1track.html

1967 - 1990

Printable version of Notes only
Printable version of Texts/Translations only

CD 1: Mozart Mostly

I sincerely invite the listener to be aware that all the original sources of Volume I date from the middle to late 1960s. The sound quality will assuredly differ from time to time, but I'd like to think that aspect adds a bit of historical color. The Schubert Mass excerpt, American folk songs and the Tosca excerpt are from original reel-to-reel tapes or cassettes. The other sources are copies from originals, all dating from that period.

Franz Schubert

excerpt from Mass in G

This recording represents what is probably my first solo outing as a boy soprano (with an obvious absence of vibrato) and as a member of the Texas Boys Choir. A handful of boys had begun singing at Holy Family Catholic Church that year ($10 a month) and had many wonderful musical experiences. A non-musical experience at this particular Christmas Eve service was when I knocked down my music stand, full of music for the service. After the crash, George Bragg walked over to me and whispered "This is not the Fourth of July..."

The tenor soloist is Gerald Houghton, a former choirboy himself and the bass solos were sung by Charles Austin.

01 Benedictus

American Folk Songs

During the spring of 1968, the Texas Boys Choir traveled to New York to make two LPs for ColumbiaMasterworks: "This Land is Your Land" (American folk songs arranged by Robert DeCormier) and "Whatchild is This?" (Christmas music with the Gregg Smith Singers accompanied by the great Americanconcert organist, E. Power Biggs).

The sessions were rather long and arduous, most of us, including myself suffering from allergies, a fact Ididn't realize until I was an adult. There were many trips to the vending machine which served cups ofa yellow liquid named chicken soup.

02 Ching-a-ring chaw
03 Study War No More
04 Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The Magic Flute: The Role of First Spirit

During my third year as a member of the Texas Boys Choir, I sang at the Santa Fe Opera for two seasons: In 1968 in productions of Mozart's The Magic Flute and a concert version of Stravinsky's Perséphone; in 1969, I returned to the same production of The Magic Flute, but as the Second Spirit and I also sang the role of the Shepherd Boy in Puccini's Tosca. As an adult, I returned to the company in 1982 as an Apprentice Artist.

These excerpts from an August 1968 performance are conducted by Robert Baustian and feature Stuart Burrows as Tamino, Benita Valente as Pamina and William Workman as Papageno (Donald Gramm sung Papageno in the first four performances). The role of Second Spirit was sung by Mark Lovelace and Third Spirit was sung by Greg Ulmer.

To this day, I still have my G. Schirmer score (we used the Ruth and Thomas Martin translation - their first one), wrapped in white shelfpaper and all my markings for blocking made when I was 13. In re-listening to this track, I was struck particularly by the volume in the phrase "Oh, were her lover only here!".

05 Act I: No. 8 Finale
06 Act II: No. 16 Trio
07 Act II: No. 21 Finale
08 Act II: Papageno's Farewell

Peter Westmore

Sweet Melancholy

These three very simple songs are to texts by Peter Westmore, a shy British poet that visited the Texas Boys Choir in the late 1960s. Though the texts are meant for an adult to sing, I think their simplicity makes a poignant and somewhat bittersweet effect sung by a boy soprano (hence the title I gave). I believe that the accompanist is Cecil Bailey. Mr. Westmore passed away in 1990.

09 Lord, I am not Worthy
10 Peter Wept
11 All Our Yesterdays

César Franck

Mass in A: Panis angelicus

This selection is a personal favorite of mine and I still remember the moment vividly. The occasion was the wedding of Howard and Karen Walsh in Dallas, Texas on January 8(?), 1969. My voice was beginning to bloom into a full-throated boy soprano (along with natural vocal nuances). During the interlude, I can remember George Bragg, the conductor, lean over and whisper to me: "That was beautiful. Now make it great."

This was recorded with a hand-held microphone (by fellow choirboy Mark Lovelace) about twenty feet in back of me as I stood at the edge of the choirloft in the back of the church. After the wedding ceremony, the groom's father, Howard Walsh, found me at the reception and took me by the hand, introducing me to all the guests as the soprano soloist. They all were astounded, thinking it was a woman who had sung.

Kalman Halasz, a pupil of Zoltan Kodaly at the Franz Lizst Academy in his native Budapest, is the organist in this recording. An assistant conductor and tour accompanist for the Texas Boys Choir, he was a truly major influence on me and I cannot stress this enough. This man taught me how to read music, solfege with hand signals, how to sight-read and had a mountain of patience (but was a very strict disciplinarian). He was an accomplished organist, pianist and composer and even was an avid jazz enthusiast. I remember his playing of the Erroll Garner solo "Young Love."

This performance is available online in streaming audio by clicking:

Panis angelicus at the Walsh Wedding

12 Panis angelicus

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339: Laudate dominum
Exsultate, jubilate, K. 165

In December of 1968, George Bragg asked me to learn the Mozart Alleluia. I was handed a Breitkopf und Härtel orchestral score with an LP of the entire cantata, Exsultate, jubilate; the Alleluia being the final movement. I went home and listened to the Alleluia, but also, of course, listened to the entire cantata. I decided to learn the entire work.

In February of 1969, George Bragg arranged a series of weekend concerts called "Connoisseur Concerts". There were two programs, sacred on three Fridays and secular on three Saturdays. And all of these concert's took place at Cowden Hall, a wonderful recital hall on the campus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Friday's concert was built around me so to speak, as I was soloist in three of the four works.

