San Francisco Lyric Chorus

What Sweeter Music

Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 7pm

Sunday, December 6, 2009 at 7pm

First Unitarian Universalist Church
1187 Franklin at Geary Blvd, San Francisco

Map and Directions

Tickets Available Online

$20 (at the door)
$17 (in advance & seniors)
Free (students 5-18)
Please, no children under 5

Further information: (415) 721-4077 or info@sflc.org

Dr. Robert Train Adams, our new Music Director, leads the San Francisco Lyric Chorus in What Sweeter Music, an exciting variety of music for the Christmas season, selected from a list of the top 50 favorite Christmas carols and other works, chosen by major English and American choral conductors for the December 2008 issue of the eminent British music publication, BBC Music Magazine.

Francis Poulenc Quatre Motets Pour le Temps de Noël
Benjamin Britten This Little Babe from Ceremony of Carols
Anonymous (ca. 1420) Ther Is No Rose of Swych Virtu
John Joubert There Is No Rose
Michael Praetorius Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen
Boris Ord Adam Lay Ybounden
John Rutter, arr. Il Est Né Le Divin Enfant
Robert Pearsall In Dulci Jubilo
Tomás Luis de Victoria O Magnum Mysterium
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck Hodie
Harold Darke In The Bleak Midwinter
John Tavener The Lamb
John Gardner Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day
John Rutter What Sweeter Music
and the World Premiere of
Robert Train Adams’ Christmas Fantasy

Francis Poulenc’s (1899-1963) four beautiful Christmas motets display a variety of moods and feelings, celebrating special aspects of a special season.

One of the selections from his popular Ceremony of Carols, Benjamin Britten’s (1913-1976) This Little Babe, energetically tells of the future deeds of the ‘little babe’ in driving rhythm and cascading canons.

The anonymous 15th century carol, Ther Is No Rose of Swych Virtu, is a beautiful, simple homage to the Virgin Mary. South African/English composer John Joubert’s (1927- ) lovely anthem, There Is No Rose, sets the same text in a gentle hymn. German composer Michael Praetorius’ (1571-1621) familiar carol, Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen, also pays tribute to Mary. English composer Boris Ord’s (1897-1961) beautiful Adam Lay Ybounden is another familiar work, often used in the Nine Lessons and Carols of Christmas

..Il Est Né Le Divin Enfant. Robert Pearsall (1795-1856) is one of the finest Victorian part-song composers. His In Dulci Jubilo is a gentle version of this famous tune. ..

Two classic early music Christmas selections, Spanish composer Tomás Luis de Victoria’s (1548-1611) ethereal O Magnum Mysterium and Dutch composer Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck’s (1562-1621) joyous five-part Hodie show the elegance of Renaissance and Baroque Christmas motets.

English composer Harold Darke (1888-1976) creates a lyrical setting of Christina Rossetti’s poem, In The Bleak Midwinter. Contemporary English composer John Tavener’s (1944- ) setting of William Blake’s poem, The Lamb, is calm and pensive, stark, yet simple. English composer John Gardner’s (1917- ) setting of the poem, Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day, is perky and slightly jazzy. One of John Rutter’s most beautiful works is his setting of Robert Herrick’s poem, What Sweeter Music.

We conclude our program with the World Premiere of Robert Train Adams’ Christmas Fantasy, incorporating several beloved Christmas carols.

Further information at www.sflc.org

Members of the San Francisco Lyric Chorus met for a wonderful Happy Hour at San Francisco’s Arlequin Restaurant on Wednesday, October 15!  What a great time we had in the outdoor back patio, chatting and getting to know each other.  Thank you, Lisa Marie, for planning this incredibly successful event!  It was such fun, as old and new members came together to chat.  We certainly found that we’ve had many different experiences in common.  What a wonderful group of people!  Our sense of family comes through in our rehearsals and definitely in our concerts.   We’ll certainly have more of these events!  Helene

We had a great first rehearsal last night with our new Music Director, Dr. Robert Train Adams, in our new rehearsal space:

Macondray Hall
First Unitarian Universalist Church
1187 Franklin Street
San Francisco

