Bedtime Stories
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- COME, LISTEN -
i-i-o-hi-ho
arr. Erland von Koch
We begin with this haunting Scandinavian folk song arranged by Swedish composer Erland von Koch in 1968. Taken from the eerie high-pitched traditional herding calls known as "kulning", this piece beckons us into an evening of stories and music. Shepherd’s Song of Äppelbo Sung in ancient Swedish (Sami) I – i – o – hi – ho. Konã vårã då. Kôm at kôm. Stackare barne minã då. Kôm at kôm. I – i – o – hi – ho. Kôm at kôm. I – i – o – hi – ho. Konã vårã då. Kôm at kôm. Granngås, o Krus, o Sala, då. Kôm at kôm. I – i – o – hi – ho. Kôm at kôm. I – i – o – hi – ho. Hey, our little cows. Come here, come. Hey, our poor little children, come. Come here, come. I – i – o – hi – ho. Come here, come. I – i – o – hi – ho. Hey, our little cows. Come here, come. [Names of cows:] Granngås, O Krus, And Sala, too. Come here, come. I – i – o – hi – ho. Come here, come.
Escucha (Excerpt)
Carlos Cordero
I love this piece by Carlos Cordero which invites us to appreciate and listen to the world around us. It was premiered in 2020 by our friends at Chorus Austin and was originally scored for chorus and string orchestra. Since I didn’t have a string orchestra available for this concert, Carlos graciously allowed me to program the piece with piano accompaniment and to create an excerpt of the work that still resonates the excitement and youthful joy of the original. In his program note, Carlos remembers what it was like to view the world at three years of age: “ALWAYS AMAZED.” We hope that it connects you with your childhood self and reminds you of the beauty that can be found in slowing down and listening. El cielo: (The sky) Las nubes, (The clouds) El sol. (The sun) Mira el cielo: (Look at the sky) Las nubes, (The clouds) El sol. (The sun) Escucha las aves volar, (Listen to the birds flying) A través del cielo azul. (Through the blue sky) El mar (The sea) Escucha las olas (Listen to the waves) Romper en la orilla. (Crash on the shore) Respira (Breathe) Las hojas de los árboles, (The leaves of the trees) Su forma, (Their shape) Su fragilidad. (Their fragility) Ligera vuelan las hojas en el viento (The leaves Lightly flying in the wind) Escucha las nubes, (Listen to the clouds) Toca el cielo, (Touch the sky) Siente las flores, (Feel the flowers) Mira el sol. (Look at the sun)
- INNOCENCE -
Out of the Forest
by Leta Moser
Leta would love to be part of an a cappella group but has been told she's tone deaf. Until she can properly tune her instrument, she sees storytelling as part of her journey in finding her voice.
Moonset
Don Macdonald
This beautiful and contemplative piece by Canadian composer Don Macdonald is the first movement of a 7-part song cycle that celebrates the poetry of Emily Pauline Johnson (1861-1913). Johnson was the daughter of a Mohawk chief and an English woman. She became one of the most celebrated Canadian writers and orators, adopting the name “Tekahionwake” after her grandfather meaning “double wampum” or “double life”. She developed a career in spoken-word performances touring widely for almost two decades with a dual stage persona, beginning the evening in traditional Native dress, and concluding in an English drawing room gown. Her poetry too had a duality within it: English in tone and structure but using the imagery and ideals of Native legends and beliefs. I love this poem’s connection with nature which feels at once real and fantastical. To me, it fits with the imagination and innocence of childhood. We may not understand, but our souls are touched in shadow-land. Idles the night wind through the dreaming firs, That waking murmur low, As some lost melody returning stirs The love of long ago; And through the far, cool distance, zephyr fanned. The moon is sinking into shadow-land. The troubled night-bird, calling plaintively, Wanders on restless wing; The cedars, chanting vespers to the sea, Await its answering, That comes in wash of waves along the strand, The while the moon slips into shadow-land. O! soft responsive voices of the night I join your minstrelsy, And call across the fading silver light As something calls to me; I may not all your meaning understand, But I have touched your soul in shadow-land.
