‘Tis the Season to be Singing!
Kennett Symphony Children’s Chorus
Eileen Keller, Artistic Director
Eileen Keller, Tyros Director
Nancy A. Lineburger, Ensemble Director
Dr. Marci Major, Chorus Director
Lauren Conrad, Youth Chorale Director
Tyler Meade, Accompanist
December 12, 2015
Madeline Wing Adler Theater
Swope Music Building
7:00 pm
PROGRAM
The Snow.................................................................................................................. Folk Song
Featuring Youth Chorale Men
The Tyros
Paul Sharp, Intern
Eileen Keller, Director
In the Bleak Midwinter ..................................................................................... Gustav Holst
Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burnin’ ......... Traditional Gospel, arr. by Greg Gilpin
Featuring the Youth Chorale Men
The Ensemble
Theresa Whitehead, Intern
Nancy Lineburger, Director
Ale Pun ............................................................................................. arr. Ruth Elaine Schram
Tyros, Ensemble, and Chorus
The Dream Keeper, from Trilogy of Dreams ............................................ Rollo Dilworth
Text by Langston Hughes
The Chorus
Jacqueline Cotto, Intern
Dr. Marci Major, Director
Stand Together..................................................................................................... Jim Papoulis
Chorus and Youth Chorale
Ani Ma’amin .................................................................................................. arr. John Leavitt
O Magnum Mysterium............................................................................ arr. Mariano Garau
White Christmas ................................................................................................. Irving Berlin
The Youth Chorale
Kevin McAllister, Intern
Lauren Conrad, Director
Sing Gloria ................................................................ Based on a Canon by William Billings
arr. Russell Robinson
Amid the Falling Snow ............................................................................ arr. Audrey Synder
Eatnemen Vuelie (Song of the Earth)...................... Frode Fjellheim/arr. Emily Crocker
God Bless Us Everyone, from A Christmas Carol ......................... arr. Joseph M. Martin
Harmonia Mundi ................................................................... 16th Century German Chorale
arr. Laszlo Vikar
The Kennett Symphony Children’s Chorus
Eileen Keller, Director
Please Turn Off All Electronic Devices
Program Notes
In the Bleak Midwinter - Christina Rossetti’s poetry appears frequently in poetry collections for children and
adults. Her poem, In the Bleak Midwinter, written in 1872, was set to music by the English composer, Gustav Holst
in 1906.
Passed from generation to the next, Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burnin’ encourages religious devotion, and
may have also been a means of communication for the 19th century Underground Railroad.
Ale Pun is a traditional Spanish tune with a vibrant rhythmic and percussive setting. Flurries of snowflakes are
falling as the donkey’s footsteps are clicking through the snow. Ale Pun is meant to move like the wind through the
sky on its way to Bethlehem.
Composer Rollo Dilworth’s The Dream Keeper depicts the legend of a fictitious character whose role is to protect
the dreams of those who are willing to hand over their deepest passions and heart-felt desires to him. The text is by
Langston Hughes. The stylistic setting of the poem is rooted in blues and jazz.
Stand Together - Jim Papoulis writes, “This piece was composed at the Choral Music Experience 2005 under the
direction and inspiration of Dr. Janet Galván. I wanted to write a piece that reflected the spirit of what I
experienced…, namely, a striving together towards a goal; encouragement for the individual and the group;
exploration of unique inner strengths that made the whole more viable, more vibrant. After spending time with
Noirin ni Riain, a well-known Celtic singer with a hauntingly memorable vocalize, I was taken with the syllables
she was humming. With her gracious help, I have explored various syllables in this piece, which are intended to
reflect the inner strength that lies in all of us.”
Ani Ma'amin - The text of this traditional Hebrew song comes from the twelfth century Jewish Articles of Faith,
translated as "I believe." Sung by many who were victims of the Holocaust, the song offered comfort and still serves
as a light in the darkness for those struggling with present day afflictions.
