≈ 75 minutes · No intermission
Last updated: December 8, 2023
Program
SAMUEL COLERIDGE-TAYLOR Christmas Overture, Op. 74, No. 5 (5 min)
HECTOR BERLIOZ « L’Adieu des bergers » from L’Enfance du Christ (“The Shepherds’ Farewell” from The Childhood of Christ), Op. 25 (3 min)
GUSTAV HOLST Christmas Day (7 min)
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY “Waltz of the Flowers” from The Nutcracker Suite, Op.71a (7 min)
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY “Pas de Deux” from The Nutcracker, Op. 71 (5 min)
GERALD FINZI In terra pax, Op. 39 (15 min)
GEORGES BIZET “Farandole” from Suite No. 2 from L’Arlésienne (5 min)
MYKOLA LEONTOVYCH (arr. P. J. Wilhousky / S. Leclerc) “Carol of the Bells” (3 min)
TRADITIONAL (arr. F. Gruber / R. Daveluy & J.-M. Zeitouni) « Le Sommeil de l’enfant Jésus » (“The Sleep of the Infant Jesus”) (4 min)
FELIX MENDELSSOHN (arr. D. Willcocks) “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (3 min)
FRANZ XAVER GRUBER (arr. R. Daveluy / J.-M. Zeitouni) « Sainte nuit » (“Silent Night”) (5 min)
THERE WILL BE NO INTERMISSION.
TEXTS
L’Adieu des bergers
Il s’en va loin de la terre
Où dans l’étable il vit le jour.
De son père et de sa mère
Qu’il reste le constant amour,
Qu’il grandisse, qu’il prospère
Et qu’il soit bon père à son tour.
Oncques si, chez l’idolâtre,
Il vient à sentir le malheur,
Fuyant la terre marâtre,
Chez nous qu’il revienne au bonheur.
Que la pauvreté du pâtre
Reste toujours chère à son cœur.
Cher enfant, Dieu te bénisse!
Dieu vous bénisse, heureux époux!
Que jamais de l’injustice
Vous ne puissiez sentir les coups.
Qu’un bon ange vous avertisse
Des dangers planant sur vous.
The Shepherds’ Farewell
You must flee this humble stable,
and leave the crib that held you there.
Still, your father and your mother
surround you with undying care!
Grow and prosper, grow and prosper,
and a father’s love may you share!
In that foreign land you flee to,
should loneliness bring you tears,
please remember us that love you;
return to joyous welcome here.
May we shepherds, poor and simple,
ever to your heart be dear!
Dearest infant, may God bless you;
God bless your happy parents too.
May injustice never darken
the love that God bestows on you.
Guardian angels guide, protect you.
May they lead you safely through!
(Translation by Clark Cooper)
Christmas Day
Good Christian men, rejoice
With heart, and soul, and voice;
Give ye heed to what we say:
News! News!
Jesus Christ is born today:
Ox and ass before him bow,
And he is in the manger now.
Christ is born today!
God rest you merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
Remember Christ our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day,
To save us all from woe and sin,
When we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy.
In Bethlehem, in Jewry,
This blessed Babe was born,
And laid within a manger,
Upon that holy morn;
The which his mother, Mary,
Did nothing take in scorn.
O tidings of comfort and joy.
Good Christian men, rejoice
With heart, and soul, and voice;
Now ye hear of endless bliss:
Joy! Joy!
Jesus Christ was born for this!
He hath oped the heav’nly door,
And man is blessed evermore.
Christ was born for this!
Come, ye lofty, come, ye lowly,
Let your songs of gladness ring;
In a stable lies the Holy,
In a manger rests the King;
See, in Mary’s arms reposing,
Christ by highest heav’n adored;
Come, your circle round him closing,
Pious hearts that love the Lord.
The first Nowell the angels did say,
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.
Nowell, Nowell, Nowell,
Born is the King of Israel.
Come, ye poor, no pomp of station
Robes the child your hearts adore:
He, the Lord of all salvation,
Shares your want, is weak and poor:
Oxen, round about behold them;
Rafters naked, cold and bare,
See the shepherds, God has told them
That the Prince of Life lies there.
Come ye children, blithe and merry,
This one Child your model make;
Christmas holly, leaf, and berry,
All be prized for His dear sake;
Come, ye gentle hearts, and tender,
come, ye spirits, keen and bold;
All in all your homage render,
Weak and mighty, young and old.
High above a star is shining,
And the Wisemen haste from far:
Come, glad hearts, and spirits pining:
For you all has risen the star.
Let us bring our poor oblations,
Thanks and love and faith and praise:
Come, ye people, come, ye nations,
All in all draw nigh to gaze.
Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All others doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy.
Good Christian men, rejoice
With heart, and soul, and voice;
Now ye need not fear the grave:
Peace! Peace!
Jesus Christ was born to save!
Calls you one, and calls you all,
To gain his everlasting hall:
Christ was born to save!
Le jour de Noël
Bons chrétiens, réjouissez-vous
Du cœur, de l’âme et de la voix;
Prêtez attention à nos paroles :
Nouvelles! Nouvelles!
Jésus-Christ est né aujourd’hui :
Le bœuf et l’âne s’inclinent devant lui,
Et il est dans la mangeoire.
Aujourd’hui Christ est né!
Que Dieu vous garde en joie, messieurs,
Que rien ne vous consterne,
Souvenez-vous que Christ notre Sauveur
Est né le jour de Noël
Pour nous sauver tous du malheur et du péché
Quand nous étions égarés.
Ô, nouvelles de consolation et de joie.
À Bethléem, en Judée,
Cet enfant béni naquit
Et reposait dans une mangeoire
En ce matin sacré;
Celui dont la mère Marie
Ne méprisa rien.
Ô, nouvelles de consolation et de joie.
Bons chrétiens, réjouissez-vous
Du cœur, de l’âme et de la voix;
On vous parle à présent d’une félicité infinie :
Joie! Joie!
Jésus-Christ est né pour ça!