The program is fabulous:

Francis Poulenc—Quatre Motets Pour le Temps de Noël
Benjamin Britten—This Little Babe
Anonymous (ca. 1420)—Ther Is No Rose of Swych Virtu
John Joubert—There Is No Rose
Michael Praetorius—Est Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen
Boris Ord—Adam Lay Ybounden
John Rutter, arr.—Il Est Né Le Divin Enfant
Robert Pearsall—In Dulci Jubilo
Tomás Luis de Victoria—O Magnum Mysterium
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck—Hodie
Harold Darke—In The Bleak Midwinter
John Tavener—The Lamb
John Gardner—Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day
John Rutter—What Sweeter Music
AND the World Premiere of Robert Train Adams’ Christmas Fantasy

We worked on the early music Ther Is No Rose, the Pearsall, Poulenc's Videntis Stellam, the Sweelinck Hodie, and some of Robert's composition, Christmas Fantasy.  We had a lot of fun.  This program is really beautiful

Singers still can join us.  We're looking especially for tenors and basses.  If you are interested, contact Robert Adams at radams@sflc.org, robert@adamsworks.org, or 415-721-4077.

The San Francisco Lyric Chorus, under the direction of our new Music Director, Robert Train Adams, invites singers to join us for our Fall 2009 trimester. We have openings in all parts.

Tenors and Basses especially are needed.

Program: What Sweeter Music!   Selections from the 50 Best Christmas Carols & Works, chosen for BBC Music Magazine by Major English And American Choral Directors

Francis Poulenc—Quatre Motets Pour le Temps de Noël
Benjamin Britten—This Little Babe
John Joubert—There Is No Rose
Michael Praetorius—Est Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen
Boris Ord—Adam Lay Ybounden
John Rutter, arr.—Il Est Né Le Divin Enfant
Robert Pearsall—In Dulci Jubilo
Tomás Luis de Victoria—O Magnum Mysterium
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck—Hodie
Harold Darke—In The Bleak Midwinter
John Tavener—The Lamb
John Gardner—Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day
John Rutter—What Sweeter Music
AND the World Premiere of Robert Train Adams’ Christmas Fantasy

Rehearsals begin Monday, September 14, 2009

Rehearsals are held on Monday nights from 7:15-9:45 p.m. at Macondray Hall, First Unitarian Universalist Church, 1187 Franklin Street (Franklin & Geary), San Francisco.

To arrange for an audition (ability to blend and sing in tune, some sight reading skill expected) or obtain further information, contact Music Director Robert Train Adams at 415-721-4077 or radams@sflc.org.

Our concerts will be held on Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, December 6, 2009 at 5 p.m.

For our Fall 2009 trimester, we will be sampling an exciting variety of music for the Christmas season, chosen by major English and American choral conductors for the eminent British music publication, BBC Music Magazine.

Francis Poulenc’s (1899-1963) four beautiful Christmas motets display a variety of moods and feelings, celebrating special aspects of a special season.

One of the selections from his popular Ceremony of Carols, Benjamin Britten’s (1913-1976) This Little Babe, energetically tells of the future deeds of the ‘little babe’ in driving rhythm and cascading canons.

South African/English composer John Joubert’s (1927- ) lovely anthem, There Is No Rose, is a gentle hymn to Mary.  German composer Michael Praetorius’ (1571-1621) familiar carol, Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen, also pays tribute to Mary.  English composer Boris Ord’s (1897-1961) beautiful Adam Lay Ybounden is another familiar work, often used in the Nine Lessons and Carols of Christmas.

English composer John Rutter (1945- ) has created a delightful arrangement of the French carol, Il Est Né Le Divin Enfant.   Robert Pearsall (1795-1856) is one of the finest Victorian part-song composers.  His In Dulci Jubilo is a gentle version of this famous tune.

Two classic early music Christmas selections, Spanish composer Tomás Luis de Victoria’s (1548-1611) ethereal O Magnum Mysterium and Dutch composer Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck’s (1562-1621) joyous five-part Hodie show the elegance of Renaissance and Baroque Christmas motets.

