Symphonic Choir at St. Mark's Episcopal Church

Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020  •  4 p.m.

 

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY SYMPHONIC CHOIR

St. Mark's Episcopal Church
2151 Dorset Rd.
Columbus, OH 43221

Robert Bode, conductor
Tyler W. Robertson, assistant conductor and graduate teaching associate
Elizabeth Hainrihar, assistant conductor and graduate teaching associate
Kevin Jones, organ
Lee D. Thompson, piano

A pre-concert lecture will be given at 3:40 p.m. by Tyler W. Robertson on the topic of the pieces he will conduct — Five modern American settings of the Evening Canticles

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PROGRAM

 

Magnificat (from Evening Service in A)

Stephen Caracciolo (b. 1962)

    Shelby Martell, soprano

Nunc Dimittis (from St. Paul’s Cathedral, Buffalo Service)

Roland Martin (b. 1955)

    Sandy Sharis, mezzo-soprano

Magnificat (from Christ Church, Nashville Service)

Richard Webster (b. 1952)

Nunc Dimittis (from First Service)

Nico Muhly (b. 1981)

Magnificat (from Amarillo Canticles)

David Ashley White (b. 1944)

Tyler W. Robertson, conductor

 

Canticle II, Abraham and Isaac, Op. 51

Benjamin Britten (1913–1976)

    Sandy Sharis, mezzo-soprano
    Ryan Adams, tenor

Rejoice in the Lamb, Op. 30

Benjamin Britten

    Sadiyah Babatunde, soprano
    Sandy Sharis, mezzo-soprano
    Vincent Stepien, tenor
    Kevin Baum, baritone

Robert Bode, conductor

 

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TEXTS

Prepared by Tyler W. Robertson

MAGNIFICAT (Luke 1:46–55)

My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden:
For behold, from henceforth: all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me: and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him: throughout all generations.
He hath shewed strength with his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat: and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel:
As he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.
 

NUNC DIMITTIS (Luke 2:29–32)

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.
 

ABRAHAM AND ISAAC (Anonymous)

Abraham, my servant, Abraham,
Take Isaac, thy son by name, That thou lovest the best of all,
And in sacrifice offer him to me
Upon that hill there besides thee.
Abraham, I will that so it be, For aught that may befall.

My Lord, to Thee is mine intent Ever to be obedient.
That son that Thou to me hast sent
Offer I will to Thee. Thy bidding done shall be.

Make thee ready, my dear darling, For we must do a little thing.
This woode do on thy back it bring, We may no longer abide.
A sword and fire that I will take, For sacrifice behoves me to make;
God's bidding will I not forsake, But ever obedient be.

Father, I am all ready To do your bidding most meekely,
And to bear this wood full bayn am I, As you commanded me.

Now, Isaac son, go we our way To yonder mount if that we may.

My dear father, I will essay To follow you full fain.
O! My heart will break in three, To hear thy words I have pitye;
As Thou wilt, Lord, so must it be, To Thee I will be bayn.

Lay down thy faggot, my own son dear.

All ready, father, lo it is here.
But why make you such heavy cheer?
Are you anything adread?

Ah! Dear God! That me is woe!

Father, if it be your will, Where is the beast that we shall kill?

Thereof, son, is none upon this hill.

Father, I am full sore affeared To see you bear that drawne sword.

Isaac, son, peace, I pray thee, Thou breakest my heart even in three.

I pray you, father, layn nothing from me,
But tell me what you think.

Ah! Isaac, Isaac, I must thee kill!

Alas! Father, is that your will,
Your owne child for to spill Upon this hilles brink?
If I have trespassed in any degree With a yard you may beat me;
Put up your sword, if your will be, For I am but a child.
Would God my mother were here with me! She would kneel down upon her knee,
Praying you, father, if it may be, For to save my life.

O Isaac, son, to thee I say God hath commanded me today
Sacrifice, this is no nay, To make of thy bodye.

Is it God's will I shall be slain?

Yea, son, it is not for to layn.

Father, seeing you mustë needs do so, Let it pass lightly and over go;
Kneeling on my knees two, Your blessing on me spread.