Il a ouvert la porte céleste,
Et l’homme est béni à jamais.
C’est pour cela que Christ est né!
Venez, les nobles, venez, les humbles,
Faites retentir vos chants d’allégresse;
Dans une étable repose la Sainteté,
Dans une mangeoire repose le Roi;
Voyez, dans les bras de Marie repose
Le Christ adoré au plus haut des cieux;
Venez faire cercle autour de lui,
Cœurs pieux qui aimez le Seigneur.
Le premier Noël chanté par les anges du ciel
Fut pour quelques bergers endormis dans les champs
Ils gardaient leurs moutons auprès d’eux rassemblés
Par une nuit d’hiver d’un froid saisissant.
Noël! Noël! Noël!
Le roi d’Israël est né!
Venez, les pauvres, nul apparat
N’habille l’enfant que vos cœurs adorent :
Lui, le Seigneur de tout salut,
Partage votre misère, est faible et pauvre :
Voyez les bœufs qui l’entourent;
Les chevrons nus, froids et dépouillés,
Voyez les bergers, Dieu leur a dit
Que c’est le Prince de la vie qui repose là.
Venez, enfants, joyeux et gais,
Faites de cet Enfant votre modèle;
Le houx de Noël, les feuilles et les baies,
Tout cela est prisé pour l’amour de Lui;
Venez, cœurs doux et tendres,
Venez, esprits vifs et audacieux;
Rendez-lui tous vos hommages,
Faibles et puissants, jeunes et vieux.
Tout là-haut brille une étoile,
Et les Rois mages arrivent de loin :
Venez, cœurs joyeux et esprits languissants :
Pour vous tous l’étoile s’est levée.
Apportons nos humbles offrandes,
Merci, amour, foi et louange :
Venez, peuples, venez, nations,
Venez tous le contempler.
Chantez maintenant des louanges au Seigneur,
Vous tous en ce lieu,
Et avec amour sincère et fraternité,
Donnez-vous l’accolade;
Ce saint moment de Noël
Supplante tous les autres.
Ô, nouvelles de consolation et de joie.
Bons chrétiens, réjouissez-vous
Du cœur, de l’âme et de la voix;
Vous n’avez plus à craindre la tombe :
Paix! Paix!
Jésus-Christ est né pour sauver!
Il vous appelle un à un, vous appelle tous,
Pour gagner sa demeure éternelle :
Le Christ est né pour sauver!
In terra pax
Text by Robert Bridges and from the Gospel of Luke
A frosty Christmas eve
when the stars were shining
Fared I forth alone,
where westward falls the hill,
And from many a village
in the water’d valley
Distant music reach’d me
peals of bells were ringing:
The constellated sounds
ran sprinkling on earth’s floor
As the dark vault above
with stars was spangled o’er.
Then sped my thoughts to keep
that first Christmas of all
When the shepherds watching
by their folds ere the dawn,
Heard music in the fields
and marvelling could not tell
Whether it were angels
or the bright stars singing.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them:
“Fear not; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
But to me heard afar
it was starry music
Angels’ song, comforting
as the comfort of Christ
When he spake tenderly
to his sorrowful flock:
The old words came to me
by the riches of time
Mellow’d and transfigured
as I stood on the hill
Heark’ning in the aspect
of th’eternal silence.
In terra pax
Texte de Robert Bridges et de l’Évangile selon saint Luc
Par une veille de Noël glaciale
alors que les étoiles scintillaient
Je me suis aventuré seul,
là où la colline plonge vers l’ouest,
Et de plus d’un village
dans la vallée où coule l’eau
Me parvenait une musique lointaine
des volées de cloches sonnaient :
Les constellations de sons
rasaient le sol en saupoudrant la terre
Tandis que la voûte sombre là-haut
était parsemée d’étoiles.
Mon esprit s’est élancé pour préserver
ce premier Noël de tous les temps
Quand les bergers guettant
près de leurs enclos avant l’aube,
Entendaient la musique dans les champs
et s’émerveillaient de ne pouvoir dire
Si c’était les anges
ou les étoiles qui chantaient.
Et il y avait dans cette contrée des pasteurs qui vivaient aux champs et qui passaient les veilles de la nuit à veiller sur leur troupeau. Et l’Ange du Seigneur se présenta à eux et la gloire du Seigneur les enveloppa de sa clarté, et ils furent saisis d’une grande crainte. Et l’ange leur dit :
« Soyez sans crainte, car voici que je vous annonce la bonne nouvelle d’une grande joie, qui sera pour tout le peuple : il vous est né aujourd’hui, dans la ville de David, un Sauveur, qui est Christ Seigneur. Et voici pour vous le signe : vous trouverez un nouveau-né emmailloté et couché dans une mangeoire. »
Et soudain il y eut avec l’ange une multitude de l’armée céleste, qui louait Dieu et disait : « Gloire à Dieu au plus haut des cieux, et sur terre paix aux hommes, qui ont sa faveur. »
Mais ce que j’entendais au loin, pour moi
c’était une musique étoilée
Le chant des anges, aussi réconfortant
que le réconfort du Christ
Lorsqu’il s’adressait tendrement
à son troupeau affligé :
Les mots anciens me sont revenus
par le trésor du temps
Adoucis et transfigurés
alors que j’étais debout sur la colline
Tendant l’oreille
à l’éternel silence.
Carol of the Bells
Hark! how the bells, sweet silver bells
all seem to say “Throw cares away.”
Christmas is here, bringing good cheer
to young and old, meek and the bold.
Ding, dong, ding, dong, that is their song,
with joyful ring, all carolling.
One seems to hear, words of good cheer
from ev’rywhere, filling the air.
Oh, how they pound, raising the sound,
o’er hill and dale, telling their tale.
Gaily they ring, while people sing,
songs of good cheer, Christmas is here!
Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas
Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas
On, on they send, on without end,
their joyful tone to ev’ry home.
Sonnent les cloches
Entendez-vous les douces cloches
On sent qu’approche un chant si doux.
