The Mystic & the Storyteller - Conspirare

The Mystic
& the Story teller
f e a t u r i n g
The Little
Match Girl Passion
b y D a v i d L a n g
2009-2010 eighteenth season
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We thank the Fredericksburg
Friends of Conspirare
whose generous gifts
The Mystic
& the Story teller
f e a t u r i n g
The Little
Match Girl Passion
support the May 6 performance:
Thursday, May 6, 7:30 pm
St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Fredericksburg
Fischer & Wieser Specialty Foods
Mary & Jim Hatchette
Carolyn Keating
Timothy Koock
Friday, May 7, 8:00 pm
Saturday, May 8, 8:00 pm
Sunday, May 9, 2:30 pm
St. Martin’s Lutheran Church, Austin
Craig Hella Johnson, Artistic Director & Conductor
Susan & Frosty Rees
Dian & Harlan Stai
Jack Swanzy
Andrew Yates
COVER PHOTO BY Leon Alesi
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progr am
Chorale: O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden
J. S. Bach
from St. Matthew Passion (1685-1750)
PROGR AM NOTES
The Little Match Girl Passion
I wanted to tell a story. A particular story – in fact, the story of The Little Match Girl, by
the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The original is ostensibly for children, and
it has that shocking combination of danger and morality that many famous children’s
stories do. A poor young girl, whose father beats her, tries unsuccessfully to sell matches
on the street, is ignored, and freezes to death. Through it all she somehow retains her
Christian purity of spirit, but it is not a pretty story.
Requiem: Missa Pro Defunctis
1. Introit
2. Kyrie
3. Graduale
4. Offertorium
5. Sanctus
6. Agnus Dei
7. Communio
Versa est in luctum
intermission
The Little Match Girl Passion
Plorate filii Israel
from Historia di Jephte
Tomás Luis de Victoria
(1548-1611)
Tomás Luis de Victoria
David Lang
(b. 1957)
Giacomo Carissimi
(c.1605-1674)
What drew me to The Little Match Girl is that the strength of the story lies not in its plot
but in the fact that all its parts—the horror and the beauty—are constantly suffused with
their opposites. The girl’s bitter present is locked together with the sweetness of her past
memories; her poverty is always suffused with her hopefulness. There is a kind of naive
equilibrium between suffering and hope.
There are many ways to tell this story. One could convincingly tell it as a story about
faith or as an allegory about poverty. What has always interested me, however, is
that Andersen tells this story as a kind of parable, drawing a religious and moral
equivalency between the suffering of the poor girl and the suffering of Jesus. The
girl suffers, is scorned by the crowd, dies, and is transfigured. I started wondering
what secrets could be unlocked from this story if one took its Christian nature to its
conclusion and unfolded it, as Christian composers have traditionally done in musical
settings of the Passion of Jesus.
The most interesting thing about how the Passion story is told is that it can include texts
other than the story itself. These texts are the reactions of the crowd, penitential thoughts,
statements of general sorrow, shock, or remorse. These are devotional guideposts, the
markers for our own responses to the story, and they have the effect of making the
audience more than spectators to the sorrowful events onstage. These responses can have
a huge range—in Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion, these extra texts range from famous
chorales that his congregation was expected to sing along with to completely invented
characters, such as the “Daughter of Zion” and the “Chorus of Believers.” The Passion
format—the telling of a story while simultaneously commenting upon it—has the effect
of placing us in the middle of the action, and it gives the narrative a powerful inevitability.
My piece is called The Little Match Girl Passion and it sets Hans Christian Andersen’s
story The Little Match Girl in the format of Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion, interspersing
Andersen’s narrative with my versions of the crowd and character responses from Bach’s
Passion. The text is by me, after texts by Han Christian Andersen, H. P. Paulli (the first
translator of the story into English, in 1872), Picander (the nom de plume of Christian
Friedrich Henrici, the librettist of Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion), and the Gospel according
to Saint Matthew. The word “passion” comes from the Latin word for suffering. There is no
Bach in my piece and there is no Jesus—rather the suffering of the Little Match Girl has
been substituted for Jesus’s, elevating (I hope) her sorrow to a higher plane.
Notes by David Lang, composer
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PROGR AM NOTES continuED
“O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden” from St. Matthew Passion
J. S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion was composed for Good Friday at St. Thomas Church in
Leipzig in 1729. A traditional Passion like Bach’s tells the story of Jesus’s suffering (Latin
passio) and death. It does not end in the triumph of Christ’s resurrection, but with his
entombment and the mourning of his disciples – not a happy story. In the Passion narrative,
the chorale “O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden” is inserted after the scene in which Pilate’s
soldiers strip Jesus, mockingly dress him in a scarlet robe and crown of thorns, spit on him,
and strike his head. Here the listener in Bach’s church would have joined in the singing of
the familiar chorale, stepping personally into the drama and reacting to it as a member of
the faithful Christian congregation. The chorales, even if new to one’s ears, seem familiar in
their regular, foursquare phrases and simple melodies, although adorned in Bach’s poignant
harmonies. The multiple musical forms Bach employs in the St. Matthew Passion include
dramatic settings of the words from the Bible, masterfully artistic arias commenting on these
words, and stunning double choruses forcefully advancing the action – yet the strongest
emotional responses may come from these superficially simple four-part chorales.
Requiem: Missa Pro Defunctis
The great late-Renaissance Spanish composer Tomás Luis de Victoria was a native of the
province of Ávila, where he received his early musical training. His music is often described
as embodying the mysticism of St. Theresa, another great figure of the Counter-Reformation
from Ávila. After studying in Rome, possibly as a student of Palestrina, Victoria became a
priest and served with distinction as an organist and chapelmaster. He returned to Spain
in 1587 and spent the rest of his life as chaplain to the Dowager Empress Maria, sister of
King Philip II and widow of Emperor Maximilian II, at the convent to which she and her
daughter had retired in Madrid. Victoria composed the Requiem (Mass for the Dead) for
Maria’s funeral in 1603. Victoria’s music is stylistically similar to that of Palestrina, whose
restrained polyphony was embraced by the Roman church as a centerpiece of the Counter-
Reformation. The preponderance of long notes and the slowly-moving harmony allow the
words of the text to be intelligible, and the sonorities created in a resonant church setting
create a mystical and ethereal atmosphere perfectly in tune with the eternal subjects of the
Requiem text. One short motet by Victoria is also on today’s program.
