Joy is Everywhere!
Rider University Chorale
Tom T. Shelton, Jr., conductor
Mary Elizabeth Latorre, accompanist
Daniel J. Piver, graduate assistant conductor
Sarah Vawdrey, graduate assistant conductor
with Special Guest Choir
Princeton GirlChoir Semi-Tones Ensemble
Tom T. Shelton, Jr., conductor
Beth Moore, collaborative pianist
Sunday, April 19th at 3 p.m.
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 and Kasey & Billy Ziff for their support of our Rider Friend of the Arts patron program.
Program
I. Rider University Chorale
Gloria Tom Shelton (b. 1966)
Carmine Fiumano, djembe
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Daniel Piver, conductor
Ricky Sazon Salazar, organ
Je le vous dirai! Pierre Certon (1510-1572)
And Joy Is Everywhere Andrea Ramsey (b. 1977)
Music, Lead the Way! Laura Farnell (b. 1975)
Ellen Kirk, conductor
Carmine Fiumano, percussion
II. Princeton GirlChoir Semi-Tones Ensemble
Let’s Imitate Her Notes
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
arr. Robert S. Hines
Set of Stars Tom Shelton
I. I Stood Upon A Star
II. Rhyme of November Stars
Hope Lingers On Andrea Ramsey
Carmine Fiumano, percussion
III. Rider University Chorale
Rodgers and Hammerstein on Broadway arr. Mac Huff
The Sound of Music Lucy Grath
Narrator Wendy Heath
Wash that Man Right Out of My Hair Wendy Heath & Ruowen Liu
Do-Re-Mi Kiersten Burd
I Whistle a Happy Tune Anna Maher
It Might as Well Be Spring Noley Schenck
There Is Nothin’ Like A Dame Christopher Whyte, Andrew Lakkas, Josh Moffett, Francesco Damiano Depinto
You’ll Never Walk Alone Ellen Kirk
Carmine Fiumano, percussion
IV. Combined Choirs
I Believe Mark Miller (b. 1967)
Sarah Vawdrey, conductor
When I Sing
Tom Shelton
Carmine
Fiumano, glockenspiel
Program Notes, Text & Translations
Gloria Tom Shelton
Gloria is the second movement from the Missa Brevis for Treble Voices. It was first performed in Carnegie Hall by the National Treble Chorus on June 11, 2023. It has been revoiced for SATB choir and is being premiered at this concert.
Gloria in excelsis deo, Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Laudamus te, Benedicimus te, Adoramus te, Glorificamus te.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you.
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring Johann Sebastian Bach Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, also known as Wohl mir, dass ich Jesum habe, is a chorale from Bach’s 1723 cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben (BWV 147). The melody of the chorale is based on a tune by Johann Schop and appears twice in the cantata with different German texts.
Wohl mir, daß ich Jesum habe, o wie feste halt' ich ihn, daß er mir mein Herze labe, wenn ich krank und traurig bin. Jesum hab' ich, der mich liebet und sich mir zu eigen giebet, ach drum laß' ich Jesum nicht, wenn mir gleich mein Herze bricht.
Jesus bleibet meine Freude, meines Herzens Trost und Saft, Jesus wehret allem Leide, er ist meines Lebens Kraft, meiner Augen Lust und Sonne, meiner Seele Schatz und Wonne; darum laß' ich Jesum nicht aus dem Herzen und Gesicht.
Well for me that I have Jesus, O how tightly I hold him that he might refresh my heart, when I'm sick and sad. Jesus I have, who loves me and gives himself to me, ah, therefore I will not leave Jesus, even when my heart breaks.
Jesus remains my joy, my heart's consolation and sap, Jesus fends off all suffering, He is my life's strength, my eyes' lust and sun, my soul's treasure and pleasure; Therefore I will not leave Jesus out of heart and sight.
Je le vous dirai! Pierre Certon Je le vous dirai is a French chanson (song) by Pierre Certon. The text tells of a young woman in love with a man beneath her social standing, and highlights the gossip of the
townsfolk, represented by the choir. The title suggests the townsfolk’s eagerness to share the gossip, announcing that they will tell the story of the couple.
La, la, la, je ne l'ose dire, La, la, la, je le vous dirai!
Il est un homme en notr’ ville Qui de sa femme est jaloux. Il n'est pas jaloux sans cause, Mais il n’est pas beau du tout!
Et la, la, la ...
Il n'est pas jaloux sans cause, mais il n’est pas beau du tout, Il l'apprête et s'il la mène Au marché s'en va à tout!
Et la, la, la ...
And Joy Is Everywhere
La, la, la, I dare not say it, La, la, la, I will tell you!
There is a man in our town Who is jealous of his wife. He is not jealous without cause, But he is not handsome at all!
And la, la, la...
He is not jealous without cause, but he is not handsome at all, He dresses her up and if he takes her To the market, he goes off to everything!
And la, la, la...
Andrea Ramsey
And Joy Is Everywhere is an inspiring and uplifting piece that reminds us that one can choose to find joy in many different places in life, whether mundane or significant. The poetry is by Rabindranath Tagore and highlights this range of beauty in daily life.
And joy is ev’rywhere;
In the Earth’s green cov’ring of grass, In the blue serenity of sky, In the reckless exuberance of the Spring; In the severe abstinence of gray Winter; In the living flesh that animates our bodily frame; In the perfect poise of the human figure, Noble and upright, In the exercise of all our powers; In the acquisition of our knowledge; In fighting evil.
Music, Lead the Way!
Laura Farnell
Music, Lead the Way! draws on Henry Van Dyke’s Storm-Music, drawing on music’s power to transform pain into beauty and bring peace after turmoil. Inspired by the 1960s peace movement and leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the work celebrates unity through song.
Music lead the way, the stormy night has passed
Let us greet the day, and celebrate the things that last forever
Peace and love, will conquer hate and strife
And we will sing together side by side
Now the night is o'er, the sun is in the sky
Now the sound of singing is heard in our land
Flowers appear and the rain is gone
And it's time to let the music lead the way
Music lead the way, the stormy night has passed
Let us greet the day, and celebrate the things that last forever
Peace and love, will conquer hate and strife
And we will sing together side by side
Sing out a song from the highest mountain
Music lead the way!
Let it resound from the deepest valley
Music lead the way!
Let it be sung in each tongue and each land
Let it be sung 'til we all understand
That we must walk hand in hand and let the music lead the way!
Music lead the way, the stormy night has passed
Let us greet the day, and celebrate the things that last forever
Peace and love, will conquer hate and strife
And we will sing together side by side
Side by side side by side oh let us walk
And let us sing in harmony!
The storm is gone!
And celebrate the joy of peace and love!
Conquer hate and strife
And we will walk and sing side by side!
Side by side Oh, let us walk and let us sing in harmony!
Rodgers and Hammerstein on Broadway arr. Mac Huff
This Rodgers and Hammerstein on Broadway medley celebrates the timeless music of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, featuring beloved songs from their most iconic musicals, including The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, and South Pacific
The hills are alive with the sound of music, With songs they have sung for a thousand years. The hills fill my heart with the sound of music.
My heart wants to sing ev’ry song it hears.
Oh, what a beautiful morning.
Edelweiss, Edelweiss.
In 1943, a new musical was presented on Broadway that changed musical theater forever. It was “Oklahoma!", the first of nine musicals written by the brilliant team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. From “The King and I” to “Carousel”, from “The Sound of Music” to “South Pacific”, their shows are known and loved throughout the world. From these shows have come a variety of song classics, songs of every style and emotion, songs that will last forever.
My heart will be blessed with the sound of music and I’ll sing once more.
Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry
When I take you out in the surrey, When I take you out in the surrey with the fringe on top!
Watch that fringe and see how it flutters
When I drive them high steppin’ strutters.
Nosey folks’ll peek through their shutters and their eyes will pop! The wheels are yeller, the upholstery’s brown, The dashboard’s genuine leather, With is-in-glass curtains y’can roll right down, In case there’s a change in the weather. Two bright sidelights winkin’ and blinkin’, Ain’t no finer rig I’m a-thinkin’.
You can keep your rig if you’re thinkin’ that I’d care to swap For that shiny little surrey with the fringe on the top.
I’m gonna wash that man right out of my hair, And send him on his way. Don’t try to patch it up, Tear it up, tear it up! Wash him out, dry him out, Push him out, fly him out, Cancel him and let him go!
Yea, sister,
I’m gonna wash that man right out of my hair, And send him on his way.
It’s June.
June is bustin’ out all over!
All over the meadow and the hill!
And the rompin’ river pushes
Ev’ry little wheel that wheels beside a mill! June is bustin’ out all over!
The feelin’ is gettin’ so intense, That the young Virginia creepers Have been huggin’ the bejeebers Out of all the mornin’ glories on the fence!
Because it’s June!
June, June, June, Just because it’s June!
Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain And the wavin’ wheat can sure smell sweet When the wind comes right behind the rain. Oklahoma, ev’ry night my honey lamb and I Sit alone and talk and watch a hawk makin’ lazy circles in the sky. We know we belong to the land And the land we belong to is grand! And when we say Yeeow!
A-yip-pi-o-ee-ay!
We’re only sayin’ You’re doin’ fine, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, O.K.!
Whenever I feel afraid, I hold my head erect, And whistle a happy tune, So no one will suspect I’m afraid.
The result of this deception is very strange to tell, For when I fool the people I fear, I fool myself as well!
Let’s start at the very beginning: A very good place to start. When you read, you begin with A, B, C; When you sing you begin with do re mi. Do re mi.
Doe, a deer, a female deer, Ray, a drop of golden sun. Me, a name I call myself, Far, a long, long way to run. Sew, a needle pulling thread, La, a note to follow sew, Tea, a drink with jam and bread
That will bring us back to do- oh- oh- oh! Do re mi fa so la ti do do ti la so fa mi re do Do so do!
I’m as restless as a willow in a windstorm, I’m as jumpy as a puppet on a string.
I’d say that I had spring fever, But I know it isn’t spring. I am starry eyed and vaguely discontented, Like a nightingale without a song to sing. Oh, why should I have spring fever When it isn’t even spring?
I keep wishing I were somewhere else, Walking down a strange new street, Hearing words that I have never heard From a man I’ve yet to meet.
I’m as busy as a spider spinning daydreams, I’m as giddy as a baby on a swing.
I haven’t seen a crocus or a rosebud, Or a robin on the wing. But I feel so gay in a melancholy way That it might as well be spring.
We got sunlight on the sand, We got moonlight on the sea, We got mangoes and bananas You can pick right off the tree. We got volleyball and ping pong And a lot of dandy games! What ain’t we got?
We ain’t got dames!
There’s nothin’ like a dame, Nothin’ in the world.
There is nothin’ you can name That is anything like a dame! There are no books like a dame,
And nothin’ looks like a dame. There are no drinks like a dame, And nothin’ thinks like a dame. And nothin’ acts like a dame, Or attracts like a dame.
There ain’t a thing that’s wrong with any man here That can’t be cured by putin’ him near A girly, womanly, female, feminine dame.
Shall we dance?
On a bright could of music shall we fly?
Shall we dance?
Shall we then say goodnight and mean goodbye? Or perchance when the last little star has left the sky, Shall we still be together with our arms around each other. And shall you be my new romance?
On the clear understanding that this kind of thing can happen, Shall we dance?
I go to the hills where my heart is lonely. I know I will hear what I’ve heard before. My heart will be blessed with the sound of music. And I’ll sing once more.
When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high And don’t be afraid of the dark.
At the end of the storm is a golden sky, And the sweet wilver song of a lark. Walk on through the wind, Walk on through the rain, Though your dreams be tossed and blown. Walk on with hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk along. You’ll never walk alone. Walk on, walk on!
I Believe
Mark Miller
I Believe sets words that were scratched on the walls of a cellar in Cologne, Germany by a Jewish individual hiding from Nazi persecution during the Holocaust. The repetition in the musical structure advances its purpose and impact as a collective mantra, strengthening with each iteration and exploring a range of expression.
I believe in the sun even when it’s not shining. I believe in love even when I don’t feel it. I believe in God even when God is silent.
When I Sing
Tom Shelton
When I Sing was commissioned for the Fort Wayne Children’s Choir in celebration of their 50th Anniversary. It was originally unison with piano and descant. I was approached by the Alexandria Choral Society and Alexandria Children’s Choir about
revoicing this song for their Winter Concert - this arrangement is for SATB Choir and Children’s Choir.
A tiny seed is born in me, Leading to my destiny. The roots of music in my soul On this journey through life. When I sing a song, I am not alone; Friends will come and sing along. As our voices sound as one, I know that I belong.
When I sing, through good times or bad, When I’m happy or sad. I will sing when life rains on me, A rainbow I will see!
When I sing!
I hear music in the birds that sing, Wind that rustles through the trees. Whispering their melodies, A symphony of sound. Music makes me feel brave and strong, Joyful as I sing along. Thankful for the gift of song, This love I have found.
Never give up, You can do anything; Your confidence shines through. Look all around, See music ev’rywhere, I’ll share with you my song Please sing along. When I’m feeling down; All alone.
A little scared; Far from home.
I remember singing with my friends. My spirit starts to soar!
When I sing!
When I sing, through good times or bad, When I’m happy or sad. I will sing when life rains on me, A rainbow I will see!
When I sing!
About the Artists
RIDER UNIVERSITY CHORALE
The Rider University Chorale provides the fundamentals of artistic choral singing. The ensemble performs diverse repertoire from across many eras, styles, and places. Concerts feature choral masterworks, compositions by contemporary composers, as well as spirituals, folk song settings from around the world, and music of the stage and screen. Current students, faculty and staff, alumni, and members of the surrounding community are invited to participate. The ensemble is one of six curricular ensembles at Westminster Choir College.
Tom T. Shelton, Jr., conductor
Daniel J. Piver and Sarah Vawdrey, graduate assistant conductors
Liz Latorre, collaborative pianist
SOPRANO
Lucy Grath
Jenn Gregg
Wendy Heath
Anna Maher
Naidelin Rodriquez Martin
Noley Schenck
Sarah Vawdrey
Laura Wiley
ALTO
Kiersten Burd
Amanda Hamadziripi
Markhai Johnson
Ruowen Liu
Jean Milman
Alison Neu
PRINCETON GIRLCHOIR SEMI-TONES
Aanshi Bose
Robin Ferencz
Ritika Ganguli
Aorabdha Hari
Liana Hayeri
Helena LeCompte
Rachael Mann
Iris Moffitt
Emily Nichols
Jane North
Lois Oppong
Sara Quddus
Nidhi Nimmala
Grace Penn
Gabi Smalley
Debbie Stasolla
Geraldine Vargas
Victoria Vargas
TENOR
Jonah DeVinney
Ellen Kirk
Andrew Lakkas
Daniel Piver
BASS
Francesco DePinto
Christopher Whyte
Josh Moffett
Aditi Rapaka
Savannah Ruiz-Hinson
Farrah Schack
Seveem Tatanaki
Alicia Xu
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
Associate Director of Performance Management Leandra Acosta
About Rider University & Westminster Choir College
Located in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Rider University is a private co-educational, student-centered university that emphasizes purposeful connections between academic study and real-world learning experience. Rider prepares graduates to thrive professionally, to be lifelong independent learners, and to be responsible citizens who embrace diversity, support the common good, and contribute meaningfully to the changing world in which they live and work.
The College of Arts and Sciences is dedicated to educating students for engaged citizenship, career success, and personal growth in a diverse and complex world. The college cultivates intellectual reflection, artistic creativity, and academic maturity by promoting both broad academic inquiry and in-depth disciplinary study, while nurturing effective and ethical applications of transferable critical skills. The College consists of four schools: the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, the School of Communication, Media, and Performing Arts, the School of Science, Technology, and Mathematics, and Westminster Choir College.
Culturally vibrant and historically rich, Westminster Choir College has a legacy of preparing students for thriving careers as well-rounded performers and musical leaders on concert stages, in schools, universities, and churches, and in professional and community organizations worldwide. Renowned for its tradition of choral excellence, the college is home to internationally recognized ensembles, including the Westminster Symphonic Choir, which has performed and recorded with virtually all of the major orchestras and conductors of our time. In addition to its choral legacy, Westminster is known as a center for excellence in musical pedagogy and performance.
Upcoming Performances
WESTMINSTER ORGAN STUDIO RECITAL
Monday, April 20, 7 p.m.
Gill Chapel
GRADUATE CONDUCTING RECITAL SERIES
Westminster Symphonic Choir Graduate Conductors: Juliana Lynch and James Moyer
Tuesday, April 21, 7 p.m.
Gill Chapel
Westminster Choir Graduate Conductors: Claire Fritz and Lucas Heredia
Friday, May 1, 7:30 p.m.
Gill Chapel
WESTMINSTER CHAPEL CHOIR: SEEK YE FIRST
Friday, April 24, 7:30 p.m.
Gill Chapel
WESTMINSTER CONCERT BELL CHOIRS: LEGACY
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF WESTMINSTER CHOIR COLLEGE
Saturday, April 25, 4 p.m.
Gill Chapel
WESTMINSTER FACULTY RECITAL SERIES: SONNET
Sunday, April 26, 2 p.m.
Gill Chapel
WESTMINSTER JUBILEE SINGERS: A JUBILEE 30TH ANNIVERSARY HOMECOMING
Sunday, April 26, 7:30 p.m.
Gill Chapel
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON UPCOMING PERFORMANCES, SUBSCRIPTION AND PATRON PROGRAM OPTIONS, VISIT RIDER.EDU/ARTS.