Noël est là, pour les enfants,
Et pour les grands, oui, le voilà!
Ding, dong, ding, dong, les cloches sonnent.
Elles entonnent une chanson.
Fermez les yeux sans plus attendre.
On peut entendre un son joyeux.
Cette chanson dessus les toits
À travers bois comme un frisson!
Réjouis tout le monde et la foule abonde
Pour fêter Noël, Noël!
Joyeux, joyeux, joyeux, joyeux Noël
Joyeux, joyeux, joyeux, joyeux Noël!
Cloches fidèles sans vous lasser,
Carillonnez, joyeux Noël!
Le Sommeil de l’enfant Jésus
Entre le bœuf et l’âne gris
Dort, dort, dort le petit fils;
Mille anges divins, mille séraphins
Volent à l’entour de ce grand Dieu d’amour.
Entre les roses et les lys
Dort, dort, dort le petit fils;
Mille anges divins, mille séraphins
Volent à l’entour de ce grand Dieu d’amour.
Entre les pastoureaux jolis
Dort, dort, dort le petit fils;
Mille anges divins, mille séraphins
Volent à l’entour de ce grand Dieu d’amour.
The Sleep of the Infant Jesus
Between the ox and the grey donkey
sleeps, sleeps, sleeps, the little son;
a thousand heavenly angels, a thousand seraphim
fly around the great God of Love.
Between the roses and the lilies
sleeps, sleeps, sleeps, the little son;
a thousand heavenly angels, a thousand seraphim
fly around the great God of Love.
Amidst the lovely shepherds
sleeps, sleeps, sleeps, the little son;
a thousand heavenly angels, a thousand seraphim
fly around the great God of Love.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the new-born King;
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
join the triumph of the skies,
with the angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the new-born King!”
Christ, by highest heaven adored,
Christ the everlasting Lord;
late in time behold Him come,
offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
hail the incarnate deity;
pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the new-born King!”
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
risen with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
born that man no more may die,
born to raise the sons of earth,
born to give them second birth.
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the new-born King!”
Écoutez le chant des anges
Écoutez le chant des anges :
« Gloire à Dieu qui nous est né!
Joignez aussi vos louanges,
Le pécheur il vient sauver.
Gloire à Dieu, paix sur la terre,
Célébrez ce don du Père. »
Avec les anges, chantez :
« Un enfant nous est donné. »
Écoutez le chant des anges :
« Gloire à Dieu qui nous est né! »
Son palais est une étable,
Une crèche son berceau
Et pourtant c'est l’Admirable,
C’est le fils du Dieu très haut!
Emmanuel, il se nomme,
Descendu parmi les hommes,
Pour que nous soyons sauvés
De la mort et du péché.
Avec les anges, chantez :
« Gloire au Roi qui nous est né. »
Il créa pour nous la terre,
Gloire à Dieu qui l’a donnée!
Apportant vie et lumière,
À Bethléem, il est né!
Accourons, pleins d'allégresse,
Vers le Fils de la promesse.
Son amour est proclamé,
Car sa vie il vient donner.
Avec les anges, chantez :
« Gloire au Roi qui nous est né. »
Sainte nuit
Ô Nuit de paix! Sainte nuit!
Dans le ciel, l'astre luit
Dans les champs tout repose en paix.
Mais soudain, dans l'air pur et frais,
Le brillant chœur des anges
Aux bergers apparaît.
Ô nuit de foi! Sainte nuit!
Les bergers sont instruits.
Confiants dans la voix des cieux,
Ils s’en vont adorer leur Dieu;
Et Jésus, en échange,
Leur sourit, radieux.
Ô nuit d’espoir! Sainte nuit!
L’espérance a relui.
Le Sauveur de la terre est né;
C’est à nous que Dieu l’a donné.
Célébrons ses louanges:
Gloire au verbe incarné!
Holy Night
O peaceful night! Holy night!
The heavenly body shines above;
across the fields all rests in peace.
Yet suddenly, in the air so clear,
a bright choir of angels
to the shepherds appears.
O faithful night! Holy night!
The shepherds have seen:
confident in the voice of Heaven,
they head off to worship their Lord;
and Jesus, in return,
smiles to them radiantly.
O hopeful night! Holy night!
Hope has revived;
the Earth’s Saviour is born;
God has given him to us.
Let us sing his praise:
Glory to the Incarnate Word!
Repertoire
Christmas Overture, Op. 74, No. 5
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875–1912) was the first modern English composer of African descent to achieve national and international fame. During his lifetime, he earned respect and acclaim from composers, critics, and audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. Among his many commissioned works was incidental music for four productions at Her Majesty’s Theatre, one of London’s important playhouses, then under actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree. In 1910, Tree requested music from the composer for a possible fifth production—The Forest of Wild Thyme, a fairy drama for children with words by poet Alfred Noyes. For whatever reason, it was never produced, and not wanting his music to go to waste, Coleridge-Taylor salvaged Three Dream Dances and created this Christmas Overture, which he was working on until his unexpected death on September 1, 1912. It was premiered 13 years later in an arrangement by Sydney Baynes (of Destiny Waltz fame), which is how it’s known today.
Christmas Overture is a rousing orchestral piece featuring a medley of traditional English carols. Pealing bells introduce a trumpet intoning the tune of “Good King Wenceslas”, supported by warm brass. A spin-off melody is then taken up by sonorous strings, then reiterated with brass echoes. Following a brief transition, there’s a boisterous episode evoking the joyous bustle of the holiday season. We then hear the Westminster chime melody, which initiates a dramatic lead up to the first phrases of “Hark! The herald angels sing”. This ultimately arrives at an elaborate full-orchestra presentation of the carol’s tune, closing the Overture in majestic glory.
