Program notes

As The Spectrum Singers' first concert this season occurs on the day following Veterans Day it seemed wholly appropriate to present a program of music which honors the sacrifice and patriotism of our service men and women and which also calls attention to their cause – the eradication of tyranny and the quest for peace.

We begin with Marcel Dupré's powerful Poème Héroïque, op. 33. Dupré is one of France's most esteemed composer/organists. His career at Saint-Sulpice in Paris was legendary, and organists from all over the world paid homage to him by visiting his organ loft there to observe and to marvel at his virtuosity and his extra-ordinary improvisations. His published music for organ is bedrock repertoire embraced by organists worldwide, but his music scored for instruments other than organ is not nearly as well known. This particular music was composed for the 1935 – completed restoration of the Cathedral of Verdun and its great organ, which had been terribly damaged during the 10-month-long Battle of Verdun in 1916, in which almost one million casualties were suffered. The French Armed Forces, with help from the American Army, ultimately prevailed in the protracted battle, and this "victory," though horrifically costly, became a rallying point of pride throughout France. Thus, when the Verdun cathedral was restored, Dupré was invited to play the first organ recital there, and the Poème Héroïque was given its premiere.

One cannot separate the ecclesiastical from the patriotic sense of occasion that prevailed that day, of which Dupré as a loyal Frenchman was well aware. Thus his Poème, scored for organ, brass, and field drum, resonates with churchly fervor and is tellingly colored by the canny addition of this particular kind of drum, the specific sound of which has long been associated with the military.

In 1923, a mere five years after the cessation of hostilities in World War I, Ralph Vaughan Williams began work on his Sancta Civitas, an oratorio of optimism and hope for "a new heaven and a new earth" after the atrocities he had so recently observed. Only ten years later would the unimaginable recurrence of hostilities be so ominous that he began work on his impassioned plea for peace which we hear in all its intensity in Dona Nobis Pacem.

Incorporating the verse of his favorite poet, the American Walt Whitman, plus texts from the Latin Mass, Old Testament prophets' testimony, a famous House of Commons speech by John Bright, and the King James New Testament, Vaughan Williams crafted from these disparate sources an extraordinarily moving work for chorus, soprano and baritone solos and orchestra, united in exposition of the horrors of war and the deep, inevitable laments which result from conflict.

Benjamin Britten must have known this music well. There are so many echoes of the earlier composition in his War Requiem, though there the war being specifically lamented was World War I, and the poetry employed was that of Wilfred Owen. As one example of parallels between these works – the depiction and terrified recollection of artillery shells flying overhead with their hideous whining sound. Vaughan Williams paints this idea with the dropping chromaticisms at the second movement's text "...heavier drums," and Britten the Owen text set as a sinuous, wavering tenor solo in the early pages of the Requiem Aeternam: "...The shrill demented choirs of wailing shells..."

Other commentators hear the influence of Verdi's Requiem, suggesting that Vaughan Williams' second movement Beat! beat! drums! acts as a parallel to the Verdi's Dies Irae. Perhaps so, though I'm not wholly convinced. Of one thing I am sure, though – there is no other music in Vaughan Williams' canon so relentless as this, so ruthless, so mowing down of all in its path.

Though much is violent in this remarkable work, there are moments of great beauty – the Whitman verse that depicts the "ghastly, phantom,... Immense and silent moon," and the music composed for "Word over all, beautiful as the sky..." heard at the beginning and end of the third movement: Reconciliation.

The Fourth movement Dirge for Two Veterans, incorporates music from the earlier Sancta Civitas. Its text tells of a "new made double grave," dug for the two soldiers of its title. It isn't until the poem's fifth stanza that we're appalled to learn that the two slain souls to soon inhabit the freshly dug ground are father and son – a remarkably ingenious turn of the verse, and of the music which accompanies this sad realization.