My blessing, dear son, give I thee And thy mother's with heart free.
The blessing of the Trinity, My dear Son, on thee light.
Come hither, my child, thou art so sweet,
Thou must be bound both hands and feet.

Father, do with me as you will, I must obey,
and that is skill, Godës commandment to fulfil, For needs so it must be.

Isaac, Isaac, blessed must thou be.

Father, greet well my brethren ying, And pray my mother of her blessing,
I come no more under her wing, Farewell for ever and aye.

Farewell, my sweetë son of grace!

I pray you, father, turn down my face, For I am sore adread.

Lord, full loth were I him to kill!

Ah, mercy, father, why tarry you so?

Jesu! On me have pity, That I have most in mind.

Now, father, I see that I shall die:
Almighty God in majesty! My soul I offer unto Thee!

To do this deed I am sorrye.

Abraham, my servant dear,
Lay not thy sword in no manner On Isaac, thy dear darling.
For thou dreadest me, well wot I,
That of thy son has no mercy, To fulfil my bidding.

Ah, Lord of heaven and King of bliss, Thy bidding shall be done, i-wiss!
A hornëd wether here I see, Among the briars tied is he,
To Thee offered shall he be Anon right in this place.
Sacrifice here sent me is, And all, Lord, through Thy grace.

Such obedience grant us, O Lord! Ever to Thy most holy word.
That in the same we may accord At this Abraham was bayn;
And then altogether shall we That worthy King in heaven see,
And dwell with Him in great glorye For ever and ever.
Amen.
 

REJOICE IN THE LAMB (from Christopher Smart’s Jubilate Agno)

Rejoice in God, O ye Tongues;
Give the glory to the Lord, And the Lamb.
Nations, and languages,
And every Creature In which is the breath of Life.
Let man and beast appear before him,
And magnify his name together.
Let Nimrod, the mighty hunter,
Bind a leopard to the altar
And consecrate his spear to the Lord.
Let Ishmail dedicate a tyger,
And give praise for the liberty
In which the Lord has let him at large.
Let Balaam appear with an ass,
And bless the Lord his people
And his creatures for a reward eternal.
Let Daniel come forth with a lion,
And praise God with all his might
Through faith in Christ Jesus.
Let Ithamar minister with a chamois,
And bless the name of Him That cloatheth the naked.
Let Jakim with the satyr
Bless God in the dance,
Dance, dance, dance.
Let David bless with the bear
The beginning of victory to the Lord,
To the Lord the perfection of excellence.
Hallelujah, hallelujah,
Hallelujah for the heart of God,
And from the hand of the artist inimitable,
And from the echo of the heavenly harp
In sweetness magnifical and mighty.
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.
For I will consider my cat Jeoffry.
For he is the servant of the living God.

Duly and daily serving him.
For at the first glance Of the glory of God in the East He worships in his way.
For this is done by wreathing his body
Seven times round with elegant quickness.
For he knows that God is his saviour.
For God has bless'd him
In the variety of his movements.
For there is nothing sweeter
Than his peace when at rest.

For I am possessed of a cat,
Surpassing in beauty,
From whom I take occasion To bless Almighty God.
For the Mouse is a creature Of great personal valour.
For this is a true case — Cat takes female mouse,
Male mouse will not depart, but stands threat'ning and daring.
If you will let her go, I will engage you,
As prodigious a creature as you are.
For the Mouse is a creature Of great personal valour.
For the Mouse is of An hospitable disposition.
For the flowers are great blessings. For the flowers are great blessings.
For the flowers have their angels, Even the words of God's creation.
For the flower glorifies God And the root parries the adversary.
For there is a language of flowers. For the flowers are peculiarly The poetry of Christ.
For I am under the same accusation With my Savior,
For they said, He is besides himself.
For the officers of the peace Are at variance with me,
And the watchman smites me With his staff.
For the silly fellow, silly fellow, Is against me,
And belongeth neither to me Nor to my family.
For I am in twelve hardships, But he that was born of a virgin
Shall deliver me out of all, Shall deliver me out of all.
For H is a spirit And therefore he is God.
For K is king And therefore he is God.
For L is love And therefore he is God.
For M is musick And therefore he is God. And therefore he is God.
For the instruments are by their rhimes,
For the shawm rhimes are lawn fawn and the like.
For the shawm rhimes are moon boon and the like.
For the harp rhimes are sing ring and the like.
For the harp rhimes are ring string and the like.
For the cymbal rhimes are bell well and the like.
For the cymbal rhimes are toll soul and the like.
For the flute rhimes are tooth youth and the like.
For the flute rhimes are suit mute and the like.
For the bassoon rhimes are pass class and the like.
For the dulcimer rhimes are grace place and the like.
For the clarinet rhimes are clean seen and the like.
For the trumpet rhimes are sound bound and the like.
For the trumpet of God is a blessed intelligence
And so are all the instruments in Heav'n.
For God the Father Almighty plays upon the harp
Of stupendous magnitude and melody.
For at that time malignity ceases
And the devils themselves are at peace.
For this time is perceptible to man
By a remarkable stillness and serenity of soul.
Hallelujah, hallelujah,
Hallelujah for the heart of God,
And from the hand of the artist inimitable,
And from the echo of the heavenly harp
In sweetness magnifical and mighty.
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.