English composer Harold Darke (1888-1976) creates a lyrical setting of Christina Rossetti’s poem, In The Bleak Midwinter.  Contemporary English composer John Tavener’s (1944- ) setting of William Blake’s poem, The Lamb, is calm and pensive, stark, yet simple.  English composer John Gardner’s (1917- ) setting of the poem, Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day, is perky and slightly jazzy.  One of John Rutter’s most beautiful works is his setting of Robert Herrick’s poem, What Sweeter Music.

We conclude our program with the World Premiere of Robert Train Adams’ Christmas Fantasy, incorporating several beloved Christmas carols.  

Formed in 1995, the San Francisco Lyric Chorus is an auditioned volunteer chorus that performs a repertoire representing all periods of choral music, with a special interest in presenting little known, rarely performed works of exceptional merit. The Chorus has featured performances of works by such composers as Mozart, Bach, Haydn, Schubert, Brahms, Fauré, Dufay, Josquin, Bernstein, Howells, Pärt, Tavener, Lauridsen, Verdi, Britten, Dvorák, Kodály, and San Francisco composer Kirke Mechem, as well as our 10th Anniversary commissioned work, Illinois composer Lee R. Kesselman's This Grand Show Is Eternal.

For further information about us, check our website at http://www.sflc.org

Guess what!  It’s time again for another wonderful San Francisco Lyric Chorus concert. 

Here are our concert details:
 
SF Lyric Chorus Summer 2009 Concert:  Mozart, Schubert, Mendelssohn

Saturday August 22, 2009, 8:00pm
Sunday, August 23, 2009, 5:00pm
Trinity Episcopal Church
Bush & Gough Streets, San Francisco
 
Tickets: $20 general; $17 advance sale/seniors; free admission for students 5-18 with ID.
Please, no children under 5.
Tickets can be purchased on the web at www.sflc.org/concerts.
 
Program:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart—Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, K 339
Franz Schubert—Mass in G
Felix Mendelssohn—Lift Thine Eyes (Elijah)
Felix Mendelssohn—He Watching Over Israel (Elijah)
Felix Mendelssohn—Say Where Is He Born (Christus)
Felix Mendelssohn—There Shall A Star From Jacob (Christus)
Felix Mendelssohn—Kyrie in D Minor
Felix Mendelssohn—Beati Mortui

Featured Accompanist
Robert Train Adams, Organ and Piano
 
A little background on the music:

This summer, the San Francisco Lyric Chorus presents a concert of choral gems by Mozart, Schubert, and Mendelssohn. 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s beautiful Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, K 339, showcases his ability to compose music of transcendent melody, as well as music of vibrant energy and complexity.  Franz Schubert’s Mass in G is pure lyrical Schubert, quiet and gentle in some places, stirring and majestic in others.

We celebrate Felix Mendelssohn’s 200th birthday with several familiar and beloved selections, as well as two compositions that are rarely performed.  Lift Thine Eyes, written for treble voices, and He Watching Over Israel from the oratorio, Elijah, are flowing and melodic choral classics.  Say Where Is He Born and There Shall A Star From Jacob, from the unfinished oratorio, Christus, also demonstrate Mendelssohn’s wonderful sense of melody.  His five-part Kyrie in D Minor, written when he was 16, is a soaring and somewhat dark work that pays homage to Johann Sebastian Bach.  Beati Mortui (Blessed Are The Dead) is an ethereal work for tenors and basses.

It’s going to be a FABULOUS concert and we hope to see you there. Trinity is a wonderful performance space that really shows off choral music.   Since Trinity will be closing its main sanctuary in the very near future, this concert may be the last concert given in this space for a long time.  You can enjoy the beautiful church, while listening to the chorus and the historic and wonderful E.M. Skinner symphonic organ.  We look forward to performing to full houses.  Please bring a friend.  For more information, visit our website at http://www.sflc.org.

August 8 and 9 are the dates for Music Director Robert Gurney's second-weekend-of-the-month concert at the beautiful Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco's gorgeous Lincoln Park.  You won't want to miss this one!  Robert will give us a taste of the classics (and how much more classic can you get than J.S. Bach?) along with some beautiful examples of American music--two compositions by the King of Ragtime, Scott Joplin, and selections from one of the most beloved American musical theater productions, Oklahoma!