The Lamb
John Tavener
The Lamb is one of English composer John Tavener’s most famous pieces, performed all over the world especially at Christmastime. He wrote it in the span of about 15 minutes during a road trip in 1982, intending the piece to be a birthday present for his 3-year-old nephew Simon and having no idea that it would become a commercial success. As his inspiration, he used William Blake’s 1789 poem of the same name which draws on the religious symbolism of the Agnus Dei. You can hear a binary both in the text and in the music, contrasting youthful innocence with aged wisdom. Tavener used a simple melodic motif and then turned it every which way–upside down, backwards, both upside down AND backwards–-and then smushed two of those lines together, creating a new melody and did the same things with it. What results is an unquestionably innocent sound that then moves through moments of intense chromaticism and unconventional harmonies, interlocking melodic lines through a bitonality of both E flat major and G major. Little lamb who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee? Gave thee life and bid thee feed By the stream and o'er the mead? Gave thee clothing of delight Softest clothing wooly bright? Gave thee such a tender voice Making all the vales rejoice! Little Lamb who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee? Little Lamb I'll tell thee, Little Lamb I'll tell thee! He is called by thy name For he calls himself a lamb He is meek and he is mild He became a little child I a child and thou a lamb We are called by his name Little Lamb God bless thee Little Lamb God bless thee
Goodnight Moon
Eric Whitacre
In my research for this concert, I was fascinated by the surprising and controversial history of the beloved bedtime story “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown. Originally published in 1947, its public reception was stunted until the 60s and 70s largely due to the fact that it was effectively banned by the highly influential New York Public Library children’s section, specifically its head librarian Anne Carroll Moore, until 1972. Moore called the book “unbearably sentimental” and was vehemently opposed to the progressive movement in children’s literature that brought about its creation which called for more stories about real life situations and everyday topics rather than fairy tales. The author tragically died in 1952 after a routine medical procedure and therefore didn’t get to see the immense success of her book which has now sold millions of copies and been translated into at least 15 languages. This beautiful setting of the text by Eric Whitacre from 2012 marked the first time that the publisher of the book, HarperCollins, allowed anyone to do so. It was originally scored for harp, string orchestra, and soprano, but later adapted for choir and piano. In the great green room There was a telephone And a red balloon And a picture of the cow jumping over the moon And there were three little bears Sitting on chairs And two little kittens And a pair of mittens And a little toy house And a young mouse And a comb and a brush And a bowl full of mush And a quiet old lady who was whispering "hush" Goodnight room Goodnight moon Goodnight cow jumping Over the moon Goodnight light And the red balloon Goodnight bears Goodnight chairs Goodnight kittens Goodnight mittens Goodnight clocks And goodnight socks Goodnight little house Goodnight mouse Goodnight comb And goodnight brush Goodnight nobody Goodnight mush And goodnight to the old lady whispering "hush" Goodnight stars Goodnight air Goodnight noises Everywhere Goodnight Goodnight Goodnight noises Everywhere
- MISCHIEF -
The Tooth Pillow
by Mark Gifford
Mark is a Texas native who grew up on a farm, graduated high school from Aquilla, TX. (pop. 147) with nine other students, and as a kid, thought of capers as “foreign” food. Mark is a teacher, writer and live storyteller, and he is a producer for Testify, as well as the co-founder of the Like Minded Lunatics Channel on YouTube, and the co-creator of the Like Minded Lunatics T.V. Show on Austin Music TV. He believes the power of a compelling story can change hearts and minds.
El Hambo
Jaakko Mäntyjärvi
With a story like Mark Gifford’s, I knew I couldn’t follow it up with a soft lullaby, so instead, we went full mischief. This piece is the second installment in Mäntyjärvi’s series called “Justly Forgotten Peoples”, a parody of Estonian composer Veljo Tormis’ “Forgotten Peoples” series for which Tormis traveled to rural Baltic regions over two decades, studying folk melodies and incorporating them into his compositions. With “tongue firmly in cheek,” (as described by Choral Journal reviewer Michael Braz), Mäntyjärvi satirizes the Swedish folk dance called the “Hambo” using nonsense syllables and occasional claps and foot stomping in “tribute to those folk musicians whose enthusiasm much exceeds their sense of rhythm.”
