Estelle Heartt Dreyfus: contralto

              The Santa Monica Bay Woman's Club
presents
Estelle Heartt Dreyfus, Contralto,
assisted by
Mrs. M. Hennion Robinson, Arrompaniste,
in
Purpose Program
of Famous Figures of the Bible
in
Folk Song, Oratoria, Opera and Cantata
April 1st, 1912



PROGRAM OLD TESTAMENT
Dans un jardin   (Ancient Traditional French Folk Song)
(In a Garden)
Bible Text: Genesis 2:21–24.
And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.


Song Text

In a garden rich with flowers,
A place of rest and peace,
God created man in His own image,
And in this Eden gave the first token of His love.
Adam was seated all alone
Under a linden tree;
He rested tranquilly on the tender grass;
At this moment a sweet sleep surprised him.
While he slept his Creator and his God
Drew gently from his side a rib,
And from this created a woman,
Young and beautiful as a flower.




EVE
The Temptation of Eve   (Cantata)   Massenet
Genesis 3:1–6.
Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.  And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden

And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.


O night!  gentle night breathing low thou sleepest!
Sweetest odors arise and their perfume envelops me here;
The amorous breezes sigh where the darkness is deepest;
And my bosom is filled with a boding of fear!
The sky is bright with stars, the dark and silent bowers
Of solitary woods lie open unto me;
The moonlight's silvery ray falls on the chaliced flowers
Where embedded in leaves of the rose, sleeps the bee—
In the silence of the night lies a secret, well I feel it,
O night- Oh gentle night.



JOSEPH
Joseph vendu par ses freres (Ancient Traditional French Folk Song)
(Joseph sold by his brothers)
Genesis 27:5–36.
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.

And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem?  come, and I will send thee unto them.  And he said to him, Here am I.

And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colors that was on him; And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.


Joseph—   I.

Permit me, frankly, to tell you what I have seen this night.
Do not condemn my dream as untrue,
Because it is God who hath given it to me.



The Brothers— II.

You want to be the head prophet
And you make us still more jealous;
All you have said shocks us and provokes our anger against you.



Judas—   XVII.

His blood for vengeance will cry out
Against our brotherly hearts;
It would be better to sell him,
Then will we be less criminal in the sight of God.



The Brothers—   XXIII.

Why should we fear so much?
Let us dip his cloak in lamb's blood.
Then see that it is brought unto Jacob, the father.





SAMSON AND DELILAH   (Opera)   Saint Saens
My heart at thy sweet voice
Judges 16:2–20.
And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.

And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherein thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.

And Samson said unto her, If they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

And Delilah said unto Samson, Behold, thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound.

And he said unto her, If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man.

And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death;

That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaved, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like other man.

And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.


Delilah—
My heart, at thy dear voice,
Doth unfold and rejoice
Like a flower when dawn is smiling.
Thou canst my weeping stay,
My sadness charm away,
With thy tones so beguiling.
Then, oh, to me but say
Thou returnest for ave;
Once more thy vows so tender,
Thy fond vows of the past,
That I dreamed e'er would last,
Ah, and thy heart surrender.
As when a field of grain,
Like the waves on the main,
In the breeze swaying, bounding,
So all my heart is swayed,
Its deepest chords are played,
When thy voice is resounding.
The arrow in its flight,
Though so soon gone from sight,
Moves more slowly than I,
If to thee I may fly,
Once more thy vows so tender,
Ah, and thy heart surrender,
Samson, Samson, I love thee.




DAVID   (Song)   Dvorak
God is my Shepherd
Psalms 23.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he leadeth me beside the still waters,

He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake;

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me;

Thou preparest a table before mine enemies; thou anointest mine head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

God is my shepherd, I want for nothing.


My rest is in the pleasant meadows;
He leadeth me where quiet waters flow,
My fainting soul doth He restore
And guideth me in the ways of peace
To glorify His holy name.
And tho' in death's dark valley
My steps must wonder,
My spirit shall not fear,
For Thou art by me still;
Thy rod and staff are with me
And they shall comfort me.



RUTH   (Song)   Gounod
Entreat me not to leave thee
Ruth 1:1–18.
Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land.  And a certain man of Bethlehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, and his wife, and his two sons.

