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Migratory V

Adam Guettel

We sail above the weather
We search the ocean floor.
We rival our creation,
Still yearning for more.
But can we fly together-
A migratory V?
How wonderful if that's what God could see.

A single voice in whispered prayer
Can only pray to travel there.
But all as one,
We sound the everlasting sound
And sing our salvation.
Aloft and in formation,
A migratory V.
How wonderful if that's what God could see.

Aloft and in formation,
A migratory V.
How wonderful if that's what God could see.

An die Musik

Franz Schubert

Du holde Kunst, in wieviel grauen Stunden,
Wo mich des Lebens wilder Kreis umstrickt,
Hast du mein Herz zu warmer Lieb entzunden,
Hast mich in eine bessre Welt entrückt!

Oft hat ein Seufzer, deiner Harf entflossen,
Ein süsser, heiliger Akkord von dir
Den Himmel bessrer Zeiten mir erschlossen,
Du holde Kunst, ich danke dir dafür!

To Music

English translation by Joseph Parrish

You, dear music, in how many bleak hours,
when I am caught in the unpredictability of life, you have cared for my heart,
and transported me to a better world!

Often a sigh, flows from your harp,
a sweet, heavenly chord
has revealed to me the heaven of happier times.
For this, beloved art, I thank you!

Liebst du um Schönheit

Gustav Mahler

German lyrics from Friederich Rückert

Liebst du um Schönheit,
O nicht mich liebe!
Liebe die Sonne,
Sie trägt ein goldnes Haar.
Liebst du um Jugend,
O nicht mich liebe!
Liebe den Frühling,
Der jung ist jedes Jahr.
Liebst du um Schätze,
O nicht mich liebe!
Liebe die Meerfrau,
Sie hat viel Perlen klar.
Liebst du um Liebe,
O ja, mich liebe!
Liebe mich immer,
Dich lieb’ ich immerdar.

If You Love for Beauty

English translation by Joseph Parrish

If you love for beauty,

Oh, do not love me!

Love the sun,

For she has hair of gold

If you love for youth,

Do not love me!

Love springtime,

Springtime is always youthful.

If you love for worldly possessions,

Oh, do not love me!

Love the mermaid,

She has many clear pearls,

If you love for love,

Oh yes, love me,

Love me always,

And I shall love you ever more.

Laue Sommernacht

Gustav Mahler

German lyrics from Otto Julius Bierbaum

Laue Sommernacht: am Himmel
Stand kein Stern, im weiten Walde
Suchten wir uns tief im Dunkel,
Und wir fanden uns.

Fanden uns im weiten Walde
In der Nacht, der sternenlosen,
Hielten staunend uns im Arme
In der dunklen Nacht.

War nicht unser ganzes Leben
So ein Tappen, so ein Suchen?
Da: In seine Finsternisse
Liebe, fiel Dein Licht.

Balmy Summer Night

English translation by Joseph Parrish

Balmy summer night: in heaven 

stands not one star, in the vast forest

We searched for each other deep in the darkness,

And we found each other.

We found each other in this vast forest 

in the night, a starless night,

Holding each other in our arms, 

amazed by this deep, dark night.

Was not our whole life 

just a searching, just a seeking?

And there, in that darkness

Light illuminated your love.

Lob des hohen Verstandes

Gustav Mahler

Einstmals in einem tiefen Tal
Kukuk und Nachtigall
Täten ein Wett anschlagen:
Zu singen um das Meisterstück:
Gewinn es Kunst, gewinn es Glück,
Dank soll er davon tragen.

Der Kukuk sprach: So dirs gefällt,
Hab ich den Richter wählt,
Und tät gleich den Esel ernennen.
Denn weil er hat zwei Ohren groß,
So kann er hören desto bos,
Und was recht ist, kennen.

Sie flogen vor den Richter bald.
Wie dem die Sache ward erzählt,
Schuf er, sie sollten singen.
Die Nachtigall sang lieblich aus,
Der Esel sprach, du machst mir's kraus.
Du machst mir’s kraus! Ija! Ija!
Ich kanns in Kopf nicht bringen.

Der Kukuk drauf fing an geschwind
Sein Sang durch Terz und Quart und Quint.
Dem Esel gfiels, er sprach nur: Wart!
Dein Urteil will ich sprechen.

