Lutheran A Cappella Choir of the Tri-Cities

              Lutheran A Cappella Choir
OF THE TRI-CITIES
OTTO H. BOSTRÖM, Ph. D.
DIRECTOR
SACRED CONCERT

Auspices Grace Lutheran Church

AUDITORIUM FIRST M. E. CHURCH MUSCATINE, IOWA

Tuesday, February 10th, 1925 8:00 P. M.

MANAGEMENT, CURTIS WIBERG
Augustana Theological Seminary Rock Island, Illinois



PROGRAM

PART I


PRAISE TO THE LORD (1668)
Peter Söhren



Arrangement by Christiansen


Praise to the Lord!  the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near,
Join me in glad adoration.
Praise to the Lord!  Who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Wonder anew, what the Almighty can do,
If with His Iove He befriend thee.
Praise to the Lord!  O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him!
Let the Amen sound from His people again;
Gladly for aye we adore Him.



THE SHEPHERDS' STORY
Clarence Dickinson




Nowell, Nowell, Nowell!  Nowell sing we clear!
Holpen are all folk on earth, born is God's Son so dear.
To Bethlehem did they go, the shepherds three, to see
Whether Christ were born or no to set men free.
Masters, in this hall, hear ye news to-day
Brought over sea, and every you I pray.
Then to Bethlehem town did the shepherds go
And in a sorry place heard the oxen low.
Therein did they see a sweet and goodly May
And a fair old man; upon the straw she lay.
And a little child on her arm had she.
Wot ye who this is?  said the hinds to me.
Ox and ass him know, kneeling on their knee:
Wondrous joy had I, this little Babe to see.
This is Christ the Lord!  Masters, be ye glad!
Christmas is come in, and no folk should be sad.



O GLADSOME LIGHT
Gretchaninoff



(English adaptation by Norden)


O thou gladsome Light of heaven,
Of the Father's holy glory,
Immortal, heav'nly, holy, blessed Jesus Christ.
Now are we come to the sun's hour of rest,
And seeing the lights of ev'n, Thy praise we sing,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, divine.
O worthy art Thou at all times, O Son of God!
Giver of life alone!
All the world doth praise Thee.




PART II.


IN DULCI JUBILO
Christiansen




Now sing we, now rejoice,
Now raise to heav'n our voice,
Lo He from whom joy streameth,
Poor in the manger lies;
Yet not so brightly beameth
The sun in yonder skies!
Thou my Saviour art!
Now sing we jubilo, in dulci jubilo.
O where shall joy be found?
Where but on heavn'ly ground?
Where now the angels singing
With all His saints unite,
Their sweetest praises bringing
In heavn'ly joy and light:
May we praise Him there!
Now sing we: In dulci Jubilo.



JESUS, PRICELESS TREASURE (Motet, 5 voices)
J. S. Bach




PART I.

Jesus, priceless treasure,
Source of purest pleasure,
Truest friend to me,
Ah, how long I've panted,
And my heart hath fainted,
Thirsting, Lord, for Thee!
Thine I am, O spotless Lamb!
I will suffer naught to hide Thee,
Naught I ask beside Thee.



PART II.

Death, I do not fear thee,
Though thou standest near me;
Grave, I calmly spurn thee,
Though to dust thou turn me!
Strong in hope and faith,
Rising up, and singing,
I shall, heavenward winging,
Soar, and vanquish Death,
Soar, and with the blest
Shall forever rest.
He that reigns will rend my chains,
Earth may vanish, heav'n may sever,
God is God forever.






LUTHERAN CAPPELLA CHOIR


Out of the singing church has emerged a unique organization,—the Lutheran A Cappella Choir of the Tri-Cities.  Quiet and unostentatious was its beginning in the fall of 1921, when the director and charter members assembled for the first rehearsals and, in spirit of reverent consecration, pledged themselves to serve God and His Kingdom by rendering the best song treasures of the Church.  No musical organization ever fixed for itself a loftier ideal than this!  and no musical organization ever turned with greater singleness of purpose and vision to realize its ideal.

The success of the Lutheran A Cappella Choir must be attributed in great measure to the spirit of religious consecration which animates its members.  Every rehearsal and concert is opened with Scripture reading and prayer, and is closed with the Benediction.  Every singer feels himself dedicated in a special way to the service of God: every song becomes to him, therefore, an act of devotion.  Who listens to the singing of the Choir cannot but be tremendously impressed by this devotional attitude; cannot but himself feel its contagion and through it be uplifted and enriched.  Thus the concerts of the Lutheran A Cappella Choir become, for singer and listener alike, inspiring divine services, glorified into magnificent sacred song.




