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Samuel Barber - Conspirare

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<strong>Samuel</strong> <strong>Barber</strong>: American RomanticFriday, September 23, 2011, 8:00 pmSunday, September 25, 3:00 pmSt. Martin’s Lutheran Church606 W. 15th Street, AustinSaturday, September 24, 8:00 pmNorthwest Hills United Methodist Church7050 Village Center Drive, AustinCraig Hella JohnsonArtistic Director & ConductorPre-concert talk by Margaret Perryone hour before each performanceSeason Sustaining Underwriter2011-2012 Season Sustaining Underwriter of CONSPIRARE2 3


There is no trace of the impish side of <strong>Barber</strong> in “Let down the bars,O death.” In fact, he seems to have made an effort to stay out of theway of Emily Dickinson’s text altogether. The composer – who wasextraordinarily adept at writing complicated, interlocking counterpoint– set her poem as a simple chorale. The piece lasts only 30 measuresand of its eight lines only two ever repeat: “Let down the bars, O Death- The tired Flocks come in.” At first we hear them as an invocationsung in hushed tones which crescendo into the remainder of the work.When he eventually brings the same music back it is unchanged, exceptthat the dynamics are now in reverse. The whisper that began the workis now a declamation, meant to shout open the door before lettingDickinson’s “tired flocks” gently slip away.Let down the bars, O Death!The tired flocks come in,Whose bleating ceases to repeat,Whose wandering is done.Praise Him!Praise Him! Then shalt thou forget thy misery,And remember it as waters pass’d away.And thou shalt be secure because there is peace!Thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning!Praise Him! Amen.-Job 9:16-17************“Twelfth night” begins with the line “No night could be darkerthan this night,” and the strained, sometimes dissonant music neverlooks back. Here <strong>Barber</strong> paints anguish and despair over a text byEnglish poet Laurie Lee (1914-1997) which joins Christ’s birth to theearth’s reawakening from “utter death.” At the mention of “men withshepherd’s eyes,” the music tightens like a vice before building to aclimax a few pages later. The piece ends on a defeated note, repeatingthe same lonely text that began it.Thine is the stillest night,Thine the securest fold;Too near thou art for seeking thee,Too tender to be told.************The remaining three movements of Motetto on Words from theBook of Job feature Biblical excerpts rendered in fairly simple forms:a plodding march, a frenetic madrigal paired with a lamentation, anda capricious song that lives up to its title. They are young works to besure, but when we’re reminded that only six years later <strong>Barber</strong> would goon to write the most enduring orchestral work in American music, thesebrief pieces (written at the age of 20) take on a fascinating significance.There the wicked ceaseThere the wicked cease from troubling,And the weary be at rest;There the prisoners rest together,They hear not the voice of th’oppressor.The small and the great are there,And the servant is free from his master.-Job 3:17-19Call now!Call now, if there be any that will answer thee!And to which of the saints wilt thou turn?Canst thou by searching find out God?He is as high as heav’n; what canst thou do?Deeper than hell; what canst thou know?Yet man is born to trouble,As the sparks fly upward.I would seek unto God.-Job 5:1, 11:7-8, 5:7-8************No night could be darker than this night,No cold so cold,As the blood snaps like a wire,And the heart’s sap stills,And the year seems defeated.O never again, it seems, can green things run,Or sky birds fly,Or the grass exhale its humming breath,Powdered with pimpernels,From this dark lung of winter.Yet here are lessons for the final mileOf pilgrim kings;The mile still left when all have reachedTheir tether’s end:That mile where the Child lies hid.For see, beneath the hand,The earth already warms and glows;For men with shepherd’s eyesThere are signs in the dark,The turning stars,The lamb’s returning time.Out of this utter death he’s born again,His birth our saviour;From terror’s equinox he climbs and grows,Drawing his finger’s light across our bloodThe sun of heaven,And the son of god.8 9


“To Be Sung on the Water” begins with hollow harmonies similar toits predecessor, but <strong>Barber</strong> quickly takes us someplace else. Here thetenors and basses repeat three words (as if to suggest the sound of oarsrippling in the water) while the sopranos and altos take on the bulk ofa text by American poet Louise Bogan (1897-1970). The men brieflygive up their rowing duties to the women but, over the course of themovement, these two sections of the choir never sing anything together.There is an unnamed distance between them – which perhaps we’renot meant to know – but, in the end, it seems to be given voice in theresigned, melancholy chord that finishes the piece.Beautiful, my delight,Pass, as we pass the wave,Pass, as the mottled nightLeaves what it cannot save,Scattering dark and bright.Beautiful, pass and beLess than the guiltless shadeTo which our vows were said;Less than the sound of an oarTo which our vows were made,Less then the sound of its bladeDipping the stream once more.************<strong>Barber</strong> conducted the premiere of “A stopwatch and an ordnancemap” himself. At the time he was directing the Madrigal Chorus athis alma mater, The Curtis Institute, and decided to write a piece forthe men of the ensemble. The work also includes a timpanist anduses a text by the English poet Stephen Spender (1909-1995), whichdescribes the death of a soldier in the Spanish Civil War. The musicis intentionally spooky with an air of dread ruling the proceedings.A review from a 1943 performance in the National Gallery called it“sinister…with a threat of disaster in every measure.”“A stopwatch and an ordnance map” was premiered on January 28,1940. Five months earlier, Germany had invaded Poland. <strong>Barber</strong>served in the Air Force during the war and, as part of his duties, wastasked to move pianos and heavy, old radios that had outlived theiruse. He was eventually commissioned by the military to write his (nowwithdrawn) Symphony Dedicated to the Air Force. At one point he wascalled on to play the work-in-progress for a commanding officer andrecalled the man saying, “Well, corporal, it’s not quite what we expectedfrom you. Since the Air Force uses all sorts of the most moderntechnical devices, I hope you’ll write this symphony in quarter-tones.But do what you can, do what you can, corporal.”Perhaps he should have shown the man “A stopwatch…” instead.Immediately before the men begin singing “He stayed faithfully inthat place,” the timpanist sets about sliding the pitches of the drumswith the tuning pedals and <strong>Barber</strong>, a composer who was looked atas somewhat old-fashioned during his lifetime, sounds decidedly“modern.”A stopwatch and an ordnance map.At five a man fell to the groundAnd the watch flew off his wristLike a moon struck from the earthMarking a blank time that staresOn the tides of change beneath.All under the olive trees.A stopwatch and an ordnance map.He stayed faithfully in that placeFrom his living comrade splitBy dividers of the bulletOpening wide the distancesOf his final loneliness.All under the olive trees.A stopwatch and an ordnance map.And the bones are fixed at fiveUnder the moon’s timelessness;But another who lives onWears within his heart foreverSpace split open by the bullet.All under the olive trees.************Throughout the 1960s, <strong>Barber</strong> penned numerous arrangements ofpreviously-written material. “Heaven haven: A nun takes the veil”was originally a song for voice and piano (on a poem by Gerard ManleyHopkins) from his Four Songs, Op. 13. In its transformation fromart song to choral piece, the piano part was curiously left out by thecomposer. However, given the desire for refuge in the poetry, perhapshe felt a pianist might intrude on the delicate music.I have desired to goWhere springs not fail,To fields where flies no sharp and sided hailAnd a few lilies blow.And I have asked to beWhere no storms come,Where the green swell is in the havens dumb,And out of the swing of the sea.************10 11


