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[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING] [APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
[EDVARD GRIEG, "BROTHERS, SING ON!"]
CHOIR: (SINGING) Come and let our swelling song mount like the whirling wind, as it meets our singing throng, so blithe of heart and mind. Care and sorrow now be gone. Brothers in song, sing on! Brothers, sing on, sing on!
Youth is a wandering troubadour, sailing the singing breeze, wooing a maid on a distant shore, over the tossing seas. Steering by the stars above, his vessel a song of love. Brothers, sing on, sing on!
Errant minstrels, thus we greet you. List to our voices strong. With glad and open hearts we meet you in our festival of song. Care and sorrow now be gone. Brothers, in song, sing on! Brothers, sing on, sing on!
[APPLAUSE]
SARAH BOWE: Good evening, everyone, and welcome to our 2022 commencement concert with the Glee Club and the Chorus. We're so happy to be with you here today. Some members of the Glee Club behind me, and the Chorus-- hi, Chorus-- up there that you'll see later-- many, many, many students of ours, our class of 2022, and we were able to celebrate them all week and watch them graduate today. And we'll acknowledge them a bit later in the concert. We'll have them step out so you can see who they are.
So our program today, we're sharing lots of repertoire with you that's some of our favorites that we've done together over this rather extraordinary year. It was our first time singing together in person for a couple of years in the fall at our homecoming concert. We were able to move offline and do things indoors together. And then we were back online. And then we were offline again. And it's just been a wild time. But these singers, up there and behind me, have just been so wonderful.
And the Glee Club in the hallway-- and I'll say it to the Chorus, as well-- I thank them. They've just been so wonderful to make music with, trusting each other and that these communities would really revive and come back. And so our next set for the Glee Club, these are two of our favorites that we took on tour. We have "Die Nacht" by Schubert, beautiful imagery of an evening in the spring. And then we have "Nod," which is a lovely song by Florence Price, and poetry, as well, about sleep.
[FRANZ SCHUBERT, "DIE NACHT"]
CHOIR: [NON-ENGLISH SINGING]
[FLORENCE PRICE, "NOD"]
Softly along the road of evening in a twilight dim with rose. Wrinkled with age, and drenched with dew, Old Nod, Old Nod, the shepherd, goes. His drowsy flock streams on before him, their fleeces charged with gold, to where the sun's last beam leans low, to where the sun's last beam leans low, on Nod the shepherd's fold.
The hedge is quick and green with briar. From their sand the conies creep. And all the birds that fly in heaven flock singing home, singing home to sleep, sleep. His lambs outnumber a noon's roses.
Yet, when night's shadows fall, his blind old sheep-dog, Slumber-Soon, misses not one of all. His are the quiet steeps of dreamland, dreamland. The waters of no more pain, his ram's bell rings 'neath an arch of stars. Rest, rest, and rest again. Rest.
[APPLAUSE]
SPEAKER 1: Hello, ladies and gentlemen. We are The Hangovers. We're going to be singing one of our classic songs for you tonight, and we hope you enjoy it. Thank you very much.
[CHEERING]
[APPLAUSE]
[THE SUPREMES, "UP THE LADDER TO THE ROOF"]
CHOIR: A 3, 4.
(SINGING) Ba, ba, ba, ba-da, ba. Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba. Ba, ba, ba, ba-da, ba, ba.
Come with me. Come with me. And we shall run across the sky. Illuminate the night. Whoa, I will try and guide you to better times, to brighter days. Don't be afraid to go up the ladder to the roof and we can see heaven much better. Go up the ladder to the roof. We can be, be, be, be, be closer to heaven.
Stay with me. Stay with me. Stay with me, and we can let expression ring with music and our singing. Oh, memories of broken dreams. Don't you know they'll fade away. Don't be afraid to go up the ladder to the roof where we can't see heaven much better. Go up the ladder to the roof where we can be, be, be, be closer to heaven.
We'll laugh and I'll tell you the story of love and the happiness in it, baby. We'll combine our thoughts and together we'll travel to the fountain of loveliness. I will never, never, never leave you alone. I said I want to hold you. If we let our love go on, it's going to get much stronger, so much stronger.
Don't you want to go. Don't you want to go. Don't you want to go. Don't you want to go up the ladder to the roof where we can't see heaven much better. Go up the ladder to the roof where we can be closer, closer to heaven.
