It’s so good to be with you this afternoon! We’re delighted you’ve chosen to celebrate the holidays with us through music. As I noted at our November concert, after a year and a half spending more time than ever before sequestered in our homes, we’ve been especially keen to return to our musical home: the concert. And what better way to resume than with a concert of holiday music?

Our program reaches back across the ages to some of the first melodies ever written down and presents them alongside familiar carols and the spirited music of Handel and Bach. You’ll hear timeless tunes sung by heart by untold millions over hundreds of years as well as new arrangements on which the ink is barely dry. The texts of these pieces don’t precisely delineate the stories of the holidays so much as trace their outlines and highlight several moments and key themes: the yearning to be lifted out of darkness and gloom into light and hope, the joy of sharing good news, and the potential for renewal portended by a newborn (and latent in us all). These are touchstones for any ear and every era, acutely poignant in our present predicament. I hope that some combination of word, melody, and space conjures for you a doorway into a precious place we haven’t been able to enjoy for many months—a realm of reflection, even reverie, where you can marvel at the beauty of music.

And while I hope you enjoy your experience as an individual listener, I hope you’ll also take a moment to appreciate the uniquely communal experience of attending a concert. After so much time apart, and so much time alone, listening only to digital signals buzzing metallic speakers, the joyful, comforting, familiar music of the holidays, born of breath and body, enjoyed together, resonates more deeply than ever. Just as the global community has, our Princeton Pro Musica community has experienced loss, of cherished singers and audience members who have passed or moved away. And at the same time we’ve welcomed new musicians and listeners. It is the love of music that begets that community and communion.

I sincerely hope that some musical moment experienced today reminds you, palpably, happily, of what a joy it is to be human, alongside others, and what a gift it is to be able to surrender ourselves to one of the most meaningful manifestations of humanity: music. It is in this spirit that our penultimate selection will remind us all how precious it is that music, like the holidays themselves, can bring us together in the present and give an occasion for future reunion. Auld Lang Syne bids us lean on one another, take a cup o’ kindness, and raise a glass for auld lang syne—for the sake of old times—while we turn toward the next chapter. Thank you for choosing to join us this afternoon as we look back and look forward to our next time together. “For there’s a trusty hand, my friend, and give me a hand o’ thine, for we’ll take a right good-will draught for auld lang syne.”

Ryan James Brandau
December 2021

SOLOISTS

Rebecca Farley, American soprano, has been praised for her poise (Opera News), her “fine, flexible soprano” (Parterre Box), and her “filigree phrasing” (Scoop New Zealand). She made her Carnegie Hall debut in Bach’s Magnificat with the Cecilia Chorus of New York, returning to Carnegie with them the next season for Bach’s Weihnachts-Oratorium. While still a student, Farley enjoyed a wonderful relationship with her alma mater Juilliard’s premier baroque ensemble Juilliard415. Together they performed sixteen concerts over two international tours, one tour of which was conducted by leading Bach authority Masaaki Suzuki.

Farley made her west coast debut at the Granada Theatre as Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro, conducted by James Conlon. This production led to her being invited to sing Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte (Lyric Opera of Kansas City), conducted by musicologist and Mozart expert Dame Jane Glover. She will be reunited with Maestro Glover this coming May when she will sing as the soprano soloist in Haydn’s Creation Mass with Maestro Glover’s own ensemble, Music of the Baroque.

Hear Rebecca on the official recording released this year of Thy Will Be Done, Angela Rice’s contemporary Easter oratorio. She has worked closely with Rice since 2013 and premiered the oratorio in New York at David Geffen Hall. Other notable premieres include Jonathan Breit’s concert scena Der Zippelfaggotist at Carnegie Hall and Sherry Wood’s Mara: A Chamber Opera in collaboration with The Rubin Museum, New York

Rebecca holds awards from the Gerda Lissner Foundation, the Giulio Gari Foundation, the Lyndon Woodside Oratorio-Solo Competition, the Orpheus Vocal Competition, and was a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She is a recipient of Juilliard’s Kovner Fellowship, Lucrezia Bori Grant, and the Novick Career Advancement Grant.

