PRESENTS. Baylor Festival of Youth Choirs GRAND CONCERT. February 24, 2019 Jones Concert Hall Baylor University Waco, TX

Transcription

1 PRESENTS 2019 Baylor Festival of Youth Choirs GRAND CONCERT February 24, 2019 Jones Concert Hall Baylor University Waco, TX

2 oncue W When YouthCUE was founded twenty-nine years ago, we envisioned an organization which would provide a positive atmosphere where students sing in safety, express their artistic gifts in freedom and fun, and make positive, lasting contributions to their local communities, nations, and world. Those involved with YouthCUE since 1990 have witnessed the transforming power of choral beauty. As we regularly observe the lights coming on with students, their families, and their churches, individual teenagers and entire communities are brought together to celebrate the miracle of musical artistry, the comfort of eternal scriptural promises, and the blessing of grace-filled communities. The ministry of YouthCUE is much greater than a one-time impact, a quick fix, or a temporary spiritual high. The commitment and discipline required to become a part of this community of singers calls for the best efforts of those who participate in YouthCUE choirs. The YouthCUE experience at its best is a rich journey through adolescence, an adventure into excellence which fills the heart, brings divine hope, fosters compassionate thinking, and raises the bar for community action and civil discourse. There are no shortcuts to mastering the music and allowing the texts and sounds to resonate thoroughly inside our heads, into our hearts, and through our voices. We celebrate thirty years of ministry Over the past three decades, our ministry bylines have been by thinking about our 250,000 alumni, now located in all fifty states and in at least three dozen countries around the world. Thank you, YouthCUE alumni, YouthCUE: For youth choir leaders who care for being a part of our heritage! In fact, you are our heritage. And you can also be a part of our future as you stay in YouthCUE: Radically impacting the lives of youth touch and share your gifts with future YouthCUE: Excellence in all things all things for God s glory difference we are seeking to make in generations. Whether alumni or not, to all who see the value of YouthCUE and affirm the the world, we say thanks. We invite you to go online to make sure we have your contact information. As we celebrate 30 years and move into future chapters, we YouthCUE: Creating a soundtrack for life hope you will stay in touch and remain informed of the work of YouthCUE. Yes, yes, yes, and yes! We ask you to become a part of YouthCUE s future by staying connected and giving back a little to this ministry so we will be there for None of these descriptors has been replaced or been made in any way those who are now following in your footsteps. obsolete. Each is still powerfully operational, vital, and visionary. As time goes on, as the decades pass, and as the ministry deepens and expands, YouthCUE adds more layers to the impacts already made, coordinating the efforts and visions of more and Blessings and gratitude, Randy Edwards Founder and Artistic Director YouthCUE redwards@youthcue.org more participants as we go. STAY IN TOUCH:

3 The 2019 Baylor Festival Choirs, es & Directors ADAM COGLIANO, Valley Mills, TX CODY ALARCON, First United Methodist Frisco, TX KYLE DAMRON, Westbury Baptist Houston, TX MARGARET BOLDING, First United Methodist Azle, TX EDIE DUTTON, COORDINATOR San Antonio Youth Chorale San Antonio, TX BEN CASTON, Gambrell Street Baptist Fort Worth, TX RUSSELL FARNELL, First Presbyterian Arlington, TX EMILY CRAVEN, Westlake Hills Presbyterian Austin, TX MICHAELLE HARRISON, First Presbyterian Ocean Springs, MS THOMAS HAVENS, Arkansas Youth Chorale North Little Rock, AR MICHAEL SLAUGHTER, Columbus Avenue Baptist Waco, TX DODIE MORRIS, Austin Baptist Austin, TX DAVID WARREN, Hamilton, TX DEBBIE PESNELL, Godley, TX TODD WILSON, Abilene, TX LEIGH SHIPMAN, First Presbyterian Houston, TX BILLY WOODS, Field Street Baptist Cleburne, TX RANDY EDWARDS Festival Conductor Director, San Antonio Youth Chorale Founder, Artistic Director, YouthCUE DR. DANIEL ZAMORA Festival Accompanist Operations Director, YouthCUE

