Cary Community Choir
54th Performance of

Pepper Choplin, Director
Charli Mills, Soprano
Beth Allen-Gardner, Alto
Dr. Timothy Sparks, Tenor
Dr. William Adams, Bass
Patti Lingafelt, Keyboard

December 8, 2024, 7:30 pm
Westwood Baptist Church
200 Westhigh Street, Cary, NC 27513

Program Order

Opening remarks

Pepper Choplin, Director
Elizabeth Booker, President, Board of Directors

Invocation

Dr. Lawrence Powers, Senior Pastor

Messiah

George Frideric Handel

Overture

Recitative: Comfort ye my people – Tenor

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God; speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Air: Every valley shall be exalted – Tenor

Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low, the crooked straight, and the rough places plain.

Chorus: And the glory of the Lord

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Recitative: Thus saith the Lord – Bass

Thus saith the Lord of Hosts: Yet once a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all nations; and the desire of all nations shall come. The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in; Behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts.

Air: But who may abide the day of his coming? – Bass

But who may abide the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner’s fire

Chorus: And He shall purify

And He shall purify the sons of Levi that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

Recitative: Behold! A virgin shall conceive – Alto

Behold! A Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Emmanuel, God with us.

Air and Chorus: O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion – Alto/Chorus

O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain; O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

Recitative: For behold, darkness shall cover the earth – Bass

For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee, and the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

Air: The people that walked in darkness – Bass

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

Chorus: For unto us a child is born

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

Pastoral Symphony (Pifa)

Recitative: There were shepherds abiding in the field – Soprano

There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo! The Angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the Angel said untothem, Fear not; for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be toall people; for unto you is born this day in the City of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying…

Chorus: Glory to God

Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, goodwill towards men

Air: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion – Soprano

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, thy King cometh unto thee! He is the righteous Savior, and He shall speak peace unto the heathen.

Recitative: Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened – Alto

Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing.

Air: He shall feed His flock like a shepherd – Alto/Soprano

He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; and He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. Come unto Him, all ye that labor. Come unto Him, that are heavy laden, and He will give you rest. Take His yoke upon you, and learn of Him, for He is meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Chorus: His yoke is easy, and His burden is light

Chorus: Hallelujah!

Hallelujah: for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Hallelujah!

Chorus: Worthy Is the Lamb

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain and hath redeemed us to God by His blood to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing… Blessing, and honor… glory, and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

Chorus: Amen

Program Notes

In 1741 Handel’s fortunes were so low that he was considering leaving England. His opera company had collapsed and he had suffered a stroke. Handel accepted the invitation to compose an oratorio, a much more popular style of concert of the time. A text was presented to him by his good friend and patron, Charles Jennens, a wealthy landowner who had helped to finance every one of Handel’s publications since 1725. The text was assembled from the King James Bible and Psalms as printed in the Book of Common Prayer. In a letter to a friend, Charles Jennens wrote that he hoped that Handel will “…lay out his whole genius and skill upon it, that the composition may excel all his former compositions as the subject excels every other subject. The subject is Messiah.”

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Handel secluded himself on August 22, 1741, and in some three weeks’ time composed the vast majority of the work. He was able to achieve this because of his inspiration about the subject and because he was able to borrow music performed at that time.

For instance, the borrowed music for the joyous chorus For unto us a Child is born was originally profane and perhaps frivolous duet for two sopranos castigating “blind Cupid” and “cruel beauty.”

In its report on a public rehearsal, the Dublin News-Letter described the oratorio, Messiah, as “… far surpassing anything of that Nature which has been performed in this or any other Kingdom.” Seven hundred people attended the premiere on 13 April. So that the largest possible audience could be admitted to the concert, gentlemen were requested to remove their swords, and ladies were asked not to wear hoops in their dresses, a request that we also repeat tonight. The performance earned unanimous praise from the assembled press: “Words are wanting to express the exquisite delight it afforded to the admiring and crowded Audience.” A Dublin clergyman, Rev. Delaney, was so overcome by Susanna Cibber’s rendering of “He was despised” that reportedly he leapt to his feet during the performance and cried: “Woman, for this be all thy sins forgiven thee!” The concert raised enough money to give a sizable donation to each of the selected charities, the Mercer’s Hospital and the Charitable Infirmary, and released 142 prisoners from debtors’ prison. Despite his success in Ireland, Handel was hesitant to take the work to London, in part, because of objections to presenting a sacred work in that most profane of buildings – the theater! True to his expectation, when he did finally introduce Messiah there in 1743, it was not well received. Not until 1750, when Messiah began to be presented in annual performances for a London charity at the local Foundling Hospital did the public truly embrace the work. Between that time and Handel’s death in 1759, Messiah attained the exalted stature it has held to the present day, a musical tradition unparalleled in the English speaking world.