Go up the, up the, up the-- go up the-- go up the ladder to heaven. Don't you want to go, go up the ladder to heaven. Oh, don't you want to go up the ladder to heaven.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
SARAH BOWE: I've struggled a little bit with what to say about some parts of both of our programs, the Chorus and the Glee Club program, and the joint program. Because outside of the circumstances with which we found ourselves a few years ago, March 2020, these remarkable, young people, and all of us, have also lived through so much more, in terms of violence, on small and large scales, including very recently for us.
And I hope you'll take note of some of these texts in the program. The very next piece, "This is My Song," to the Finlandia hymn music, that was programmed with Ukraine in mind, but it's so applicable to so much of what we have lived through then.
And "Goodnight to Your Heart" originally was our memorial to people lost in the pandemic when we first came back together, and that's been, unfortunately, just timely continuously for us. And there are a few pieces on the Chorus that, as well, are our expressions about these events and our wishes for all of you.
[FINLANDIA, "THIS IS MY SONG, O GOD OF ALL THE NATIONS"]
CHOIR: This is my song, O God of all the nations, a song of peace for lands afar and mine. This is my home, the country where my heart is. Here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine. But other hearts in other lands are beating with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.
My country's skies are bluer than the ocean, and sunlight beams on clover leaf and pine. But other lands have sunlight, too, and clover. And skies are everywhere as blue as mine. So hear my song, O God of all the nations, a song of peace for their land and for mine.
[APPLAUSE]
[NON-ENGLISH SINGING]
[APPLAUSE]
[SYDNEY GUILLAUME, "RENMEN RENMEN"]
[NON-ENGLISH SINGING]
Go on and love. Go on and love. Go on and love. Go on. Go on. Go on. Go on and love. go on and love. Go on and love. Go on. Go on and love.
[APPLAUSE]
[TONI MORRISON, "IT COMES UNADORNED"]
CHOIR: [VOCALIZING]
It comes unadorned. It comes unadorned. Like a phrase, strong enough to cast, [VOCALIZING] to cast a spell. It comes unadorned.
It comes unbidden. Like the turn of sun through hills. Like the turn of sun through hills. Or stars in wheels of song. The jeweled feet of women dance the earth, dance the earth. The jeweled feet of women dance, dance the earth. Dance the earth. Dance the earth.
It comes. It comes unadorned. Arousing it to spring. Arousing it to spring. Arousing it to spring. Arousing it to spring. Arousing it to spring. Arousing it to spring. Spring. Arousing it to spring.
Shoulders, shoulders broad as a road bend to share the weight of years. It comes. It comes unadorned. Profiles breach the distance and lean toward an ordinary kiss. Bliss. Bliss. Bliss. It comes naked into the world like a charm.
[APPLAUSE]
SARAH BOWE: Thank you, everyone. This is the Cornell University Chorus.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
So the piece we just performed actually was the last commission that the Chorus had. It was fall 2019, in memory of Toni Morrison, who actually is a Cornellian who had passed away that same summer.
And the Chorus, as an organization, has been through something even extra, which is they had a centennial in 2020 and they weren't able to celebrate properly. And they weren't able to celebrate properly in 2021, either. But guess what? They are getting to celebrate properly this summer.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
At this reunion weekend at Cornell, 9th through the 12th, we will be descended upon by so many of our Chorus alums. I think over 100 are going to join us at this point, maybe even more. And we'll have performances that weekend. So if you're in town or coming back, you should come. The Glee Club will also perform with their alumni, as well, so it should be a beautiful time.
The next two pieces we'll perform. We picked up one of these in the fall. Actually both in the fall, I believe. By Melissa Dunphy. And she has a whole set of these, four of them, in fact, on Lola Ridge poetry. One of the ones that you won't hear was also a commission for the Cornell Chorus.
[LOLA RIDGE, "SHADOWS OVER A CRADLE"]
CHOIR: (SINGING) Shadows. Shadows over a cradle. Shadows over. Shadows. Shadows. Shadows. A cradle. Shadows over a cradle. Shadows. Shadows over a cradle. Shadows. Fire light craning. Shadows. Shadows. Shadows. Shadows. Shadows. Cradle. Shadows over a cradle. Shadows. Shadows. Shadows over a cradle. Fire light craning.
A hand throws something in the, something in the, something in the, something in the, something in the, something in the, something in the, something in the fire. And a smaller hand runs into the flame and out again. Something in the, something in the cradle. Cradle. Something in the, something in the cradle. In and out again, and out again.
