Wednesday
February 19, 2025
12 p.m.
Kopleff Recital Hall
Justin Maxey, piano
Conducted by Liana Perlman, Shaun Gibbons, Nathan Schreer, Kelly Grba & Carolyn Mielke
The Krönungsmesse (German for Coronation Mass), composed in 1779, is one of the most popular of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's (1756-1791) settings of the Ordinary of the Mass. While it is relatively short, Bruce C. Macintyre in the Cambridge Mozart Encyclopedia classifies it as a Missa Longa, on the basis of the festal character, size of the orchestra, which includes a substantial brass section, orchestral introductions for the movements and the setting of the intonations for the Gloria and Credo.
Mozart this mass during the time that he was court organist and composer to the Archbishop of Salzburg. It is no doubt the best known and, for many, the finest of the masses that he wrote for Salzburg. Although there is no definite record of a performance, its full orchestration and bright tone suggest that it was performed in the Salzburg cathedral at Easter. The mass appears to have acquired the nickname Coronation Mass at the Imperial court in Vienna in the early nineteenth century after becoming the preferred music for royal and imperial coronations as well as services of thanksgiving.
This mass follows the traditional order for any kind of service, except that it separates the Sanctus/Benedictus into different movements.
I. Kyrie
Quartet II
Liana Perlman, graduate conductor
- The phrase Kýrie, eléison, also the origin of the Jesus Prayer, is simultaneously a petition and a prayer of thanksgiving. It's an acknowledgement of what God has done, what God is doing, and what God will continue to do (Luke 18:9–14).
II. Gloria
Quartet I
Shaun Gibbons, graduate conductor
The Gloria is a Christian hymn known also as the Greater Doxology (as distinguished from the "Minor Doxology" or Gloria Patri) and the Hymn of the Angels. It begins with the words that the angels sang when announcing the birth of Christ to shepherds in Luke 2:14.
Gloria in excelsis Deo is an example of the psalmi idiotici ("private psalms", i.e., compositions by individuals in imitation of the biblical Psalter) that were popular in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Other surviving examples of this lyric poetry are the Te Deum and the Phos Hilaron.
III. Credo
Quartet II
Nathan Schreer, graduate conductor
In Christian liturgy, the credo is the portion of the Mass where a creed is recited or sung. The Nicene-Creed or the Apostles' Creed are the primary creeds used for this purpose.
The original Nicene Creed was first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. According to the traditional view, forwarded by the Council of Chalcedon of 451, the Creed was amended in 381 by the First Council of Constantinople.
The version found in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer is still commonly used by some English speakers, but more modern translations are now more common. The International Consultation on English Texts published an English translation of the Nicene Creed, first in 1970 and then in successive revisions in 1971 and 1975. These texts were adopted by several churches.
The Roman Catholic Church in the United States adopted the 1971 version in 1973. The Catholic Church in other English-speaking countries adopted the 1975 version in 1975. They continued to use them until 2011, when it replaced them with the version in the Roman Missal third edition. The 1975 version was included in the 1979 Episcopal Church (United States) Book of Common Prayer, but with one variation: in the line "For us men and for our salvation", it omitted the word "men".
IV. Sanctus
Kelly Grba, graduate conductor
The first part of the Sanctus, the adaptation from Isaiah 6:3, describes the prophet Isaiah's vision of the throne of God surrounded by six-winged, ministering seraphim.
The Sanctus became part of the Roman Eucharistic Prayer only in the first half of the fifth century; all in all, this was a fairly late period, inasmuch as by then the text of the Roman Canon had become fixed and was regarded as a text possessing great authority.
There exist two fundamental types of Sanctus: the Alexandrian and the Antiochene. The Sanctus of the Roman Eucharist derives from the Antiochene liturgy and has two parts: (a) the Sanctus true and proper, consisting of the acclamation from Isaiah 6:3; and (b) the Benedictus, a christological acclamation taken from Matthew 21:9.
In the Roman Rite, the Sanctus also forms part of the solemn hymn of praise Te Deum laudamus, but with the addition of a reference to the "majesty" of the Lord's glory in the Pleni sunt verse (the phrase pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua becomes pleni sunt caeli et terra maiestatis gloriae tuae). The Benedictus is not included in the Te Deum, and the Sanctus is therefore included as part of that hymn.
V. Benedictus
Quartet I
Kelly Grba, graduate conductor
The text of the second part, beginning with the word Benedictus is taken from Matthew 21:9, describes Jesus' Entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, which is in turn based on the first half of Psalm 118:26.
VI. Agnus Dei
Quartet II
Carolyn Mielke, graduate conductor
The use of the title "Lamb of God" in liturgy is based on John 1:29, in which St. John the Baptist, upon seeing Jesus, proclaims "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
The Syrian custom of a chant addressed to the Lamb of God was introduced into the Roman Rite Mass by Pope Sergius I (687–701) in the context of his rejection of the Council of Trullo of 692 (which was well received in the Byzantine East), whose canons had forbidden the iconographic depiction of Christ as a lamb instead of a man.
Liana Perlman
Liana Perlman is an aspiring choral conductor and music educator from Needham, MA. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from Brandeis University in 2023, where she sang as a soprano in the Brandeis Chamber Singers. Liana toured in Normandy and Paris with the Brandeis Chamber Singers in May of 2022, both as a chorister and soloist. She also conducted Randall Thompson’s “The Last Words of David” with the Brandeis University Chorus in her senior year, under the tutorship of Dr. Robert Duff. During her undergraduate career and following, she also served as Conducting Intern for the Zamir Chorale of Boston, a Jewish community choir based in Newton, MA. There, she studied under conductor and artistic director Professor Joshua Jacobson, and under Mr. Andrew Mattfeld of Boston University.
