Concert featuring Voices of Concinnity and special guest, Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet
Thinning of the Veil:
reconnecting with the lost
On a night where the veil between the living and the afterlife is thin, may the voices of Concinnity and the movement of dance reconnect us with ones we have lost.
Experience music as the path to process loss, feel comfort, and find connection.
Saturday, November 2, 2024 | 7:00PM
United Congregational Church, Tolland
Tickets: $20 (students free)
It is strongly encouraged that you purchase your tickets ahead of time for this special performance. When you click the "BUY TICKETS NOW" button, you will be redirected to our event system called Ludus. Some tickets will be available for purchase at the door.
"Thinning of the Veil" is sponsored by:
DIGITAL PROGRAM
TEXT & TRANSLATIONS
Program Notes
Do not stand at my grave and weep
Composed by Shruti Rajasekar (2016)
Words by Mary Elizabeth Frye (1932)
Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.
Emendemus in Melius
Composed by William Byrd (1575)
Text: excerpts from the Bible
Latin Text:
Emendemus in melius quae ignoranter peccavimus;
ne subito praeoccupati die mortis,
quaeramus spatium poenitentiae, et invenire non possimus.
Attende, Domine, et miserere; quia peccavimus tibi.
Adjuva nos, Deus salutaris noster, et propter honorem[gloriam] nominis tui libera nos.
Translation of Latin Text:
Let us amend for the better in those things in which we have sinned through ignorance;
lest suddenly overtaken by the day of death,
we seek space for repentance, and be not able to find it.
Hearken, O Lord, and have mercy: for we have sinned against thee. (Baruk 3,2)
Help us, O God of our salvation, and for the honour[glory] of thy name deliver us. (Psalm 79:9a)
Komm, süsser Tod
Composed by Ethel Smyth (sometime between 1882-84)
Based on J.S. Bach chorale
Text:
Komm, süßer Tod, komm sel’ge Ruh!
Komm, führe mich in Friede,
Weil ich der Welt bin müde,
Ach komm! ich wart auf dich,
Komm bald und führe mich,
Drück mir die Augen zu.
Komm, sel’ge Ruh!
Komm, süßer Tod, komm sel’ge Ruh!
Ich will nun Jesum sehen
Und bei den Engeln stehen.
Es ist nunmehr vollbracht,
Welt, darum gute Nacht,
Mein’ Augen schließ’ ich zu.
Komm, sel’ge Ruh!
-German text – anonymous c. 1724
Translation of German text:
Come, sweet death, come blessed peace!
Come, lead me to tranquillity,
For I am weary of the world,
Ah come! I await you,
Come soon to lead me,
Close my eyes.
Come, blessed peace!
Come, sweet death, come blessed peace!
I now wish to see Jesus
And be among the angels.
All is now accomplished,
Thus I bid you goodnight, O world,
My eyes are already closed.
Come, blessed peace!
-English translation by Richard Stokes
Dies Irae
Gregorian Chant
Text:
Dies iræ, dies illa,
Solvet sæclum in favilla:
Teste David cum Sibylla.
Quantus tremor est futurus,
Quando judex est venturus,
Cuncta stricte discussurus!
Tuba, mirum spargens sonum
Per sepulchra regionum,
Coget omnes ante thronum.
Mors stupebit, et natura,
Cum resurget creatura,
Iudicanti responsura.
Translation of Latin Text:
The day of wrath, that day,
will dissolve the world in ashes:
(this is) the testimony of David along with the Sibyl.
How great will be the quaking,
when the Judge is about to come,
strictly investigating all things!
The trumpet, scattering a wondrous sound
through the sepulchres of the regions,
will summon all before the throne.
Death and nature will marvel,
when the creature will rise again,
to respond to the Judge.