Out again. singed and empty. Shadows. Shadows. Shadows. Shadows. Shadows over a cradle. Shadows. Shadows. Over a cradle. Shadows over a cradle. Over a cradle. Shadows over a cradle. A cradle. And the shadows. Shadows. Shadows.
[LOLA RIDGE, "IT'S STRANGE ABOUT STARS"]
It's strange about stars. It's strange about stars. It's strange. You have to be still when they look, when they look, at you. They push your song inside of you with their song. Their long, long silvery rays sink into you and do not hurt. It is good to feel them resting on you, like great, like great, like great, great white birds. And their shining whiteness doesn't burn like the sun. It washes all over you. It washes all over you. It washes all over you and makes you feel cleaner than water. Cleaner than water. Cleaner than water.
[APPLAUSE]
[BILLY JOEL, "AND SO IT GOES"]
In every heart there is a room, a sanctuary safe and strong to heal the wounds from lovers past, until a new one comes along. I spoke to you in cautious tones. You answered me with no pretense. And still I feel I said too much. My silence is my self-defense.
And every time I've held a rose, it seems I only felt the thorns. And so it goes, and so it goes. And you're the only one who knows. But if my silence made you leave, then that would be my worst mistake. So I will share this room with you, and you can have this heart to break.
And this is why my eyes are closed. It's just as well for all I've seen. And so it goes, and so it goes. And so will you soon, I suppose. So I would choose to be with you. That's if the choice were mine to make. And you can make decisions, too. And you can have this heart to break.
[VOCALIZING]
And so it goes, and so it goes. And you're the only one who knows.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
SPEAKER 2: Hi, everyone. Thank you so much. We are After Eight, the official--
[CHEERING]
--the official a cappella subset of Cornell Chorus. And we have one more song for you. I think a lot of you will know this one. We're pretty proud of it. But thank you so much for being here, and we hope you enjoy the rest of the concert.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
[VOCALIZING]
[AMY WINEHOUSE, "VALERIE"]
CHOIR: (SINGING) Well, sometimes I go out by myself and I look across the water. And I think of all the things that you're doing in my head. I paint a picture. Since I've come on home, well, my body's been a mess. And I miss your ginger hair and the way you like to dress.
Oh, won't you come on over. Stop making a fool out of me. Why don't you come on over, Valerie? Valerie. Valerie. Valerie.
Did you have to go to jail? Put your house on up for sale. Did you get a good lawyer? I hope you didn't catch a tan. Hope you found the right man who'll fix it for you. Are you shopping anywhere? Change the color of your hair? Are you busy? Did you have to pay that fine that you were dodging all the time? Are you still dizzy?
Since I've come on home, well, my body's been a mess. And I miss your ginger and the way you like to dress. Won't you come on over. Stop making a fool out of me. Why don't you come on over, Valerie? Valerie. Valerie. Valerie.
Well, sometimes I go out by myself and I look across the water. And I think of all the things that you're doing in my head. I paint a picture. Since I've come on home, well, my body's been a mess. And I miss your ginger hair and the way you like to dress.
Won't you come on over? Stop making a fool out of me. Why don't you come on over, Valerie? Valerie. Valerie. Valerie. Whoa, Valerie. Valerie. Valerie. Oh, Valerie. Why don't you come on over, Valerie?
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
["EVEN WHEN HE IS SILENT"]
CHOIR: (SINGING) I believe in the sun. I believe in the sun even when it's not shining. Even when it's not shining. Not shining. Not shining.
I believe in the sun. I believe in the sun. I believe in the sun. I believe in the sun.
I believe, I believe, I believe, I believe in love. I believe in love. I believe in love, in love. I believe in love. I believe in love. I believe in love.
I believe in love, in love, in love. I believe in love, in love, even when I, even when I, when I, when I, when I, even when I feel it not, when I feel it not.
I believe in God, in God even when, even when He is silent. He is silent. I believe, I believe, I believe in God. He is silent. He is silent. He is silent. When He is silent.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
["TUTTARANA"]
[VOCALIZING]
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
SARAH BOWE: So we have two more pieces for you in our sort of regular concert program, and then, of course, we're going to close with Cornell songs. It's a commencement concert. And I didn't tell them I'm going to do this, but I'm also going to ask our seniors to step forward in a few minutes so you can see who they are. We start with "Prelude" by Ola Gjeilo, and then after that we'll sing "Let Beauty Be Our Memorial." If you were at the commencement ceremonies today, you heard this, but not in Bailey Hall, so we're happy to offer that to you again today.
