Vinroy D. Brown, Jr., conductor
Akiko Hosaki, accompanist
Lucas Heredia, graduate assistant conductor
Daniel J. Piver, graduate assistant conductor with Laquita Mitchell, soprano Daniel Ware, percussion
Gill Memorial Chapel
Rider University
2083 Lawrenceville Road
Lawrenceville, N.J.
Please note the unauthorized use of any recording device, either audio or video is prohibited by law. Out of courtesy to the performers and everyone in the audience, please refrain from using cell phones and electronic devices.
Rider University gratefully acknowledges the generous support of: Michael T. '89 and Susana Santaguida '89 Gummel for their support of our Rider Friend of the Arts patron program.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4
Conversations in African American Music
Performance: Laquita Mitchell in Masterclass
3:20 p.m. ā Gill Chapel
Westminster voice students work in a focused masterclass session exploring African American Art Song and Spirituals under the guidance of distinguished alumna and acclaimed soprano Laquita Mitchell. The event culminates in a special mini-performance and Q&A, inviting audiences to engage with the artistry, history, and expressive power of this repertoire.
SATURDAY, MARCH 7
The Courage to Believe
4 p.m. ā Gill Chapel
A powerful musical journey exploring conviction, hope, and the unshakable human spirit. Through works by J. Rosamond Johnson, Mark A. Miller, Zanaida Robles and more, this program lifts voices in affirmation and unity celebrating the resilience it takes to hold fast to belief in the face of adversity. Presented as part of the Celebration of Black Music, this performance begins a celebration of 30 years for the Westminster Jubilee Singers.
Veni Sancte Spiritus
I Believe
Zanaida Robles (b. 1978)
Mark A. Miller (b. 1967)
Try Y. Quain, soprano
Crystal Saar, alto
Adoration Florence Price (1887-1953)
Malik M. Jardine, organ
III. Credo I Believe in God from Gospel Mass Robert Ray (1946-2022)
Anna Maher, alto
Credo Rollo Dilworth (b. 1970)
Samantha Murphy, soprano
Julia N. Gerst, soprano
Lift Every Voice and Sing
J. Rosamond Johnson (1873-1954) arr. Roland M. Carter (b. 1942)
Improvisation on āWe Shall Overcome Theeā Carl Haywood (b. 1949)
Malik M. Jardine, organ
Texts, Translations & Program Notes
Veni Sancte Spiritus Zanaida Robles
Veni Sancte Spiritus was composed by Zanaida Robles in spring 2012 under the guidance of her composition teacher Dr. Morten Lauridsen at the University of Southern California. The work is based on an original love song called "End of Time" written by Robles in 2001. The harmonic treatment and syncopation are derived from popular music styles (rock, pop, etc.). The compound meter, intricate piano lines, and choral voicings are elements that anchor the piece firmly in the classical choral tradition.
Veni, Sancte Spiritus, et emitte caelitus lucis tuae radium.
Veni, pater pauperum, veni, dator munerum, veni, lumen cordium.
Consolator optime, dulcis hospes animae, dulce refrigerium.
In labore requies, in aestu temperies, in fletu solatium.
O lux beatissima, reple cordis intima tuorum fidelium.
Sine tuo numine, nihil est in homine, nihil est innoxium.
I Believe
Come, Holy Spirit, and send out the heavenly ray of your light.
Come, father of the poor, come, giver of gifts, come, light of hearts.
Greatest comforter, sweet guest of the soul, sweet consolation.
In labour, rest, in heat, temperateness, in tears, solace.
O most blessed light, fill the inmost heart of your faithful.
Without the nod of your head, there is nothing in man, nothing that is harmless.
Mark A. Miller
The anonymous words of I Believe were scrawled on a cellar wall where Jews had hidden in Cologne, Germany during World War II. Many have written pieces to represent the strength of character within the horror of such a place. Mark Miller somehow takes this commonly used text and makes it musically universal. The piece itself has a simple melody that is repeated many times that eventually grows throughout the duration of the music. Despite this, Miller still captures the fragility of the text even when the piece itself is joined by so many voices.