“Plorate, filii Israel” from Historia di Jephte
Jephte by Giacomo Carissimi is one of the earliest examples of an oratorio: a musical drama,
usually on a religious theme, performed without costumes, scenery, or stage action. Working
his entire career in Rome, Carissimi was an important teacher and a composer of wide fame.
His oratorios trend toward an operatic style that emphasizes solo arias more than choruses.
Usually performed during the penitential season of Lent, they emphasize themes of suffering
and obedience. The Jephte (1648) libretto, a paraphrase and elaboration of the words from the
Hebrew Book of Judges, tells of the warrior judge who rashly promised to sacrifice whatever first
came out of his house to meet him upon his return from victory over the Ammonites. This
greeter turns out to be his only daughter. Unnamed, like Hans Christian Andersen’s little match
girl, this daughter likewise becomes a father’s victim when Jephte fulfills his vow. He first allows
the daughter two months to “bewail her virginity,” which she does in a solo with a haunting
echo in which all of nature shares her lamentation. This solo is followed immediately by the
concluding chorus “Plorate, filii Israel,” as the people of Israel mourn the daughter’s death.
TexTS AND TR ANSlATiONS
O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden
O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden, O Head full of blood and wounds,
voll Schmerz und voller Hohn,
full of pain and full of derision,
O Haupt, zu Spott gebunden
O Head, in mockery bound
mit einer Dornenkron;
with a crown of thorns,
O Haupt, sonst schön gezieret
O Head, once beautifully adorned
mit höchster Ehr’ und Zier,
with the most honour and adornment
jetzt aber hoch schimpfieret:
but now most dishonored:
gegrüßet seist du mir!
let me greet you!
Du edles Angesichte,
You noble countenance,
dafür sonst schrickt und scheut before which once shrinks and cowers
das große Weltgerichte,
the great might of the world,
wie bist du so bespeit!
how you are spat upon!
Wie bist du so erbleichet!
How you are turned pallid!
Wer hat dein Augenlicht,
Who has treated those eyes
dem sonst kein Licht nicht gleichet, to which no light is comparable
so schändlich zugericht’?
So shamefully?
Requiem: Missa Pro Defuncto
1. Introitus 1. Introit
Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine, Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
et lux perpetua luceat eis.
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
Te decet hymnus Deus, in Sion, A hymn becomes you, O God, in Zion,
et tibi reddetur votum in Ierusalem. and to you shall a vow be repaid in Jerusalem.
Exaudi orationem meam;
Hear my prayer;
ad te omnis caro veniet.
to you shall all flesh come.
Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine, Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
et lux perpetua luceat eis.
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
2. Kyrie 2. O Lord
Kyrie eleison;
Lord have mercy upon us;
Christe eleison;
Christ have mercy upon us;
Kyrie eleison
Lord have mercy upon us.
3. Graduale 3. Gradual
Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord:
et lux perpetua luceat eis.
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
In memoria æterna erit justus, He shall be justified in everlasting memory,
ab auditione mala non timebit.
and shall not fear evil reports.
Notes by Eric Leibrock
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4. Offertorium 4. Offertory
Domine Jesu Christe, Rex gloriae,
Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory,
libera animas defunctorum
deliver the souls of the dead
de poenis inferni,
from punishment in the inferno,
et de profundo lacu.
and from the infernal lake.
Libera eas de ore leonis,
Deliver them from the mouth of the lion,
ne absorbeat eas tartarus,
lest the abyss swallow them up,
ne cadant in obscurum.
lest they fall into the darkness.
Hostias et preces tibi,
Sacrifices and prayers to thee,
Domine, laudis offerimus.
O Lord, we offer with praise.
Tu suscipe pro animabus illis
O receive them for the souls of those
quarum hodie memoriam facimus.
whom today we commemorate.
Fac eas, Domine,
Make them, O Lord,
de morte transire ad vitam,
to pass from death to life,
quam olim Abrahae promisisti, as thou of old hast promised Abraham
et semini eius.
and his seed.
5. Sanctus 5. Holy
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,
Holy, Holy, Holy,
Dominus Deus Sabaoth;
Lord God of Hosts;
pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Heaven and earth are full of your glory,
Osanna in excelsis.
Hosanna in the highest.
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
6. Agnus Dei 6. Lamb of God
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
dona eis requiem,
grant them rest,
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
dona eis requiem sempiternam.
grant them eternal rest.
7. Communio 7. Communion
Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine, Let everlasting light shine upon them, Lord,
cum sanctis tuis in aeternum,
with Thy saints for ever,
quia pius es.
for Thou art merciful.
Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine, Grant them eternal rest, Lord,
et lux perpetua luceat eis,
and let perpetual light shine upon them,
quia pius es.
for Thou art merciful.
Versa est in Luctum
Versa est in luctum cithara mea,
et organum meum in vocem flentium.
Parce mihi Domine,
nihil enim sunt dies mei.
My harp is tuned for lamentation,
and my flute to the voice of those who weep.
Spare me, O Lord,
for my days are as nothing.
The Little Match Girl Passion
1. Come, daughter
Come, daughter / Help me, daughter / Help me cry
Look, daughter / Where, daughter / What, daughter /
Who, daughter Why, daughter
Guiltless daughter / Patient daughter
Gone
2. It was terribly cold
It was terribly cold and nearly dark on the last evening of the old year, and
the snow was falling fast. In the cold and the darkness, a poor little girl, with
bare head and naked feet, roamed through the streets. It is true she had on
a pair of slippers when she left home, but they were not of much use. They
were very large, so large, indeed, that they had belonged to her mother, and
the poor little creature had lost them in running across the street to avoid
two carriages that were rolling along at a terrible rate. One of the slippers
she could not find, and a boy seized upon the other and ran away with it,
saying that he could use it as a cradle, when he had children of his own. So
the little girl went on with her little naked feet, which were quire red and
blue with the cold.
