Overture Magazine - 2014-2015 November-December 2014 | Page 22

{ program notes sing-along, and Celebrate Youth!, an annual high-school choir festival, now in its 10th year. In addition the Chorus presents programs for seniors in residences and community centers that actively engage participants in singing. Cathedral Choral Society is making its BSO debut. About the concert: Chichester Psalms Leonard Bernstein Born in Brookline, Massachusetts, August 25, 1918; died in New York City, October 14, 1990 20 O v ertur e | www. bsomusic .org Leonard Bernstein Chichester Psalms Leonard Bernstein Urah, hanevel, v'chinor! I : Awake, psaltery and harp: A-irah shachar! I will rouse the dawn! — Psalm 108, verse 2 Hariu l'Adonai kol haarets. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands. Iv'du et Adonai b'simcha. Serve the Lord with gladness. Bo-u l'fanav bir'nanah. Come before His presence with singing. D'u ki Adonai Hu Elohim. Know ye that the Lord, He is God. Hu asanu, v'lo anachnu. It is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves. Amo v'tson mar'ito. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Bo-u sh'arav b'todah, Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, Chatseirotav bit'hilah, And into His courts with praise. Hodu lo, bar'chu sh'mo. Be thankful unto Him, and bless His name. Ki tov Adonai, l'olam chas'do, For the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, V'ad dor vador emunato. And His truth endureth to all generations — Psalm 100 Adonai ro-i, lo echsar. II: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Bin'ot deshe yarbitseini, He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, Al mei m'nuhot y'nachaleini, He leadeth me beside the still waters, Naf'shi y'shovev, He restoreth my soul, Yancheini b'ma'aglei tsedek, He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness, L'ma'an sh'mo. For His name's sake. Gam ki eilech Yea, though I walk B'gei tsalmavet, Through the valley of the shadow of death, Lo ira ra, I will fear no evil, Ki Atah imadi. For Thou art with me. Shiv't'cha umishan'techa Thy rod and Thy staff Hemah y'nachamuni. They comfort me. — Psalm 23, verses 1–4 Pro pert y o f Th e Leo nar d B er nstei n Offi ce Although his multiple musical gifts drove Leonard Bernstein to jump continually between conducting, teaching, writing books, being a television personality, fashioning hits for the Broadway stage, and creating music for the concert hall, he often claimed that first and foremost he wanted to be a serious composer. During the 1964 – 65 season, he took a sabbatical from his post as music director of the New York Philharmonic to devote his energies to composition. From that sabbatical came his very appealing choral-orchestral Chichester Psalms, commissioned by Chichester Cathedral in southern England for its annual music festival. Drawing on his Jewish heritage, the composer chose three Psalms — the well-known Psalms 100 (“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord”) and 23 (“The Lord is my shepherd”), as well as the less familiar Psalm 131 (“Lord, Lord, my heart is not haughty”) — to use in their entirety. Portions of Psalms 108, 2, and 133 are also included. And though writing for a British choir, he set these psalms in the original Hebrew. Today, the Chichester Psalms is usually performed by a large mixed chorus with a boy alto soloist, but Bernstein originally conceived the work for the traditional English choir of boys and men. The orchestra is a bit unusual: strings, brass, and a large colorful percussion section, but no woodwinds.