And every Friday night, just before we all would walk onstage, I would drink about a cup of pure lemon juice. Go figure...

I remember so fondly the first performance I ever heard of "Laudate dominum". It was on the occasion of some important holy day at Holy Family Catholic Church when an orchestra was required; a soloist was brought in to sing this work - not a soprano, as Mozart wrote it, but an incredible, light-voiced tenor named Ira Schantz. He had breath control of amazing power.

As far as the learning of "Exsultate, jubilate" is concerned, I did not know what a cadenza was so I sang the ones that were on the recording. And no, sorry to say, I did not take the high C at the end of the Alleluia. Didn't have it. It's not written.

Most of this recording comes from one of a weekly rehearsal at Cowden Hall during the run of the Connoisseur Concerts. I walked in and saw all these microphones. I stood up and went through the cantata once as I had done at every week's rehearsal.

But around this time, plans had begun to film a documentary about the Texas Boys Choir and its ideals. It was decided to use this recording of "Exsultate, jubilate". Unfortunately, at one point in the editing process, they decided to cut about a third of music from the third movement, "Tu virginum corona". That missing section has been replaced here with a live performance in the same hall days later, recorded by my mother with a Norelco hand-held microphone on a C-120 cassette. In the end, only the "Alleluia" was used in the film ("A Time of Waking:) with me lip-synching.

By the generosity of Gene Bittner, I am making available an excerpt from the documentary, "A Time of Waking". This is a streaming video; I recommend you download the free RealPlayer.

The video begins with a short speech by George Bragg and the Mozart "Alleluia" follows.

Mozart's Alleluia from the movie "A Time of Waking"

In November of 2000, "The Better Land: Great Boy Sopranos Recorded 1927-1969: Volume 3" was issued on the Amphion label. I am honored to be represented on this volume, especially so since I am the only American boy soprano on the entire series.

13 Laudate dominum

14 I. Exsultate, jubilate
15 II. Recitativo: Fulget, amica dies
16 III. Tu virginum corona
17 IV. Alleluia

Gregg Smith

Bible Songs For Young Voices: In my Spirit

Gregg Smith has been in my musical life almost as long as George Bragg. I first came into contact with him when The Texas Boys Choir and the Gregg Smith Singers participated in Grammy Award-winning landmark recordings of the choral music of Charles Ives, Stravinsky's Perséphone (conducted by the composer) and an album of Christmas Carols, all for Columbia Masterworks and produced by John McClure. Gregg was an extremely colorful artist and always lit up a room when present. He subsequently wrote a solo for me in his cantata "Beware of the Soldier". As an adult, I sang under his auspices in performances of Stravinsky's Renard under the baton of Robert Craft as well as a sudden replacement as his tour accompanist.

This solo (one revered by all soloist hopefuls) I always considered very difficult as the haunting piano accompaniment constantly wove itself among the notes of the solo line, thus making it treacherous to sing accurately. I find my performance somewhat note-bound, remembering how difficult it was to perform. This performance is from a concert in Sherman, Texas which took place on March 30, 1969. The accompanist is Kalman Halasz and the conductor is George Bragg.

18 In my Spirit

Giacomo Puccini

Tosca: The Role of the Shepherd Boy

This CD ends with a track that represents the end of my brief career as a boy soprano. The Texas Boys Choir was asked to participate in a revival of the 1968 Bliss Hebert/Willa Kim production of The Magic Flute. This time, I sang the role of the Second Spirit, plus the Shepherd Boy in Puccini's Tosca. The date of this performance is most likely July of 1969. The sound is rather faint, but this captures my voice as it was rapidly changing. I clearly remember being barely able to get through performances of The Magic Flute, the voice was leaving so quickly. During the final dress rehearsal for Tosca (the opening night of the the 1969 season), John Crosby asked that I sing it from a nuymber of places back stage. One of these locations was even on the roof of the stage. Eventually, backstage right was chosen. John Crosby called me to the pit to thank me personally for my efforts.

18 Tosca: Voice of the Shepherd

In June of 2000, Larry Ford of "Boychoir - Past, Present and Future" authored a site in honor of me and my career as a boy soprano. It can be viewed by clicking: http://www.boychoirs.org/collup.html

CD 2: Some Enchanted Evening

After months of arranging and re-arranging this series of seven volumes of CDs, the combination published here happened on its own and turned into a CD of works that are normally performed with orchestra. All tracks (with the exception of two piano solos) are either with orchestra or originally written for orchestra. This CD also breaks with chronology with the two selections from the final round of the 1984 Toulouse International Singing Competition and the short radio appearance as accompanist to Paul Plishka in December of 1990.

Richard Rodgers

South Pacific

While I was a junior at Eastern Hills High School, I was encouraged by my music teacher, Fran Brown, to enter the All-City Voice Competition with a prize of a concert singing with orchestra. This is an excerpt from a suite of tunes from the popular musical, South Pacific. The All-City High School Orchestra is conducted by Ralph Guenther at Will Rogers Auditorium and it took place in the late spring of 1971. A couple of days before this performance, there was an afternoon rehearsal. Afterwards, a bunch of us went to the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens and played Frisbee. I dislocated my left kneecap and had to sing the performance with the help of a cane.