O Magnum Mysterium
O great mystery,
and wonderful sacrament,
that animals should see the new-born Lord,
lying in a manger!
Blessed is the Virgin whose womb
was worthy to bear
Christ the Lord.
Alleluia!
Eatnemen Vuelie (Song of the Earth) is inspired by indigenous Saami and Norwegian culture, a combination of
Saami yoiking and the Danish Christmas hymn Beautiful Savior, by B.S. Ingemann. Yoik is a very old vocal
tradition among the Saami people of Scandinavia and Russia, characterized by short melodic phrases that repeat
again and again, with small variation.
Harmonia Mundi
We gather here together with joyful heart and mind.
We raise our voices ever our distant souls to bind.
To remember in this moment of friendship, love, and joy
that music made together may one day heal mankind.
Children’s Chorus Personnel
THE TYROS
Edward Cheung
Eric Cheung
Neve Coelho
Isabelle Derry
Julia Filiaggi
Leonardo Garcia
Lucas Liang
Kensie Paramanandam
Shirin Patel
Ella Roeder
Will Risch
Asher Sweet
Avery Zhang
Sophie Zhang
*Seniors 2016
THE ENSEMBLE
Grace Bailiff
Noah Bay
Emily Doyle
Xinxin Fang
Gerardo Garcia
Madelyn Heavens
Rachel Jameson
Talia Jones
John Kolb
Gracyn Martynick
Caci Ramiscal
Harper Risch
Ria Sachdeva
Eleanor Snyder
THE CHORUS
Brianna Baumeister
Brooke Baumeister
Anna Brunke
Meredith Day
Katelyn Fogg
Abby Jennings
Ella Masciulli
Vidya Patel
Medha Raman
Troy Ramiscal
Jacob Sclar
Evelyn Snyder
Saniya Vaidya
Soumil Zachariah
THE YOUTH CHORALE
Aria Dopwell
Alyson Gehrke
Christopher Gehrke
Cole Geissler
*Caitlin Grosse
Casey Jennings
*Erin Kalbach
Emma Kenney-Hynes
Kyle Lacey
Isaac Lacombe
Ricki Lane
Sophie May
Ashley Moak
Aliyah Quill
Connor Rolleston
Pixie Rolleston
Jimmy Rosser
Allison Sclar
Morgan Seward
Liam Sinclair
Sami Uggla
Akhila Yalvigi
Cindy Zern
About the Kennett Symphony Children’s Chorus and its Directors
Karen L. Markey, Founding Director
The Kennett Symphony Children’s Chorus was founded in 1990 and is a community
organization for boys and girls ages six through eighteen. The Children's Chorus
provides qualified singers an opportunity to perform high-caliber, age-appropriate
repertoire that is culturally and musically diverse while nurturing vocal and musical
development within a group setting. Singers are auditioned and placed by age,
experience, and skill in one of three groups: Ensemble, Chorus, or Youth Chorale.
Numbering more than eighty singers, the Children’s Chorus was the outcome of the vision of Founding
Director, Karen L. Markey. Choristers represent public, private, parochial and home schools in the
Susquehanna and Brandywine Valleys and the Northern Delaware Region. The Kennett Symphony
Children’s Chorus is an educational outreach of the Kennett Symphony Orchestra of Chester County.
Eileen Keller, Artistic Director and Director of the Tyros
Eileen Keller is the Artistic Director of the Kennett Symphony Children's Chorus
beginning in the summer of 2012. Mrs. Keller is also the director of the Tyros in the
Children's Chorus. She has been with the Kennett Symphony Children's Chorus since the
Tyros choir debuted in 2009. In that time, the Tyros has grown in numbers and in
musicianship. Eileen Keller teaches music K-6 at Renaissance Academy Charter School
in Phoenixville, PA. She is also the Elementary Chorus director and Fine Arts Lead Teacher at her school.
Mrs. Keller received her Bachelor's and Master's degree in Music Education from West Chester
University School of Music. As part of her Master's Degree, she earned her Level III Kodaly certification.