4 the GRAND CONCERT Please hold all applause until the end of the concert. Thank you. Agnus Dei from Requiem...Mark Hayes The San Antonio Youth Chorale Sung in loving memory of Kurt Kaiser ( ) IPharadisi...South African Hymn/arr. Brad Richmond Festival Mass Choir On Jordan s Stormy Banks...Dan Goeller Baylor Symphony Orchestra Grace...Mark Hayes O Love...Elaine Hagenberg/Orch. C. L. Bass 2019 Honor Choir / Emily Craven, Conductor Cavatina...Stanley Myers Baylor Symphony Orchestra Peace Like a River... Mack Wilberg Welcome to the 14 th Annual Festival...Dr. Randall Bradley YouthCUE at Twenty-nine... Randy Edwards Amen! Go Tell It on the Mountain!...Mary McDonald Festival Mass Choir / Russell Farnell, Conductor For I Know the Plans I Have for You...David Schwoebel/orch. C. L. Bass / Todd Wilson, Conductor Adoration... Felix Borowski James Mack, Violinist / Dr. Daniel Zamora, Accompanist Psalm 23...Heather Sorenson Bound for the Promised Land...Mack Wilberg The Lord Bless You and Keep You...John Rutter / Leigh Shipman, Conductor Closing Voluntary /Reflections from Festival XIV...Daniel Zamora Dr. Daniel Zamora, Organist THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING Agift TO YouthCUE! Over the past twenty-nine years, YouthCUE has radically impacted lives through the youth choir experience. During this time, we have ministered to over 250,000 students throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. In 2019, we are working directly with over 2,000 students and indirectly engaged with over 30,000 through programs and events across the YouthCUE network. Approximately 55% of YouthCUE's annual operating budget comes from our operations: events, programming, products and services. The remaining 45% of our annual revenue comes from donations from individuals and entities who believe in the work we are doing. We invite you to join us in making your own radical impact on the lives of youth through your tax-deductible gift to YouthCUE. Online giving is available as well on our website at youthcue.org. Thank you for your ongoing support of YouthCUE s mission to provide youth choir directors with tools and resources to help sustain church, school and community youth choir programs. We are proud to partner with you in ministry to students throughout North America. Visit youthcue.org to give today. IMPACTING LIVES THROUGH THE POWER OF CHORAL MUSIC

5 Investment for the Future BY: JESSIE-ANNE MCCOY LOTT IIn my opinion, investing in YouthCUE is the best type of investment you can make, because you are investing in people. You are investing in an experience that could change a life. It has undeniably changed mine. As a self pronounced choir nerd, I love those moments in music when the notes clash beautifully, when sustained tension is perfectly released, or when the parts get so complex that each time you listen you hear something different. The best thing I ve found from my music experience, specifically with YouthCUE, is the power of those moments to impact your life on a personal level. With YouthCUE, you sing pieces that you ve spent hours learning, the lyrics have increible personal significance, and it is indescribably fulfilling because you are praising God in the best way possible. I can be the first to admit my personal testimony is a heavy one, but during recent reflection I ve realized how closely integrated it is with my YouthCUE testimony. For my first eight years, I lived with my older brother, Josh, my loving mother, and my military father. My father never really came back from Desert Storm, or at least that s what they tell me. Life with him was tense and scary, but Josh protected me during my childhood by shielding me from the worst of it all. He helped me build my safe place, a cardboard box in my closet with a CD player and headphones inside, where I retreated whenever my father got mad. Fortunately, my brother helped my mom find the courage when I was eight to remove us from that horrible situation, as Josh was headed to college. My mom got a divorce with sole custody, she became a working single mother, and I transitioned from being home schooled to attending my first elementary school. Roughly back in 2009, I attended my first YouthCUE festival concert at Baylor. At the time I was in fourth grade, had attended Wednesday church choirs my whole life, but our home church did not participate in the YouthCUE network. I remember sitting in the audience with my mom while we watched hundreds of youth sing. I knew that once I was old enough, I wanted to be on that stage too, but little did I know how meaningful that decision would be. By that point in my life, things were getting a lot better, but trials always strike when you least expect them. At the beginning of the summer of 2010, when I was twelve, my mom was diagnosed with cancer. By the end of that summer she passed away. Although everything was quickly changing - my home, family, church, school, and what felt like my entire world - it is inspirational to me how the various people in my life came together to support me. Those I considered family friends quickly became my family. Through my involvement with YouthCUE over the years, that family has only continued to reach