“The Shepherds’ Farewell” from The Childhood of Christ, Op. 25
Hector Berlioz’s (1803–1869) L’Adieu des bergers (The Shepherds’ Farewell) had an unusual genesis. In 1850, feeling bored at a party, the composer was given a notebook by his friend, the architect Joseph-Louis Duc, as a diversion and ended up jotting down a piece for solo organ. Later, Berlioz noted that “it seemed to have a rustic character and to suggest a naïve mystical feeling. So, I at once thought of writing appropriate words for it. The organ piece disappeared and became a chorus of shepherds in Bethlehem bidding farewell to the child Jesus as the Holy Family leaves for Egypt.” To the chorus, he added orchestral accompaniment.
L’Adieu has a charming simplicity, with a musical setting likely shaped by the French Christmas carols Berlioz would have known in his childhood, and possibly through his study of sources like Nicholas Saboly’s 17th-century collection of “Noëls”. Framing each verse is a recurring little phrase that evokes the sound of the zampogna—the bagpipes Italian shepherds traditionally played during the nine-day lead-up to Christmas Day—which enhances the piece’s pastoral atmosphere.
Berlioz knew that the restrained style of L’Adieu was a significant departure from his earlier music, such as his innovative orchestral works like Symphonie fantastique, that for years failed to win Parisian audiences who thought them too eccentric and ostentatious. Therefore, when he conducted the first performance of L’Adieu in his native city, he introduced it under the name of fictional 17th-century composer Pierre Ducré (a play on Duc’s name), whom he claimed was music director at the Sainte-Chapelle in 1679. When the piece was well received, Berlioz delighted in the irony that those who had rejected his other music were now captivated by this one. Its success inspired him to expand on it, as part of La Fuite en Egypt (The Flight to Egypt), which eventually became Part Two of the large choral dramatic work L’Enfance du Christ.
Christmas Day
English composer Gustav Holst (1874–1934) penned Christmas Day for chorus and orchestra in 1910, three years before he would begin writing the orchestral work for which he’s best known, The Planets. Dedicated to the music students of Morley College, it is, as Holst’s subtitle to the work describes, “a choral fantasy on old carols”. This is no conventional medley, however, but a deft interweaving of four different texts and melodies into an emotionally compelling whole.
Christmas Day unfolds in three continuous but distinct parts. After a sustained chord, the first presents, in turn, the opening two verses of both In dulci jubilo (originally a German and Latin carol from the Middle Ages, known in English as “Good Christian men rejoice”) and the English carol “God rest you merry gentlemen”. With each stanza, the texture builds from solo voice (mezzo-soprano and bass, respectively) to a cappella four-part chorus to the choir accompanied by full orchestra.
The second part introduces Holst’s setting of “Come ye lofty, come ye lowly” to an Old Breton melody, the verses of which are then put in a “mash-up” with “The First Nowell”, soaring above in solo soprano. This counterpoint continues, rearranged amongst the chorus’s parts, and builds towards to a radiant mode shift. It peaks with a recap of the first two verses of “Good Christian men rejoice”, sung in imitation between the voices in this third part. Solo bass returns with the third verse of “God rest you merry gentlemen”, which is now joined by ethereal phrases from “Nowell” (solo soprano and mezzo-soprano). For the final verse of In dulci jubilo, poignant harmonies establish a rarified and contemplative mood, to underscore the text’s message of hope, peace, and salvation in Christ’s birth.
“Waltz of the Flowers” from The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a
“Pas de Deux” from The Nutcracker, Op. 71
No Christmas playlist today would be complete without the captivating music from Tchaikovsky’s (1840–1893) The Nutcracker. Although the original 1891 ballet took time to become a holiday staple, the Suite, which the composer fashioned in 1892, was immediately popular. Along with a “miniature overture”, it’s a compilation of the various dances from the ballet’s second act, during which the young girl Clara and the Nutcracker Prince are treated to a grand “divertissement” celebrating the prince’s safe return—after battle with the Rat King—to Confiturembourg (The Kingdom of Sweets).
The “Waltz of the Flowers” is the final number of the suite; in the original ballet, it’s a “grand ballabile”, or number for the corps de ballet, notably highlighting the waltz as an important type of ensemble dance in this work, as well as being a showcase for Tchaikovsky’s melodic gift. After an introduction featuring the orchestra’s woodwinds and horns and a rippling harp cadenza, the first two of four distinct themes are presented: 1) a sweet tune warmly intoned by the horns, followed by a clarinet response; and 2) a swinging melody in the strings. After these are repeated in turn (with varied instrumentation), flute and oboe intone descending lyrical phrases with dovetailing lines in pairs of violins and violas, followed by the cellos singing an impassioned theme. Violins reprise the lyrical phrases, after which the first two themes are recapped with richer orchestration. The waltz closes with a sumptuous coda.
In the ballet, the “Waltz of the Flowers” is danced by the Sugar Plum Fairy’s attendants, and immediately precedes the pas de deux of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Prince Coqueluche (which literally translates as “whooping cough” but is probably understood to mean “cough drop”). The main theme of the Andante maestoso is based on a falling scale, first introduced by cellos at moderate volume, and with each subsequent presentation, gets louder and grows increasingly fervent. Tchaikovsky specialist Roland J. Wiley has noted that the theme probably had special personal (albeit hidden) meaning for the composer. Embodied in the rhythm of the melody is the invocation to God “‘I so svaytymi upokoi” (And with the saints give rest) from the Russian Orthodox panikhida (funeral service), a likely tribute to his sister Sasha, with whom he was very close and who died after a long bout of illness while he was working on the ballet. According to Wiley, it’s not surprising then that the melody is repeated with “such prayer-like insistence” throughout the pas, with trombones delivering a powerful statement at the full-orchestra climax. In this, Tchaikovsky fulfilled what the original choreographer Marius Petipa had desired for the music in this number: that it should produce “a colossal impression.”
In terra pax, Op. 39
In terra pax is regarded as one of Gerald Finzi’s (1910–1956) “masterpieces in miniature”. He began work on it in 1951, and completed the first version for soprano, baritone, chorus, strings, harp, and cymbals in 1954. During this period, the English composer was diagnosed with leukemia, and underwent treatment for it unbeknownst to most people except his family. In 1956, he rescored the piece for full orchestra and conducted the premiere of this version at the Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester in early September; three weeks later, he passed away.