Sleep
Composed by Eric Whitacre (2001)
Text by Charles Anthony Silvestri
The evening hangs beneath the moon
A silver thread on darkened dune
With closing eyes and resting head
I know that sleep is coming soon
Upon my pillow safe in bed
A thousand pictures fill my head
I cannot sleep, my mind's a-flight
And yet my limbs seem made of lead
If there are noises
In the night
A frightening shadow
Flickering light
As I surrender unto sleep
Where clouds of dream
Give second sight
What dreams may come both dark and deep
On flying wings and soaring leap
As I surrender unto sleep (Dark and Deep)
As I surrender unto sleep (Dark and Deep)
As I surrender unto sleep
Resignation
Words and Music by Florence B. Price (1887-1953)
Text:
My life is a pathway of sorrow;
I’ve struggled and toiled in the sun
with hope that the dawn of tomorrow
would break on a work that is done.
My Master has pointed the way,
he taught me in prayer to say:
“Lord, give us this day and our daily bread.”
I hunger, yet I shall be fed.
My feet, they are wounded and dragging;
My body is tortured with pain;
My heart, it is shattered and flagging,
What matter, if, Heaven I gain.
Of happiness once I have tasted;
‘Twas only an instant it paused
tho’ brief was the hour that I wasted
For ever the woe that it caused
I’m tired and want to go home.
My mother and sister are there;
They’re waiting for me to come
Where mansions are bright and fair.
Blackbird
Words & Music by Paul McCartney & John Lennon as sung by the Beatles (1968)
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life, you were only waiting
For this moment to arise
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life, you were only waiting
For this moment to be free
Blackbird fly
Into the light
Of a dark, black night
Song for Athene
Composed by John Tavener (1994)
Text by William Shakespeare
Alleluia. May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.
Alleluia. Remember me, O Lord, when you come into your kingdom.
Alleluia. Give rest, O Lord, to your handmaid who has fallen asleep.
Alleluia. The Choir of Saints have found the well-spring of life and door of paradise.
Alleluia. Life: a shadow and a dream.
Alleluia. Weeping at the grave creates the song:
Alleluia. Come, enjoy rewards and crowns I have prepared for you.
Illumination
Composed by Michael McGlynn
Text:
Quisquis eris qui transieris,
Perlege, sta, et plora;
Eram ut es, eris ut sum;
Pro me, precum, ora.
Translation of the Latin Text:
Whoever it is that passes here
Read this, stop, and weep
I was as you are, and you shall be
What I am now, pray for me
Rest
Composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Text by Christina Rossetti
O Earth, lie heavily upon her eyes;
Seal her sweet eyes weary of watching, Earth;
Lie close around her; leave no room for mirth
With its harsh laughter, nor for sound of sighs.
She hath no questions, she hath no replies,
Hushed in and curtained with a blessed dearth
Of all that irked her from the hour of birth;
With stillness that is almost Paradise.
Darkness more clear than noon-day holdeth her,
Silence more musical than any song;
Even her very heart has ceased to stir:
Until the morning of Eternity
Her rest shall not begin nor end, but be;
And when she wakes she will not think it long.
--Goblin Market and Other Poems (1865)
and the swallow
Composed by Caroline Shaw
Text from Psalm 84
How beloved is your dwelling place,
o lord of hosts,
my soul yearns, faints,
my heart and my flesh cry out.
The sparrow found a house,
and the swallow her nest,
where she may raise her young.
They pass through the Valley of Bakka,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn also covers it with pools.
Amo
Composed by Nico Gutierrez
Text by Mariano Melendro Serna
Text:
Todo, todos, se han ido
Solo me acompañan mis recuerdos
Con los cuales unos ratos yo lloro Y
en ocasiones logro a sonreir
Los amo
Translation of the Spanish Text:
Everything, everyone, has left
I am accompanied only by my memories
With which sometimes I cry
And on occasion I manage to smile
I love them
(this can also mean “I love you” or “I love everyone”)
Heyr þú oss himnum á
Composed by Anna Thorvaldsdottir
Text by Ólafur Jónsson
Text:
Heyr þú oss himnum á, heyr oss Guð
Heyr þú oss himnum á
Hýr vor faðir, börn þín smá
Lukku oss þar til ljá
Líf eilíft þér erfum hjá
Og að þér aldrei flæmumst frá
Þitt ríki þróist hér
Það þín stjórn og kristni er
Svo að menn sem flestir
Safnist Guð til handa þér
Fegnir yfir því fögnum vér
Síst skarta sönglist má
Sé þar ekki elskan hjá
Syngjum því lof þá, þér himnum á
Maður rétt kristinn mun þess gá
En þegar aumir vér
Öndumst burt úr heimi hér
Oss tak þá Guð að þér
Í þá dýrð sem aldrei þver
"Amen, amen, það eflaust sker."
