un/heard: into the darkness (concert program)
Hola, people!
If you are here, you are probably sitting at our first concert with your program in your hands and excited to ride the journey with us. Choral music gives us so much, and we are so thankful you are here to share this space. Here are the program, bio, texts, and translations you are looking for 🙂
Program
Abendlied – (5 minutes)
Composer: Josef Rheinberger | Text: Luke 24, 29
The Things Which I Have Seen – (2 minutes)
Composer: Ellen Gilson Voth | Poet: William Wordsworth
There Will Be Rest – (6 minutes)
Composer: Frank Ticheli | Poet: Sara Teasdale
That Which Remains – (3 minutes)
Composer: Andrea Ramsey | Poet: Helen Keller
Beyond Light – (3 minutes)
Composer: Christi Jones | Poet: Dionysius the Areopagite
You Find Yourself Here – (4 minutes)
Composer and Poet: Dale Trumbore
Tabula Rasa – (4 minutes)
Composer: Don Macdonald | Poet: Alison Girvan
Keep Going – (5 minutes)
Composer: Carlos Cordero | Poet: Ryan Heller
When the Earth Stand Still – (4 minutes )
Composer and Poet: Don Macdonald
Bell tower – (6 minutes)
Composer: Katarina Gimon | Poet: Rainer Maria Rilke
Translation: Joanna Macy and Anita Barrows
Text and Translations
Abendlied – (5 minutes)
Composer: Josef Rheinberger | Text: Luke 24, 29
Bleib bei uns – Stay with us
Denn es will Abend werden – Because it will be an evening
Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden – Stay with us because it will be an evening
Denn es will Abend werden – Because it will be evening
Es will Abend werden – It will be evening
Und der Tag hat sich geneiget – And the day has come to an end
Sich geneiget (der Tag hat sich geneiget) – Declined (the day has declined)
Sich geneiget – Leaning
Oh, bleib bei uns – Oh, stay with us
Denn es will Abend werden – Because it will be evening
Und der Tag hat sich geneiget (und der Tag hat sich geneiget) – And the day has come to an end (and the day has come to an end)
Oh, bleib bei uns – Oh, stay with us
Denn es will Abend werden – Because it will be evening
The Things Which I Have Seen – (2 minutes)
Composer: Ellen Gilson Voth | Poet: William Wordsworth
There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,
The earth, and every common sight,
To me did seem
Apparelled in celestial light,
The glory and the freshness of a dream.
It is not now as it hath been of yore;—
Turn wheresoe’er I may,
By night or day.
The things which I have seen I now can see no more.
There Will Be Rest – (6 minutes)
Composer: Frank Ticheli | Poet: Sara Teasdale
There will be rest, and sure stars shining
Over the roof-tops crowned with snow,
A reign of rest, serene forgetting,
The music of stillness holy and low.
I will make this world of my devising
Out of a dream in my lonely mind.
I shall find the crystal of peace, – above me
Stars I shall find.
That Which Remains – (3 minutes)
Composer: Andrea Ramsey | Poet: Helen Keller
What we have once enjoyed, we can never lose,
A sunset, a mountain bathed in moonlight
The ocean in calm and in storm,
We see these, love their beauty,
Hold the vision to our hearts,
All that we love deeply becomes part of us,
Life is overlord of death,
Life is stronger than death,
And love can never lose its own.
Beyond Light – (3 minutes)
Composer: Christi Jones | Poet: Dionysius the Areopagite
Lead us up, Beyond the lightÂ
Beyond knowing and unknowing,
To the topmost summit of truth.
Where mysteries lie hidden unchanging and absolute,
In the dazzling darkness of the secret silence.
All the light is outshinedÂ
By the intensity of their shade.
The senses are flooded, the mind made blind,
By such unseen beauty beyond all beauty.Â
You Find Yourself Here – (4 minutes)
Composer and Poet: Dale Trumbore
You find yourself here,
different somehow,
learning to build a life worth living.
You carry it home.
You learn to abandon what isn’t important,
to sit still,
to stay in one place.
You learn to watch over yourself
when there’s no one else
to watch over,
and no one to watch over you.