Marcus Jordan is a professional singer/actor/director based in Grand Rapids, MI. Marcus was recently seen in regional productions of Rent (Benny/Redhouse Performing Arts); Ragtime (Coalhouse Walker Jr./Theatre Aspen); Atlantis: A New Musical (Arah/Virginia Rep Theatre) and Parade (Newt Lee). Marcus is no stranger to the Princeton Pro Musica family! He served as a bass section leader during the 2009-2010 season while studying voice and vocal pedagogy at Westminster Choir College. Marcus is excited and honored to be reconnecting with Maestro Brandau and this brilliant ensemble!

TEXTS

O Come, O Come Emmanuel / God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

15th cent. French melody / 18th cent. English carol

Arr. Ryan James Brandau

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here,

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

God rest ye merry, gentlemen

Let nothing you dismay

Remember Christ, our Savior

Was born on Christmas day,

To save us all from Satan’s power

When we were gone astray.

O tidings of comfort and joy,…

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer

Our spirits by thy advent here.

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

God rest ye merry, gentlemen

Let nothing you dismay

Remember Christ, our Savior

Was born on Christmas day,

To save us all from Satan’s power

When we were gone astray.

O tidings of comfort and joy,…

And the Glory of the Lord

From Messiah

Georg Frederic Handel

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,

and all flesh shall see it together;

for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Sanctus

From Mass in B Minor

J.S. Bach

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth.

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.

Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria ejus.

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

There Were Shepherds Abiding in a Field

From Messiah

G.F. Handel

There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks 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 Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying:

Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will towards men.

I Saw Three Ships

Trad., Arr. Ryan James Brandau

I saw three ships come sailing in On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.

I saw three ships come sailing in On Christmas Day in the morning.

And what was in those ships all three On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day?

And what was in those ships all three On Christmas Day in the morning?

Our Savior Christ and His lady On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.

Our Savior Christ and His lady On Christmas Day in the morning.

Pray, whither sail’d those ships all three On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day?

Pray, whither sail’d those ships all three On Christmas Day in the morning?

O, they sailed into Bethlehem On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.

O, they sailed into Bethlehem On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the bells on Earth shall ring On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.

And all the bells on Earth shall ring On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the angels in heav’n shall sing On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.

And all the angels in heav’n shall sing On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the souls on earth shall sing On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.

And all the souls on earth shall sing On Christmas Day in the morning.

Then let us all rejoice amain On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day.

And let us all rejoice amain On Christmas Day in the morning.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Arr. Ryan James Brandau

I heard the bells on Christmas day

Their old familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet their songs repeat

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along the unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head

There is no peace on earth I said.

For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Then rang the bells more loud and deep,

God is not dead, nor doth He sleep.

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,

With peace on earth, good will to men.

Come Unto Him

From Messiah

Georg Fredric Handel

Come unto Him, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,

and He shall give you rest.

Take His yoke upon you, and learn of Him;

for He is meek and lowly of heart:

and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Still, Still, Still / Silent Night

Traditional Austrian and Franz Gruber, arr. Brandau

Still, still, still,

One can hear the falling snow.

For all is hushed,

The world is sleeping,

Holy Star its vigil keeping.

Still, still, still,

One can hear the falling snow.

Silent night, holy night

All is calm and all is bright

Round yon virgin, mother and child

Holy infant, so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace

Sleep, sleep, sleep,

‘Tis the eve of our Saviour’s birth.

The night is peaceful all around you,

Close your eyes,

Let sleep surround you.

Sleep, sleep, sleep,

‘Tis the eve of our Saviour’s birth.

Silent night, holy night

Shepherds quake at the sight

Glories streams from heaven afar

Heavenly hosts sing, alleluia

Christ the savior is born,

Christ the savior is born

Silent night, holy night,

Son of God, love’s pure light;

Radiant beams from thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord, at thy birth,

Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

O Come All Ye Faithful

Arr. Ryan James Brandau

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!

O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem.

Come and behold Him, born the King of Angels.

O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him Christ the Lord!

Gesù Bambino

Pietro Yon, arr. Brandau

When blossoms flowered ‘mid the snows Upon a winter night

Was born the Child the Christmas Rose, The King of Love and Light

The angels sang, the shepherds sang, The grateful earth rejoiced

And at His blessed birth the stars Their exultation voiced.

