Ecco mormorar l’onde
Ecco mormorar l’onde
e tremolar le fronde
a l’aura mattutina, e gl’arboscelli,
e sovra i verdi rami i vagh’ augelli
cantar soavemente
e rider l’oriente.
Ecco già l’alba appare
e si specchia nel mare
e rasserena il cielo
e’ imperla il dolce gielo,
e gl’alti monti indora.
O bella e vaga aurora,
L’aura è tua messaggiera,
e tu de l’aura
ch’ ogn’ arso cor ristaura.
Here are the waves murmuring
and the foliage quivering
at the morning breeze; and the shrubs,
and on the tree branches the pretty birds
sing softly;
and the Orient smiles.
Here dawn looms up
and is reflected in the sea
and brightens up the sky
and beads the sweet ice
and gilds the tall mountains.
O beautiful and vague dawn,
the gentle breeze is your herald
and you [are the herald] of the breeze
which refreshes every burnt heart.
About Cantate
Founded in 1997, Cantate is a mixed chamber choir comprised of professional and avocational
singers whose goal is to explore mainly a cappella music from all time periods, cultures, and
lands. Previous appearances include services and concerts at various Chicago-area houses of
worship. Cantate has been featured many times in public concerts at the Chicago Botanic
Garden’s “Celebrations” series and at Evanston’s First Night. Cantate has also appeared at
the Chicago Historical Society and the Chicago Cultural Center.
For more information, visit our website: cantatechicago.org
Cantate
Soprano
Katie Bush
Joan Daugherty
Laurie Davidson
Elizabeth Klinger
Elsie Mann
Ellen Pullin
Alexia Rivera
Crystal Schlieker
Alto
Audra Arnold
Joanna Flagler
Amanda Gummersall
Janelle Hollingshead
Rose Kory
Leona Krompart
Tracy O’Dowd
Leslie Patt
Candace Peters
Tenor
Peter Aarestad
Richard Hirsh
Daniel LaSpata
Casey Nielsen
Timothy Quistorff
Dirk Walvoord
Piet Walvoord
Bass
Terry Booth
Gregory Braid
Howell Browne
Kyle Bush
Warren Kammerer
Guillermo Muñoz
Charles Olson
About Our Director
Benjamin Rivera, artistic director of Cantate since 2000, is a tenured
member of the Chicago Symphony Chorus, the Grant Park Chorus,
and Chicago a cappella. With these and other groups, he has shared the
stage with many of today’s foremost musicians. He appears regularly
as a soloist throughout the Midwest, often in the works of Bach.
He holds the Master of Music degree in Music Theory from Roosevelt
University and is currently completing doctoral studies in conducting
at Northwestern University.
These concerts are presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
Doctor of Music in Choral Conducting.
Benjamin D. Rivera is a student of Robert A. Harris.
antate
and Director Benjamin D. Rivera present:
Madrigals and Love Songs
Friday, February 24, 2012 8:00 pm
Luther Memorial Church
2500 W. Wilson Avenue, Chicago
Saturday, February 25, 2012 8:00 pm
First United Methodist Church
516 Church Street, Evanston
Amor vittorioso............................. Giovanni Giacomo Gastoldi (1554-1609)
Come away, sweet love......................................Thomas Greaves (1570-1604)
Weep, o mine eyes...................................................... John Bennet (1570-1615)
Nachtwache I, Op.104, No.1...........................Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Hark, all ye lovely saints.................................... Thomas Weelkes (1576-1623)
My spirit sang all day.................................................Gerald Finzi (1901-1956)
Michelle......................................................... Lennon/McCartney, arr. G. Ives
My true love hath my heart.......................................Jean Berger (1909-2002)
Groovy kind of love..................................................Wine/Sager, arr. Lawson
Matona mia cara................................................ Orlando di Lasso (1532-1594)
The silver swan...............................................................Robert Harris (b.1938)
Walking on the green grass........................... Michael Hennagin (1936-1993)
Il bianco e dolce cigno.......................................... Jacob Arcadelt (1505-1568)
Scaldava il sol..........................................................Luca Marenzio (1553-1599)
Casita de campo............................................................. Sánchez, arr. Guzmán
Ecco mormorar l’onde.................................. Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
Dashing away with the smoothing iron.....................Traditional, arr. Rutter
Thanks to Luther Memorial Church, First Methodist Church of Evanston, North Park
Covenant Church, and North Park University for hosting our concerts and rehearsals.
Visit Cantate on the web at www.cantatechicago.org
A mor vittorioso
Tutti venite armati
O forti miei soldati. Fa la la…
Io son l’invitt’Amore
Giusto saettatore.
Non temete punto,
Ma in bella schiera uniti,
Me seguitate arditi. Fa la la…
Texts & Translations
Come all ye, armed,
My hardy soldiers! Fa la la…
I am Love indomitable,
The righteous archer.