You get to hear Robert's concert for free with your museum admission.  The concerts take place in the Rodin Gallery.  Come and hear the wonderful E.M. Skinner organ with all its bells and whistles--real ones!

Here's the program:

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
California Palace of the Legion of Honor

Saturday and Sunday
August 8th and 9th, 2009
Four o'clock


Kismet Rag                  Scott Joplin (1868-1917) and Scott Hayden
(1868-1917)

Solace--A Mexican Serenade               Scott Joplin

Gavotte and Menuet  from "French Suite VI in E"    Johann Sebastian Bach
(1685-1750)

Gavotte and Menuet and Trio from "French Suite III In B Minor" J.S. Bach

Toccata in F                 J.S. Bach

Selections from "Oklahoma!" (1943)
lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960) music by Richard Rodgers
(1902-1979)

SFLC Music Director Robert Gurney is one of the regular organists at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park.  He gives concerts on the second weekend of every month, and he will be giving concerts this coming weekend, July 11 and 12.  Legion organ concerts are free to the public (with museum admission), and are held in the Rodin Gallery at 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.  The Legion's fantastic E.M. Skinner organ is similar to Trinity's wonderful historic E.M. Skinner instrument.  The Legion organ has additional bells and whistles, including a marvelous battery of real percussion instruments.  You won't see them, of course, but they are there.  It is a real pleasure to sit in that beautiful room, listening to Robert's masterful playing of the Legion's symphonic organ.  Robert's beautifully varied program for this weekend is:

The Liberty Bell     John Philip Sousa  (1854-1932)

A Summer Pastorale      David Paxton (b.1934)

Summer Skies      Leroy Anderson  (1908-1975)

Prelude and Fugue in G Minor    Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707)

Chorale-Prelude on "Nun Bitten Wir"   Dietrich Buxtehude

Selections from "Top Hat" (1935)  Irving Berlin (1888-1989)

Semper Fidelis   John Philip Sousa

Music Director Robert Gurney is one of the regular organists at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park.  He gives concerts on the second weekend of every month, and he will be giving concerts this coming weekend, June 13 and 14.  Legion organ concerts are free to the public (with museum admission), and are held in the Rodin Gallery at 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. 

The Legion's fantastic E.M. Skinner organ is a wonderful historic instrument.  It has unusual bells and whistles, including a marvelous battery of real percussion instruments.  You won't see them, of course, but they are there in the organ loft.  It is a real pleasure to sit in that beautiful Rodin Gallery, listening to Robert's masterful playing of the Legion's symphonic organ.  Robert's program for this weekend is:

High School Cadets  John Philip Sousa 1854-1932

Sonata in C Minor for Organ    Felix Mendelssohn 1809-1847
  I. Grave
  II. Adagio
  III. Allegro maestoso e vivace
  IV. Fuga

Four Two-Part Inventions    Johann Sebastian Bach 1685-1750
  No. 14 (B Flat)
  No. 13 (A Minor)
  No. 4  (D Minor)
  No. 8  (F)

Bist Du Bei Mir (from the "Anna Magdalena Clavier Book) J.S. Bach

An Der Schonen Blauen Donau  (On The Beautiful Blue Danube) Johann Strauss
Jr. 1825-1899

Music from the film "The Mission"   Ennio Morricone b. 1928

Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 in D   Sir Edward Elgar 1865-1934
arr. Edwin H. Lemare 1865-1934

The San Francisco Lyric Chorus, under the direction of Robert Gurney, invites singers to join us for our Summer 2009 trimester. We have openings in all parts.

Tenors and Basses especially are needed.

Program:  Mozart, Schubert and Mendelssohn

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:  Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, K 339
Franz Schubert:  Mass in G
Felix Mendelssohn:  Say Where Is He Born from Christus
Felix Mendelssohn:  There Shall A Star From Jacob from Christus
Felix Mendelssohn:  He Watching Over Israel from Elijah
Felix Mendelssohn:  Kyrie in D Minor

Rehearsals begin Monday, May 11, 2009.

