What Cheer?William Walton (1 902-1 983)

What cheer? What cheer? Good cheer! Good Cheer!Be merry and glad this good New Year.

Lift up your hearts and be glad!In Christ’s birth the angel bade;Say each to other, if any be sad:What cheer? What cheer? What cheer! What Cheer!

Now the King of heaven His birth hath take,Joy and mirth we ought to make!Say each to other, for his sake:What cheer? What cheer? What cheer! What Cheer!

I tell you all with heart so free,Right welcome ye be to me.Be glad and merry for charity!What cheer? What cheer? Good cheer! Good Cheer!

Be merry and glad this good New Year.

- English Carol

nowell sing we Hark the Herald Angels Singarr. Steven Landau (b. 1 960)

Hark! the herald angels singGlory to the newborn King!Peace on earth and mercy mild,God and sinners reconciled!Joyful, all ye nations, rise;Join the triumph of the skies;With th’angelic host proclaimChrist is born in Bethlehem![Chorus]Hark! the herald angels singGlory to the newborn King!

Christ, by highest heaven adored;Christ, the everlasting Lord!Light and life to all He brings,Risen with healing in His wings.Mild he lays his glory by,Born that man no more may die;Born to raise the sons of earth,Born to give them second birth.

- Charles Wesley (1 707-1 788)

Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Dayarr. David Wilcocks (1 91 9-201 5)Tenor: Karsten Longhurst Tomorrow shall be my dancing day;I would my true love did so chanceTo see the legend of my play,To call my true love to my dance;

Refrain:Sing, oh! my love, oh! my love, my love, my love,This have I done for my true love.

Then was I born of a virgin pure,Of her I took fleshly substanceThus was I knit to man’s natureTo call my true love to my dance.

In a manger laid, and wrapped I wasSo very poor, this was my chanceBetween an ox and a silly poor assTo call my true love to my dance.

- English Carol

Lo, How a Rose E’er Bloomingarr. Jan Sandström (b. 1 954)

Sopranos: Clarisse Colao, Kiersten HonakerMezzo-sopranos: Charity Butterfield, Ann PowellTenors: Dalan Guthrie, Karsten LonghurstBasses: Jack Delac, Matthew Bryner

Lo, how a Rose e’er bloomingFrom tender stem hath sprung!

Of Jesse’s lineage comingAs men of old have sung.It came, a flow’ret bright,

Amid the cold of winterWhen half-spent was the night.

- Anonymoustranslation by Theodore Baker (1 851 - 1 934)

Gaudetearr. Karl Jenkins (b. 1 944)Solo: Kiersten Honaker, SopranoDuet: Charity Butterfield, Mezzo-Soprano; Dalan Guthrie, TenorTrio: Kiersten Honaker, Soprano; Ann Powell, Mezzo-Soprano; Scott Boyce, TenorQuintet: Rebecca Warthen, Soprano; Devan Weixlar, Countertenor; Benjamin Bird, Tenor; Brent Rogers, Baritone; Matthew Bryner, BassPercussion: Michael Carter, Kameron Kavanaugh, and Hannah McLaughlin

Refrain:Gaudete, gaudete! Christus est natusEx Maria virgine, gaudete!

Tempus adest gratiæHoc quod optabamus,Carmina lætitiæDevote reddamus.

Deus homo factus estNatura mirante,Mundus renovatus estA Christo regnante.

Ezechielis portaClausa pertransitur,Unde lux est ortaSalus invenitur.

- Piae Cantiones

Rejoice, rejoice! Christ is bornOf the Virgin Mary, rejoice!

The time of grace has come –what we have wished for,songs of joyLet us give back faithfully.

God has become man,(With) nature marvelling,The world has been renewedBy Christ (who is) reigning.

The closed gate of EzekielIs passed through,Whence the light is raised,Salvation is found.

A Spotless RosePaul Mealor (b. 1 975)

A Spotless Rose is growing,Sprung from a tender root,Of ancient seers’ foreshowing,Of Jesse promised fruit;Its fairest bud unfolds to lightAmid the cold, cold winter,And in the dark midnight.

The Rose which I am singing,Whereof Isaiah said,Is from its sweet root springingIn Mary, purest Maid;Through God’s great love and mightThe Blessed Babe she bare usIn a cold, cold winter’s night.

- Anonymous, translation by Catherine Winkworth (1 827 - 1 878)

Bogoroditse DjevoArvo Pärt (b. 1 935)

Богородице Дево, радуйся,Благодатная Марие,Господь с Тобою;благословена Ты в женахи благословен Плод чрева Твоего,яко Спаса родила еси душ наших.

