COME GO WITH ME
CHORAL COLLAGE
Dr. Khyle B. Wooten, conductor
Dr. Sean Linfors, conductor
Samantha Buchannan, collaborative pianist
Jamie Decker, collaborative pianist
Andrew Woodruff, collaborative pianist
Come and Go to That Land
Text:
Come and go to that land where I’m bound
Come and go to that land where I’m bound
Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come
‘Twas grace that brought me safe thus far, and I know it will lead me home
Come and go with me to my Father’s house,
There is joy, joy, joy!
In recent years, the Waddles arrangement of Come and Go to that Land has quickly become a highly recognized and sought-after work among the tenor-bass choir repertoire. Combining two traditional spirituals, “Come and go with me” and “Come and go with me to my Father's House,” Brandon Waddles has created an arrangement that attends the sonic worlds of African-American work song and Southern male gospel quartet. Waddles summons the a cappella style of the spiritual, the extended harmonies of jazz and the motivic and rhythmic drive of gospel in this arrangement to make the pairing of these two selections a joyous community expression. Come and Go to that Land envelopes the audiences in its spirited and brave G-major sections that modulates to a most “churchy” and repetitive A-flat vamp. The Waddles arrangement perfectly engages the opening and or closing of a concert set for tenor-bass choirs.
A Kwanzaa Litany
Text:
Grandfather Sakuma the great! You destroy, you rebuild.
It’s you we call when in danger, God, the almighty, who created heaven and earth.
Well! It is not for anything that I call you, but this is what you grandson who lives in Bukon called
Attakame, the fisherman says:
His wife and children are holding their drinks and fowls with which they kneel before you.
Whatever we do is ill doomed if you don’t have a hand in it, so they are entreating you that they may
be bless.
That they may prosper.
That their path may be straightened for them,
That all mishaps be cleared away,
That you may bring prosperity,
That you may bestow on us food and meat
That we may never grow hungry.
Life and prosperity for our children and to those yet unborn.
Adolphus Hailstork’s A Kwanzaa Litany (Let it Be So) is a work for SATB choir was composed in October 1997 and is dedicated to David Morrow and the Morehouse Glee Club in memory of its former conductor Wendell Whalum. Kwanzaa is an African American and pan-African holiday celebrating life and cultural unity. Inspired by traditional African harvest celebrations, it is celebrated throughout the week of December 26 through January 1. Kwanzaa is a spiritual joyful celebration of life. Each day of the week is dedicated to one of the seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work & responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. The text of the work is from the book “The African Aesthetic: Keeper of the Traditions,” edited by Kariamu Welsh-Asante. The is from the libation of the ceremony of the Ga people of Ghana. The word Tswa means Hail. The phrase Omanye aba means May peace come. These exchanges mean the same as the more familiar Agoo and the response Amen. Hiao means May it be so.
Peaches
Text:
Peach, you’re so cool
And with my start, we’re gonna rule
Peach, understand
I’m gonna love you to the very end.
Peaches, I love you.
Mario, Luigi, and Donkey Kong, too
A thousand troops of Koopas couldn’t keep me from you
Princess Peach, at the end of the line
I’ll make you mine.
Made famous by Jack Black, Peaches is a song created for the The Super Mario Bros. Movie, in which he voices the character of Bowser. The song is a sentimental ballad in which Bowser professes his love for Princess Peach.
Composer, Brian Pappal, is Brian Pappal is a pianist, conductor, composer, and vocalist with extensive experience as a collaborative musician in the world of dance. Whether at the keyboard or the podium, in the studio or on stage, his work is shaped by deep artistry, creative curiosity, and a collaborative spirit. In addition to his work as a dance musician, Brian is an award-winning composer whose choral, instrumental, and dance music has been performed worldwide. Pappal’s arrangement of Peaches went viral on social media nearly ago with a video recording of the BYU tenor-bass ensemble Vocal Point.