01 Some Enchanted Evening

Felix Mendelssohn

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 in g: III. Presto/Molto allegro e vivace

Having won the All-City Vocalist Competition the year before, I entered the piano competition of the same name the next year. At the time, I was studying with the renowned virtuosa, Isabel Scionti in Denton, Texas. This movement was preceded by the second movement, but not included on the LP pressing given to me. This live performance is nothing short of frenetic, out-of-control and basically, one could write a nice little composition with the missed and dropped notes (which proves my theory I won the competition with the way I played the slow movement). I was nervous also because I had never played a grand piano without the music rack sitting inside it. The visual threw me.

Years later, as a participant at the Marlboro Music Festival, I thanked Rudolf Serkin for this prize that I had won about twenty years previous: I had copied his interpretation nuance-by-nuance from his recording with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

02 III. Presto/Molto allegro e vivace

Fryderyk Chopin

Polonaise in Ab, Op. 35

During my senior year in high school and the following year, I was the accompanist for the Texas Boys Choir, on tour as well as local performing. George Bragg allowed me to play two solos during a costume change at each concert. I always played the Chopin Ab Polonaise (once I tried out the g minor Ballade). This work is especially significant to me as it is the very piece of music that inspired my love of classical music. The particular circumstance was the viewing of a movie in third grade of the great Ignace Paderewski playing this. My teacher at the time was Isabel Scionti.

George Gershwin

Prelude No. 1

I "encored" during one tour with "Chopin" from Schumann's "Carnaval" and during the second national tour, I encored with the Scriabin d# etude. When I was a choirboy on tour in 1965 and 1966, another former choirboy, Patrick Stanley, played solos during the concerts. I can still hear his Chopin Op. 10, No. 4 Etude and the Butterfly and Black Key Etudes. After all, I listened to these dozens of times while making a costume change in the wings.

This rather relentless rhythmic performance is from a pre-tour concert which took place on November 19, 1972. The city was Kilgore, Texas (birthplace of Van Cliburn). I also have included the introduction by George Bragg.

03 Introduction by George Bragg
04 Chopin: Polonaise in Ab, Op. 35
05 Gershwin: Prelude No. 1

A Little Touch of Schmollup in the Night

In the early 1970s when I was tour accompanist for the Texas Boys Choir, we visited Chicago where I discovered the hypnotic LP of Harry Nilsson entitled "A Little Touch Of Schmilsson in the Night" (RCA 3761-2-R). It is a dream of an LP containing twelve songs from the early and mid-twentieth century. It is through-composed, in that there are interludes bridging the songs. But the delectable part about this is that the interludes are sometimes small quotes from songs one heard on the LP, songs one will hear, or songs that aren't included at all.

In the summer of 1971, I attempted to transcribe for piano the entire album, trying as best I could to capture as many details as possible of the lush Gordon Jenkins orchestration. Some years later, George Bragg recorded me singing and playing this arrangement .

I am reminded of Kalman Halasz, who could once and a while, in the late 1960s, be found all alone in the rehearsal hall at 1400 Hemphill in Fort Worth, playing the sultry "Young Love" of Erroll Garner. He probably would also have a half-smoked cigarette hanging out the side of his mouth as he played. Hence, the intimacy on this recording. I sound as if I'm singing to myself. I also would like to mention the masterful arrangements he made for the Texas Boys Choir. Sometimes he would lift, as I did here, arrangements off of recordings and turn them into brilliant piano accompaniments.

When I decided to include this "cycle" of American popular songs, I had to do some cerebral detective work: the first seven measures are missing from the original tape. What must have happened is that when I sat down to record this, George Bragg most likely asked me to play something for a microphone level check. I then started with the first strong music and, apparently, never stopped until the end of the work and forgotten I had not played the opening seven measures. I have chosen to re-record those measures in my New York apartment on June 12, 2000 and thereby completing the arrangement.

And even more stranger is how this all has come full circle. The work begins with a partial quote from the LP's final song. Then the 12 complete songs follow, completing the album. It is this partial quote, which poetically takes the listener into a flashback of past love (which is the rest of the album). And this recording presented here literally begins in the present and returns to the past almost twenty years ago.

I wish to thank Dominique Sertel of Berlin, Germany for his re-mastering of this tape.

06 Lazy Moon
07 For Me and My Gal
08 It Had To Be You
09 Always
10 Makin' Whoopee!
11 You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want To Do It)

12 Lullaby in Ragtime
13 I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now
14 What'll i Do?
15 Nevertheless (I'm In Love With You)
16 This Is All I Ask
17 As Time Goes By

Ernest Chausson

Poeme de l'Amour et de la Mer: IV. Le temps des lilas

Charles Gounod

Roméo et Juliette: Ballade de la Reine Mab

These two selections are my performances in the Final Round of the Concours International de Chant de Toulouse. They were recorded by my Sony Walkman placed just offstage right on the floor. First, one hears the master of ceremonies walking onstage and announcing, in french, my name, voice type, country and selections. Then you hear myself walking out onstage. The pianist is Jerzy Marchwinski, husband of Polish mezzo EWa Podles.

The first time I heard Gérard Souzay and Dalton Baldwin in recital was at the Orford Music Festival in Canada. He programmed four Chausson mélodies as well as songs by Poulenc - he opened the program with a spell-binding Priez pour paix, Fauré's Poeme d'un jour, the Ravel cycle Don Quichotte á Dulcinée and Schumann's Dichterliebe.

I performed Chausson mélodies at my all-french recital at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. as well as a recital at Fort Worth's Cowden Hall. This composer also served me well as I won the Prix de la Mélodie Française at the Concours International de Chant de Paris.

