Program Notes; Spring, 2008

Repertoire for this term is Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Dunstable’s Sancta Maria, Jacob Handl’s Duo Seraphim and Pachelbel’s Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied.

I. The Composers
Each composer is linked to his Wikepedia entry:

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)

John Dunstable (1390-1453)

Jacob Handl (1550-1591)

Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706)


II. The Pieces

Chichester Psalms

Sancta Maria

Duo Seraphim

Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied

 

Translations

Chichester Psalms

Mvt. I--Psalm 108:2
Urah, hanevel, v'chinor!
A-irah shachar!

Psalm 100
Hariu l'Adonai kol ha-arets.
Iv'du et Adonai b'simcha.
Bo-u l'fanav bir'nanah.
D'u ki Adonai Hu Elohim.
Hu asanu, v'lo anachnu.
Amo v'tson mar'ito.
Bo-u sh'arav b'todah,
Chatseirotav bit'hilah,
Hodu lo, bar'chu sh'mo.


Ki tov Adonai, l'alom chas'do,
V'ad dor vador emunato.

Mvt. I--Psalm 108:2
Awake, psaltery and harp!
I myself will awake early.

Psalm 100
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands.
Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before His presence with singing.
Know ye that the Lord, He is God.
It is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves.
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord all ye lands…
For all the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endureth to all generations.

Mvt. II--Psalm 23:1-4
Adonai ro-i, lo echsar.
Bin'ot deshe yarbitseini,
Al mei m'nuchot y'nachaleini,
Naf'shi y'shovev,
Yan'cheini b'ma'aglei tsedek,
L'ma'an sh'mo.
Gam ki eilech
B'gei tsalmavet,
Lo ira ra,
Ki Atah imadi.
Shiv't'cha umishan'techa
Hemah y'nachamuni.

Psalm 2:1-4
Lamah rag'shu goyim
Ul'umim yeh'gu rik?
Yit'yats'vu malchei erets,
V'roznim nos'du yachad
Al Adonai v'al m'shicho.
N'natkah et mos'roteimo,
V'nashlichah mimenu avoteimo.
Yoshev bashamayim
Yis'chak, Adonai
Yil'ag lamo!

 

Psalm 23:5-6
Ta'aroch l'fanai shulchan,
Neged tsor'rai
Dishanta vashemen roshi
Cosi r'vayah.
Ach tov vachesed
Yird'funi kol y'mei chayai,
V'shav'ti b'veit Adonai
L'orech yamim.

Mvt. II--Psalm 23:1-4
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures,
He leadeth me beside the still waters,
He restoreth my soul,
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness.
For His name’s sake.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
Yea, though I walk
Through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
For Thou art with me.
Thy rod and Thy staff
They comfort me.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Psalm 2:1-4
Why do the heathen rage,
And the people imagine a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the Lord and against His anointed.
Saying, let us break their bands asunder,
And cast away their cords from us.
He sitteth in the heavens
Shall laugh, and the Lord
Shall have them in derision!
Why do the heathen rage…

Psalm 23:5-6
Thou preparest a table before me
In the presence of mine enemies,
Thou anointest my head with oil,
My cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy
Shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Mvt. III--Psalm 131
Adonai, Adonai,
Lo gavah libi,
V'lo ramu einai,
V'lo hilachti
Big'dolot uv'niflaot
Mimeni.
Im lo shiviti
V'domam'ti,
Naf'shi k'gamul alei imo,
Kagamul alai naf'shi.
Yachel Yis'rael el Adonai
Me'atah v'ad olam.


Psalm 133:1
Hineh mah tov, Umah nayim,
Shevet achim Gam yachad.

Mvt. III--Psalm 131
Lord, My heart is not haughty.
Nor mine eyes lofty,
Neither do I exercise myself
In great matters or in things
Too wonderful for me.
Surely I have calmed and quieted myself,
As a child that is weaned of his mother,
My soul is even as a weaned child.
Let Israel hope in the Lord
From henceforth and forever.


Psalm 133:1
Behold how good, And how pleasant it is,
For brethren to dwell Together in unity.

 

Sancta Maria

Sancta Maria, non est tibi similis orta in mundo in mulieribus.
Florens ut rosa,
fragrans sicut lilium, ora pro nobis,
sancta Dei genitrix.

Holy Mary, in this world there have arisen none like you among women.
Blooming like the rose,
fragrant as the lily, pray for us,
holy Mother of God.

 

Duo Seraphim

Duo Seraphim clamabant alter ad alterum:
Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Plena est omnis terra gloria ejus.

Two seraphim cried to one another:
Holy is the Lord God of Sabaoth.
The whole earth is full of his glory.

 

Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied

Psalm 98:1-3, 9
[1] Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied; denn er tut Wunder. Er siegt mit seiner Rechten und mit seinem heiligen Arm.


[2] Der Herr läßt sein Heil verkündigen; vor den Völkern läßt er seine Gerechtigkeit offenbaren.


[3] Er gedenkt an seine Gnade und Wahrheit; aller Welt Enden sehen das Heil unsers Gottes.


[9] denn er kommt, das Erdreich zu richten Er wird den Erdboden richten mit Gerechtigkeit und die Völker mit Recht.

Psalm 98:1-3, 9
[1] O sing unto the Lord a new song: for he hath done marvellous things.With his own right hand, and with his holy arm, hath he gotten himself the victory.


[2] The Lord declared his salvation : his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.

[3] He hath remembered his mercy and truth [toward the house of Israel]: and all the ends of the world have seen the salvation of our God.

[9] With righteousness shall he judge the world: and the people with equity.