Nighttime Ninja
Tara Mack
By total accident, I happened upon this delightful piece by UK-based composer Tara Mack which sets text from the bedtime story of the same name by Barbara DaCosta. Commissioned by the New York City Master Chorale which gave the world premiere this past May, this piece tells a lively and heartwarming story of a boy who sneaks out of bed at night imagining he is a ninja on a mission to get some ice cream from the fridge. The illustrator of the book, Ed Young, layers different materials to create beautiful illustrations and Tara took a similar approach in writing the piece, layering short fragments of music to depict the relationship between a creative, mischievous child and a loving (if exasperated) mom. It’s set in three acts: Act I is the quest for ice cream; Act II is the confrontation between mother and son; and Act III is the reconciliation and love they share. The clock struck midnight… Nighttime ninja. Hand over hand the ninja climbed and clambered. Step by step, he balanced and leapt. The house was silent. Everyone was asleep. He crept down the twisting moonlit hallway, and knelt in the dark shadows, listening. Wait—look! He took out his tools and went to work. Suddenly, the lights flashed on! “What are you doing?” thundered his mother. “Nothing.” “Hand it over, mister.” “But I’m not done with my mission yet.” “Well, how about a getting-back-into-bed mission?” “Sweet dreams, Nighttime Ninja. Sweet dreams”
Edo Lullaby
arr. Paul Smith
This traditional cradle song originated in “Edo,” the old name for Tokyo before it became the capital of Japan. It uses a Japanese pentatonic scale and lulls us to sleep with its emotive melody, beautifully arranged in 2017 by Paul Smith, co-founder of VOCES8. Nennen korori yo, Okorori yo. Bōya wa yoi ko da, Nenne shina. Sato no miyage ni, Nani morotta? Denden taiko ni, Shō no fue. Bōya no omori wa, Doko e itta? Ano yama koete, Sato e itta. Sleep, baby, sleep, Oh, my baby, sleep, How lovely, how lovely, How nice you are! Where's the nurse, where's the girl? Where's your nurse girl? She's gone, she's gone, Far across the hill! As a souvenir from her hometown, What did she give you? A toy drum and A small bamboo flute.
- LESSONS LEARNED -
Bait and Switch
by Gloria Rabil
Gloria Rabil is a storyteller, writer, and writing coach/editor who grew up in North Carolina but has called Austin home for a few decades. When she's not coaching storytellers or helping writers develop their projects, you can find her planning her next adventure or enjoying a good show from the comfort of her living room.
No Mirrors in My Nana's House
Ysaÿe M. Barnwell
Ysaÿe Barnwell is a singer, composer, and former member of the GRAMMY-nominated all female African American a cappella troupe Sweet Honey in the Rock. This powerful text, which literally “sings itself” has also been set as a children’s book. It serves as a poignant tool to teach young people that all they need to know about their self-worth can be discovered through the fierce love of an elder. There were no mirrors in my Nana’s house, no mirrors in my Nana’s house. There were no mirrors in my Nana’s house, no mirrors in my Nana’s house. And the beauty that I saw in everything was in her eyes (like the rising of the sun). I never knew that my skin was too black. I never knew that my nose was too flat. I never knew that my clothes didn’t fit. I never knew there were things that I’d missed, cause the beauty in everything was in her eyes (like the rising of the sun); …was in her eyes. There were no mirrors in my Nana’s house, no mirrors in my Nana’s house. And the beauty that I saw in everything was in her eyes (like the rising of the sun). I was intrigued by the cracks in the walls. I tasted, with joy, the dust that would fall. The noise in the hallway was music to me. The trash and the rubbish just cushioned my feet. And the beauty in everything was in her eyes (like the rising of the sun). …was in her eyes. There were no mirrors in my Nana’s house, no mirrors in my Nana’s house. And the beauty that I saw in everything was in her eyes (like the rising of the sun). The world outside was a magical place. I only knew love. I never knew hate, and the beauty in everything was in her eyes (like the rising of the sun). …was in her eyes. There were no mirrors in my Nana’s house, no mirrors in my Nana’s house. There were no mirrors in my Nana’s house, no mirrors in my Nana’s house. And the beauty that I saw in everything was in her eyes (like the rising of the sun).
