The Concert Singers

"The Most Wonderful Time of the Year"

December 19, 2004

Program Notes, with Translations

O Come, O Come Emmanuel is based on the "Great O" antiphons sung before and after the Magnificat at vespers for the seven successive evenings before Christmas Eve. Each of the antiphons salutes the coming Christ with a title ascribed to him in the Bible, followed by a petition based on the salutation. Metrical forms appeared (in Latin) around 1710, and in English beginning in 1851 by John Mason Neale. The tune was arranged from several liturgical melodies to accompany Neale’s text.

The music for the motet O Magnum Mysterium was composed by Tomás Luis de Victoria (1650?-1611); this version was edited by Alice Parker & Robert Shaw. Victoria (also known by the Italian version of his name, Tommaso Lodovico da Vittoria), was a Spanish composer of the Roman school; he was a friend and follower of Palestrina; he was maestro di cappella at the Collegium Germanicum at Rome, and later at the church of Sant’ Apollinare in Rome. He composed masses, motets, hymns, psalms, and Magnificats. The text is from the fourth responsory at Matins for Christmas Day.

Hodie Christus Natus Est is a motet from the Cantiones Sacrae, composed 1619 by the Dutch composer Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562-1621), organist at the Old Church, Amsterdam. The version in this performance was edited by W. Barclay Squire. The text is from the antiphon sung before and after the Magnificat for the second vespers of Christmas Day.

Three English Carols are recently composed by two well-known choir directors of the 20^th century. Both words and music to Nativity Carol (1967) and Shepherds’ Pipe Carol (1967) were written by John Rutter, who was 1975-79 organist and choirmaster at Clare College, Cambridge, leaving to devote more time to composition and conducting. Birthday Carol (1974) was written (words and music) by David Willcocks, 1957-74 organist and choirmaster of one of the most famous choirs in the world, Kings College, Cambridge.

Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming is a German carol which first appeared in 1509, but was probably composed earlier. The German words are a paraphrase of Isaiah 11:1, "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots." The English translation is by Dr Theodore Baker, 1894. The tune is anonymous from XVI century Germany, as arranged by Michael Praetorius, 1609. This version was edited by Alice Parker for the Robert Shaw Chorale.

This Endris Night ("The Other Night") is a traditional English carol, set to a new tune (2000) by John Carol Case. The text is from XV century England.

The Hebrew word Hanukkah (or Chanukah) means "dedication", and refers to the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem in BC 165. In the Hellenistic world, one of the successors of Alexander the Great, Antiochus IV, the ruler of the Seleucid kingdom in the East, attempted to impose pagan worship on his entire kingdom, including the Jews. Although some cooperated with him, many did not, including one Mattathias with his five sons, including the most famous, Judah Maccabee. The Maccabees were eventually successful in freeing Judea from the rule of Antiochus, until conquered by the Romans. When the Maccabees returned to Jerusalem, they needed to cleanse the temple, as it had been used for pagan sacrifices, including offering of swine on the altar. They celebrated this dedication for eight days, because they could not celebrate the eight-day festival of Sukkot, while they were living in the hills. (A legend recorded in the Talmud tells that when they returned to the temple, they found a small vial of consecrated oil, which was only enough to burn for one day. But miraculously it burned for eight.) The song Eight Days is an original composition by our own Barbara Miller.

S'vivon is the Hebrew word for dreidel, which is the Yiddish word for a kind of spinning top, associated with the celebration of Hanukkah. In the second stanza are the words Nes gadol haya sham, which mean "a great miracle happened there". These four words begin with the Hebrew letters nun, gimel, he, and shin, which are the four letters on the dreidel. The "great miracle" refers to the oil lasting eight days, but also to the greater miracle of the small Jewish army defeating the larger Seleucid army. This setting of S’vivon is arranged by Steve Barnett.

The most important ceremony in the celebration of Hanukkah is the lighting of candles, one on the first night, adding one on each successive night, until all eight are lit on the last night. The chant Hanerot Halalu, associated with the candle-lighting, is of very ancient origin. The recital of this prayer, like the kindling of the lights itself, serves "to make the miracle known". The tune for this setting is by Baruch J. Cohon, and arranged by Blanche Chass.

Mary Had a Baby is a spiritual arranged (1947) by William L. Dawson. Born in Alabama, Dawson ran away from home at age 13 to the Tuskeegee Institute. In 1931 he organized the Tuskeegee Choir, which he conducted for 25 years. The choir was the main attraction at the opening of Radio City Music Hall. Dr Dawson is recognized as a leading authority of American Negro folk music.

Glory to God in the Highest (1958) is an anthem by Randall Thompson, American composer. The text is the well-known song of the angels to the shepherds at the birth of Christ from Luke 2:14.

Leroy Anderson began writing his Sleigh Ride during a heat wave in 1947. Completed in 1948, Sleigh Ride was not intended as a Christmas piece, but rather merely described an event that took place in winter. Nonetheless, it has since become a Christmas season classic. Mitchell Parish added words in 1950. Some of Anderson's other well-known compositions include "Blue Tango", "Bugler's Holiday", "Jazz Pizzicato", "The Syncopated Clock", and "A Trumpeter's Lullaby".

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town (1932) with words by Henry Gillespie and music by J[ohn] Fred[erick] Coots (this arrangement by Kirby Shaw) was written just before Thanksgiving 1932, but it took two years to find anyone willing to record it. After two years, and some persuasion from his wife, Coots's employer, Eddie Cantor, performed the song on his radio show. It was an immediate hit, and was soon recorded by Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters, and Perry Como.

Winter Wonderland (1934), with words by Richard B. "Dick" Smith; music by Felix Bernard; arranged by Leo Arnaud, and transcribed for mixed chorus by Charles Naylor, was #2 on the hit parade as recorded by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians in 1934. In 1946 both Perry Como and the Andrews Sisters (backed by Lombardo) made recordings that permanently fixed "Winter Wonderland" as a seasonal favorite.

White Christmas (1942) was written by Irving Berlin for the 1942 movie Holiday Inn, for which Berlin was asked to write a song for each of the holidays in the story; it was first publicly performed by Bing Crosby on his radio show on Christmas Day 1941. It was not expected to be a big hit, but after the war it became the biggest-selling single, until 1998, even winning an oscar. Berlin, who was Jewish, did not celebrate Christmas, so he found writing a song for Christmas a challenge. But he was able to draw on his experience in New York (as a boy) and in Los Angeles. This arrangement is by Roy Ringwald.

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (1945) with words by Sammy Cahn, music by Jule Styne, and arranged by Ed Lojeski, this is the third of three songs on this program that are merely winter songs, making no reference to any religious (or secular) holiday.

I'll Be Home for Christmas (1943) is a nostalgic Christmas song, written by Walter Kent for American GI’s in World War II. This arrangement is by the well-known jazz arranger Steve Zegree.  We dedicate this performance to the men and women of our armed services, at home and abroad. A grateful country thanks you for all you have done to preserve freedom.

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year was written in 1963 by Eddie Pola (words) and George Wyle (music). This arrangement is by Hawley Ades.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas (arranged by John Rutter) is from the West Country of England, probably from the XVI century; it was sung by carolers (or wassailers!) making their rounds of the neighborhood.

—Program notes compiled by Tony McQuilkin