the GRAMMY award winning Lamentations and Praises, and
the GRAMMY-award nominated Our American Journey. Howell has appeared in Handel’s Hercules
(Lichas) and Semele (Athamas), Purcell’s Fairy Queen (first countertenor), and Britten’s Midsummer
Night’s Dream (Oberon). Concert appearances include Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s St. John Passion, and
Monteverdi’s Vespers (1610). Future engagements include performances with the American Bach
Soloists, the Portland Baroque Orchestra, the Choir of St. Thomas Church Fifth Ave, New York City,
and a debut recording with the American Bach Soloists. Howell is dedicated to spreading awareness
of the countertenor voice, and he has given master classes and lecture/demonstrations across the
country. Howell graduated December 2006 with a master’s degree in early music, song, and chamber
ensemble offered jointly by the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and the Yale School of Music.
robert Stafford (bass-baritone) completed an Associate Artist-in-Residency at Opera San Jose
in 1995, where he performed leading roles for two years (the San Jose Mercury News described a
performance sung “with a supremely seductive swagger and flourish”). In 2003, the Modesto Bee wrote
of his essay of the title role in Mozart’s Don Giovanni: “Stafford has a rich and powerful voice and has
the right arrogant manner for the role . . . smooth and seductive.” Stafford has sung with many of the
country’s leading period-instrument orchestras. The Los Angeles Times called his singing of Bach’s solo
cantata Ich habe genug with the American Bach Soloists “communicative and glowing” and lauded his
“uncommonly suave” Polyphemus in Handel’s Acis and Galatea with Musica Angelica at the Getty
Center. He can be heard as Caronte on a recording of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo with Apollo’s Fire for the
Eclectra label, in Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion with Jeffrey Thomas and the American Bach Soloists for
Koch, and a forthcoming recording of Spohr’s Zemire und Azor for the Manhattan School of Music’s
Opera Theater. In Europe, he has performed with such esteemed musicians as Max van Egmond,
Joshua Rifkin, and Jos van Veldhoven in opera and oratorio concerts in Germany, Italy, and the
Netherlands. He made his New York concert debut in Carnegie Hall with the bass solo in Bruckner’s
Te Deum with the New York Choral Society. He composed and performed the puppet opera Mandragora
with puppeteer Basil Twist and performance artist Glamamore for HereArts’s DreamWorks series in
New York City. Stafford has been invited to participate in summer festivals across the United States,
including the Steans Institute at the Ravinia Festival, the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara,
and the Tanglewood Music Center, where he has had the privilege of singing under such conductors as
Robert Spano (Berio’s Sinfonia), Federico Cortese (Sam in Trouble in Tahiti), and Stefan Asbury, in the
world premiere of Rage d’amours, a new opera by the Dutch composer Robert Zuidam.

John R. Berg, Ph.D., and Anne M. Berg
Kathleen Cady
Barbara P. and Kenneth D. Celli
Donna M. Di Grazia
Leland and Susan Faust
Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation
John Tracy Grose and Beth Baker-Grose
Prof. and Mrs. D. Kern Holoman
James and Patricia Hutchinson
IBM International Foundation, LLP
Barbara K. Jackson
Joan and Russell Jones
Mr. and Mrs. Norman Jones
Prof. Joseph E. Kiskis Jr.
Julia and Richard Kulmann
Elizabeth Langland and Jerry Jahn
Mitzi S. Aguirre
Priscilla Alexander
Martha Amorocho
Renee Armstrong
Auburn Symphony
Renee Bodie
Clyde and Ruth Bowman
Lynn L. Campbell and Robert N. Campbell, Ph.D.