Written in 1938, “Sure on this shining night” went on to becomeone of the composer’s most famous and oft-performed art songs beforehe arranged it for choir thirty years later. Using a text by Americanpoet James Agee (1909-1955), <strong>Barber</strong> writes music that is sublime andreverent as it reflects the poetry. Once the final chord is played, it’s easyto see why the piece is so beloved by singers.Sure on this shining nightOf starmade shadows round,Kindness must watch for meThis side the ground.The late year lies down the north.All is healed, all is health.High summer holds the earth,Hearts all whole.Sure on this shining nightI weep for wonderWand’ring far aloneOf shadows on the stars.************In 1936, <strong>Barber</strong> wrote his only work for string quartet and almostimmediately arranged its second movement for a full string orchestra.The new piece, Adagio for Strings, was programmed by the famed Italianconductor Arturo Toscanini – a sort of classical kingmaker at the time– and its composer became an overnight sensation. The Adagio hasgone on to become something of a universal expression of grief, and inarranging it for choir in 1968, <strong>Barber</strong> pulls the music even closer tothis notion by laying it over the “Agnus Dei” from the Roman Catholicmass. The result is a meditation which unfolds itself in endless spiralsbefore the bottom drops out and it rises to a deafening climax. Thenthe supplicating cries waft gently back into the ether.Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercyupon us.Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercyupon us.Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant uspeace.-sung in LatinRaftery. Stephens could barely speak Gaelic, so when he set out totranslate Raftery’s work, he wound up with something more than justsimple translations. He called the results a set of “reincarnations.”“Mary Hynes” is named after a woman purported to be the mostbeautiful in all of western Ireland, and <strong>Barber</strong> sets the text with a sortof ecstatic lyricism. He slows the singers down for the second stanzaand forces them to tread lightly before they settle into the billowy finalphrase on the word “airily.”She is the sky of the sun!She is the dart of love!She is the love of my heart!She is a rune!She is above the women of the race of Eve,As the sun is above the moon!Lovely and airy the view from the hillThat looks down Ballylea!But no good sight is good,Until you see the blossom of the branchesWalking towards you, airily.************The character who inspired the poem for “Anthony O’Daly” was anIrish environmentalist unjustly accused of firing a gun at another man.He was eventually condemned and, refusing offers from the guards tohelp him escape, went quietly and was hanged. The text focuses almostsolely on the sense of disbelief at the finality of loss, and the resultantmusic is numb in comparison to anything else in Reincarnations. Thebasses sit grief-stricken on a single note for a full 41 measures and,when they finally take up the melody, it is transformed into a thrashingtorrent of sound which halts on the word “grief,” a cold silenceexperienced at the sudden loss of a loved one.Since your limbs were laid outThe stars do not shine!The fish leap not out in the waves!On our meadowsThe dew does not fall in the morn,For O Daly is dead!************Reincarnations is a set of three pieces written for the Curtis InstituteMadrigal Chorus which he conducted from 1938-1941. That titledoesn’t refer to the subject matter of the three texts by Irish poet JamesStephens (1882-1950), but instead refers to the entire set of poemsStephens wrote based on the work of 19 th century poet Anthony************Not a flow’r can be born!Not a word can be said!Not a tree have a leaf!Anthony! After you there is nothing to do!There is nothing but grief!12 13


