Concert selections from our 2017 program
On moonlit night I wander free,
my mind to roam on thoughts of thee.
with midnight darkness beckoning ,
my heart. my heart t'ward mystic fantasy.
come and dream. come and dream in me!
How beautiful, this night in June!
and here upon the velvet dune.
I weep with joy beneath the moon.
The path lies dark before my sight,
and yet my feet trod onward through the blackened vale, beneath the starry sky so bright.
O share thy light.
These woods their weary wanderer soon in awe and fearful wonder swoon.
I weep with joy beneath the moon.
And as the darkened hours flee,
my heart beats so rapidly
though heavy hang my eyes with sleep,
my soul, my singing soul it cries to thee.
Come sing with me.
The twinkling sky casts forth its tune.
O must I leave thy charms so soon.
I weep with joy beneath the moon.
Many of Paul Aitken's compositions have become standards for contemporary choirs. Paul and MacKenzie Aitken have been members of Chor Anno for several years...just recently moving from Idaho to Parrsboro, Nova Scotia. Chor Anno was one of the first choirs to sing "Let Us Have Peace." Paul took lyrics from Nancy Turner's poetry. (Partial text here.)
The earth is weary of our foolish wars.
Her hills and shores were shaped for lovely things.
Yet all our years are spent in bickering
Beneath the astonished stars.
We strive for each other's good as for our own.
And then, like cavemen snarling with a bone,
We turn and rend and kill!
Lord, grant us peace (Dona nobis pacem)
Fionnghuala is sheer fun. It's in a form sometimes called "mouth music," or "lilting." We have hardly a clue what our soloist, Reg Unterseher is telling us, but we invite anyone who speaks a form of Celtic to offer some help. We think he mentions something about "knocking the spots off the birds, the hakes, and about the "little pollocks of the sea." We just know it was fun putting this one together...and our thanks to Reg for the great solo work!
This is a medley of three gospel songs, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" (sung by the women of the choir with soloist, Rhonda Catchpole, then moving to "I'll Be on My Way" (used also in 2015 and as an encore in 2018) and a rousing gospel setting of "I Sing Because I'm Happy," a setting using "His Eye Is On the Sparrow" by Rollo Dilworth.
We Can Mend the Sky - Jake Runestad, features April Duvic, soprano, Alison Askeland, soprano, Stacy Brown, alto, and Justin Wisness, tenor. It opens with thunderous drums (don't be alarmed!). Jake writes that he used the powerful words of 14 year-old Warda Mohamed as well as two Somali proverbs in this musical depiction of one's journey as an immigrant, affirming hope as we embrace the diversity around us.
In my dream I saw a world free of violence
Hunger
Suffering
A world filled with love
Now awake in this world
I beg, let my dream come true
Naftu orod bay kugu aamintaa
(The soul trusts you)
If we come together, we can mend the crack in the sky.