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All of these initiatives are organized by the Bishop Carroll Music Society. https://bishopcarroll.cssd.ab.ca/music-society

Okâwîmâw Askiy, by Sherryl Sewepagaham

Story of the Song

Okâwîmâw Askiy (Mother Earth) began as a vocable song and Cree words were added to bring more meaning. The intention of the song is love, hope and standing in unity to take better care of our mother earth, Okâwîmâw Askiy. A first-person plural perspective is intentional for us to speak directly to her as we sing to her as her children: Mother Earth, we are your children. We love you.

Okâwîmâw Askiy (Mother Earth) is intended to be performed outside on the land, using the gifts of the land (such as leaves) in performance. Body percussion is to be used instead of a frame drum to symbolize the peoples’ connection to the land.

 Traditional Cree Teachings About the Earth and Land

The Elders teach us that as Cree people, we have a reciprocal relationship with Mother Earth. She teaches us many things and our responsibility is to protect and care for her. The land and rivers are to be shared among all humans; we do not own Mother Earth or parts of Mother Earth. The land provides us with all that we need to survive and thrive such as water, air, food, shelter, medicines, and fire. Mother Earth has given every living being a purpose on the earth, be they swimmers, crawlers, winged ones, two-footed creatures or four-footed beings. Creation stories speak of humans as the last to be created. We all need to share the responsibility of taking care of our mother earth for future generations.

Okâwîmâw Askiy Text & Translation

Okâwîmâw askiy (Mother Earth)

Niyanân kitawâsimsak (We are your children)

Kisâkihitinan (We love you)

Apple Tree, by Aurora, arranged by Katerina Gimon

In the words of singer-songwriter Aurora, Apple Tree is a song is about "the potential hidden in all of us". The lyrics address the urgency of the global climate crisis but serves as a hopeful reminder that within each and every one of us lies the power to make a difference. If we unite, listen, and support one another, together we can "save the world."

Apple Tree Lyrics

All of my life I've been hunting

I've been a girl, I've been a boy

Digging my feet into the ground

Like an apple tree

Wanting to live with a purpose

Skin is a word, love is not a sin

People are bad, people are good

Just like the moon is a stone

But it's a star when it's dark

And now she's hiding

If you've seen what a heart is, You've seen its colour

If I ever knew how we could guide it

I would take care of its children, Become their mother

If I ever knew how we could hide it, Hide it

Chorus:

Let her save the world

She is just a girl

Let him save them all

He is just a boy

Let her save the world

She is just a girl

Let him save them all

He is just a boy

Hunger is quiet, if you do it right

Hunter is loud and predictable

Scaring away every prey

So they are gone

Before the hunter arrives

Would you be kind, and put away your sword

You cannot cut away what we got

You cannot kill what we are

We are not here

In physical form

You've seen where the knife is, Its dark location

If I ever knew how we could fight it

I would cut into our anger, Make pure emotion

If I ever knew how we could hide it, Hide it

Chorus

Can you carry the weight of mortality?

The explosions around you are your symphony

Chorus

The Great Locomotive Chase, by Robert W. Smith

On April 12, 1862, one of the most daring exploits of the Civil War occurred: the theft of the Confederate supply train called The General.  What followed became one of the most dramatic events of the war. Composer Robert W. Smith captures the excitement of this historic event and set it to music that allows the listeners to easily imagine the events as they hear train whistles, the clang of bells and the frenzied chugging of overworked engines down to the desperate last gasps!  

The Clapping Song, by Randall D. Standridge

What do you get when you mix symphonic motivic development, a touch of country hoedown, and a hint of jazz, all tied together with clapping from the ensemble? This unique selection is as much fun to play as it is hard to describe. Colorful orchestration and engaging percussion are used to great effect in this piece that will have you tapping your toes before you know it! 

Music of Stillness

Sara Teasdale's poem "There Will Be Rest: frames this stunning choral piece. Soaring phrases conjure up images of "stars shining, dream, crystal peace . . . finding the music of stillness." Following a serene opening, the piece rises and falls through powerful phrases as well as passages of great tranquility, ending with the same sense of stillness with which it begins. 

Music of Stillness, Text by Sara Teasdale

There will be rest, and sure stars shining

Over the roof-tops crowned with snow,

A reign of rest, serene forgetting,

The music of stillness holy and low.

I will make this world of my devising

Out of a dream in my lonely mind.