No One Is Alone
Stephen Sondheim, arr. Fred Hersch
"No One Is Alone" (from Into the Woods) appealed to me because its diatonic melody (like many of the great tunes by Richard Rodgers) enabled me to make subtle changes in the harmony that reflect my jazz sensibility. I could make the arrangement sound lush and pianistic - and just let the melody sing. And I love what the lyric says - it is a very relevant song. --Fred Hersch
Gute Nacht, o Wesen
J. S. Bach
Jesu Meine Freude is Bach’s longest and most musically complex motet, written somewhere around 1723 with 11 movements and up to five voice parts, a rarity for Bach. It was named after a Lutheran hymn by Johann Crüger and features the hymn tune in all the odd-numbered movements including this one, the ninth movement, where the altos present the cantus firmus intermittently with text from the fifth stanza of the hymn. It was normal during Bach’s time for Lutheran funerals to present death as being a sort of welcome comfort, so “Gute Nacht” serves to renounce all things earthly in favor of the divine. There are no basses in this movement, perhaps symbolizing the lack of a firm foundation, and though the tenors are standing in, they frequently avert our desire for a strong cadence, dodging every which way, making the listener feel even more unstable. For this performance, we’re saying goodnight to our mistakes and forgiving ourselves for being human. Gute Nacht, o Wesen, Das die Welt erlesen, Mir gefällst du nicht. Gute Nacht, ihr Sünden, Bleibet weit dahinten, Kommt nicht mehr ans Licht! Gute Nacht, du Stolz und Pracht, Dir sei ganz, du Lasterleben, Gute Nacht gegeben! Good night, oh [corrupted] essence That the world has chosen; You do not please me. Good night, you sins; Remain far behind; Come no more into the light Good night, you pride and splendor; To you, you life of vice, be altogether Bid good night.
- THE STORIES OF OUR LIVES -
A Boy, A Bear, And A Dog
by Richard Ver Steeg
Richard is a Software Engineer with a degree in English Literature who loves to read and share stories. Someday, he’ll decide what he want’s to be when he grows up. He and his family have lived in the Austin area for 16 years.
We Tell Each Other Stories
Craig Hella Johnson
This was the first piece that popped into my head after we settled on a theme for this concert since it has one of those melodies that seems to leave a mark on your heart and stay with you forever. I wasn’t sure if it would be appropriate to program it since its meaning is tied so firmly to the larger work from which it’s taken, Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard, which explores the incredible tragedy of the death of Matthew Shepard, a young man from Wyoming who was murdered in 1998 for being gay. But I felt like the text had a universal meaning, speaking to the power that stories have on our lives, and that it seemed to really compliment Richard’s moving story. I reached out to Craig and am so thankful to have his blessing to present this piece tonight, sung beautifully by Mary Ashton. We tell each other stories so that we will remember Try and find the meaning in the living of our days Always telling stories, wanting to remember Where and whom we came from Who we are Sometimes there’s a story that’s painful to remember One that breaks the heart of us all Still we tell the story We’re listening and confessing What we have forgotten In the story of us all We tell each other stories so that we will remember Trying to find the meaning . . .
Lay Me Low
arr. Kevin Siegfried
This arrangement by Kevin Siegfried has always held a special place in my heart. So simple yet so meaningful. It’s adapted from an 1838 gift song by Addah Z. Potter who lived at the New Lebanon Shaker community in Upstate New York. The “Shaking Quakers,” who had their heyday in the mid 1800s, embraced simplicity and humility, endeavoring to slow down, live closer to the earth, and embrace the rhythms of nature. The words “low”, “little”, and “down” appear frequently in Shaker texts to invoke that humility. Upon each repetition of the first section, a different voice begins to drone on one pitch, being “laid low” while building the choral texture. Lay me low, lay me low, lay me low. Where the Lord can find me, Where the Lord can own me, Where the Lord can bless me.
