American Popular Songs of the Gilded Age
Saturday, July 19, 2024, 7:00pm, First Congregational Church, Lebanon NH
Counterpoint, directed by Nathaniel G. Lew
with Roger Grow, tenor
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Singers
Miranda Bergmeier, Colleen Campbell, Scott Czerwinski, Erin Grainger, Da-Shih Hu, Sudie Marcuse, Zebulun McLellan, Lizzy Palumbo, Kevin Quigley & Rebecca Wood
Program
Hello, My Baby (1899) ~ Joseph E. Howard, arr De Cormier
Home Sweet Home (1823) ~ Henry Bishop, arr Chilcott
Three Songs by Stephen Foster
- Gentle Annie (1856) ~ arr De Cormier
- Some Folks (1855) ~ arr De Cormier
- Beautiful Dreamer (1864) ~ arr Parker & Shaw
Grandfather’s Clock (1875) ~ Henry Clay Work, arr De Cormier
Miranda Bergmeier, solo
We Will Rest Awhile, from Treemonisha (1911) ~ Scott Joplin
Bowery Waltz Medley
- In the Good Old Summertime (1902) ~ Evans & Shields, arr Lew
- Daisy Bell (1892) ~ Harry Dacre, arr Lew
- The Sidewalks of New York (1894) ~ Lawlor & Blake, arr De Cormier
- Take Me Out to the Ballgame (1908) ~ Norworth & Von Tilzer, arr Düsing
Nearer My God to Thee (a medley) ~ various composers, arr Lew
Erin Grainger and Collen Campbell, solos
Four Songs of Love and Marriage
Sudie Marcuse and Collen Campbell, solos
- Sweet Adeline (1903) ~ Gerard & Armstrong, arr Düsing
- How Delightful to be Married (1907) ~ Scotto & Christine, arr Düsing
- Love’s Old Sweet Song (1884) ~ Molloy & Bingham, arr McGlynn
- You’ll Have to Put a Nightie on Aphrodite (1920) ~ Donaldson, Lewis & Young, arr Düsing
Bios
Founded by legendary choral director and arranger Robert De Cormier in 2000, and based in Montpelier, Vermont, Counterpoint Vocal Ensemble is dedicated to performing choral chamber music and engaging with student musicians in Vermont and beyond. Praised for their “clarity, skill” and “sophisticated musical expressiveness,” the ensemble presents concerts throughout Vermont and the surrounding region and has toured the Midwest. Counterpoint has recorded seven CDs with Albany Records and has released five further CDs independently. Their repertory ranges all over the map, including folksongs from around the world, African-American spirituals, sacred music of many traditions, and concert works by classical composers of the past and our own age. In addition to being Counterpoint’s Artistic Director, Nathaniel G. Lew is Choral Director at the University of Vermont, Chorus Master at Opera Company of Middlebury, Professor Emeritus of Music at Saint Michael’s College, and a Board Member of Choral Arts New England.
Roger Grow is a singer, composer, conductor, instrumentalist, and retired music teacher. As a vocal soloist he has performed at Carnegie Hall, singing “Carmina Burana”, “Navidad Nuestra”, “Shout For Joy”, and “Chichester Psalms” with the New York Choral Society, under the baton of John Daly Goodwin and Robert De Cormier. He has also been a soloist on several occasions with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra at the Flynn Theatre, and with the Dartmouth Symphony at Spaulding Auditorium. Roger can be heard on several recordings on the Arabesque label with Mr. De Cormier, including “The Emperor of Atlantis” and “The Jolly Beggars”, as well as all of the Counterpoint recordings, including “Shalom” which features four arrangements by Roger. He has also recorded Vermont composers Dennis Murphy’s “A Perfect Day”, and Bruce Chalmer’s “Berakhot” with the Fyre and Lightning Consort. Roger also previously sang with AH! Cappella, the vocal ensemble sponsored by the Vermont Symphony Orchestra that performs concerts for Vermont schools. Roger lives in Duxbury, VT with his two cats, Master Po and Mister Moon, and spends time with his model trains, and playing golf and darts.
Rehearsal space for Counterpoint is generously provided by the First Church in Barre Unitarian-Universalist, 19 Church St.