“The Coolin” takes its name from the curly lock of blond hair at thenape of the neck (which eventually became used as a nickname for aloved one). Of his poem, James Stephens said, “I sought to representthat state which is almost entirely a condition of a dream, whereinthe passion of love has almost overreached itself, and is sinking to amotionless languor.” <strong>Barber</strong> seems to have taken him at his word andthe music is luxuriant and warm. We dwell for a moment at the edge ofthe phrase “And a lip to find out a lip,” before tenderly fading back intothe same music which opened the movement.The first of dawn refresh our eyes.We watch the world grow wide and brightAnd praise our newly risen Light.The winter land receives the year.Her smallest creatures rouse and clingTo swelling roots and buds that stirThe restless air to reel and ring!Alleluia! Alleluia!************Come with me, under my coat,And we will drink our fillOf the milk of the white goat,Or wine if it be thy will.And we will talk until talk is a trouble too,Out on the side of the hill;And nothing is left to do,But an eye to look into an eye,And a hand in a hand to slip;And a sigh to answer a sigh;And a lip to find out a lip!What if the night be black,Or the air on the mountain chill,Where all but the fern is still!Stay with me, under my coat,And we will drink our fillOf the milk of the white goat,Out on the side of the hill!“Easter Chorale” will be performed after “The Lovers.”“Easter chorale” was commissioned in honor of the dedication ofthe massive central tower of the National Cathedral in May 1964and originally appeared as a work for brass and timpani. Later thatyear <strong>Barber</strong> added choral parts on a text by Pack Browning. Thetext features numerous references to nature (a common theme in thecomposer’s work) as a symbol of the risen Christ, which <strong>Barber</strong> enlivensthrough his music while never distracting from the poetry. Robert Kyr’snew version of “Easter Chorale” uses the contrasting sections of thethirteen-player chamber orchestra (woodwinds, brass, strings) to coloreach verse of the text, gradually building in intensity until the finalproclamation rings out in triumphant majesty: “We listen to the liveearth sing/And praise our loving Source and Spring.”The morning light renews the sky.Across the air the birds igniteLike sparks to take this blaze of dayThrough all the precincts of the night.Alleluia! Alleluia!************The sounds of waking fill our ears.We listen to the live earth singAnd praise our loving Source and Spring.The LoversMusic by <strong>Samuel</strong> <strong>Barber</strong>, new chamber version by Robert KyrNotes by Robert KyrWhen Craig Hella Johnson asked me to create a new version of <strong>Samuel</strong><strong>Barber</strong>’s The Lovers for baritone, chamber chorus, and chamber orchestra,I was overjoyed. First, I consider The Lovers (on poetry of PabloNeruda) to be one of the few American choral-orchestral masterworksof the twentieth century. Moreover, I have always felt that it would receivemany more performances in a smaller version that is better suitedto the sublime intimacy of Neruda’s poetry.<strong>Barber</strong> created The Lovers during the years when his longtime romanticand domestic partnership with Gian Carlo Menotti (the acclaimedopera composer) was deteriorating (1969-71), and he was still hauntedby the failure of Antony and Cleopatra at the Metropolitan Opera(1966). His life experience is reflected in the despair of Neruda’s poeticexploration of love (both erotic and spiritual) and its loss, which mightalso relate to his romance with Valentin Herranz, to whom the work isdedicated and who suggested the text to him. (Later, Valentin became<strong>Barber</strong>’s personal assistant and valet until the end of his life.)When you hear the music, imagine the anguish of its composer ashe faced these difficulties and gradually became overwhelmed by hisunconscious wounds and vulnerabilities, which further stoked the firesof love gone wrong. And into this toxic brew, mix his suffering fromthe societal prejudice against homosexuality, as well as his worseningalcoholism.Given this context, one better understands why <strong>Barber</strong> chose Neruda’spassionate song of despair, and why the music connects us so vividlyto a situation that no one can escape. In some sense, our greatest lovesremain with us equally and always – those we kept and those we lost.14 15


In this regard, <strong>Barber</strong>’s musical approach to the text ultimately helps usto heal our losses for the purpose of more fully experiencing the totalityof love in all of its joys and sorrows.In light of this understanding, I have strived to create a more playableand affordable version of <strong>Barber</strong>’s masterpiece without sacrificing any ofits spiritual intensity. While I have not changed a single note or rhythmof the vocalists, the orchestral music has been radically transformed: thesound of a gargantuan eighty-piece ensemble has been morphed intoa fifteen-player chamber orchestra. This sonic magic act is intendedto give a stronger presence to the sensuality and intimacy of Neruda’svisionary poetry.My new version of The Lovers is dedicated to Craig Hella Johnson, DavidFarwig, and <strong>Conspirare</strong>, and to the memory of Lee Hoiby, who wasa devoted champion of <strong>Barber</strong>’s music.I. Body of a womanBody of a woman, white hills, white thighs,You look like a world, lying in surrender.My rough peasant’s body digs in you,And makes the son leap from the depth of the earth.I was alone –like a tunnel, the birds fled from me,And night swamped me with its crushing invasion.To survive myself I forged you like a weapon,Like an arrow in my bow, a stone in my sling.But the hour of vengeance falls and I love you.Body of skin, of moss, of eager and firm milk.Oh the goblets of the breast! Oh the eyes of absence!Oh the roses of the pubis! Oh your voice, slow and sad!Body of my woman, I will persist in your grace.My thirst, my boundless desire, my shifting road!Dark river-beds where the eternal thirst flowsAnd weariness follows, and the infinite ache.II. Lithe girl, brown girlLithe girl, brown girl,The sun that makes apples,And stiffens the wheat,And splits the thongweed,Made your body with joy.Your tongue like a red birdDancing on ivory,Your lips with the smile of water.You stretch out your armsAnd the sun grabsAt the loose black coilsOf your hairAs if water were falling.Tantalize the sun if you dare,It will leaveShadows that match you everywhere.Lithe girl, brown girl,Lithe girl, brown girl,Nothing draws me towards you,And the heat within youBeats me homeLike the sun at high noon.Knowing these things,Perhaps through knowing these thingsI seek you out.Ah! Listening for your voiceOr the brush of your arms against wheatOr your steps among poppiesGrown under water.III. In the hot depth of this summerIn the hot depth of this summerThe morning is close, storm-filled.Clouds shift: white rags waving goodbye,Shaken by the frantic wind as it goes.And as it goes the wind throbs over usWhom love-making has silenced.IV. Close your eyesClose your eyes wherein the slow night stirs,Strip off your clothes. (O frightened statue!)Like new-cut flowers your arms, your lap as rose.Close your eyes wherein the slow light stirs,Breasts like paired spirals,Lap as rose, and rosy shadows in your thighs.The slow night stirs within your eyes,My quiet one.Rainfall. From the sea a stray gull.The rain walks barefoot through the street.Leaves on the trees are moaning like the sick.16 17


