Christian Sacred Music by Composers of African Heritage
Friday March 24, 7:30pm, First Church Unitarian Universalist, Barre VT
Saturday March 25, 7:30pm, First Congregational Church, Norwich VT
Sunday March 26, 3:00pm, First Congregational Church, Manchester VT
Counterpoint directed by Nathaniel G. Lew
Lubbert Gnodde, organ
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Singers
Rebecca Bailey, Miranda Harris Bergmeier, Brian Clancy, Maria Lamson, Shelly Mair, Sudie Marcuse, Zebulun McLellan, Christian Pickwell, Kevin Quigley, Neil Wacek, Vickie Wacek, Rebecca Wood
Special Guest: tenor Adam Hall
Program with Texts
Trevor Weston (American, b. 1967) – Rivers of Living Water (2003)
Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water. A river flowing in a parched land. If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink. (John 7: 37-38)
José Maurício Nunes Garcia (Brazilian, 1767-1830) – Mass of St Peter Alcántara (1809)
- Kyrie
- Gloria
- Domine Deus (tenor solo) – Adam Hall
- Qui Tollis
- Quoniam (bass solo) – Zebulun McLellan
- Cum Sancto
- Sanctus
- Hosanna
- Benedictus (bass solo) – Zebulun McLellan
- Hosanna
- Agnus Dei
Other soloists: Miranda Harris Bergmeier, Sudie Marcuse, Neil Wacek, Brian Clancy, Maria Lamson, Vickie Wacek
Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Kyrie eleison. Kyrie eleison.
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Gloria in excelsis Deo et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Laudamus te, benedicimus te, adormaus te, glorificamus te. Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam. Domine Deus, Rex coelestis, Deus Pater ominpotens. Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe. Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris. Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram. Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis. Quoniam tu solus sanctus, tu solus Dominus, tu solus Altissimus, Jesu Christe, cum Sancto Spiritu in gloria Dei Patris. Amen.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you. We give you thanks for your great glory. O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father almighty. O Lord, the only-begotten son of the Father, Jesus Christ. O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father. You who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. You who take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. You who sit at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For you alone are holy, you alone are Lord, you alone are the Most High, O Jesus Christ, together with the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis. Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis. Hosanna in excelsis.
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the one that comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.
Lamb of God, you who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you who take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (British, 1875-1912) – Impromptu no. 2 for Organ
Vicente Lusitano (Portuguese/Italian, 1520-c. 1561) – Regina caeli (first part)
Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia, quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia…
Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia, the one you were worthy to bear, alleluia…
Ulysses Kay (American, 1917-1995) – Pastorale from Organ Suite no. 1 (1958)
Florence Price (American, 1887-1953) – Mass (Communion Service) in F
- Kyrie
- Gloria
- Sanctus
- Benedictus
- Agnus Dei
Solo quartet: Rebecca Wood, Rebecca Bailey, Christian Pickwell, Kevin Quigley
Lord have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law. Lord have mercy upon us, and write all these Thy laws in our hearts. We beseech Thee.
Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will toward men. We praise Thee. We bless Thee. We worship Thee. We glorify Thee. We give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory. O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty. O Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou only art holy, Thou only art the Lord, Thou only, O Christ with the Holy Ghost art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts. Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. Glory be to Thee O Lord most high. Amen.
Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world, grant us Thy peace.
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor – Now Late on the Sabbath Day (1901)
Solo: Vickie Wacek
Now late on the Sabbath Day, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Madgalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was as lightning, and his raiment white as snow, and for fear of him the watchers did quake and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, “Fear not ye, for I know that ye seek Jesus, which hath been crucified. He is not here, for he is risen, even as He said. Come see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples He is risen from the dead.” And they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy and ran to bring His disciples word. And behold Jesus appeared to them saying “All hail! Go ye therefore and make disciplies of all the nations, baptizing them into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you. And lo, I am with you alway, unto the end of the world.” Amen. (Matthew 28: 1-9, 19-20)
Bios
Founded by legendary choral director and arranger Robert De Cormier in 2000, and based in Montpelier, Vermont, Counterpoint Vocal Ensemble is dedicated to performing choral chamber music and engaging with student musicians in Vermont and beyond. Praised for their “clarity, skill” and “sophisticated musical expressiveness,” the ensemble presents concerts throughout Vermont and the surrounding region and has toured the Midwest. Counterpoint has recorded seven CDs with Albany Records and has released four further CDs independently. Their repertory ranges all over the map, including folksongs from around the world, African-American spirituals, sacred music of many traditions, and concert works by classical composers of the past and our own age. Counterpoint Artistic Director Nathaniel G. Lew is also Professor of Fine Arts and Director of the Honors Program at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont, where he teaches music history, music theory and humanities.
Organist Lubbert Gnodde was born in Urk, The Netherlands. He studied with Jacques van Oortmerssen at the Conservatory of Amsterdam where he obtained his Bachelor and Master degrees in organ with honors. Additional studies include three months with Michel Bouvard in Paris as well as a study in Lyon, France with Louis Robilliard, which was completed with honors as well. He won first prizes in several organ competitions, including the International Schnitger Organ Competition in Alkmaar, Holland, where he obtained the first prize with honors in 2005, with an additional ‘exceptional’ mention in the second round played on the 1511 Van Covelens organ. In 2007 he won first prize in the International César Franck competition in Haarlem. He has performed widely, giving organ recitals in Holland, Europe and the USA, as well as concerts with instrumentalists and choirs, and was a recitalist at OHS conventions in 2013 and 2015. He was organist of the St. Augustinus Church in Amsterdam until 2009, playing a Cavaillé-Coll organ from 1881. In 2009 he and his family moved to Pomfret, Vermont, and he is currently organist of Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Church in Woodstock, Vermont. In 2010 he started working with organ builder A. David Moore in Pomfret, where he became an expert pipemaker and voicer, specializing in 19th century traditions. Since 2018 he has his own organ building business, specializing in tuning, maintenance, and building traditional tracker organ from scratch.
Rehearsal space for Counterpoint provided by the Monteverdi Music School, 46 Barre Street, Montpelier.