Repertoire: 2001-02 to 2008-09

This period now follows my years at Pacific Lutheran University (1983-2001), so a time when I was Artistic Director of both Choral Arts Northwest (Seattle) and Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton, Alberta), plus free-lancing when I could. A pretty significant change from the academic world!

Pro Coro Canada did a Good Friday program each season, which often (not always, and sometimes depending on budget) did a work or works with orchestra.

In addition, we got a series of grants from a Foundation at the University of Alberta dedicated to Eastern European Studies (essentially the old Austro-Hungarian Empire) starting in 2003, which allowed us to do all six of the late-Haydn masses (along with other works from Eastern Europe).

One of our most significant premieres was Allan Bevan's Nou goth sonne under wold, which was on the program with the Mozart Requiem (why people came!), but Allan's piece got and immediate and long standing ovation. I've since done that work several times with different ensembles, including at Carnegie Hall. It's also on YouTube from a performance at UNT.

Pro Coro also participated in two of Soundstreams festivals, one built around the music of R. Murray Schafer and a big premiere of a new work from him, written for six professional Canadian choirs and performed in the atrium of the CBC; the other around a new work commissioned by Sir John Tavener, performed by us, the Elora Festival Singers, Grete Pedersen's Norsk Solistkor, and the Latvian Radio Choir.

Choral Arts NW continued its tradition of mostly a cappella works, including Schnittke's great Choir Concerto, and a recording of Randall Thompson's music. But the big shift was leaving Choral Arts (which I'd founded in 1993). This was an incredibly difficult decision, but the ensemble rehearsed weekly (and didn't really want to change that) and I was getting some other opportunities, including to work in Sweden in 2007 and 2008, which meant I felt I really had to make a change.

2001-2002

October 7, 2001—Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton) From Bach and Brahms to Jazz

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

Warum ist das Licht gegeben --  Johannes Brahms

Faire is the Heaven -- William H. Harris

Four Alberta Folksongs -- arr. Trent Worthington (premiere—cond. by arranger)

Raua needmine (The Curse of Iron) -- Veljo Tormis

Songs and Sonnets -- George Shearing

October 20 & 21, 2001—Choral Arts (Seattle) A Tribute to James Holloway

Der Geisthilft unsrer Schwachheit auf -- J.S. Bach

Warum ist das Licht gegeben -- Johannes Brahms

Faire is the Heaven -- William H. Harris

Fancies -- Sven-Eric Johanson

Hymn to the Creator of Light -- John Rutter

Requiem -- Herbert Howells

Two excerpts from ‘Music to Hear’ -- George Shearing

It Was a Lover and His Lass -- P.D.Q. Bach

November 2, 2001 – Alberta University Honour Choir,

for the annual choral conference in Edmonton, Alberta 

Come, Mighty Father, Mighty Lord (from Theodora) -- G.F. Handel 

Tristis est anima mea -- Johann Kuhnau 

Nunc Dimittis -- Gustav Holst 

Silverly -- Bruce Ruddell 

Le pont Mirabeau -- Lionel Daunais 

I’m Gonna Sing ‘til the Spirit Moves my Heart -- Moses Hogan

December 9, 2001—Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton) A Pro Coro Family Christmas

A variety of carols and other music

December 21 & 22, 2001—Choral Arts (Seattle) A Choral Arts Christmas

Lo, How a Rose -- arr. Daniel Gawthrop

O Come, All Ye Faithful -- arr. Jackson Berkey

Sweet was the Song -- arr. René Clausen

Lux Aurumque -- Eric Whitacre

Jing-ga-lye-ya -- Bruce Sled

El Rorro -- arr. Jeffrey Van

Silent Night -- arr. Jeffrey Van

Joseph, lieber Joseph mein! -- Johan Walther

Singet Frisch und Wohlgemuth -- Hugo Distler

Rockin’ Jerusalem -- Robert Morris

Ave Maris Stella -- Bror Samuelson

Jeg er saa glad -- arr. Paul Christiansen

Magnificat -- Richard Nance

Away in A Manger. -- arr. Jeffrey Van

Jul, Jul, Strålande Jul! -- Gustaf Nordqvist

Welcome, Yule! -- C. Hubert Parry

Still, Still, Still -- arr. Norman Luboff

Glory, Glory, Glory to the Newborn King -- Moses Hogan

January 27, 2002—Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton) Carmina Burana

Blessed -- Allan Gilliland (commissioned work—premiere)

Hesperides (choir and 2 harps) Malcolm Forsyth

Carmina Burana (version for 2 pianos & percussion) -- Carl Orff

March 2 & 3, 2002—Choral Arts (Seattle) Schnittke Choir Concerto

Svyati -- John Tavener (with Page Smith, cello)

Phoenix -- Peter Hallock (with Page Smith & Naomi Kato, harp)

Concerto for Choir -- Alfred Schnittke

March 29, 2002—Pro Coro Canada Good Friday concert — Music of Consolation

Requiem -- Herbert Howells

Requiem -- John Rutter

Requiem -- Gabriel Fauré

May 4 & 5, 2002—Choral Arts (Seattle) Spring Concert

Leonardo & His Flying Machine -- Eric Whitacre

trees -- Lars Johan Werle (Erich Parce, baritone soloist)

Insalata Italiana -- arr. Genée

Songs & Sonnets -- George Shearing

August, 2002 - at the Minneapolis IFCM Conference

Organized and presented, along with Eric Ericson and Gary Graden, two sessions based on my dissertation/book, The Swedish Choral Miracle

2002-2003

September 29, 2002—Pro Coro Canada

Mass for a New Millennium -- Richard Nance

Two Setting from ”In Memoriam Leonard Bernstein” -- Srul Irving Glick

 Chichester Psalms -- Leonard Bernstein

November 11-15, 2002 – Guest conductor for a "short program" (at the invitation of Stefan Parkman, recorded for broadcast, but not a public concert)

Swedish Radio Choir, Stockholm, Sweden

Madrigali -- Morten Lauridsen

Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine -- Eric Whitacre

Le pont mirabeau -- Lionel Daunais

November 16, 2002 - Lecture at the Choral Centre, Uppsala University

On "The Swedish Choral Miracle," at the invitation of Stefan Parkman

(this had attendees including Eric Ericson, Ingvar Lidholm, Lars Edlund, Eskil Hemberg, and a few others . . . meaning that I was telling the people who created this history about it . . . a rather surreal experience!)

December 8, 2002—Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton) A Pro Coro Family Christmas

A variety of carols and other music, including Daniel Pinkham’s Christmas Cantata and the premiere of a new work commissioned for Pro Coro by Allan Bevan.

January 18 & 19, 2003—Choral Arts (Seattle) Tenth Anniversary Concert

Kyrie (from Cantus Missae) -- Gabriel Rheinberger

Crucifixus -- Antonio Lotti

Ave Maria -- Gottfrid Berg

Bogoroditse Devo (from the All-Night Vigil) -- Sergei Rachmaninoff

Madrigali -- Morten Lauridsen

Movement IV from Concerto for Choir -- Alfred Schnittke

Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine -- Eric Whitacre

Le pont mirabeau -- Lionel Daunais

Londonderry Air -- arr. Percy Grainger

Kung Liljekonvalje -- David Wikander

O jungfrun hon går i ringen -- Hugo Alfvén

Deep River -- arr. Norman Luboff

March 16, 2003 – Pro Coro Canada — Good Friday concert

Svyati -- John Tavener

All-Night Vigil -- Sergei Rachmaninoff

April 18, 2003—Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton) Music of Consolation

Phoenix -- Peter Hallock

Lenten Motets -- Francis Poulenc

Organ Concerto (Jeremy Spurgeon, Organist) -- Francis Poulenc

Requiem -- Maurice Duruflé

2003-2004

September 13 & 14, 2003—Choral Arts (Seattle) Americana

The Best of Rooms -- Randall Thompson

The Odes of Horace

Reincarnations -- Samuel Barber

Three Spirituals -- Moses Hogan

The Light of Stars -- Randall Thompson

Psalm 36 --Richard Nance

Two Herbert Settings -- Randall Thompson

Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen -- arr. Shaw/Parker

Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair -- arr. Norman Luboff

Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal -- arr. Alice Parker

Alleluia -- Randall Thompson

(we also recorded a CD on Gothic Records of music by Randall Thompson, including some not of his works not on this program)

September 28, 2003—Pro Coro Canada  Haydn Mass Series I

Der Geisthilft -- Bach

Imant Raminsh — In the Night We Shall Go In --

— Smile, O Voluptous, Cool-Breathed Earth

— Ave Verum Corpus

Nelson Mass -- Franz Josef Haydn

December 14, 2003—Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton) A Pro Coro Christmas

A variety of carols and other music, including the premiere of a new work by Allan Gilliland

December 19, 20, 21, 2003—Choral Arts (Seattle)  A Choral and Organ Holiday

Various carols and Christmas works

February 1, 2004—Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton) Magic Songs

Warum ist das Licht gegeben -- Johannes Brahms

Magic Songs -- R. Murray Schafer

Ella Sunlight -- John Estacio

Soldier’s Cry -- Trent Worthington

Sept Chansons -- Francis Poulenc

Then Farewell World -- Allan Bevan

Cowboy Songs -- Trent Worthington

(works from this program were a part of our program at the Canadian Voices Festival in Toronto, below)

February 14 & 15, 2004—Choral Arts (Seattle) A Rose in Winter

Sept Chansons -- Francis Poulenc

Alnight by the Rose -- Karen Thomas

Go, Lovely Rose -- Halsey Stevens

Five Hebrew Love Songs -- Eric Whitacre

Six Madrigals -- William Hawley

Liebeslieder Polkas -- P.D.Q. Bach

February 29, 2004 Gala Concert for Canadian Voices Festival in Toronto

Tonu Kaljuste, conducting PC, Elmer Iseler Singers, Elora Festival Singers, Studio de Musique Ancienna de Montreal, Tafelmusik Chamber Choir, & Vancouver Chamber Choir in: Nystedt Miserere, and the World Premiere of R. Murray Schafer’s The Fall into Light – Pro Coro also did its own program with works selected from the February program. We also did a workshop for some high school choirs along with Murray Schafer

April 9, 2004—Pro Coro Canada Good Friday program — Passion & Resurrection

O sacrum convivium! -- Olivier Messiaen

Ubi caritas -- Maurice Duruflé

Passion and Resurrection -- Ivan Moody (Timothy Shantz & Paul Grindlay, soloists)

2004-2005

September 18 & 19, 2004—Choral Arts (Seattle)  English Cathedral Splendors, with organist Joseph Adam

Faire is the Heaven -- William Harris

Hymn of St. Columba -- Benjamin Britten

Antiphon

Magnificat, Op. 164 -- Charles Villiers Stanford

Nunc Dimittis -- Gustav Holst

Behold, the tabernacle of God -- Healy Willan

Rise up, My Love

A Hymn to the Mother of God -- John Tavener

Like as the Hart -- Herbert Howells

Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis (Collegium Regale)

Hymn to the Creator of Light -- John Rutter

October 3, 2004—Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton)  Haydn Mass Series II

Then Farewell, World -- Allan Bevan

V prirode (5 Songs) -- Antonin Dvorak (sung in Czech)

Psalm 23 -- Antonin Dvorak (sung in Czech)

Five Hebrew Love Songs -- Eric Whitacre

Missa in tempore belli -- Franz Joseph Haydn

December 12, 2004—Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton) A Pro Coro Christmas

A variety of carols and other music with guests the Jubiloso Handbell Choir and Caesar Zmyslowski, guitar

December 17, 18, 19, 2004—Choral Arts (Seattle) Christmas Treasures

O Come, O Come Emmanuel -- arr. Shaw/Parker

Gabriel’s Message -- Eleanor Daley

Joseph, lieber, Joseph mein -- Michael Praetorius

Singet Frisch und Wohlgemuth -- Hugo Distler

The Hills are Bare at Bethlehem -- arr. Ralph Johnson

Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day -- John Gardner

The Lamb -- John Tavener

O Magnum Mysterium -- Morten Lauridsen

I Saw Three Ships -- arr. Shaw/Parker

What Sweeter Music -- John Rutter

The Holly and the Ivy --  Jonathan Willcocks

Glory! -- Moses Hogan

March 25, 2005—Pro Coro Canada — Good Friday at the Winspear

Exsultate, Jubilate -- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jolaine Kerley, soloist)

Nou Goth Sonne Under Wode (World Premiere) -- Allan Bevan

Requiem -- Mozart

April 24, 2005—Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton) Carmina Burana

Svadebka (Les Noces) -- Igor Stravinsky (with the International Piano Quartet)

Carmina Burana -- Carl Orff

May 14 & 15, 2005—Choral Arts (Seattle) American Voices

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

Let us Move -- Mark O’Connor

Five Hebrew Love Songs -- Eric Whitacre

Five Romantic Miniatures from “The Simpsons” -- Paul Crabtree

Three American Folksongs -- Richard Nance

May 31, 2005—Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton) Northern Connections

(concert shared with the Norsk Solists Kor, cond. Grete Pedersen, Grete conducted combined choirs in the Nystedt and I conducted the Raminsh—the rest of the repertoire listed below was conducted by me with Pro Coro only)

Canticum calamitatis maritimae -- Jaako Mäntyjärvi

Suite de Lorca, op. 72 -- Einojuhani Rautavaara

Ave Verum Corpus --  Imant Raminsh

Five Hebrew Love Songs -- Eric Whitacre

O Crux -- Knut Nystedt

June 2-5—Pro Coro Canada Northern Voices Festival and Tour in Toronto & Montreal

Independent Concerts, plus Gala Concert with Norwegian Soloists, Latvian Radio Choir, and Elora Festival Singers, Tonu Kaljuste conducting: Schafer Death of Shalana (premiere), Tavener Invocation (premiere), Gorecki Totus tuus, Rachmaninoff Vespers portion of All-Night Vigil

2005-2006

October 2, 2005—Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton) Haydn Mass Series III

Veni Sancte Spiritus -- Michael Haydn

Pater Noster -- Jacob Handl

Pater Noster -- Franz Liszt

Os Justi -- Anton Bruckner

Missa Brevis -- Zoltan Kodaly

Maria Theresa Mass -- F.J. Haydn

October 22 & 23, 2005—Choral Arts (Seattle)

Canticum Calamitatis Maritimae -- Mäntyjärvi

All Night Vigil/Vespers -- Sergei Rachmaninoff

November 6, 2005 – Mid-America Productions, Carnegie Hall, NYC

Mass in Time of War -- F.J. Haydn

December 4, 2005—Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton) A Pro Coro Christmas

A variety of carols and other music with guests Jubiloso Handbell Choir and Cantillon Children’s Choirs

December 16, 17 & 18, 2005—Choral Arts (Seattle)—Christmas Concert                                                                                                                                  

Various, including Rene Clausen’s Magnificat, Stephen Paulus’ Pilgrim’s Hymn, Derek Holman’s Deck the Halls, and William Walton’s All This Time.

January, 22, 2006—Pro Coro Canada — All-Mozart Anniversary Program

God is Our Refuge (K. 20) -- Mozart

Canons:  O du eselhafter Peierl, / Ihr süsses Lied singt die Nachtigal

Misera, dove son!/Ah! Non son io che parlo (Soprano and orchestra)

Canons: Bona nox! Bist a rechte Ox / Leck mich / V’amo di core teneramente

Per Questa bella mano (Bass soloist, Double bass, and orchestra)

Concerto for Flute, Harp and Orchestra

Coronation Mass

March 25 & 26, 2006—Choral Arts (Seattle) Farewell Concert (my final concert with Choral Arts Northwest):

Crucifixus -- Antonio Lotti

Kyrie (from Cantus Missae, Op. 109) -- Gabriel Rheinberger

Warum ist das Licht gegeben? (Op. 74, no. 1) -- Johannes Brahms

Hymn to the Creator of Light -- John Rutter

The Best of Rooms -- Randall Thompson

Felices ter -- Randall Thompson

Antiphon -- Randall Thompson

Concerto for Choir (Movement I) -- Alfred Schnittke

Ave Maria (from Two Motets) -- Gottfrid Berg

Bogoroditse Devo (from the Vespers) -- Sergei Rachmaninoff

April 14, 2006—Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton) Good Friday at the Winspear

Mass in B Minor -- J.S. Bach

2006-2007

I spent the fall quarter as Guest Professor at the University of Cincinnati, teaching (a conducting class and sharing responsibilities with Earl Rivers for working with the MM and DMA conducting students) and conducting the CCM Chorale. Most the semester with the Chorale was spent on Karel Husa’s An American Te Deum, which was performed with the Wind Symphony, Rodney Winther conducting. Then we performed on the CCM Feast of Carols program.

(the Winter quarter was taught by Richard Westenburg, and the Spring Quarter by Dale Warland—quite the year for the grad students!)

October 8, 2006—Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton) Haydn Mass Series IV

 Lionel Daunais — Jeux de Cordes

— Figures de Danse

Missa Quinta -- György Orbán

Heiligmesse -- F. J. Haydn

December 17, 2006—Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton) A Pro Coro Christmas

A variety of carols and other music with guests Jubiloso Handbell Choir and Caesar Zmyslowski, guitar

January 14, 2007—Pro Coro Canada — Moving the Soul

Lobet den Herrn -- J.S. Bach

Four Eulogies -- John Estacio

Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine -- Eric Whitacre

Hymn to the Creator of Light -- John Rutter

Songs and Sonnets -- George Shearing

I was in Sweden from February 13 to March16, 2007 – I prepared the Swedish Radio Choir for Wagner Parsifal, Act III (Valeri Gergiev, conductor); a cappella works by Sandström, Jennefelt, Olsson, Hillborg (for a tour with Peter Dijkstra); Beethoven Gloria and Sanctus from the Mass in C and the Choral Fantasy (for the Mostly Mozart Festival in NY); and Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem (for a performance in Norrköping)

April 6, 2007—Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton) Good Friday at the Winspear

Nou goth sonne under wode -- Allan Bevan

Requiem -- Gabriel Faure

May 8-21, 2006 – Canadian National Youth Choir Tour, Vancouver Island and Victoria, British Columbia

I was the first non-Canadian invited to conduct the Canadian National Youth Choir, which is an outstanding 40-voice group (up to age 25, so similar to European youth choirs) selected from all 10 provinces across Canada. They rehearse intensively (which we did in Powell River), then did a short tour down the Sunshine Coast and two concerts in Vancouver, B.C., which culminated in a performance at Podium, the every-two-year conference of the Association of Canadian Choral Conductors, which was held at U Victoria on Vancouver Island:

Der Geisthilft -- J.S. Bach 

Mass -- Frank Martin 

Figures de danse -- Lionel Daunais 

Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine -- Eric Whitacre 

The Garden (premiere) -- Allan Bevan 

Alberta Cowboy Songs -- Trent Worthington

2007-2008

September 30, 2007—Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton)  Haydn Mass Series V

A Schubertiad (solo Lieder, works for women’s, men’s and mixed choir) -- Schubert

Due North -- Stephen Chatman

Schöpfungsmesse -- F.J. Haydn

December 16, 2007—Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton)  A Pro Coro Christmas

A variety of carols and other music with guests Pro Coro Brass and members of three University choirs for Rutter’s Gloria

During 2008 I spent two periods of time in Sweden, preparing works for the Swedish Radio Choir and conducting their Spring Concert:

— Week of January 21, 2008 – prepare Swedish Radio Choir for a program they will do jointly with the Latvian Radio Choir under Kaspars Putnins: Pizzetti Requiem, Penderecki Stabat Mater and Agnus Dei, Pärt The Beatitudes

— Week of January 28 – prepare Radio Choir for Bach St. Matthew Passion for a Good Friday performance with the Radio Orchestra’s Chief Conductor, Daniel Harding

— Rachmaninov The Bells and numbers 1 & 3 of Three Russian Songs (op. 41), for a performance conducted by Jukka-Pekka Sarasate

February 24, 2008—Pro Coro Canada — One Earth, Many Voices

Biegga Luothe -- Jan Sandström

Songs of the British Isles (arr. Holst, Vaughan Williams, Quick, McGlynn)

Gamelan -- R. Murray Schafer

Set of French Canadian Folk Songs

Past Life Melodies -- Sarah Hopkins

Arrangements of Music by Piazzolla

Set of English Canadian Folk Songs

Three Spirituals (arr. Martin, Luboff)

March 9, 2008—The Seattle Bach Choir

I substituted for an ill friend, taking the last four rehearsals and a performance with the Seattle Bach Choir—a mixed program (Brahms motet, William Hawley Madrigals, etc.)

March 21, 2008—Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton) Good Friday at the Winspear

3 works with Bass solo -- Pavel Chesnokov (Paul Grindlay, bass soloist)

All-Night Vigil -- Sergei Rachmaninov

Back to Sweden:

— First week in April – prepare Radio Choir for Verdi Four Sacred Pieces, which they’ll do with their Chief Conductor, Peter Dijkstra in combination with the Netherlands Chamber Choir – also for repertoire the choir will do on their own for their tour in the Netherlands by Werle, Sandström, and Holten

— Week of April 21 – begin preparation for the Spring concert and also for Brahms Requiem for a tour with Valeri Gergiev and the Rotterdam Philharmonic

May 9, 2008 – Guest conduct the Swedish Radio Choir for their Spring Concert, a lighter program shared with a Swedish jazz duo; Radio Choir sings British music (Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Stanford, etc.), two of John Rutter’s Birthday Madrigals, and some traditional Swedish spring songs