2025-2026 Concert Season
Around the World in 80 Minutes
1 March 2026, 3 pm
Westworth United Church
(1750 Grosvenor Avenue, Winnipeg, MB)
Guest Artists:
Jackson Bartel & Will Spencler, Percussion
Paolo Camus, Viola
CONCERT SUPPORTER:
The Winnipeg Foundation
CONCERT SPONSOR:
Pitblado Law
SEASON PARTNER:
Fettes Family Foundation
ORGAN MUSIC PARTNER:
BMRBPIPEORGAN Inc.
SEASON MEDIA SPONSOR:
Golden West Radio/Classic 107
MEDIA PARTNER:
CJNU 93.7 FM
PLEASE SILENCE YOUR PHONES
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PLEASE DIM YOUR SCREEN
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PLEASE SILENCE YOUR PHONES 〰️ PLEASE DIM YOUR SCREEN 〰️
CONCERT PROGRAM
Program notes prepared by members of the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir Program Committee
NORTH
Finland
Toivo Kuula - Sunrise
Estonia
Cyrillus Kreek - from Taaveti Laulud (Psalms of David)
Taaveti laul Nr. 104
Õnnis on inimene
Sweden
Eskil Hemberg - Thou Who Art Over Us
Denmark
Carl Nielsen - from Three Motets, Op. 55
Benedictus Dominus
Canada
Carl Nielsen - from Three Motets, Op. 55
Andrew Balfour - Sound Prayer for Mother Earth
Viola: Paolo Camus
Arr. Donald Patriquin - C’est l’aviron - French-Canadian folksong
WEST
France
Francis Poulenc - from Sept Chansons
La blanche neige
Belle et ressemblante
Spain
Javier Busto - Ave verum corpus
United Kingdom
James MacMillan - Radiant Dawn
Germany
Josef Rheinberger - Abendlied
SOUTH
Brazil
Heitor Villa-Lobos - Bendita Sabedoria, Palavras da Biblia (The Blessed Wisdom, Words of the Bible)
II. Vas pretiosum labia scientiae
III. Principium sapientiae
IV. Vir sapiens fortis est
V. Beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Argentina
Ramon Gutierrez - Paisaje, from Argentina Suite
Africa
Arr. Michael Barrett and Ralf Schmitt - Indodana, Traditional iXhosa Easter Hymn
Arr. Brad Richmond - Ipharadisi
Traditional South African isiZulu folksong
Percussion: Jackson Bartel
EAST
Japan
Sakura
Traditional Japanese folksong
Philippines
JLucio San Pedero, Arr. Philip Lapatha - Ugoy Ng Duyan
Traditional Filipino folksong
Soprano Soloist: Debbie Girard
China
Arr. Hyo-Won Woo - Moo Li Hua
Traditional Chinese folk song
Soprano Soloist: Leah Ma
Korea
Arr. Hyo-Won Woo - Arirang,
Traditional Korean folksong
Soprano Soloists: Leah Ma and Debbie Girard
Percussion: Jackson Bartel and Will Spencler
TRANSLATIONS
NORTH
-
Psalm 104 Bless the Lord, O My Soul
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
O Lord my God, thou art very great.
O Lord, how manifold are thy works!
In wisdom hast thou made them all.
Glory to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
(Psalm 104: 1, 24)Blessed is the man
Blessed is the man
That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly.
For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous:
but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God.
Glory to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
(Psalm 1: 1,6; Psalm 2: 11a, 12b; Psalm 3:7) -
Blessed be the Lord, for He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city.
(Psalm 31: 21) -
Chava – Earth (Maya)
Donoma – Sight of the Sun (Omaha)
Chaska – Star (Inca)
Kiche – Sky Spirit (Cree)
Intina – Sun eye (Inca)
Chipara – Rainbow (Inca)
Fochik – Celestial Stars (Chickasaw)
Hakidonmaya – Time of the waiting moon (Hopi)
Almika – She of the Sun (Maya)
Mapiya – Sky (Sioux)
Manitou – The creator spirit (Cree) -
Returning from La Rochelle
I met three pretty young ladies.
I chose the prettiest,
Who sat on my saddle behind me.
Refrain: It is the rowing that leads us upstream.
I rode a hundred leagues
Without talking to her.
At the end of a hundred leagues
She asked me for a drink.