Mrs. Keller is an active member of the Organization of American Kodaly Educators (OAKE) and
attended the OAKE National Conference in Hartford, CT with one of her selected singers in March 2013.
She has directed choir performances at numerous events, including the 6ABC Thanksgiving Parade, The
Camden Riversharks, and The Reading Phillies. Mrs. Keller has led numerous professional development
workshops in both music education and leadership development. Mrs. Keller has exposed her choral
students to service learning performances in the local community. At the request of local universities, she
has mentored and educated numerous music education students and interns to prepare them for their own
careers in music education. Of great importance to Mrs. Keller is helping students gain musical literacy
through Kodaly teaching techniques, to facilitate understanding of the significance of folk songs and their
tie to a time, people, and place in history, and awakening her students to the emotional impact of music.
Nancy Lineburger, Director of the Ensemble
Nancy Lineburger has enjoyed a career in music education that included classroom
instruction in middle and elementary schools. She has led choral groups at these levels,
and has successfully prepared students for participation in OAKE (Organization of
American Kodaly Educators) National Choruses. Her professional work has also
included service as a church music director and organist. Nancy holds a B.S from
Gettysburg College and an M.M.E. from West Chester University. She is certified in
Kodaly levels I and II and in Orff-Schulwerk levels I and II. She is well known as a
mentor to student teachers and peers, and has been a presenter at the District 12 PMEA in-service
workshops. Professional singing has included participation in auditioned choral groups. She currently
sings with the choir at Christ Church Christiana Hundred, Greenville, Delaware, and has sung under the
direction of Stephen Cleobury, Sir Philip Ledger, Sir David Willcocks, James O’Donnell, and John
Rutter.
Dr. Marci Major, Director of the Chorus
Dr. Marci Major is Assistant Professor of Music Education at West Chester University,
PA where she teaches choral methods and intro to music education, works with student
teacher observations, and is developing graduate level classes. Formerly Assistant
Professor of Music Education and Assistant Director of Choral Activities at the
University of Missouri, Dr. Major earned her B.S. in music education from West
Chester University, her M.M. in choral conducting from Michigan State University, and her Ph.D. in
music education from The Ohio State University. At the University of Missouri Dr. Major taught choral
materials and methods, conducting and rehearsal techniques, psychology of music, and conducted MU's
Concert Chorale. Dr. Major also served as the Artistic Director for the community choir Columbia
Chorale, and co-directed the Choristers ensemble of the St. Louis Children's Chorus. Prior to her
appointment at MU, Dr. Major taught middle and high school choir in Michigan, and later served as a
graduate teaching associate at The Ohio State University. She is excited to be working with the singers of
the Kennett Symphony Children’s Chorus!
Lauren Conrad, Director of the Youth Chorale
Lauren Elizabeth Conrad, is in her second season as conductor of the KSCC Youth
Chorale. Ms. Conrad is the Director of Choral Music for Concord High School in
Wilmington, Delaware and is an active soloist in the area. Recently she appeared as a
soloist for Northern Delaware Oratorio Society, the Bach St. Matthew Passion and the
University of Delaware’s Performance of Mozart’s Coronation Mass. Ms. Conrad is a
member of the Christ Church Christiana Hundred all-professional choir where she has
worked under the baton of world renowned composers and conductors including Sir David Willcocks,
John Rutter, Sir Philip Ledger, James O’Donnell, Andrew Lumsden, and most recently Christopher
Robinson. Ms. Conrad premiered the Ledger Requiem, A Thanksgiving for Life in 2007 and has sung the
piece in multiple venues since including a Memorial Concert last spring with NDOS. She studied voice
with Dr. Melanie DeMent during her tenure at the University of Delaware and went on to study with Ruth
Drucker of Peabody Conservatory. Ms. Conrad was thrilled to have the opportunity to sing in master
classes with Eric Whitacre, Phyllis Bryn-Julson, and Hila Plittman. Ms. Conrad also maintains a private
voice studio.