O come let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

Again the heart with rapture glows To greet the holy night

That gave the world its Christmas Rose, Its king of Love and Light

Let ev’ry voice acclaim His name, The grateful chorus swell

From paradise to earth He came That we with Him might dwell

O come let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.

Jingle Bells

Arr. Ryan James Brandau

Dashing through the snow

In a one-horse open sleigh

Over the hills we go

Laughing all the way

The bells on bobtail ring

They make spirits bright

What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight

Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

What fun it is to ride

In a one horse open sleigh, hey

Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a one horse open sleigh

A day or two ago

I thought I’d take a ride

And soon Miss Fanny Bright

Was seated by my side

The horse was lean and lank

Misfortune seemed his lot

We got into a drifted bank

And then we got upsot

Go Tell It on the Mountain

Arr. Bonds/Brandau

Go tell it on the mountain over the hills and everywhere.

Go tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born.

When I was just a learner,

I sought both night and day.

I asked the Lord to aid me

And he showed me the way.

Lord made me a watchman

Upon a city wall,

And if I am a Christian,

I am the least of all.

The wise men and the shepherds.

All hailed the Savior’s birth.

He came to spread the message

Of peace to all the earth.

Deck The Hall

Arr. Ryan James Brandau

Deck the hall with boughs of holly, Fa la la la la la la la la!

Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la …

Don we now our gay apparel, Fa la …

Troll the ancient Yuletide carol, Fa la…

See the blazing yule before us, Fa la …

Strike the harp and join the chorus, Fa la…

Follow me in merry measure, Fa la …

While I tell of Yuletide treasure, Fa la…

Fast away the old year passes, Fa la…

Hail the new, you lads and lasses, Fa la…

Sing we joyous all together! Fa la…

Heedless of the wind or weather, Fa la la la la la la la la!

Wassail

Arr. Ryan James Brandau

Wassail! wassail! all over the town,

Our bread it is white and our ale it is brown;

Our bowl it is made of the green maple tree.

In the wassail bowl, we’ll drink unto thee.

Here’s a health to the ox and to his right eye,

Pray God send our master a good Christmas pie,

A good Christmas pie as e’er I did see.

In the wassail bowl we’ll drink unto thee.

Here’s a health to the ox and to his right horn,

Pray God send our master a good crop of corn:

A good crop of corn as e’er I did see.

In the wassail bowl we’ll drink unto thee.

Here’s a health to the ox and to his long tail,

Pray God send our master a good cask of ale,

A good cask of ale as e’er I did see.

In the wassail bowl we’ll drink unto thee

Here’s a health to the ox and to his left ear

Pray God send our master a happy New Year!

A happy New Year as e’er I did see.

In the wassail bowl we’ll drink unto thee.

Come butler, come fill us a bowl of the best

Then I pray that your soul in heaven may rest

But if you do bring us a bowl of the small,

May the devil take butler, bowl and all.

Then here’s to the maid in the lily white smock,

Who tripp’d to the door and slipp’d back the lock;

Who tripp’d to the door and pulled back the pin,

For to let these jolly Wassailers walk in.

Wassail! wassail! all over the town,…

Joy to the World!

G.F. Handel, Arr. Ryan James Brandau

Joy to the world! The Lord is come.

Let earth receive her King

Let every heart prepare Him room

and heaven and nature sing…

Hallelujah!

From Messiah

G.F. Handel

Hallelujah! For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord,

Auld Lang Syne

Arr. Ryan James Brandau

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, for auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, ma dear, for auld lang syne, we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup, and surely I’ll buy mine,

And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

We two have paddled in the stream, from morning sun till dine; But seas between us broad have roared, since auld lang syne.

And there’s a hand my trusty friend! And give me a hand o’ thine! And we’ll take a right good-will draught, for auld lang syne.

Joy to the World / We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Arr. Ryan James Brandau

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of his righteousness,

And wonders of his love,

And wonders, wonder of his love.

We wish you a Merry Christmas,

We wish you a Merry Christmas

And a Happy New Year!