Do not fear in the slightest,
But in beautiful array,
Follow me with ardor! Fa la la…
Sembrano forti heroi
Quei che son contra voi. Fa la la…
Ma da chi sa ferire,
Non si sapran schermire.
Non temete punto,
Ma coraggiosi e forti,
Siat’ a la pugna accorti. Fa la la…
They seem strong heroes,
Those in front of you. Fa la la…
But from those who know how to wound,
They will know not how to defend.
Do not fear in the slightest,
But, bold and strong,
Be shrewd in battle! Fa la la…
Nachtwache
Leise Töne der Brust,
geweckt vom Odem der Liebe,
hauchet zitternd hinaus,
ob sich euch öffen’ ein Ohr,
öff’n ein liebendes Herz,
und wenn sich keines euch öffnet,
trag ein Nachtwind euch
seufzend in meines zurück.
Gentle sounds of the soul,
inspired by the breath of love,
blow tremblingly forth,
if you open an ear,
open a loving heart;
and if none opens to you,
let the night wind carry you
sighing back to me.
M atona mia cara
Matona, mia cara, mi follere canzon,
cantar sotto finestra,
lantze bon compagnon.
Don don don, diri diri,
don don don don.
Ti prego m’ascoltare, che mi cantar de bon,
E mi ti foller bene, come greco e capon.
Don don don, …
Comandar alle cazze, cazzar con le falcon,
Mi ti portar beccazze, grasse come rognon.
Don don don, …
Se mi non saper dire, tante belle razon,
Petrarcha mi non saper,
ne fonte d’Helicon.
Don don don, …
Se ti mi foller bene mi non esser poltron,
Mi ficcar tutta notte, urtar come monton.
Don don don, …
O my dearest lady, I want to sing a song
beneath your window.
He’s a good fellow, is a lancer.
Don don don, diri diri,
don don don don.
I pray you listen to me, for I sing well
And I yearn for you as a Greek for his capon.
Don don don, …
When I go hunting with the falcon,
I’ll bring you a woodcock fat as a kidney.
Don don don, …
If I can’t speak with beautiful phrases,
it’s because I’ve not read Petrarch,
nor drank from Helicon’s springs.
Don don don, …
But if you will have me I’ll not be a slacker;
I’ll make love all night long …
Don don don, …
Il bianco e dolce cigno
Il bianco e dolce cigno
cantando more, ed io
piangendo giung’ al fin del viver mio.
Stran’ e diversa sorte,
ch’ei more sconsolato
ed io moro beato.
Morte che nel morire
m’empie di gioia tutto e di desire.
Se nel morir, altro dolor non sento,
di mille mort’ il di sarei contento.
The sweet white swan
dies while singing, and I,
while weeping, reach the end of my life.
What a strange and different fate;
for he dies comfortless,
while I die a blissful death —
a death which fills me
with joy and desire.
If I feel no other pain than this in dying,
I should be content to die a thousand deaths a day.
Scaldava il sol
Scaldava il sol di mezo giorno l’ arco
Nel dorso del Leon suo albergo caro,
Sotto ’l boschetto più di frondi carco
Dormia ’l pastor con le sue greggi a paro;
Giaceva il villanel de l’opra scarco.
Vie più di posa che di spighe avaro;
Gl’augei, le fere,
ogn’huom s’asconde e tace,
Sol la Cicala non si sente in pace.
The midday sun was warming his arch
on the back of Leo (of the Zodiac), his favorite abode,
in the woods heavily burdened with branches
the shepherd slept with his flock nearby;
the peasant was stretched out tired from his work,
more greedy for rest than for corn;
the birds, the wild creatures,
every man hides himself and falls silent;
only the cicada does not feel at peace.
Casita de campo
Casita de campo,
tan blanca, tan linda,
quisiera soñar.
Que allá en la portada,
siempre enamorada
ella ha de esperar
Y que en la cañada
por la luz bañada
de plenilunar,
Bajo las palmeras
de un cielo de estrellas
me da su querer
Tú que cobijaste, casita del campo,
nuestro gran amor
Y oiste la queja y viste la ofrenda
de su cuerpo en flor,
Ahora estoy tan solo
que me ahoga el llanto,
Casita del campo,
cuando junto a ella
volveré a soñar.
Little country house,
so white, so beautiful,
I yearn to dream.
There by the door,
always in love,
she awaited me.
And by the ravine,
bathed by the light
of the full moon,
Under the palm trees
of a star filled sky,
she gave me her love.
You that sheltered, little country house,
our great love
And heard the moan and saw the offering
of her innocent body,
Now I am so lonesome
that crying smothers me
Little country house,
when, together with her
I would dream.