WSMA State Honors Concerts

- It is my distinct privilege to introduce to you the 2024 WSMA High School State Honor Mixed Choir and their distinguished conductor Daniel Bara.

[audience applauding and cheering] ["Responsorial #1" by Eric Barnum] All worlds, all natures Mood and measure keep Shouting through one valley Shouting through one valley For praise and ceaseless gratulation Poured into the ear of God, their Lord Shouting, shouting, shouting All worlds, all natures All mood and measure As deep to deep calls Poured into the ear of God O shout, all worlds, shout Shout for praise, shout Shout, all worlds, shout Into the ear of God Shouting through one valley Shouting through one valley All worlds, all natures All mood and measure All worlds, all natures Shout, shout Praise, shout Into the ear of God Shout The heavens are telling the glory of God The wonder of His work Displays the firmament The wonder of His work Displays the firmament The day that is coming speaks to the day The night that is gone to following night The night that is gone to following night The heavens are telling the glory of God The wonder of His work The wonder of His work Displays, displays the firmament The wonder of His work The wonder of His work Displays the firmament In all the lands In all the lands In all the lands Resounds the word Resounds the word Never unperceived Ever understood Ever, ever, ever understood In all the lands In all the lands Resounds the word Resounds the word Never unperceived Ever understood Ever, ever, ever understood Ever, ever Ever, ever understood The heavens are telling the glory of God The wonder of His work The wonder of His work Displays, displays the firmament The wonder of His work Displays the firmament The wonder of His work Displays the firmament The wonder of His work Displays the firmament The wonder of His work Displays the firmament The wonder of His work Displays the firmament The wonder of His work Displays the firmament The wonder of His work Displays the firmament The wonder of His work Displays the firmament The wonder of His work Displays the firmament Displays the firmament The wonder of His work The wonder of His work Displays the firmament The heavens are telling the glory of God The wonder of His work Displays the firmament Displays the firmament Displays the firmament The wonder of His work The wonder of His work Displays, displays the firmament The heavens are telling the glory of God The wonder of His work Displays the firmament Displays the firmament Displays the firmament Displays the firmament Displays the firmament [ending piano note] [audience cheering and applauding] - What a treat to be able to work with amazing talent like this and put together a program like this.

I wanted to just offer a little bit of a narrative about how the program is put together.

The first two pieces celebrate creation, and I hope you felt the energy involved in both of those pieces.

The first short thing and then the classic piece by Hadyn from his famous oratorial "Creation."

The next part of the program explores love and love lost.

And so we move into a piece with really elegant and beautiful Spanish poetry by Neruda, talks about romantic and domestic love.

And then we move to "Rossetti" poem set by Dello Joio that talks about love lost and love's passage by way of death.

And so we're thrown into the world of someone who misses a loved one who's passed away and is longing for that dream space where they might feel visited once again by that person who's passed into the other other world.

So a really rather intense and very beautiful and poignant piece and poem.

And then that's followed by an African piece that sort of expresses love of one's religious savior and how that figure has been taken away.

And so we hope you enjoy these next three pieces that explore this sense of love and love lost.

["Tu Sangre En La Mia" by Shawn Kirchner] [gentle piano music] [singing in Spanish] [singing in Spanish] [singing in Spanish] [audience applauding] ["Come To Me, My Love" by Norman Dello Joio] [gentle piano music] Come to me in the night Come to me In the silence of the dark'ning night Come to me Come in the speaking silence of a dream With soft and rounded cheeks And eyes as bright as sunlight on a stream O, come, come back in tears My love of finished years Of finished years In dreams too sweet Too sweet, too bittersweet Of Paradise where souls of love abide and meet Where souls of love abide and meet Come back, my love Come back to me [gentle piano music] Yet come to me in dreams That I may live my life again In dreams that I may live my life again A mem'ry of those thirsty, longing eyes Those eyes so bright Those thirsty, longing eyes Come back to me, my love That I may give Pulse for pulse Breath for breath Speak low Speak low Lean low Lean low O, come in silent dreams, my love And whisper low As long ago [audience applauding] [piano playing opening pitches] ["Indodana" by Michael Barrett and Ralf Schmitt] [singing in isiXhosa] [singing in isiXhosa] [singing in isiXhosa] [singing in isiXhosa] [singing in isiXhosa] [audience applauding and cheering] The next two pieces.

Well, next three pieces all are pieces that long for a brighter future and have different ways of expressing that.

