symphonic chorus concert

I.
Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine…
Tormented by visions of flight and falling,
More wondrous and terrible each than the last,
Master Leonardo imagines an engine
To carry a man up into the sun…
And as he’s dreaming the heavens call him,
softly whispering their siren-song:
“Leonardo. Leonardo, vieni á volare”.
L’uomo colle sua congiegniate e grandi ale,
facciendo forza contro alla resistente aria.

II.
Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine…
As the candles burn low he paces and writes,
Releasing purchased pigeons one by one
Into the golden Tuscan sunrise…
And as he dreams, again the calling,
The very air itself gives voice:
“Leonardo. Leonardo, vieni á volare”.
Vicina all’elemento del fuoco…
Scratching quill on crumpled paper,
Rete, canna, filo, carta.

Images of wing and frame and fabric fastened tightly.
…sulla suprema sottile aria.

III.
Master Leonardo Da Vinci Dreams of his Flying Machine…
As the midnight watchtower tolls,
Over rooftop, street and dome,
The triumph of a human being ascending
In the dreaming of a mortal man.

Leonardo steels himself,
takes one last breath,
and leaps…

“Leonardo, Vieni á Volare! Leonardo, Sognare!”
“Leonardo. Leonardo, come fly”.
A man with wings large enough and duly connected
might learn to overcome the resistance of the air.
“Leonardo. Leonardo, come fly”.
Close to the sphere of elemental fire…
Net, cane, thread, paper.
…in the highest and rarest atmosphere
Leonardo, come fly! Leonardo, Dream!”

Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine imagines what it would sound like if Leonardo da Vinci were dreaming, capturing his obsession with flight and the drama of solving the riddle of the air. The piece tells the story of Leonardo’s torment and creative genius through a balance of musical elegance and emotional depth.

We approached the piece as a miniature opera, with text and music refined together. Charles Anthony Silvestri supplied the texts, and the collaboration shaped the work into a fusion of ancient style and modern expression. It is the second in Whitacre’s cycle of elemental works (the first being Cloudburst) and is dedicated with love and respect to his publisher, Ms. Gunilla Luboff.

– Eric Whitacre, composer

Beatus vir, qui timet Dominum:
In mandatis eius rolet nimis.
Potens in terra erit semen eius;
Generatio rectorum benedicetur.
Gloria et divitiae in domo eius;
Et justitia eius manet in saeculum saeculi.
Exortum est in tenebris lumen rectis.
Misericors, et miserator et justus.
Jucundus homo qui miseretur et commodat.
Disponet sermones suos in judicio:
Quia in aeternum non commovebitur.
In memoria aeterna erit justus.
Ab auditione mala non timebit.
Paratum cor eius sperare in Domino;
Confirmatum est, cor eius:
Non commovebitur,
Donec despiciat inimicos suos.
Dispersit, dedit pauperibus:
Justitia eius manet in saeculum saeculi,
Cornu eius exaltabitur in gloria.
Peccator videbit, et irascetur;
Dentibus suis fremet et tabescet.
Desiderium peccatorum peribit.

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord:
He delights greatly in his commandments.
His seed will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house;
And his righteousness endures for ever and ever.
Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness:
He is gracious, full of compassion, and righteous.
Good is the man who has compassion and lends.
He will guide his affairs with discretion:
Because he will not be moved for ever.
The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
He will not be afraid of evil tidings.
His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord;
His heart is established:
He will not be moved,
Until he gazes at his enemies.
He has dispersed, he has given to the poor:
His righteousness endures for ever and ever,
His soul will be exalted with honour.
The sinner will see it, and will be grieved;
He will gnash with his teeth,
And melt away.

Claudio Monteverdi’s Beatus vir comes from his late collection Selva morale e spirituale (1641), a compilation of sacred works published near the end of his life. Setting the joyful text of Psalm 112, “Beatus vir qui timet Dominum” (“Blessed is the man who fears the Lord”), Monteverdi blends expressive vocal writing with rhythmic vitality and lyrical grace. The piece reflects his mastery of the stile concertato, where contrasting textures and lively dialogue between voices create both intimacy and grandeur. Recurrent refrains of “Beatus vir” give the work a radiant, dance-like energy, while moments of word painting—such as rapid notes for “irascetur” (“is angered”), long sustained tones for “aeternum” (“eternity”), and descending figures for “peribit” (“perishes”)—bring the text vividly to life. The result is music that celebrates faith with exuberant spirit and unmistakable human warmth.

– Jinho Cho, DMA Choral Conducting student

Io piango, chè’l dolore
Pianger’ mi fa, perch’io
Non trov’altro rimedio a l’ardor mio.
Così m’ha concio’ Amore
Ch’ognor’viv’in tormento
Ma quanto piango più, men doglia sento.
Sorte fiera e inaudita
Che’l tacer mi dà morte e’l pianger vita!

