Enduring Light
Enduring Light invited audiences to turn a spark of inspiration into a lasting flame. The program featured two major works for chorus, piano, and strings: Ola Gjeilo’s “Sunrise Mass,” a story of triumph after struggle, and Elaine Hagenberg’s “Illuminare,” which moves through “a season of beauty and goodness disrupted by darkness and confusion, but as Light gradually returns, hope is restored, illuminating our future and guiding us in peace.” (Elaine Hagenberg)
Enduring Light Program Notes & Texts
Welcome to Enduring Light. Today’s program brings Heartland Sings’ Season of Light to a spectacular close with two inspirational works: Sunrise Mass by Ola Gjeilo and Illuminare by Elaine Hagenberg. Both works vividly propel the listener on a journey from darkness to light, but in completely different ways.
The Sunrise Mass presents this journey in a metaphysical, abstract manner. Using his penchant for writing movie music, Gjeilo treats the voice as an instrument in the orchestral texture, painting a musical picture of darkness and light. While the text he uses from the traditional Catholic Mass is honorably set, the text itself is simply a musical ‘texture’ that evokes the overarching message. Gjeilo writes, “The reason I used English titles for the moments in this setting of the Mass, seemingly unrelated to the texts, has mainly to do with the initial idea behind Sunrise. I wanted the musical development of the Mass to evolve from transparent and spacey, through increasing emotion and movement, to something solid and grounded - as a metaphor for human development from child to adult, for a spiritual journey, or for the creative process itself.”
Illuminare enlightens this journey in a more traditional manner. Hagenberg uses time-honored compositional techniques indicative of modern western classical music where the text dictates which musical tools to employ, allowing the depth of feeling and emotion that the text offers to be fully and musically expressed. The text is drawn from various spiritual figures, including Saint Ambrose, Hildegard von Bingen, Aurelius Prudentius Clemens, Saint Gregory and the Biblical Gospels of John and Luke. These texts extoll the virtues of light and love, of mercy in the face of darkness, and how the shadow of darkness is overcome by light and leads us to the path of peace.
Despite their different compositional styles, both works effectively reveal a universal truth: to be fully human, one must discover who they are within the vastness of creation, which is made possible through the gift of enlightenment. In these dark days, finding and resting in enduring light helps us cope, unlock our better selves, and be at peace.
May today’s experience be a meaningful part of your journey toward a life sustained by light!
Maestro Robert Nance
Founder & Artistic Director Emeritus
Texts
Sunrise Mass
Latin sacred text from the Ordinary of the Mass of the Roman Catholic Church
Kyrie
Kýrie eléison.
Chríste eléison.
Kýrie eléison.
Translation
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Gloria
Glória in excélsis Déo.
Et in térra pax homínibus bónæ voluntátis.
Laudámus te. Benedícimus te.
Adorámus te. Glorificámus te.
Grátias ágimus tíbi própter mágnam glóriam túam.
Dómine Deus, Rex cœléstis, Déus Páter omnípotens,
Dómine Fíli unigénite, Jésu Chríste.
Dómine Déus, Ágnus Déi, Fílius Pátris.
Qui tóllis peccáta múndi, miserére nóbis.
Qui tóllis peccáta múndi,
súscipe deprecatiónem nóstram.
Qui sédes ad déxteram Pátris, miserére nóbis.
Quóniam tu sólus sánctus.
Tu sólus Dóminus.
Tu sólus Altíssimus, Jésu Chríste.
Cum Sáncto Spíritu,
in Glória Déi Pátris.
Ámen.
Translation
Glory to God in the highest.
And on earth peace to men of good will.
We praise Thee. We bless Thee.
We worship Thee. We glorify Thee.
We give Thee thanks for Thy great glory,
O Lord God, heavenly King,
God the Father almighty.
Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son.
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.
Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Who takes away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.
Who sits at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.
For Thou alone art holy;
Thou alone art Lord;
Thou alone, O Jesus Christ,
together with the Holy Ghost,
art most high in the Glory of God the Father.
Amen.