Messiah is without doubt the most popular and the most performed cantata in existence. The musicologist Charles Burney wrote some 40 years after the premier “…this great work has been heard in all parts of the kingdom with increasing reverence and delight. It has fed the hungry, clothed the naked, fostered the orphan and enriched succeeding managers of the oratorios more than any single production in this or any other country.”

Instrumental Ensemble

Harpsichord/Keyboard
Patti Lingafelt

Violin I
Wendy Rawls *
Dana Friedli **
Lucy Greenleaf

Violin II
Emi Hildebrandt
Belinda Swanson

Viola
Lisa Doherty

Trumpets
Christian McIvor
John Manning

*Concertmaster
**Orchestra Contractor

Cello
Lindsay Stipe

Bass
Emily Buccola

Oboe
Carrie Shull
Jennifer L. Allen

Bassoon
Rebecca Libera

Timpani
Casey Sagolla-Slamp

About the Artists

Pepper Choplin has served as director of the Cary Community Choir since 2019. He is a full-time composer, conductor and humorist. With a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, he went on to earn a Master of Music degree in composition from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
His published works includes over 330 anthems for church and school choir plus 24 church cantatas and four books of piano arrangements. Each week, thousands of singers present his music in churches and schools in the United States and around the world. He recently published his first book, A Million Notes, a collection of his best-loved lyrics and the stories behind them.

Pepper has conducted ten New York concerts of his music at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Julliard with over 250 voices and full orchestra. In Raleigh, he has conducted twelve performances of his cantatas at Meymandi Concert Hall with area church choirs and orchestra. Beyond his choral music, Choplin has produced two humorous CDs and an inspirational solo recording.

Charli Mills

Soprano Charli Mills enjoys a varied musical career as a vocalist and church musician. As a singer, Charli regularly appears with the Salem Bach Festival, this year soloing as Lieschen in a
new English language staging of the Coffee Cantata (BWV 211) and performing Jesu, meine Freude (BWV 227).

In the past year, she has also appeared as soloist and ensemble member for Duke University Chapel’s Bach Cantata Series, performing Bach’s St. John Passion, Cantatas 48, 70, 106, 125,
131, 150, and Kuhnau’s Ich habe Lust; as Filia in Carissimi’s Jepthe at Greensboro College; as soloist for the Choral Society of Greensboro’s performances of Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Bach Cantata 140; and as soloist for Bach’s Cantata 29 at First Presbyterian Church of Winston Salem. Charli is also active as an ensemble musician, singing regularly with Evensong Octet of First Presbyterian Church, and with the Winston-Salem Choral Artists, who recently performed James MacMillan’s stirring Seven Last Words.

Charli has worked as a church music director for eleven years and currently serves as Director
of Traditional Music at Wesley Memorial Methodist Church in High Point, NC. She earned a
Master’s in Church Music from the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Beth Allen-Gardner

Beth Allen-Gardner, Alto A specialist in sacred music, Beth Allen-Gardner is praised for a voice that is beautiful, fresh-sounding and stylish, warm and generous, and which moves with ease. Beth has been a finalist in the Bach Vocal Competition for American Singers and the Kentucky Bach Choir’s Audrey Rooney Vocal Competition, as well as a semifinalist in the Rochester Oratorio Society’s Classical Idol Competition and a quarterfinalist in Savannah’s 2021 American Traditions Competition. Recent solo engagements include Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Mozart’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy and Mass in C, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solenelle, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Handel’s Messiah and Judas Macabbaeus, and J.S. Bach’s Magnificat and Cantatas 80 and 111.

Opera roles include Despina in Cosi fan tutte, the Unknown Maiden in Young Meister Bach, and the second sister in Beauty and the Beast. On the musical theatre stage, Beth has played Emma Carew (Jekyll and Hyde), Baroness Elsa Schraeder (The Sound of Music), and Cinderella’s mother (Into the Woods).

Beth was recently awarded both the Graduate Dean’s Award and the Hester Graduate Fellowship from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she earned her Master of Music Performance Degree in Vocal Pedagogy and her Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Music Education. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree with distinction as a National Merit Scholar at the University of North Carolina, and is a recent graduate of Sankt Goar International Music Festival and Academy.