Though the white bee has goneThat part of me the world calls soulStill hums and the world is not so wideI cannot hear its bellTurn in the spirals of grey wind.My quiet one. Strip off your clothes.My quiet one.V. The Fortunate IslesDrunk as drunk on trementineFrom your open kisses,Your wet body wedgedBetween my wet body and the strakeOf our boat that is made out of flowers,Feasted, we guide it –our fingersLike tallows adorned with yellow metal –Over the sky’s hot trim,The day’s last breath in our sails.Pinned by the sun between solsticeAnd equinox, drowsy and tangled togetherWe drifted for months and wokewith the bitter taste of land on our lips,Eyelids all sticky, and we longed for limeAnd the sound of a ropeLowering a bucket down its well. Then,We came by night to the Fortunate Isles,And lay like fishUnder the net of our kisses.VI. SometimesSometimes it’s likeYou are deadWhen you say nothing.Or you heard things I say, andCould not be bothered to reply.And your eyes, sometimes,Move outside of you,Watching the two of us, yes,As if after you turned to the wall,Somebody’s kisses stopped your mouth.VII. We have lost even this twilightWe have lost even this twilight.No one saw us this evening hand in handWhile the blue night dropped on the world.I have seen from my windowThe fiesta of sunset in the distant mountaintops.I remembered you with my soul clinchedIn that sadness of mine that you know.Where were you then?Who else was there?Saying what words?Why does the whole of love come on me suddenlyWhen I am sad and feel you far away?The book I read each night fell down,And my coat fell downLike a hurt dog at my feet.Each dusk you drew further out,Out where the dusk shifts, masking statues.VIII. Tonight I can writeTonight I can write the saddest lines.Write, for example: “The night is starryAnd the blue stars shiver in the distance.”The nightwind revolves in the sky and sings.Tonight I can write the saddest lines.I loved her and sometimes she loved me too.Through nights like this I held her in my arms.I kissed her so many times under the infinite sky.She loved me, sometimes I loved her too.How could one not have loved her great staring eyes?Tonight I can write the saddest lines.To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her.What does it matter that my love could not keep her?The night is starry and she is not with me.This is all. Far away someone is dreaming. Far away.The same night that makes the same trees white.We, of that time, are no longer the same.I no longer love her, it is true, but how much I loved her!Another’s. She will be another’s. As she was before my kisses.Her voice, her bright body. her infinite eyes.I no longer lover her, it is true, but maybe I love her...Love is so short, forgetting is so long.Even though this be the last pain that she cause meAnd these the last verses that I write for her.18 19


IX. Cemetery of kissesCemetery of kisses, there is still fire in your tombs,Still the fruited boughs burn, pecked at by birds.Oh the bitten mouth, oh the kissed limbs,Oh the hungering teeth, oh the entwined bodies,Oh the mad coupling of hope and forceIn which we merged and despaired.This was our destiny and it was the voyage of our longing.And in it all our longing fell, in us all was shipwreck!It is the hour of departure, the hard cold hourThat night enforces on all timetables.Forsaken like the wharves at dawn.Oh farther than everything! Oh farther than everything!It is the hour of departure. Forsaken!Performing Note<strong>Conspirare</strong> has the privilege of performing in a variety of beautifulvenues. We seek out acoustical and aesthetic environments that can bestenhance choral performances and we are deeply grateful to our hosts.While our performing venues may represent specific traditions and thetexts of some of our repertoire may also be representative of specifictraditions, it is in no way intended to be exclusive of any individualwhose experience or set of beliefs is not represented.<strong>Conspirare</strong> respects and celebrates the great diversity of religious,artistic, and human experiences represented among our singers andaudience members. Our shared musical experiences are intended tobring us together as we all seek to be inspired by the power of greatchoral music. The audience creates the space in which the music is held.Craig Hella Johnson,Artistic Director & ConductorCompany of VoicesSopranoMela DaileyCassandra EwerMelissa GivensEstelí GomezJulie KeimGitanjali MathurJulie McCoy*Kathlene RitchMelanie RussellSonja TengbladAltoWendy BloomJanet Carlsen Campbell*Pam ElrodStella HastingsEmily LodineLaura Mercado WrightKeely RhodesDebra ScrogginsAngela Young SmuckerTenorDan BuchananDerek ChesterPaul D’ArcyErik GustafsonStefan Reed*Tracy ShirkMatt TreslerDana WilsonBassCameron BeauchampCharles Wesley EvansDavid FarwigArtistic PersonnelBradford GleimRobert HarlanGlenn MillerCraig Peterson*Larry SpeakmanPaul Max Tipton*Section leaderThe LoversChamber EnsembleKatie Wolfe, violin IKaren Clarke, violin IIBruce Williams, violaGreg Sauer, celloMelanie Punter, double bassAdah Toland Jones, fluteVanguel Tangarov, clarinetRebecca Henderson, oboeKristin Wolfe Jensen, bassoonPatrick Hughes, hornBrian Shaw, trumpetNathaniel Brickens, tromboneTom Burritt, percussionJacquelyn Venter, harpFaith Debow, piano<strong>Conspirare</strong>Production TeamAnton BoydRick GabrilloRobert HarlanAnn McNair20 21


About Robert KyrRobert Kyr (b. 1952) has composedtwelve symphonies, three chambersymphonies, three violin concerti,chamber music, and numerousworks for vocal ensembles ofall types. His music is widelyperformed throughout this countryand abroad, and is recorded on theNew Albion, Telarc, MDG, andHarmonia Mundi labels.Over the past three years, he hasbeen featured in several majorprojects with <strong>Conspirare</strong>: ATime for Life (environmentaloratorio); Freedom Song (featuredon the CD Sing Freedom!); and Songs of the Soul on the program“Renaissance and Response,” which he co-created with Craig HellaJohnson and which won four Austin Critics Table Awards.Currently, he is Philip H. Knight Professor of Music at the Universityof Oregon School of Music, where he is chair of the compositiondepartment and director of the Oregon Bach Festival ComposersSymposium, Music Today Festival, and Vanguard Concert andWorkshop Series. He is also President of the University Senate. RobertKyr can be contacted at rkyr@uoregon.edu (www.robertkyr.com).Visit conspirare.org for biographicalinformation about <strong>Samuel</strong> <strong>Barber</strong>.About David FarwigDavid Farwig has been hailed as alyric baritone with a unique andbeautiful sound, unsurpassed clarity,flexibility, and deep expressivity.Whether in concert or recital,he is at home bringing a full rangeof styles to the stage. He has performedwith various professionalcompanies throughout the U.S. includingthe Boulder Philharmonic,Baroque Chamber Orchestra ofColorado, and St. Martin’s ChamberChoir in Denver; Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Santa Fe Symphony,and Santa Fe Pro Musica in Santa Fe; and others in the Southwest andWest Coast. Further appearances include guest solo spots with CantoChamber Choir in Texas, Oregon Bach Festival with Helmuth Rilling,Seraphic Fire in Miami, and <strong>Conspirare</strong>.Farwig has sung on several <strong>Conspirare</strong> recordings including Throughthe Green Fuse and the Grammy ® -nominated album Requiem, on whichhe can be heard singing the bass solo passages in Herbert Howells’ Requiem.He also sang on Threshold of Night, featuring music by TarikO’Regan, and A Company of Voices – <strong>Conspirare</strong> in Concert, both on theHarmonia Mundi label. In May 2010 he was nominated for the AustinCritics Table Award for his solo work in Robert Kyr’s A Time for Life,and won the same award this year for his solo work in Kyr’s stirring cantataSongs of the Soul.Currently Farwig is pursuing a Doctoral of Musical Arts degree at theUniversity of Missouri in Kansas City, where he is now based.22 23