Wohl sungen hast du Nachtigall,
Aber Kukuk singst gut Choral,
Und hältst den Takt fein innen;
Das sprech ich nach mein’ hohn Verstand,
Und kost es gleich ein ganzes Land,
So laß ich's dich gewinnen.
Kukuk, Kukuk, Ija!

In Praise of a High Intellect

English translation by Joseph Parrish

Once in a deep valley,

A cuckoo bird and nightingale

Made a bet:

“To sing for the master prize,

Whether won by art or chance,

Someone will gain praise.”

The cuckoo said: “If you don’t mind, 

I have chosen the judge.” 

And right away named it to be the donkey.

“For this is because he has two huge ears, 

So, he can hear even better,

And knows what to recognize.”

They flew before the judge quickly, 

as to explain the matter to him. 

He then decreed they should sing.

The nightingale sang sweetly out!

The donkey said: 

“You confuse my mind! Eek!

I cannot understand it.”

The cuckoo then started to sing 

his song of thirds, and fourths, and fifths.

This was pleasing to the donkey, he only said: “Wait! 

I will speak my mind, yes. 

You have sung well, Nightingale!

But the cuckoo sings a good chorale 

and keeps the rhythm!

This I decree from my high intellect,

And even if it costs the whole world,

I deem you the winner.

“cuckoo, cuckoo.” “Ee-yah!”

Утро

Sergei Rachmaninoff

Russian lyrics from Yury Tynanyanov

“Люблю тебя!”

Шепнула дню заря

И, небо обхватив, зарделась от признанья,

И солнца луч, природу озаря,

С улыбкой посылал ей жгучие лобзанья.

А день, как бы ещё не доверяя,

Осуществлению своих заветных грёз,

Спускался на землю, с улыбкой утирая

Блестевшие вокруг ряды алмазных слёз.

Morning

English translation by Joseph Parrish

"I love you!" 

Dawn whispered to day, 

and while hugging the skies, blushed from that confession.

A sunbeam, illuminating all of nature, 

sent her a burning kiss with a smile. 

And day, as if still doubting 

the fulfillment of his most cherished dreams, 

descended over the land, and with a smile dried her glittering tears like rows of diamonds.

Средь шумного бала

Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Russian lyrics from Aleksei Tolstoy

Средь шумного бала, случайно,

В тревоге мирской суеты,

Тебя я увидел, но тайна

Твои покрывала черты.

Лишь очи печально глядели,

А голос так дивно звучал,

Как звон отдалённой свирели,

Как моря [играющий]¹ вал.

Мне стан твой понравился тонкий

И весь твой задумчивый вид,

А смех твой, и грустный, и звонкий,

С тех пор в моём сердце звучит.

В часы одинокие ночи

Люблю я, усталый, прилечь;

Я вижу печальные очи,

Я слышу веселую речь,

И грустно я, грустно так засыпаю,

И в грёзах неведомых сплю...

Люблю ли тебя, я не знаю,

Но кажется мне, что люблю!

Amid the Din of the Ball

English translation by Joseph Parrish

In the midst of a noisy ball, by chance,

Among the tumultuous whirl of life,

I caught a glimpse of you, but mystery

Hided your features.

Your eyes betrayed your sadness,

But your voice rang out divinely,

To me, it had the sound of distant pipes,

Or like the dancing waves of the sea.

I was entranced by your slender figure,

Your thoughtful expression,

And your laughter, both sad and ringing,

Since then, it only echoes in my heart.

During the lonely hours of night

I love to lie down, to rest;

I see those sad eyes,

I hear that merry laugh,

And wistfully, I drift off,

And sink into mysterious dreams...

Do I love you? I don’t know,

But it seems like I do!

в молчаньи ночи тайной

Sergei Rachmaninoff

Russian lyrics from Afanasy Fet

О, долго буду я, в молчаньи ночи тайной,

Коварный лепет твой, улыбку, взор случайный,

Перстам послушную [волос] густую прядь,

Из мыслей изгонять, и снова призывать;

Дыша порывисто, один, никем не зримый,

Досады и стыда румянами палимый,

Искать хотя одной загадочной черты

В словах, которые произносила ты;

Шептать и поправлять былые выраженья

Речей моих с тобой, исполненных смущенья,

И в опьянении, наперекор уму,

Заветным именем будить ночную [мглу].

