The 2022 Music Club Scholarship Luncheon is set for March 24, 2022.

The Music Club of Baton Rouge

Our 112th season promoting music performance in Baton Rouge

Heavenly Sounds Virtual Recital available now

Heavenly Sounds

Program

MUSIC CLUB OF BATON ROUGE

December 8, 2020

HEAVENLY SOUNDS

From First United Methodist Church,

Baton Rouge, LA

The Saint Cecilia Duo

Rebecca Todaro, harp Richard Webb, organ

PROGRAM

Variations Pastorales sur un vieux noel.................................................. Marcel Samuel-Rousseau

(1882- 1955)

Clair de Noel (A Christmas Fantasy)....................... Claude Debussy/Austrian Carol/ Franz Gruber

arranged for harp by David Ice in 2005

The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came....................................................................... John S. Dixon

(1957-)

Aria in Classic Style, op. 19.................................................................................. Marcel Grandjany

(1891-1975)

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.................................................................................. Roland Diggle

(1885-1954)

Clair de Noel (A Christmas Fantasy

Rebecca Todaro

A professional harpist living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Rebecca Todaro began her harp studies at the age of 9 with Elizabeth Roth in Charlotte, N.C. She studied harp at the North Carolina School of the Arts and Louisiana State University. Rebecca Todaro has taught on the music faculty at Louisiana State University, University of Western Florida, the Runnels School, after school harp at St. Luke’s Episcopal School, and currently at Grace Notes School of Music. One of three competitors from the USA, she was a participant in the 1995 USA International Harp Competition and won third prize in the Young Professional division of the American Harp Society (AHS) Competition in 1996. She has served as president of the local AHS chapter, as well as on the Executive Committee as national treasurer and a Director at large. In addition to performing with Dr. Richard Webb as the St. Cecilia Duo, Rebecca Todaro performs with harpist Catherine Anderson as Quintessential Harp

The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came

Richard Webb, keyboardist of the St. Cecilia Duo with Rebecca Todaro, was lauded by the Bristol Herald-Courier as “a musician foremost”: concert organist, recitalist, lecturer, church musician, clinician/adjudicator and administrator. He has performed solo concerts and appeared as guest artist with orchestras and ensembles throughout the United States, England and Spain. His informative and entertaining workshops and practical master classes in various performance practices have been particularly well received as a complement to his concert appearances. Highly regarded as a facile, sensitive and uniquely synchronous accompanist on all keyboard instruments, he is in significant demand as a collaborative partner for singers and instrumentalists. He has presented thematic recitals and workshops on the organ music of America, Asia, Russia, and Spain, the works of Siegfried Reda and Max Reger, the Church Music Renewal Movement and his passion, the life and works of Sigfrid Karg-Elert. Introduced recently at one of his all Karg-Elert recitals in New York as “an Evangelist for the music of Karg-Elert,” he is a Life Member of the former Karg-Elert Archive in the United Kingdom and was a contributor to its publications. Dr. Webb is Professor and Dean Emeritus of the College of Arts and Humanities at Southern University, having served previously as Dean of the College and Chief Academic Officer at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, as well as Professor and Chair of the Departments of Music at San Francisco State University and East Tennessee State University. He is a past Dean of the San Francisco, Franklin and Baton Rouge Chapters of the American Guild of Organists, a designee of the Louisiana Artist Roster and a recipient of the coveted Louisiana Artist Fellowship for excellence in the arts, Organist/Music Associate at First United Methodist Church of Baton Rouge and Organ/Harpsichord Principal of the Baton Rouge Symphony. He is a member of the Louisiana Touring Directory, is engaged as a collaborative artist and chamber musician by Bach's Five Productions and is represented as a concert organist by Concert Artist Cooperative. He is a featured artist on both Organiste.net and The Diapason Artist Spotlights. Please visit his website at www.richardwebb.org.

Aria in Classic Style, op. 19

Program Notes for St. Cecilia Duo

Variations Pastorales sur un vieux noel, composed in 1917 by Marcel Samuel-Rousseau (1882- 1955) to serve as the examination piece for that year’s harp class at the Paris Conservatory. Published in 1919, this piece has been performed as a solo by harpists for years. Marcel Tournier, professor of harp at the Paris Conservatory 1912-1948, arranged string quartet accompaniment parts sometime after publication. The organ part performed by Dr. Webb is a transcription of the string quartet accompaniment, realized by John Fenstermaker, organist and choirmaster at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.

Clair de Noel (A Christmas Fantasy) Claude Debussy/Austrian Carol/ Franz Gruber, arranged for harp by David Ice in 2005. This lovely harp solo piece sets fragments of Still, Still, Still and Silent Night within the peaceful framework of Clair de lune.

The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came, an organ solo from a newly published collection of Six Christmas Carol Settings by John S. Dixon (1957-), employs the Celesta stop of the new Casavant organ at First United Methodist Church, which also contains a Harp, a Cymbelstern (literally, Bell Star) and Chimes. The Chimes may be played in the pedals as well as on the manuals, as may be heard in the last soft pedal note of the piece. John S. Dixon was born in England and moved to America in1988. He currently is Organist and Composer-in-Residence at Providence Presbyterian Church in Norfolk, Virginia and Executive Director of the Academy of Music, a non-profit community music school.

