Voices in Peace IV: Litanies and Lullabies

Music to calm and inspire us on the path to peace

Benefiting the Global Fund for Women

Featuring music by Byrd, Charpentier, Mozart, and Poulenc with American Folksongs and Spirituals for Christmas

Arranged by Jude Navari

Saturday, December 4, 2004, 3 PM
St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 2300 Bancroft Way, Berkeley

Sunday, December 12, 2003, 3 PM
Lake Merritt United Methodist Church, 1330 Lakeshore Avenue, Oakland

Tickets: $20 general; $15 students, seniors and groups; children under 12 FREE
Tickets available at the door or online.
Information: (510) 531-8714
A percentage of the proceeds will benefit The Global Fund for Women

In this time of war and continued global unrest, Voci Women's Vocal Ensemble presents "Voices in Peace IV: Litanies and Lullabies," a lush program of choral music to calm and inspire us on the path to peace. Voci's fourth annual "Voices in Peace" holiday concert once again honors the Global Fund for Women's extraordinary efforts on behalf of women's human rights. This holiday concert features three stunning settings of litanies for the Virgin Mary—a prayer which been invoked throughout the ages in times of trouble. The concert also highlights soothing lullabies from around the world, and the world premiere of "Shouts and Lullabies," an extended work featuring new arrangements of traditional American folksongs for Christmas by Voci Artistic Director Jude Navari.

The three litany settings are drawn from different historical style periods, but all feature the Marian litany of the Roman Catholic Church known as the "Litany of Loreto, referring to the Italian village to which, according to legend, the house of Joseph and Mary was miraculously transported from Nazareth. Litany, in its original Greek, means "supplication" or "petition." The Litany of Loreto was used historically as a rogationes or processional prayer to avert calamities and to offer atonement in accordance with ancient custom. It contains invocations dating back to the earliest days of the Church, and is one of the most popular of the litanies. "Litanies de la Vierge," by French Baroque composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier, is an exquisite and elegant jewel-like setting of this special prayer, while "Litaniae Laurentanae" is a delightful and charming multi-movement gem from W.A. Mozart's early career. "Litanies a La Vierge Noire" is a twentieth-century setting of the prayer by French composer Francis Poulenc, inspired by the black wooden statue of the Virgin Mary at the church in the Medieval hamlet of Rocamadour, France. Poulenc described this statue as "very special, humble, and quite striking." In its purity, simplicity and austerity, "Litanies a la Vierge Noire" achieves both mystical transcendence and fervent sublimity. In addition to the Marian Litany of Loreto, the concert also features another prayer to the Virgin Mary, a breathtakingly beautiful "Ave Maria" by early twentieth-century English composer Rebecca Clarke.

The language of lullabies is international. In honor of the holiday season, Voci presents a variety of soothing lullabies to celebrate the innocence and hope that newborn life brings to the planet. These lullabies or "cradle songs" span seven centuries and are drawn from four different continents, including a 13th-century plainchant processional from the Benedictine nunnery of St. Mary in Chester, England, two Japanese lullabies arranged by Misuzu McManus, and a lilting Spanish lullaby arranged by the renowned Chilean composer Rene Amengual. Two lullabies cite Herod's "murder of the innocents" from which the baby Jesus was spared by Mary and Joseph's flight to Egypt. The beloved Medieval "Coventry Carol" and William Byrd's "Lullaby, My Sweet Little Baby" hauntingly bring to mind the recent and current genocidal terrors in Africa.

"Shouts and Lullabies" is a set of American Christmas folksongs arranged especially for Voci by Artistic Director Jude Navari. The set draws melodies from both the African-American Spiritual repertoire and the Appalachian Folk Hymn repertoire, and includes settings of well-known and beloved favorites such as "The Cherry Tree Carol," "Mary Had A Baby," and "Rise Up Shepherd" as well as lesser-known treasures like "Sing-A-Lamb" and "Poor Little Jesus" and "Cradle Hymn. "

Voci, now in its 14th season, is a dynamic, diverse group of women of all ages and walks of life who share a passionate love of music. As a central part of its mission, Voci champions music by women and for women. It commissions new works by contemporary composers, especially from the San Francisco Bay Area. Voci members also share a deep commitment to giving back to the community. In addition to its annual Voices in Peace concerts, which have honored the Global Fund for Women, Voci has given benefit performances for the Oakland firestorm victims, for the Faithful Fools Street Ministry of San Francisco, and AASK: Adopt A Special Kid.

Led by artistic director Jude Navari, who is active throughout the Bay Area as a conductor and composer, Voci Women's Vocal Ensemble, is recognized as one of the finest choral groups in the Bay Area. Its commitment to musical excellence, unique mastery of style and technique, and adventurous and innovative programming have earned Voci high praise from critics and choral musicians alike. Voci's sound has been described as having a particularly lush and ethereal quality. The group's size of 22 voices conveys a poignant intimacy and allows for a deep, personal connection among chorus members and between chorus and audience.

Visit Voci's website.

Voci Board of Directors:
Mark Bell, Terry Meyers, Margot Murtaugh, Susan Sands, and Suzy Spradlin