Repertoire 1983-84 to 1989-1990

This goes back to the beginning of my time at Pacific Lutheran University (1983-84), after 3 years teaching at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts), including concerts with the Choir of the West, the Choral Union (which I founded in 1984), some guest conducting, and my last two years with the Pacific Northwest Bach Festival (with period instruments). It includes the Britten War Requiem, a number of concerts with the Choir of the West and the Seattle-based professional Northwest Chamber Orchestra (Handel Dixit Dominus, Bach Mass in B Minor, Britten Cantata Misericordium), and a number of premieres, most notably Peter Schickele's The Twelve Months with pianist Robin McCabe. I also conducted PLU's production of Bernstein's Candide in January of my first year, during the University's J-Term.

The Choral Union was a "town/gown" choir with a few students, faculty, and community members. The goal was to present more opportunities for major works with orchestra.

1983-84

October—prepared PLU Choir of the West for University Symphony Orchestra, Jerry Kracht, conductor, for 500^th Anniversary of Martin Luther’s birth

Frau Musica........... Cindy McTee (premiere)

Cantata 80, Ein Feste Burg........... J.S. Bach

December—PLU Christmas concert, including

Cantata 191, Gloria in excelsis Deo........... J.S. Bach

January—Pacific NW Bach Festival (Spokane), period instruments

Cantata 211 - Coffee Cantata........... J.S. Bach

Cantata 56 - Ich will den Kreutzstab gerne tragen (Max van Egmont, soloist)

St. John Passion

January - Bernstein's Candide (co-production between the Theatre and Music Departments. (Jan. 27, 28; Feb. 3, 4, 5) — this was the Broadway version from 1973, utilizing a 14-member orchestra (reeds 1-3, bassoon, 2 trumpets, trombone, percussion, violin, viola, cello, bass, piano, and electric piano), which fit well in the small pit of Eastvold Auditorium at PLU.

March—PLU Choir of the West tour program (WA, OR, CA)

A Mighty Fortress........... arr. Cindy McTee (premiere)

Lenten Motets........... Poulenc

Jesu, meine Freude........... J.S. Bach

“Uppsala Magnificat”........... Schütz

Choruses from ‘The Lark’........... Bernstein

Jerusalem........... Parry

Like as the Hart........... Howells

Jubilate Deo........... William Walton

Several Spirituals

1984-85

The '85 year (big Bach anniversary) meant I'd do Bach's Mass in B Minor with the Choir of the West and NW Chamber Orchestra. After this was scheduled, I found out that Robin McCabe and her sister Rachelle were going to do a duo-piano recital on the PLU Arts Series. I inquired if they'd be interested in doing Brahms 'Liebeslieder Walzer' with the Choir on that program and they agreed. This meant the choir did a January tour program, then memorized the Brahms for later in the spring, at the same time preparing the Mass in B Minor for the end of the semester. As one of my students said later, "We didn't know this was unusual until later. Then I thought, 'Sheesh!'"

November—PLU Choral Union

Epistle Sonata (David Dahl, soloist) ........... Mozart

Ave verum corpus

Requiem

December—PLU Choirs Christmas concert, including

Gloria........... Poulenc

January—PLU Choir of the West t our program (WA, ID)

This tour was planned with my last appearance at the Pacific NW Bach Festival in mind. For the '85 Bach (and Schütz) anniversary year, we did Bach, Schütz and Handel with a chamber orchestra from PLU) and did this part of the program along with organ works for the Festival. The choir also joined the Bach Choir for Bach's cantata 50.

Die mit tränen säen........... Schütz

Der Zwölfjährige Jesus im Tempel

Komm, Jesu, Komm........... J.S. Bach

Come Mighty Father........... Handel

Draw the Tear

How Excellent Thy Name

Libera me........... Lajos Bardos

Schaffe in mir, Gott (Op. 29, no. 2)........... Brahms

Trois Chansons........... Debussy

January—Pacific NW Bach Festival (Spokane), period instruments

Cantata 50........... Bach (with the PLU Choir of the West)

Magnificat in D (with Christmas interpolations from earlier Magnificat in Eb)

March—PLU Choir of the West, with Robin and Rachelle McCabe, pianists

Liebeslieder Walzer........... Brahms

April—PLU Choir of the West with the NW Chamber Orchestra

Mass in B Minor........... J.S. Bach

May—PLU Choral Union

Israel in Egypt........... Handel

1985-86

November—PLU Choral Union

Harpsichord Concerto in G (Joe Pettit, soloist) ........... Haydn

Part Songs

Nelson Mass

December—PLU Choirs Christmas concert, including

Officium Pastorum (with brass quintet: premiere performance)........... Gregory Youtz

January—PLU Choir of the West tour program (Minneapolis, Boston, NY, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., North Carolina, and Florida)

Richte mich, Gott........... Mendelssohn

Jauchzet dem Herrn

Jephte........... Carissimi

A Latter-Day Athenian Speaks........... John Gardner

Trois Chansons........... Ravel

Insalata Italiana........... Geneé

April—PLU Choir of the West with NW Chamber Orchestra

Dixit Dominus........... Handel

Cantata Misericordium........... Britten

1986-87

This season I was able to fulfill a long-held dream to do the Benjamin Britten War Requiem. We had an orchestra with a particularly strong brass section, so I approached Jerry Kracht about doing it—he enthusiastically agreed. We got the NW Boychoir (dir. Joe Crnko) to join us, David Dahl playing the organ part, and soloists Felicia Dobbs (soprano), Aelred Woodard (tenor), and Robert Peterson (baritone). Members of the PLU faculty and Northwest Chamber Orchestra were the small chamber orchestra that accompanied the tenor and baritone soloists. I conducted the large choir and orchestra, and Jerry Kracht conducted the chamber orchestra, with Joe Crnko leading his boychoir. Performances were both at PLU and St. Mark's Cathedral in Seattle. We combined the Choir of the West, University Chorale, and Choral Union for this performance, we took place on the 25th Anniversary year of the premiere. It was, quite simply, a fabulous experience!