The fifth movement uses a portion John Bright's extraordinary "angel of death" speech that he had given in the House of Commons during the Crimean War. This frightening text conjures up a repeat, fortissimo, of the desperate plea for peace heard in the oratorio's early moments followed by a haunting, canonical setting of Jeremiah replete with the neighing of troubling horses and none of the promised balm of Gilead.

The baritone soloist then intones Daniel and Haggai, leading to the continuous build of excitement that presages the music's finale.

The oratorio approaches its end with a spirit of optimism, breaking forth in a brilliant Gloria. Yet, this joy is tempered in the penultimate measures with a return of the text and the soprano solo that opened the work. The Latin Mass plea for peace – Dona nobis pacem – is heard first from the a cappella chorus, then from the soprano soloist, whose repeated "pacem" iterations are finally left alone to echo in unanswered, unresolved silence. "Shall we have peace?" the composer seems to ask. History was to answer that question in the negative.

When will we ever learn...?


Aaron Copland's brief but stirring Fanfare for the Common Man was one of eighteen fanfares commissioned by conductor Eugene Goossens for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The year was 1942, and Goossens' aim was to foster patriotic spirit during World War II.

Copland wrote of the request: "Eugene Goossens, conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, had written to me at the end of August about an idea he wanted to put into action for the 1942-43 concert season. During World War I he had asked British composers for a fanfare to begin each orchestral concert. It had been so successful that he thought to repeat the procedure in World War II with American composers." Goossens had suggested titles such as Fanfare for Soldiers, or sailors or airmen, and he wrote that "[i]t is my idea to make these fanfares stirring and significant contributions to the war effort..." Copland considered several titles including Fanfare for a Solemn Ceremony and Fanfare for Four Freedoms. To Goossens' surprise, however, Copland titled the piece Fanfare for the Common Man. The composer had acknowledged that he may have been influenced in part by a famous and broadcast-disseminated speech made earlier in the same year in which Vice-President Henry A. Wallace proclaimed the dawning of the "Century of the Common Man."

Other fanfares were supplied by Walter Piston, Paul Creston, Virgil Thomson, Darius Milhaud, Leo Sowerby and Howard Hanson. Though these and the other eleven fanfares have pretty much dropped from performance, Copland's remains securely in the active repertoire, doubtless due in part to its all-embracing title, but also because of the nobility of its theme. Three years after its composition, Copland took up the fanfare once more, elaborating it and incorporating it into the finale of his Symphony No. 3.

Randall Thompson (1899-1984) ranks as one of America's leading 20th-century choral composers. His 1940 anthem, Alleluia, written to commemorate the opening the Berkshire Music Center has been a best-selling choral work in this country year after year. A member of the Class of 1920 at Harvard, Thompson studied in the U.S. with Ernst Bloch and in Italy with Gian Francesco Malipiero. In 1941 Thompson became chairman of the music department of the School of Fine Arts at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. In 1942, the University asked him to compose a work for its April 13, 1943 "Founders Day," the 200th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Jefferson, whose founding of that University in 1819 has been described as the greatest work of his retirement. Thompson chose to set texts from Jefferson's own writings: the opening, "The God Who Gave Us Life" is from his seminal 1774 pamphlet, "A Summary View of the Rights of British America." The second and third parts comprise lengthy passages from his 1775 "Declaration of Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms," written in response to the fighting at Lexington and Concord. The final movement's text is drawn from an 1821 letter Jefferson had written to John Adams. Adams had been once a strong critic of Jefferson, and it's poignant to note that in 1826 the two would die within hours of each other.

At the time of this powerful music's composition, the American public was not yet convinced of a successful outcome of World War II, but it was beginning to sense a growing advantage in the four battle fronts in which it was engaged:

>  in early 1943, and at great cost, the Russians finally triumphed over the German invaders

>  though still putting up a ferocious resistance, Erwin Rommel's Afrika Corps had been pushed back into Tunisia

>  the British had valiantly defended against Hitler's Blitzkrieg, yet the Axis powers still prevailed in almost all of Europe, from Norway to Sicily and from the Atlantic to the Bosporus

>  Japan, though defeated at Midway, still held sway over 100 million people.