So the little girl went on. / So the little girl went on.
3. Dearest heart
Dearest heart / Dearest heart / What did you do that was so wrong?
Dearest heart / Dearest heart / Why is your sentence so hard?
4. In an old apron
In an old apron she carried a number of matches, and had a bundle of them in
her hands. No one had bought anything of her the whole day, nor had any one
given her even a penny. Shivering with cold and hunger, she crept along; poor
little child, she looked the picture of misery. The snowflakes fell on her long,
fair hair, which hung in curls on her shoulders, but she regarded them not.
5. Penance and remorse
Penance and remorse / Tear my sinful heart in two
My teardrops / May they fall like rain down upon your poor face
May they fall down like rain / My teardrops
Here, daughter, here I am / I should be bound as you were bound
All that I deserve is / What you have endured
Penance and remorse / Tear my sinful heart in two
My penance / My remorse / My penance
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6. Lights were shining
Lights were shining from every window, and there was a savory smell of
roast goose, for it was New-year’s eve – yes, she remembered that. In a
corner, between two houses, one of which projected beyond the other, she
sank down and huddled herself together. She had drawn her little feet under
her, but she could not keep off the cold; and she dared not go home, for
she had sold no matches, and could not take home even a penny of money.
Her father would certainly beat her; besides, it was almost as cold at home
as here, for they had only the roof to cover them, through which the wind
howled, although the largest holes had been stopped up with straw and rags.
Her little hands were almost frozen with the cold.
7. Patience, patience!
Patience. Patience!
8. Ah! perhaps
Ah! perhaps a burning match might be some good, if she could draw it from
the bundle and strike it against the wall, just to warm her fingers. She drew
one out – “scratch!” how it sputtered as it burnt! It gave a warm, bright light,
like a little candle, as she held her hand over it. It was really a wonderful
light. It seemed to the little girl that she was sitting by a large iron stove,
with polished brass feet and a brass ornament. How the fire burned! and
seemed so beautifully warm that the child stretched out her feet as if to
warm them, when, lo! the flame of the match went out, the stove vanished,
and she had only the remains of the half-burnt match in her hand.
She rubbed another match on the wall. It burst into a flame, and where its
light fell upon the wall it became as transparent as a veil, and she could see
into the room. The table was covered with a snowy white table-cloth, on
which stood a splendid dinner service, and a steaming roast goose, stuffed
with apples and dried plums. And what was still more wonderful, the goose
jumped down from the dish and waddled across the floor, with a knife
and fork in its breast, to the little girl. Then the match went out, and there
remained nothing but the thick, damp, cold wall before her.
9. Have mercy, my God
Have mercy, my God. / Look here, my God.
See my tears fall. See my tears fall.
Have mercy, my God. Have mercy.
My eyes are crying. / My heart is crying, my God.
See my tears fall. / See my tears fall, my God.
10. She lighted another match
She lighted another match, and then she found herself sitting under a beautiful
Christmas-tree. It was larger and more beautifully decorated than the one
which she had seen through the glass door at the rich merchant’s. Thousands of
tapers were burning upon the green branches, and colored pictures, like those
she had seen in the show-windows, looked down upon it all. The little one
stretched out her hand towards them, and the match went out.
The Christmas lights rose higher and higher, till they looked to her like the
stars in the sky. Then she saw a star fall, leaving behind it a bright streak of
fire. “Some one is dying,” thought the little girl, for her old grandmother, the
only one who had ever loved her, and who was now dead, had told her that
when a star falls, a soul was going up to God.
11. From the sixth hour
From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth
hour. And at the ninth hour she cried out: Eli, Eli.
12. She again rubbed a match
She again rubbed a match on the wall, and the light shone round her; in the
brightness stood her old grandmother, clear and shining, yet mild and loving
in her appearance. “Grandmother,” cried the little one, “O take me with you;
I know you will go away when the match burns out; you will vanish like the
warm stove, the roast goose, and the large, glorious Christmas-tree.” And
she made haste to light the whole bundle of matches, for she wished to
keep her grandmother there. And the matches glowed with a light that was
brighter than the noon-day, and her grandmother had never appeared so
large or so beautiful. She took the little girl in her arms, and they both flew
upwards in brightness and joy far above the earth, where there was neither
cold nor hunger nor pain, for they were with God.
13. When it is time for me to go
When it is time for me to go / Don’t go from me
When it is time for me to leave / Don’t leave me
When it is time for me to die / Stay with me
When I am most scared / Stay with me
14. In the dawn of morning
In the dawn of morning there lay the poor little one, with pale cheeks and
smiling mouth, leaning against the wall; she had been frozen to death on the
last evening of the year; and the New-year’s sun rose and shone upon a little
corpse! The child still sat, in the stiffness of death, holding the matches in
her hand, one bundle of which was burnt. “She tried to warm herself,” said
some. No one imagined what beautiful things she had seen, nor into what
glory she had entered with her grandmother, on New-year’s day.
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15. We sit and cry
We sit and cry / And call to you / Rest soft, daughter, rest soft
Where is your grave, daughter? / Where is your tomb?
Where is your resting place?
Rest soft, daughter, rest soft
Rest soft …
You closed your eyes. / I closed my eyes.
Rest soft
Plorate, filii Israel
Plorate filii Israel,
plorate omnes virgines,
et filiam Jephte unigenitam in
carmine doloris lamentamini.
Weep, you children of Israel,
weep, all you virgins,
and for Jephthah’s only daughter,
lament with songs of anguish.