Aria in Classic Style, op. 19, by Marcel Grandjany (1891-1975), published 1944, for harp and organ, reflects the musical genius of the composer. Grandjany became head of the harp department at the Juilliard School in 1938, where he taught until his death. Having first studied organ with his aunt before beginning harp with Henriette Renie at the age of 8, Grandjany knew both instruments and their blending ability well. He served as an organist at the Sacre Coeur Basilica in Paris during World War 1. Grandjany and organist E. Power Biggs premiered this work at the Auditorium of the Library of Congress as part of the inaugural concert for a new pipe organ given by the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation, which commissioned the work—it also is dedicated to her. Mrs. Coolidge established the foundation at the library in 1925 and it remains both a major collection of materials and an ongoing source of commission and performance funding for new chamber music.

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, also known as “Carol Prelude on an old English Christmas Song” is a solo work (1935) by the English-born, American organist and composer Roland Diggle (1885-1954), designed to begin moderately and gradually increase in timbre and volume to full organ. The carol theme is presented, one phrase at a time, in augmentation (longer note values) on the pedals, while the contrapuntal energy that moves the piece forward is achieved by playing short motives from the theme in f

A Virtual Recital

Virtual Recital: Bayou Brass Quintet

The Bayou Brass Quintet play selections for the November Music Club of Baton Rouge virtual recital series.

George M Cohan Medley (arr. Holcombe)

St. Louis Blues—WC Handy (arr. Holcomb) Satin Doll—Ellington/Strayhorn(arr. Gale)

Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans -Alter/DeLange arr. Z Smith

Maria/Tonight (West Side Story) Bernstein, arr. Gale

What a Wonderful World—Weiss/Thiele, arr. Slechta

Virtual Recitals

Study Meeting: Michale Borowitz on Kalman and the Silver Age of Viennese Operetta

Guest speaker Michael Borowitz, Associate Professor and Director of LSU Opera and Music Director and Artistic Director of Opera Louisiane, discusses Kálmán and the Silver Age of Viennese Operetta.

Song of the Month!

The Song of the Month for October is Take Me Out to the Ball Game. Written in 1908, this has become an iconic part of North American baseball. This timely selection coincides with the playing of the World Series, with Game 6 being played tonight. The words are below:

Take me out to the ballgame,

Take me out with the crowd

Buy me some peanuts and CrackerJacks

I don't care if I never get back,

Let me root, root, root for the home team,

If they don't win it's a shame

'Cause it's one, two, three strikes you’re out

At the old ball game!

Performer:

Mary Bresowar has performed with the Music Club of Baton Rouge as an collaborative pianist and occasionally as a soloist. She received her Bachelors degree in Piano Performance in 1981, and a Masters in Music (Collaborative Piano) in 2007.

Introduction: Constance Carroll introduces the Caladium Trio

Zemlinsky Trio First Movement

The Caladium Trio: Line He, violin; Dan Cassin, cello; Constance Carroll, piano.

Learn more

Caladium Trio: Haydn "Gypsy" Trio Finale

The Caladium Trio: Line He, violin; Dan Cassin, cello; Constance Carroll, piano.

Music Club of Baton Rouge: Who We Are and What We Do

Music Club Scholarship Luncheon set for March 18- 2021

Support music arts in Baton Rouge by attending our annual Music Club Scholarship Luncheon at the Lod Cook Alumni Center.

Find out more

Monthly recitals have returned in virtual reality

Music Club Scholarship Luncheon set for March 18- 2021

The Baton Rouge Music Club features monthly recitals from some of Baton Rouge's best musicians.

Find out more

Active and Associate Club Membership

Music Club Scholarship Luncheon set for March 18- 2021

Active and Associate Club Membership

The Baton Rouge Music Club encourages and supports music study and performance. There are several membership functions that support this.

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Membership: Associate or Active?

Active Members

Associate Members

Active members do the leg work. They plan the musical programs and serve on hospitality committees. They also serve as the officers of the club.

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Associate Members

Associate members are musicians and music lovers who may not have the time to plan the Music Club programs but they enjoy our recitals.

Become an Associate member

Extra Support

Associate Members

Extra Support

Active and Associate Music Club members often contribute a little lagniappe to the club to further of goal of providing scholarships to talented musicians and support the larger Baton Rouge musical community. DONATE NOW

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The Music Club of Baton Rouge

Our 112th season promoting music performance in Baton Rouge

Musical Notes

Once Upon A Dream

Heavenly Sounds - The St. Cecilia Duo

Our Sponsors

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Heavenly Sounds

Program

Clair de Noel (A Christmas Fantasy

Rebecca Todaro

The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came

Aria in Classic Style, op. 19

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

A Virtual Recital

Virtual Recital: Bayou Brass Quintet

Study Meeting: Michale Borowitz on Kalman and the Silver Age of Viennese Operetta

Song of the Month!

Introduction: Constance Carroll introduces the Caladium Trio

Introduction: Constance Carroll introduces the Caladium Trio

Zemlinsky Trio First Movement

Caladium Trio: Haydn "Gypsy" Trio Finale

Music Club of Baton Rouge: Who We Are and What We Do

Music Club Scholarship Luncheon set for March 18- 2021

Music Club Scholarship Luncheon set for March 18- 2021

Music Club Scholarship Luncheon set for March 18- 2021

Monthly recitals have returned in virtual reality

Music Club Scholarship Luncheon set for March 18- 2021

Music Club Scholarship Luncheon set for March 18- 2021

Active and Associate Club Membership

Music Club Scholarship Luncheon set for March 18- 2021

Active and Associate Club Membership

Music Club Luncheon Fundraiser - 2021

Musical Performance!

Silent Auction!

Support the Musical Arts!

Membership: Associate or Active?

Active Members

Associate Members

Associate Members

Associate Members

Associate Members

Associate Members

Extra Support

Associate Members

Extra Support

Social

The Fine Print