Two Concerts by Baylor's Chamber Singers

by Richard Veit

The spring concerts of the Baylor University Chamber Singers will be presented at
3 p.m Sunday and at 8 p.m. Monday. Both concerts will be in the Armstrong Browning Library's McLean Foyer of Meditation. The Chamber Singers are conducted by Donald Bailey, the Mary Gibbs Jones Professor of Music and director of choral activities. Accompanist for this 17-member vocal ensemble is Michael Stuart.
The pair of concerts will open with the chant "Crux fidelis," which will be followed by two 16th-century pieces -- Marco Antonio Ingegneri's "Tenebrae factae sunt" and "Ascendit Deus" by Jacobus Gallus.
The next portion of the program focuses on the Renaissance tune "Dessus le marché d'Arras." After presenting the theme in its original monophonic setting, the Chamber Singers will sing Adrian Willaert's vocal arrangement of it and also his setting for keyboard. Two treatments of the piece by Orlando di Lasso -- a song setting and a brief "Magnificat"--will follow.
The first half of the program will conclude with two pieces dating from around the year 1600 -- John Bennet's "Weep, O Mine Eyes" and Thomas Weelkes' "Hark, All Ye Lovely Saints Above."
Following intermission, the Chamber Singers will present two world premieres: Donald Bailey's own "Fair Lucy" and Kurt Kaiser's "River Song," each with the respective composer conducting. Composer Robert H. Young will then conduct three of his own works: "Blow, Bugle, Blow," "How Sweet the Moonlight Sleeps" and "Sudden Light."
The concerts will conclude with Bailey conducting Young's "The Christ-child" and Young conducting "Prayer to Jesus" by George Oldroyd.
These two performances by the Baylor Chamber Singers are free and open to the public. Due to the group's popularity and the limited seating capacity, early arrival is suggested.