ARTiSTic PERSONNEl
Craig Hella Johnson, Artistic Director & Conductor
Company of Voices
Soprano
Julie Keim
*Abigail H. Lennox
Gitanjali Mathur
Stefanie Moore
*Kathlene Ritch
Sonja Tengblad
Alto
Wendy Bloom
Janet Carlsen Campbell
**Cina Crisara
**Pam Elrod
Stella Hastings
Rick Gabrillo, Assistant Conductor
Tenor
Daniel Buchanan
Paul D’Arcy
*Carr Hornbuckle
Justin Meyer
Jos Milton
Bass
Cameron Beauchamp
*David Farwig
Rick Gabrillo
Robert Harlan
John Proft
Rehearsal Pianist
Faith DeBow
*Soloist, The Little Match Girl Passion
**Soloist, Requiem: Missa Pro Defunctis
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Harmonia Mundi also released Requiem in Europe in 2009, and it has just
received an Edison nomination in the Choral Music category. The prestigious
Edison Award is the Dutch equivalent of the U.S. Grammy; winners will be
announced in June 2010.
ABOut CONSPiR ARE
The word “conspirare” derives from the Latin “con” and “spirare”
translated as “to breathe together.”
Conspirare was founded in 1991 as the New Texas Festival to present a summer
classical music festival in Austin, Texas. Since then, the organization has grown
rapidly to become an internationally recognized, professional choral organization
that combines outstanding vocal artistry with innovative programming. Led
by founder and artistic director Craig Hella Johnson, Conspirare is comprised
of two performing ensembles and an educational program. A chamber choir
(“Conspirare”) of extraordinarily talented singers from around the country is
presented in an annual concert series in Austin, other Texas communities, and
locations in the U.S. and abroad. The Conspirare Symphonic Choir of both
professional and volunteer singers performs at least one large choral/orchestral
work annually. The Conspirare Youth Choirs is an education and performance
program for singers ages 8-16, who learn and perform in two separate ensembles,
Kantorei and the Conspirare Children’s Choir.
Conspirare produced its first commercial recording, through the green fuse, in 2004
on the Clarion Records label. A second CD, Requiem, also on Clarion and since
reissued by Harmonia Mundi, was released in 2006 and received two Grammy ®
nominations (Best Choral Performance and Best Engineered Album, Classical).
Andrew Yates
A third recording, Threshold of Night, was released worldwide in September
2008 on the Harmonia Mundi label, Conspirare’s first title for the distinguished
recording company. Threshold of Night received two Grammy nominations, Best
Choral Performance and Best Classical Album. In October 2008, in cooperation
with Austin’s public television station KLRU, Conspirare filmed a PBS television
special, “A Company of Voices: Conspirare in Concert,” that was broadcast
nationally in March 2009 and is available on both CD and DVD. “A Company of
Voices” received a Grammy nomination as Best Classical Crossover Album.
Conspirare has performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.
In 2005 the organization received the Margaret Hillis Award for Choral
Excellence, presented by national service organization Chorus America. In
2007, as one of the select choruses in the country to receive a grant from the
National Endowment for the Arts under its American Masterpieces initiative,
Conspirare presented a choral festival entitled “Crossing the Divide: Exploring
Influence and Finding Our Voice.” The four-day festival featured a distinguished
gathering of composers and conductors, performances of three world premieres,
and a gala closing concert with a choir of 600 singers. In July 2008 Conspirare
represented the United States at the Eighth World Symposium on Choral Music
in Copenhagen, joining invited choirs from nearly forty countries.
The Conspirare ensembles’ 2009-2010 season consists of 25 performances
of eight different programs, in Austin, Wimberley, Fredericksburg, San Antonio
and Victoria. In February 2010 Conspirare was an invited, featured choir at
the annual convention of the American Choral Directors Association/Eastern
Division in Philadelphia.
14 15

Johnson served as Director of Choral Activities (1990-2001) at the University
of Texas in Austin where he led the graduate program in conducting. He was
artistic director of San Francisco-based Chanticleer (1998-1999) and has served
as guest conductor with the Austin Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Santa
Fe Symphony, Chicago’s Music of the Baroque, and the Berkshire Choral
Festival. In September 2009 Johnson travelled to Taiwan to conduct the Taipei
Male Choir.
ABOut CRAig Hella JOHNSON
Renowned as one of the most influential voices in choral conducting in the
United States, Craig Hella Johnson brings a depth of knowledge, artistic
sensitivity, and imagination to his programs. As founder and artistic director of
Conspirare, Johnson has assembled some of the finest singers in the country to
form a world-class, award-winning organization committed to creating dynamic
choral art.
In addition to his work with Conspirare, Johnson also serves as Creative
Director and Conductor of the Victoria Bach Festival, an annual event that
draws musicians and critical praise from around the country. Of Johnson’s
performance of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Mike Greenberg of the San
Antonio Express-News wrote: “Through all the amazing ebbs and flows of
dynamics, the radiant balances, the seamless connection of episodes, the
theatrically astute tempo relations, the unified structural arc, the music shone
forth with organic naturalness. Nothing sounded fussed over. Everything just
sounded right.”
Andrew Yates
Praised by audiences and critics, Johnson’s programs are hailed as thoughtprovoking
musical journeys. One unique aspect of Johnson’s programming is
his signature “collage” style: through-composed programs that marry music
and poetry to seamlessly blend sacred and secular, classical and contemporary,
classical and popular. In 2006 he was engaged to create a special peace-themed
collage program for the North Central ACDA convention. He was also engaged
by the St. Olaf Choir to create and conduct a collage program during a fiveweek
residency with the choir in spring 2007.
A composer and arranger, Johnson works with G. Schirmer Publishing on the
Craig Hella Johnson Choral Series, featuring specially selected composers as
well as some of his original compositions and arrangements. His works are
also published by Alliance Music Publications. Also an accomplished vocalist
and pianist, he released his first solo CD, “Thorns on the Rose,” in 2008 on the
Booker Music label.
Johnson’s distinctive style and commitment to the choral art have led him to
be honored with several awards, including 2008 induction into the Austin Arts
Hall of Fame and the 2009 Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and
Entrepreneurial Zeal, given by Chorus America.