A dream unfulfilled was to someday sing Chausson's work for voice and orchestra, "Poeme de l'Amour et de la Mer". While studying at the Peabody Conservatory, Flore Wend introduced me to this piece with her recording she made with Ernest Ansermet and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. She was a voice teacher of formidable wit, shrewdness and artistry, all in one person. When she loved a song or any piece of music, her exuberance was enthralling. I prepared the work while studying with M. Souzay at the Geneva Conservatory in 1981. "Le temps des lilas" is the third and final movement.

18 Le temps des lilas
19 Ballade de la Reine Mab

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Don Giovanni

Richard Rodgers

South Pacific

Via Irv Lerner, I had the pleasure of meeting Paul Plishka at numerous parties. On one of those occasion, I was invited to listen to a run-through of his upcoming recital at Weill Hall, which was to take place at the apartment of Armen Boyajian, his sole voice teacher.

After the run-through of the program - Mussorgsky's Songs and Dances of Death, a Shostakovitch cycle, Paul Bowles' Blue Mountain Ballads, a Ukranian cycle and a group of Ives songs - Paul mentioned that he was in need of an accompanist for a recital in Madison, Wisconsin in a couple of weeks. He was told I played the piano.

After the Weill recital (at which I turned pages for his full-time accompanist, Tom Hrynkiw), Paul gave me the music and our first rehearsal was five days later in Philadelphia where he was rehearsing La Gazza Ladra. Our second and final rehearsal was at a rehearsal hall of the Metropolitan Opera about a week later. The recital on April 22, 1990 was a success, and Paul encored with Rachmaninoff's "Spring Waters."

The following winter, Paul called me to pinch-hit again as accompanist in two selections during a radio interview, which are included below.

20 Leporello's Aria
21 Some Enchanted Evening

Kyrie

Kyrie eleison.
Lord have mercy.
Christe eleison
Christ have mercy
Kyrie eleison
Lord have mercy.

Gloria

Gloria in excelsis Deo
Glory to God in the highest,
Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.
and on earth peace to men of good will.
Laudamus tie, benedicimus te,
We praise thee, we bless the
Adoramus te, glorificamus te.
We adore Thee, we glorify Thee.
Gratias agimus tibi
We give Thee thanks
Propter magnam glonam tuam.
For Thy great glory.
Domine Deus, Rex coelestis,
O Lord God, heavenly King,
Deus Pater omnipotens.
God, the Father almighty
Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe
O Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son
Domine Deus, Agnus Del, Filius Patris.
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
Qui tollis peccato mundi,
Who takes away the sins of the world,
miserere nobis,
Have mercy on us.
Qui toills peccata mundi,
Who takes away the sins of the world
suscipe deprecationemnostram.
Receive our prayer.
Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris
Who sitteth at the right hand of the Father
Quoniam tu soius Sanctus,
For thou only art holy
tu solus Dominus.
Thou only art Lord.
Tu soius Altissimus Jesu Christe.
Thou only, O Jesus Christ
Curn Sancto Spiritu
Together with the Holy Ghost
in gloria Del Patris. Amen.
In the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Benedictus

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Osanna in exceisis.
Hosanna in the highest.

Ching-a-ring chaw

Ching-a-ring-a-ring ching ching-a-ring hing
Ho-a-ding-a-ding kum larkee
Ching-a-ring-a-ring ching ching-a-ring hing
Ho-a-ding-a-ding kum larkee

Brothers, gather 'round, listen to the story
'Bout the Promised Land and the Promised Glory.

You don't need to fear if you have no mone;You don't need none there to buy you Milk and Honey.

There we'll ride in style - coach and six white horses;
There the evenin' mealhas one-two-three-four courses!

Nights we all will dance to the harp and fiddle,
Waltz and jig and prance and cast off down the middle

when the mornin' comes all in grand and splendour
Stand out in the sun and hear the holy thunder!

Brothers hear me out: the Promised Land's a comin'!
Dance and sing and shout: I hear them harps a strummin'!

Study War No More
'Gonna lay down my sword and shield
Down by the riverside,
Down by the riverside,
Down by the riverside.

Gonna lay down my sword and shield
Down by the riverside,
Gonna study war no mre.
I ain't gonna study war no more
Ain't gonna study war no more.

Gonna lay down my burden.
Down by the riverside,
Down by the riverside,
Down by the riverside.

Gonna lay down my burden.
Down by the riverside,
Gonna study war no mre.
I ain't gonna study war no more
Ain't gonna study war no more.

'Gonna walk with the Prince of Peace
Down by the riverside,
Down by the riverside,
Down by the riverside.

'Gonna walk ith the Prince of Peace
Down by the riverside,
Gonna study war no mre.
I ain't gonna study war no more
Ain't gonna study war no more.

Amen!

Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child

Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child a long way from home.

Sometimes I feel like I'm almost gone
Sometimes I feel like I'm almost gone
Sometimes I feel like I'm almost gone a long way from home.

Sometimes I feel like an eagle in the air
Sometimes I feel like an eagle in the airB
Sometimes I feel like an eagle in the air a long way from home.

O true believer, a long way from home, a long way from home.

No. 8 Finale

THREE SPIRITS:

Your journey's end you soon will reach;
yet win you must by manly daring:
But harken to these words we teach:
Be silent, steadfast, and forbearing.

TAMINO

Ye kindly spirits, tell me, please,may I Pamina soon release?

THREE SPIRITS

To answer this we're not allowed;
Be silent, steadfast, and forbearing!
Have courage, Prince, brave be and proud.
Then you will win byt manly daring.