The text for In terra pax juxtaposes the first and third verses from Robert Bridges’s poem “Noel: Christmas Eve, 1913”, subtitled Pax hominibus bonae voluntatis (Peace and goodwill to all men), sung by the baritone, with the account of the angels’ visitation to the shepherds in the biblical gospel of Luke, sung by the soprano and choir, substituting as the second verse. Finzi explained that the resulting “Christmas Scene” is that “the Nativity becomes a vision seen by a wanderer on a dark and frosty Christmas Eve in our own familiar landscape.” It captures a moment of radiant optimism, despite the uncertainty of everchanging circumstances.
Powerfully poignant, Finzi’s musical setting features a motif evoking pealing bells, as mentioned in the text but also inspired by a personal memory from 30 years before; as Ralph Vaughan Williams’s wife Ursula remembered: “We had a wonderful Sunday [at the Three Choirs Festival in 1956] when the Finzis drove us out to Chosen Hill and Gerald described how he had been there as a young man on Christmas Eve at a party in the tiny house where the sexton lived and how they had all come out into the frosty midnight and heard bells ringing across Gloucestershire from beside the Severn to the hill villages of the Cotswolds.” Listen out, too, for a phrase from the carol “The First Nowell” as well as the alleluia refrain from the hymn Lasst uns erfreuen (Let us rejoice), which are interwoven into the score.
“Farandole” from Suite No. 2 from L’Arlésienne
In 1872, Georges Bizet (1838–1875) was engaged by Carvalho, his patron at Paris’s Théâtre Lyrique, to write incidental music for Alphonse Dudet’s play L’Arlésienne (The Girl from Arles) for a production at the Vaudeville theatre. Set in Provençal, this drama centers on Fréderi, a young peasant man who falls hopelessly in love with a woman from Arles, but she’s already the mistress of a wicked horse trader named Mitifio. Fréderi attempts to settle down with the gentle Vivette, but on the eve of their wedding, Fréderi’s mad jealousy about the two-timing girl from Arles resurfaces, driving him to throw himself to his death. For this melodramatic plot, Bizet created, for a small theatre orchestra, one of his most inventive and colourful scores in which he used authentic Provençal melodies.
While the play was not well received, the music (which the theatrical press found to be overly complicated and demanding) had great success as a suite of four pieces that Bizet compiled and rescored for full orchestra. In 1879, four years after Bizet’s untimely death, his friend and fellow French composer Ernest Guiraud arranged a second suite, with “Farandole” as the finale.
“Farandole” is based on two melodies that Bizet took from a collection of Provençal melodies published in 1864 by François Vidal. The first you hear, presented in stately fashion by full orchestra then in canonic imitation, is Marcho dei Rei (March of the Kings, or Wisemen), a Christmas carol from the region (this tune is also the opening music of the play). It’s followed by Danso dei Chivau-Frus, a characteristically lively farandole dance tune piped by the woodwinds combined with tambourine jingles, which appears in the drama’s pre-wedding party scene. The carol tune is reprised at the tempo of the farandole, and as the melody continues, it’s interrupted by the farandole melody, now in the minor mode. Finally, the two tunes are combined for a boisterous finish.
“Carol of the Bells”
“Carol of the Bells” originated as a winter well-wishing song by Mykola Leontovych (1877–1921), considered one of the most brilliant and original composers of the Lysenko school of Ukrainian music. In 1916, Leontovych was commissioned by Oleksander Koshyts to write a song based on Ukrainian folk melodies. Taking four notes and the original folk lyrics about a swallow flying into a family home to proclaim bounty for the year ahead, he created a new work for a cappella choir entitled Shchedryk (from the Ukrainian word shchedryj, meaning “bountiful”.)
The song soon gained prominence as did Leontovych’s reputation through Koshyts’s efforts to disseminate it and other Ukrainian music when he formed the Ukrainian National Chorus in 1919, at a time when Ukrainians and Ukrainian culture were under threat because of the Russian Civil War. Unfortunately, Leontovych himself became a target; he escaped to Tul’chyn in western Ukraine after Kyiv was captured by the White Army, but in late January 1921, he was killed in his sleep by an undercover Russian agent while visiting his parents.
Meanwhile, Koshyts continued to tour with his choir across Europe, and North and South America, giving over 1,000 concerts throughout the years. On October 5, 1922, they performed a program that included Leontovych’s Shchedryk at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Peter J. Wilhousky, an American choir director and arranger of Ukrainian descent, heard the song and was taken by the music, thinking that it reminded him of bells. In 1936, he penned new lyrics in English about “sweet silver bells” and their joyful “ding, dong, ding, dong” ring proclaiming that “Christmas is here”, thus giving Leontovych’s song a new life around the world, including in English- and French-speaking Canada, as “Carol of the Bells”.
« Le Sommeil de l’enfant Jésus » (“The Sleep of the Infant Jesus”)
“Le Sommeil de l’enfant Jesus” is one of the oldest extant French carols or noëls, originally known as “Entre le bœuf et l’âne gris” (Between the ox and the donkey) with its melody from 13th-century Anjou. It first appeared in a “modern” harmonized version under its current title in Collection de chœurs, a late 19th-century 10-volume collection of choral music composed and compiled by the Belgian composer and musicologist François-Auguste Gevaert. Such collections helped this music to spread, and like many French carols, “Le Sommeil” came across the Atlantic to Quebec and was absorbed into the Christmas musical traditions of the region.
The text of this gentle lullaby refers to the humble circumstances of Christ’s birth—amidst the oxen and the donkey, the latter possibly carrying the pregnant Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem—as well as Isaiah’s prophesy from centuries before: “The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib” (NRSV).