A native of Minnesota, Johnson studied at St. Olaf College, the Juilliard School,
and the University of Illinois and earned his doctorate at Yale University. As the
recipient of a National Arts Fellowship, Johnson studied with Helmuth Rilling
at the International Bach Academy in Stuttgart, Germany.
16 17

BOARD OF
DiRECTORS
Fran Collmann, Chair
Robert J. Karli, Vice Chair
Bernadette Tasher, Treasurer
Robert Harlan, Secretary
Jack Brannon
David Clark
Larry Collmann
Jeri DeAngelis
Patrick L. DeLaune
Tom Driscoll
Ann Fields
Lou Ann Lasher
Eric Leibrock
Hope Morgan
Louise Morse
E. Stuart Phillips
Hon. Bea Ann Smith
Mary Stephenson
Marion Lear Swaybill
Catherine Wildermuth
Sheila Youngblood
ADViSORy
BOARD
Stephen Aechternacht
John Aielli
Sue Barnes
Mark Bierner
Ray Brimble
David Burger
David Claflin
Virginia Dupuy
Maydelle Fason
JoLynn Free
Billy Gammon
Vance George
Helen Hays
Dan Herd
William B. Hilgers
Wayne Holtzman
Cassandra James
Judith Jellison
Bob Murphy
Lynn Murphy
Gayle Glass Roche
Nancy Scanlan
Russell Schulz
Angela Smith
Louann Temple
Eva Womack
ARTiSTic &
ADMiniSTRATiVE
STAFF
Craig Hella Johnson
Artistic Director
Ann Hume Wilson
Executive Director
Katie Apple
Executive Assistant to the Artistic Director
Director of Special Projects
Tamara Blanken
Ticketing & Online Services Manager
Cynthia Densmore
Finance Manager
Melissa J. Eddy
Communications & Grants Manager
Rick Gabrillo
Production Manager
Director, Conspirare Youth Choirs
Wravan Godsoe
Operations/Ticketing Assistant
David Hammond
Operations Manager
Robert Harlan
Production Coordinator
Meri Krueger
Artist Relations
Nina Revering
Director, Conspirare Youth Choirs
Nicki Turman
House Manager
CONSPiR ARE Audio
& ViDEO RECORDiNGS
“A Company of Voices: Conspirare in Concert” – available on CD and DVD
PBS show, nationally broadcast in March 2009; 2010 Grammy nomination
“Thorns on the Rose” – Craig Hella Johnson’s first solo CD
“Threshold of Night” – Two 2009 Grammy nominations
Conspirare sings the music of Tarik O’Regan
“Requiem”– Now reissued on the Harmonia Mundi Label
Two 2007 Grammy nominations
“through the green fuse” – A favorite collection featuring several spirituals
“Angel Be” (2 CDs) – A collection of favorite live recordings by Cynthia Clawson
and Craig Hella Johnson, including four previously unreleased selections
“Crossing the Divide: Exploring Influence and Finding Our Voice” (2 CDs) – Recorded
during the NEA sponsored American Masterpieces Festival in January 2007
Christmas at the Carillon
“Here Comes the Light” (2009)
“Lay Me Low” (2008)
“Love Again” (2007)
“Love Calls You” (2006)
“I Still Love You” (2 CDs - 2005)
“Always” (2 CDs - 2004)
“Nearer” (2003)
“Where Does Morning Lie?” (2002)
“Back to the Garden” (2001)
“Home” (2000)
American Choral Directors Association National Convention (New York, 2003)
Concert CD
Concert DVD
American Choral Directors Association-North Central Division Convention (Omaha, 2006)
“Peace Concert” CD (2 CDs)
Closing Concert CD
Closing Concert DVD
“Hidden Music” (2006 - mono)
To order, please call (512) 476-5775; hear samples at www.conspirare.org.
18 19

Still TO COME in THE
2009-2010 SEASON
sponsors
Conspirare Youth Choirs: Invitation to the Voyage
The words of French poet Charles Baudelaire and the music of Romantic composer
Henri Duparc meet in the beloved French art song “L’invitation au Voyage,” the
inspiration and framework for this unique spring concert. Also featuring music by
David Childs, Imant Raminsh, and Eleanor Daley.
Friday, May 14, & Saturday, May 15, 7:00 p.m. at St. Martin’s Lutheran Church
Dynamic Convergence
The Conspirare Symphonic Choir and organists Judith and Gerre Hancock perform
the popular Duruflé Requiem and Cantos Sagrados (Sacred Songs), a powerful,
dramatic work by brilliant Scottish composer James MacMillan.
Saturday, June 5, 8:00 p.m. at University Presbyterian Church, Austin.
Sunday, June 6, 6:00 p.m. at Corpus Christi Cathedral, Corpus Christi
Business & Foundation Sponsors
Russell Hill Rogers
Fund for the Arts
J. S. Bach – Mass in B minor
Bach’s crowning achievement delivers a profound listening experience every time
you hear it. Conspirare and a period-instrument orchestra from the Victoria Bach
Festival perform the iconic work with soloists from the ensemble.
Saturday, June 12, 8:00 p.m. at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, Victoria
Sunday, June 13, 7:00 p.m. at The Long Center for the Performing Arts
Public Funding Agencies
Conspirare is funded and supported in part by the City of Austin
through the Cultural Arts Division, the Texas Commission on the Arts,
and the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that
a great nation deserves great art.
Media Sponsors
20 21

SuPPORT CONSPiRARE
donors
Conspirare invites you to join our family of donors by supporting the 2009-10
season. Your contribution supports our gift of music through performances of the
highest artistic quality and through educational and outreach programs, including
the Conspirare Youth Choirs.
Leadership Circle
Maestro Circle.....................................$25,000+
Impresario Circle................$15,000 — $24,999
Benefactor Circle................$10,000 — $14,999
Platinum Baton Circle............$5,000 — $9,999
Golden Baton Circle..............$2,500 — $4,999
Silver Baton Circle..................$1,000 — $2,499
enclosed is my tax-deductible gift in the amount of $
-or- i pledge a gift of $ to be paid in full by june 30, 2010.
choose one:
please charge my credit card $ per month for # months, begininning / /
date
i will pay by check $ per month for # months
need a different pledge plan? please call us at (512) 476-5775 to arrange.
