Program Notes
COSUSS Holiday 2024 program notes
Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) was trained as a violinist and ordained as a priest, but he is best remembered as one of the great Italian composers of the Baroque era. Vivaldi spent the first thirty years of his professional career as a teacher, composer, and conductor at the Ospedale della Pietà in Venice. The Ospedale was both a charitable institution for orphans and a musical powerhouse in the Venetian music scene, and it was here that Vivaldi composed several settings of his Magnificat, including RV610, the best-known setting of this work and the version performed at today’s concert.
The Magnificat centers around the Virgin Mary’s praise and gratitude for God. Vivaldi’s setting draws from the Gospel of Luke and captures the reverence, drama, and joy of Mary’s prayer in nine movements.
- Magnificat anima mea Dominum: A solemn declaration of faith and respect.
- Et exultavit spiritus meus: A light, celebratory movement that rejoices in the Lord and features soprano, alto, and tenor solos.
- Et misericordia: Lyrical major passages alternate with dramatic minor sections, illustrating the divine mercy shown to those who fear the Lord.
- Fecit potentiam: Fiery and dramatic, both voices and strings sing out emphatically of God’s power and might.
- Deposuit potentes: The singers join in a powerful unison to warn that the mighty are overthrown while the humble are exalted.
- Esurientes implevit bonis: A soprano duet which sings of God’s provision for the humble.
- Suscepit Israel: A slow and stately message that the Lord sustains Israel.
- Sicut locutus est: This lively movement features two oboes and three solo voices celebrating God’s promise to his people.
- Gloria Patri: The finale, uniting the choral and instrumental forces in a majestic doxology.
American composer Jake Runestad (b. 1986) is known for his deeply evocative compositions which unite meaningful text, lyrical melodies, and lush harmonies. Called a “choral rock star” by American Public Media, Runestad has won numerous awards, including the 2022 Emmy Award for Musical Composition and 2020 and 2025 Grammy nominations for his albums “The Hope of Loving” and “A Dream So Bright”. Runestad’s Into the Light was commissioned by Valparaiso University in 2016 to commemorate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. When writing this powerful and evocative work, Runestad focused on what reformation means today and asked himself “What are the major issues plaguing our world and what is their cause? Who has addressed these issues through their work and their words (in the vein of Martin Luther)? How can I address these issues through a musical work for chorus and orchestra in a meaningful way?”
Runestad read hundreds of writings by those he considered reformers – those who have dedicated their lives to making the world a better place – to select the texts for this composition. It is his hope that audience members immerse themselves in the wisdom and music of Into the Light and feel challenged to “consider how we can move beyond fear and onto a path of love, compassion, and kindness”
- The Universe of Light: A warm and uplifting introduction encouraging love and positivity based upon quotes from Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi.
- The Lightless Dark: These words by Helen Keller serve as a gentle reminder that ignorance is the one true darkness.
- The Warm Fogs of Fear: Suspenseful voices and orchestration warn that fear and love are mortal enemies, and we must choose love. Text by Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr., and John the Evangelist.
- Flower into Kindness: This gentle movement elevates the words of Mechthild von Magdeburg, Peter the Apostle, and Rabindranath Tagore, reminding us that there is nothing as powerful, beautiful, and important as love and kindness.
- Into the Light: Ending with a message of hope, we are left with the words of Martin Luther and Swami Vivekananda asking us to keep growing and working toward a better world by embracing love and light.
George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) was a German-born composer, but spent much of his career in England, where he eventually became a naturalized citizen in 1727. One of the most influential figures of the Baroque era, Handel’s operas, oratorios, and instrumental works are still performed regularly today. His most famous works include the oratorio Messiah, the opera Giulio Cesare, and Music for the Royal Fireworks, and his music is celebrated for its drama and masterful counterpoint. Messiah is by far Handel’s most famous oratorio, but Samson is also a significant part of the oratorio repertoire. Using text inspired by John Milton, Samson recounts the tale of biblical figure Samson’s rise and downfall, and was considered a great success at its 1743 premiere. Samson’s most recognized arias include Let the Bright Seraphim and Total Eclipse, and its chorus Awake the Trumpet’s Lofty Sound is often performed as a standalone piece. While this chorus’ original subject is a moment of triumph during the conflict between the Israelites and Philistines in the Bible’s Book of Judges, the movement’s melismatic vocal lines and bright brass create a celebratory atmosphere that complements the spirit of the holiday season.
John Leavitt (b. 1956) is a Kansas City-based musician widely recognized for his work as a composer, conductor, pianist, and educator. The former artistic director for the National Capitol Choral Festival in Washington DC and the Chicago Sings Choral Festival now spends most of his time composing, guest conducting, and producing new work, and his compositions are represented in nearly every major music catalog in this country. Ose Shalom (The One Who Makes Peace) is a modern choral setting of a traditional Jewish prayer for peace. Part of the Kaddish and Shalom Aleichem prayers, the Ose Shalom is often sung in synagogues during services. Leavitt’s setting of this prayer employs soaring melodies and shimmering strings, which beautifully convey the prayer’s message of peace and unity.
Award-winning composer Dan Forrest (b. 1978) is a composer, conductor, pianist, and teacher whose music has been performed by prominent choirs and orchestras around the world. Forrest teaches at Furman University and is based in Greenville, South Carolina. His works Requiem for the Living, Jubilate Deo, and LUX: The Dawn from On High received critical acclaim, and his setting of O Come, All Ye Faithful has become a seasonal favorite for singers and audiences alike since its publication in 2012. Originally scored for choir and two pianists, Forrest expanded the accompaniment from four hands at the piano to the full orchestration you will hear today. The carol O Come All Ye Faithful began as Adeste Fideles, and is attributed to English composer John Francis Wade (1711- 1786). Forrest’s setting of this classic tune brings together a driving orchestral accompaniment (in which you can hear its original pianistic traits) with the rich harmonies and flowing legato of the singers, demonstrating the juxtaposition of classical style elements with modern influences that Forrest is known for.
American composer Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) began his Ph.D. in German and Scandinavian Languages but his previous musical training and love of music prevailed and Anderson left his doctoral program to become a full-time musician. Sleigh Ride is Anderson’s most well-known work, and like The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire), was born during an exceptionally hot summer. Anderson and his family were living in their Connecticut summer cabin due to a housing shortage after his release from active duty with the United States Army. The idea for Sleigh Ride came to Anderson as he was digging trenches in hopes of finding old pipes from a nearby spring, and the idea of a frosty sleigh ride helped make the summer heat of 1946 bearable. Originally an orchestral work, Sleigh Ride was premiered by the Boston Pops in 1948 and was then paired with lyrics by American lyricist Mitchell Parish (1900 –1993) in 1950. Sleigh Ride is now considered a traditional holiday favorite, as well as one of the Boston Pops’ standard works.
Handel’s Messiah premiered in Dublin in 1742, and recounts the story of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. The Hallelujah Chorus concludes the second part of the oratorio, and its triumphant proclamation of Christ’s eternal reign is now frequently sung to celebrate both Christ’s birth and resurrection. Legend has it that the opening bars of the Hallelujah Chorus’ brought King George to his feet during Messiah’s London premiere in 1743; whether fact or fiction, audiences still uphold this tradition today and rise as the famous chorus begins.
Program notes by Lauren Servias