“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
One of the most popular of English carols, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sings” has an intriguing genesis story. In 1739, Charles Wesley (1707–1788), founder of the Methodist movement and a prolific hymnwriter, penned the text for a “Hymn for Christmas Day”, which began with the couplet “Hark! How all the Welkin [heaven] rings / Glory to the King of Kings”. It was inspired by the description of angelic voices praising God on the day of Christ’s birth in the biblical gospel of Luke. Fourteen years later, the Anglican cleric George Whitefield (1714–1770) reworked his friend and colleague’s text, including the opening lines to the more familiar “Hark! The herald angels sing, / Glory to the newborn King”.
As for the music, Wesley envisioned it to be sung to the same melody as his Easter hymn “Christ the Lord is Risen Today”. However, in 1855, the English tenor and organist William Hayman Cummings (1831–1915) thought of a different tune; as he was considering Whitefield’s revision of Wesley’s text, a melody from a cantata Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847) had composed in 1840, for a festival commemorating the 400th anniversary of Gutenberg’s invention of the moveable-type printing press, came to mind. Although Mendelssohn himself felt that this tune would not be suitable for a sacred text, Cummings adapted it to Wesley’s/Whitefield’s words anyway, thus giving us the Christmas carol we know today.
The version you’ll hear tonight is an arrangement by Sir David Willcocks that has been widely performed in Britain and elsewhere since its publication in 1961. For the first two verses, Cummings’s harmonizations of Mendelssohn’s tune are maintained, while the third verse features an added melody for the sopranos and a new chordal accompaniment.
« Sainte nuit » (“Silent Night”)
One of the most famous Christmas songs, Stille Nacht has been translated into many languages since its creation in 1818. The original German text was written in 1816 by Josef Mohr (1792–1848), an Austrian priest at St Nikolaus Church in Oberndorf. That year, the Austrian composer Franz Xaver Gruber (1787–1863) joined Mohr’s parish as cantor and organist and the two became good friends. For Midnight Mass on December 24, 1818, Mohr wanted something unique for his congregation and asked Gruber to create a musical setting for Stille Nacht. Because the organ was under repair at the time, the very first performance of the song that night was accompanied by guitar.
Gruber’s lilting and richly harmonized melody beautifully highlights Mohr’s text that speaks of the birth of Jesus Christ as the embodiment of God’s love to bring hope and peace to a troubled world. It’s a message that would have deeply resonated with Mohr, Gruber, and their fellow Austrians, who were rebuilding their lives after having suffered greatly during the Napoleonic wars. Sometime later, a visiting organ builder named Karl Mauracher heard the song (possibly shown it by Gruber himself), and he took it to Tyrol. Stille Nacht soon became a hit with various singing families, who incorporated it into their repertories, and thereafter, it spread quickly throughout Austria, Germany, and England. However, it was assumed to be a Tyrolean folksong until 1854, when Gruber wrote down an official account of the song’s creation.
In 1859, the American priest Father John Freeman Young created the English translation that is most frequently sung today, including in Canada. Tonight’s performance will feature the French-language version by Quebecois abbé Armand Bail (1902–2001) that was introduced in 1961 by the famed pop singer Fernand Gignac and has since become a French-Canadian Christmas classic.
Program notes by Hannah Chan-Hartley, PhD
Artists
Jean-Marie Zeitouni is one of the brightest conductors of his generation, renowned for his expressive and eloquent style in a repertoire that ranges from Baroque to contemporary music.
Over the years, Jean-Marie Zeitouni has been Artistic Director of the I Musici de Montréal Chamber Orchestra (2011–2021), and Musical Director of the Colorado Music Festival (2014–2019), the Columbus Symphony (2010–2015), and the opera program at the Banff Centre (2005–2007). He has also been Artistic Partner of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Conductor and Chorus Director at the Opéra de Montréal as well as Musical Director of their Atelier lyrique, Chorus Director at the Orchestre symphonique de Québec and at the Opéra de Québec, and Musical Director of the orchestra and of the opera workshop at Laval University. Over a 12-year period of fruitful collaboration with Les Violons du Roy he alternately held the positions of conductor in residence, assistant conductor, and principal guest conductor. Since 2022, he has been conducting the Orchestre symphonique du Conservatoire de musique de Montréal as well as directing the orchestra conducting class.
Highly sought after as a conductor of both symphonic and operatic repertoire, Zeitouni regularly conducts in Europe and across North America.
In 2023–2024, he conducts the Orchestre National de Montpellier in a project by the Palazetto Bru Zane at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, the Orchestre national de Lille for a recording on the Alpha label, the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Les Violons du Roy at the Festival international du Domaine Forget, the NAC Orchestra, Hamilton Philharmonic, San Antonio Philharmonic, Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, and the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra. He will also assume the musical direction during the creation of the new opera La Reine-garçon by Julien Bilodeau and Michel-Marc Bouchard at the Opéra de Montréal, and will take the helm for the production of Lucie de Lammermoor at the Opéra of Quebec.
Age old pedagogy. Fresh new rep.
Maghan McPhee is a revered lyric coloratura soprano thanks to her sensitive artistry, precise musicianship, and luscious instrument. She is adept with standard repertoire and highly sought after for premiering new works by established contemporary composers such as Monica Pearce, Andrew Ager, and Aulon Naci. Her soaring soprano suits the difficulty and high tessitura of many Mozart roles including Ilia (Idomeneo), Susanna and Contessa (Le nozze di Figaro), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), and Zerlina and Donna Anna (Don Giovanni). Other signature roles include Micaela in Bizet’s Carmen, and Berta in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia where she made her mark and “immediately had the public holding their breath during her brief but remarkable solo” (Le Droit).
An accomplished concert performer, she has sung at Carnegie Hall, and with notable orchestras including Thirteen Strings, Symphony Nova Scotia, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and the American Symphony Orchestra. With the NAC Orchestra she worked with Alexander Shelley in Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream along with acclaimed actor Colm Fiore and was the soprano soloist in their Messiah. McPhee launched her debut recording Portrait with pianist Parvaneh Eshghi, to great reviews: “[Maghan has] full command of her instrument, precise in her attacks, and stylish in her approach to the songs...” (barczablog).