I weep, for sorrow
makes me weep, and I
find no other cure for my ardour.
Thus does Love have me ensnared
ever to live in torment.
Yet, the more I weep, the less pain I feel.
Strange and cruel fate,
that silence brings me death and tears life!

“The choral masterpieces of the High Renaissance, especially the sacred works of Josquin and Palestrina, and the secular madrigals of Monteverdi and Gesualdo, provided the inspiration for my own Madrigali… The cycle has its dramatic high point in movement four, Io Piango, where the music gradually builds from pianissimo to a fortissimo, seven-part explosion of the ‘Fire-Chord’ before settling to a quiet return of the opening measures.”

– Morten Lauridsen, composer

Come to me in the silence of the night;
Come in the speaking silence of a dream;
Come with soft rounded cheeks and eyes as bright
As sunlight on a stream;
Come back in tears
O memory, hope, love of finished years

Oh dream how sweet, too sweet, too bitter sweet
Whose wakening should have been in Paradise
Where souls brimfull of love abide and meet;
Where thirsting longing eyes
Watch the slow door
That opening, letting in, lets out no more

Yet come to me in dreams, that I may live
My very life again though cold in death:
Come back to me in dreams, that I may give
Pulse for pulse, breath for breath:
Speak low, lean low
As long ago, my love, how long ago!

“In this longing and romantic piece for chorus and piano, Dello Joio, former professor and Dean at BU’s College of Fine Arts, sets music to text based on the poem Echo by Christina Rossetti (1830–1894)… This song is a testament to the power of memory, and a strong reminder that love is never truly lost.”

– Anna Beeken, MSM Choral Conducting student

Draw on, Sweet Night, friend unto those cares
That do arise from painful melancholy
My life so ill through want of comfort fares
That unto thee I consecrate it wholly
Sweet Night, draw on!

My griefs when they be told to shades
And darkness find some ease from paining
And while thou all in silence dost enfold
I then shall have best time for my complaining

“John Wilbye is a famous English madrigalist of the late 16th to early 17th century… Wilbye’s most famous madrigals include Weep, o mine eyes and Draw on, sweet night.”

– Kevin Lackie, DMA Choral Conducting student

Lasciatemi morire,
Lasciatemi morire;
E che volete voi che mi conforte
In così dura sorte,
In così gran martire?
Lasciatemi morire.

Let me die,
Let me die;
And what could you wish to give me comfort
In such a cruel fate,
In such great torment?
Let me die.

“Lasciatemi morire (‘Let me die’) is the surviving fragment from Monteverdi’s lost 1608 opera L’Arianna… This performance was carefully prepared under the direction of Travis Benoit, MM student in Choral Conducting at Boston University.”

– Jinho Cho, DMA Choral Conducting student

Dies Irae! Dies Illa!
Solvet Saeclum in favilla:
Teste David cum Sibylla!
Quantus tremor est futurus,
Quando judex est venturus,
Cuncta stricte discussurus!

Day of wrath! O Day of mourning!
See fulfilled the prophets’ warning,
Heaven and Earth in ashes burning.
Oh, what fear man’s bosom rendeth,
When from heaven the Judge descendeth,
On whose sentence all dependeth.

“The Dies Irae is a Medieval Latin poem characterized by its accentual stress and rhymed lines… The text is taken from the Requiem Mass in the Roman Missal.”

– Ryan Main, composer

dominie has

a doll wired
to the radiator of his
ZOOM DOOM

icecoalwood truck a

wistful little
clown
whom somebody buried

upsidedown in an ashbarrel so

of course dominie
took him
home

& mrs dominie washed his sweet

dirty
face & mended
his bright torn trousers (quite
as if he were really her &
she but) & so that

‘s how dominie has a doll

& every now & then my
wonderful
friend dominie depaola

gives me a most tremendous hug
knowing ifeel that
we & worlds
are less alive than dolls & dream

“Vincent Persichetti’s Four Cummings Choruses Op. 98, from which this piece is the first in the set, is a setting of E.E. Cummings poetry. Throughout the cycle, Persichetti explores themes about love, joy, whimsy and youthfulness, nature, and grief. Dominic Has a Doll offers a light character that emphasizes the odd nature found within the text. Often, the piano parts and vocal parts juxtapose each other, further highlighting the variety of the Cummings poetry.”
– Kevin Lackie, DMA Choral Conducting student

nouns to nouns

wan
wan

too nons too

and
and

nuns two nuns

w an d
ering

in sin

g
ular untheknowndulous s

pring

Vincent Persichetti (1915–1987) was an influential American composer, pianist, and educator whose music bridges traditional tonality and modern innovation. “nouns to nouns,” from his Four Cummings Choruses, Op. 98 (1964), sets the playful poetry of E. E. Cummings with Persichetti’s characteristic clarity and rhythmic vitality. The piece captures Cummings’s whimsical use of language through flowing lines, bright textures, and shifting harmonies that evoke the image of “spring water and melting ice flowing smoothly over now-rounded stones.” This performance has been prepared with great care by the Boston University Tenor-Bass Chorus, whose expressive singing brings Persichetti’s wit and warmth to life.
– Jinho Cho, DMA Choral Conducting student