About <strong>Conspirare</strong>The word “conspirare” derives from the Latin “con” and “spirare”translated as “to breathe together.”Founded in 1991 to present a summer classical music festival in Austin,Texas, <strong>Conspirare</strong> has rapidly grown to become an internationallyrecognized, professional choral organization. Led by founder andartistic director Craig Hella Johnson, <strong>Conspirare</strong> is comprisedof two performing ensembles and an educational program. Aprofessional chamber choir (“<strong>Conspirare</strong>” or “Company of Voices”) ofextraordinarily talented singers from around the country is presentedin an annual concert series in Austin, other Texas communities, andlocations in the U.S. and abroad. The <strong>Conspirare</strong> Symphonic Choirof both professional and volunteer singers performs one or more largechoral/orchestral works annually. The <strong>Conspirare</strong> Youth Choirs is aneducational program for singers ages 8-16, who learn and perform intwo separate ensembles, Kantorei and the <strong>Conspirare</strong> Children’s Choir.<strong>Conspirare</strong> produced its first commercial recording, through the greenfuse, in 2004 on the Clarion Records label. A second CD, Requiem,also on Clarion and since reissued by Harmonia Mundi, was releasedin 2006 and received two Grammy ® nominations (Best ChoralPerformance and Best Engineered Album, Classical). HarmoniaKaren SacharMundi also released Requiem in Europe in 2009, and it received theNetherlands’ prestigious 2010 Edison Award in the Choral Musiccategory. The Edison is the Dutch equivalent of the U.S. Grammy.A third recording, Threshold of Night, was released worldwide inSeptember 2008 on the Harmonia Mundi label, <strong>Conspirare</strong>’s first titlefor the distinguished recording company. Threshold of Night receivedtwo Grammy nominations, Best Choral Performance and Best ClassicalAlbum. In October 2008, in cooperation with Austin’s public televisionstation KLRU, <strong>Conspirare</strong> filmed a PBS television special, “A Companyof Voices: <strong>Conspirare</strong> in Concert,” that was broadcast nationally inMarch 2009 and is available on both CD and DVD. A Company ofVoices received a Grammy nomination as Best Classical CrossoverAlbum. <strong>Conspirare</strong>’s latest CD Sing Freedom! African AmericanSpirituals was recorded last October and released September 13, 2011by Harmonia Mundi.In 2005 <strong>Conspirare</strong> received the Margaret Hillis Award for ChoralExcellence, given by national service organization Chorus America. In2007, as one of the select choruses to receive a grant from the NationalEndowment for the Arts under its American Masterpieces initiative,<strong>Conspirare</strong> presented a four-day festival that featured a distinguishedgathering of composers and conductors, performances of three worldpremieres, and a gala closing concert with a choir of 600 singers. InJuly 2008 <strong>Conspirare</strong> represented the United States at the Eighth WorldSymposium on Choral Music in Copenhagen, joining invited choirsfrom nearly forty countries. In February 2010 <strong>Conspirare</strong> was aninvited, featured choir at the annual convention of the American ChoralDirectors Association/Eastern Division in Philadelphia. <strong>Conspirare</strong>received the 2010 Dale Warland Singers Commission Award fromChorus America to support the commission of a new work by Seattlecomposer Eric Banks. In February 2011 <strong>Conspirare</strong> gave three invitedperformances in New York City under auspices of the Weill MusicInstitute of Carnegie Hall.24 25


About Craig Hella JohnsonRenowned as one of the most influential voices in choral conducting inthe United States, Craig Hella Johnson brings a depth of knowledge,artistic sensitivity, and imagination to his programs. As founder andartistic director of <strong>Conspirare</strong>, Johnson assembles some of the finestsingers in the country to form a world-class, award-winning ensemblecommitted to creating dynamic choral art.In addition to his work with <strong>Conspirare</strong>, Johnson also serves as ArtisticDirector of the Victoria Bach Festival, an annual event that drawsmusicians and critical praise from around the country. Of Johnson’sperformance of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Mike Greenberg of the SanAntonio Express-News wrote: “Through all the amazing ebbs and flowsof dynamics, the radiant balances, the seamless connection of episodes,the theatrically astute tempo relations, the unified structural arc, themusic shone forth with organic naturalness. Nothing sounded fussedover. Everything just sounded right.”Johnson served as Director of Choral Activities (1990-2001) at theUniversity of Texas in Austin where he led the graduate program inconducting. He was artistic director of San Francisco-based ChanticleerKaren Sachar(1998-1999) and has served as guest conductor with the AustinSymphony, San Antonio Symphony, Santa Fe Symphony, Chicago’sMusic of the Baroque, Berkshire Choral Festival, Oregon Bach Festival,and Taipei Male Choir.Praised by audiences and critics, Johnson’s programs are hailed asthought-provoking musical journeys. A unique aspect of Johnson’sprogramming is his signature “collage” style: through-composedprograms that marry music and poetry to blend sacred and secular,classical and contemporary, classical and popular styles. In 2006 he wasengaged to create a special peace-themed collage program for the NorthCentral ACDA convention. He was also engaged by the famed St.Olaf Choir to create and conduct a collage program during a five-weekresidency with the choir in spring 2007.A composer and arranger, Johnson works with G. Schirmer Publishingon the Craig Hella Johnson Choral Series, featuring speciallyselected composers as well as some of his original compositionsand arrangements. His works are also published by Alliance MusicPublications. Also an accomplished vocalist and pianist, he released hisfirst solo CD “Thorns on the Rose” in 2008 on the Booker Music label.Johnson’s distinctive style and commitment to the choral art have ledhim to be honored with several awards, including 2008 induction intothe Austin Arts Hall of Fame and the 2009 Louis Botto Award forInnovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal, given by Chorus America.Most recently he received the 2011 Citation of Merit from internationalprofessional music fraternity Mu Phi Epsilon, the organization’s highesthonor for a non-member.A native of Minnesota, Johnson studied at St. Olaf College, the JuilliardSchool, and the University of Illinois and earned his doctorate at YaleUniversity. As the recipient of a National Arts Fellowship, Johnsonstudied with Helmuth Rilling at the International Bach Academy inStuttgart, Germany.26 27