Maghan is a curious artist and forever dedicated to her passion for exploring the human voice’s power and possibility. She imparts the training she received in New York and holds a private studio embracing in-person training as well as virtual with students all over the country and abroad. She is the founding executive director of Breno Italy International Music Academy. BIIMA is celebrating its 10th season enabling participants to awaken their artistry in an idyllic and nurturing setting in voice, piano, choral, improvisational composition, and flute.
Acclaimed for his velvety timbre and outstanding stage presence, young French-Canadian baritone Hugo Laporte regularly performs across Europe, North America, and Asia. In 2023 he made his acclaimed debut at Teatro alla Scala in Offenbach’s Les Contes d'Hoffmann.
Hugo Laporte’s recent and upcoming roles include Malatesta (Don Pasquale), Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Enrico Ashton (Lucia di Lammermoor) and Belcore (L'elisir d'amore) at Opéra de Québec; Sharpless (Madama Butterfly), Conte Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), and Escamillo (Carmen) at Opéra de Montréal; Zurga (Les Pêcheurs de perles) at l'Opéra du Royaume; and Gwynplaine in the world premiere of L'Homme qui rit by Ichmouratov (adapted from the novel by Victor Hugo) at Festival Classica. In addition, he performs Mozart’s Great Mass conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Handel’s Messiah with Orchestre Classique de Montréal at St Joseph’s Oratory.
In great demand as a concert and oratorio singer, Hugo Laporte has appeared with Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, Moscow’s Helikon-Opera, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, the NAC Orchestra, and Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra. He also frequently performs in sacred works such as Fauré’s Requiem, Brahms’ Deutsches Requiem, J.S. Bach’s St Matthew’s Passion, and G. Finzi’s In terra pax. His recent recordings include the complete recording of Massenet’s songs on the ATMA Classique label, alongside artists such as Marie-Nicole Lemieux.
Hugo Laporte has received awards in several competitions, including the “Teatro alla Scala” prize at the Belvedere Competition in Austria, and the Grand prize of OSM Competition. He holds a master’s degree with honours in Music (Vocal studies) from the Université Laval, Québec. He sincerely thanks La Relève Musicale de Québec for their support during his studies, and Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques international opera program for supporting his career.
One of Canada’s premier large choral ensembles, the Ottawa Choral Society (OCS) draws its auditioned voices from across the National Capital Region. As well as presenting an annual subscription series, the Society appears regularly with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, performs under renowned conductors with acclaimed vocal artists, and tours internationally. Its programming is diverse and ambitious—from timeless masterworks to adventurous music by today’s leading composers.
With a vision of creating community through music, the OCS fosters Canadian talent by providing training opportunities for young soloists, conductors, and choral singers. The Society commissions and performs new works, engages leading Canadian musicians, offers bursaries and scholarships, and invites the region’s outstanding youth and children’s choirs to share its stage.
Our 2023–2024 season begins with A Christmas Playlist at the National Arts Centre. On December 17, we perform a concert of seasonal music (at St. Francis of Assisi Church) featuring renowned actor Pierre Brault as storyteller. On March 5, 2024, we present Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and other works by Jewish composers (at Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre). On May 26 we perform the Te Deums by Haydn, Dvořák, and Pärt, at St. Francis of Assisi. Our season closes with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at the National Arts Centre on June 19 and 20.
ottawachoralsociety.com
Gabrielle Gaudreault is the Artistic Director of the Ottawa Choral Society and the Saint-Lambert Choral Society. She is also an instructor in the Choral Department at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, where she directs the choral ensembles and supervises the graduate students in choral conducting. A sought-after conductor, pedagogue, and collaborative pianist, Dr. Gaudreault has previously served as Assistant Conductor to Kent Nagano at the Staatsoper Hamburg; Associate Conductor of the National Children’s Chorus in Washington, DC; Artistic Director of the South Shore Children’s Chorus in Saint-Lambert, Quebec; Music Director of the St-Augustine’s Church Choir in St-Bruno, Quebec; and Apprentice Conductor of the National Youth Choir of Canada.
In 2020, she co-founded CG Music Academy in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband Chris. Gabrielle completed her Doctorate in Choral Conducting at McGill University in spring 2020 and holds an MA in Music Theory and Choral Conducting from Indiana University. Her research focuses on pedagogical approaches to the choral rehearsal and late 20th-century choral works by Québécois composers.
Tobi Hunt McCoy is enjoying another year as season Stage Manager with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. In past seasons, she stage-managed Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Christopher Plummer in 2001 and Colm Feore in 2014. She co-produced the 1940s Pops show On the Air with Jack Everly for the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, a show they co-produced in 2007 for the NAC Orchestra.
In 2018, McCoy made her Southam Hall acting debut in the role of Stage Manager in the Magic Circle Mime Co.’s production of Orchestra from Planet X. Additional professional duties have included aiding Susanna and the Countess in schooling the Count and Figaro on the finer points of marital love during The Marriage of Figaro, keeping her eyes open (for the first time ever) during the flying monkey scene in The Wizard of Oz, mistakenly asking Patrick Watson for proof of identity backstage, holding her breath while marvelling at the athletic ability of the cast during Cirque Goes Broadway, continuing to implement feedback on her British-Columbian French with the choruses of Ottawa, and cheering on Luke and Princess Leia with Charlie Ross, Émilie Fournier, and Eric Osner during the Star Wars Pops concert.
In her spare time, McCoy is the Head of Arts, Drama, English, and Library at Lisgar Collegiate Institute.
Canada’s National Arts Centre (NAC) Orchestra is praised for the passion and clarity of its performances, its visionary learning and engagement programs, and its unwavering support of Canadian creativity. The NAC Orchestra is based in Ottawa, Canada’s national capital, and has grown into one of the country’s most acclaimed and dynamic ensembles since its founding in 1969. Under the leadership of Music Director Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra reflects the fabric and values of Canada, engaging communities from coast to coast to coast through inclusive programming, compelling storytelling, and innovative partnerships.