Payment Information:
❑ check payable to conspirare
credit card ❑ discover ❑ mc ❑ visa ❑ amex
name on card
card number
security code expiration date
signature
name
address
must be signature of cardholder
as you wish to be acknowledged in conspirare publications
Circle of Friends
Sponsors.......................................$500 — $999
Patrons.........................................$250 — $499
Sustainers.....................................$100 — $249
Donors...............................................Up to $99
Gifts to Conspirare provide financial support for concerts, recordings, educational
programs, and outreach activities. The following roster of donors includes cash and
in-kind gifts received from individuals, family and private foundations, businesses,
and government agencies between July 1, 2008 and April 23, 2010. We express our
gratitude to each and every one of our donors.
Leadership Circle
Maestro Circle
City of Austin
Cultural Arts Division
Fran & Larry Collmann
The Kodosky Foundation
National Endowment
for the Arts
South Texas Money
Management
Impresario Circle
William R. Dickson
Robert & Lara Harlan
Gayle Glass Roche
Carolyn & Marc Seriff
Tescom, Inc.
Texas Commission on the Arts
Benefactor Circle
Anonymous
Austin Community Foundation
Ray & Karen Brimble
Ken & Joyce Beck Family Fund
Joe & Cynthia Cain
Jeri DeAngelis
GE Foundation
Helen & Bob Hays
Robert & Trish Karli
Carolyn J. Keating
Jeff & Gail Kodosky
Caren Prothro
Russell Hill Rogers
Fund for the Arts
Rick & Jill Salwen
Still Water Foundation
Perkins-Prothro Foundation
Susan & Forest Rees
Louise Reeser
Shoehorn Design
The Rachael & Ben F. Vaughan
Foundation
Ben & Daphne Vaughan
Golden Baton Circle
Anonymous
Cindy & Chic Bain
William C. Bednar
& Flo Ann Randle
Clark, Thomas & Winters
Crutch & Danna Crutchfield
Patrick DeLaune & Sadaf Khan
In honor of Robert Harlan
The Fetzer Institute
Cindy Keever
Louise Morse
E. Stuart Phillips
Linda Ramsey
Sara & Scott Reichardt
Donna & Christy Salinas
William Schleuse
& Virginia McDermot
Honorable Bea Ann Smith
Texas Commission on the Arts
Silver Baton Circle
Anonymous (2)
Eva Andries
Margaret & Robert Ayres
Robert & Pat Brueck
Amelia Bullock & Bill
Krumpack
Dan Bullock & Annette Carlozzi
David Burger
Richard Campbell
Janet Carlson Campbell
Pablo Cardenas
Janis & David Claflin
Jerry Craft
Rena & Richard D’Souza
Bryan Dunkin
Robert & Virginia Dupuy
Melissa Eddy
& Tracy Schiemenz
Jenelle Edwards
Rev. Dr. Ann Fields
Steve Gilbert
Tom Grimes & Karen Kibler
Carolyn Harris-Hynson
Richard Hartgrove
& Gary Cooper
Jane Hilfer
John Hogan
Joan & Tom Kobayashi
Timothy Koock
John & Katie Lavendoski
Jodi Lazar
& Michael Nussbaum
Eric Leibrock
Lee Manford
Joyce Mayer
Kevin & Debe McKeand
Janet Miller
Hope Morgan
Bob & Lynn Murphy
Anne Nagelkirk & Jason Orr
William Nemir
Christopher Novosad, tiki2.com
Carlisle Pearson
Ann Praderus & Tony Vance
Nancy Scanlan
Gene Alice & Max Sherman
Angela & Charles Smith
David C. Smith
Dian & Harlan Stai
Mary Stephenson
James Stolpa
Syzygy Marketing
Bernadette Tasher
Kerry Tate & Susan Rieff
Anne & William Wagner
WaxmanCavnerLawson
Catherine
& David Wildermuth
Eva & Marvin Womack
Lucia & Paul Woodruff
Sheila Youngblood
Platinum Baton Circle
city state zip
CenTex Beverage
David & Catherine Clark
Thomas Driscoll
Circle of Friends
daytime phone ( )
& Nancy Quinn
Mary Nell Frucella
Sponsors
e-mail
Keating Family Foundation
Julie Arend
Cynthia Keever
Susan Barnes
employer
Wendi & Brian Kushner
Ken & Joyce Beck
KGSR – 93.3 FM
Klaus Bichteler & Mary Parse
Does your employer support the arts with matching gifts? If so, please enclose the completed form along with your payment.
KMFA – 89.5 FM
Karen & Mike Blizzard
Mail to Conspirare, 1033 La Posada Drive, Suite 130, Austin, TX 78752. Conspirare is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
KUT – 90.5 FM
Jeff & Ann Bomer
Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Thank you for your generous support of Conspirare.