You see yourself reflected;
you learn to love what you see.
You live with yourself,
you live.
You find yourself here,
different somehow,
learning to build a life worth living.
You carry it home.
Tabula Rasa – (4 minutes)
Composer: Don Macdonald | Poet: Alison Girvan
En mis brazos, respira – In my arms, breathe.
vida sin li mites – Life without limits.
luz del dia, noche oscura – Light of day, dark night.
duerme, sueña, resto conseguridad – Sleep, dream,rest in safety.
Con su cĂłrazon su alma escucha y sabe esta verdad – With your heart, your soul, listen and know this truth:
Dentro de ti hay futuros ilimitados si le dan la libertad –Â Within you are boundless futures ,if you are given freedom;
Libertad de crecer – freedom to grow,
libertad de aprender – freedom to learn,
libertad de tocar- freedom to touch,
libertad de sentir – freedom to feel,
libertad de imaginarse – freedom to imagine,
libertad de volar – freedom to fly,
libertad de adorar –Â freedom to love
libertad de ser amado – freedom to be loved,
En mis brazos, respira – In my arms, breathe.
vida sin li mites – Life without limits.
luz del dia, noche oscura – Light of day, dark night.
duerme, sueña, resto conseguridad – Sleep, dream,rest in safety.
Keep Going – (5 minutes)
Composer: Carlos Cordero | Poet: Ryan Heller
Dear one,
In these challenging time,Â
When it’s difficult to see the sunÂ
And the shadows whispers: “do this,
Don’t do that. Be like this. Why areÂ
You like that”?
When pain seems to take up more space than hopeÂ
Know this:Â
We all hurtÂ
We all have scarsÂ
We all question
We all fearÂ
But we do not need to hide.
Keep going
Live your life aliveÂ
We are all pieces of stars,
Embers in the fire of the universe
Clouds dancing in the sky
Please remember:
In the darkness of night
A single flame burns bright
Don’t be afraid of unknown,
Try to silence should,”
Give the world your brilliant,
beautiful light.
 Keep going.
Love always,
Dear one;
When the Earth Stand Still – (4 minutes )
Composer and Poet: Don Macdonald
Come listen in the silence of the moment before rain comes down.
There’s a deep sigh in the quiet of the forest and the tall tree’s crown.
Now hold me.
Will you take the time to hold me and embrace the chill?
Or miss me,
will you take the time to miss me when the earth stands still?
Cause there’s no use running
cause the storm’s still coming
and you’ve been running for too many years.
Come listen in the silence of the moment before shadows fall.
Feel the tremor of your heartbeat matching heartbeat as we both dissolve.
Now hold me….
Cause there’s no use running
cause the storm’s still coming
and you’ve been running for too many years.
So stay with me, held in my arms
Like branches of a tree
They’ll shelter you for many years.
Bell tower – (6 minutes)
Composer: Katarina Gimon | Poet: Rainer Maria Rilke
Translation: Joanna Macy and Anita Barrows
Quiet Friend who has come so far,
Feel how your breathing makes more space around you.
Let this darkness be a bell towerÂ
And you the bell. As you ring,
what batters you becomes your strength.
Move back and forth into the change.
What is it like, such intensity of pain?
If the drink is bitter, turn yourself to wine.
In this uncontainable night,
be the mystery at the crossroads of your senses,
the meaning discovered there.
And if the world has ceased to hear you,
say to the silent earth: I flow.
To the rushing water, speak: I am.
Artists Biographies
Carlos Cordero
I give (great) hugs : )
I write choral music and words : ))
I advocate for new choral music : )))
More about me at: https://thehappychoir.com/bio/
David Utterback
David Utterback is an active collaborative and solo pianist in the Austin area. Performing most often as a vocal accompanist, he is involved in a wide variety of musical endeavors including chamber music, opera, cabaret, and musical theater. He is a member of the Austin Chamber Ensemble, and also is the accompanist for the choirs of Chorus Austin (Austin Civic Chorus and Austin Vocal Arts Ensemble). He has held his current appointment as a member of the piano faculty at Southwestern University since 1993.