No. 16 Trio

THREE SPIRITS

Here in Sarastro's hallowed border
We bid you welcome once again,
And by Sarastro's will and order
You may your flute and bells regain.

No more shall you privation suffer;
May what we bring for all amend.
When for the third time aid we profer
Hardship and trouble are at end.

Tamino, hear: Triumph you will.
You, Papageno, pray be still.
Still, still, pray be still,
Still, still, pray be still!

No. 21 Finale

THREE SPIRITS:

Soon speeds the morning light proclaiming
The sunshine's golden way.
This youth, the pow'rs of dark defaming,
Shall see the light of day.

O calmness from above descending,
Reprieve all men from grief unending.
Then doomed are evil, sin, and vice,
And earth becomes a paradise,
and earth becomes a paradise.

FIRST SPIRIT:

But see, Pamina's torn by sadness!

SECOND and THIRD SPIRITS:

Where is she then?

FIRST SPIRIT:

She strays in madness.

Condemned by love to desperation;
Come, let us bring her consolation.
In truth, her life to us is dear!
Oh, were her lover only here!
She comes, she comes, she comes.
Let's stand aside and wait,
We must prevent her tragic fate.

PAMINA:

So only you remain to me!
My hear from pain through you I free.

THREE SPIRITS:

What darksome words we overhear!
Poor maiden, she is mad I fear.

PAMINA:

Oh, death, receive me as your bride.
With you I will, with you I will in peace abide.

THREE SPIRITS:

Madness at her heart is tearing.
Thus to death she goes despairing.
Lovely maiden, hear us now.

PAMINA:

End my being, 'tis the vow
That despairing I have taken;
By my love I am foresaken!
This my mother gave to me!

THREE SPIRITS:

Heaven's law will chasten thee!

PAMINA:

Rather by this blade I perish,
Then a loveless life to cherish.
Mother, Mother! Your curse is my bane
And through you I suffer pain.

THREE SPIRITS:

Maiden, will you come with us?

PAMINA:

No! I drain the cup of woe!
Faithless lover, I must go!
See, Pamina dies through thee!
Deadly weapon set me free!

THREE SPIRITS:

Ah, unhappy maid, have done!
Of your Prince let me remind you;
He would die should thus he find you.
For 'tis you he loves alone.

PAMINA:

Oh, he was not then unfeeling,
But his love within concealing,
As he turned his face away
Why in silence did he stay?

THREE SPIRITS:

This to tell you is forbidden,
But no longer be it hidden
That his heart is yours alone.
He is faithful, he is wise,
Even death for you defies.
Come, Tamino waits for thee!

PAMINA:

Guide me on, my love to see!

ALL:

Two hearts which love has bound together
The storms of life will firmly weather.
They fear no danger or alarm;
The gods will keep them safe from harm

Two hearts which love has bound together
The storms of life will firmly weather.
No enemy will threaten wrath,
The gods will smile upon their path.

No. 21 cont.

PAPAGENO:

No one came, my lot is cast;
So this moment is my last.
Not a hand will mine restrain.
Fare thee well, thou world of pain!

THREE SPIRITS:

Hold back, hold back, hold back!
O Papageno, hear our plea:
You live but once, and that enough should be,
You live but once, and that enough should be.

PAPAGENO:

My little friends, you are mistaken;
For if like me you were forsaken,
You, too, your luck with girls would try,
You, too, your luck with girls would try.

THREE SPIRITS:

Then take your magic bells and play them,
Your little sweetheart will obey them!

PAPAGENO:

How very foolishly I acted
I truly must have been distracted.
Play out, my silver bells, keep ringing,
And bring my maiden to my side,
And bring my maiden to my side.

THREE SPIRITS:

Now, Papageno, turn around.

Lord, I Am Not Worthy

Lord, I am not worthy to have You under my roof,
But say the word and my soul will be healed.
You give me your body you give me your blood
Me a poor sinner, you who are God;
Adoring You Jesus Your Body and Blood
I thank You humbly my Lord and my God.

Lord, I am not worthy to have you under my roof,
But say the word and my soul will be healed.
I thank you my Saviour for this sacred food.
Help me to love You just as I should.
I give you my body I give you my breath,
All of my being in life and in death.

Lord, I am not worthy to have you under my roof,
but say the word and my soul will be healed.

Peter Wept

Peter wept great tears of sorrow
When he had denied our Lord.
Peter wept for he had wronged the Master he adored.

Help me love as Peter loved,
Help me love this way.
Then dear Lord I'll run back to you everytime I go astray.

Peter wept great tears of sorrow
When he had denied our Lord.
Peter wept for he had wronged the Master he adored.

All Our Yesterdays

All our yesterdays pictured me with you,
All our yesterdays still burn bright and new.
I recall the breathless magic of a moonlit walk,
And many precious moments when we smiled but didn't talk.

All our yesterdays seemed too good to last
Yet our happiness needn't all be past
If you could care, why should we go our separate ways?
For I love you and all our yesterdays.

Since you've gone though life goes on, it's wonderful no more;
Soon my dear may you be here, the girl that I adore.

All our yesterdays pictured me with you,
All our yesterdays still burn bright and new
I recall the breathless magic of a moonlit walk
And many precious moments when we smiled but didn't talk.

All our yesterdays seemed too good to last,
Yet our happiness needn't all be past.
If you could care, why should we go our separate ways?
For I love you and all our yesterdays.