Board of DirectorsRobert J. Karli, ChairDavid Clark, Vice ChairLarry Collmann, TreasurerMary Stephenson, SecretaryKen BeckWilliam C. BednarFran CollmannMary Anne ConnollyPatrick L. DeLauneTom DriscollToya Cirica HaleyRobert HarlanLou Ann LasherEric LeibrockHope MorganLouise MorseE. Stuart PhillipsRebecca PowersHon. Bea Ann SmithMarion Lear SwaybillCatherine WildermuthSheila WojcikSheila YoungbloodAdvisory BoardStephen AechternachtJohn AielliSue BarnesMark BiernerRay BrimbleDavid BurgerDavid ClaflinVirginia DupuyMaydelle FasonJoLynn FreeBilly GammonVance GeorgeHelen HaysDan HerdWilliam B. HilgersWayne HoltzmanCassandra JamesJudith JellisonBob MurphyLynn MurphyGayle Glass RocheNancy ScanlanAngela SmithLouann TempleEva WomackArtistic &AdministrativeStaffCraig Hella JohnsonArtistic DirectorAnn Hume WilsonExecutive DirectorKatie AppleSpecial Projects CoordinatorTamara BlankenOnline Services ManagerMelissa J. EddyCommunications & Grants ManagerRick GabrilloAssociate Conductor, Production ManagerDirector, <strong>Conspirare</strong> Youth ChoirsWravan GodsoeOffice ManagerDavid HammondDirector of Patron RelationsRobert HarlanProduction CoordinatorMeri KruegerArtist RelationsKristie McCuneBusiness ManagerAnn McNairAssistant to the Artistic DirectorNina ReveringDirector, <strong>Conspirare</strong> Youth ChoirsNicki TurmanHouse ManagerRobin Kate TurmanCYC Administrative AssistantWatch for the release of<strong>Samuel</strong> <strong>Barber</strong>: AmericanRomantic on CD in Fall 2012!Immediately following these performances, <strong>Conspirare</strong> will return to Sauder Hall in Goshen,Indiana, to record <strong>Samuel</strong> <strong>Barber</strong>: American Romantic for release next fall on the Harmonia Mundilabel, marking our fifth collaboration with this distinguished international record company.Recordings allow us to share <strong>Conspirare</strong>’s unforgettable artistry with a worldwide audience, and tocreate a permanent record for future generations of music lovers.These performances and recording of <strong>Samuel</strong> <strong>Barber</strong>: American Romantic are lovingly dedicatedto Fran Collmann in recognition of her twelve years of service as Chair of <strong>Conspirare</strong>’s board ofdirectors. We acknowledge with gratitude the following patrons whose support has helped makethis project possible.Honorary ProducersCollmann FamilyDean & Gwen Collmann • Larry Collmann •Karen Kibler & Tom Grimes • Ruth & Bob McGregorDebe & Kevin McKeand • Dennis & Julie Van Roekel • Marie Van Roekel • Joyce Zehr & Marvin BurkeThe Kodosky FoundationSheila and Ryan YoungbloodUnderwritersJoe and Cynthia CainDavid and Catherine ClarkRobert and Trish KarliEric Leibrock and Ellen JusticeMax and Gene Alice ShermanCatherine and David WildermuthJeanie and Bill WyattFriendsKatie AppleTamara BlankenRobert and Pat BrueckJoe and Cynthia CainMary Anne ConnollyWravan Godsoe and Paul BakerGwen FloryToya Cirica HaleyDavid and Karon HammondKristie McCuneCraig Hella Johnson and Phil OverbaughRobert and Trish KarliLou Ann and Bill LasherEric Leibrock and Ellen JusticeLouise MorseE. Stuart PhillipsRebecca & Phil PowersMax and Gene Alice ShermanThe Honorable Bea Ann SmithMary Stephenson and David MinterBernadette TasherCatherine and David WildermuthEvan and Ann Hume WilsonThe Still Water Foundation has generously offered a challenge grant of $75,000 to support a Fund forArtistic Innovation. If you would like to help match this challenge to provide for ongoing excellence inour commissions, recordings and other innovative projects, please contact Ann Hume Wilson, executivedirector, at 512-476-5775 or ahwilson@conspirare.org.28 29


Support <strong>Conspirare</strong><strong>Conspirare</strong> invites you to join our family of donors. Your contribution supportsour gift of music through performances of the highest artistic quality and througheducational and outreach programs, including the <strong>Conspirare</strong> Youth Choirs.SupportersSeason Sustaining UnderwriterLeadership CircleMaestro Circle.....................................$25,000+Impresario Circle................$15,000 — $24,999Benefactor Circle................$10,000 — $14,999Platinum Baton Circle............$5,000 — $9,999Golden Baton Circle...............$2,500 — $4,999Silver Baton Circle..................$1,000 — $2,499Circle of FriendsSponsors.......................................$500 — $999Patrons..........................................$250 — $499Sustainers......................................$100 — $249Donors................................................Up to $99Business & Foundation Supportersenclosed is my tax-deductible gift in the amount of $-or- i pledge a gift of $ to be paid in full by june 30, 2012.choose one:please charge my credit card $ per month for # months, begininning / /datei will pay by check $ per month for # monthsThe KodoskyFoundationTheMattsson-McHaleFoundationThe MeadowsFoundationRussell Hill RogersFund for the Artsneed a different pledge plan? please call us at (512) 476-5775 to arrange.Payment Information❑ check payable to conspirarecredit card ❑ discover ❑ mc ❑ visa ❑ amexThe Rachael & BenVaughan Foundationname on cardcard numbersecurity code expiration datesignaturemust be signature of cardholdernameas you wish to be acknowledged in conspirare publicationsaddresscity state zipdaytime phone ( )e-mailemployerThis project is funded and supported in part by a grant from theTexas Commission on the Arts and the City of Austin through theCultural Arts Division, believing an investment in the arts is aninvestment in Austin’s future. Visit Austin at NowPlayingAustin.com. This project is also supported in part by an award from theNational Endowment for the Arts. Art Works.Public Funding AgenciesMedia SponsorsDoes your employer support the arts with matching gifts? If so, please enclose the completed form along with your payment.Mail to <strong>Conspirare</strong>, 1033 La Posada Drive, Suite 130, Austin, TX 78752. <strong>Conspirare</strong> is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Thank you for your generous support of <strong>Conspirare</strong>.30 31