And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chillon, Ephrathites of Beth-lehemjudah.  And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.

And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Rth: and they dwelled there about ten years.

And Mahlon and Chillon died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.

And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee; for whither thou goeth I will go; and where thou lodgeth, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

And Ruth said:


Entreat me not to leave thee
Or to return from following after thee,
For whither thou goeth, I will go,
And whither thou lodgest, I will lodge;
Thy people shall be my people,
And thy God, my God;
Where thou diest, will I die,
And there will I be buried;
The Lord do so to me, and more also,
If aught but death part thee and me.




RACHEL   (Song)   Salter
The Cry of Rachel
Jeremiah 31:15.
Thus saith the Lord: A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.



Matthew 2:16–8.
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years ol dand under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,

In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.


I stand in the dark,
I beat on the door,
Death, let me in!
Thro' storm I am come,
I find you before;
Death, let me in!
For him that is sweet,
For him that is small,
I beat on the door, I cry and I call,
Death, let me in!
He was my bough of the almond tree fair;
Death, let me in!
You brake it, it whitens no more by the stair;
Death, let me in!
He was my lamp in the house of the Lord,
You quenched it, and left me this dark and this sword;
Death, let me in!
I that was rich do ask you for alms,
I was that full uplift empty palms.
Back to me now give the child that I had,
Give to my arms my sweet little lad;
Death, let me in!
Are you grown so deaf that you cannot hear?
Let me in!
I will call so loud, I will cry so sore,
You must in pity come open the door:
Death!  Death, let me in!




Nem Testament
THE CHRIST
Birth

THE THREE WISE MEN (Ancient Traditional French Noel)
Non sommes trois souverains Princes
(We are three Sovereign Princes)
Matthew :1–12, 9–11.
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews, for we have seen his star in the east, and come to worship him.

When they had heard the king, they departed; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy,

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.


I.

We are three sovereign princes
Hailing from the Orient
Journeying toward the Occident
To honor the birth of the King of kings
And receive the gentle laws
That from his childhood comes and blessings bring—



III.

We wish to render to him
Our homage and good wishes
And to salute as pious priests
Our Lord, King and Master;
To this God of Peace we bring
Our diadems and treasures,
And from our subjects' faithful hearts
We offer him full measure.



IV.

Inclosed within these cassolettes
Some presents you will find,
Of aromas the most perfect,
And gold as well as incense.
Accept with our homage
These gifts, and bless us thy servants.




MARY   (Cantata)    Buck
The Virgin's Lullaby
St. Luke 2:7–35.
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning the child.

And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.

And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;

(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also;) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.


Sleep, my Jesu, sleep my best,
In thy lowly manger rest.
Mother's hand thy hands enfolding,
In ecstacy her babe beholding:
While the oxen and the sheep
Wond'ring watch thy gentle sleep.
Lullaby, lullaby, lullaby.
Thou, the mystically conceived!
Thou, the prophecy achieved!
Of thee may I not be bereaved,
Oh Jesu, Jesu mine.
Then sleep, my Jesu, sleep my best,
Softly by my lips caressed:
Mother sings thy cradle song,
And the angels hither throng;
While the stars gleam overhead,
Watching round thy humble bed.
Lullaby, lullaby, lullaby.





Mirarles

MARY MAGDALENE   (Oratorio)   Massenet
'Tis in vain
Luke 7:37–50.
And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake with himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that to cheth him; for she is a sinner.

And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman?  I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.

Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman, since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.

My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

Wherefore, I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?

And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.


'Tis in vain that I seek a retreat still and lonely,
Where my remorse might find me only.
And my tears could unceasingly flow—
Repentance alone can bestow a calmness and peace that the world does not know.
'Twas even here those words were spoken
By Him whose gentle accents could soothe my grief
And here this poor heart nearly broken,
From that loved voice implores relief.
Have you not heard Him, that stranger holy,
Godlike and yet meek and lowly?
All that flows from His lips has a kindness divine,
All is divine in its kindness.
List, only list, for those hopes He gave,
Yes the hopes that He gave.
Come, from all my sins to save me, and over my darkness to shine.
Oh!  would He come once again to cheer me
My fears would be still, my doubts would be o'er;
Dark thoughts would ne'er again come near me.
Joy and faith would reign in my soul ever more.