He received his MM from the University of Texas at Austin and his BM from the University of Texas at Austin.
Morgan Kramer
Morgan Kramer is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, where he earned his Master of Music degree in choral conducting. Originally from Iowa, Morgan received his undergraduate degree in choral music education from the University of Northern Iowa, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and received the Purple and Old Gold Award – the highest university honor awarded by academic departments. Morgan is a seasoned choral director and pianist having most recently served as Head Choir Director and Fine Arts Department Chair at East View High School in Georgetown, TX. He currently works as a Client Success Manager for a consulting firm’s private equity team. In addition to his full-time role, Morgan serves as the Director of Music at the University Christian Church, pianist for numerous middle school and high school music programs, and vocalist in various professional choral ensembles including Ensemble VIII, Texas Early Music Project, and Vox Peregrini – a pilgrimage choir that hikes and performs throughout Ireland and Spain.Â
André Trahan
AndrĂ© is an Austin-based singer, conductor, and educator. He has performed with ensembles such as Inversion Ensemble, Texas Early Music Project, Austin Cantorum, Panoramic Voices, Masterworks Singers, Coro Vocati (Atlanta, GA), and RedShift (Baton Rouge, LA). In addition, AndrĂ© is a pianist and organist, collaborating with Austin area schools and churches. He received his master’s degree in choral conducting from Louisiana State University and his bachelor’s degree in choral music from Centenary College of Louisiana.Â
Daniel Robertson
Daniel is a multifaceted musician, often performing on drumset, steel pan, and in choir, with a background in piano and marching percussion. In 2011, he toured with Drum Corps International champions, The Cadets. He regularly performs with Austin Cantorum, Inversion, and Inside Out Steelband and has recently appeared with the San Antonio Chamber Ensemble, VAMP, and the resident choir of Canterbury Cathedral, England.Â
Evan Blaché
Evan Blaché is a non-binary choral composer and choral singer based out of San Marcos, Texas. Never known to mince words, Evan has composed a lot of work combining the classical style with topics of social justice.
They are currently in their undergraduate program at Texas State University for their B.M. in Music Studies and Composition while singing in the Texas State University Chorale under the direction of Joey Martin and studying composition with Dr. Jack Wilds.
Evan is an Insight Fellow in Conspirare and currently sings in the groups, Tinsel Singers, and Inversion Ensemble.
Isaac Arterburnn
Isaac Arterburn is a native Texan with a love for vocal pedagogy, outdoor sports, and comics. Isaac has previously performed with many Austin choirs including Inversion Ensemble and the Chorus Austin Chamber Chorus. He is thrilled to be a part of this new ensemble and for the opportunity to portray its message.
Isaac aims to keep pursuing professional choral singing while supporting the growing musical community of Austin. He hopes that one day, Austin will be as much of a hub for choral and classical music as it is for live bands.
Patrick Berry
Patrick Berry is a performer, educator, and arranger from Boston, MA and is currently based out of Austin, TX. You can find Patrick singing locally as a cantor/tenor section leader at St. John Neumann Catholic Church and in Chorus Austin’s chamber ensemble.
Now working full-time in multifamily property management, Patrick was previously the Choral/Vocal Director for New Manchester High School’s nationally recognized Fine Arts Magnet Education (FAME) program just outside of Atlanta, GA. Patrick holds a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from The University of Southern Mississippi and a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from The University of New Hampshire. Throughout his time as an educator and during his graduate and undergraduate degrees, Patrick has directed/assistant directed over a dozen ensembles including small contemporary a cappella groups, large auditioned university choirs, and community choirs. Patrick remains an active arranger for high school and collegiate a cappella groups across the country.
Chaz Nailor
Texas native Chaz Nailor returned to Austin in 2009 from pursuing doctoral studies in voice and opera performance at The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where he was a recipient of the T.I.S. Tichenor Foundation Scholarship through the Society of the Friends of Music.Â
He has worked with The University of Texas Butler Opera Center, Lyric Opera San Antonio, and the Indiana University Opera Theater. He has also performed, with equal adeptness, for the concert stage as bass-baritone soloist in a number of masses and oratorios with the Texas Choral Consort, Chorus Austin, the Austin Symphony Orchestra, the Austin Civic Orchestra, and The Trinity Symphony Orchestra and Choirs.Â
Beyond the classical genre, Chaz made professional musical theatre debuts in productions of Les Misérables (2014) and The Gospel at Colonus (2014) at Zach Theatre in Austin, Texas. He has collaborated with hip-hop super group Deltron 3030 and with the Game of Thrones SXSW Festival Ensemble.