When asked about the work, Mark Miller states āI composed this as a testament to the power of love over institutionalized hate, whether it comes from government or religion. Several years ago I came upon this poem (I had sung the text years before to an anthem by Jane Marshall) at a difficult time in my life when I was searching for words to embody the pain I was feeling and the hope I was needing. There are rare moments when composing is more like an uncovering of something that was already there- this piece emerged within a few minutes and
became a solace and an antidote for my world weariness. My hope is for this sacred gift of lyrics and song to be āmedicine for the soulā for all who hear it.ā
I believe in the sun even when it is not shining
And I believe in love, even when thereās no one there.
And I believe in God, even when he is silent.
III. Credo I Believe in God from Gospel Mass
Robert Ray
Robert Ray's "Gospel Mass," composed in 1978, was premiered at the University of Illinois and performed by the University's Black Chorus. This work was written while Ray was a liturgy team leader for the National Office of Black Catholics. The Mass is Dr. Ray's interpretation of two thousand years of liturgical tradition with the more contemporary music of the African-American Church. For centuries, composers have taken the text of the Ordinary of the Mass and given them musical settings. Each setting creates within the listener a different feeling about the worship experience.
Robert Ray states: "It is my desire to combine centuries of old traditions of Mass settings with sounds of the contemporary Black Church. The move from Latin to English created new opportunities for composers to express their feelings about the texts of the Ordinary of the Mass. I wanted everyone to experience the sense of joy and celebration that is generally felt in true African-American worship.ā
I believe in God the Creator Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ Godās only Son our Lord. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost; Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he arose! He ascended into heaven; From death, he was set free, Now he sits at the right hand, And Heās waitinā for you and me. God will judge all the world. God will judge you and me.
I believe in the Holy spirit, And the Church Universal on earth. I believe, Lord, in one baptism For the remission of sins and rebirth. I believe in the resurrection, And the communion of saints in this world.
I believe when my life is over, Iām going home just to live with my God. I believe in God; And in the Holy Ghost. I believe in God.
Credo Rollo Dilworth
Text: W. E. B Du Bois
The text for Credo comes from an essay written by African American educator, sociologist, historian, philosopher and civil rights activist William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (1869-1963). This proclamation on racial equality and social justice was first published in the New York Independent in October of 1904. In 1910, Du Bois co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
For this setting, Du Boisā 9-paragraph essay has been divided into 3 movements. The tonal centers of the movements shift downward by the interval of a 3rd (D minor to B minor to G major).
The first movement, entitled I Believe in God, is written in AABA form, and is set in a jazz style. In the opening paragraph of the essay the theme is introduced in unison by all voices, symbolizing our common humanity. This āAā section is 13 measures in length (4+4+5), symbolizing the original 13 colonies 2 of which are referenced later in the essay. The repeat of the section in four-part harmony, suggesting that while there are differences among us āin form and gift and feature,ā we can still co-exist in harmony and peace. The B section is performed by the childrenās chorus, using the text āEspecially do I believe in the Negro Race: in the beauty of its genius, the sweetness of its soul, and its strength in that meekness which shall yet inherit this turbulent earth.ā The melodic material from the āAā section returns in the lower voices, punctuated by a series of āI believeā statements in the treble voices. The movement closes with a 2- measure codetta with voices singing the words āI believe in God. I believe.ā The final chord is a bit ambiguous in that it is neither major nor minor in tonality. This choice of harmony is meant to reference Du Boisā struggles with his own faith beliefs.
The second movement, I Believe in Service, is also set in a jazz style, and is structured in a refrain and verse form. An 8-bar refrain supports the text āI believe in Service, humble reverent service from the blacking of boots to the whitening of souls.ā This first half of the refrain is introduced by the lower three voices, symbolizing humility. The second half of the refrain repeats the first four measures, this time with punctuations of 3 āI believeā statements in the soprano voices. Each verse is 13 measures in length the first one referencing 2 of the original 13 colonies (Georgia and Virginia). The movement closes with one āI believeā statement, harmonized by a 2nd inversion B minor 7th chord in the voice parts symbolizing, to a degree, the themes of incompletion or uncertainty.