Henry Branson

Timothy W. Sparks, tenor, enjoys a versatile performing career that includes opera, oratorio, concert work, and cabaret, with appearances in Europe and throughout the United States. Given a strong commitment to contemporary music, he has participated in the premiere of several new stage works by noted American composers. In Jauary 2011, his recording of the Arnold Schönberg chamber orchestra transcription of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde was released by Centaur Records, Inc. From 2015 to 2023, Mr. Sparks was a guest artist teacher and performer for the International Young Artists Project, based in Monte San Savino, Italy. As a member of N.A.T.S., Inc., he served on the executive board for both the NC district and the Mid-Atlantic region, and is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda. Mr. Sparks currently serves as a Lecturer in Voice and Diction at UNC-Chapel Hill and is an active adjudicator. Mr. Sparks received his BM in Vocal Performance from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and MM with the Performer’s Certificate in Voice from the Eastman School of Music

William Adams’ musical career has been exceptionally diverse, driven equally by passions to expand the limits of his own artistic abilities and to reach out and empower musicians of all ages and backgrounds.

Trained as an operatic baritone, he has a growing repertoire of more than 70 roles in opera, oratorio, and musical theater. An avid choral musician, his experience includes vocal jazz, madrigals, contemporary a cappella, and barbershop harmony. His instrumental background has led to performances on more than 40 instruments in every conceivable setting from symphony orchestras to rock bands.

His work as a conductor has led him to more than 100 festivals around the country, community and church choirs, barbershop choruses, theater productions, marching bands, symphonic bands, and jazz bands. He currently serves as Artistic Director for two ensembles based in Durham, North Carolina: Heart of Carolina A Cappella, a multi-award winning barbershop harmony chorus; and the Triangle Vocal Project, an 18-voice professional chamber choir whose mission is to make great music and raise money for music-based charities.

A fierce advocate for music education, he has lectured throughout the country about curriculum design, music education advocacy, vocal health, and performance practice techniques to performers and educators alike. He is a published scholar in the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams. He is the owner and publisher of TriangleSings.org, a website devoted to promoting all forms of vocal music throughout the North Carolina Triangle, and beyond.

His compositions and arrangements for choirs, soloists, and for the stage, have earned awards from the Kennedy Center and performances at Carnegie Hall and throughout the United States and Europe.

Dr. Adams earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin, the Master of Music degree from California State University at Northridge, the Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from California State University at San Bernardino, and the Associate of Arts degree in Music from Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga, California.

Patti Lingafelt, harpsichordist/keyboardist and organist, received the Bachelor of Music degree from James Madison University in Organ Performance and the Master of Divinity with Church Music degree (organ concentration) from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. She and her husband Steven have lived in Durham since 1982. Mrs. Lingafelt, an ordained Baptist minister, has served several churches in the Triangle area as Minister of Music/Organist, retiring from Trinity United Methodist Church in Durham in February 2021. She has accompanied middle school and high school choruses, as well as numerous soloists and instrumentalists and continues to serve as a freelance accompanist and substitute organist and/or choir director for local churches. This is her tenth appearance as accompanist for the annual Cary Community Choir performance of Messiah. Mrs. Lingafelt is a member of the American Guild of Organists, Durham-Chapel Hill and Central NC Chapters; American Choral Directors Association; and Choristers Guild. The Lingafelts have two grown children

Contributors to Cary Community Choir

We would like to express our deep appreciation to the following businesses, agencies and individuals who have generously given donations in support of tonight’s concert.

Benefactors

Al and Elizabeth Booker
George Bridges
Jim and Renee Bridges
Richard Burts

Nancy Canterbury
DeLon and Lisa Dove
Town of Cary

Patrons

Candace and Ron Blackley
CAF America
John Calhoun

Healthcare Strategies
Donna and Ken Scott

Amanda Hunter
Suzanne and Jerry Letchworth
Yuhua Li
Evelyn Little
Maria Lund
Charles McCullen
Richard Miller-Haraway
Marlene Nickell
Jean Olson
Carol and Mike Ridge
Mark Ring
Patricia Shackleton
Marisa Spina
Lisa Thomson
Daniel and Helen Tsui
Sandeep Verghese
Lee Webb
Alice Williams

Acknowledgments

Cary Community Choir is supported in part by grants from the Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival, an annual Cary-based festival supporting local arts and non-profit organizations and activities. Operational and promotional support is also given by the Town of Cary Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, William Lewis, Cultural Arts Manager.

Thank you to Dr. Lawrence Powers, Senior Pastor, and Derrick Arellano, Associate Pastor for Music and Worship, at Westwood Baptist Church for their invitation and support in hosting this concert in their facility.

Following tonight’s presentation, a free-will offering will be taken at the door to help defray the program expenses. Your contribution to the Cary Community Choir is tax deductible and greatly appreciated.

Checks may be made out to Cary Community Choir. You may also contribute online at www.carycommunitychoir.org. Please help to ensure the future of this Cary tradition through your generosity.