Ithaca Forever
Text:
Ithaca forever, shine your light on me
In my heart together we shall always be
And here’s to Ithaca, my Ithaca, how beautiful you are
Your towers high upon South Hill reach form stone to star
Ithaca Forever, I’ll recall a smile
Clasp a hand in friendship, walk a snowy mile
And here’s to Ithaca, my Ithaca, alma mater true
Although I leave Cayuga’s shores, I’ll remember you
Ithaca forever, guide us on our way
Like a shining beacon, light our night a day
And here’s to Ithaca, my Ithaca, how bright your vision seems
May all your loyal students dare to live their dreams
Notes from the arrangers:
We (Julian Bingham '27 and Morgan Linn '27) are both composition students at Ithaca College. Since the start of South Hill Singers, IC's tenor/bass choir, we have loved singing and being a part of the group. We both have experience arranging for a variety of vocal ensembles and are excited and grateful to premiere this piece for the South Hill Singers. We would love to give a huge thank you to all of the talented singers and Dr. Wooten for making this happen. It is an honor to work with such a hardworking group.
We were tasked to reimagine Ithaca College's Alma Mater with a fun and exciting approach. Generally, we wanted to maintain the original melody of Phillip Lang's "Ithaca Forever" while adding interesting new harmonies. Each verse has a different vibe than the next by modulating the key, introducing new instruments, or changing the original rhythms. The piece starts with a classic warmup: A major chord on "Za" followed by an open-faced hum, seamlessly transitioning into the first verse. Then, piano, drums, and bass guitar join in on the second verse in a pop-style ballad, which speeds up for the start of verse 3. In other words, when we thought it was getting cheesy, we kept going.
Alle psallite cum luya
Alle concrepando psallite cum luya
Alle corde voto Deo toto, psallite cum luya
Alleluya
Alle (sing with) luya
Alle (resounding loudly sing with) luya
Alle (with heart devoted all to God sing with) luya
Alleluya
The theme of “Come Go With Me” speaks to the travels represented in the Treble Chorale set. Our opening piece, Alle psallite is a Latin motet that transports us to the medieval period. The source for this piece, the Montpelier Codex, is an invaluable collection of documents that dates to the 13th century and gives us valuable insight into polyphonic practices of the time.
The Lake Isle of Innisfree
Text:
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.
W.B. Yeats poem, The Lake Isle of Innisfree is a text that yearns for a retreat, and for routine, and gardens, and Eleanor Daley’s famous setting yearns in the same way. The pairing of music and text is revealed in the first choral entrance, “I will arise and go now.”
Untraveled Worlds
Text:
I am part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethrough
Gleams that untraveled world, whose margin fades
For ever and for ever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!
Untraveled Worlds, Paul Halley’s setting of Ulysses (Odysseus), takes the listener on the journey back to Ithaca, Ulysses’ home. Alfred, Lord Tennyson, the poet, uses the story as metaphor for surmounting insurmountable personal challenges and for conquering the impossible.
Tienes el alma de provinciana
Hueles a limpio, a rosa temprana
A verde jara fresca del río
Son mil palomas tu caserío
Guadalajara, Guadalajara
Sabes a pura tierra mojada
Ay, ay, ay, ay! Colomitos lejanos
Ay, Ojitos de Agua, hermanos
Ay, Colomitos inovidables
Inolvidables como las tardes
Ay, que la lluvia, desde La Loma
No nos dejaba ir a Zapopan
Ay, ay, ay, ay! Tlaquepaque pueblito
Tus olorosos jarritos
Hacen más fresco el dulce tepache
Para la birria, junto al mariachi
Y en los parianes y alfarerías
Suenan con triste melancolía
Ay, ay, ay, ay! Laguna de Chapala
Tienes de un cuento la magia
Fuerte de ocasos y de alboradas
Y enamoradas noches lunadas
Quieta, Chapala, es tu laguna
Novia romántica como ninguna
Ay, ay, ay, ay! Guadalajara hermosa
Quiero decirte una cosa
Tú que conservas el agua del pozo
Y, de tus mujeres, el fiel rebozo
Guadalajara, Guadalajara
Tienes el alma más mexicana
Ay, ay, ay
Ay, ay, ay
Guadalajara
Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Guadalajara.