Hugh C. and Susan B. Conwell
Martha Dickman
Dotty Dixon
Jeremy Faust
Darlene Franz and James Van Horn
Sally S. Gray
Benjamin and Lynette Hart
David and Annmarie Heller
James H. Hillman
Betty and Robin Houston
Donald Johnson and Elizabeth Miller
Winston and Katy Ko
Kirk Kolodji
Airy Krich-Brinton
Dr. Katherine T. Landschulz
Leslie and Dana Leong
Natalie and Malcolm MacKenzie
Maria Mange
Susan Mann
Marjorie March
Matthew McGibney
UC DaviS CHorUS enDowment
an invitation
There will always be financial challenges to any arts program that strives to meet the needs and demands of its students. At UC Davis,
our challenges are even greater now that new standards of excellence have been achieved and continue to rise. Whether the University
Chorus Endowment is able to provide exciting and memorable tours for our students, enhancements to our annual concert seasons, voice
lessons for talented individuals, or even bare-bones necessities like choral music, accompanists, or concert equipment, it will ensure that
our program can continue to move ahead, and can continue to inspire, teach, and mold the artistic and aesthetic temperaments of our
most important resource: our future generations. Please join us through your commitment to our future.
The Founder’s Club recognizes those generous founding benefactors who contributed $1,000 or more during the Endowment’s first year,
and its members receive permanent recognition in all Chorus programs. All subsequent donors are acknowledged annually. For further
information, visit our Web site at chorus.ucdavis.edu/endowment or call Debbie Wilson, development director, at 530.757.5784.
foUnDer’S ClUb memberS
annUal DonorS
Leslie and Dana Leong
Gary and Jane Matteson
Hugh and Deborah McDevitt
Albert and Helen McNeil
Cindy and Dennis McNeil
Patricia K. Moore and Chester G. Moore Jr., Ph.D.
Mary Ann Morris, Ph.D.
Jeffrey and Janice Pettit
Steven Rosenau
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Shaked
Patricia L. Shepherd
Steven Tallman
Jeffrey Thomas
Larry and Rosalie Vanderhoef
Ed and Eleanor Witter
Clarence H. McProud
Amelie Mel de Fontenay
Jeffrey Mihaly
Martha Morgan
Jonathan and Jessie Newhall
Rebecca Newland
Naomi Newman
Grant and Grace Noda
John and Elizabeth Owens
Mike and Carlene Ozonoff
Patricia Peacock
Ann Preston
Gerry Prody
Warren G. Roberts
David and Carrie Rocke
Jerry and Sylvia Rosen
William and Linda Schmidt
Carl Seymour
Kevin Shellooe
Ellen Sherman
G. William Skinner and Susan Mann
Barry Smith
Steven and Patricia Waldo
Shipley and Dick Walters
Douglas and Carey Wendell
Rebecca and Jansen Wendlandt
Bank of America Matching Gift Program
IBM Matching Gift Program
Jewish Community Endowment Fund
11

Catch it Live! AT THE MONDAVI CENTER
Celebrate the Holidays
MondaviArts.org
530.754.ARTS (2787)
866.754.ARTS (toll-free)
at the Mondavi Center
with American Bach Soloists
Save 20%* on Bach’s Christmas Oratorio
when you purchase Handel’s Messiah
Handel’s Messiah
American Bach Soloists
Jeffrey Thomas, director
SAT, DEC 22, 2007, 7:30 PM
Handel’s beloved Messiah, first performed in 1742, returns to
Jackson Hall for the seventh consecutive year in a majestic
performance by the renowned American Bach Soloists under
the direction of UC Davis Choral Director Jeffrey Thomas.
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio
American Bach Soloists
Jeffrey Thomas, director
MON, JAN 28, 2008, 7:30 PM
Start 2008 with one of Bach’s greatest masterpieces: the
Weihnachts-Oratorium! Performed by “the best American
specialists in early music,” this expansive work of six festive
cantatas bridges the Christmas season with the New Year.
*Discount does not apply to student or senior ticket prices
Call the Mondavi Center ticket office or order online
at MondaviArts.org and enter the promo code HANDEL
to receive your 20% discount.
ROBERT AND MARGRIT MONDAVI CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS