Upcoming VCU Music Events DEPARTMENTOF

JAZZ ORCHESTRA I with guest artist Bob McChesney

Tuesday, April 19, 2016, 8 p.m.
MUSIC
W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts
Tickets $7 in advance, $10 at door. Free for VCU students with ID.

VCU OPERA
Saturday, April 30, 2016, 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 1, 2016, 7 p.m.
W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts
The VCU Opera presents two one-act operas: Gian-Carlo Menotti's
A Journey Towards Hope
tragedy "The Medium" and Gioacchino Rossini's comedy "La Cambiale di
Matrimonio" ("The Marriage Contract"). presented by
Tickets $10 in advance; $15 at door.
VCU Commonwealth Singers,
The VCU Polyphonies
VCU Guitar Ensemble
and the VCU Women's Choir
Sunday, May 1, 3 p.m.
Recital Hall, James W. Black Music Center
Free admission

co-sponsored by the
For tickets and information, visit VCU Humanities Research Center's HIV-AIDS Initiative
ARTS.VCU.EDU/MUSIC/EVENTS

Friday, April 15, 2016 | 7:30 p.m

Sonia Vlahcevic Concert Hall
Virginia Commonwealth University
W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts
922 Park Avenue I Richmond, VA

arts.vcu.edu/music

Department of Music | School of the Arts | Virginia Commonwealth University

922 Park Avenue, Room 132I P.O. Box842004| Richmond, VA 23284-2004
vcu Ivcuarts
 Program
VCUPOLYPHONICS
VCU Women's Choir
Rebecca Tyree, Conductor Georgia Cotter Aaron Moyers
Margaret Taylor, Accompanist
Aaron Frisbie Arianna Rose

The Womanly Song of God Libby Larson

Alex Goia Savannah Whittenburg
Text byCatherine de Vinck Ella Mort

Set Me As A Seal Richard Nance

Song of Soloman
VCU Commonwealth Singers
Patrick Smith, French Horn

Erin Freeman, Director

Voices of Broken Hearts Steven Sametz Laura Candler-White, Accompanist
from Clark Street Bridge Carl Sandburg

Katie Cappuccio, Gabrielle Debra, Anna Webster, Ghost Chorus

Dr.Justin Alexander, Vibraphone Soprano Tenor
Erin Bolden @ Jonathan Bowman A
A City Called Heaven Traditional Spiritual
Kaylyn Carver Matthew Evangelisto
arr. Paul Carey
Tiun Duong Emory Freeman ~
Gnothi Safton (KnowThyself) Jim Papoulis Victoria Jackson * Jason Garland
Samantha John Aaron Moyers
Carrie Bullard, Robyn Freidin, Cassidy Hamilton,
KimberlyStrothers, Marie Kreck, Boomwhackers Charlotte Schuhle
Laycee Bell, Cassie TUman, Savannah Whittenburg, Descant Savannah Whittenburg
Don't Be Afraid Allyson Reigh
arr. Jennifer McMillan
Simone Plater, soloist Alto Bass
Jaylin Brown * Coltrane Conklin *
Georgia Cotter Brian Donovan ~
The VCU Polyphonies Taylor Dacosta Forrest Glass #
Kirsten Ferguson Shyheim Hinnant
Sicut Cervus Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Ella Mort Gabriel Taylor
Due pupille amabili Notturno KV439 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Simone Plater Darius Thomas
Ecco quell fiero istante Notturno KV 436 Amanda Simon Andrew Wingfield I
Hayleigh Wilson
Gute Nacht from BWV227 Jesu, meine Freude Johann Sebastian Bach

Java Jive Music Ben Oakland, Lyrics Milton Drake

arr. Kirby Shaw * Section Leader
# Conducting Assistant
@ Chorus Manager
When I Fall In Love Victor Young
arr. Kirby Shaw A Research Assistant
Arianna Rose, soloist ~ Marketing Team
 VCU Women's Choir VCU Commonwealth Singers
Rebecca Tyree, Conductor Erin Freeman, Conductor
Margaret Taylor, Accompanist Laura Candler-White, Piano

Laycee Bell Emily Nesbit

We're All Here Daron Hagen
Chemistry Music: Vocal Performance
World premiereinstrumentation
Erin Bolden Simone Plater Justin Alexander, Percussion
Music BA. English Laura Candler-White, Piano

Hailey Broyles** Taylor Ramirez

Deep River. Traditional
Music Education: Choral Music BA.
arr. Hogan

Carrie Bullard Charlotte Roth

Music Education: Choral Music BA.; Cinema B.A.; Creative loTacero Gesualdo
Writing minor
Katherine Cappuccio Unicornis Captivatur. Ola Gjeilo
Music BA. /Music Industry Daniella Sniffen
Psychology What a Wonderful World George Weiss & Bob Theile
Gabrielle Debra arr. Clausen
Biology Janet Speight Jaylin Browne, Alto
Fashion Mechandising
Nicole Frank
When You Wish Upon A Star. Leigh Harline and Ned Washington
Early & Elementary Education Kimberly Strother
arr. Nancy Wertsch
Broadcast Journalism; Music minor
Robyn Freidin*
Music B.A. Cassie Tillman
Music: Vocal Performance
Lexie Gruber
Music Education: Choral Anna Webster A
English; Russian and Music minors
Cassidy Hamilton
Music Education: Choral Clarissa Whitehead
Elementary Education
Tonight's concert ispresented in conjunction with the VCU Humanities Research Center's
Devon Howsmon
Spring 2016speaker series, "HIV-AIDS: Local, National, and Global Perspectives."
Music Education: Choral Savannah Whittenburg #
For detailed information onthis series, please visit humanitiescenter.vcu.edu.
Music: Vocal Performance
Marie Kreck
English, Music This concert isco-sponsored bythe VCU Humanities Research Center.

* Chorus Manager
# Librarian
** Assistant to the Director
A Wardrobe
 Program Notes Text & Translations

Aswe acknowledge the past four decades of HIV-AIDS epidemic,we reflect on its The WojUanly Song of God (Women's Choir) Unicornis Captivatur (Commonwealth Singers)

impact on the entire human population through music and the written word. The Libby Larson; text byCatherine de Vinck Anonymous, Engelberg Codex 314
selected songs of strength, love, sadness, acceptance, faith, hope and empathy
encompass the message that awareness and understanding can be our strongest I am the woman dancing the world alive: The Unicorn is captured,
source of support. Birds on my wrists it's presented to the royal court
sun-feathers in my hair in the hunter's snare;
Women's Choir opens the concert with Womanly Song of God, an uplifting, I leap through hoops of atoms: creeping, it freed itselffrom the pole;
almost raucous, jubilant celebration of birth, renewal and life. Libby Larsen, one under mysteps because it's wounded, it heals itself
of America's most performed living female composers selected this poem by plants burst into bloom with the viper's venom.
a female poet for its energy and dancelike nature. Her highly rhythmic setting birches tremble in silver
vividly paints these poignant words with vibrant intensity as she has the singers Can you not see the roundness of me: Sing Alleluia
perform as drummers, dancers and storytellers with their bodies and voices. The curves of the earth to the dying lamb;
strength of the human spirit emanates from the joyful female chorus. Maternal arms of the sea sing Alleluia,
(encircling you wetly as you swim?) cry Alleluia
Set Me A Seal, a text from the Songs of Solomon, sings of the ultimate union and I am the birthing woman to the victorious Lion.

devotion of our dear loved ones: "set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon kneeling by the river
your arm: for love is strong as death" for it is love that heals the heart. Heaving, pushing forth a sacred body Life returns to the wounded Pelican

(not mud, not stone: flesh and blood) after miserable death
The haunting effects of delayed vibraphone, choir and ghost choir in Voices in its nest for the sins of the world.
of Broken Hearts create an ethereal atmospheric sound seemingly suspended Round, round the wind
in time as the voices echo in aleatoric alternation. Taken from Carl Sandburg's spinning itself wild The Phoenix' light is burnt out,
Chicago Poems (1916), these words created often desolate images, depicting Drawing great circles of music the ancient sins of the world
real life in the streets at the height of the industrial revolution. The broken hearts across the sky. are utterly consumed by flame.
and broken dreams relate to the tragic loss of life at the height of the HIV-AIDS Round the gourd fulle of seeds
epidemic and the continued hardships and loss of life today. round the moon in its ripeness The Hydra enters the crocodile,
Round the door through which I come deprives it of its entrails, kills it,
The spiritual, A City of Heaven reveals a mournful pleading in search of 'that place stooping into your house. and comes back alive.
called home' and the solace of acceptance when found. I am the God of a thousand names:
why cannot one of them be Three days long
The text of Gnothi Safton, was inspired by the ancient Greeks who "believed Woman singing? the lion slept till the King
that to know thyself was one of the axioms of philosophical thought" (J.P.) This awakened it with a roar.
energetic combination of voices, boom whackers and piano exudes excitement
in the celebration of life.
|o Tacero (Commonwealth Singers)
Anonymous
We close with a piece written for the Don't Be Afraid Campaign. Established
in 2013 by Scott Jones, this organization seeks to raise awareness and create a
I will keep quiet, yet in my silence my
non-judgmental forum for discussing the fear associated with homophobia and
tears and sighs shalltell of my pain.
transphobia. "Acknowledging and letting go of fear can lead to a deeper level of
And if I should die, death shall cry out for
acceptance. Don't be afraid to face your fear, don't be afraid to love and accept
me once again.
yourself." (Scott Jones, founder, Don't Be Afraid Campaign)