PART III


PASSION SONG
Ch. Gounod, 1818




Come to the cross of Christ, in awe assembling;
Bow in compassion with the Crucified,
While quaked the earth struck with fear and trembling,
The man of sorrows there inglorious died.
Crushed are the bonds of sin that still enthralled you,
You are redeemed by His great sacrifice,
Ye ransomed, come, bought with so great a price,
Weep at His grace who from death's dungeon called you.
Here at the cross on His dolorous way
Bend we our knees in humble adoration,
Giving, O Jesus, all glory to Thee,
Dying for our salvation.



O DARKEST WOE!
Christiansen




O darkest woe!  Ye tears, forth flow!
Has earth so sad a wonder?
God the Father's only Son
Now is buried yonder.
O Ground of faith, laid low in death!
Sweet lips now silent sleeping!
Surely all that live must mourn
Here with bitter weeping.
Yea, blest is he whose heart be fixed on Thee.
O Virgin born, Thy death we mourn,
Thou lovely star of gladness!
Who could see Thy reeking blood
Without grief and sadness?
O darkest woe!  Ye tears, forth flow.



CHERUBIM SONG
Glinka




Like a choir of angels, solemn bending low the knee,
To the life-bestowing Trinity
Do we raise our song and praise, our thrice holy song.
Now do we drive far away every earthly care.  Amen!
Like a King of All shall we raise Thee.
Hallowed Host, we hail Thy consecration!  Allelujah!




PART IV


SACRED SONG CYCLE
Söderman




Kyrie, eleison!
Christe, eleison!
Kyrie, eleison!
Domine, Jesu Christe,
Rex gloriae!
Agnus Dei,
Miserere nobis.
Lord, have mercy!
Christ, have mercy!
Lord, have mercy!
Lord, Jesus Christ,
King of Glory!
Lamb of God,
Have mercy upon us.



WAKE, AWAKE (Chorale, 1599)
Philip Nicolai



Rev. Nicolai (1556–1608), who was a minister in Hamburg, wrote two of the greatest chorales of the Christian Church, named by hymnologists the King and Queen of Chorales: Wake, awake, for night is flying, and The morning star upon us gleams.  This arrangement is by F. Melius Christiansen.


Wake, awake, for night is flying,
The watchmen on the heights are crying,
Awake, Jerusalem, arise!
Midnight's solemn hour is tolling;
His chariot-wheels are nearer rolling;
He comes; prepare, ye virgins wise!
Rise up with willing feet,
Go forth, the bridegroom meet,
Hallelujah!
Bear through the night
Your well trimmed light,
Speed forth to join the marriage rite.
Hear Thy praise, O Lord, ascending
From tongues of men and angels, blending
With harps and lute and psaltery.
By Thy pearly gates in wonder,
We stand and swell the voice of thunder,
In bursts of choral melody.
No vision ever brought,
No ear hath ever caught,
Such bliss and joy:
We raise the song,
We swell the throng,
To praise Thee ages all along.





PERSONNEL

LUTHERAN A CAPELLA CHOIR

FIRST SOPRANO:

Godehn, Esther
Johnson, Armida
Johnson, Stella
Landahl, May
Lund, Linnea
Nelson, Minnie
Olander, Mrs. C. M.
Skoglund, Mrs. Edgar
Strombeck, Jessie M.
Swanson, Mrs. A. L.

SECOND SOPRANO:

Darnacher, Mrs. Catherine
Edlen, Olga
Hintz, Freda
Johnson, Lillian
Wallin, Mrs. A. R.
Youngert, Mrs. Eugene

FIRST ALTO:

Carlmark, Ruth
Holterman, Carla
Johnson, Edna
Liedtke, Marie
Lindberg, Grace
Swanson, Mrs. Elmer E.

SECOND ALTO

Godehn, Selma A.
Johnson, Marie
Johnson, Ruth H.
Nelson, Hannah
Nelson, Mildred E.
Nelson, Viola

FIRST TENOR:

Applequist, Herman
Bloom, Aner O.
Rydell, Carl E.
Carlson, A. G.
Swanson, E. V.

SECOND TENOR:

Fryxell, Fritiof
Swanson, C. Bertram
Swanson, Elmer
Wiberg, Curtis

FIRST BASS:

Anderson, M. J.
Fryxell, C. A.
Swanson, Clarke L.
Tillberg, Fred
Zetterholm, K. E.

SECOND BASS:

Collin, Edward
Ronnquist, Verner
Sellin, Hilding
Strieter, Edgar H.
Youngert, Eugene




OFFICERS

Rev. Otto H. Boström, Ph. D., Director
Curtis Wiberg, Manager
C. Bertram Swanson, President
Edgar Strieter, Vice-President
Carla Holterman, Secretary
M. J. Anderson, Treasurer
Mrs. Eugene Youngert, Historian
Elmer Swanson, Curator