CHORAL MUSIC

Commissioned by First Church in Cambridge, Congregational
Peter Sykes, Music Director

Written for Dr. Susan Jane Matthews and the Choirs of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Burlingame, CA, The Rev. Thomas Skillings, Rector, with thanks.

Commissioned and Premiered (24 February 1996) by Ensemble Project Ars Nova, at First Church in Cambridge
Text by Patricia Van Ness (English), trans. into Latin by Edward J. Vodoklys, S.J.

Part of Birds of the Psalms
Commissioned by and Premiered (May 2016) by Cappella Clausura, Amelia LeClair, Director
Commercial Release Fall 2017 by Cappella Clausura, Amelia LeClair, Director, and online July 2018 by PARMA
Text by Patricia Van Ness (English)
From Music for the Psalms

Commissioned and Premiered (30 September 2006) by Mannerquartett Schnittpunktvokal (Austria)
Festival Niedersachsische Musiktage, Hannover, Germany
Text: I Corinthians 13 Biblia Sacra Vulgata translation (Latin)

Commissioned and Premiered (20 January 2001) by First Church in Cambridge, Congregational
Peter Sykes, Music Director
Text by Patricia Van Ness (English), trans. into Latin by Edward J. Vodoklys, S.J.

Commissioned and Premiered (21 October 1995) by Laurie Monahan, St. Martins Episcopal, Providence, RI
Text by Patricia Van Ness (English), trans. into Latin by Edward J. Vodoklys, S.J.
Vielle Improvisation by Shira Kammen

Text:

Ego sum custos Angela / I am your Guardian Angel
Pastor tuus natu / your shepherd at birth.
Millibus angelorum te circumfusis / Thousand of angels circle around
Inspiratibusque tuum primum spiritum. / inspiriting your first breath.

Omnis volvens lapis / Every turning stone
Omne volitans folium / each fluttering leaf
Omnia huius terrae / all things belonging to this earth
Silentibus angelis coronata. / are crowned with silent angels.

Omnis vivens moriendus; / Everything that lives must die;
Sive vivis sive morieris, / as you live and as you pass away,
Circumvenimus te / we surround
Atque complectimus / and enfold you.

Commissioned and Premiered (7 January 2001) by First Church in Cambridge, Congregational
Peter Sykes, Music Director
For the installation of the Rev. Dr. J. Mary Luti as Senior Minister of First Church in Cambridge
Text: Mark 1:9 Biblia Sacra Vulgata translation (Latin)

Auftragswerk der Valentin & Anni Leitgeb Stiftung für das Festival Carinthischer Sommer 2009.
For Manner-quartett Schnittpunktvokal

Commissioned by Valentin & Anni Leitgeb Stiftung, performeManner-quartett Schnittpunktvokal for the Festival Carinthischer Sommer 2009

The text is from a traditional Carinthian (Austria) folk song.

Commissioned and Premiered (30 March 2003) by Youth pro Musica, St. Cecilia’s Church, Boston, MA
Hazel Somerville, Director
Text: Genesis 1, Psalm 148 and Psalm 91, Biblia Sacra Vulgata translation (Latin)

Commissioned by The Memorial Church at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
for the 102nd Annual Christmas Carol Service
and the Harvard University Choir, Edward Elwyn Jones, Director
Text by Patricia Van Ness (English)

Commissioned and Premiered by First Church in Cambridge, Congregational
Peter Sykes, Music Director
Text in Latin and English from the Vulgata and the Book of Common Prayer

Commissioned and Premiered (22 March 1996) by Tapestry, Cambridge, MA; Laurie Monahan, Director
Text by Patricia Van Ness (English), trans. into Latin by Edward J. Vodoklys, S.J.

Commissioned and Premiered (27 March 1997) by First Church in Cambridge, Congregational
Peter Sykes, Music Director
Text by Patricia Van Ness (English), trans. into Latin by Edward J. Vodoklys, S.J.

Commissioned and Premiered (Easter Sunday 2000) by First Church in Cambridge, Congregational
Peter Sykes, Music Director
Text: Isaiah 9: 2, 6, Biblia Sacra Vulgata translation (Latin)

Commissioned and Premiered by Renaissance Men
Text in Latin from the Vulgata

Part of: Child of the Borderlands
Commissioned and Premiered by Susan Jane Matthews DMA, ARSCM and the Choirs of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Burlingame, CA
Text: Adapted by Van Ness from the Psalter, The Book of Common Prayer (English)
From Music for the Psalms

Part of “Psalms of Luminous Rescue”
Commissioned by Elizabeth Bradley and Coro Allegro, David Hodgkins, Artistic Director
and Premiered on 20 May 2018 by Coro Allegro, Sonja Dutoit Tengblad, soprano, Church of the Covenant, Boston
In Memory of Our Foremothers, Who Fought For Our Deliverance
Text adapted from The Psalter, The Book of Common Prayer