At home, there were stringent controls on travel, rationing of food and fuel, and civilian defense initiatives. It was still feared that Japan might attack the US mainland (they had already landed in the Aleutians). A singleness of purpose in manufacturing, agriculture, education, and government, was directed solely to the war effort. In that environment, patriotic expression was not only tolerated, but promoted. Small wonder, then, of the positive reception in 1943 to Thompson's inspired setting of Jefferson's words, originally penned to propel his American countrymen toward war with England. Ironically, when The Testament of Freedom was premiered, 167 years had passed since Jefferson's words were written, and England had become America's strongest ally.

The above note on The Testament of Freedom is drawn from material written for the Naperville Chorus (IL) by J. R. Fancher. It has been significantly edited and amended by John W. Ehrlich.

Thompson's music is at once skillfully composed, well orchestrated, and emotionally powerful. Its message may seem dated to some, but the strength of the music and its texts remain appropriate today. Its pan-diatonicism only helps emphasize those moments when the composer chooses to italicize certain words and concepts with a bit of dissonance – "despotism," "voluntary slavery," "barbarism," etc..

In this era of political correctness, it has become unfashionable in some circles to overtly express a strong sense of patriotism and admiration for the extraordinary achievements of the framers of our Constitution. The potent combination of Jefferson's remarkably prescient texts and Thompson's inspiring music provides a strong impetus for a renewed appreciation of those values and ideals that led to the formation this country 235 years ago.

In its original form, The Testament of Freedom was originally scored for men's chorus and piano and later for full orchestra accompaniment. So great was the work's ongoing popularity that the composer also produced a version for mixed voices and orchestra, as well a version accompanied by concert band. Tonight's performance is a 2007 arrangement of the music by Randol Bass. It is scored for brass, percussion, organ, and mixed voices.

Program notes © 2011 by John W. Ehrlich

Soloist Biographies

Laura Serafino Harbert, soprano, is a graduate from Simmons College and the New England Conservatory of Music. Ms. Harbert has been a finalist in the Boston Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing Vocal Song Festival and Competition in 2000 and 2003. Praised for her “bright, blossoming voice…,” Ms. Harbert has performed as a soprano soloist with organizations such as Spectrum Singers, New England Classical Singers, Newton Community Chorus, Vox Consort, Calliope Music, Masterworks Chorale (summer series), Paul Madore Chorale (summer series) performing many works such as: Finzi’s In Terra Pax, Faure’s Requiem, Resphighi’s Lauda per la Nativita del Signore, Haydn’s Missa in Angustiis, Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, Handel’s Messiah, Brahm’s Ein Deutsches Requiem, Rutter’s Requiem, Bach Mass in B Minor (Soprano II), Beethoven's Mass in C and Orff's Carmina Burana.

In addition, Ms. Harbert has performed many operatic roles in workshop through New England Conservatory of Music including Despina in Cosi Fan Tutte, Elisetta in Il Matrimonio Segreto, Gretel in Hansel and Gretel and First Spirit in The Magic Flute. Equally comfortable with musical theater, Ms. Harbert has also starred in productions throughout the Northeast including Carousel (Julie), Oklahoma (Laurey), Brigadoon (Fiona), King and I (Tuptim), and Guys and Dolls (Sarah), many of which earned her E.M.A.C.T. awards.

Ms. Harbert has served as Musical Director for local theaters, school systems and theater performance schools. Ms. Harbert has been a private vocal instructor and coach since 1996.