6 new depth. YouthCUE s programs truly have been a constant in my life. Speaking from experience, I believe God gave us music to heal. In those mid-music moments, all of that pain goes away, or at least it becomes beautiful and clear to me. That beauty sends chills down my spine, causes my eyes to tear up, and removes any doubt or theological questions I might have. In my opinion, this is the ultimate form of assurance. It might sound odd to say, but in those moments I feel God in the same space we re filling with excellent sound for his glory....in that moment I realized, The next time we sing this together, we ll be in heaven. During my senior year in high school, as I was facing the uncertainty that graduation was bringing, I could not help looking at all the previous events in my life and wondering, how can I possibly expect God to bring me something good for my future? For the 6th year, I participated in the 2017 Baylor festival, and an overwhelming feeling of calm and safety washed over me each time we sang the words, Be still my soul, the Lord is on your side. Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain. Leave to thy God, to order and provide. In every change, he faithful will remain. As that melody soared, the emotion seemed to swell within my soul because I knew I was hearing God speak to me. I ve learned so many valuable lessons through my involvement with YouthCUE, and I am forever grateful for how much YouthCUE has helped me grow. In terms of work ethic, I ve learned to always show up prepared and ready to enthusiastically work to improve. Also, I ve learned when you are thrown into an unfamiliar situation with strangers to just give them unadulterated and sincere love. However, to date my most impactful breakthrough I ve experienced with YouthCUE was during the 2018 Choral Ambassadors trip to Ireland. I will forever remember when we sang in our Dublin hotel for the very last time in a private room. We sang a special song that was arranged for our trip, holding hands, and I looked around the room at everyone. As we sang, I knew chances were slim we would ever get the exact group back together again. However, in that moment I realized, The next time we sing this together, we ll be in heaven. It was the first time I felt my heart longing to be there. It also totally reframed my understanding of focusing on hearing those words Well done, my good and faithful servant when we finally do go to our forever home. i 30 TH ANNIVERSARY PROGRAMS: LOOK AT THE WORLD II SHREVEPORT September 14-15, 2019 LOOK AT THE WORLD II SAN ANTONIO September 21-22, 2019 MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE CHORAL CELEBRATION November 15-17, TH ANNUAL BAYLOR FESTIVAL February 21-22, 2020 NATION S CAPITAL FESTIVAL June 23-28, 2020 All YouthCUE alumni are cordially invited to attend all events, and when you do, please remain afterwards to say hi to Randy and the YouthCUE team. More information will be posted on our website as it becomes available. / / YouthCUE

7 Special Thanks to our Baylor Festival Hosts! Dr. Gary Mortenson Dean, Baylor University School of Music Dr. Randall Bradley The Ben H. Williams Professor of Music Professor of Music Director, Music Program & The Center for Christian Music Studies Mr. Stephen Heyde The Mary Franks Thompson Professor of Orchestral Studies Conductor-in-Residence Director of Orchestral Activities Mr. Rick Carpenter Recording Studio Manager Sound Engineer Mr. James Grady Dr. David Music Performance Hall Manager Professor of Music The Baylor Festival of Youth Choirs is made possible through the commitment and support of many willing hearts.