I shall find the crystal of peace, 

–above me

Stars I shall find.

Daniel

Based on two African-American Spirituals, Daniel, Daniel, Servant of the Lord and Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel?, Rollo Dilworth's arrangement honours his African-American roots. Daniel feature layered textures, strong harmonies, and a powerful message.

Daniel, Traditional Text 

Daniel. Oh, Daniel.

Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den,

unmoved by the circumstance that he was in.

Oh, the king cried, “Oh, Daniel, Daniel!

Oh, a-that-a Hebrew Daniel, servant of the Lord!”

Among the Hebrew nation, one Hebrew, Daniel was found.

They put him in-a the lion’s den, and he stayed there all night long.

Oh, the king cried, “Oh, Daniel, Daniel!

Oh, a-that-a Hebrew Daniel, servant of the Lord!”

Now the king in his sleep was troubled, and early in the morning he rose

To find God had sent His angel down to lock the lion’s jaw.

Didn’t my Lord deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel, deliver Daniel.

Didn’t my Lord deliver Daniel, and why not every man?

Didn’t my Lord deliver Daniel?

Oh, the king cried, “Oh, Daniel, Daniel, oh!”

Oh, a-that-a Hebrew Daniel, faithful servant,

Servant of Daniel

Servant of the Lord!

Mars (from The Planets), by Gustav Holst, arranged by William Owens

'The Planets' suite was written as a result of Holst's interest in the astrological characters of the seven then known planets in our solar system (he didn’t include Earth and Pluto had yet to be discovered). These characters differ from their mythological personalities.

He completed Mars, the opening movement, in a rural cottage during August,1914, before the outbreak of World War I. He completed the remaining movements over the next 2 years and the first performance was given in London in September, 1918 under the baton of Sir Adrian Boult. 

Mars, the Bringer of War, portrays a world in the grip of cold, implacable brutality. Brass and percussion hold center stage throughout, pounding out harsh blocks of sound over an equally implacable, motor like rhythmic tread, in the jagged, not often-used meter of 5 beats to a measure. After a grindingly dissonant climax, the war machine pauses desolately for a moment, only to power ahead to a devastatingly powerful conclusion. 

Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral, by Richard Wagner, transcribed by Lucien Calliet

Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral (1850) is taken from Wagner's opera Lohengrin. The story takes place in the court of King Henry I, where Elsa is accused of having murdered her brother, Gottfried. The knight Lohengrin arrives on a boat drawn by a swan and offers to defend and marry Elsa on the condition that she never ask his name. The music in this selection, from the beginning of the fourth scene from Act II, is the beautiful, dramatic bridal procession followed by a chorus. A long train of ladies, magnificently attired, proceeds slowly, finally ascending the steps of the church. After the second theme is presented, Elsa appears amid the processional train, and the noblemen respectfully bare their heads as Elsa begins her magnificent journey to the cathedral for her wedding to Lohengrin. 

Suzume no Tojimari Collection, by Miyagawa Seiji

Suzume Iwato is a high school girl who lives in a small town in Kyūshū. After a harrowing dream one morning, she sets off for school, only to encounter a young man along the way. The movie, directed by Makoto Shinkai, follows Suzume and the traveller, Sōta Munakata, as they travel across Japan to seal off the doors that appear across the nation, setting off a string of disasters. Along the way, Suzume’s experiences drive her own growth, giving her the strength for her to be herself.

Suzume no Tojimari Collection features four main themes from the movie:

Suzume

Tamaki

Tears of Suzume

KANATAHALUKA 

Rollo Takes a Walk, by David Maslanka

Rollo is a fictional character created by the American composer Charles Ives who lived from 1875 to 1953. Ives used Rollo in his writings about music as the model of an average person with conservative musical tastes. Ives would say “Rollo would really like that tune!” or “Rollo wouldn’t like that one at all!” Rollo was Ives’ measuring stick for a level of American popular taste. The irony was that Rollo wouldn’t have liked most of Ives’ own music. So, in “Rollo Takes a Walk”: he moves among tunes that he likes, and some stuff that’s hard for him. Finally, “Rollo” is simply a quirky little bit of fun, a bit of a musical cartoon. I hope you enjoy!

Program Note by David Maslanka

Lamentations of Jeremiah, Z. Randall Stroope, band arrangement by R. D. Helvering

The Book of Lamentations is a collection of five poems that serve as an anguished response to the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C., after a long siege by the invading Babylonian army. 

