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The Wellesley Choral Society (WCS) will present the second concert of its 70th anniversary season on Sat., Jan. 27, at 7:00 p.m. at the Wellesley Hills Congregational Church, 207 Washington Street. The entire concert is dedicated to American song - classical, popular and folk songs. It is entitled "Americana," a theme that the Society deemed appropriate to explore during its celebratory anniversary season. The program shows what it has meant to American composers to be American.
Stephen Foster (1826-1864), known as the “father of American music” wrote over 200 songs. Four of these are presented at the concert ("Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming", "Beautiful Dreamer", "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair", "My Old Kentucky Home"). His songs are often filled with longing and a sense of loss.
Samuel Barber's (1910-1981) "Sure on this Shining Night" sets a poem by James Agee. Barber was born into a musical family — his aunt was a leading contralto at the Metropolitan Opera, his uncle composed art songs, and he himself trained as a baritone.
Randall Thompson (1899-1984) spent much of his life in New England. His songs “The Road Not Taken” and “Choose Something Like a Star” belong to his setting of seven poems by Robert Frost, Frostiana, which the town of Amherst, MA — closely associated with Frost — commissioned for its bicentennial in 1959.
Aaron Copland (1900-1990) is known as a composer whose music evokes the American landscape and American ideals. The three songs presented by the chorus are from his Old American Songs, a collection of 19th century songs, which Copland adapted to his own idiom. “Zion’s Walls” is an arrangement of a revival song of 1855; “Long Time Ago” was originally an African-American song. The words of “Ching-A-Ring-Chaw” are intended to imitate the sound of a banjo. It was originally a minstrel song.
Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) is represented by two selections: “Secret Song/Almighty Father” and “Gloria Tibi” from his Mass, composed in 1971. This work is not a traditional musical setting of the Roman Catholic Mass, but a fully staged piece of musical theater that mixes multiple musical genres.
"Oh Lawd, I’m On My Way” is from George Gershwin’s folk opera, "Porgy and Bess." The song is Porgy’s prayer for strength as he sets out to find Bess, who has left for New York with Sportin’ Life.
Musicals cannot be missing from a program of American music. The genre is represented by a medley of "Oklahoma," a collaboration of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, and “I Could Write a Book” from "Pal Joey" and “My Romance” from "Jumbo," both by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.
A highlight of this event will be the performance of “Love Song’s Melody.” Both music and lyrics are by Wil Breden, well-known Wellesley resident and an honorary board member of WCS. It is his generous contribution to the Society’s 70th Anniversary celebrations.
Finally, several folk songs, arranged by Ted Whalen, are interspersed in the program.
The event is in the style of a casual pops/cabaret performance. The audience is seated at tables and there will be complimentary refreshments, a silent auction and a sing-along.
The Wellesley Hills Congregational Church is handicapped accessible and there is ample free parking. Tickets may be purchased at the door: general admission $20, seniors and students $15, ages 12 and under free. Items acquired in the silent auction can be paid in cash or by check. Visit www.welleleychoralsociety.org for further information.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Wellesley Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and by the Fund for Wellesley, an endowed fund of the Foundation for Metro West.