You are the heart of the province,
You smell like the pure early rose,
Like the fresh green river,
You are homeland of thousand doves.
Guadalajara, Guadalajara,
You smell like pure moist soil.
Ay ay ay ay! Colomitos far away.
Ay! Familiar water eyes.
Ay! Unforgettable Colomitos,
Unforgettable like the afternoons
On which the rain from the hills does
Not let us go to Zapopan.
Ay ay ay ay! Tlaquepaque village.
Your odorant jugs
Provide for the freshest sweet tepache
With birria and mariachi
Which on the markets and potteries
Do carry for a melancholy mood.
Ay ay ay ay! Lake Chapala.
You are an enchanting romance;
A romance of sunsets and sunrises,
Of romantic nights in the moonlight.
Calm, Chapala, is your lake.
Incomparably romantic like nothing else.
Ay, ay, ay, ay! Beautiful Guadalajara
I want to tell you something
You who conserves water from the well
And of your people the most beautiful
Guadalajara, Guadalajara
You have the most Mexican soul
Ay, ay, ay
Ay, ay, ay
Guadalajara
Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Guadalajara.
Our final piece, Guadalajara, is set by an alumnus, Raul Dominguez, who has dedicated this arrangement to the Ithaca College Treble Chorale. Raul writes, “Guadalajara is an arrangement of the famous mariachi tune, 'Guadalajara,' composed by Pepe Guízar and first popularized by Lucha Reyes, the “mother of ranchera music.” Pepe’s music is filled with pride for different areas and aspects of this Mexican province as well as the people of Jalisco.”
Spiritual
Text:
Can't no one know at sunrise how this day will come to end
Can’t no one know at sunset if the next day will begin
In this world of trouble woe, a person had better be ready to go
We look for things to the stay the same, but in a twinkling of an eye,
Everything can be changed.
The troubles of this world fill our hearts with rage
From Soweto to Stonewall, Birmingham and L.A.
We’re searching for hope that lies within ourselves
As we fight against misogyny, race, hatred, and AIDS.
Ysaye Barnwell (b. 1946) is most known for her longtime membership with and musical compositions performed by Sweet Honey in the Rock. Written for a cappella voice ensemble, Spiritual was originally composed as a dance theater piece, this work features a dense harmonic texture and drastic dynamic shifts help deliver the message that we must advocate for justice today. Spiritual has been newly updated by a scholarly committee dedicated to Dr. Barnwell's vocal ensemble focused works.
Signs of the Judgment
Text:
Judgement’s coming.
See signs of the judgement, Lord
Time is drawing nigh.
Better ready for that great day when come and take his children away.
Boatman, Boatman, row one side. You can’t get to heaven ‘gainst the wind and the tide.
Run to the mountain, the mountain move.
I run to the hills and they did, too.
Went to the rocks to hide my face.
The rocks cried out, “there’s no hiding place.”
One of the these mornings bright and fair
I will meet my Jesus in the air.
He’ll say, “well done, my child,”
Then I’ll shout “Hallelujah, my race has been won.”
Judgement’s coming, Lord.
Common to all the Abrahamic religions, the concept of the Day of Judgment has served as both warning and inspiration to untold generations of believers. As the theme of myriad spirituals and gospel songs, the admonition to “be ready for that great day when the Lord comes to take his children away” has special resonance in the African American musical tradition. In his popular arrangement of Signs of the Judgment, composer-conductor Mark Butler of Florida A&M University applies his distinctive blend of energetic, ostinato-like rhythms and vocal layering effects to impart fresh urgency to the spiritual’s timeless message.
Come to the Woods
Text:
Another glorious day, the air as delicious
to the lungs as nectar to the tongue.
