UMS Concert Program, May 10, 1931: A Festival Of Arts & Humanities --

Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan

CROSS
CURRENTS______________________________
EAST EUROPE & AMERICA A FESTIVAL OF ARTS & HUMANITIES
THE FESTIVAL CHORUS OF THE UNIVERSITY CHORAL UNION
DONALD BRYANT, conductor
Carolyn Leyh, soprano David Parks, tenor
Sally Carpenter, contralto Theodore Rulff, bass
Nancy Hodge, pianist
Sunday afternoon, May 10, 1931, at 3:30 Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
PROGRAM
Gebet..........................Schubert
Nachthelle ....................... Schubert
Soloist: David Parks
Czech Song (Jan Jindrich Marek) ............. Smetana
Three Pieces from "Six Children's Choruses" (1942) . . Bartok Breadbaking Only Tell Me Teasing Song
Three Songs (world premiere) ........... Donald Bryant
On Angels (Czeslaw Milosz)
An Hour (Czeslaw Milosz)
Antithin (Sandor Weores)
Trumpets: Richard Chasin, William Lucas, Patrick Reynolds Trombones: Scott McElroy, Daniel Saylor, Peter Van Eenam
Te Deum (1937)......................Kodaly
The songs by Donald Bryant, set to the poetry of Hungarian Weores and Polish Nobel Laureate Milosz, were commissioned by the Center for Russian and East European Studies at the University of Michigan for this concluding event of the "Cross Currents" festival.
The Festival, which began in January 1981, was made possible, in part, with funds from the Michigan Council for the Humanities.
TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS
Two Songs by Franz Schubert
Gebet (Prayer)--Thou source of all goodness, Thou source of all power, for Thou is prepared everywhere a temple and a feast. The candle of home flickers softly. Glorious death shouts boldly. I am prepared to die in battle for those things our ancestors held dear. The love which I have for wife and child are Thine. If it can happen peacefully, then, Lord, let it be. Let peace continue. If not, then give us light in storm's night. Thine eternal, love and strength; Thy will be done. I am ready to go wherever you want me to; into love and also into battle; to do Thy will in battle and also in the quiet of home. I will soon rest in Heaven.
Nachthelle (Clear Night)--The night is clear and bright. The houses stand in enchantment. I am suffused with a brightness, it reigns within me free and clear, without sorrow or plaint. My heart cannot contain it. The light within me strains to be free; the last barrier breaks.
Czech Song by Bedrich Smetana
A Czech song is sublime when heard in the church, and lofts the spirit to the heavens. A Czech song has a glorious sound, when people sing "Holy," "Holy."
A Czech song stirs the heart smoothly first, then with force. It softly soothes and next in woe we're wrapped, or jokes us into fun. But it sounds most warmly when it kindles love of country.
Three Pieces by Bela Barto'k
Breadbaking--Down below my garden yonder three black crows are reaping; cricket garners and mosquito binds it, binds the sheaves together. Flea he fidgets and flea he heaves the sheaves, he throws them on the cart. To the mill the cart now clatters, three pied cats are driving, one, two, three cats driving.' This one cleans it, that one screens it, and the third one grinds it, that one turns the millstone. Donkey brings the water now, brings a keg of water. Pours the water in the trough, pours nine kegs of water. Grey goose kneads it, and grey goose puts it in the oven. Bear is waiting, has the loaf done baking Hen is pecking at the loaf now. Hey, Ant is picking at the crumbs!
Only Tell Me--Only tell me, dear one, by which road you leave me. Tell me and I'll plough it with a golden plough share; I shall sow it also with fine pearls and that road I'll harrow with my sad tears falling.
Teasing Song--Lasses cost a fortune; cost a hundred gulden! But lads come cheaper; just a pint of fodder. It's not oats, that fodder; it's just bran, that fodder.
Three Songs by Donald Bryant
On Angels--All was taken away from you, white dresses, wings, even existence, yet I believe you, messengers. There, where the world is turned inside out, a heavy fabric embroidered with stars and beasts, you stroll inspecting the trustworthy seams. Short is your stay here, now and then at a matinal hour if the sky is clear in a melody repeated by a bird or in the smell of apples at the close of day when the light makes the orchard magic. They say someone has invented you, but to me this does not sound convincing, for humans invented themselves as well. The voice, no doubt it it is a valid proof as it can belong only to radiant creatures, weightless and winged (after all, why not), girdled with the lightning. I have heard that voice many a time when asleep and, what is strange, I understood, more or less, an order or an appeal in an unearthly tongue: day draws near, another one, do what you can...
An Eouv--Leaves glowing in the sun, zealous hum of bumblebees. From afar, from somewhere beyond the river echos of lingering voices, and the unhurried sounds of a hammer gave joy not only to me. Before the five senses were opened and earlier than any beginning. They waited, ready for all those who would call themselves mortals so that they might praise, as I do, life, that is, happiness.
Antithin--At last it has leaked out! Thin men are the cause of every?thing. They wait in ambush on street corners, and if an old woman comes by they don't even greet her. They are more concerned with exchanging their straw hats for lottery tickets and with naturalizing crocodiles in the waters of Europe so that everywhere, there would be no safety. They always begin their fishy deals in their beds at dawn, and afterwards go to the street, some work in offices, others ostensibly are waiters or locksmiths. They all disguise themselves, but their true trade is thinness. At last it has leaked out, thin men, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera...
Te Deum by Zoltan Kodly
We praise Thee, 0 God: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord...
Thee, the glorious choir of the Apostles...
Thou, 0 Christ, art the King of Glory...
Save Thy people, 0 Lord, and bless Thine interitance...
Let Thy mercy, 0 Lord, be upon us.
THE FESTIVAL CHORUS OF THE UNIVERSITY CHORAL UNION
Donald Bryant, Conductor Nancy Hodge, Accompanist Stephen Bates, Manager
Sopranos
Kimberly Jo Buechner Letitia Byrd Elaine Cox Doris Datsko Phyllis Denner Gladys Hanson Alice Horning Sylvia Jenkins June Krebs Caroline Leyh Mary Loewen Doris Luecke Marilyn McCallum Loretta Meissner Karen Myhre Barbara Nordman Carolyn Richards Karwyn Rigan Suzanne Schluederberg Alice Schneider Mary Ann Sincock Theresa Smith Patricia Tompkins Margie Warrick Christine Wendt Joanne Westman Kathleen Young
Altos
Martha Ause Marjorie Baird Kathlyn Marie Boyer Ella Brown Marion Brown Lael Cappaert Sally Carpenter Mary Haab Georgia Hartman Dana Hull Carol Hurwitz Gretchen Jackson Dawn Kalis Nancy Karp Katherine Klykylo Geraldine Koupal Elsie Lovelace Cheryl Melby Lois Nelson Susan Nisbett Sue Ribaudo Beverly Roeger Kathi Rosenzweig Joan Roth Carol Spencer Kathryn Stebbins Margaret Thompson Helen Thornton Helen Welford Charlotte Wolfe
Tenors
William Bronson Hugh Brown Bruce Carter John Alan Comfort Albert Girod Donald Haworth Robert MacGregor Dennis Rigan Carl Smith David Woods
Basses
Richard Bachmann Bruce Dicey Thomas Hagerty Klair Kissel Lawrence Lohr John MacKrell Sol Metz Alfred Meyer Raymond Shankin Terril Tompkins John Van Bolt David Varner