DonorsGifts to <strong>Conspirare</strong> provide financial support for concerts, recordings, educationalprograms, and outreach activities. The following roster of donors includes cashand in-kind gifts received from individuals, family and private foundations,businesses, and government agencies between August 1, 2010 and September 9,2011. We express our gratitude to each and every one of our donors.Maestro CircleCity of Austin Cultural Arts DivisionFran & Larry CollmannThe Kodosky FoundationThe Mattsson-McHale FoundationNational Endowment for the ArtsSouth Texas Money ManagementStill Water FoundationSheila & Ryan YoungbloodImpresario CircleRobert & Lara HarlanJeff & Gail KodoskyWendi & Brian KushnerEric Leibrock & Ellen JusticeGayle Glass Roche & Mike RocheMarc & Carolyn SeriffTexas Commission on the ArtsMary Anne ConnollyJerry CraftWilliam R. DicksonThomas Driscoll & Nancy QuinnThe Fetzer InstituteMary Nell FrucellaToya Cirica HaleyCynthia KeeverJoan & Tom KobayashiKaren & Paul LeekeHope Morgan & Mike TabornJerele & Elizabeth NeeldRebecca & Phil PowersE. Stuart PhillipsScott & Pam ReichardtWilliam Schleuse & Virginia McDermottJohn & Suzanne ShoreMary Stephenson & David MinterSusanne Tetzlaff & Eric TiblierHornaday DesignMichael & Jeanne KleinTimothy KoockAngie & Steve LarnedKati LewisThomas LukensSheila LummisMilton D. Miller IILinda MonkPaul MowryBob & Lynn MurphyWilliam NemirCarlisle PearsonLinda & Robert RamseyDick & Lynn RewAndy & Sally RitchNancy ScanlanPeter Schram & Harry UllmannMax & Gene Alice ShermanAngela & Charles SmithDavid C. Smithin honor of Craig Hella JohnsonDr. Anna Sorensen & Mr. Don SorensenMarion Lear SwaybillTargetBernadette TasherBen & Daphne VaughanAnn Hume Wilson & Evan WilsonMarc WinklemanEva & Marvin WomackMary M. KevorkianEva & Chris LaskarisLawrence LawverMary Ann LeesMark & Lauren LevyEmily LittleManuel & Anne MartinezPhil & Sue MaxwellDebe & Kevin McKeandIvan Milman & Janie KeysSuzanne MitchellJanis MongerSusan NegleyDouglas NelsonLeslie Oster & Daniel RodriguezDan PetersonForrest Preece & Linda BallCaren ProthroK.C. PtomeyJoanne & Jerome RavelDaniel Ray & Ellen GouldSmith & Sandra RayLouis RenaudDan & Kimberly RennerHamilton & Joanne RichardsJack & Susan RobertsonMichal RosenbergerCarole & Charles SikesHenley SimsJulie & Shawn SmithMichael & Virginia SmithJames StolpaConnee & Kent SullivanVirgil & LaFern SwiftLois VanLaninghamCynthia L. & Thomas WalshSuzanne M. Mitchell & Richard A. ZansitisBenefactor CircleJeri DeAngelisSilver Baton CircleSponsorsRobert & Trish KarliAnonymous (3)Linda AakerLouise N. ReeserSandi AitkenMaureen AlexanderTescom, Inc.Doug BainEva King AndriesCatherine & David WildermuthBecky Beaver & John DuncanRobert & Patricia AyresAnn & Jeff BomerAnne BertholfPlatinum Baton CircleJack Brannon & Brian MillerKlaus BichtelerAnonymousRay & Karen Brimblein honor of Mary ParsePatronsKen & Joyce BeckDan Bullock & Annette CarlozziBill Krumpack & Amelia BullockDr. Jacque AngersteinWilliam C. Bednar & Flo Ann RandleDr. & Mrs. Paul BurnsChris & J. Dennis CavnerRobert & Margaret AyresDavid & Catherine ClarkErnest & Sarah ButlerJo Anne ChristianCindy BehlingCrutch & Danna CrutchfieldJoe & Cynthia CainJennifer ClarkOla BellHelen & Bob HaysPablo CardenasJames & Debbie DunnLeah BillingsleyLou Ann & Bill LasherRobert F. DaileyMelissa Eddy & Tracy SchiemenzPat Fatter BlackJoyce MayerVirginia & Robert DupuyMary Margaret FarabeeGrace BlairLouise MorseLot EnseySam & Maydelle Fasonin honor of Craig Hella JohnsonRussell Hill Rogers Fund for the ArtsRev. Dr. Ann FieldsDaniel FinchNancy BowmanThe Honorable Bea Ann SmithR. John & Susan FoxSusanna & Richard FinnellPeggy BrunnerThe Rachael & Ben F. Vaughan FoundationBilly & Regan GammonCheryl FullerRichard CampbellBill & Jeanie WyattGateway Music Festivals & ToursTom & Kathy Cody GallawayNathaniel & Elizabeth ChapinSusan GatlinBarbara Gibbs & John DriggersDavid & Nathasha CollmannGolden Baton CircleSteve GilbertBalie & Beverly GriffithFran & Larry CollmannAha CommunicationsGerre & Judith HancockMilton Guiberteauin memory of Philip J. OverbaughRobert & Pat Brueckin honor of Craig Hella Johnsonin honor of Claire KoriothEleanor CraryDavid & Janis ClaflinRobert & Lara HarlanWalter & Ann HerbstEric & Lisa CravenDean & Gwen CollmannRichard Hartgrove & Gary CooperJane HilferCina CrisaraMorgan Hunterin honor of Deborah RuppDiane IresonStuart & Paula Damore32 Morris & Marge JohnsonPatrick DeLaune & Sadaf Khan33