The day was full of sparkling sunshine,
and at the same time enlivened with one of
the most bracing wind storms.
The mountain winds bless the forests with love.
They touch every tree, not one is forgotten.
When the storm began to sound,
I pushed out into the woods to enjoy it.
I should climb one of the trees for a wider look.
The sounds of the storm were glorious with
wild exuberance of light and motion.
Bending and swirling backward and forward, round and round,
in this wild sea of pines.
The storm-tones died away, and turning toward the east,
I beheld the trees, hushed and tranquil.
The setting sun filled them with amber light, and seemed to say,
“Come to the woods, for here is rest.”
Come to the Woods is an exploration of the spirit of nature. Jake Runestad compiled the text from the writings of John Muir who was inspired by the transcendent natural landscape of California’s Yosemite Valley. The music meditates on Muir’s celebrations of nature through stunningly beautiful choral harmonies and pensive piano solos. Mountain winds, bracing windstorms and a wild sea of pines invigorate the soul and lead us to peace and rest.
Julian Bingham
Caleb Cackowski
Taryn Campbell
Jack Cecere
Cian Connolly
Lorelei Cramer
Lucas Fernandez
Will Geiger
Mac Hayes
Daquan Jarrett
Emmanuel Jeffreys
Morgan Linn
Ilan Medwed
Alexander Miller
Liam Mylan
Luke Ovsag
Kaiden Reitz
Joel Rivera
Elijah Shin
Caden Sitts
Will Vetter
Ryan Yuu
Alan Zimmerman
Lauren Bradbury
Ashley Brokaw
Katie Buffaline
Sammi Bullock
Bean Cesari
Bella Chaine
Scarlett Coons
Chloe Cramer
Isa Cruz
Kerry Cullen
Molly Davey
Jamie Decker
Jillian Doyle
Heidi Engelbert
Chloe Farkouh
Raegan Fritts
Zoe Galgoczy
Cherylanne Garrett
Cordelia Gilbert
Lindsay Green
Katie Greenwood
Acorn Hatton
Elizabeth Hercek
Ella Hetner
Scarlett Hickman
Eden Jordan
Janelle Jusino
Leah Kilkenny
Emma Kirk
Ana Kirsch
Maura Lander
Brianna Lee
Katie Lehmann
Lily Lemery-Allen
AJ Lix
Trinity Madison
Alexa Markowitz
Nora Michaud
Gwen O'Bannon
G Owusu
Ella Padilla
Acadia Paradee
Gialina Ploutz
Ellie P Pokabla
Alanna Ramos
Lauren Ravas
Elena Rodenborn
Kelly Rogers
Victoria Schecter
Savannah Schneider
Kari Sparks
Tahlia Stefanik
Olivia Stockage
Sammie Tesoriero
Isabella Travers
Mireida Villaronga
Scarlett Wilder
Genesis Williams
Maia Wong
Lee Yotko
Ellie Babbitt
Sofia Beaulieu
Julian Bingham
Brendan Blazier
Kaitlyn Campbell
Hope Carey
Cody Chelune
Grace Commisso
Darren De Leon
Jack Delman
Henry Denton
Molly Dubner
Amara Evans
Jasmine Foster
Abinaya Ganesh
Trevor Griffiths
Isabella Grimaldi
Lusi Halaifonua
Julia Huff
Anastasia Inglima
Alexandra Ives
Sabina Jungkeit
Michael Kauffman
Jonathan Kuster
Ally Lemon
Allison Lewis
Morgan Linn
Lucy Montgomery
Paul Narkewich
Amelia Ostamendy
Jack Patterson
Bria Petrella
Grace Rankel
Hayley Rayfield
Jayar Rhoades
Jayna Simeon
Sarah Smith
Rachel Somers
Nikki Sutera
Emma Thomas
Grace Tomasula
Faith Tomasula
Owen Umiker
Aidan Zajkowski