Credo
Crédo in únum Déum, Pátrem omnipoténtem,
factórem cœli et térra,
visibílium ómnium, et invisibílium.
Et in únum Dóminum Jésum Chrístum,
Fílium Déi unigénitum.
Et ex Pátre nátum ánte ómnia sæcula.
Déum de Déo, lúmen de lúmine,
Déum vérum de Déo véro.
Génitum, non fáctum, consubstantiálem Pátri:
per quem ómnia fácta sunt.
Qui própter nos hómines,
et própter nóstram salútem descéndit de cœlis.
Et incarnátus est de Spíritu Sáncto
ex María Vérgine: et hómo fáctus est.
Crucifíxus étiam pro nóbis
sub Póntio Piláto pássus, et sepúltus est.
Et resurréxit tértia díe, secúndum Scriptúras.
Et ascéndit in cœlum: sédet ad déxteram Pátris.
Et íterum ventúrus est cum glória,
judicáre vívos et mórtuos:
cújus régni non érit fínis.
Et in Spíritum Sánctum Dóminum, et vivificántem:
qui ex Pátre Filióque procédit.
Qui cum Pátre et Fílio símul adorátur et conglorificátur:
qui locútus est per Prophétas.
Et únam sánctam cathólicam et apostólicam Ecclésiam.
Confíteor únum baptísma in remissiónem peccatórum.
Et expécto resurrectiónem mortuórum.
Et vítam ventúri sæculi. Ámen.
Translation
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the Only-begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages;
God of God, Light of Light,
true God of true God;
begotten, not made; of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made.
Who for us men,
and for our salvation, came down from heaven.
And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost
of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.
He was also crucified for us,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, and was buried.
And on the third day, He rose again according to the Scriptures,
and ascended into heaven. He sits at the right hand of the Father:
and He shall come again with glory,
to judge the living and the dead:
and His kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
Who, together with the Father and the Son,
is adored and glorified:
who spoke through the prophets.
And one, holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism
for the remissions of sins.
I await the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Sanctus
Sánctus, sánctus, sánctus, Dóminus Déus Sábaoth.
Pléni sunt cœli et térra glória túa.
Hosánna in excélsis.
Translation
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Illuminare
Splendor
Text: Saint Ambrose (340-397)
Splendor paternae gloriae,
de luce lucem proferens,
lux lucis et fons luminis,
diem dies illuminans.
Translation
Splendor of God’s glory,
brings forth light from light,
light of light, light’s living spring,
Day, all days illuminates.
Caritas
Text: Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179)
Caritas abundat in omnia,
de imis excellentissima
super sidera,
atque amantissima in omnia,
quia summo regi osculum
pacis dedit.
Translation
Love abounds in all,
from the depths most excellent
to beyond the stars,
and loving toward all,
she has given the highest king
the kiss of peace.
Nox
Text: Aurelius Prudentius Clemens (348-413)
Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison.
Nox et tenebrae et nubila,
confusa mundi et turbida.
Caligo terrae scinditur,
percussa solis spiculo.
Translation
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy.
Night and darkness and fog,
confused world and turmoil.
Dark gloom tears the earth,
beats and stabs the sun.
Munera pacis
Text: Saint Gregory (540-604)
Ecce jam noctis tenuatur umbra,
lux et aurorae rutilans coruscat:
supplices rerum Dominum canora
voce precemur:
ut reos culpae miseratus, omnem
pellat angorem, tribuat salutem,
donet et nobis bona sempiternae
munera pacis.
Translation
Behold, already night and shadows taper off
Light and dawn sparkle and quiver
We humbly beg the Lord through song
Our voices pray:
Though we are guilty, view us with compassion
Banish anguish, bestow health
Grant us everlasting goodness
Give us peace.
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you:
not as the world giveth, give I to you.
Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid.
Illuminare his
Text: Canticle of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79)
Illuminare his qui in tenebris
et in umbra mortis sedent:
ad dirigendos pedes nostros
in viam pacis.
Translation
Illuminate those in darkness
and in the shadow of death are seated
direct our footpath
in the way of peace.