Hodie Christus Natus EstGiovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1 525 - 1 594)

Hodie Christus natus est:Noe! Noe!Hodie Salvator apparuit:Hodie in terra canunt Angeli,laetantur ArchangeliHodie exsultant justi, dicentes:Gloria in excelsis Deo.

Rejoice, O Virgin,Mary full of grace,The Lord is with thee.Blessed art thou amongst women,and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,for thou hast borne the Savior of our souls.

Today Christ is born:Nowell! Nowell!Today the Savior appeared:Today on Earth the Angels sing, Archangels rejoice:Today the righteous rejoice, saying: Glory to God in the highest.

Tis Winter Nowarr. Paul Halley (b. 1 952)

Tis winter now; the fallen snowHas left the heav’ns all coldly clear;Through leafless boughs the sharp

winds blow,And all the earth lies dead and drear.

And yet God’s love is not withdrawn;His life within the keen air breathes,His beauty paints the crimson dawn,

And clothes the boughs with glitt’ring wreaths.

And though abroad the sharp winds blow,

And skies are chill, and frosts are keen,Home closer draws her circle now,

And warmer glows her light within.

O God! who giv’st the winter’s coldAs well as summer’s joyous rays,

Us warmly in Thy love enfoldAnd keep us through life’s wintry days.

- Samuel Longfellow (1 819-1 892)

Refrain:Nowell sing we, both all and some

For Rex pacificus is come.

In Bethlem, in that fair city,A Child was born of a maiden free,

That shall a lord and prince be, A solis ortus cardine.

Children were slain full great plenty,Jesu, for the love of Thee;

Wherefore their soules saved be, Hostis Herodes impie.

As sunne shineth through the glass,So Jesu in his mother was;

Thee to serve now grant us grace. O lux beata Trinitas!

Now God is comen to worshipen us,Now of Mary is born Jesus;

Make we merry amonges us, Exultet celum laudibus!

- English Carol

Nowell Sing WeGabriel Jackson (b. 1 962)

King of Peace

A rising sun.

The wicked enemy Herod.

O light blessed Trinity!

Let Heaven praise!

In the Bleak Midwinterarr. Abbie Betinis (b. 1 980)Solo: Charity Butterfield, Mezzo-SopranoDuet: Clarisse Colao, Soprano; Ann Powell, Mezzo-SopranoPiano: Jared Pierce

In the bleak mid-winterFrosty wind made moan,Earth stood hard as iron,Water like a stone;Snow had fallen, snow on snow,Snow on snow,In the bleak mid-winterLong ago.

Christ a homeless strangerSo the gospels say,Cradled in a mangerAnd a bed of hay;In the bleak mid-winter,A stable place sufficed,Mary and her baby,Jesus Christ.

- Christina Rossetti (1 830-1 894), John Andrew Storey (1 935-1 997), and Abbie Betinis

Angels and archangelsMay have thronged the air,Shepherds, beasts and wise men,May have gathered there,But only His motherIn her tender blissBlessed this new redeemerWith a kiss.

What can I give Him,Poor as I am?If I were a shepherdI would bring a lamb;If I were a wise manI would do my part;Yet what I can, I give Him -Give my heart.

I Saw Three Shipsarr. Wolfram Buchenberg (b. 1 962)Baritone: Stephen Pace

I saw three ships come sailing inOn Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;I saw three ships come sailing inOn Christmas Day in the morning.

O they sailed into Bethlehem,On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;O they sailed into Bethlehem,On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the bells on earth shall ring,On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;And all the bells on earth shall ring,On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the souls on earth shall sing,On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;And all the souls on earth shall sing,On Christmas Day in the morning.

Then let us all rejoice amain,On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;Then let us all rejoice again,On Christmas Day in the morning.

- English Carol

Go Tell It On the Mountainarr. Steven BarnettMezzo-soprano: Charity ButterfieldSoprano: Julie Barker

While shepherds kept their watchingO’er silent flocks by night,Behold, throughout the heavensThere shone a holy light.

Refrain:Go, tell it on the mountain,Over the hills and everywhere.Go, tell it on the mountain,That Jesus Christ is born.

The shepherds feared and trembledWhen lo, above the earthRang out the angel chorusThat hailed our Savior’s birth.

Down in a lowly mangerThe humble Christ was born,And God sent us salvationThat blessed Christmas morn.