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation
Jack Brannon & Brian Miller
Balie J. & Beverly Griffith John & Trina Braun
22 23

Chez Zee
Kathy & David Clem
Gwen & Dean Collmann
Natasha & David Collmann
Marie Crane & Bill Kelly
Robert Dailey
Nell & Al Dale
Paula & Stewart Damore
Rena & Richard D’Souza
Pam Elrod
Greg Edens & Dorothy Drummer
In honor of the Hon. Bea Ann Smith
Cassandra Ewer
Sam & Maydelle Fason
Gwen & Bruce Flory
R. John & Susan Fox
Gregory & JoLynn Free
Cheryl Fuller
Gerre & Judith Hancock
Walter & Ann Herbst
Van & Jeanne Hoisington
Robert E. Hollingsworth
Nancy & Bobby R. Inman
Diane Ireson
Jane Jackson
Bill & Lou Ann Lasher
Eric Leibrock
In memory of Helen Lea
Mark Levy
Kati Lewis
Sheila Lummis
Trish Merrill
Micro-Bac International
Milton D. Miller II
Ivan Milman & Janie Keys
Linda Monk
Jerele & Elizabeth Neeld
Tom & Mary Sue Koontz Nelson
Karen Ann Norris
Richard E. Orton
Patrons
Anonymous
Sandi Aitken
Bob & Marcia Bailey
Anne Bertholf
Mark Biemer
& Cassandra James
Linda Ball & Forrest Preece
Patrick & Cindy Behling
Ola Bell
Leah Billingsley
Pat Black
Nancy Bowman
Evelyn Boyer
Chip Buerger
Pierre & Nancy Bulhon
Toni & Paul Burns
Judy Cardinale
Rita & Merrill Carlson
Peggy Daniel
Nancy & Jimmy Davis
Nina Di Leo
In memory of Dottie Welton
Will Dibrell & Beverly Bajema
Door Number 3
Susan Nash Fekety
Steve Gilbert
Glenda Goehrs
Stephen & Stefanie Griffith
Tom Grimes & Karen Kibler
Lynette Heckmann
John Griffin & Lynn Knaupp
Paul Guttrey
Janet Harman
Leroy & Karen Haverlah
Anne & Jim Hester
Joan & Wayne Holtzman
Carr Hornbuckle & Jack Leifer
H. David & Jan Hughes
In honor of the Hon. Bea Ann Smith
Ann Moody
Laura Moore
Rebecca A. Muniz
Douglas Nelson
Lip & Cinnie Norvell
Patty Olwell
Brian & Lynn Powell
Flo Ann Randle
Sandra & Smith Ray
Lari & Tom Rogge
Brian Sands HQ83
In memory of Rick Reynolds
Peter Schram & Harry Ullmann
Russell E. Schulz
Katharine B. & Gregory Shields
Suzanne & John Shore
James Shultz MD
Brenda Smith
Margo Smith
Jim Sotiros
Janice & John Spence
Paul Stone
Mary Stumberg
Martha Terry
Meredith Thomas & Walter Stroup
Thomas Graphics
Joy Turman
Erich Vollmer
Alan & Debra Waldrop
Connie & Robert Webb
Frankie Westbrook
Richard Zansitis
& Suzanne Mitchell
Sustainers
Claudia & Stephen Aechternacht
Shannon Armstrong
Ann Bahan
Brick & Laura Balvanz
Janette Barlow
Becky & Cory Cox
Lisa & Eric Craven
Cina M. Crisara
James & Glenda Crout
Karel Dahmen
Mela Sarajane Dailey & Peter Bay
Paula D’Arcy
Richard J. Davis
Faith DeBow
Dell
Robin & Karl Dent
Paul Dlabal M.D.
Derrick Dodge
Dianne Donovan
& Mitch Watkins
Robert M. Draper
Sharon Duboise
James Dunn
Barbara Durham
James Elrod
Mary Farabee
Janet Faulkner
Jerry Folson
Merle & Ginna Franke
Joetta & Gregg Freeby
Dana Friis-Hansen
& Mark Holzbach
Caroline Frommhold
Anneliese & Robert Geis
Sue George
Mary Gifford
Marlene & William Glade
David & Kay Goff
Graves, Dougherty, Hearon
& Moody
Andrew Gray
James & Jo Green
Gary Greenblum
Sam & Suzanne Haddad
Sally Hamilton
Virginia Livesay
Kathryn & Don Lougheed
Chien-Chun & Hui-Lan Lu
Cynthia Lux
Jerome Malek
Dell Marcoux
Manuel & Anne Martinez
Amanda Masterson
Bradley & Elizabeth Maxim
Jim Maxwell
Marsha McCary
David McClellan
Sandra McKenzie
Connie McMillan
Ricky McSwain
Vicki L. Moffatt
John & Elizabeth Hansing Moon
Nancy Moore
Janice & Chip Morris
Andy Mozisek
Judith Munyon
Rosie & John Nieman
Adrian Newcomb
Nona Niland
Margaret H.
& Philip J. Overbaugh
Jim Parrish
Cathie Parsley
Pete & Elizabeth Paul
Thom Pavlechko
Debbie Peden & Dean Perkins
Jeff Pettit
Jim & Nicole Pizzitola
Alex & Karen Pope
Mary Pozorski
Cheryl & Gary Pyle
Katherine Race
Edwin Ramos
& Elaine Salazar
Gail Randall
Ted Smith
Dan Spence
D. C. (Don) & Nancy Spencer
Robyn Sperling
Cindy & Bryan Sperry
Barbara & Bruce Stevenson
Virginia Stotts
Keith Stucky
Joe & Rose Sullivan
William & Mary Ellen Sullivan
Marion Lear Swaybill
Gayle & Thomas Toler
Mollie Tower
Nancy Townsend
Nicki & Scott Turman
Marie Van Roekel
Cynthia Vanderberg
Fred Viehweg
Debra & Alan Waldrop
Carol Walker
Jeannette G. Walker
Ben Wear
Kendra Welton
Alex & Veda White
Marianne & Stewart Wilkinson
Jean Rogers Winchell
Barbara Yarbrough
Hilary & Stan Young
Joyce Zehr & Marvin Burke
David Zersen
Conspirare also thanks all donors
of gifts under $100 and regrets
that space does not permit the
listing of each name. Your support
is equally appreciated.
We strive to publish an accurate
donor list. If an error or omission
is noticed, please let us know.