Translation of Icelandic text:
Hear us, O God on high,
Our loving Father e'er nigh.
Fortune until the end
Everlasting life You send.
With You our time we spend.
Your kingdom reigning here,
Your laws we all adhere,
So that most mortals worship with love and fear.
Glad of these things,
In praise draw near.
Let not be wanting song,
If love comes not along,
Let us sing Your praises strong
With the celestial throng.
Only the Christian there belong.
When we from this world repair
Take us, Lord, and keep us near
Your light forever clear.
Amen, amen, it has to be.
Lux Aeterna (from "Requiem")
Composed by Michael John Trotta
Text from Requiem aeternam (9th c.)
Text:
Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine,
cum sanctis tuis in aeternum,
quia pius es.
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Translation of Latin Text:
Let perpetual light shine upon them, O Lord,
with your saints for ever,
for you are merciful.
Grant them eternal rest, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
The Nearness of You
Arranged by Jennifer Barnes
Music by Hoagy Carmichael
Words by Ned Washington
It's not the pale moon that excites me
That thrills and delights me, oh no
It's just the nearness of you
It isn't your sweet conversation
That brings this sensation, oh no
It's just the nearness of you
When you're in my arms and I feel you so close to me
All my wildest dreams come true
I need no soft lights to enchant me
If you'll only grant me the right
To hold you ever so tight
And to feel in the night the nearness of you
Do not stand at my grave and weep
Program Note (from the composer):
Mary Elizabeth Frye’s beautiful poem has provided solace and comfort for generations of people across the world. Translated into various languages, this poet has traveled a long way from its origins as a text written to comfort a grieving friend. No matter its storied history, it =remains a timeless sources of peace. I was personally drawn to Frye’s vivid imagery. The vrous depictions of n nature inspired me to compose a ramalika – a garland of ragas, the emotive scales of Indian classical music. Above all, the quiet elegance of her text conveys a message of hope that I aspired to capture musically.
Emendemus in Melius
Program Note:
Byrd's "Emendemus" is a setting of a prayer for the first Sunday in Lent. It is an ancient text, which was set by several of the great Flemish composers working in Italy during the Renaissance. Byrd's setting is typical of the dense and learned style employed by that composer in his first book of Latin motets. There is a richness of the "British" harmony that is unknown in continental music of this period, but that would soon take over German composition.
--Craig Smith
Komm, süsser Tod
Program Note:
Komm, süsser Tod is one of ‘Five Sacred Partsongs Based on Chorale Tunes’ written between 1882-1884 during Dame Ethel Smyth’s time in Leipzig when she met both Johannes Brahms and Clara Schumann. Smyth uses the melody line from a chorale by J.S. Bach in the soprano part surrounded by a polyphonic texture of the lower three voices, creating a haunting and surprising harmonic language for the choral. The text of the song relays the heartache of one yearning for a peaceful eternal rest, which is further enhanced by the close harmonies written by Dame Smyth.
Dies Irae
Gregorian Chant
Program Note:
Dies Irae, “Day of Wrath”, is a medieval Latin poem written in the 1200’s used in the Roman Catholic liturgy as the sequence. The first known melody set to these words is Gregorian Chant which is one of the most quoted melodies in musical literature. We are singing only the first four verses.
Sleep
Program note from the composer:
In the winter of 1999 I was contacted by Ms. Julia Armstrong, a lawyer and professional mezzo-soprano living in Austin, Texas. She wanted to commission a choral work from me that would be premiered by the Austin ProChorus (Kinley Lange, cond.), a terrific chorus in which she regularly performed.
The circumstances around the commission were certainly memorable. She wanted to commission the piece in memory of her parents, who had died within weeks of each other after more fifty years of marriage; and she wanted me to set her favorite poem, Robert Frost’s immortal Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening. I was deeply moved by her spirit and her request, and agreed to take on the commission.