Tyler Meade, KSCC Accompanist and WCU Scholarship Recipient for the 2015-2016 season
Jacqueline Cotto is a senior at West Chester University with a dual major in Music Education and Flute Performance and a
minor in Voice. During her time at West Chester University, she has participated in numerous ensembles such as the West
Chester University Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band, the WCU Wind Symphony, The WCU Symphonic Orchestra
and the Trivolati Flute Ensemble. Along with the ensembles, Jackie has performed in numerous recitals including Honors
Convocation, sophomore and junior recitals, and was selected to perform in the Honors Recital. Jackie teaches a wide array of
flute students from ages 9-16 through the Community Music Program. Jackie is ecstatic to be working with the talented
students and staff of the Kennett Symphony Children’s Chorus!
Kevin McAllister is a senior at West Chester University currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Music Education. Kevin has
performed with a variety of groups in the WCU School of Music such as the Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band, Wind
Ensemble, Wind Symphony, Statesmen Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo. Outside of performing Kevin teaches saxophone
privately through the Community Music School program also run through the WCU School of Music. Kevin enjoys sharing his
love for music and passion for teaching with the wonderful students of the Kennett Symphony Children Chorus.
Theresa Whitehead is a fifth-year senior at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, originally from Susquehanna PA. She is
a double major in Music Education and Vocal Performance, studying under Dr. Stephen Ng. At school, Theresa is Secretary
and Treasurer of American Choral Directors Association, Treasurer of Concert Choir, and President of Opera. She is an active
member in WCU’s opera productions - her most recent leading role being Eurydice in Orpheus in the Underworld. She has been
the music director for C.F. Patton Middle School for 3 years, and last spring took on the role of director, for St. Patrick of
Malvern’s first ever middle school musical. For the past two summers, she has been the music teacher at The Scranton Cultural
Center’s Little Dragons Performing Arts Camp, teaching students in PreK-4th grade. Theresa also serves as Soprano Section
Leader at Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church for the past three years, and Soprano Section Leader/Choral Scholar at
Reformation Lutheran Church for the past two years. She is thrilled to be working with the students of the KSCC!
Paul Sharp is a senior at West Chester University majoring in Music Education, with a focus in voice. Currently, Paul is a
member of the Concert Choir. In the past he has participated in many other ensembles including the Incomparable Golden Rams
Marching Band, Wind Symphony, and Mastersingers. Paul is currently the music director for the High Street Harmonix, which
is an all-male a cappella group on campus. Paul has also participated in productions with the West Chester University Opera
Theater, both on stage and helping with stage crew. He currently gives lessons to two high school students. He also worked at
Saint Patrick’s school in Malvern in helping their students prepare for their production of High School Musical Jr. Paul holds
choir section leader jobs with Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church and Reformation Lutheran Church. Paul is excited to
have the opportunity to work with the talented students in the KSCC.
Thank you to West Chester University and The School of Music for providing us with a
beautiful performance space. Thank you for allowing us to call Swope Music Building our
home and place to teach the children and make music come to life.
Thank you to our KSCC families and businesses! Your generous donations allow us to
continue to offer unique experiences and rigorous teaching to our singers!
Thank you to our founding director, Karen Markey, for your continued support of our
choral family and music program!
Special thanks and gratitude to our KSCC Book Keeper, Rachel Brunke and all the KSCC
families and friends that helped make this concert a success!
~Eileen Keller, Artistic Director of Kennett Symphony Children’s Chorus
UPCOMING COLLEGE OF VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS
For full event details visit www.wcupa.edu/cvpa or call (610) 436-2739
Events at the School of Music are often supported by individual sponsors and organizations.
Contributions to the School of Music may be made out to:
West Chester University Foundation
West Chester University, PO Box 541, West Chester, PA 19381.
For further information, please call (610) 436-2868 or contact Dean Timothy Blair.
The School of Music | West Chester University of Pennsylvania