This piece is a study of humanity - of universal human emotions. Suffering, anger, self-pity, frustration – to a greater or lesser degree – is common to all human beings. This work captures five very different, but intertwined emotions: feeling grief-stricken (opening “moans” as Jeremiah is collapsed in rubble of destroyed Jerusalem); striking out in anger at those who pass by (“o vos omnes”); completely consumed in self-pity (“Si est dolor”); enraged/pleading to perceived abandonment (“recordare Domine”); and the inability to effectively face waves of overwhelming circumstances (final section – “Recordare! O vos omnes! O Domine!…). 

This setting of lamentations seeks to capture the wide range of emotions which Jeremiah must have felt grief-stricken, alone, ready to cry out, sobbing uncontrollably, and torn between belief and his circumstance. Indeed, the composer has sought to firmly root the listener's feet “ in the soil” of life and let him or her feel sorrow in one breath and love in the next. The piece ends in a sudden overwhelming feeling of confidence and unleashed power in his Lord (“Domine”) and the strength of that relationship in difficult times. 

Lamentations of Jeremiah, Text & Translation

O vos Omnes! (All You People)

Qui transitis per viam, O vos omnes! (Who pass this way, Oh You People)

Atendite, atendite! (Attend)

Videte, videte, videte, videte! (And See)

Si est dolor, dolor, sicut dolor, meus! (If there is any sorrow like my sorrow)

Recodare domine intuere respice! (Remember O Lord, Look!)

Recodare! (Remember!)

Recodare domine oprobrium nostrum! (Remember O Lord, Our Disgrace)

Recodare! (Remember!)

O vos omnes! (All You People!)

O Domine! (O Lord!)

Congratulations to our 2024 Concerto Competition winner, Malcolm Clarke, Cello.

Concerto in E-minor, Opus 85, Movement 1, Adagio-Moderato, by Edward Elgar

Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85, his last major completed work, is a cornerstone of the solo cello repertoire. Composed in the aftermath of the First World War near the end of Elgar's output, the piece was premiered in October 1919. The concerto opens with a cello recitative-like theme and the remainder of the first movement is characterized by broad, lyrical motifs of an elegiac nature.

Song for Friends, by Larry Daehn

Originally written for concert band, this lush transcription for string orchestra by Kyoto Sila features both tender and sweeping lyrical phrases beginning in the key of G major.  Following a modulation to D major, the piece climaxes before ending in a delicate denouement to a niente finish.  A fitting tribute to beloved friends in our musical community!

Rogue Rider, by Doug Spata

Rogue Rider is a dramatic selection in a fast 3/4 time with daring rhythms and sweeping romantic melodies.  It is an piece to reinforce shifting, precision bowing, style changes and higher-level musicianship skills.  The Cantabile Strings have enjoyed learning and performing this high-octane energetic selection and we hope you enjoy coming along on the ride tonight!

Does the World Say? by Kyle Pederson 

"Too many times in my own personal experience, I allowed myself to be unduly influenced by the opinions and expectations of others. And as a junior and senior high teacher and coach, I saw this pressure play out daily on my students. And now as a father of young children, I watch as they, too, struggle with expectations the world throws at them. Does the World Say? names a few of these pressures, hoping that by naming them they might hold a bit less power over us. The piece then affirms the importance and power of friendship--and the gift available to us to walk alongside somebody buckling under the weight of expectation to remind them that they are not alone, and to remind them that others do not get to define who they are."

-Kyle Pederson (composer) 

Does the world say
that you don't look the right way?
Does the world say
that you're just not enough? 

Does the world say
that this isn’t the right spot?
When it wants you there but not here
and tells you all the things you are not.

I've been there, too.
It's hard to shut my ears to the noise.
I don't stand a chance if it's me in this world all alone.
The chatter is deafening, too overwhelming,
hard to find my way home.
So take my hand...don’t let go. 

Does the world say
that you don’t think the right things?
Does the world say
that you’re not worth the time?

Does the world laugh
when you fall, when you cry?
Does it turn the other way
every time you walk by?

I'm growing, learning,
loving, becoming.

So take my hand...don’t let go.