Parahles

THE SHEPHERD
The Sheepherder   (Song)   La Forge
John 10:14–16.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.


Across the stream from hill and dale
The sheep unto the bedground press,
And patiently face to the rain;
The herder guards all motionless.
The human presence close at hand
Stills all their shadow born alarm,
And when black night shuts in, the band
Sleep peacefully, nor dream of harm.
And thus a shepherd Presence kind,
Tho' He has ne'er revealed His face,
Is felt by men who, weak and blind,
Flock homeward from the market place.

—Arthur Chapman.




THE PRODIGAL SON   (Lyric Drama)   Debussy
Song of Lia (the Mother)
Song of Azael (the Son)
Luke 15:11–24.
And he said, A certain man had two sons:

And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.  And he divided unto them his living.

And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

I will arise and go my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

And I am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

And he arose, and came to his father.  But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry.

For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.  And they began to be merry.


Song of the Mother—

The years roll by, no comfort bringing,
Spring comes smiling gay flowers flinging,
The birds' sweet song but makes my heart the sadder pine;
My wounds bleed fresh, my heart cries for joys that once were mine.
Along this silent shore I wander lonely,
My grief God knoweth only ever more.
Lia mourns for her child, the child that once she bore.
Azael!  Ah wherefore didst thou leave me?
On my heart thou art graven;
I weep evenmore.
Happy days to my memory start when.
The elm trees waving o'er us,
Homeward the ruddy oxen bore us,
Weary with toil, but light of heart,
Then as the shadows 'gan to fall
We all the evening hymn did sing
Thankfully to God the Lord who giveth all.
Sweetly we slept, and glad prose.
Youths and pure maidens wandered free,
Plighted vows in sincerity;
Evening shades brought rest and calm repose.
Happy ye parents, when to earth your children bind ye;
How glad your lot appears!
Its joys, its tender fears
With their lives hath their love entwined thee.
Sadly must I go on with heavy laden heart.



The Son—

What joyous airs; what happy singing
Come, borne on fragrant morning winds, to my dull ears,
My tortured heart with anguish wringing.  How happy they!
Unseen, amid the waving palms,
I watched and listened, ling'ring sadly by them:
Each word revealed a love so frank and free;
And 'twas my brother!  And then my sister!
I held my fevered breath, that better I might hear them.  How happy they!
Oh days!  that may not come again,
When as they I lived happy and purely;
Nature nursed me, held me securely,
Made strong my limbs and clear my brain,
Loved and adored by a mother so tender—
Still in dreams I feel her caress—
May good angels ever defend her!
Pure in those days was my happiness.
Oh!  by what a foolish madness
Flung I away, then, joy and gladness;
Why did I ever leave that sweet spot called home?
How oft, o'er crag and mountain,
By still lake, or flowing fountain,
Happy and free from care
Through the still night I'd roam.






Teachings

FAITH   (Song Cycle)   McDermid
Hebrews 11:1–3.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

For by it the elders obtained a good report.

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.


When in the quest of earth's treasures,
Imbued with the chase and its charm,
Unmindful the snare and the pitfall,
Unarmed with a shield from the harm;
The hard hand of woe rests upon me,
Shattered the god of my dream,
Bewildered I struggle in darkness,
Blind faith alone sheds its beam.
When faith shall have changed into knowledge
Of truth, with its ways and its means,
There'll break on the heart in full grandeur
The splendour of heavenly scenes.



HOPE   (Song Cycle)   McDermid
Romans 8:24–25.
For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

But if we hope for what we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.


Romans 15:4.
For whatever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.


Sometimes into the vale of stress and strife,
Within its myriad shades of mortal life,
There creeps a golden ray of hope divine,
That wells up in a flood of light sublime:
Huge phantoms of despair dissolve from sight,
As hope triumphant bathes all wrong in right.



CHARITY   (Song Cycle)   McDermid
John 15:10–12.
If ye keep my my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.


Romans 15:5.
Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus.


If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can save one life the aching
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

(Literal translations by Louis Ernest Dreyfus)





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