I took my time with the piece, crafting it note by note until I felt that it was exactly the way I wanted it. The poem is perfect, truly a gem, and my general approach was to try to get out of the way of the words and let them work their magic. We premiered the piece in Austin, October 2000, and the piece was well received. Rene Clausen gave it a glorious performance at the ACDA National Convention in the spring of 2001, and soon after I began receiving letters, emails, and phone calls from conductors trying to get a hold of the work.
And here was my tragic mistake: I never secured permission to use the poem. Robert Frost’s poetry has been under tight control from his estate since his death, and until a few years ago only Randall Thompson (Frostiana) had been given permission to set his poetry. In 1997, out of the blue, the estate released a number of titles, and at least twenty composers set and published Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening for chorus. When I looked online and saw all of these new and different settings, I naturally (and naively) assumed that it was open to anyone. Little did I know that the Robert Frost Estate had shut down ANY use of the poem just months before, ostensibly because of this plethora of new settings.
After a LONG legal battle (many letters, many representatives), the estate of Robert Frost and their publisher, Henry Holt Inc., sternly and formally forbid me from using the poem for publication or performance until the poem became public domain in 2038.
I was crushed. The piece was dead, and would sit under my bed for the next 37 years because of some ridiculous ruling by heirs and lawyers. After many discussions with my wife, I decided that I would ask my friend and brilliant poet Charles Anthony Silvestri (Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine, Lux Aurumque, Nox Aurumque, Her Sacred Spirit Soars) to set new words to the music I had already written. This was an enormous task, because I was asking him to not only write a poem that had the exact structure of the Frost, but that would even incorporate key words from “Stopping”, like ‘sleep’. Tony wrote an absolutely exquisite poem, finding a completely different (but equally beautiful) message in the music I had already written. I actually prefer Tony’s poem now…. And there it is. My setting of Robert Frost’s Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening no longer exists.
Resignation
Program note:
Florence B. Price was a composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher and the first African American to have an orchestral piece played by a major American orchestra in the 1930s. Price faced significant racial and gendered discrimination which impacted her ability to receive the widespread recognition in classical music during her lifetime. You can hear this conflict and strife throughout the fabric of "Resignation". Current scholars have worked to bring Price's music the recognition it deserves.
Blackbird
This song originally appeared on the Beatle's 1968 album and was written after Paul McCartney had watched television footage of Black students being harassed in recently integrated schools in 1957 after Brown v. The Board of Education ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that outlawed segregation in public school. McCartney explained, "In England, a bird is a girl, so I was thinking of a Black girl going through this; now is your time to arise; set yourself free; take these broken wings."
Song for Athene
Program note (from the composer):
Song for Athene came to me at the funeral of a young girl Athene Hariades. In the graveyard after the funeral I heard the repeated Alleluias and then I heard a melody for the verses. I wrote the whole piece down when I got home. Later at the instigation of Martin Neary it was sung at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales and was heard around the world. I am glad that I was able to share this parting gift from Athene with so many people.
Illumination
Program Note:
Text is from the tombstone of James Galway d. 1627, St. Multose Cathedral, Kinsal.
Rest
Program note:
"Rest" is a sonnet by Christina Rossetti set in a way by Ralph Vaughan Williams to enlighten the process of death in a way that brings clarity, understanding, and peace. Vaughan Williams uses drastic changes in the volume and subtle word painting throughout the song to represent the varying moods of this difficult process.
and the swallow
Program note for Hyperion Records:
The composer Caroline Shaw was the youngest recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Music for her composition Partita for 8 voices, and is also possibly the only choral composer who can say she has collaborated with Kanye West. Her music is renowned for its use of extended vocal techniques, the most basic of which can
be heard in And the swallow, a setting of Psalm 84 which ends with the singers evoking the sound of autumn rains. Shaw spoke of how she was thinking of the Syrian refugee crisis as she composed the work; ‘There’s a yearning for a home that
feels very relevant today. The second verse is: “The sparrow found a house and the swallow her nest, where she may place her young” which is just a beautiful image of a bird trying to keep her children safe—people trying to keep their family safe.’