In the Silence of the Secret Night

English translation by Joseph Parrish

Oh, how long must I wait, in the silence of this mysterious night, 

Your charming voice, smile, fleeting glance, 

Your beautiful, thick hair,

So easy in my fingers,

Breathing heavily, alone, unseen by anybody else,
Burning with the glow of anticipation,
I shall seek out the slightest hint of mystery
In the words you uttered;
I shall whisper and improve upon what I said 

with bashfulness, in the past,
And intoxicated, against all reason,
I shall light up night’s darkness with your beloved name.

Psalm

Alistair Coleman

Music and lyrics by Paul Celan (1920-1970)

Translated by Pierre Joris (b. 1946)

Program note by Alistair Coleman

When I discovered Celan’s text, I immediately loved its tone and imagery: taking familiar religious symbols and recasting them through an agnostic, naturalistic lens. From start to finish, the poem slowly describes a dark, evocative image of a single rose centered in a “desolate” landscape. The music follows this same path, beginning in a sparse environment while patiently revealing more detail – as if the music slowly “blooms” alongside the text. Following the climax, the music dies away, quoting a ghost-like version of the Renaissance carol “Lo, how a rose e’er blooming,” a symbol from my own musical upbringing repurposed to live in Celan’s world. 

I chose this poem because when Joseph and I first met, we realized we both found our joy of making music through our upbringing singing in church. Even though we grew up in different traditions, we were both instilled with the idea that music and spirituality are inextricably linked. 

Psalm is commissioned by Young Concert Artists, Inc. for Joseph Parrish and Damien Sneed. It is written in memory of my friend and godmother, Charlotte Neil.

Psalm

No one kneads us again of earth and clay, 

no one conjures our dust. 

No one. 

Praised be thou, no one. 

For your sake we 

want to flower. 

Toward 

you. 

A Nothing 

we were, we are, we will 

remain, flowering: 

the Nothing-, the 

No one’s rose. 

With 

pistil soul-bright, 

stamen heaven-desolate, 

the corona red 

from the scarlet-word, that we sang

above, O above

the thorn. 

Psalm from MEMORY ROSE INTO THRESHOLD SPEECH: THE COLLECTED EARLIER POETRY Bilingual Edition by Paul Celan, translated by Pierre Joris. Translation, Introduction, and Commentary copyright © 2020 by Pierre Joris. Used by arrangement with Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSG) & Macmillan. è��AV.

Her Eyes, Twin Pools

Henry T. Burleigh

Her eyes, twin pools of mystic light,
The blend of star-sheen and black night;
O'er which, to sound their glamouring haze,
A man might bend, and vainly gaze.
Her eyes, twin pools so dark and deep,
In which life's ancient mysteries sleep;
Wherein, to seek the quested goal,
A man might plunge, and lose his soul.

For You There is No Song

Harrison Leslie Adams

Lyrics by Edna St. Vincent Millay

For you there is no song,

Only the shaking of the voice that meant to sing,

The sound of the strong voice breaking.

Strange in my hand appears the pen,

And yours broken.

There are ink and tears on the page.

Only the tears have spoken.

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Thomas O. Chisholm & William M. Runyan

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;

there is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;

as Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest;

sun, moon, and stars in their courses above

join with all nature in manifold witness

to Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [Refrain]

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow:

blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

all I have needed Thy hand hath provided:

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Don’t Worry Be Happy

Bobby McFerrin

Arranged by Pentatonix

Here's a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry, be happy
In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry, you make it double
Don't worry, be happy

(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
Don’t worry
Be happy!

Ain't got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don't worry, be happy
The landlord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don't worry, be happy

(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
Don’t worry
Be happy!

Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style
Ain't got no gal to make you smile
But don't worry, be happy
'Cause when you worry your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
So don't worry, be happy

(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
Don’t worry
Be happy!

Let Us Break Bread Together

Traditional

Arranged by Michele Fowlin

Let us break bread together on our knees.
Let us break bread together on our knees.

Let us drink wine together on our knees.
Let us drink wine together on our knees.

Let us praise God together on our knees.
Let us praise God together on our knees.

When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord have mercy on me.

Total Praise

Richard Smallwood

Arranged by Michele Fowlin

Lord, I will lift my eyes to the hills

Knowing my help is coming from You

Your peace You give me in time of the storm

You are the source of my strength

You are the strength of my life

I lift my hands in total praise to You.

Amen