PROGRAM

TEXTS & TRANSLATIONS

Vast Ocean of Light
Vast Ocean of light, whose rays surround
The Universe, who know’st nor ebb, nor shore,
Who lend’st the Sun his sparkling drop, to store
With overflowing beams Heav’n, ayer, ground,
Whose depths beneath the Centre none can sound,
Whose heights ‘bove heav’n, and thoughts so lofty soar,
Whose breadth no feet, no lines, no chains, no eyes survey,
Whose length no thoughts can reach, no worlds can bound,
What cloud can mask thy face? where can thy ray
Find an Eclipse? What night can hide Eternal Day?

Hold Fast to Dreams
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

Il Lampo
E cielo e terra si mostrò qual era:
la terra ansante, livida, in sussulto;
il cielo ingombro, tragico, disfatto:
bianca bianca nel tacito tumulto
una casa apparì sparì d’un tratto;
come un occhio, che, largo, esterrefatto
s’aprì si chiuse, nella notte nera.

And heaven and earth revealed themselves as they were:
the earth panting, livid, shuddering;
the sky cluttered, tragic, ruined:
white as white in the silent tumult,
a house suddenly appeared and disappeared;
like an eye, which, wide and terrified,
opened and closed, in the black night.

The Skye Boat Song
Speed, bonny boat, like a bird on the wing,
Onward, the sailors cry!
Carry the lad that’s born to be king
Over the sea to Skye.
Loud the winds howl!
Loud the waves roar!
Thunder clouds rend the air!
Baffled our foes,
stand on the shore,
Follow, they will not dare.
Though the waves leap,
soft shall ye sleep,
Ocean’s a royal bed.
Rocked in the deep,
Flora will keep
Watch by your weary head.
Many’s the lad fought on that day
Well the claymore could wield.
When the night came, silently lay
Dead on Culloden’s field.
Burn’d are our homes,
exile and death
Scatter the loyal men,
Yet, e’er the sword
cool in the sheath,
Charlie will come again.

A La Cart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Had a lovely little go cart;
He took it out without a word,
And rode it all around Salzburg.
But as he hurtled down the Strasse,
His Papa Leopold came after.
He said: ‘My boy! Get off that toy,
go home at once and write a symphony or two!’
Then sister Nan came running double quick.
She said: ‘Papa, the harpsichord’s been nicked.
Last night ‘twas swiped,
poor brother Wolfgang will break his heart.’
Said Amadeus: ‘Actually, there wasn’t any burglary.
What do you think I used to make this cart?’
Beep beep! Vroom vroom!
Up in heaven there’s a go-cart
Built by Amadeus Mozart.
It doesn’t fly, it doesn’t zoom –
But it plays a lovely tune!

Light of a Clear Blue Morning
It’s been a long dark night
And I’ve been a-waiting for the morning
It’s been a long hard fight
But I see a brand new day dawning
I’ve been looking for the sunshine
You know I ain’t seen it in so long
But everything’s gonna work out fine
Everything’s gonna be all right
It’s gonna be okay.
‘Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning
I can see the light of a brand new day
I can see the light of a clear blue morning
Oh and everything’s gonna be all right
It’s gonna be okay

Ambe
Ambe
Ambe Anishinaabeg
biindigeg Anishinaabeg
Mino-bimaadiziwin omaa
Ambe

Come in
Come in, two-legged beings
come in all people
There is good life here
Come in!

Ero M’o
Ero m’o, Ero m’o
Ero m o! Ero m o!
Ero m kpara aka n’ala foro
Ero m fotere n’ibe nne m
Ero m kpara aka n’ala foro
Ero m o! Ero m o!
Ero m kpara aka n’ala foro
Ero m fotere n’ukwu ọjị,
Ero m kpara aka n’ala foro

My mushroom! My mushroom!
The mushroom that I plucked from the ground
Mushroom I plucked from my mother’s kindred
The mushroom that I plucked from the ground
My mushroom! My mushroom!
The mushroom that I plucked from the ground
Mushroom I plucked from the base of the iroko tree
The mushroom that I plucked from the ground

Onye-njem
Onye njem, kedu ka ije gị di?
Onye njem, kedu ka ndi be gị mere?
Onye njem, kooro anyi ka ije gị siri ga
Ọ bu gị n’aga site na ugwu ruo na ndida
Ọ bu gị n’aga na iyi na osimiri
Ọ bu gi n’aga n’ikuku na oke ifufe
Ọ bụ gị na-enyocha ihe omimi nke uwa
Onye njem, nta nta mmiri na-achụ ìgwè enyi ọsọ
Onye ije ka onye ịsị awọ mma
Na njem gị niile, echefukwala ndị be gị
Maka na aku ruo ụlọ, e kwụọ onye kpatara ya
Echefukwala ndị be gị

O traveler, how was your journey
O traveler, how are your people
O traveler, share with us your experiences
It is you who travels through the mountains and valleys
It is you who travels through the rivers and oceans
It is you who travels through the air and wind
It is you who explores the world
O traveler, the little river that puts a herd of elephants to flight (bravery)
A traveler is more knowledgeable than a grey-haired person
In all you do abroad, do not forget your people
Because when wealth reaches home, the maker is announced
Do not forget your people

Jubilate Deo
O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands:
serve the Lord with gladness,
and come before his presence with a song.
Be ye sure that the Lord he is God:
it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
We are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise;
be thankful unto him and speak good of his Name.
For the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting,
and his truth endureth from generation to generation.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be:
world without end. Amen.