Amo
Program Note:
The text of “Amo” was written by the composer’s great-grandfather, Mariano Melendro Serna, who was governor of Tolima in Colombia. Many of his poems are about missing home and his family because he often had to travel to the capital, Bogotá, for work. This piece is meant to be performed with ample rubato and with a lush, full sound, paying attention to the ways in which the composer’s voicings and harmonies highlight both the explicit and implicit meaning in the text and the complex inner life of the narrator. The original Spanish text of “Amo” can have an ambiguous meaning; does it refer to being in love with the memories themselves or with the loved ones that are no longer there?
- Ahmed Anzaldúa
Heyr þú oss himnum á
Program Note:
This song is a beautiful Icelandic hymn that Anna Thorvaldsdottir has arranged in an ethereal and meditative way. Thorvaldsdottir has included four verses from an ancient Icelandic psalm written by by Olafur á Söndum (1560–1627).
Lux Aeterna
Program Note from the publisher:
A wonderfully lush and sonorous tonal palette is sprinkled with moments of prepared dissonance and close harmonies. The middle section quotes the “Requiem” chant tune. A perfect contrasting pairing with Trotta’s rhythmic and popular “Dies Irae.”
The Nearness of You
Program Note:
Jennifer Barnes has created a vocal jazz arrangement of a classic jazz standard from the 1930's. The song was originally intended for a Paramount film title "Romance in the Rough", but the film was not produced. The song was published in 1940 has been covered by many artists including Glenn Miller, Ella Fitzgerald, Norah Jones, Frank Sinatra, and list goes on.
CONCERT SPONSORS
This concert was funded with support from the Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts, which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
What to Expect Attending this Concert
Who is performing?
Voices of Concinnity is our professional vocal chamber ensemble consisting of 12 choral artists from diverse backgrounds that works to move audiences through innovative programming that melds the unique qualities of each voice into into a vibrant, rich choral sound. Our special guest, Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet, will be performing with Concinnity on a few song selections. Ekklesia is a professional dance company that utilizes a full spectrum of emotional and physical vocabulary while addressing issues such as poverty, inequality, and human suffering.
What is this concert about?
Thinning of the Veil is a term often associated with the barrier that separates the world in which we live and the spiritual worlds of the dead. Many cultures mark certain times of the year when the veil is thought to be thin, such as Samhain from Celtic history (which we often celebrate as Halloween on October 31st) and Dia De Los Muertos from Mexico which celebrates the reuniting of the living and the dead on November 1 and 2. There is also a tradition of All Souls Day, commemorated each year on November 2 within the Christian church, which remembers those who have passed before us.
The loss of a friend or loved one is a universal experience; therefore, we crafted a concert of choral works that explore stories and harmonies that can allow space to process loss, feel comfort, and find connection. The date of the concert was intentional and the inclusion of dance is another way to experience the deeper level of connection that art can provide us.
What style of music will I expect to hear?
Concinnity sings unaccompanied choral music (meaning there is not instruments included in the performance) composed during the Renaissance period to contemporary music. Much of the music we will be performing has an ethereal quality and sound, especially with only voices creating the harmony. This performance will feature music composed by historic composers such as William Byrd, Ethel Smyth, Florence Price, Ralph Vaughan Williams, and some Gregorian chant from the 13th century. We will also present music by living composers, such as Eric Whitacre, Caroline Shaw, Shruti Rajasekar, Michael McGlynn, Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Nico Gutierrez, Michael John Trotta, John Taverner, Jennifer Barnes, and the Beatles. To get an idea of what sound to expect, here are two songs that we will be singing:
Will there be a concert program to understand the music performed?
Yes, there will be a printed program that lists the order of the songs being performed. There will also be a digital program (available on concert day on this very page) that will have all of the lyrics and translations of the songs listed.
Since this concert is considered "classical music", are there guidelines for the audience?
While this concert is considered classical music, our audience members are invited to wear clothing that is comfortable, clap where they feel moved to do so, and use their cell phone during the performance (as we have a digital program that will need to accessed on an electronic device). Everyone is welcome. The only thing we ask is that all electronic devices are silenced so the music can be meaningful.