I took her to a spring,
When there she would not drink.
I took her to her father’s home
When there she drank many glassfuls
Toasting to the health
Of her father and mother
And to the health of her sisters and brothers
And the one which her heart loves!
WEST
-
The White Snow
The angels the angels in the sky
One is dressed as an officer
One is dressed as a cook
And the others are singing.Oh handsome sky-coloured officer,
The sweet springtime long after Christmas
Will give you a medal: a beautiful sun.The cook is plucking geese.
Ah! Let the snow fall and fall,
And if only I held my beloved in my arms! -
Beautiful and Resembling
A face at the end of the day
A cradle in the dead leaves of the day
A bouquet of naked rain
All hidden sun
All source of sources at the bottom of the water
All mirror of broken mirrors
A face in the scales of silence
A pebble among other pebbles
For the slings of the last gleams of the day
A face similar to all forgotten faces. -
Hail, true body, born of the Virgin Mary,
Who truly suffered, sacrificed on the cross for humankind,
From whose pierced side flowed water and blood,
Be for us a foretaste in the trial of death.
O sweet Jesus, O Holy Jesus,
O Jesus, son of Mary.
Amen -
Evening Song
Stay with us because it will be evening
And the day has come to an end
Oh, stay with us, because evening is coming
And the day has come to an end
Oh, stay with us, because evening is coming.
SOUTH
-
Blessed Wisdom
II. Lips of knowledge are a precious vessel. (Proverbs 20:15)
III. The beginning of wisdom is: seize wisdom. (Proverbs 4:7)
IV. A wise man is strong. (Proverbs 24:5)
V. Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, and who attains understanding: His gain is greater than the trading of silver, and the finest gold. (Proverbs 3:13) -
The shepherd boy climbs up from the valley in the morning with his flock.
He climbs up the valley along the paths of the ravine.
Up there, the rugged mountain range has soft grass.
Peaks, snow-capped, scorching wind, forests and dry crags, and terraces.
Northern land, rugged and fertile, Mother Earth. -
The Son
The Lord has taken his son who lived amongst us
The son of the Lord God was crucified.
Father Jehovah. -
In Paradise
In paradise where all the dead are living,
May we one day join them all there.
EAST
-
Cherry Blossoms
Cherry Blossoms, Cherry Blossoms,
As far as I can see across the March skyline
The fragrance is carried like the mist or the clouds
Now, let us go to see them nowCherry Blossoms, Cherry Blossoms
As far as I can see across the hills and valleys
Like the mist or the clouds the fragrance is
Carried in to the morning sunCherry Blossoms, Cherry Blossoms
They are in full bloom -
Those good old days, I pray won’t fade
When I was young and in Mother’s care
Oh, to hear dear Mother’s lullaby again
The song of love as she swayed my cradle.In my deep and peaceful slumber
The stars watch over me and guide me
Life was like heaven in the arms of Mother
Now my heart longs for the lulling cradle.Those good old days, I pray won’t fade
When I was young and in Mother’s care
Oh, to hear dear Mother’s lullaby again
The song of love as she rocked my cradle.I yearn to rest once more in my old cradle.
Oh, Mother. -
Jasmine Flower
What a beautiful jasmine flower
Sweet-smelling, beautiful, stems full of buds
Fragrant and white, everyone praises
Let me pluck you down
Give to someone else
Jasmine flower, oh jasmine flower -
My Beloved One
My beloved one is going over the mountain
If you leave and forsake me
Lame you will be before going three miles.
The Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir has established the Phil Fund to acknowledge those special individuals whose lives we wish to celebrate, honour and remember.
