Dawning of a New Day — August 21, 2020 * True Concord Voices & Orchestra

Dawning of a New Day — August 21, 2020

Derived from a range of outstanding choral music, my themed Playlists are designed to be like concerts, of about an hour in length.

The music of this week’s Playlist expresses the hope and promise of the dawn of a new day, with works by Bach and Byrd, the African-American spiritual My Lord, What a Morning and the dramatic final scene from Mendelssohn’s Elijah, in which Elijah is taken up in a fiery chariot.

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PROGRAM

Click the links for information on the pieces and texts/translations.

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847)

“Elijah in the Fiery Chariot” from Elijah

Night Falleth Round Me, O Lord!
Behold, God the Lord Passed By
Above Him Stood the Seraphim
Holy, Holy, Holy is God the Lord
Go, Return Upon Thy Way!
For the Mountains Shall Depart
Then Did Elijah the Prophet Break Forth
Then Shall the Righteous Shine Forth
Behold, God Hath Sent Elijah
But the Lord, from the North
O Come Everyone That Thirsteth
Then Shall Your Light Shine Forth

Texts

Performed by Gabrieli, conducted by Paul McCreesh

Craig Hella Johnson (b.1962)

Will There Really Be a “Morning?”

Text

Performed by Choral Arts, conducted by Robert Bode

William Byrd (1539/40-1623)

Laetentur coeli

Translation

Performed by The Hilliard Ensemble, conducted by Paul Hilliard

J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1

I. Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern

How beautifully the morning star shines,
full of grace and truth from the Lord,
the sweet branch of Jesse!
You, the Son of David from the root of Jacob,
my King and my bridegroom,
have possessed my heart;
loving, friendly, beautiful and glorious,
great and noble, rich with gifts,
exalted and most magnificently sublime.
Original German by Philipp Nicolai (1556-1608)

Performed by Monteverdi Choir & English Baroque Soloists, conducted by John Eliot Gardiner

Eric Barnum (b.1979)

Dawn

Background and Text

Performed by Choral Arts, conducted by Robert Bode

Arr. Harry Burleigh (1866-1949)

My Lord, What a Morning

My Lord, what a morning;
My Lord, what a morning;
Oh, my Lord, what a morning,
When the stars begin to fall.

Done quit all my worldly ways,
Join that heavenly band.
African-American Spiritual

Performed by Dale Warland Singers, conducted by Dale Warland

Arr. John Cameron (b.1944)

Lux aeterna (based on “Nimrod” from Elgar’s Enigma Variations)

Background and Text

Performed by Choir of St. John’s Elora, conducted by Noel Edison