Gap of Dunloe, by Chris Thomas 

For millennia, travellers followed the sheep trails through the Gop of Dunloe, an imposing wedge of earth cut from the MacGillycudy's Reeks in Ireland.  It is an amazing sight, and truly spectacular in scale, with seven miles of steep, craggy cliffs, three lakes, an old wishing bridge, ancient ruins, and herds of curly-horned mountain sheep.  The piece begins with a plaintive violin solo with a pizzicato accompaniment, soon to be joined by the entire orchestral force.  Let this piece transport you to rural, rugged Ireland!

Digital Dash, by Deborah Baker Monday

Digital Dash is a fast and fun finger excursion using the notes of the D major scale (with an F natural thrown in for good measure) and is based on the 12-bar blues harmony with mostly stepwise melodic opportunities for each section.  The piece features the “pizzicato” technique in which students pluck their strings, rather than bow them.

Beach Spring, by Deborah Baker Monday

Beach Spring comes from "The Sacred Harp" a tunebook dating back to 1844 containing American hymns, anthems and odes.  Benjamin Franklin White (1800-1879) wrote the melody for Beach Spring, written in 4 parts, a cappella for voices.  Deborah Baker Monday, well-known American string teacher and composer has created this beautiful arrangement for string orchestra.

Rain Festival, by Jeremy Woolstenhulme

One of the hit pieces in the modern string orchestral repertoire, Rain Festival is a programmatic work depicting the beginning of a gentle rainfall and developing into a fast-paced, syncopated festival celebrating the joys of the rainy season.

Ritmo, by Dan Davison 

Featuring an accompaniment for four-hand piano and the choir’s own “rhythmic” body percussion, our opening selection is a celebration of the joy, peace, and hope that music offers our lives.  With a Spanish text by the composer, Ritmo urgently calls all people and all voices to join together in song.

Ritmo. (Rhythm)

Batir las manos al ritmo. (Clap your hands to the rhythm)

Hábilmente. (Capably)

Canten en coro gozoso, (Sing in joyful chorus)

Con amor y esperanza. (With love and hope)

Cantaremos en ritmo. (We will sing in rhythm)

Cantaremos en coro. (We will sing in chorus)

Levanten sus voces. (Lift your voices) 

Levanta su corazón. (Lift your heart)

Con instrumentos musicales, (With musical instruments)

Cantaremos de libertad y de amor. (We will sing of freedom and love)

Hagen en harmonia. (Make harmony)

Vamos a cantar y a jugar. (Let's go and play)

Totas voces, todas gentes (All Voices, All People)

Con todas voces, con Instrumentos, (With your voice, your instrument)

Con esperanza, y con ritmo.  (Your soul and with rhythm)

Batir las manos al ritmo. (Clap your hands to the rhythm)

Batir las manos con toda la gente, (Clap your hands together)

Con Todas voces, (With all voices)

con alegría y con gozo. (With energy and joy)

Cantaremos con gozo. (We sing with joy)

Con amor y esperanza. (With love and joy)

Cantaremos de paz. (Sing for peace)

Cantaremos de amor. (Sing for love)

Cantaremos con alegría y con gozo. (Sing with energy and joy)

Ritmo. (Rhthym)

Down to the River to Pray

"Down to the River to Pray" is a traditional American song variously described as a Christian folk hymn, an African-American spiritual, an Appalachian song, and a gospel song. It gained popularity in 2000 after Alison Krauss performed it for the soundtrack of the film, O Brother, Where Art Thou?

The exact origin of the song is unknown. The earliest known version of the song, titled "The Good Old Way," was published in Slave Songs of the United States in 1867. The song (#104) is credited to "Mr. G. H. Allan" of Nashville, Tennessee, who was likely the transcriber rather than the author. 

In some versions, "in the river" is replaced by "to the river". The phrase "in the river" is significant, for two reasons. The more obvious reason is that the song has often been sung at outdoor baptisms (such as the full-immersion baptism depicted in 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?'). Another reason is that many slave songs contained coded messages for escaping. When the slaves escaped, they would walk in the river because the water would cover their scent from the bounty-hunters' dogs. Similarly, the "starry crown" could refer to navigating their escape by the stars. And "Good Lord, show me the way" could be a prayer for God's guidance to find the escape route, commonly known as "the Underground Railroad." 

As I went down to the river to pray,

Studyin’ about that good ol’ way

And who shall wear the starry crown.

Good Lord, show me the way.

O sisters, let’s go down, let’s go down, come on down.

O sisters, let’s go down, down to the river to pray.

As I went down to the river to pray, 

Studyin’ about that good ol’ way 

And who shall wear the robe and crown.