Returning
I have learned this:
if you stay in one place long enough
they will return to you.
They will return to you,
they will return to you,
they will return.
The geese you saw leaving,
their feet rising into dark bodies.
They will return.
All you need to do is watch the sun each day
as it tumbles through the sky
and they will come again.
They will return, floating toward you,
their damp bodies
still trembling from flight.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Sailing Away
Thy sails are set on the unseen sea,
Sailing away, sailing,
The waves are bearing thee far from me,
Love stands wailing,
Pale mists slowly rise between,
Mists of parting tears, I ween,
Wrapping thee in shadow sheen,
Thy face veiling.
What is this that is borne to me,
Sailing away, sailing?
“Thou’lt meet again, on the unseen sea;
Cease thy wailing:
Out where the waves of Time, shall be
Met by the waves of Eternity,
Light shall pierce the mists for thee
All unveiling.”

My Song
This song of mine will wind its music
around you like the fond arms of love.
This song of mine will carry your sight into the heart of things
like a faithful star in the dark night over your road!
My song will be like a pair of wide wings to your dreams,
like the fond arms of love it will wind its music around you.
My song will take you to the verge of unknown.
When you are in a crowd it will surround you with its strength.
When you are alone it will stay by your side
like a faithful star in the dark night over your road!
My song will be like a pair of wide wings to your dreams,
like the fond arms of love it will wind its music around you, my song of love!
And when my voice is silent, my song will live in you.

Seek Him That Maketh The Seven Stars
Seek Him that maketh the seven stars and Orion
and turneth the shadow of death into the morning.
Alleluia, yea, the darkness shineth as the day, 
the night is light about me.
Amen.

Sing Gently
May we sing together, always
May our voice be soft
May our singing be music for others
And may it keep others aloft
Sing, sing gently, always
Sing, sing as one (as one)
May we stand (may we stand) together, always
May our voice be strong
May we hear the singing and
May we always sing along (along)
Sing, sing gently, always
Sing, sing as one (as one)
Singing gently as one

Four Strong Winds
Four strong winds that blow lonely
Seven seas that run high
All those things that don’t change come what may
But our good times are all gone
And I’m bound for movin’ on
I’ll look for you if I’m ever back this way
Think I’ll go out to Alberta
Weather’s good there in the fall
I got some friends that I can go to workin’ for
Still I wish you’d change your mind
If I asked you one more time
But we’ve been through that a hundred times or more
If I get there before the snow flies
And if things are goin’ good
You could meet me if I sent you down the fare
But by then it would be winter
There ain’t too much for you to do
And those winds sure can blow cold way out there

PROGRAM NOTES

Vast Ocean of Light

The piece sets lines from a metaphysical poem by Phineas Fletcher (1582–1650). Fletcher’s text uses the image of a “vast ocean of light” as a metaphor for the infinite and unfathomable nature of the divine. The poem describes light as without “ebb, nor shore,” without boundary or limit, and unshadowed by any eclipse – a poetic vision of eternity.

Hold fast to dreams

Hold Fast to Dreams is a lyrical composition by American composer Susan LaBarr, setting a poem by Langston Hughes, a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance often referred to as the “poet laureate of Harlem.” In this brief but powerful poem, Hughes reminds us of the necessity of holding on to our dreams, that our dreams are essential to vitality, direction, and hope.

Il Lampo

Il lampo, by Ryan Main, sets a short poem by Italian writer Giovanni Pascoli. In just a few lines, Pascoli captures the moment a flash of lightning cuts through a dark storm. For an instant, earth and sky are exposed in sharp detail and a single white house appears, only to disappear again just as quickly.

The Skye Boat Song

The Skye Boat Song is a traditional Scottish song with lyrics by Sir Harold Boulton, set to a Gaelic folk melody. The text recounts the dramatic escape of Prince Charles Edward Stuart–“Bonnie Prince Charlie”–after the Jacobite defeat at the Battle of Culloden. Disguised and aided by Flora MacDonald, he fled “over the sea to Skye,” evading capture by government forces.

A La Cart

A La Cart, by Judith Watson, is a playful and imaginative piece built around a humorous poem about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The text invents a mischievous scene in which the young composer abandons his responsibilities to race a homemade go-cart through Salzburg–much to the alarm of his father, Leopold.