Cary Community Choir Board Members 2024

President: Elizabeth Booker

Treasurer: Jim Bridges

Board Members

Derrick Arellano

Gene Block
Alan Booker
Denise Buckner
Christi Cook

Bob Gutjahr
Jim Heddell
Donna Riddel
Daniel Tsui
Judy White
Chelsea Wilson

Marketing/Communications: Regina Kaiser
Fundraising: Nancy Canterbury
Webmaster: Alan Booker

The date and location of next year’s 55th performance of Handel’s “Messiah” will be listed on the Cary Community Choir website as soon as those details are confirmed. Find us at
www.carycommunitychoir.org

Cary Community Choir

Soprano

Donna Abrams
Diane Beth
Rebecca Brigham
Susan Brunssen
Karen Calhoun
Nancy Canterbury
Caroline Cimorelli
Bailey Coffer
Sage Collier
Grace Edwardson
LInda Fosdick
Sally G.
Terri Green
Paula Hansen
Kate Hill
Petie Huffman
Amanda Hunter-Kelly
Cecily Jones
Norma Jones
Lacey Kashtook
Song Klapoetke
Jennifer Kruchlen-Gurecki
Julliet Lan
Elizabeth Lane
Alison Li
Evelyn Little
Ashley Louden
Christine Mailliard
Dorothy Manly
Sue McGee Wind
Olivia McLawhorn
Sandra McManus
Marlene Nickell
Michelle Piccirillo
Deidra Pulsipher
Donna Riddel
Carol Ridge
Stephanie Roache
Maer Robertson
Megan Robertson
Cindy Robinson
Raquel Sallares
Maureen Sanner
Patricia Shackleton
Denise Smith
Anne Marie Talbott
Joyce Walker
Judy White
Alice Williams

Alto

Francesca Balestrieri
Corinne Bigler
Susan Birchfield
Candace Blackley
Caitlin Blackwood
Alita Bluford
Maria Bondavera
Elizabeth Booker
Renee Bridges
Osa Brown
Denise Buckner
Sue Buning
Gloria Burgess
Roberta Byram
Anne Carnesecchi
Karen Cerefice
Christina Chadwick
Patrice Chapman
Kerry Christian
Theresa Cogen
Dana Coleman
Nannette Collier
Christi Cook
Jean Costa
Rena Courtay
Cristina D’agostino
Lisa Stirewalt Dove
Elizabeth Dworkin
Sally Edwards
Sarah Flores
Christine Forman
Debra Gallo
Jessica Gettings
Michele Gilliard
Stacie Green
Kitty Harvey
Lauren Hill
Diane Hundley
Amelia Jones
Jessica Jones
Debra Joseph
Bonnie Kunath
Maria Lai
Dawn LaRue
Suzanne Letchworth
Kelly Lewis
Anna Machin
Margot Mahannah
Isabel Manson
Kate Marreiros
Anju Matthew
Robin McDonald
Stacey McLeod
Toni Miller
Deanna Nelson
Sarah Norris
Lisa Notz
Jeannie Olson
Jessie Olson
Michelle Park
Alison Peacock
Alix Peters
Diane Post
Ruth Sappie
Donna Scott
Wanda Shelton
Marisa Spina
Suzie Steger
Beth Sultan
Elaine Talbott
Nancy Terlizzi
Jane Tobia
Helen Tsui
Tori Velasquez
Caroline Verghese
Jade Vogelsong
Christy Walker
Janice Williams
Chelsea Wilson
Janice Wilson

Tenor

Pam Alachi
Derrick Arellano
Tim Barnard
Reginald Beard
Sean Bigler
John Burgess
Sally Fox
Marcus Gainey
James Housman
Asa Keim
Kenichi Kojima
David Loftis
Jim Matzko
Chuck McCullen
Debora Murphy
Kiser Norris
Osvaldo Nuesch
Richard Parker
Barry Post
Ken Scott
Daniel Tsui
James Wetterau

after the concert

Bass

Dan Atherton
Gene Block
Jim Bridges
Forrest Burris
Zachary Carnesecchi
Carl Daehler
Emyr Edwards
Earl Enzor
Andrew Fagerlund
John Fisler
Roy Gemberling
David Gurecki
Bob Gutjahr
Ken Hartman
Blair Hatcher
Jim Heddell
Bill King
Matt Kunath
Haolin Li
John McLeod
Jonas Noel
Warren Powell
Ken Robertson
Jim Sproat
Zach Wilson
Jamie Winspear
Donald Ziff

Version 0.5

CCC Full Program 2024

Cary Community Choir54th Performance of