My roots are earth, muddy river and honeysuckle
Sturdy and rigid, like farmhouse planksI shared a sisterhood with the amber grasses
My dreams climbed endlessly
Like the kudzu in July
I shared a sisterhood with the amber grasses
My dreams climbed endlessly, no fear in sight

In nature, in naïve youth
All the forest was possible
All the pasture was my own

My mother told me I was beautiful
And I believed her then
Why shouldn’t I?

There is no doubt in a pond
Insecurity does not grow in a meadow
It will not sprout beneath the Southern pines
It is planted by the boys on the school bus
Tended by the words of small minds
And words may wound you
But are they true?

You are beautiful
You are enough
You must believe in that
Believe the truth

My roots are earth, muddy river and honeysuckle
My roots are beautiful
My roots are strong

“‘You are beautiful. You are enough.’ In this empowering and grounded piece with text by Gardenia Bruce, we explore the reality of a world that preys on the insecurities of young girls. Where can we find confidence? Throughout the piece, written for treble chorus and percussion, images of nature show the strength of girlhood, likening it to the stability of tree roots, the power of kudzu, and the sweetness of honeysuckle.”
– Anna Beeken, MSM Choral Conducting student

The lily has a smooth stalk
Will never hurt your hand;
But the rose upon her brier
Is lady of the landThere’s sweetness in an apple tree
And profit in the corn;
But lady of all beauty
Is a rose upon a thorn

When with moss and honey
She tips her bending brier
And half unfolds her glowing heart
She sets the world on fire

“Set to the text of The Rose, by Christina Rossetti (1830–1894), this piece is a passionate tribute to female trailblazers. The cascading piano accompaniment gives the unsettling sense of stormy water, and the treble voices provide a steady anchor. The text describes the beautiful and peaceful Lily, compared to the Rose, whose thorns are sharp and dangerous. This song is a reminder of the complexity, strength, and beauty of womanhood, and an apt reminder that ‘well-behaved women rarely make history.’ (Laurel Thatcher Ulrich)”
– Anna Beeken, MSM Choral Conducting student

I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree.
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honeybee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.

“This luscious and dramatic piece for treble voices is rooted in themes of nature and hope. Using the poem The Lake Isle of Innisfree by W.B. Yeats (1865–1939), Daley uses a strong folk-like melody and rich piano accompaniment to realize Yeats’ daydream. The poem describes a small cabin, a garden, honeybees, and most importantly a place to find some peace. The strong call to ‘arise and go’ reminds us to take time away from the hustle and bustle of life, and to do so with intention.”
– Anna Beeken, MSM Choral Conducting student

The eyes of all wait upon thee,
and thou givest them their meat in due season.
Thou openest thine hand,
and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

“According to the Milken Archive of Jewish Music, Jean Berger—born Arthur Schlossberg in Germany in 1909—earned a Ph.D. in musicology before moving to Paris and later the United States, where he became a citizen and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Choral music was central to his career, and The Eyes of All Wait Upon Thee (1959) remains one of his most beloved works. Setting verses from Psalm 145, Berger creates a richly harmonic, mixed-meter a cappella texture that is both lyrical and expressive. Beginning in E minor and closing in E Major, the piece conveys a sense of radiant faith and quiet assurance that God provides for our needs in His perfect time.”
– Jinho Cho, DMA Choral Conducting student

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
Et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.
Sancta Maria, mater Dei,
Ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae.Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee
Blessed art thou among women,
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus,
Holy Mary, mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death.

“Robert Nathaniel Dett was a Canadian-American composer, conductor, organist, and professor. He was one of the first Black composers to be a part of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Dett has performed at Carnegie Hall and Boston Symphony Hall. The Ave Maria is a famous text, translating to ‘Hail Mary,’ that has been set by many composers and often features a smooth musical character.”
– Kevin Lackie, DMA Choral Conducting student

He that ruleth over men must be just,
must be just,
must be just,
ruling in the fear of God,
ruling in the fear of God,
the fear of God.And he shall be as the light of the morning,
when the sun riseth,
even a morning without clouds;
as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain,
after rain,
after rain.
Alleluia.
Amen.

“Commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1949, this piece is full of drama and beauty, filled with luscious harmonies in the piano and the chorus. Adapted from the Biblical text of 2 Samuel 23:3-4, The Last Words of David recounts the reflections of the great, flawed, dying King. Beginning with an intense proclamation, and ending with a light and hopeful ‘Alleluia’ section, Thompson breathes life into a detailed musical landscape.”
– Anna Beeken, MSM Choral Conducting student

Praise the Lord, all ye nations,
Praise the Lord, all ye people,
For His merciful kindness is great toward us,
And the truth of the Lord endureth forever.

“Florence Price was an American composer, pianist and professor. She was educated at the New England Conservatory and is recognized as the first female African-American symphonic composer. Praise the Lord is a setting of Psalm 117 from the King James Bible. The piece is written in a simple structure, with a sentimental middle section bookended on both sides by declamatory moments of joy and praise.”
– Kevin Lackie, DMA Choral Conducting student

Kyrie
Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Gloria
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.
Laudamus te, benedicimus te,
Adoramus te, glorificamus te.
Gratias agimus tibi
propter magnam gloriam tuam.
Domine Deus, Rex coelestis,
Deus Pater omnipotens.
Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe.
Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris.
Qui tollis peccata mundi,
miserere nobis.
Qui tollis peccata mundi,
suscipe deprecationem nostram.
Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris,
miserere nobis.
Quoniam tu solus Sanctus, tu solus Dominus,
Tu solus Altissimus, Jesu Christe,
Cum Sancto Spiritu in gloria Dei Patris.
Amen.

“In the mid-1950’s Leonard Bernstein composed Latin and French choruses for the play, The Lark. This piece told the story of Joan of Arc, thus leading Bernstein to compose in a tone-world evocative of the medieval and renaissance eras. The famed conductor Robert Shaw attended one of the early performances and encouraged Bernstein to elaborate the composition into a Missa Brevis. Decades later, upon Shaw’s retirement from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Bernstein composed this Missa Brevis. Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra recorded an early version of the piece, which is considerably shorter than the completed work. Missa Brevis follows the standard application of the Latin Ordinary. However, Bernstein chose to omit the credo, for reasons undocumented. Bernstein adds an additional concluding section of ‘alleluia’ while the soloist sings ‘Laudate dominum.’”
– Kevin Lackie, DMA Choral Conducting student

Every time I feel the Spirit
moving in my heart I will pray.
Yes, every time I feel the Spirit
moving in my heart I will pray.
Upon the mountain, when my Lord spoke,
out of God’s mouth came fire and smoke.
Looked all around me, it looked so fine,
till I asked my Lord if all was mine.
Jordan River, chilly and cold,
it chills the body but not the soul.
There is but one train upon this track.
It runs to heaven and then right back.

“This traditional African American Spiritual was arranged by William L. Dawson, who dedicated his life to collecting and arranging Black American folk music which had been passed down through generations of enslavement in America, into emancipation, Jim Crow, and the Civil Rights Movement. This piece is featured in his collection of Spirituals, alongside other well known songs, including Swing Low, Sweet Chariot and There is a Balm in Gilead. This upbeat piece for chorus and soloist has a full and bright sound, championing joy and hope in the face of hardship.”
– Anna Beeken, MSM Choral Conducting student

Candide
You’ve been a fool
And so have I,
But come and be my wife.
And let us try,
Before we die,
To make some sense of life.
We’re neither pure, nor wise, nor good
We’ll do the best we know.
We’ll build our house and chop our wood
And make our garden grow.Cunegonde
I thought the world
Was sugar cake
For so our master said.
But, now I’ll teach
My hands to bake
Our loaf of daily bread.

Candide and Cunegonde
We’re neither pure, nor wise, nor good
We’ll do the best we know.
We’ll build our house and chop our wood
And make our garden grow.

Ensemble
Let dreamers dream
What worlds they please
Those Edens can’t be found.
The sweetest flowers,
The fairest trees
Are grown in solid ground.

We’re neither pure, nor wise, nor good
We’ll do the best we know.
We’ll build our house and chop our wood
And make our garden grow!

“Leonard Bernstein’s Make Our Garden Grow forms the radiant finale of his 1956 operetta Candide. In this moving conclusion, Candide and Cunegonde come to understand that fulfillment lies not in grand ideals but in simple, honest labor—‘to make our garden grow.’ Bernstein’s soaring melodies and rich harmonies build from quiet reflection to a powerful affirmation of hope, embodying his gift for blending theatrical brilliance with deep human warmth. Concluding tonight’s program, this performance is led with passion and artistry by Michael Bradley, MM student in Choral Conducting at Boston University, inviting us all to share in the beauty and resolve of Bernstein’s timeless message.”
– Jinho Cho, DMA Choral Conducting student