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ROSTER

Robert Bode, conductor

SOPRANO
Sadiyah Babatunde
Anna Bonavita
Megan Callison
Libby Hainrihar
Sarah Julien
Jenna Keller
Sophia Longo
Shelby Martell
Laurie McIlvenna
Ruth Peart
Anabella Petronsi
Carli Platt
Anna Reichert
Jordyn Stone
Emily Trautvein

ALTO
Liz Arleta
Caitlin Boyle
Aria Cadeau
Caroline D’Ercole
Jordan Drinnon
Melanie Linker
Ellen Losey
Sarah Peterson
Savannah Pfister
Asha Rawlinson
Kiara Schmidt
Sandy Sharis
Xin Su
Gabi Winter

TENOR
Grayson Abden
Ryan Adams
Matt Burns
Sam Christopher
Brennan Harlow
Harper Markiewicz
Alex Ross
Liangjun Shi
Noah Shireman
Austin Silva
Vincent Stepien

BASS
Kevin Baum
Jacob Chestnut
Jacob Heacock
Hayden Hostetler
Brighton Hummer
Parker Kronen
Tyler Robertson
David Scott
Felix Underwood
Spencer Wainfor
Nic Watkins
Ning Yang
 

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BIOGRAPHIES

ROBERT BODE joins the faculty at The Ohio State University School of Music as a visiting professor of Choral Studies. In 2010, Bode was named the Raymond Neevel Endowed Chair of Choral Music at the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. Prior to coming to UMKC, Bode served on the faculty at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA, where he was awarded the Thomas E. Howells Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Alma Meisnest Endowed Chair in the Humanities. His choirs have performed at both regional and national conferences of the American Choral Directors Association, the Missouri Music Educators Association, and Chorus America.
     Robert Bode received his doctorate in conducting from the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, OH and his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Texas. Prior to attending the Cincinnati Conservatory, Dr. Bode won a conducting scholarship at the prestigious Aspen Music Festival, where he studied opera conducting with Fiora Contino. In 1982, Bode studied in Wales as a Conducting Fellow at the University-College of Music in Cardiff. In addition to his distinguished teaching career, Dr. Bode has enjoyed a successful international conducting career as guest conductor of the Kammerorchester (Leipzig, Germany), Filharmonia Sudecka (Walbrzych, Poland), Vratca Philharmonic (Vratca, Bulgaria) and the Yunnan Provincial Chorus (Kunming, China), among others.
     Dr. Bode is the artistic director of Choral Arts Northwest, a semi-professional chamber chorus in Seattle, WA. In the spring of 2010, Bode and Choral Arts NW received the Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence, presented by Chorus America.
     Dr. Bode is noted for his dedication to the commissioning and performance of new choral music. He has commissioned over fifty works for chorus from American composers, including William Averitt, John David Earnest, Eric Barnum, Jake Heggie, Gwyneth Walker, Richard Hundley, Rick Asher, Melinda Bargreen, William Hawley, John Muelheisen, Frank Ferko, Jake Runestad, Dominick DiOrio, Dale Trumbore, Shawn Kirchner and Kevin Siegfried, among others.

