{ 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.