Chippewa Valley Christmas Chorale


Dr. Rita Simon, director

The Chippewa Valley
Christmas Chorale

presents

"Gloria: Christmas with John Rutter"

Sunday, January 2, 2000
7:00 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church
130 W. Central (next to Gordy's IGA)
Chippewa Falls, WI
(see the interactive web map)

No admission, but a free-will offering will be collected


Roger Bethard, accompanist
The Chippewa Valley Christmas Chorale is a special group of musicians who get together only once every two or three years for a concert of classical Christmas music. There are a few singers from each of several area churches, and several instrumentalists -- flute, cello, violin, harp, brass, and grand piano. It's all coordinated by Dr. Rita Simon.

This year the ensemble will be performing musical selections arranged by John Rutter:

Song Title Composer Arranger
Candlelight Carol John Rutter John Rutter
Carol of the Children John Rutter John Rutter
Gloria John Rutter John Rutter
I Wonder as I Wander John Jacob Niles John Rutter
Love Came Down at Christmas Christina Rossetti John Rutter
Shepherd's Pipe Carol John Rutter John Rutter
The Wildwood Carol John Rutter John Rutter

These are beautiful melodies that will remind you of the true meaning of Christmas. See below for lyrics to a few of the songs, and for a biography of the composer/arranger.

(NOTE: If you would like to receive email notification of events like this, you should sign up for the CVCA-news email alias!)

Who is the Chippewa Valley Christmas Chorale?

Director Rita Simon Narrator Sandy Shaurette
Sopranos Judy Brist Altos Wynne Cook
Farrell Hobbs Kristi Gering
Brenda Nelson Evelyn Lockbaum
Terri Tompkins Mary Sazama
Carolyn Weibel Nancy Wilcox
Tenors Traci Anderson Basses Erik Anderson
Robert Johnson Tom Arneberg
Chris Longbella Jeff Brown
Jerry Way Paul Cook
Piano Roger Bethard Harp Pamela Roth
Trumpets Dan Julson Trombone Jim Bieging
Brandon Schoonemaker Timpany Ryan Wilson
Violin Paul Ippel Viola James Dalsveen
Cello Nancy Wilcox Flute Kate Bieging

Some selected photos:

(Click to enlarge)


Paul Ippel, violin

Nancy Wilcox, cello

Kate Bieging, flute

Dan Julson, trumpet

Ryan Wilson, timpany

James Dalsveen, viola

Jerry Way, tenor solo

Jim Bieging, trombone

Click here to see more photos from the 12/29/99 rehearsal!

Candlelight Carol

John Rutter

How do you capture the wind on the water?
How do you count all the stars in the sky?
How can you measure the love of a mother,
Or how can you write down a baby's first cry?

Refrain:
Candlelight, angel light, firelight and star-glow
Shine on his cradle till breaking of dawn.
Gloria, gloria in excelsis Deo!

Angels are singing; the Christ child is born.
Shepherds and wise men will kneel and adore him,
Seraphim round him their vigil will keep;
Nations proclaim him their Lord and their Saviour,
But Mary will hold him and sing him to sleep.

Refrain

Find him at Bethlehem laid in a manger:
Christ our Redeemer asleep in the hay.
Godhead incarnate and hope of salvation:
A child with his mother that first Christmas Day.

Refrain

I Wonder as I Wander

(Appalachia)

I wonder as I wander out under the sky,
How Jesus the Savior did come for to die.
For poor on'ry people like you and like I...
I wonder as I wander out under the sky.

When Mary birthed Jesus 'twas in a cow's stall,
With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all.
But high from God's heaven a star's light did fall,
And the promise of ages it then did recall.

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing,
A star in the sky, or a bird on the wing,
Or all of God's angels in heav'n for to sing,
He surely could have it, 'cause he was the King.

LOVE CAME DOWN AT CHRISTMAS

Christina Georgina Rossetti

Love came down at Christmas,
Love all lovely, love divine;
Love was born at Christmas,
Star and angels gave the sign.

Worship we the Godhead,
Love incarnate, love divine;
Worship we our Jesus:
But wherewith for sacred sign?

Love shall be our token,
Love shall be yours and love be mine,
Love to God and to all men,
Love for plea and gift and sign.

Gloria

(The lyrics to this one are all in Latin, so I won't include them here...but you can hear a sound file of parts of this song!)

JOHN RUTTER was born in London in 1945. He studied music at Clare College, Cambridge, where he wrote his first published compositions and conducted his first recording while still a student.

His compositional career has embraced both large and small scale chorals works, orchestral and instrumental pieces, a piano concerto, two children's operas, and music for television.

In 1979, he formed the Cambridge Singers as a professional chamber choir primarily dedicated to recording, and he now divides his time between composition and conducting.

In 1980 he was made an honorary Fellow of Westminster Choir College, Princeton, and in 1988 a Fellow of the Guild or Church Musicians. In 1996, the Archbishop of Canterbury conferred a Lambeth Doctorate of Music upon him in recognition of his contribution to church music.

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