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Chorus

SOPRANO
Rose Ananthanayagam, Gail Balog, Stephanie Brown, Rebecca Carroll, Dorothy Cassimatis, Sally Chrisman, Sidnee Curtis, Hari Kanta Didi-Ogren, Sandra Black Duffy, Christine Elsner, Angel Gardner, Carol Gould, Amelia Gruber, Candus Hedberg, Jan Johnson, Carol Johnston, Jane Kleindienst, Kathy Korwin ,Maureen Kyle, Teri Lindstrom, Carol K. McCollough, Noël McCormick, Marjorie Morse, Sandra Noyelle, Christina Pantelias, Caroline Phinney, Blythe Quelin, Jody Stebbins, Marilee Thompson, Peggy Waldron, Norah Wasden, Tasneem Yusufali

ALTO
LaVerna Albury, Erica Townsend Appel, Brenda Berger, Janet Breslin, Elly Sparks Brown, Elaine R. Clisham, Libby Crowley, Lisa Dacuk-Julius, Linda Gardner, Louise Gross, Olga Kronenberg, Carolyn P. Landis, Susan Metz, Dee Dee Miles, Kim Elaine Neighbor, Jean Parsons, Janet Perkins, Fran Perlman, Ellen Petrone, Karen Repka, Susan Sumutka, Ravenna Taylor, Becky Worrell

TENOR
Samuel Denler, Wolfgang Elsner, Gary Gregg, Daniel Kanhofer, Jason Matthews, Fred Millner, Larry Parker, Dan Spira, Martin Wheelwright

BASS
Charles Appel, Maxwell Brey, John Couch, Bruce B. Duffy, Richard Farris, Kenneth J. Litvack, Lucien S. Marchand, Bernard J. McMullan, Brian Newhouse, Gahan Pandina, Robert Phinney, Dudley Rice, Michael Stebbins, Charles A.M. Tompkins

Orchestra

Violin 1

Urara Mogi

Cheng-Chih

Kevin Tsai

Adelya Nartadjieva

Margaret Banks

Elena Chernova-Davis

Robyn Quinnett

Violin 2

Marina Fragoulis

The Frank L. Biletsky Chair

Mioi Takeda

Aleksandr Anisimov

Susan Metcalf

David Steinberg

Viola

Gregory K. Williams

Liuh-Wen Ting

Margrét Hjaltested

Kristi Giles

Cello

Luke Krafka

Chris Gross

Carolyn Jeslsohn

Katsura Mori

Bass

Tony Falanga

Richard Sosinsky

Flute

Diva Goodfriend-Koven

Christina Hughes

Piccolo

Dina Goodfriend-Koven

Oboe

Lillian Copeland

Gilles Zhe Cheng

English Horn

Gilles Zhe Cheng

Clarinet

Robert Dilutis

Bohdan Hilash

Bass Clarinet

Bohdan Hilash

Bassoon

Gili Sharett

Dan Shelly

French Horn

Eric C. Davis

Nathanael Udell

Colin Weyman

Nicolee Kuester

Trumpet

Garth Greenup

James De La Garza

Tom Boulton

Trombone

Ben Herrington

Karl Lyden

Chris Olness

Harp

June Han

Piano & Harpsichord

Kerry Heimann

Timpani

William Trigg

Percussion

John Ferrari

Jon Berger

Personnel Manager

Bohdan Hilash

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Princeton Pro Musica wishes to thank the following individuals and organizations for providing their special help:

Allegra Print & Marketing

Discover Jersey Arts

FrontRow Productions

New Jersey State Council on the Arts

Princeton Area Community Foundation

Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce

Support Staff Volunteers

VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Janet Breslin

BOOKKEEPER

Maureen Kyle

CONCERT MANAGER

Dee Dee Miles

DIGITAL PROGRAM

Dee Dee Miles

CHAMBER CHORUS COORDINATOR

Fran Perlman

MUSIC COORDINATOR

Kim Neighbor

SECTION LEADERS

Candus Hedberg, soprano

Kim Neighbor, alto

Gary Gregg, tenor

Richard Farris, bass

WEBMASTER

Carolyn Landis

CONCERT HOUSE STAFF

Box Office: Kevin Dziuba, Donald Worrell

House Manager: Mary Trigg

Front of House: Timothy Carpenter, Walter Dixon, Charles Repka, Jeffrey Winik

Comfort and Joy to the World