TYLER ROBERTSON moved to Columbus in 2012 and has been the organist and assistant director of music at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church since 2014. His more than twenty years of professional church music experience include service in most mainline Christian denominations in all facets of music ministry. He has completed extensive study in organ — at Texas State University and the University of Florida (while in high school), and continuing on to Baylor University in Waco, TX where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in organ performance. At Baylor, Tyler was a student of internationally acclaimed organists Joyce Jones and Bradley Welch. As a performer and collaborator, he appeared frequently with the Concert Choir, A Cappella Choir, Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band.
     In 2016, Tyler began work toward his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting at Ohio State where he is a student of Robert J. Ward. As a graduate teaching associate, Tyler currently serves as the assistant conductor of Symphonic Choir. Previously he served as conductor of University Chorus and assistant conductor of the renowned Men’s Glee Club. He is also a long-time member of the American Guild of Organists and serves on the Executive Board of the Columbus chapter. In 2015, Tyler earned the Associate certification (AAGO) from the guild, one of only seven people nationwide to do so that year. He is also a member of the Association of Anglican Musicians and the American Choral Directors Association.
     In addition to his work at St. Mark’s and Ohio State, Tyler appears frequently at the organs of First Congregational Church in downtown Columbus where he accompanies their monthly services of Choral Evensong and other special events. In the summer of 2018, Tyler traveled with the FCC choir to Lincoln and Norwich Cathedrals in England to serve as the organist for their nine-day choral residency.

KEVIN JONES began formal musical training at age four. After preparatory and high school musical training with Judith Thomas and John Gilbert, he attended Southern Methodist University, studying organ with Robert T. Anderson and harpsichord with Larry Palmer. He completed his undergraduate degree at Ashland College, studying organ with Karel Paukert and piano with Elizabeth Pastor. Mr. Jones went on to earn graduate degrees in collaborative piano and in organ performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying organ with Karel Paukert, and piano and chamber music with Anne Epperson, Thomas Muraco, Elizabeth Pastor and Vivian Hornik Weilerstein. He also holds the Master of Science in Education degree in Human Services from the University of Dayton.
     From 1996 to 2004, Jones held the post of musical director/conductor of the New York City-based Gilbert & Sullivan ensemble, the Blue Hill Troupe, Ltd. With that ensemble he made his Carnegie Hall conducting debut as guest with Skitch Henderson’s New York Pops Symphony Orchestra. While on the East Coast, he was in demand as a conductor and collaborative artist, appearing frequently with soloists and ensembles throughout the region. He has worked as assistant to conductor Anton Coppola in productions of Aïda, Gianni Schicchi, La Bohème, Lucia, Le Nozze di Figaro and Rigoletto. He appeared regularly at New York City’s famed Carnegie Hall with Mid-America Productions, and made his Weill Recital Hall début with flutist Koaki Fujimoto. He has performed at Ashland University, Cleveland Museum of Art, Oberlin College, Merkin Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, SUNY Stony Brook, SUNY Purchase and Weill Hall. Internationally, he has performed throughout Europe and the Far East, most recently playing a solo recital in the 11th-century St. Mary’s Church in Helsingborg, Sweden. Jones also recently performed on the Pipes at One series at St. Paul’s Chapel, NYC.
     From 2007 to 2012, he was canon precentor and director of music at Christ Church Cathedral in Hartford, CT as well as being a member of the vocal division faculty at the Hartt School where he was vocal coach and vocal instructor; and taught courses in English, French and German diction. Since 2013, Mr. Jones is minister of music at First Congregational Church in Columbus, OH where he oversees a large music program of four choirs and the longstanding concert series Concerts at First Church. He has led the First Church Choir in choral residencies at Lincoln, Norwich and Gloucester Cathedrals, UK.

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A new home for the School of Music

Bold and innovative, Ohio State’s Arts District seeks to spark imagination and inspiration across the creative disciplines. As part of this transformative facilities project, construction is underway for a renovated and expanded School of Music, which will include new rehearsal spaces, modern recital halls, updated classrooms and practice rooms, and a central atrium. This new facility is an investment in our future performers, music educators, conductors and scholars. To learn more and join us in elevating the arts at Ohio State, visit go.osu.edu/artsdistrict.

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