Chaz is currently on the rosters of professional and semi-professional vocal ensembles in south-central Texas, including the San Antonio Chamber Choir (SACC). He is also an Adjunct Instructor of Applied Voice at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, the Bass section leader for the Chorus Austin Symphonic Ensemble, and a Staff Musician at St. David’s Episcopal Church in downtown Austin.
Jeffrey Jones-Ragona
Jeffrey Jones-Ragona, tenor, has enjoyed a varied and busy career as a soloist, chorister, and conductor in Austin for nearly 30 years, after coming to the Live Music Capital to pursue graduate study at UT.
Joe Nguyen
Joe Nguyen is a recent graduate of Southwestern University with a degree in painting. He started singing choral music as a junior at Southwestern University and currently sings for un/heard as well as the tenor section leader at Central Presbyterian Church. He is currently pursuing Graphic Design.
Brandon Baker
Brandon Baker is in his second year as Choral Director at Hendrickson High School outside Austin, Texas where he leads a program of four choirs and teaches AP Music Theory. Previous teaching experience includes six years of high school near Atlanta, Georgia, and two years of middle school in north Mississippi. Brandon serves as a staff singer at University Presbyterian Church. Choral singing experience includes the professional chamber choir Kinnara, the Atlanta Master Chorale, and the Orpheus Men’s Ensemble. Brandon holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Master’s degree in Music Education from Florida State University. While at Southern Miss, Brandon earned the rare conferral of membership in the USM Student Hall of Fame.
Mark Istratie
Romanian American Tenor, Mark Istratie attended Madonna University where he studied Vocal Performance. Opera credits include Papageno (Die Zauberflöte), Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus), and Count Barigoule (Cendrillon) with Madonna Lyric Theater and Peter Quint (Turn of the Screw) with Opera MODO. Mark has performed in the Michigan Opera Theatre Chorus in the productions of Faust, Macbeth, Carmen, The Passenger, Cyrano, Don Giovanni, Girl of the Golden West, and Silent Night. As a concert performer, Mark has been heard with Detroit-based Audivi, Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Recently, Mark holds credits with the Michigan Opera Theatre Outreach program and Opera San Antonio. Until relocating to Austin, Texas Mark served as a staff singer at Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian Church in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Mark is an active vocalist in the Austin area and the Color Guard instructor for High School Marching Bands throughout Texas.
Curtis White
Curtis is a native Texan, holding a Bachelor of Music in Performance: Voice, a Bachelor of Science and Arts in Biochemistry, and a Minor in Music Composition from the University of Texas.
From there, he attended Louisiana State University, earning a Master of Music in Choral Conducting.
Curtis has studied voice privately from primary teachers Prof. Donnie Ray Albert, Dr. Steven Brennfleck, and Dr. Brandon Hendrickson. He has served as Artistic Director and Conductor for Collegium Music for three years while at UT, Assistant Director for the UT Summer Choral Society in 2016, and Conducting Fellow for the Ars Longa Conducting Fellowship Program in 2017.
He has conducted choirs at both UT and LSU, as well as worked with many local ensembles including the BREC Independence Park Theatre, Amphion Youth Choruses, and Chorus Austin among others.
One of his many glowing references was from Dr. John Dickson, Professor Emeritus and Retired Director of Choral Studies, and the Edward G. and Catherine M. Galante Chair for Choral Music Education at LSU. He wrote that Curtis “understands how to train singers and he is particularly adept at developing the volunteer singer,” adding, “In addition to his musical gifts, Curtis is a highly intelligent person. Double majors in biochemistry and music at The University of Texas at Austin attest to his intellect and curiosity. Following his graduate degree at LSU, he found his calling as a musician and teacher.