After graduating, Liana held positions teaching AP Music Theory at Canton High School, Chorus and General Music at Robert H. Adams Middle School in Holliston, MA, and beginning voice and piano lessons at Needham Music and Dance. Liana has worked with students and singers ranging from 5 to 80+ years of age. While not performing, rehearsing and teaching, Liana enjoys substitute teaching at her synagogue’s year-round preschool program.
Liana is so looking forward to beginning her studies for a Master of Music in Choral Conducting at Georgia State University with Dr. Deanna Joseph!
Shaun Gibbons
Shaun Gibbons (he/him/his) is an educator, conductor, and tenor originally from Sayville, New York. Shaun recently received his Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of Delaware. He will begin pursuing his Master’s in Choral Conducting at Georgia State University in the fall. Shaun has experience singing in various solo and ensemble settings, including art songs, opera, oratorio, musical theatre, popular music, and many educational and semi-professional choral settings. Shaun frequently performs with the Delaware Choral Scholars on their international tours to places like, Croatia, the greater United Kingdom, and New Zealand.
Shaun did not actively pursue singing growing up. His Mother forced him to do the middle school musical. From there, he has been hooked for life! Shaun loves singing in solo settings but believes there is no greater medium for a story to be told than by a group of people in a choral ensemble. Each person has a story they can tell, but if we all work together to tell one story, it can reach even further.
In his free time, Shaun enjoys slinging lattes at local coffee shops, playing video games, hanging out with friends, and seeking new experiences around the globe.
Nathan Schreer
Nathan Schreer is an experience music professional with a strong background in music education within various education and religious institutions. Currently the Assistant Director of Music and Student Ministries at Northside Church, Mr. Schreer spent seven years as a High School Choral Director in Georgia public schools, most recently at Milton High School, before joining the ministry full-time.
Mr. Schreer is currently the president of the Atlanta Chapter of the Choristers Guild, and an active member of the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association for Music Education. He is certified by the Technology in Music Education Association and has completed his Year 3 certification at the Choristers Guild Institute. Mr. Schreer served as the High School team leader for Fulton County’s Standards Mastery Framework and has enjoyed developing professional development for technology in collaboration with his colleagues.
A native to Georgia, Mr. Schreer holds an undergraduate degree in Music Education from the University of Georgia and received his Master of Music degree from Boston University. He has sung in a number of ensembles including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, the ASO Chamber Chorus, the Johns Creek Chorale, and the Orpheus Men’s Ensemble. Mr. Schreer resides in Roswell and in his free time enjoys cooking with his wife, Riley.
Kelly Grba
Kelly Grba is a conductor, vocalist, and teacher from Bolingbrook, Illinois. As a first-year Choral Conducting candidate at Georgia State University, Kelly will serve as a Graduate Assistant for the Choral Area at GSU, as well as director of the Central Presbyterian Children’s Choir and music intern at Central Presbyterian Church. Prior to beginning her studies at Georgia State, Kelly taught choir, music theory, and music production classes for four years at Plainfield East High School in Plainfield, Illinois. In addition to her curricular classes, Kelly also led multiple extracurricular groups, including two treble madrigal ensembles, an intermediate treble chamber ensemble, and an “all-sing” treble a cappella group. Kelly maintains an Illinois Professional Educator License with a certification in K-12 Music.
Kelly graduated with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from Luther College (Decorah, IA) in 2020. While at Luther, Kelly was a member of the Nordic Choir under the direction of Dr. Andrew Last, where she served as Alto I section leader. Kelly was also a member of first-year treble ensemble, Aurora, under the direction of Dr. Jennaya Robison. After completing her undergraduate studies, Kelly joined St. Charles Singers, a professional nonprofit choir led by Jeff Hunt, located in the western suburbs of Chicago. Kelly’s love of performing has taken her across the globe, including multiple domestic choir tours, an international tour to Germany and Czechia with Nordic Choir in 2018, and most recently, to Spain and Portugal with St. Charles Singers in 2023. Kelly is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and Illinois Music Educators Association (ILMEA).
Carolyn Mielke
Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Carolyn Mielke is a first-year candidate for the Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting at Georgia State University. She recently earned Bachelor’s Degrees from Williams College in Music and History. At Williams, Carolyn sang in the Concert and Chamber Choirs, performed in the Williams Opera Workshop, and appeared as a soloist with the Berkshire Symphony. Carolyn also received highest honors for her senior thesis in vocal performance in which she studied and analyzed works of female composers.
This year, Carolyn will serve as a Graduate Assistant for the Choral Area at GSU and as a Music Fellow at North Decatur Presbyterian Church (NDPC). At NDPC, Carolyn sings in the adult choir and leads the children’s choir.
Credits:
Created with images by Sizhu - "St Isaac's Cathedral - Russia" • mehdi33300 - "Chartres Cathedral, HDR Image" • Alexey Fedorenko - "Interior view of Saint Paul's cathedral in London" • Damián Basante - "Barcelona's Cathedral from inside" • AsgharAbbas - "An illustration of the British Crown Jewels. Charles III's coronation ceremony. Artificial Intelligence" • barmalini - "View on gothic Roman Catholic cathedral church Notre-Dame at night in central part of old French city Reims, France" • k_samurkas - "view of Gothic architecture and art on the roof of Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano), Italy" • Yuval Helfman - "Interior of the Holy Virgin Cathedral. The Holy Virgin Cathedral, also known as Joy of All Who Sorrow, is a Russian Orthodox cathedral in the Richmond District of San Francisco." • BlackMac - "detail of Santa Maria in Fiore, cathedral of Florence"