- John W. Work (1 901-1 967)

O magnum mysterium,et admirabile sacramentum,

ut animalia viderentDominum natum,

jacentem in praesepio!Beata Virgo, cujus viscera

meruerunt portareDominum Christum.

O great mystery,and wonderful sacrament,that animals should seethe new-born Lord,lying in a manger!Blessed is the Virgin whose wombwas worthy to bearChrist the Lord.

Serenity (O Magnum Mysterium)Ola Gjeilo (b. 1 978)

Cello: Catherine Willey

Alleluia.

Credits

BREVITAS is a professional vocal ensemble based along the Wasatch front in Utah that is dedicated to performing the greatest choral music from all eras. Founded in 201 3, Brevitas has quickly gained a reputation for engaging performances and polished recordings. The word “Brevitas” means brevity referring to the soul of wit and a desire to strip away extraneous material leaving only the most impactful rhetoric. Brevitas is conducted by Matthew D. Nielsen.

Brevitas is a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt organization. For more information, please visit www.brevitaschoir.com or email contact@brevitaschoir.com

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brevitaschoirFollow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/brevitasFollow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/brevitaschoir/

SopranoJulie Barker

Clarisse ColaoEmily Duncan

Kiersten HonakerMarianne MeinersRebecca Warthen

Heidi Webb

AltoCharity Butterfield

Jane FjeldstedCherie Hall

Hannah McLaughlinWhitney LarsenShannyn PalmerNatalie PaukstysGeneil Perkins

Ann PowellKelsey RogersDevan Weixlar

TenorBenjamin Bird

Scott BoyceStephen CluffDalan Guthrie

Karsten LonghurstKyle Nielsen

Clayton Watts

BassDevin AndertonˇSteven BranhamMatthew BrynerMichael CarterSteven Carroll

Jack DelacChris DownardDane EriksonBrent Rogers

Jason RossPatrick Tatman*

Brent Zeyer

ˇOn tracks 2, 12, and 14 *On tracks 1, 3-11, and 13

Recorded at St. Ambrose Catholic Church, Salt Lake City, Utah on 25-28 May 201 6

Engineered by Jon BartonProduced by Matthew D. Nielsen & Leland Spindler

Edited and Mastered by Matthew D. NielsenCompany Manager, Kevin Lew

Cover Photo and Design by Devin Anderton

With thanks to Daynes Music, The Waterford School, and the clergy, staff, and parishioners of St. Ambrose Catholic Church,

Salt Lake City. And boundless gratitude to our supporters, patrons, and donors.

© Brevitas Records 201 6

Q

Matthew D. Nielsen is an active conductor, freelance composer, baritone, producer, and sound engineer. He has conducted performances in venues such as Norwich Cathedral, St. Giles-in-the-Fields, and St. John’s, Smith Square. Matthew has also received numerous requests to appear as a guest conductor. As a composer, he has received commissions from the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition, the Combined Choirs and Philharmonic Orchestra at Brigham Young University, Cantorum, and St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Plano, Texas. Matthew’s music has been published with Walton Music, Santa Barbara Music Press, and featured internationally on BYU Radio and American Public Media’s Performance Today with Fred Child. As a soloist, he has studied with Karen Anderson & Jennifer Welch-Babidge and performed in Ireland, England, Germany, Ukraine & the United States.

1 What Cheer? – William Walton (1902-1983) 1:22

2 Hark the Herald Angels Sing – arr. Steven Landau (b. 1960) 2:51

3 Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day – arr. David Wilcocks (1919-2015) 2:04

4 Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming – arr. Jan Sandström (b. 1954) 3:21

5 Gaudete – arr. Karl Jenkins (b. 1944) 1:41

6 A Spotless Rose – Paul Mealor (b. 1975) 4:30

7 Bogoroditse Djevo – Arvo Pärt (b. 1935) 1:16

8 Hodie Christus Natus Est – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525 - 1594) 2:23

9 Tis Winter Now – arr. Paul Halley (b. 1952) 3:14

10 Nowell Sing We – Gabriel Jackson (b. 1962) 2:01

11 In the Bleak Midwinter – arr. Abbie Betinis (b. 1980) 6:14

12 I Saw Three Ships – arr. Wolfram Buchenberg (b. 1962) 2:04

13 Go Tell It On the Mountain – arr. Steven Barnett 5:07

14 Serenity (O Magnum Mysterium) – Ola Gjeilo (b. 1978) 5:28

FBI Anit-Piracy Warning: Unauthorized copying is punishable under federal law.

Matthew D. Nielsen, Music Director

©2016 Brevitas Records. All rights reserved.www.brevitaschoir.com

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