Mark Andrew Cleveland, bass, has performed extensively throughout New England. A versatile performer, his repertoire ranges from chant to contemporary works and oratorio to opera. Mr. Cleveland has performed frequently in Boston with many distinguished organizations including The Cantata Singers, Boston Baroque, Masterworks Chorale, and the Brookline Chorus. He was also the soloist in the premiere of Earl Kim's Scenes from a Movie, Part 3: the 26th dream, and created the role of 'Tennyson' in the premiere of Andy Vores' opera, Freshwater. In addition, he premiered the song cycle Cynthia, a commissioned work written for him by Marilyn Ziffrin. Recent performances include 'Jesus' in Bach's St. Matthew Passion with The Cantata Singers, Beethoven's Missa Solemnis with the Chatham Chorale, and Haydn's Theresienmesse with the Spectrum Singers.

Mr. Cleveland has recorded with Boston Baroque in Glück's Iphigenie en Tauride and participated in the Grammy award winning of Barber's Antony and Cleopatra, with the Spoleto Festival Orchestra and Westminster Choir. He has given recitals in the Young Artist Series at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston University's Tsai Performance Center, Chromatic Club of Boston, La Donna Musicale, Sarata, and at many area colleges, universities, and music schools.

Organist and Pianist Biographies

Heinrich Christensen, organist, is a native Denmark and studied at the Royal Conservatory in Århus and with Oliver Latry in Paris, then went on to work as music director in Malmö, Sweden. He came to the U.S. in 1998 to study with James David Christie at the Boston Conservatory, where he received an Artist Diploma in Organ Performance in 2000. He was the Affiliate Organist of historic King's Chapel during the last two years of Daniel Pinkham's forty-two year tenure, and, after a national search, was appointed Music Director at Dr. Pinkhams's retirement. At King's Chapel he manages the Tuesday Noon Hour Recitals as well as the choir. Mr. Christensen was a prizewinner at the international organ competitions in Odense and Erfurt and has given recitals in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, France, Ireland, South Africa, Japan, Canada and the U.S. An avid proponent of contemporary music, he has premiered works by Daniel Pinkham, Graham Gordon Ramsey, James Woodman, Thomas Oboe Lee, Brucie Saylor, Thomas Allen Levines, Arlene Zallman, Clifford Bevan and Elliott Gyger. He has worked extensively as an accompanist for many choral groups in the Boston area, and has recorded with Philovox and Seraphim Singers for Arsis/E.C. Schirmer. The solo CD "Heinrich Christensen plays the C.B. Fish Organ at King's Chapel" (available at www.arsisaudio.com) was released in the fall of 2004; Gramophone Magazine called it a "smorgasbord" and praised it for "enormous stylistic flexibility". He has been heard in numerous radio broadcasts on WCRB, and recorded Graham Godon Ramsay's The Nightingale, commissioned and premiered by the King's Chapel Concert Series; the work was broadcast on WGBH. Mr. Christensen serves as dean of the Boston Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

James Barkovic, pianist, has been active in the Boston area as a conductor, pianist, organist, violist and accompanist for more than twenty years, and is the Assistant Conductor and Accompanist for The Spectrum Singers. Jim was recently appointed Music Director of the Westford Chorus. He also serves as Music Director at West Concord Union Church and Holy Family Parish, both of Concord, and is the Chapel Organist at Middlesex School, Concord. Jim is on the accompanying faculty at Indian Hill Music Center of Littleton. He received his Master of Music in piano performance from the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Stephen Drury, performed in master classes for Leonard Shure and Veronica Jochum, and studied organ improvisation with William Porter. A native of Minnesota, Jim did his undergraduate work at St. Olaf College, with concentrations in music history and theory.

Pre-concert lecture

Steven Ledbetter is a scholar, writer, lecturer and conductor who was Musicologist and Program Annotator for the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1979 to 1998. Mr. Ledbettter brings an unusually broad understanding of choral music to his presentations, as he has conducted choral ensembles and orchestras at Dartmouth College and Providence College, and sang with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus for more than 15 years. Mr. Ledbetter wears his learning lightly, however, and brings an entertaining mixture of enlightening information, good humor, and stimulating scholarship to his audiences.