[OLA GJEILO, "PRELUDE"]
[VOCALIZING]
CHOIR: (SINGING) Exsultate, jubilate. O exsultate jubilate. Summa Trinitas revelatu. Date gloriam. Date gloriam. Summa Trias adoratur. Date illi gloriam.
Tu virginum corona, tu nobis pacem dona. Tu consolare affectus, unde suspirat cor. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Exsultate jubilate. Exsultate jubilate. Summa Trias adoratur. Date gloriam. Date illi gloriam. Summa Trias adoratur. Date illi gloriam.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
["LET BEAUTY BE OUR MEMORIAL"]
(SINGING) Let beauty be our memorial. Let love be our last, best word. Let our dissonant counterpoint finally resolve in a graceful, consonant chord.
Let goodness hallow the holy ground where under the mercy we rest. Let beauty be our memorial and let all the earth be blest. Let beauty be our memorial and let all the earth be, all the earth be blest.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
["STRIKE UP A SONG TO CORNELL"]
(SINGING) Strike up a song to Cornell and let the swelling chorus rise before us. Strike up a song to Cornell and set the campus ringing with our singing. Fill the glasses with a song and drink the magic music spell. We will sound the joy of life intense in a rousing toast to Cornell.
Strike up a song to Cornell and let the swelling chorus rise before us. Strike up a song to Cornell and set the campus ringing with our singing. Fill the glasses with a song and rink the magic music spell. We will sound the joy of life intense in a rousing toast to Cornell.
Strike up a song to Cornell. Let us strike up a song to Cornell. Strike up a song to Cornell.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
[PIANO PLAYING]
["GIVE MY REGARDS TO DAVY"]
(SINGING) Give my regards to Davy. Remember me to Tee Fee Crane. Tell all the pikers on the hill that I'll be back again. Tell them just how I busted lapping up the high highball. We'll all have drinks at Theodore Zinck's when I get back next fall.
Give my regards to Davy. Remember me to Tee Fee Crane. Tell all the pikers on the hill that I'll be back again. Tell them just how I [STOMPS] busted lapping up the high highball. We'll all have drinks at Theodore Zinck's when I get back next fall.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
[PIANO PLAYING]
["SONG OF THE CLASSES"]
(SINGING) Oh, I am the freshman. I've been here one week. I arrived feeling brilliant, important, and chic. But somehow I'm already eight weeks behind. I've gained 30 pounds and I'm losing my mind.
Oh, it's 1, 2, 3, 4. We all fall in line to the tune of our profs. We must always keep time. And it's work like a jerk till your eyes ache like hell in this grand institution, this school of Cornell.
[CHEERS]
OK. We know the drill.
Oh, I am the sophomore, with grace, charm, and looks. [LAUGHTER] The things I can teach you, you won't learn in books. [WHISTLES] I joined a fraternity, the parties are hit. But I fear my grades are going to--
Oh, it's 1, 2, 3, 4. We all fall in line to the tune of our profs. We must always keep time. And it's work like a jerk till your eyes ache like hell in this grand institution, this school of Cornell.
[CHEERS]
Oh, we are the juniors, just taking our ease. We go to our classes whenever we please. We studied a broad, and boy, was she swell. I ain't been a-wastin' my time at Cornell.
Oh, it's 1, 2, 3, 4. We all fall in line to the tune of our profs. We must always keep time. And it's work like a jerk till your eyes ache like hell in this grand institution, this school of Cornell. Seniors.
[CHEERS]
Seniors. Seniors. Seniors.
Oh, I am the senior, tormented with doubt. [GASPS] My time at Cornell has almost run out. The world situation has me quite annoyed. You see, I'm summa cum laude-- [COUGHS] I'm magna cum laude-- I'm almost cum laude, but still unemployed.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
Oh, it's 1, 2, 3, 4. We all fall in line to the tune of our profs. We must always keep time. And it's work like a jerk til your eyes ache like hell in this grand institution, this school of Cornell.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
SARAH BOWE: The next Cornell song we have for you is one that's been adopted by the chorus many years ago, called "The Hill." And we only hear the second verse very rarely during the year. But the second verse is owned by our Chorus seniors.
