Master Chorale

directed by

Dr. James D. Feiszli

in performance for the

Midwinter Convention
 of the
South Dakota American Choral Directors Association

January 21, 2005 – 7:00 p.m.
Rushmore Room, Ramkota Inn
Rapid City, South Dakota

Hodie Christus natus est

13th century chant, arr. Niels La Cour

Edition Egtved: 18.6, 1983

Hodie Christus Natus Est is traditionally sung on Christmas Day after Vespers. Niels La Cour (1944 - ) studied at the Royal Conservatory in Copenhagen. Currently he teaches musical theory at the Danish Music Conservatorium. His setting of Hodie Christus Natus Est has meter and harmony, unlike the monophonic and unmetered chant, but retains the original chant metrical structure by changing the meter with nearly each bar, giving it a sense of timelessness and space.

Today Christ is born: Today the Savior appears:
Today on earth Angels sing, the Archangels rejoice:
Today the righteous rejoice, saying:
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good will to mankind:
Alleluia.

 

Ave maris Stella

Trond Kverno

Walton Music: HL08500142, 1976

Trond Kverno (1945-), born in Oslo, Norway, studied church music at the Oslo Conservatory of Music, graduating with degrees in music theory and church music. Kverno composed Ave maris stella in 1976. The piece is symmetrical from many angles. In the opening stanza, the soprano and alto lines mirror each other around the central voice, which sustains a single pitch. The men echo the women verbatim at the octave in the second stanza. The main theme returns throughout in various configurations. Kverno's interest in early music is evident in the compositional devices he uses: canon, polychoral writing, and chant.

Hail, Star of the ocean, God's Mother blest, ever sinless Virgin, gate of heav'nly rest.
That Ave, which came from Gabriel, gives peace, changing Eve's name.Break sin’s fetters,
make our blindness day, Chase evil from us, for all blessings pray.
Show thyself Mother, hear our prayers through thine Infant born for us.
Virgin all excelling, free from guilt, preserve us meek and undefiled.
Keep us spotless, make our way secure till we find in Jesus, joy for evermore.
Praise to God the Father, honor to the Son, in the Holy Spirit, be the glory one. Amen.

 

 

Lux Arumque

Eric Whitacre

Walton Music: HL08501418, 2001
Eric Whitacre (1970 - ), one of the stars of American contemporary music, received his M.M. in composition from the Juilliard School of Music. In Lux Aurumque, "light" is the central theme throughout and the listener can sense a wide array of colors being emitted, building upon each other to give way to angels of the night. Whitacre creates this atmosphere of light through dissonant harmonies resolving into consonance and back into dissonance. Notable is the absence of an ending harmony that is resolved or "at rest", imparting the sense of constant motion such as experienced at sunset or sunrise.

Light, warm and heavy as pure gold
and the angels sing softly to the new-born baby.

 

MLK

U2, arr. Master Chorale

unpublished

 

Englishman in New York

Sting, arr. Michelle Feiszli

manuscript

 

Time After Time

Cyndi Lauper, arr. Michelle Feiszli
manuscript

 

Ants Marching

Dave Matthews, arr. Master Chorale

unpublished

 

Acapella in Acapulco

Anders Edenroth

Walton Music: HL08500284

Music at SDSM&T includes lecture courses, applied music, and music ensembles. The Master Chorale is SDSM&T’s premier performing ensemble, an auditioned vocal ensemble dedicated to the study and performance of unaccompanied vocal music. Repertory ranges from masterworks of vocal ensemble music to unaccompanied arrangements of popular music. With appearances at the Music Educators National Conference (Los Angeles, 1986), Harmonie-Festival (Germany, 1993), and Israel concert tour (1999), the Chorale has established a national and international reputation for its work.

Nicholas Case – Industrial Engineering - 2005
Lee Corley – Computer Science - 2006
Tad Devries - Computer Science - 2005
Marcella Eben – Interdisciplinary Sciences - 2005
Terri Hertz – Atmospheric Sciences - 2007
Barry Longden - Computer Science /Mathematics - 2008
Amanda Masteller – Interdisciplinary Sciences - 2006
Joshua Mitzel - Chemical Engineering - 2005
Kristine Murphy – Chemical Engineering - 2008
Aly Oltmanns – Geological Engineering - 2006
Makayla Rowe - Interdisciplinary Sciences - 2008
Jason Whittington – Mechanical Engineering – 2008

JAMES D. FEISZLI, Director of Music Activities and Professor of Humanities at SDSM&T, holds a B.Mus.Ed. from Mount Union College, a M.Mus. from the University of Akron, and the D. Mus. Arts degree from Arizona State University. At SDSM&T since 1983, Dr. Feiszli, created and established the music curriculum for the institution - founding the Concert Choir, Master Chorale, Symphonic Band, and courses in music theory, history, and vocal instruction. Students and alumni under Feiszli’s direction have appeared throughout the U.S. and Europe at music conventions, at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and in concert tours to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy.

Dr. Feiszli is the founder of ChoralNet, a non-profit corporation that administrates a worldwide electronic network of choral musicians. He has served as the President and Executive Director of ChoralNet and continues to serve on the Board of Directors. As such, he is an advisor to the Boards of Directors of the American Choral Directors Association, Chorus America, Europa Cantat, the International Federation for Choral Music, and Musica International.

A life member of ACDA, Dr. Feiszli served as President of SD-ACDA for three years. He has worked with the Black Hills Symphony, Black Hills Theater, Black Hills Chamber Society, and the Rapid City Childrens’ Chorus. He is the Director of Choirs for Emmanuel Episcopal church and he continues to actively perform and record with Dakota Voices, a professional vocal ensemble. Students from his teaching studio, MusikHaus, have taken awards in music competitions and earned music scholarships to Augustana College, Black Hills State, Gonzaga University, SDSM&T, South Dakota State University, and the University of Wyoming. He has been a guest conductor, adjudicator, consultant, lecturer, and vocal soloist throughout the U.S. and Europe. The Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce recently recognized Dr. Feiszli’s contributions to the Black Hills area by awarding him the Rushmore Honors Award.

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