Since taking the helm in 2015, Shelley has shaped the Orchestra’s artistic vision, building on the legacy of his predecessor, Pinchas Zukerman, who led the ensemble for 16 seasons. Shelley’s influence extends beyond the NAC. He serves as Principal Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the UK and Artistic and Music Director of Artis—Naples and the Naples Philharmonic in the United States. In addition to his other conducting roles, the Pacific Symphony in Los Angeles’s Orange County announced Shelley’s appointment as its next Artistic and Music Director. The initial five-year term begins in the 2026-2027 season, with Shelley serving as Music Director-Designate from September 2025. Principal Guest Conductor John Storgårds and Principal Youth Conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser complement Shelley’s leadership. In 2024, the Orchestra marked a new chapter with the appointment of Henry Kennedy as its first-ever Resident Conductor.
The Orchestra has a rich history of partnerships with renowned artists such as James Ehnes, Angela Hewitt, Renée Fleming, Hilary Hahn, Jeremy Dutcher, Jan Lisiecki, Ray Chen, and Yeol Eum Son, underscoring its reputation as a destination for world-class talent. As one of the most accessible, inclusive and collaborative orchestras in the world, the NAC Orchestra uses music as a universal language to communicate the deepest of human emotions and connect people through shared experiences.
A hallmark of the NAC Orchestra is its national and international tours. The Orchestra has performed concerts in every Canadian province and territory and earned frequent invitations to perform abroad. These tours spotlight Canadian composers and artists, bringing their voices to stages across North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia.
Credits
Ottawa Choral Society
Gabrielle Gaudreault, Artistic Director
Soprano
Elena Arsenault
Sandy Bason
Loretta Cassidy
Barbara Collins
Carol Fahie
Jane Flook
Deirdre Garcia
Beth Granger
Christy Harris
Julie Henderson
Amy Heron
Susan Joss
Alison Lamont
Anna Lehn
Joyce Lundberg
Pat MacDonald
Leah Marchuk
Anaïs Martin
Maggie McCoy
Logann McNamara
Isabelle Melanson
Shailla Nargundkar
Nancy Savage
Susan Scott
Uyen Vu
Brendalee Wilson
Karen Zarrouki
Alto
Susan Abbot
Jo-Anne Bacon
Lynn Baltzer-Carroll
Ruth Belyea
Louise Brind'Amour
Jennifer Brown
Sue Chapman
Barbara Colton
Heather David
Jennifer Davis
Raquel Farrar
Rachel Gagnon
Mary Beth Garneau
Adele Graf
Lisa Hans
Lisanne Hendelman
Natalie Hunter
Patricia Jackson
Eileen Johnson
Samantha Larson
Emma Lassiter
Lois Marion
Mary Martel-Cantelon
Beth Martin
Nora McBean
Lisa McMurray
Heather Reid
Peggy Robinson
Elizabeth Shore
Sally Sinclair
Victoria Sinclair
Claire Thompson
Jenn Walsh
Tenor
Nyoman Adipranata
Guy Bellemare
Tim Coonen
Charlie Donnelly
John Goldsmith
Louis Majeau
John McBride
Kathryn McCarthy
Simon McMillan
David Palframan
Kent Siebrasse
Bass
Paul Badertscher
Mike Beauchamp
Fahd Boulahouala
Roger Butt
Martin Edwards
Thierry Faure
Etienne Grall
Gary King
John Litster
Doug MacDonald
Ian MacMillan
Michael Maidment
Michel Parent
Andrew Rodger
Mathieu Roussel-Lewis
William Sanna
Mark Silver
William Snyder
John Sprigge
Tim Thompson
Geoff White
NAC Orchestra
First Violins
Yosuke Kawasaki (concertmaster)
Jessica Linnebach (associate concertmaster)
Noémi Racine Gaudreault (assistant concertmaster)
Jeremy Mastrangelo
Marjolaine Lambert
Emily Westell
Manuela Milani
*Martine Dubé
*Erica Miller
*Heather Schnarr
Second Violins
*John Marcus (guest principal)
Emily Kruspe
Frédéric Moisan
Carissa Klopoushak
Leah Roseman
Winston Webber
Mark Friedman
Zhengdong Liang
Edvard Skerjanc
**Karoly Sziladi
*Andréa Armijo Fortin
Violas
Jethro Marks (principal)
David Marks (associate principal)
David Goldblatt (assistant principal)
Tovin Allers
David Thies-Thompson
Paul Casey
Cellos
Rachel Mercer (principal)
**Julia MacLaine (assistant principal)
Leah Wyber
Timothy McCoy
Marc-André Riberdy
*Karen Kang
*Desiree Abbey
Double Basses
Max Cardilli (assistant principal)
Vincent Gendron
Marjolaine Fournier
*Paul Mach
Flutes
Joanna G'froerer (principal)
Stephanie Morin
Oboes
Charles Hamann (principal)
Anna Petersen
English Horn
Anna Petersen
Clarinets
Kimball Sykes (principal)
Sean Rice
Bassoons
Darren Hicks (principal)
Vincent Parizeau
Horns
Julie Fauteux (associate principal)
Lawrence Vine
Lauren Anker
Louis-Pierre Bergeron
Trumpets
Karen Donnelly (principal)
Steven van Gulik
*Michael Fedyshyn
Trombones
*Steve Dyer (guest principal)
Colin Traquair
Bass Trombone
Zachary Bond
Tuba
Chris Lee (principal)
Timpani
*Jonathan Rance (guest principal)
Percussion
Jonathan Wade
*Joshua Wynnyk
Harp
*Angela Schwarzkopf
Keyboards
*Thomas Annand
Principal Librarian
Nancy Elbeck
Assistant Librarian
Corey Rempel
Personnel Manager
Meiko Lydall
Orchestra Personnel Coordinator
Laurie Shannon
*Additional musicians
**On leave
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees