Saturday, December 9 at 7:30 PM
All Saints’ Episcopal Church, 6300 North Central Avenue, Phoenix

Sunday, December 10 at 3:00 PM
Ascension Lutheran Church, 7100 North Mockingbird Lane, Paradise Valley

Click Here to learn more about composer Gerald Finzi and “In Terra Pax”
Click Here to read the text of Robert Bridges’ poem “Noël: Christmas Eve 1913”

Program Notes: From Hanukkah to New Year’s in song…
Scott Youngs, AMC Music Director

Since our first concert falls on day three of Hanukkah, we open with “Light the Legend” which describes this celebration of light. From there, we dive into Christmas with the favorites: “The First Noel” and “Gesu Bambino”, followed by one of the best-known choral works of the 20^th Century: Morton Lauridsen’s “O Magnum Mysterium”. Gift-wrapped with some audience carols comes the centerpiece of our concert, the lush choral work by Gerald Finzi, “In Terra Pax” with its gorgeous bass and soprano solos and warm choral writing. We continue, without any intermission, with two rounds of audience carol sing-alongs and reading or a Christmas favorite poem, then two pieces by local composer, singer, and conductor, Darren Herring. His wonderful settings of “There is No Rose” and “Coventry Carol” will leave you spellbound. The concert wraps up with a holiday gumdrop from Phoenix composer Michael McCabe and the rollicking “A Feast of Carols” by Randol Bass.

Happy holidays to all!

A frosty Christmas Eve

when the stars were shining

Fared I forth alone,

where westward falls the hill

And from many a village
in the water’d valley
Distant music reach’d me
peals of bells a-ringing

"In Terra Pax" is a masterpiece in miniature

“Finzi’s pacifism is at its heart, and his belief that men and women of goodwill should live harmoniously. The two soloists and the chorus have clearly defined musical roles; the baritone soloist takes the voice of the poet, the soprano is cast as the angel, whilst the chorus narrates the familiar Biblical text. In the opening section the poet is standing on a hill contemplating the events of the very first Christmas, the sound of the distant church bells becoming for him the sound of an angel choir.

“Weaving through the music are three ideas: the pealing of the bells with their joyous message; a phrase from the carol The First Nowell; and the alleluia refrain from the hymn All Creatures of Our God and King.”

— John Bawden, MMusic, University of Surrey, UK

Concert Program

Kathryn Yoder, Flute

Soloists Adrienne Goglia, soprano, and Patrick West, bass. Text based on Robert Bridges' poem "Noël, Christmas Eve, 1913" and Luke 2:8-17.

Read by Robert Altizer

Program subject to change without notice