TODAY’S PROGRAM
Messe de minuit pour Noël
Music for the Season by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
December 13, 2024
St. Louis Art Museum
Featuring:
Arianna Aerie & Samantha Arten, sopranos
Nancy Bristol & Olivia Roland, altos
Jeffrey Ballard & Tristan Frampton, tenors
Kevin Warner, bass
Samuel Breene & Celina Boldrey, Baroque violins
Timothy Eshing, Baroque viola
Stephanie Hunt, viola da gamba
Rachel Siegel & Lisette Kielson, recorders
Matthew Gerhardt, chamber organ
Jeffrey Noonan, theorbo
Patrick Rafferty & Tristan Frampton, Baroque guitars
About Today’s Program:
Tonight’s concert features the music of Marc-Antoine Charpentier, one of the most important French composers of the Baroque era. Charpentier wrote a significant amount of music for the Christmas season, much of it for the important churches and chapels of Paris. Our concert follow the Christmas story with a Magnificat, the words of the Virgin at the Annunciation, a folky cantata depicting the shepherds in the fields receiving angelic announcements and a set of folky noels performed in French homes and churches. Our concert concludes with Charpentier’s famous mass for the Nativity that is based on the popular noels of the era.
Here is today’s playlist, including translations of these French lyrics:
Magnificat à 3 voix sur la mesme basse avec simph(onie) (H. 73, c. 1670)
My soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
For he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden:
For behold, from henceforth all generation shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me: and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him: throughout all generations.
He hath shewed strength with his arm:
Scattering the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat:
and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things:
And the rich he hath sent away empty.
Remembering his mercy, he hath helped his servant Israel:
As he promised our forefathers, Abraham and his seed forever.
Glory the to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.
Cantata: In Navitatem (H. 414, 1684)
Preludium
Récitatif de l’Évangéliste: “Frigidæ noctis umbra”
The Historian’s Narration: The cold night’s shadow covered the whole earth and immersed all in a deep sleep. Shepherds of Judea watched their flocks. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. The shepherds feared greatly and the angel said to them:
Air de l’Ange: “Nolite timere”
The Angel’s Aria: Don’t fear, shepherds! Behold, I bring news of great joy which is for all people: for today your Savior is born in David’s city; and this is the sign for you: you will find the baby swaddled and lying in a manger. Go, shepherds, and adore him!
Choeur des Bergers: “Surgamus, festinemus”
Choir of Shepherds: Let us rise, let us hurry, let us go to Bethlehem, make haste, let us hurry. There we will see the child Who is born for us. Let us rise, let us hurry, Let us go to Bethlehem. There we will praise and adore God Disguised as a sinner. Why delay, why linger, O idle shepherds? Let us rise, let us hurry, let us go to Bethlehem.
Marche
Récitatif de l’Évangéliste: “Euntes autem pastores”
The Evangelist’s Narration: So the shepherds quickly went to that place where the child was born, and entering the house, they discovered Mary and Joseph and the child, swaddled and lying in a manger. And they bowed down and adored him with simple but devoted songs:
“Salve, puerule” & Ritornelle
Hail, little child, Hail, tender babe, O tiny child, how good you are. You leave heaven, In the world, you’re born Making yourself poor wretches like us.
O greatest goodness, Exalted Godhead That becomes lowly humanity today. The Eternal is born, The boundless is contained and hides in earthly garb.
Virgin mother, Your blessed womb Through God gives birth to a son. Rejoice, Flower of Virgins, Rejoice, hope of humanity, Fountain that washes away the stain of sin.
Noëls sur les instruments (H.534)
Les Bourgeois de Chastre
Ou sen vont ces guays bergers
Joseph est bien marié
Or nous dites Marie
A la venue de Noel
Une jeune pucelle
Messe de minuit à 4 voix, flûtes et violons pour Noël (H. 9, c. 1694)
Kyrie (Joseph est bien marié … Or nous dites Marie … Une jeune pucelle)
Lord, have mercy on us,
Christ, have mercy on us,
Lord, have mercy on us.
Gloria in Excelsis Deo (Les bourgeois de Chastre … Ou s’en vont ces guays bergers)
Glory in the highest to God.
And on earth peace to men of goodwill.
We praise you, we bless you,
We adore you, we glorify you.
We give you thanks because of your great glory.
Lord God, King of heaven.
God the Father Almighty.
Lord God, only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Who takes away the sins of the world,
receive our supplication.
You who sit at the Father’s right hand, have mercy on us.
For you alone are holy. You alone are Lord.
You alone are most high, Jesus Christ.
With the Holy Spirit in the glory of the Father. Amen.
Offertoire (Laissez paitre vos veste)
Sanctus (O dieu que n’etois je en vie)
Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Agnus Dei (A minuit fut fait un resveil)
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.
About Early Music Missouri:
Early Music Missouri is an organization dedicated to the promotion of Early Music through performance, education and research. Begun as informal concerts in 2018, EMMo presents concerts, workshops, master classes and presentations on Early Music performance across the region. EMMo concerts feature Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and early Classical repertoire played on instruments (originals and reproductions) from these eras. Informed by historical documents and original musical scores and guided by modern research, EMMo offers performances that reflect an Historically Informed Approach to technique, interpretation and performance. To meet this end, EMMo presents expert performers and performer/scholars who are some of the finest musicians of our region as well as out-of-town guest artists.
Firmly dedicated to its audience and its performers, EMMo presents quality Early Music performances to a growing St. Louis audience while offering local and regional performers paying opportunities to reach this audience.
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