The following donations were made to the Phil Fund:
The Phil Fund
In Memory of Judy Asker, Executive Director of the Phil, 2011-2023 by Vivien Laurie and Henry Kojima
In Memory of Gilbert and Adeline Berg by Aiden Sebbahi
Celebrating Sara Miller Caslake by Celoris Miller
In Memory of Maureen Corkal by Glynis Corkal and Jim Turnock
In Memory of Denise Curtis by Glynis Corkal
In Memory of Marilyn Boyle and Joyce and Chuck Fry by Kelley Fry
Celebrating Albert and Ida Hemeryck by Brian Hemeryck
In Memory of John Andrew (Andy) Miller by Celoris Miller
In Memory of Marylou Ryan by Glynis Corkal
In Memory of Dorothy and Jacob Schnitman by Jessica Kowall
Celebrating my siblings: Ken, Carole, Bob and Byron Simpson by Wendy Gainsborough
In Memory of Neil and Anne Thiessen by Alison Thiessen and Robert Reimer
In Memory of Celia, Dorris and John Whiting, former Phil Choristers and Board members, by Wanda Prychitko (née Whiting)
In Memory of Peter and Annie Wiebe by Paul Wiebe
In Memory of Mrs. Susan Wieser, extraordinary singer, teacher and friend, by Kadri Irwin
In Memory of Ciaran Winter by Gail Singer
GUEST ARTISTS
Donna Laube, piano
A native of Saskatchewan, Ms. Laube received a B. Mus. from Brandon University as a student of Dr. Joan Miller and subsequently an M. Music in Piano accompaniment from McGill University under the tutelage of Dale Bartlett. Ms. Laube is also an alumna of the Franz-Schubert Institute in Austria (with a focus on German Lieder and poetry), and of Opera Nuova in Edmonton.
She has been active for the past decade as a pianist for singers, instrumentalists, and choirs, performing at international competitions as well as for CBC Radio Two. Ms. Laube is currently the Principal Pianist with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and is performing as an orchestral pianist with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra this season.
Jackson Bartel
Jackson Bartel has been playing percussion for over twenty years; he began taking lessons under Ben Reimer at the age of four. He played with the Concert Band and Jazz Band in middle school and high school at Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute, as well as the Provincial Senior Honour Band. Jackson has played with the University of Manitoba Concert Band, and is currently playing with both the U of M Wind Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble. He is currently in his third year of studies at the Desautels Faculty of Music under the direction of Victoria Sparks.
Will Spencler
Will Spencler is a freelance classical percussionist and drum set player based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in percussion performance at the Desautels Faculty of Music. An active and versatile musician, Will has performed in a wide range of orchestras, wind bands, chamber ensembles, and theatre productions and is a sought-after accompanist and clinician for local choirs and schools. Will frequently performs in local concert series such as ReSound and the TD Jazz Festival, among others. He is deeply interested in the crossover between classical and contemporary genres, drawn to chamber music that explores unconventional textures and colours to create distinctive and immersive soundscapes.
Paulo Camus
Paolo Camus is graduating this Spring from the University of Manitoba Desautels Faculty of Music with a Bachelor’s Degree in Violin Performance. Over the course of his degree, he has been a finalist in the Lawrence Genser Scholarship Competition, the New York Young Performers’ Prize, and a winner of the Desautels Faculty of Music Concerto Competition with Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto. He has held various principal positions within the University of Manitoba Symphony Orchestra, such as assistant concertmaster, concertmaster, and, currently, principal violist. As of January 2025, he has been fortunate to become a substitute violist for the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and looks towards a professional orchestral career as a violist. He has studied with various educators and performers from all over the world and currently studies with Élise Lavallée, principal violist of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir
Yuri Klaz, Artistic Director and Conductor
Donna Laube, Accompanist
Sopranos
Alison Bartel
Brenda Dyck
Linda Feasby
Wendy Gainsborough
Deborah Ginther
Debbie Girard
Ariana Hawkins
Rachael Iberclawe
Kadri Irwin
Claire Johnston
Jessica Kowall
Betty Loewen
Kristin Lovrien-Meuwese
Janet Marchylo
Leah Jinghan Ma
Marika Nerbas
Crystal Penner
Christine Sveinson
Dolores Tjart
Lorilee Woelcke
Altos
Gwen Allison
Naomi Birere
Kaylene Blackwood
Vida Chan
Glynis Corkal
Kelley Frye
Veronica Larmour
Vivien Laurie
Brenda Marinelli
Celoris Miller
Arlene Petkau
Mallory Prescott
Wanda Prychitko
Gail Singer
Nicola Spasoff
Alison Thiessen
Chelsey Young
Tenors
John Drewitt
Brian Fristensky
Leonard LaRue
Jackson Lotz
Matthew Nickel
Eric Peters
Aiden Sebbahi
Basses
Teko Bailey
Robert Giesbrecht
Peter Loewen
Brian Marchylo
Liam Martin
John Murray
Dennis Penner
Clement Toner
Laurent Waldie
Paul Wiebe