Rehearsals are held on Monday nights from 7:15-9:45 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, Bush & Gough Streets, San Francisco.

To arrange for an audition (ability to blend and sing in tune, some sight reading skill expected) or obtain further information, contact Music Director Robert Gurney at 415-775-5111 or rgurney@sflc.org.

Our concerts will be held on Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, August 23, 2009 at 5 p.m.

For our Summer 2009 trimester, we will explore some of the most beautiful music of those master composers, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert and Felix Mendelssohn.

The Mozart Vesperae Solennes de Confessore is a set of six pieces with lots of variety.  Dixit Dominus is cheery and sprightly, as is the Confitebor.  Beatus Vir is all melody and energy.  Laudate Pueri has a wonderfully energetic fugue in it.  The Laudate Dominum has the most incredibly gorgeous soprano solo, with some great music for the chorus, too.  The work ends with a magnificent Magnificat.

Schubert's Mass in G is pure lyrical Schubert, tender and sweet in some places, stirring and majestic in others!

It's Felix Mendelssohn's 200th birthday this year, so we're celebrating with some of the best of the best.  He Watching Over Israel is one of the classic Mendelssohn choruses from his most famous work, Elijah.  Say Where Is He Born is a wonderful trio from an unfinished oratorio, Christus, leading into an absolutely gorgeous chorus, There Shall A Star From Jacob. 

You probably won't have heard Mendelssohn's Kyrie in D Minor.  It was thought to be lost, and was only made available in the 1960s.  It's about ten minutes long, SSATB with accompaniment, both soaring and somewhat dark.

You won't want to miss the San Francisco Lyric Chorus, under the direction of Robert Gurney, as they present:  Classical Music of Canada and Brazil

Saturday, April 25, 2009
8 p.m.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
5 p.m.
Trinity Episcopal Church
Bush & Gough Streets
San Francisco

Tickets:  General $20; Seniors & Advance, $17
Free admission for students 5-18
Please, no children under five
Visit our website:  www.sflc.org
For information call (415) 721-4077

PROGRAM:

José Maurício Nunes Garcia--Requiem
Stephen Chatman--Two Rossetti Songs
Stephen Chatman--Gloria
Healey Willan--Rise Up, My Love
Healey Willan--O Sing Unto The Lord A New Song
Imant Raminsh--Ave Verum Corpus
Ruth Watson Henderson--Sing All Ye Joyful
Srul Irving Glick--What I Have Learned Is This
Srul Irving Glick--The Hour Has Come

FEATURING:

Robert Train Adams, Organ

Our featured work is the Requiem by the remarkable Afro-Brazilian composer José Maurício Nunes Garcia, 1767-1830.  Grandson of slaves, he is known as the Brazilian Mozart.  He was a priest, composer, singer, violinist, pianist, teacher of prominent Brazilian composers, and chapel master to the court-in-exile of Portuguese King João IV.  He introduced Brazil to the works of Mozart and Haydn and other European composers.  His Requiem is reminiscent of Mozart’s great work, with added Romantic elements.
 
We also present modern and contemporary choral music from Canada.  University of British Columbia professor Stephen Chatman's Two Rossetti Songs are lyrical settings of poems by Dante and Christina Rossetti.  His Gloria is an energetic, rhythmic contrast.  Healey Willan's Rise Up, My Love and O Sing Unto The Lord A New Song are wonderful anthems by the father of Canadian choral music.  Latvian immigrant Imant Raminsh's Ave Verum Corpus is an exquisite work in the Eastern Orthodox tradition.  Ruth Watson Henderson's Sing All Ye Joyful is a delightful setting of text from Tolkien's The Hobbit.  Srul Irving Glick was one of Canada's most performed and recorded composers.  His What I Have Learned Is This is a movement from his memorial to Leonard Bernstein.  The Hour Has Come is the last movement of a six-part work with that title, expressing the beauty of the earth and exclaiming dramatic warning that we must come together in harmony before we and the earth perish.