Panis angelicus

Panis angelicus, fit panis hominum.
Heavenly bread that becomes the bread for all mankind
Dat panis coelicus figuris terminum.
Bread from the angelic host that is the end of all imaginings.
Ores mirabilis manducat dominum.
Oh, miraculous thing! This body of God will nourish
Pauper, pauper servus et humilis.
Even the poorest,the most humble of servants.

Laudate dominum

(from Vesperae solennes de confessore, K.339)

Laudate dominum
O praise the Lord
Omnes gentes
all ye nations
Laudate eum
Praise Him
omnes populi
all ye people
Quoniam con firmata est
For His mercy is confirmed
super nos
over us
misericordia ejus
Have mercy on us.
et varitas domini
and the truth of the Lord
manet in aeternum
remains forever.
Amen.
Amen.

Exsultate, jubilate

Exsultate, jubilate,
Exult, rejoice,
o vos animae beatae.
o you happy souls.
Dulcia cantica canendo
Singing sweet songs,
cantui vestro respondendo,
and responding to your song,
psallant aethera cum me.
let the heavens psalm with me.

II. Recitativo

Fulget amica dies,
The lovely day shines,
jam fugere et nubila et procellae;
now the clouds and storms have fled.
Exortus est justis inexspectata quies.
An unlooked-for calm has arisen for the just.
Undique obscura regnabat nox,
Everywhere dark night reigned;
surgite tandem laeti,
now at last arise,
qui timuistis adhuc, et jucundi
happy ones, you who were fearful until now, and, joyful,
aurorae fortunatae
to the fortunate dawn
frondes dextera plena
give foliage
et Illia date.
and lilies with a full hand.

III. Tu virginum corona

Tu virginum corona,
You, crown of virgins,
tu nobis pacem dona,
grant us peace,
tu consolare affectus
and assuage the passions
unde suspirat cor.
from which our heart sighs.

IV. Alleluia

Alleluia.
Alleluja.

In my Spirit

(Bible Songs For Young Voices)

In my Spirit, said the Lord,
There shall be born a one,
Whose words will be his weapon,
Whose face will be a sun.

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb;
The cow and bear shall feed;
The lion lie down with the calf;
And a little child shall lead
A little child shall lead
A little child shall lead.

The babe may handle the asp
And it shall harmless be
When the earth is full of my knowledge
As the waters cover the sea.

Tosca: Act III

La voce di un Pastore

The Platform of Castel Sant Angelo

On the left is a casemate; im fromt, a table with a lamp on it, a huge register and writing materials; a bench and a chair. There is a crucifix on one wall of the casemate with a lamp hung in front of it. On the right is an opening on to a small staircase which comes up to the platform. In the distance are the Vatican and Saint Peter's. It is dawn; the sky is clear and the stars are shining.

(In the distance can be heard the bells from a flock of sheep.)

A shepherd

Io de' sospiri.
I send you
Ve ne rimanno tanti
as many sighs
Pe' quante foje
as there are leaves
Ne smoveno li venti.
blown by the wind.

Tu me disprezzi.
You scorn me,
Io me ci accoro,
and I am broken-hearted;
Lampene d'oro
lamp of gold,
Me fai morir!
for you I die!

(It is before dawn; the light is uncertain and grey. Matin bells ring.

Some Enchanted Evening

(South Pacific)

Some enchanted evening,
You may see a stranger
You may see a stranger
Across a crowded room.
And somehow you know,
You know even then
That somewhere you'll see her again and again.

Some enchanted evening,
Someone may be laughing,
You may hear her laughing

Across a crowded room
And night after night,
As strange as it seems,
The sound of her laughtrer
Will sing in your dreams.

Who can explain it,
Who can tell you why
Fools give you reasons,
Wise men never try.

Some enchanted evening,
When you find your true love,
When you hear her call you
Across a crowded room

Then fly to her side,
And make her your own
For all through your life,
You may dream all alone.

Once you have found her,
Never let her go.
Once you have found her
Never let her go.

Lazy Moon

You must remember this,
A kiss is still a kiss
A sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply...

Lazy moon, come out soon/B>
Make my poor heart beat waremer,
Light the way bright as day
For my sweet little charmer

She's to meet me in the lane tonight
If the sky is bright and clear.
O moon don't keep me waiting here tonight
Watching and waiting, heart a' palpitating,
Longing for my lady love so dear.

Lazy moon, lazy moon,
Why don't you show your face above the hill
Lazy moon, come out soon,
You can make me happy if you will

Now when my lady sees your face a'peepin'
Then when I know her promise she'll be keepin'
Tell me, what's the matter, are you sleepin'?
Lazy moon.

For Me and My Gal

What a beautiful day
For a wedding in May.
See the people all stare
At the lovable pair.

The bells are ringing for me and my gal.
The birds are singing for me and my gal.
Everybody's been knowing to a wedding they're going.
For weeks they've been sewing, every Susie and Sal.

They're congregating for me and my gal.
The parson's waiting for me and my gal.
And some day we're gonna build a little home for two
OR three or four or more.
In love and for me and my gal.

It Had To Be You

It had to be you, it had to be you,
I wandered around and finally found somebodyt who
Could make me be true, could make me feel blue.
And even be glad just to be sad, thinkin' of you.

some others I've seen, it had to be me.
I'm five foot ten, a man among men, and you're seven two
But with all your faults it's you I adore,
When you stand up, your hands touch the floor.
It had to be me, unlucky me, it had to be me.

Always

I'll be loving you always.
With a love that's true always.
When the things you've planned need a helping hand,
I will understand, always, always.

