Program Information
New York Polyphony
Saturday, December 11, 2021 at 5:00pm and 7:00pm
Program
SING THEE NOWELL
Piae Cantiones,
adapt. GEORGE RATCLIFFE WOODWARD
(1848 – 1934)
Up! Good Christian Folk, and Listen
ANDREW SMITH
(b. 1970)
Puer natus in Bethlehem
15th-century Hunterian Manuscript
Nova nova
arr. ALEXANDER CRAIG
(b. 1971)
Gabriel’s Message
THOMAS BYTTERING
(fl. c. 1400 – 1420)
Nesciens mater
RICHARD SMERT
(fl. 1428 – 1477)
Nowell: Dieu vous garde
WILLIAM BYRD
(1539 – 1623)
Motets for the Feast of the Nativity
Puer natus est nobis/Cantate Domino
O magnum mysterium/Beata virgo
O quam suavis
ANTOINE BRUMEL
(c. 1460 – 1512)
Noe, noe
ANTOINE BUSNOIS
(1430 – 1492)
Noel, noel, noel
JEAN MOUTON
(before 1459 – 1522)
Ave Maria, benedicta tu
JOHN TAVENER
(1944 – 2013)
The Lamb
MICHAEL McGLYNN
(b. 1964)
O pia Virgo
PAUL MANZ
(1919 – 2009)
E’en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come
Irish melody,
arr. GEOFFREY WILLIAMS
(b. 1976)
Love came down at Christmas
GUSTAV HOLST
(1874 – 1934)
In the bleak mid-winter
JOHN JACOB NILES /
arr. by Geoffrey Williams
(1892 – 1980; b. 1976)
I wonder as I wander
SUSAN LaBARR
(b. 1981)
Quem pastores laudavere
PETER MAXWELL DAVIES
(1934 – 2016)
The Fader of heaven
ANONYMOUS
/arr. Reginald Jacques,
adapted by Alexander Craig
(1894 – 1969)
Away in a manger (Normandy tune)
This program is approximately 60 minutes.
About the Program
Please see the printed program for song translations.
About the Artists
Geoffrey Williams, Countertenor
Steven Caldicott Wilson, Countertenor
Andrew Fuchs, Tenor
Craig Phillips, Baritone
Praised for a “rich, natural sound that’s larger and more complex than the sum of its parts” (NPR), New York Polyphony is one of the foremost vocal chamber ensembles active today. “Singers of superb musicianship and vocal allure” (The New Yorker), the four men give vibrant voice to repertoire ranging from Gregorian chant to cutting-edge compositions. Their dedication to innovative programming, as well as a focus on rare ancient works, has not only earned New York Polyphony wide acclaim, but also helped to move early music into the classical mainstream.
New York Polyphony tours extensively, participating in major concert series and festivals around the world. Noteworthy engagements include performances at Wigmore Hall in London and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, residencies at Dartmouth and Stanford Universities, and concerts at Tage Alter Musik Regensburg (Germany), Stavanger Kammermusikkfestival (Norway), Cartagena Festival International de Música (Colombia), and Early Music Vancouver, among others.
Their growing discography includes two Grammy-nominated releases and albums that have topped the “best of” lists of The New Yorker, Gramophone, and The New York Times. In early 2021, they released And the sun darkened on BIS Records. Hailed by BBC Music Magazine as “immaculately sung,” the album has received accolades from publications around the world. Early Music America called the disc “radiant,” and Klassik Heute applauded the ensemble’s “flawlessly pure sound that amazes the listener.”
For more information about New York Polyphony, please visit their web site and follow them on Facebook.
Concert Sponsors
This concert was made possible, in part, by the Westchester Community Foundation, a division of The New York Community Foundation.
The Music Room theatrical lighting was a generous gift from
Adela and Lawrence Elow.
Concert Policies
No photography or video / audio recording permitted.
Silence all mobile devices and alarms.
Wear a mask unless eating or drinking.
Have extra time before the concert?
Read an article, tour the gardens, or experience our Sound Art. There is much to enjoy at Caramoor!