Prayer of Goodnight
Aimee Jensen
Neala and I grew up studying and performing music together and we discovered that we made a great compositional team: I would provide the music and Neala would provide the lyrics from her great wealth of poems she had written as a teenager. Since I first read this poem of Neala’s, I fell in love with the imagery and the tenderness of the text. I wanted to provide a sound that could match that feeling of love and calmness. It was originally written as a duet for our voices and a guitar. Arranging the piece for choir provided a rich texture and contrasting colors that I could play with to reflect each verse. This piece is near and dear to my heart, having written it with my closest and oldest friend, using her beautiful words and now having the opportunity to hear it sung by an amazing choir conducted by another dear friend I've known for a long time, makes this moment incredibly special. I am so grateful to have known you both all of these years, and to share this with you. --Aimee Jensen Being the daughters of two music teachers who worked together and were in the church choir together gave Aimee and me many hours of free time to become wonderful friends. When we grew up and lived down the street from each other as adults, Aimee told me she really wanted to make music together, wanting to co-create something really fun and beautiful with words I had written. It has been so fun and awe-inspiring to work with Aimee who is immensely talented. I won't forget how incredible it felt to hear words that I had written literally come to life in a most glorious way!! I wrote the poem when I was 19 for a couple of friends who were having hard times. I wanted to write something for them to ease that difficult moment in their lives--a peaceful wish for an easy and restorative slumber. Hearing this song be performed with the gorgeous voices of the choir now will be such an incredible treat! I am so grateful to Adrienne and Aimee and the choir and pianist for creating this moment. I love the message and beauty of the song, and I am so happy to share that wish for peace and love with each one of you. --Neala Sheehy I cast a wish into the star-scattered night and pray that everything‘s alright That everyone I love is fast asleep or warm in their beds and counting sheep. I hope your day has been a wondrous one made with memories that can’t be undone, and that the night catches you with its magical beams, and releases you into a cloud of dreams. And where you are free to dance upon the stars and the Stardust trails of comets are yours. I hope that while your mind is far away, your body has the chance to rest from the day Wrapped in a blanket, cozy and warm safe from the world's chaos and harm. I want you to sleep and dream and be at peace I want you to sleep and dream and be at peace And all your worries be released. I cast a wish into the star-scattered night and pray that everything‘s all right but most of all I hope this prayer of goodnight leads you to sweet dreams and tucks you in tight.
- ALL OF US -
Sleep / All the World
Eric Whitacre / Liz Garton Scanlon
If you have some experience with choral music, you’ve most likely heard this classic piece by Eric Whitacre which was actually commissioned and premiered right here in Austin in 2000. If not, you’re in for a treat. It features Whitacre’s signature cluster chord style where traditional major or minor chords are adorned with a few extra notes here or there creating a really desirable dissonance. Whitacre changes the choral texture almost chord by chord–one moment there’s 4 voices, then 5, then 8, etc.–but approaches each change with really intuitive, usually stepwise voice leading which allows this piece to be performed well with almost no regard to who is performing it, from professional choirs to youth ensembles just learning the ropes. I myself first learned it in college and it was my gateway into the world of choral music. Whitacre first set this music to the classic poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost, but made the mistake of not first getting permission from the Frost estate. Turns out, they adamantly denied the use of the poem and Whitacre was stuck with a beautiful piece and no text. So, he employed his friend Poet Tony Silvestri to write lyrics to fit precisely with the music that already existed. The result is something timeless and beautiful with an infamous story that serves as a warning to all would-be choral composers–get permission first! I recently saw a video on the Classic FM website of Whitacre rehearsing this piece with his choir singing just on the vowel “ooh” instead of the lyrics. It created such a gorgeous atmosphere that I thought would be the perfect groundwork to add a bedtime story overlay for the final piece of this concert. All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon is such a wonderful story with gorgeous illustrations that describes a family’s beautiful day. I find that it fits pretty perfectly on top of this music and love that it reminds us that we are all in this together, connected and learning from each other. (excerpt) As I surrender unto sleep (Dark and Deep) As I surrender unto sleep (Dark and Deep) As I surrender unto sleep Sleep
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Special Thanks
Ladislao Loera
Mark Gifford
Gloria Rabil
Leta Moser
Richard Van Steeg
Katie Gleason
Kylie Jensen
Andy Young
Jennifer Wang
Daniel Robertson
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Cassie Knoedl