It is a pleasure to announce the upcoming 30th Season concerts on Dec. 7-8 by the Phipps Festival Chorus, under the direction of Thomas Dahle, in Hudson, Wisconsin. In the past, these concerts have usually presented a mixture of traditional as well as new music of the Advent-Christmas season, and this year is no exception. I am especially delighted that this year's concerts will include the first performances of my "Drop Down Dew From Above" (Introit for the 4th Sunday of Advent). Previously, the chorus has presented my "Creator of the Stars of Night" (in 2006 & also in 2007 at the WCDA convention in Madison, Wisconsin) and "This Advent Moon" (in 2011). The photograph in the attached concert poster is from a previous year's concert - I am in the third row, second from the right. I hope that some of you in the greater Twin Cities, Minnesota & western Wisconsin region will be able to attend one of these delightful concerts.
The Phipps Festival Chorus 30th Season, 2019 presents
CHRISTMAS REFLECTIONS
Saturday, December 7 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, December 8 at 2 p.m.
PROGRAM
Out of the Orient Crystal Skies - Richard Zgodava What Sweeter Music - John Rutter Before the Marvel of this Night - Carl Schalk What Child - Paul W. Lohman My Lord Has Come - Will Todd I Will Light Candles - Kim Andre Arnesen Drop Down Dew From Above - Charles H. Giffen African Noel - arr. Andre J. Thomas
~~~ INTERMISSION ~~~
Happy Holiday/White Christmas - Irving Berlin, arr. Ed Lojeski Candlelight Carol - John Rutter Carol of the Magi - John Rutter Cradle Hymn - Kim Andre Arnesen The Ground - Ola Gjello The First Noel - Dan Forrest Alleluia - Ralph Manuel O Lord God - Paul Tschesnokoff
~~~~~
The Phipps Center for the Arts 109 Locust Street Hudson, Wisconsin
Here is the score and an MP3 sound file for "Drop Down Dew From Above" for those who might wish to use it this year or preview it before the concert. I will post a concert recording when it becomes available.
Here's a link to the Facebook page for the Phipps Center, on which a blurb just appeared a few hours ago (with a link to a longer article) about the coming performance this weekend of "Drop down dew from above" ... in the picture, I'm seated at the piano, and the director Tom Dahle is standing.
Here is YouTube video of the Dec. 8th concert. "Drop down dew from above" may be viewed and heard at the 23:02 mark. After it is sung you can tell which singer is the composer (in case you hadn't already recognised me)!
For completeness, and for those who prefer Latin, attached is essentially the same work (with the doxology to the usual Gregorian tone, harmonized in three parts), "Rorate caeli desuper"
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