The first piece is by the blues singer/songwriter Ruthie Foster, wrote this really cool piece called "Mama Said."

And it's her reflections on the advice and counsel of her mama.

Might ring true for many of us as we hear these words and it just offers a really cool style shift in the program.

The piece that follows that is the very familiar piece "Somewhere" from Bernstein's West Side Story with text by Stephen Sondheim.

When I saw the most recent movie incarnation of this great story and this great musical, I was really taken by how this piece, which I always thought of as being a love song, was reframed as more of a wish that the world would adopt the sentiment that there's a place out there, there's a time for us where we can be better to one another.

And so I offer that as a way of framing your hearing of these two pieces as we sing them for you.

Hope you enjoy.

["Mama Said" by Ruthie Foster] [choir vocalizing] Oh mama said girl you better learn how to pray Oh you've got a soul a soul to save Girl you've been looking for an education Child you better fall on your knees Before you fall in the wrong direction Through many of the trials I have known Tryin' to give my children a happy home Through times of trouble and tears from worry Trying to keep my head held high Teach my feet not to be in such a hurry Oh it was a cold February morn' East Texas Bay, that girl was born I prayed for her soul to sing a righteous song Whoa and when my head grows cold Lord keep her in a light that's strong [choir humming] Oh Mama said girl you better learn how to pray Oh you've got a soul a soul to save Girl you've been looking for an education [choir humming] ["Somewhere, Somewhere" by Stephen Sondheim] Somewhere, somewhere, somewhere Somewhere there's a place for us Somewhere a place for us Peace and quiet and open air Wait for us somewhere There's a time for us Someday a time for us Time together with time to spare Time to learn, time to care Someday Someday Someday Someday We'll find a new way of living Someday We'll find a way of forgiving Someday a time for us Someday a time Someday Someday a time, someday a time There's a place for us Some place A time and place for us A time and place A time and place A time and place A place for us Hold my hand and we're half way there Hold my hand and I'll take you there Somehow Someday Somewhere There's a place for us Ahhh Ahhh [audience applauding and cheering] We have one more to close out our program.

But before we get into that, just a few thank yous.

First of all, to all the teachers in this state that are making this happen.

I feel like it's pretty easy for someone to pop in for a couple days and get a lot of credit, but these students are amazing talents and they've been cultivated for years by amazing teaching in this state.

And so hats off to all of you that have made this happen.

Hats off to parents that have encouraged this and allowed this to happen.

It's just a real pleasure to be able to come to this state and make great music and make connections in an environment as beautiful as the one that I've enjoyed.

So thank you all.

[audience applauding] And it's just been a dream and a real privilege to make music alongside Michele Klotz who's at the keyboard here.

Every note that we learned was in large part because of her sitting at that piano.

And then you've heard her beautiful playing tonight.

So thank you so much Michele.

[audience applauding] And as I shared with the dream team earlier this afternoon, a big part of why this has been such a joyful experience has been the leadership of this choir in the form of Jennifer and Anthony and Taylor and Derek.

They are the section leaders.

And to see the professionalism and love that they share with these students at every minute has been entirely inspiring.

And so I just can't wait to get together with them again sometime soon because they have become family and they're certainly family to your students now.

And so I thank you guys so much.

[audience applauding] Our last piece is a bit of a valedictory poem.

It offers this notion that only the sky is the limit.

It's a beautiful piece composed by American composer Elaine Hagenberg, and I think you'll sense from the energy and spirit of the singing that it's a piece that students have connected to.

And so I hope that you enjoy our parting song, "Measure Me Sky."

[audience cheering] ["Measure Me Sky" by Elaine Hagenberg] [soft piano music] Measure me sky Measure me sky [soft piano music] Tell me I reach by a song Nearer the stars Nearer the stars Tell me I reach by a song I have been little so long Sky, be my depth Wind, be my width and my height Sky, be my depth Wind, be my width and my height Measure me, sky Measure me, sky Measure me, sky Measure me, sky Ah Ah [gentle piano music] Horizon, reach out Catch at my hands Stretch me taut Rim of the world Widen my eyes By a thought Sky, be my depth Wind, be my width and my height Sky, be my depth Wind, be my width and my height Measure me sky Measure me sky Measure me sky World, oh world, my heart's span Loveliness, wings for my flight For my flight World, my heart's span Loveliness, wings for my flight Wings for my flight Measure me sky Measure me sky Measure me sky Measure me sky Ah [audience applauding and cheering] [audience chatting indistinctly]