Good Lord, show me the way.

O brothers, let’s go down, let’s go down, come on down.

Come on brothers, let’s go down, down to the river to pray.

As I went down to the river to pray,

Studyin’ about that good ol’ way

And who shall wear the starry crown,

Good Lord, show me the way.

O fathers, let’s go down, let’s go down, com on down.

O fathers, let’s go down, down to the river to pray.

As I went down to the river to pray,

Studyin’ about that good ol’ way

And who shall wear the robe and crown.

Good Lord, show me the way.

O mothers, let’s go down, come on down, don’t-cha wanna go down.

Come on mothers, let’s go down, down to the river to pray.

As I went down to the river to pray, 

Studyin’ about that good ol’ way

And who shall wear the starry crown.

Good Lord, show me the way.

O sinners, let’s go down, let’s go down, come on down.

O sinners, let’s go down, down to the river to pray.

Serenade for Strings, IV. Larghetto, by Antonin Dvorak

Antonin Dvorak wrote his tuneful Serenade for Strings in just 12 days in 1875.  Hailed as a landmark work in the string orchestral repertoire, the Larghetto - the fourth of five movements - is an exquisite and achingly beautiful lyrical work in ABA form.  

Hungarian Dance No. 1, by Johannes Brahms, arranged by F. Rodgers

Johannes Brahms wrote 21 lively dances based on Hungarian tunes in 1879.  These are among Brahms' most popular (and profitable) compositions.  Originally written for piano, four hands, this evening's rendition has been masterfully arranged for string orchestra by Frank Rodgers.

Romeo & Juliet Overture, by Piotr Illyich Tchaikovsky, arranged by Richard Meyer

Tchaikovsky wrote this overture in 1869, at the age of 29, at the behest of his teacher and mentor, Balakirev. Opening with a long and solemn chorale sung by clarinets and bassoons, two contrasting main themes soon emerge. The first, brutal and nervous, represents the warring Capulet and Montague families. The second is the splendid and familiar love theme for Romeo and Juliet. This theme has been referred to as “ the best love music there is…” 

A development section (complete with warring families) is brilliantly scored and developed before the recapitulation.  Herein, the love theme melody receives its most grand statement. At the conclusion, the music moves into a quiet, reflective segment with quiet timpani. Steadily the music retreats into deep sadness:  what futility and tragedy had occurred.  A roaring conclusion marked by aggressive, angry timpani and a stern chord brings the Overture to its close.

BAND DIRECTOR: Jeff Waterbury

Jeff Waterbury has taught music in the Calgary Catholic School District since 2011, and during that time he has taught all levels of music from kindergarten through grade 12. He received his Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Education degrees from the University of Calgary and has been active in the Calgary music scene as a teacher, conductor, performer, and clinician for over 20 years.

Throughout his teaching career, Jeff has served as the music director at Dr. Gordon Higgins School, St. Ambrose School, Our Lady of Grace School, St. Martin de Porres High School, St. Boniface Parish, the Calgary Stampede Showband, and is currently the director of the Calgary Stetson Show Band. During his time as a music educator, he has helped to lead bands on tours to Asia, South America, Europe, the United States, and across Canada.

Jeff is a regular performer with the Alberta Winds wind ensemble, and he is on the executive board for CADME, the Calgary association for the development of music education.

CHOIR DIRECTOR: Andrea Ciona

Andrea Ciona is a highly distinguished conductor, performer, adjudicator, and educator. Currently the Artistic Director of Calgary's own internationally recognized award winning Spiritus Chamber Choir, Andrea has also been Director of Choirs at Bishop Carroll High School in Calgary, Alberta, since 2010. Her Bishop Carroll Choral Ensembles are regularly recognized for their outstanding artistry and skill, having won national and international awards. Andrea is the founding director of the Rocky Mountain Symphony Chorus, and regularly performs with the Symphony. Currently on faculty at Mount Royal University Conservatory of Music, Andrea leads the Advanced Performance Program in Choral Conducting, mentoring Calgary's up and coming Choral Conductors. Previously Andrea has served on faculty at Red Deer College School of Music and worked with Alberta Education on the Provincial Arts Education Curriculum Redesign. In her free time, Andrea loves traveling and exploring the world with her husband and two children.

Andrea holds degrees from the University of British Columbia (B. Mus, Performance & M. Mus, Choral Conducting) and the University of Calgary (B. Ed, Secondary Music).