Light of a Clear Blue Morning

Light of a Clear Blue Morning, arranged by Craig Hella Johnson, sets a song by Dolly Parton, first released in 1977. Parton wrote it during a time of major personal and professional change, describing it as a song of renewal and forward movement. The song reflects on the long hard fight, then turns toward hope, celebrating the light of a brand-new day.

Ambe

Ambe is based on an original song in Ojibway that was gifted by traditional drummer and singer Cory Campbell to Andrew Balfour and the University of Manitoba Concert Choir. Campbell describes the song as “a call to the people to the ceremonial way of life or to the red road or, quite frankly, to whatever we have going on, because everything happens with spirit and in spirit.”

Inspired by Campbell’s song, Balfour created an original composition which uses the same text and echoes the steady rhythm of the drum, unifying the piece. The melodies are all original but hints of Campbell’s song remain. For Balfour, the steady beat throughout represents the heartbeat of Mother Earth, and the lyrical first soprano melody that emerges from this rhythmic texture at measure seven conveys the powerful totem of the eagle which represents the teaching of love, wisdom and strength.

Ero M’o

Nigerian composer Michael Uzoma’s arrangement of “Ero M’o” (which means “My Mushroom”) fuses traditional Nigerian music styles with Western harmonies and counterpoint, creating a hybrid choral work that resonates with both traditional Nigerian and non-Nigerian audiences.

The text and melody are from an Igbo folk song about mushrooms. The music evokes feelings of moonlight, story times, and folktales activities in a traditional Igbo community in southeastern Nigeria.

Onye-njem

Jude Nwankwo’s “Onye-njem” (which means “O Traveler”) is an Igbo choral piece that eulogises the traveler and migrant. It fuses Nigerian and Western compositional styles while highlighting distinctive Nigerian features such as speech rhythm, syncopated rhythms, and ostinatos. The lyrics of the piece adapt Igbo proverbs to drive home the piece’s message. “Onye- njem” captures the tonal inflections of the Igbo language in the music, especially in the melodic lines. This makes it easy to gain a clear understanding of the lyrics, especially for native speakers.

Jubilate Deo

Jubilate Deo by Benjamin Britten is a joyful setting of Psalm 100 for SATB choir and organ. Britten wrote it in 1961 at the request of then HRH the Duke of Edinburgh for use in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, and it quickly became a favourite in Anglican choral repertoire. The music is bright, energetic, and direct, with voices entering in antiphonal pairs and a sparkling organ part that supports its spirited character.

Returning

Contemporary poet Laura Foley’s text for Returning describes watching and waiting for the return of wild geese–or any beloved thing–each passing year. This setting of her poem features a simple audience refrain that recurs three times.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Eric Whitacre’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening was originally set to Robert Frost’s poem but was forced into withdrawal by the estate. It was famously reworked as “Sleep” with lyrics by Charles Anthony Silvestri before the original version was finally permitted following the poem’s entry into the public domain.

Sailing Away

Sailing Away by Melissa Dunphy sets a poem by Missouri writer Isabel Grimes Richey, first published in her 1895 collection A Harp of the West. The poem reflects on parting and loss, using the image of a ship disappearing into mist as a metaphor for death and separation. Dunphy’s setting draws out both the sorrow of farewell and the quiet hope that shapes the poem’s final promise.

My Song

Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds’ My Song reflects on the power of music to lift, carry, and connect. The text, by Rabindranath Tagore, often called the “Bard of Bengal,” imagines song as wings-bearing dreams and surrounding the listener in warmth and love. Ešenvalds’ setting supports this image with a flowing accompaniment and expansive choral lines that rise and unfold with ease.

Seek Him that Maketh the Seven Stars

The theme of light, and star-light in particular, is an endless source of inspiration for composers. Dove came across these words about light and stars while looking for a text to set as an anthem for the Royal Academy of Arts’ annual Service for Artists. The anthem begins with a musical image of the night sky, a repeated organ motif of twinkling stars that sets the choir wondering who made them. The refrain ‘Seek Him’ starts in devotional longing but is eventually released into a joyful dance, finally coming to rest in serenity.

Sing Gently

Sing Gently was composed in 2020 at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic as a response to global isolation. Whitacre wrote it specifically for virtual performance, and it became one of the most widely shared choral works of that period. The piece sets an original text by Whitacre himself, centered on tenderness, human connection, and collective care.

Four Strong Winds

Ian Tyson wrote Four Strong Winds in 1961. Since then, it has become one of the most recognized songs in Canadian folk music – closely associated with Alberta’s landscape and with the experience of distance, migration, and return. In Edmonton, the song carries a specific communal meaning. For decades, the Edmonton Folk Music Festival has closed its final night with a mass sing-along of Four Strong Winds at Gallagher Park. Thousands of singers – performers and audience together – gather on the hill to sing it as a farewell ritual marking the end of the festival.