Similar to the first movement, the third and final movement, I Believe in Liberty, is structured in an AABA form, but this time in the style of an African American gospel hymn. In the same year Du Boisā essay first appeared in print (1904), minister and gospel hymn writer Charles Albert Tindley (1851-1933) was
publishing what would become his most famous work, āThe Storm is Passing Over.ā The 16-bar gospel style melody is sung twice (once in call-and-response pattern, then in 4-part harmony) before the childrenās voices respond with a 16bar quasi-recitative. The final āAā section features SATB chorus with the childrenās choir singing a descant.
-Written by Rollo Dillworth
I believe in God who made of one blood all races that dwell on earth. I believe that all men, black and white, are brothers, varying through Time and Opportunity, in form and gift and feature, but differing in no essential particular, and alike in soul and in the possibility of infinite development.
Especially do I believe in the Negro Race; in the beauty of its genius, the sweetness of its soul, and its strength in that meekness which shall yet inherit this turbulent earth. I believe in pride of race and lineage and self; in pride of self so deep as to scorn injustice to other selves; in pride of lineage so great as to despise no manās father; in pride of race so chivalrous as neither to offer bastardy to the weak nor beg wedlock of the strong, knowing that men may be brothers in Christ, even though they be not brother-in-law.
I believe in Serviceāhumble reverent service, from the blackening of boots to the whitening of souls; for Work is Heaven, Idleness is Hell, and Wage is the āWell done!ā of the Master who summoned all them that labor and are heavy laden, making no distinction between the black sweating cotton-hands of Georgia and the First Families of Virginia, since all distinction not based on deed is devilish and not divine.
I believe in the Devil and his angels, who wantonly work to narrow the opportunity of struggling human beings, especially if they be black; who spit in the faces of the fallen, strike them that cannot strike again, believe the worst and work to prove it, hating the image which their Maker stamped on a brotherās soul.
I believe in the Prince of Peace. I believe that War is Murder. I believe that armies and navies are at bottom the tinsel and braggadocia of oppression and wrong, and I believe that the wicked conquest of weaker and darker nations by nations whiter and stronger but foreshadows the death of that strength.
I believe in Liberty for all men; the space to stretch their arms and their souls; the right to breathe and the right to vote, the freedom to choose their friends, enjoy the sunshine and ride on the railroads, uncursed by color; thinking, dreaming, working as they will in the kingdom of God and love.
I believe in the training of children, black even as white; the leading out of little souls into the green pastures and beside the still waters, not for pelf or peace, but for Life lit by some large vision of beauty and goodness and truth; lest we forget, and the sons of the fathers, like Esau, for mere meat barter their birthright in a mighty nation.
Finally, I believe in Patienceāpatience with the weakness of the Weak and the strength of the Strong, the prejudice of the Ignorant and the ignorance of the
Blind; patience with the tardy triumph of Joy and the mad chastening of Sorrowāpatience with God.
Lift Every Voice and Sing
J. Rosamond Johnson arr. Roland M. Carter
On February 12, 1900, āLift Every Voice and Singā was first performed by 500 school children in Jacksonville, Florida to celebrate the birthday of Abraham Lincoln. James Weldon Johnson wrote the words and his brother, Rosamond would be enlisted to write the music. The brother would go on to move to New York City but by the 1920s, children and adults were singing their song all over the South as well as in other parts of the country. The piece would soon gain so much notoriety that the NAACP would dub it the āNegro National Anthemā. There are countless versions of the hymn, however, this beautiful arrangement by Roland Carter from 1978 is most often used to present the anthem in formal settings.
Roland Carter, a pioneer when it comes to American Spiritual Choral music, would elevate the meaning of this unifying hymn through his inspiring fanfare piano prelude or through the sorrowful accapella moments of the choir. Each section would be a representation of several different African American experiences that resonate with people of all races. With this arrangement, all can participate in a sense of unity and strength that lives in a diverse community.
Lift every voice and sing, till earth and Heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies, Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.
Stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening rod, Felt in the days when hope unborn had died; Yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet Come to the place for which our fathers sighed? We have come over a way that with tears has been watered; We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered; Out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou Who hast brought us thus far on the way; Thou Who hast by Thy might, led us into the light, Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee.
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee. Shadowed beneath Thy hand, may we forever stand, True to our God, true to our native land.
About the Artists
WESTMINSTER JUBILEE SINGERS
Now in its thirtieth year, the Westminster Jubilee Singers is an ensemble modeled after the historically acclaimed Fisk Jubilee Singers. Its repertoire, while highly specialized, is remarkably diverse, showcasing both solo and ensemble artistry from its members. Housed in the Department of Sacred Music at Westminster Choir College, the ensemble performs works that include African-American spirituals and folk songs, classical music by Black diasporic composers, and a wide range of non-idiomatic repertoire. As the anchor of the university-wide Celebration of Black Music, the Jubilee Singers embody a living archive, presenting historically rooted works annually while advancing the ongoing study and performance of this specialized tradition.
Past seasons have featured performances of William Grant Stillās And They Lynched Him on a Tree, Adolphus Hailstorkās Shout for Joy and I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes, Duke Ellingtonās Sacred Concerts, R. Nathaniel Dettās The Ordering of Moses, and JosĆ© MaurĆcio Nunes Garciaās Requiem in d. The ensemble has appeared at the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) in Kansas City and its Regional Conference in Baltimore; the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Eastern Regional Convention in Boston; and New Yorkās Apollo Theater, in collaboration with Denyce Graves, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Childrenās Defense Fund. Other highlights include a joint concert, Living the Dream, with Penn State Universityās Essence of Joy ensemble in tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; the ensembleās Lincoln Center debut in An Evening of Choral Artistry presented by ACDA; a Carnegie Hall appearance with the New York Pops Orchestra under Skitch Henderson in a concert version of Porgy and Bess; and joint concerts at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center with the Fisk University Jubilee Singers and the legendary Sweet Honey in the Rock.
The 2025ā2026 season will include performances in Lawrenceville and Princeton, a special concert celebrating the ensembleās 30th anniversary, and a presentation of Margaret Bondsās Credo. Now in his ninth year, Westminster Choir College and Jubilee Singers alumnus Vinroy D. Brown, Jr. serves as the ensembleās fifth conductor.
Vinroy D. Brown, Jr., conductor
Akiko Hosaki, accompanist
Lucas Heredia and Daniel J. Piver, graduate assistant conductor
SOPRANO
Kamanay Belcher, Easton, PA
Elizabeth Berger, Hereford, MD
Sarah Febonio, Flemington, NJ
Julia N. Gerst, West Milford, NJ
Samantha Murphy, Washington Township, NJ
Genesys Perez-Berrios, Lansdale, PA
Try Y. Quain, Jersey City, NJ
Elena C. Trapasso, West Milford, NJ
TENOR
Joshua Bacomo, West Babylon, NY
Carlo Stephen Ciliberti III, Lumberton, NJ
Daniel J. Piver, East Hampton, NY
Daniel Ware, percussion
LAQUITA MITCHELL
ALTO
Chloe A. Davis, Lawrence, NJ
Alexa Farah, Northvale, NJ
Shanice A. Harrison, Newark, NJ
Alyssa M. Lester, Monroe Township, NJ
Anna Maher, Ipswich MA
Crystal Saar, Bayville, NJ
Shaye Walker, Old Bridge, NJ
BASS
Maxwell Brey, Tallahassee, FL
Jeremy Burt, Winfield, NJ
Lucas Heredia, East Brunswick, NJ
Malik M. Jardine, Queens, NY
Lloyd P. Silikovitz, Randolph, NJ
Soprano Laquita Mitchell consistently earns acclaim on eminent international opera and concert stages, leading performances with Los Angeles Opera, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, New York City Opera, Washington National Opera, OpĆ©ra Comique in Paris, New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, The Tanglewood Festival, Cleveland Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati Orchestra, among many others. Ms. Mitchell is the soprano soloist in the 2021 Grammynominated oratorio āSanctuary Roadā by Paul Moravec and the Oratorio Society of New York. With an active concert and operatic career, Ms. Mitchell is also an educator who holds voice faculty positions at Mannes School of Music and at Brooklyn College CUNY. Ms. Mitchell is a distinguished alumnus of Westminster Choir College and Manhattan School of Music. For and updated schedule please visit LaquitaMitchell.com.
ADMINISTRATIVE
STAFF
Senior Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences Jason Vodicka
Chair, Department of Performance Studies Margaret Cusack
Director of Choir Studies Donald Nally
Interim Director of Performance Management Zach Kent
Associate Director of Performance Management Leandra Acosta
