Triptychs - Dec. 8, 9 & 16, 2012
December 8, 2012, Saturday, 7:30 PM 
Madonna della Strada Chapel (venue info)
Loyola University
1032 West Sheridan Road, Chicago
December 9, 2012, Sunday at 3:00 PM
Emmanuel Episcopal Church (venue info)
203 South Kensington Ave, La Grange
December 16, 2012, Sunday at 3:00 PM
Saint Clement Church
642 Deming Place, Chicago
Program Notes
The William Ferris Chorale's annual December subscription concerts are a highly anticipated event, and this year's musical offerings will continue to beguile and delight with seasonal fare, both ancient and new. We have entitled our December concerts, "Triptychs" for we shall be performing sets of three compositions from each featured composer. The centerpiece of the concert series will be the world premiere performances of Chicago composer, Lita Grier's new work, Winter Songs", written specifically for the Chorale. Lita is known for her exquisitely lyrical melodies, and her new pieces will surely soar with the crispness of a winter's evening. In addition, the Chorale will present Renaissance motets from the Slovenian master composer, Jacob Handl. These sacred works are scored for double choir, and the choirs of singers will be separated across the concert space, providing a sort of stereo effect.
The music of two British composers, Herbert Howells and Grayston (Bill) Ives will be featured. We present Howells' first significant works for choir, the Three Carol-Anthems (Here is the Little Door, A Spotless Rose and Sing Lullaby), which are at once touching, unabashedly romantic, and evocative of England at the turn of the 19th century. Bill Ives will be our guest of honor for our February subscription concerts, and we share three of his carols and carol arrangements. Ives' music is attractive and appealing at the first hearing, and he is far too little know in the United States. We are so delighted to share Bill's joyous Christmas compositions, so as to give our audiences a taste of the delights to come in the spring.
Leo Nestor is a longtime fixture on the choral music scene in the Washington DC area, having worked at both the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and currently as Director of Choral Activities at the Catholic University of America. The Chorale will sing two of his gorgeous arrangements of familiar melodies, I Wonder As I Wander, and A Child is Born (Puer Natus). In addition, we begin the concert with his powerhouse Epiphany motet, Arise, Shine, Jerusalem , which will feature the Chorale's longtime collaborator and accompanist, Thomas Weisflog at the organ.
Our final triptych comes not from a single composer, but from the Russian/Ukrainian choral tradition, as we present three works of Byzantine richness. We look forward to having you start your season's celebration with the William Ferris Chorale's Winter Triptychs.
Program
Lita Grier
Winter Songs - World Premiere
Leo Nestor (b. 1948)
Arise, Shine, Jerusalem
I Wonder As I Wander
A Child is Born
Jacob Handl / Jacobus Gallus (1550-1591) (Motets for double chorus)
O Magnum Mysterium
Ave Maria (2)
Hodie nobis coelorum rex (Gallus) - double choir (2.5)
Grayston Ives (b. 1948)
Sweet was the Song
Susani
Rise Up, Shepherd!
Herbert Howells (1892-1983)
A Spotless Rose
Sing Lullaby
Here is the Little Door
Byzantine/Ukranian/Russian
Otche Nash (Our Father) Nikolay Nikolayevich Kedrov (1871-1940)
Oh What a Wonder! Vasyl Oleksandrovych Barvinsky (1888-1963)
Verses before the Six Psalms - Alexander Dmitriyevich Kastalsky (1856-1926)
Ticket Prices
- Subscription (all three concerts) -- Maestro's Circle reserved seating: $75
- Preferred Seating (individual concerts): $25
- General Seating (individual concerts): $20
- Students and Seniors: $5 discount available on Preferred and General seating
- Groups of 10 or more are eligible for discounts. Call 773-508-2940.
Season Subscriber Perks
Order tickets for all three concerts and you will receive:
The William Ferris Chorale has been named 
American Choral Premieres