\Days may not be fair always.
That's when I'll be there always.
Not for just an hour, not for just a day.
Not for just a year, but always.

Makin' Whooppee

Another bride, another June, another sunny honeymoon,
Anothera season, another reason for makin' whooppee.
A lotta shoes, a lotta rights,
the groom is really nervous, he answers twice
It's really killing that he's so willing to make whooppee.

Picture a little lovenest down where the roses cling.
Picture that same sweet lovenest, think what a year can bring.
He's washin' dishes and baby clothes
He's so ambitious, he even sews.
So don't forget, folks, that's what you get folks for makin' whooppee.

Another year or maybe less, what's this I hear?Well can't you geuess
She feels neglected so he's suspected of makin' whooppee.

She sits alone most every night
He doesn't phone her, he doesn't write>B
He doesn't make much money
Only ifve thousand per
Some judge who thinks he's funny
Says he'll pay six to her

When he says "Judge, suppose I fail?"
The judge says "Budge riight into jail.
You'd better keep; I think it's cheaper than makin' whooppee.

Than makin' whooppee...

Than makin' whooppee.

You Made Me Love You

You made me love you, I didn't wanna do it, I didn't wanna do it
You made me want you and all the time you knew it, I guess you always knew it.
You made me happy sometimes, you made me glad.
But there were times dear, you made me feel so bad.

You made me sigh for, I didn't wanna tell you, I didn't wanna tell you
I want some love that's true, yes I do, 'deed I do, you know that I do.
Gimme, gimme, gimme, what I cry for
You know you've got the brand of kisses that I die for
You know you made me love you

Lullaby in Ragtime

Won't you play the music so the cradle can rock to a lullaby in ragtime.
Sleepy hands are creepin' to the end of the clock, play a lullaby in ragtime.
You can tell the Sandman is on his way, by the way, that they play
As still as the trill of a thrush in a twilight.

Hush, so you can hear the
Rhythm of the river on the side of the boat as you sail away to dremaland.
High above the moon you hear the silvery note as the Sandman takes your hand.
So rock-a-bye my baby, don't you cry my baby, sleepy time is nigh.
Won't you rock me to a ragtime lullaby.

So rock-a-bye my baby, don't you cry my baby, sleepy time is nigh,
Won't you rock me to a ragtime lullaby.

I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now

I wonder who's kissing her now.
I wonder who's showing her how.
I wonder who's looking into her eyes.
Breathing sighs, telling lies.

Oh I wonder who's buying the wine.
For lips that I used to call mine.
And I wonder if she ever tells him of me,
Oh I wonder who's kissing her now.

And I wonder if she ever tells him of me,
I wonder who's kissing her now.

What'll I Do

Gone is the romance that was so divine,
It's broken and cannot be mended.
You must go your way and I must go mine.
But now that our love-dream has ended.

What'll I do when you are far away and I am blue, what'll I do?
What'll I do when I am wondering who is kissing you, what'll I do?
What'll I do with just a photograph to tell my troubles to?
When I'm alone with only dreams of you that won't come true, what'll I do?

Nevertheless

Maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong,
Maybe I'm weak and maybe I'm strong,
But nevertheless, I'm in love with you.

Maybe I'll win, maybe I'll lose, maybe I'm in for cryin' the blues,
But nevertheless, I'm in love with you.

Somehow I knew at a glance the terrible chances I'm taking.
Fine at the start then left with a heart that is breaking.

Maybe I'll live a life of regret, maybe I'll give much more than I'll get.
But nevertheless, I'm in love with you.

This Is All I Ask

As I approach the prime of my life,
I find I have the time of my life.
Learning to enjoy at my leisure all simple pleasures
And so I happily concede: this is all I ask, this is all I need.

Beautiful girls, walk a little slower when you walk by me.
Lingering sunsets, stay a little longer with the lonely sea
Childeren everywhere, when you shoot at bad men, shoot at me
Take me to that strange enchanted land grownups seldom understand.

Wandering rainbows, leave a bit of color for my heart to own.
Stars in the sky make my wish come true before the night has flown.
Let the music play as long as there's a song to sing.
And I will stay longer than spring.

As Time Goes By

You must remember this,
A kiss is still a kiss
A sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply, as time goes by.

And when two lovers woo, they still say "I love you",
On that you can rely, no matter what the future brings, as time goes by.

Moonlight and lovesongs, never out of date,
Hearts full of passion, jealousy and hate.
Woman needs man and man must have his mate.
That no one can deny.

It's still the same old story, a fight for love and glory,
A case of do or die.
The world will always welcome lovers, as time goes by.

Le temps des lilas
(from Poème de l'Amour et de la Mer

(Maurice Bouchor)

Le temps des lilas et le temps des roses
The time of lilacs and the time of roses
Ne reviendra plus à ce printemps-ci;
Will not come back again this spring;
Le temps des lilas et le temps des roses Estpassés,
The time of lilacs and the time of roses Has passed
Est passés, le temps des oeillets aussi.
and gone are the carnations too.

Le vent a changé, les cieux sont moroses,
The wind has changed, the Skies are somber,
Et nous n'irons plus courir, et cueillir
And we shall never again hasten to gather
Les lilas en fleur et les belles roses;
The blooming lilacs and the lovely roses;
Le printemps est triste et ne peut fleurir.
The spring is sad and cannot flourish.