Part of “Birds of the Psalms”
Commissioned and Premiered by Cappella Clausura, Amelia LeClair, Director
Commercial Release Fall 2017 by Cappella Clausura, Amelia LeClair, Director, and online July 2018 by PARMA
Text: Psalter, The Book of Common Prayer (English)
From Music for the Psalms

Dedicated to Vermillion
Text: Psalter, The Book of Common Prayer (English)
From Music for the Psalms

Premiered (21 April 2013) at Night Song (Daryl Bichel, Artistic Director) First Church in Cambridge, Congregational, performed by Viriditas, Cristi Catt, Director
Text: Psalter, The Book of Common Prayer (English)
From Music for the Psalms, dedicated in its entirety to Peter Sykes

Commissioned by Amuse, Inc. (NYC); Premiered at St. John the Divine, NYC, October 2017
Psalm text adapted from The Psalter, The Book of Common Prayer

Premiered by Viriditas, Cristi Catt, Director, at Night Song, First Church in Cambridge, Congregational

Text: Rumi (Birdsong) and The Psalter, The Book of Common Prayer (English)
From Music for the Psalms

Text

Birdsong brings relief to my longing
I’m just as ecstatic as they are, but with nothing to say!
Please universal soul, practice some song or something through me!
You heard my cry.
You put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to you:
Amen.

Part of “Birds of the Psalms”
Commissioned by and Premiered (October 2016) by Cappella Clausura, Amelia LeClair, Director
Commercial Release Fall 2017 by Cappella Clausura, Amelia LeClair, Director, and online July 2018 by PARMA
Text: The Biblia Sacra Vulgata
From Music for the Psalms

Part of “Birds of the Psalms”
Commissioned by and Premiered (October 2016) by Cappella Clausura, Amelia LeClair, Director
Commercial Release Fall 2017 by Cappella Clausura, Amelia LeClair, Director, and online July 2018 by PARMA
Text: Psalter, The Book of Common Prayer (English)
From Music for the Psalms

For Susan Jane Matthews DMA, ARSCM and the Choirs of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Burlingame, CA
Text: Adapted by Van Ness from the Psalter, The Book of Common Prayer (English)
From Music for the Psalms

Dedicated to Peter Marks (1946-2020). Premiered by Susan Jane Matthews DMA, ARSCM and the Choirs of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Burlingame, CA
Text: Adapted by Van Ness from the Psalter, The Book of Common Prayer (English)
From Music for the Psalms

Premiered (24 November 2013) at Night Song (Daryl Bichel, Artistic Director) by Viriditas, Cristi Catt, Director
First Church in Cambridge, Congregational
Text: Psalter, The Book of Common Prayer (English)
From Music for the Psalms

Dedicated to Carson Cooman
Text: Psalter, The Book of Common Prayer (English)
From Music for the Psalms

Part of “Psalms of Luminous Rescue”
Commissioned by Elizabeth Bradley and Coro Allegro, David Hodgkins, Artistic Director
and Premiered on 20 May 2018 by Coro Allegro, Sonja Dutoit Tengblad, soprano, Church of the Covenant, Boston
In Memory of Our Foremothers, Who Fought For Our Deliverance
Text adapted from The Psalter, The Book of Common Prayer
From Music for the Psalms

Premiered by New England Classical Singers, David Hodgkins, Spring 2022

Commissioned by Peter Ersland for the New England Classical Singers, David Hodgkins, Artistic Director, and dedicated to the memory of his parents, Bob and Kathy Ersland, who fostered in him a lifelong appreciation of music.

Premiered (3 February 2013) at Night Song (Daryl Bichel, Artistic Director) by Canticum verspertinum
First Church in Cambridge, Congregational
Text: Psalter, The Book of Common Prayer (English)
From Music for the Psalms

Dedicated to Angelus, Dana Taylor, Director
Text: From the Hebrew, Transliteration by Alan J . Green
From Music for the Psalms

Commissioned and Premiered (31 October 2004) by Coro Allegro; David Hodgkins, Director, Sanford Sylvan, baritone, Church of the Covenant, Boston
In memory of Julie Ince Thompson
Text: The Mass (Latin); one additional text by Patricia Van Ness (English)

Commissioned and Premiered (19 November 2006) by First Church in Cambridge, Congregational
Peter Sykes, Music Director
Text by Patricia Van Ness (English)

Commissioned by and Premiered (15 November 1998), by Coro Allegro
David Hodgkins, Director, soprano Ruth Cunningham
Text by Sappho (Old Greek and English)