Robert Patterson & Diana Sellers IBM
Ross & Kristin Bassinger
Lewis Hoffacker
Cliff Redd
Honorable Robert Pitman Judith Jellison & Robert Duke Steven Beebe
Betty Holmes
Nina & Dean Revering
The Prodicus Group
Morris & Marge Johnson Bridgette Beinecke
Jeffrey Hudson & Robert Blodgett Hamilton & Joanne Richards 2010 Spring Fundraiser
Milbrey & Bev Raney
Steve Kahle
Amy Blair
Melissa Huebsch
Cheryl Ridall
Hidden Music V
Jerome Ravel
In honor of Glenda Goehrs Wendy Bloom
B.J. & Constance Ihlenfeldt Gayle & Mike Roche
Conspirare appreciates all 225
Dick & Lynn Rew
Martha Kopra
Bette & Whitney Bodman
Cassandra James & Mark Bierner In memory of Dottie Welton attendees (a new record) at
Jonathan & Kari Riemer Cynthia & Greg Kozmetsky Pam Boerst
In memory of Karen Kuykendall Gayle & Mike Roche
our spring fundraiser “Hidden
Sally & Andy Ritch
Frances & Robert Kushing John Briggs
Robert Jensen
In memory of Miriam Kaye Music V.” Our generous table
Rikky Rivers & Jim Schultz Nicole Lamartine
Billye Jean Brown
Todd Jermstad
Gayle & Mike Roche
sponsors, single ticket buyers,
Jack & Susan Robertson Jill & Roger Lane
Jo & George Brown
Ellen Jockusch
In memory of Helen Lea auction bidders, and “Paddles
Michal Rosenberger
May Latson
Tracy Bruno
Craig Hella Johnson
Leilani Rose
Up” donors raised $108,000 to
Larry Sager & Jane Cohen Josh Lauer
Bette-Jo Buhler
& Phil Overbaugh
Beverly Ross
support Conspirare’s worldclass
concerts, recordings,
Pieter & Frances Schenkkan Nora Lieberman
Amy Bumpus
Elizabeth Judd
Arthur & Donna Rutherford
Nan Seiden
W. Jackson & Carolyn Long Barbara J. Burnett
Stan & Biruta Kearl
Safeway, Inc.
and educational activities!
Kay Sherrill
Thomas & Alaire Lowry
In memory of Jake Foster
Marguerite Kelly
Mary Sanger
Participants will be thanked
Mary Smith & Walter Stewart Sue & Mike Maine
Sarah & Ernest Butler
Ellen King
Nona & Andrew Sansom by name in the June concert
Anna Sorensen
Mary Matus
Judy Bush
Cecilia Kittley
Dennis Schafffer
programs.
Patty Speier & Charles Woodruff Arthur & Patricia McCormick James Campbell
Ann & Bill Kleinebecker Rhonda Schleicher
24
Brenda & Larry Smith
James Stolpa
LaFern & Virgil Swift
Lois VanLaningham
Evan & Ann Hume Wilson
James Winkle
In honor of the Hon. Bea Ann Smith
Vance McMahan
Margaret Menicucci &
Michael Whellan
Glenn Miller
Bonnie Mills
Chris & J. Dennis Cavner
Patricia Cherico
Thomas Collins
Ralph Coonrad
Maria Corbett
Cheryl Cosway
Elinor Kliewer
Jacqueline Lain
Eva & Chris Laskaris
Elaine Doherty Leach
Karen & Paul Leeke
Catherine & David Light
Thomas & Claudia Schurr
David Schwarz
Joan & Lindsay Sharpe
Marilyn Sharratt
Amy & Norman Shipherd
Terry Shook
25

thank you
Andrew Yates Photography
Austin American Statesman – Jeanne Claire van Ryzin
Austin Chronicle – Robert Faires
Bruce Biermann
Blanton Museum of Art
Linda Buehlmann
Cherie Burt
Anne & Sam Byars*
Ann Byrd
Julie Carterson
Chez Zee
Clark, Thomas & Winters
Fran & Larry Collmann*
Peggy Cooper
Eileen Dolan
Anne & Ray Ellison
Dale and Carolynn Elmshaeuser
James Elrod
Marion Elrod*
Michelle Fisher
Dick & Janet Funderburk
Kim Gerber*
Mary Gifford
Kathryn Govier
Gene Hauer
Helen Hays
Jeanne Henry
Ed & Sara Hill*
Will Hornaday Design
KGSR-FM – Sommer Novak, Gary Weaver
KMFA-FM – Joan Kobayashi, Dianne Donovan, Jeffrey Blair
KUT-FM – John Aielli
Ed & Eileen Lundy*
Nancy Michalewicz
Laura Moore & Steve Sadler*
Kristin Narcowich
Bill Nemir*
Christopher Novosad, Tiki2.com
Philip Overbaugh
Jane Parsons
Diana Phillips
Nina & Dean Revering*
Verla Shelar
St. Martin’s Lutheran Church – Thom Pavlechko
St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Austin – Jean Fuller
South Texas Money Management – Jeanie Wyatt, Josie Coiner
SteelSMBology – Amy West
Tarrytown United Methodist Church
Bernadette Tasher *
TesCom, Inc.
Texas Choral Consort
Texas Performing Arts at UT-Austin
Veryan & Greg Thompson
Lois Vanlaningham
Victoria Bach Festival
Carol Walker
Kenneth Wilson
Linda Zander
* Special thanks to Artist
Hospitality Volunteers
26 27

The Bach Cantata Project proudly
supports the artistry of Conspirare
Listen to the awe inspiring sound of Bach in The Blanton Museum’s Rapoport Atrium.
Performances include a connection with an artwork in the museum’s galleries.
Held the last Tuesday of selected months, the program is included with the price
of admission, and free to Blanton Members and current University of Texas students,
faculty, and staff. 2010-2011 performances will be announced soon.
28 29

CONSPiR ARE
PERFORMiNG NOTE
Conspirare has the privilege of performing in a variety of beautiful venues.
We seek out acoustical and aesthetic environments that can best enhance
choral performances and we are deeply grateful to our hosts. While our
performing venues may represent specific traditions and the texts of some
of our repertoire may also be representative of specific traditions, it is in no
way intended to be exclusive of any individual whose experience or set of
beliefs is not represented.
Conspirare respects and celebrates the great diversity of religious, artistic,
and human experiences represented among our singers and audience
members. Our shared musical experiences are intended to bring us together
as we all seek to be inspired by the power of great choral music. The audience
creates the space in which the music is held.
Michael Long Photography
www.MichaelLongArt.com
30 31