Dorothy Drummer & Greg EdenRena & Richard D’SouzaSusan Duncanin honor of Sara Ann & Milton DuncanSandy Dunn & Paul HarfordBarbara DurhamCliff & Martha ErnstSusan Nash FeketyPatricia & Fred FlorenceGwen & Bruce FloryMary Anne FlournoyWilliam & Marlene GladeGlenda GoehrsDolly Gray-Bussardin honor of Wendi & Brian KushnerCarolyn Harris-HynsonMelissa HuebschCraig Hella Johnson & Phil OverbaughTom Grimes & Karen KiblerDavid KendrickGreg & Cynthia KozmetskyDina KuntzBonnie & Sidney LanierJon-Michael LeesNora LiebermanThomas & Alaire LowrySheila Lummisin honor of Craig Hella Johnson & Phil OverbaughVance McMahanLynn & Tom MeredithAnn MoodyEvan MorganCynthia NorvellMichael & Candace PartridgeJim & Nicole PizzitolaRandalls RandallsAmy RandolphBev & Milbrey RaneyDaniel RennerLindsay & Joan SharpeKay SheffieldCord & Anne ShifletKirk SmithSandra SmithMichael & Carol StehlingMrs. Louis StumbergCarol Taxis & Mary MatusMartha Faye TerryBruce Todd & Elizabeth ChristianDon TrappSusan TrautmannErich Vollmerin honor of Wendi & Brian KushnerMary Smith & Walter StewartSteffen & Elisabeth Waltzin honor of Wendi & Brian KushnerBen WearDoreen WheelerBill Wood & Elsa VorwerkWR Starkey Mortgage, LLPSustainersAnonymous (3)Stephen & Claudia AechternachtIrene Eibenstein Alvisi & Lorenzo AlvisiErnest & Jeanette AuerbachPatti AustinBob & Marcia BaileyRoss & Kristin BassingerSteven BeebeDr. & Mrs. Craig & Holly BerentBill & Carolyn BinghamDawn & Dusty BlackKaren BlizzardWendy BloomFloyd BrandtRoslyn & Sean Breenin honor of James PattersonDr. Billye BrownGeorge BrownDavid BurgerJames CampbellJulie CartersonHarvey CaugheyTom & Marsha CavenAnn ClarkRebecca ClarkMichael & Kathryn CoffeyMary Anne Connollyin honor of Col. & Mrs. John M. Connolly, Jr.Ralph CoonradCheryl & Eric CoswayMarie CraneKarel DahmenRichard Davisin honor of Charles HillKay DelcherLory & Fred DensonRobin & Karl DentNina Di LeoCharles DickersonJerry & Shar DiercksSusan Doering & Dieter Wulfhorstin honor of Vivian N. & Joseph J. DoeringSharon DuboisePaul & Patricia DurhamSally EstesJill B. FatzerJuli Fellowsin honor of Sylvia GalloJohn & Barbara FibigerLaura FielderRobert & Anneliese GeisKaren & Bill GernsteinEliza GilkysonWravan Godsoe & Paul BakerKathryn GovierLoel GraberLawrence & Jane GrahamGary GreenblumNan & Loyd HamptonHarmonium Choral SocietyDavid & Martha HarringtonLeroy & Karen HaverlahZhongli & Wendy HeLewis HoffackerDr. & Mrs. Wayne HoltzmanJeffrey Hudson & Robert BlodgettLauren HughesBobby & Nancy InmanTodd Jermstadin honor of Robert KarliElizabeth & GregoryJulie KeimMarguerite & Hugh KellyElinor KliewerKathryn & Don LougheedCynthia LuxMike & Sue MaineJennifer MartensMary MatusBradley & Elizabeth MaximKaren McLaughlinConnie McMillanJohn & Elizabeth Hansing MoonNancy MooreSean & Beverly MooreLuis MoralesChip & Janice MorrisFran & Steven MossDiana Mullinin honor of Deborah RuppNeil & Maria NehringArthur & Beth Nelkinin honor of Charles & Jeanne GravesTom & Mary Sue Koontz Nelsonin honor of Nina DiLeoHilary OlsonRichard OrtonMargaret H. OverbaughThomas OverbaughGraydon ParrishJim & Joyce ParrishCathie ParsleyBrittan Pasloske & Mary Lea McAnallyHomer PayneAnn Phipps & Michael CannattiWilliam Pickens & Lindsey FalconerPonomarev FamilyKaren PopeAnne Praderas & Tony VanceGary & Cheryl PyleRobert & Deirdre RaganAimee & Greg RandleFlo Ann RandleManohar RaoRose Ann Reeserin honor of Louise ReeserNina & Dean ReveringEllen W. RienstraLeilani RoseCynthia RuffDeborah RuppPaul Rutzin honor of Harold & Viola RutzDonna & Christy SalinasJudy SargentDennis SchafferPete & Frances SchenkkanPaul SchraiderClaudia & Thomas SchurrDavid SchwarzApril SchweighartMarilyn SharrattMary SimonDonald SkirvinJeffrey SmithJohn & Bess SommerJim SotirosJohn & Janice SpenceDon & Nancy SpencerBryan & Cindy SperryBarbara & Bruce StevensonVirginia StottsRobert & Eileen SudelaRose & Joe SullivanGeorge & Nancy SuttonRosera TateosianJohn Taylor & Peter Flagg MaxsonMeredith Thomas & Walter StroupJohn UglumMarie Van RoekelCynthia & Mark VanderbergCharles VannFred & Shirley ViehwegKarla & Augusto VillalonJeannette G. Walkerin honor of Carolyn Harris-HynsonSandra Waycott & James PharesRobbie WebbJay & Glaucia Vasconcelos WilkeyRoselyn Witherspoon<strong>Conspirare</strong> also thanks all donors of gifts under$100 and regrets that space does not permit thelisting of each name. Your support is equallyappreciated.We strive to publish an accurate donor list. If anerror or omission is noticed, please let us know.34 35

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