Oh! joyeux et doux printemps de l'année,
Oh 1 joyful and sweet season of the year,
Qui vins, l'an passé, nous ensoleiller,
Which came, last year, to steep us in its sunlight,
Notre fleur d'amour est si bien fanée,
Our flower of love has so much faded,
Las! que ton baiser ne peut l'éveiller!
Alas! That your kiss cannot wake it up again!

Et toi, que fais-tu? pas de fleurs écloses,
And you, what are you doing? No more budding flowers,
Point de gai soleil ni d'ombrages frais;
No more gay sunshine nor cooling shades;
Le temps des lilas et le temps des roses
The time of lilacs and the time of roses,
Avec notre amour est mort à jamais.
With our love, is dead forever.

Roméo et Juliette: Ballade de la Reine Mab

(William Shakespeare)

Mab, la reine des mensonges,
Mab, the queen of dreams and visions,
Préside aux songes.
Of vain illusions.
Plus légère, plus légère
Even lighter, even lighter
que le vent Décevant,
Than the breeze O'er the trees,
À travers l'espace,
On thro' nightly spaces
À travers la nuit,
She athwart the skies
Elle passe, Elle fuit,
Ever passes, Ever flies,
Elle passe, Elle fuit,
Ever passes, Ever flies,
Elle passe, Elle fuit!
Ever passes, Ever flies!

Son char, que l'atõme rapide,
Her team is of atomies twain,
Entraïne dans l'éther l'impide,
Her traces are than cobweb finer,
Fut fait d'une noisette vide
Her car is from squirrel, the joiner,
Parver de terre, le charon!
And of a hazelnut 'tis made!
Les harnais, subtile dentelle,
For a top a grasshopper's wing,
Ont é té déconps
And a thistledown spring!
Dans l'aile de quelque verte sauterelle,
Her driver, A small grey gnat, he made the cover,
Par son cocher, le moucheron!
That she may lie well in the shade.

Un os de grillon sert de manche
A film is the lash of her whip,
À son fouet, dans la mèche blanche
And the stock, is a cricket bone;
Est prise au rayon
"Twas wound from the rays
qui s'épanche
of the moon
De Phoebé rassemblant sa cour.
When high it shone in the sky above.

Chaque nuit, dans cette équipage,
Ev'ry night, so airily carried,
Mab visite, sur son passage,
Mab doth wander, and where she's tarried
L'époux qui rëve de veuvage,
The spouse will dream that he's unmarried,
Et l'amant qui rëve d'amour!
And the lover dreameth of love!
À son approche , la coquette
And the coquette, when Mab is nearing,
Reve d'autours et de toilette,
Dreams of apparel gay she's wearing,
Le courtisan fait la corbette,
Suitors to bow dream of preparing,
Lo poïte rime ses verts!
And the rimester rimeth his rime!
>À l'avare en son gïte sombre,
Then the miser, in sordid slumber,
Elle ou'vre des trésors sans nombre,
Sees riches more than he can number,
Et la liberté rit dans l'ombre
And the prisoncell chill and sombre,
Au prisonnier chargé de fers
Brightens in freedom's ray sublime!
Le soldat rëve d'embruscades,
And the soldier dreams of ambuscades,
De batailles et d'estocades,
Of healths five fathom deep, and Spanish blades,
Elle lui verse les rasades
Waken'd by roaring cannonades
Dans ses l'auriers sont arrosés.
He swears a prayer or two, then sleeps again.

Et toi, qu'un soupir effarouche,
And thou, whom a sigh discomposes,
Quand tu reposes sur ta couche,
When soft thine eye in slumber closes,
O vierge! elle efleure ta bouche
O maid! she thy lip lightly crosses,
Et fait rïver de baisers!
Making thee to dream kisses then!

Mab, la reine des mensonges,
Mab, the queen of dreams and visions,
Préside aux songes.
Of vain illusions.
Plus légère, plus légère
Even lighter, even lighter
que le vent Décevant,
Than the breeze O'er the trees,
À travers l'espace,
On thro' nightly spaces
À travers la nuit,
She athwart the skies
Elle passe, Elle fuit,
Ever passes, Ever flies,
Elle passe, Elle fuit,
Ever passes, Ever flies,
Elle passe, Elle fuit!
Ever passes, Ever flies!

Catalogue Aria

Madamina!
Little lady,
Il catalogo è questo
this is the record
delle belle, che amo il padron mio;
of the beauties my master has loved;
Un catalog e gli è che ho fatto io;
'Tis a catalogue that I myself compiled.
osservate, legge con me.
Come closer, read it with me.
In Italia sei cento e quarante;
In Italy, six hundred and forty,
In Almagna due cento e trent' una,
in Germany two hundred and thirty-one,
cento in Francia, in Turchia novant' una;
One hundred in France, in Turkey ninety-one,
ma in Ispagna, son gia mille e tre!
but in Spain already one thousand and three!
V'han fra queste contadine, cameriere, cittadine,
Hear are country wenches, chamber maids and city ladies,
V'han contesse baronesse, marchesane, principesse,
Countesses, baronesses, marchionesses, princesses,
e v'han donne d'ogni grado,
There are women of every social class,
d'Ogni forma, d'ogni eta,
Every shape and every age.

Nella bionda egli ha l'usanza
With a fair haired girl his havit
di l'odarla la gentilezza,
Is to praise her kindness
nella bruna la costanza, nella bianca la dolcezza.
A brunette is always constant, a blonde is always sweet.
Vuol d'inverno la grassotta
In winter he likes plumpish girls,
vuol destate vuol d'estate la magrotta,
In summer, slender ones;
la grande maestosa.