["THE HILL"]
(SINGING) I wake at night and think I hear remembered chimes. And memory brings in visions clear enchanted times. Beneath green elms with branches bowed, in springtime suns, or touching elbows in a crowd of eager ones. Again, I'm hurrying past the towers or with the teams, or spending precious idling hours in golden dreams.
O Cornell, of the kindly heart, the friendly hand, my love burns clear for you in distant land. O fates that shape the lives of men, vouchsafe that I, before I die, may tread The Hill again.
The chimes ring softly and are still at close of day. The sunset glorifies the hill. The lake grows gray. And sunset fades and twilight falls and turns to night. The moon above the shadowy walls grows silver bright. In darkening skies the stars come out and twinkle down on dusky hills that lie about the twinkling town.
O Cornell, of the kindly heart, the friendly hand, my love burns clear for you in distant land. O fates that shape the lives of men, vouchsafe that I, before I die, may tread The Hill again.
O Cornell, of the kindly heart, the friendly hand, my love burns clear for you in distant land. O fates that shape the lives of men, vouchsafe that I, before I die, may tread The Hill again. May tread The Hill again.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
SARAH BOWE: Before we sing our last two songs for you, which is our "Evening Song" and the Cornell Alma Mater, I'd love to recognize our graduates today, the class of '22. So if everyone who graduated today could step forward.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
Now, I actually prepared a lot of words, but I just lost them entirely. I mean, these people are just so, so wonderful. And I think, with very few exceptions, many of them were with me when we started on Zoom together in January 2021. And they are just extraordinary and remarkable, resilient, kind, generous, adaptable people who have been just outstanding to have as students, also as singers in these ensembles, and as community members.
And I know we, the Chorus and Glee Club, are at a loss with all of them leaving, but we can't wait to gain them as alumni, and can't wait for the world to gain the gifts that they have to offer. So thank you to class of 2022.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
["EVENING SONG"]
CHOIR: (SINGING) When the sun fades far away in the crimson of the west, and the voices of the day murmur low and sink to rest. Music with the twilight falls o'er the dreaming lake and dell. 'Tis an echo from the walls of our town, our fair Cornell.
Welcome night and welcome rest, fading music fare thee well. Joy to all we love the best. Love to thee, our fair Cornell. Music with the twilight falls o'er the dreaming lake and dell. 'Tis an echo from the walls of our home, our fair Cornell.
["ALMA MATER"]
(SINGING) Far above Cayuga's waters, with its waves of blue, stands our noble alma mater, glorious to view. Let the chorus speed it onward, loud her praises tell. Hail to thee, our alma mater. Hail, all hail, Cornell.
Far above the busy humming of the bustling town, reared against the arch of heaven, looks she proudly down. Let the chorus speed it onward, loud her praises tell. Hail to thee, our alma mater. Hail, all hail, Cornell.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
JASON LING: Thank you so much, everyone, for joining us here tonight. My name is Jason. I'm the president of the Glee Club.
FRANCESCA CASTELLANO: Hi, I'm Francesca. I'm assistant GM of the Chorus.
JASON LING: Wonderful. And again, we just wanted to thank you so much for being here with us and for celebrating our seniors. There's one final person that we do want to celebrate, and she just evaded me. Where is she?
AUDIENCE: She's over there. I can see her.
JASON LING: Miss Sarah Bowe. She's hiding. Our wonderful director.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
Sarah has been a tremendous leader for the Glee Club and Chorus. She's led us through a pandemic, amongst other things, and has really revived the choral tradition here at Cornell through the pandemic. Sarah's moving on to bigger and better things after her time here at Cornell, and so we just want to thank her for her leadership and her excellence. So thank you so much, Sarah.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
[CHEERING]
FRANCESCA CASTELLANO: Thank you so much for coming, and thank you, Sarah, for just being such a wonderful director this year. We so appreciate you with the bottom of our hearts. This is the Chorus' Centennial, so yay, Chorus. And it's been a pleasure for you leading the Centennial with us. I don't know anybody else that would have done such a good job. Thank you all for coming.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
Cornell’s internationally renowned choirs present musical highlights from this busy season, featuring our favorite music from each of the year’s concerts. Please join us to hear stunning music from around the world! We end as always with the beloved Cornell Songs, to bid farewell and congratulations to the class of 2022.