November—PLU Choral Union

Overture to Coriolan........... Beethoven

Choral Fantasy

Mass in C

December—PLU Christmas concert, including

Magnificat........... J.S. Bach

January—PLU Choir of the West tour program (WA, OR, CA)

All People Clap Your Hands........... Thomas Weelkes

Tu Pauperum Refugium........... Josquin

In Hora Ultima........... Lassus

Concert Mass........... Robert Suderberg

Deutsches Magnificat........... Schütz

3 Chorlieder from Op. 104........... Brahms

Singet Frisch und Wohlgemuth........... Hugo Distler

March—PLU Choir of the West (part of a Lenten service)

Christus factus est........... Bruckner

Miserere........... Allegri

May—PLU Choirs & Choral Union (I conducted large choir & orchestra, Jerry Kracht conducted chamber orchestra and tenor/baritone soloists)

War Requiem........... Britten

1987-88

A year or so before, Jerry Kracht and the University Symphony Orchestra did a PDQ Bach program with (Professor!) Peter Schickele. At an after-concert dinner I asked Peter, "Is there a work for chorus that you've always wanted to write?" He replied, "I've always wanted to do a piano concerto for choir instead of orchestra . . . but I never write anything without a definite performance where I know the musicians I'm writing for." I asked how to go about commissioning and he gave me his agent's name and contact info. I then approached our Dean (Dick Moe, brother of choral conductor Daniel Moe—for many years the conductor at Oberlin) about finding funding, and he came up with it. We approached Robin McCabe about playing, she agreed, Schickele agreed, and we were on!

November—PLU Choir of the West

Concerto for Piano & Chorus “The Twelve Months”........... Peter Schickele

(commissioned for the Choir of the West, premiered with pianist Robin McCabe)

November—PLU Choral Union

Concerto for Organ, Timpani & Strings (David Dahl, soloist)........... Poulenc

Four Motets........... Duruflé

Requiem........... Fauré

December—PLU Choirs Christmas concert, including

In terra pax........... Gerald Finzi

April—PLU Choir of the West tour program (WA, OR)

After graduation we toured England—this was my first international tour with the Choir of the West.

Psalm 122........... David Dahl (commissioned work)

Psalm 100........... Cindy McTee (commissioned work)

Missa Papae Marcelli........... Palestrina

Ave maria........... Franz Biebl

Os Justi........... Bruckner

2 Folksongs from the Americas

Warum toben die Heiden........... Mendelssohn

When David Heard........... Norman Dinerstein

3 Spirituals

May—PLU Choral Union

Creation........... Haydn

1988-89

I was on sabbatical during this academic year, attending the College Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati through March, then spending the month of April in Sweden (researching my dissertation topic on Swedish choral music) and May in Germany (studying German at a Goethe Institut, along with a weekend trip to Berlin—a year before the wall fell—very interesting!).

1989-90

October—PLU Choir of the West

Mass in G........... Schubert

This was a new initiative, since I wanted my singers to be challenged to learn music more quickly. So we spent Monday-Thursday rehearsals working on the music, then performed in the Chapel service on Friday.

November—prepared Choir of the West for Beethoven 9^th Symphony with the Tacoma Symphony (and the University of Puget Sound Adelphians), Ed Sefarian conducting

November—PLU Choral Union

Piano Concerto in C, K. 467 (Richard Farner, soloist) ........... Mozart

Mass in C Minor (“The Great”)

December (Christmas Concert), including Rutter's Gloria

March—PLU Choral Union

Missa Brevis in D........... Britten

Rejoice in the Lamb

A nyúl éneke........... Lajos Bardos

Chichester Psalms (organ, percussion, harp version)........... Bernstein

April—PLU Choir of the West tour program (WA, ID, British Columbia)

Agnus Dei........... Morley

All People Clap Your Hands........... Weelkes

Behold, the Hour Cometh........... Tomkins

Gloria........... Lars Edlund

Singet dem Herrn........... J.S. Bach

Due Corali........... Ildebrando Pizzetti

The Godmaking of the Skies and the Earth........... Gregory Youtz (premiere—also made into an MTV-style music video!)

2 English Folksongs

June 19, 1990 – Portland Baroque Orchestra (period instruments) – Portland, Oregon

An all-Mozart program:

Piano Concerto in A (K. 414), soloist Margaret Irwin-Brandon

Exsultate Jubilate, Nancy Zylstra, soloist

Symphony 29, in A Major

The summer of 1990 was spent in Sweden, doing research for my dissertation. I also got notice while in Sweden that I'd been selected as Director of the Seattle Symphony Chorale, starting not long after I got back!