Program Notes t is an intimate pleasure compose or e s own ensemble; e knows best the nuance and subtleties o those who sing and play gether such requency. These two settings o beloved Arican-Aican spirituals were composed in successive years or perormance prior the liturgies o Holy Thursday and Good Friday pivotal days rites o rich complexity redolent o the mic o the ages and o many places. The presence o both plainsg and mical texts and tunes o a quasi-olkloric nature soothed as a balm the complexity o other perhaps more learned mic. These settings o time-hored spirituals cast in a purposeully opulent and improvisary style are oered cducrs chores soli and listeners or ccert the acade the community and church as they ind here yet two more works ctinue this singularly Aican traditi. Perormance Notes The singing and playing o these settings should be marked by a mical hesty lowing rom the simple ervor and emotial directness o the pristine model. ndeed there was much reedom and improvisati in the irst perormances; the mancripts were revised and reined hopeully out loss o that original ethos in the calm o sum. t is hope that csiderable lexibility o interpretati will yield newness at successive renderings. Us Break Bread Together n ur Knees break bread gether all ace the rising sun Lord cy wine gether all ace the rising sun Lord cy gether all ace the rising sun Lord cy Leo Nesr The Catholic University o Aica Washingn DC 20 June 2002 Arican-Aican Spiritual Leo Nesr Leo Nesr (b. 1948) is Jtine Bayard Ward Proessor o Mic direcr o choral activities direcr o graduate studies in sacred mic and serves the cducting compositi and Center or Latin Aican Mic aculties at The Catholic University o Aica Benjamin T. Rome School o Mic in Washingn D.C. He is artistic direcr and cducr o the Aican Reperry Singers (ARS) a ounding member o the Cerence o Roman Catholic Cathedral Micians (CRCCM) an artistic direcr and jurist o the Cgresso Mdiale Maestri di Cappella Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina in Ro From 1984-2001 Dr. Nesr was mic direcr at the Basilica o the Natial Shrine o the mmaculate Ccepti.
Catalog No. 5983 or Dr. Neil Ewachiw Two Spirituals 1. Us Break Bread Together n ur Knees or Barine Solo SATB Chor and rgan Arican-Aican Spiritual 5 9 Setting: Leo Nesr With ervor h = 63 (solo) m tempo ruba sempre lega più Copyright 2003 by E. C. Schir Mic Company. A divisi o ECS Publishing Bosn Massachetts. All rights reserved. Made in U.S.A. 14 poco rall. breve (Gt.) 3
4 19 a tempo 22 Bar. Solo S A T B 25 m simply ervently m m break bread warmly Ah warmly Ah m warmly Ah m warmly Ah colla voce ad libitum - geth - er Sw. m warmly
29 più 33 ah ah break più ah più ah più ah più bread - geth - er ah più all ah ah 5
6 37 ace the ris - ing sun 41 ah Lord - cy ah ah ah stained and rich stained and rich stained and rich stained and rich wine - geth - er - geth - er - geth - er - geth - er Gt.
45 più più più più 48 geth - er all all all all wine wine wine wine - 7
8 52 56 ace ace ace ace the ris the ris the ris the ris - ing sun - ing sun - ing sun - ing sun Lord Lord Lord Lord - cy - cy - cy - cy mol mol mol mol mol Lord Lord Lord Lord
60 - cy - cy - cy - cy Praise Praise Praise Praise 64 più geth - er più più più più sostenu - - - - - - 9
10 68 geth geth - er geth geth - er - er` - er geth - er 72 ace ace ace ace ace meno meno meno meno meno all all all all all... the ris - ing sun the the the sun sun sun the sun Lord Lord Lord Lord Lord
76 - cy - cy - cy - cy - cy 80 me me me me m meno mosso m m m m m rall. al ine meno mosso Lord Lord Lord Lord Lord ad libitum mp - cy me rall. al ine mp - cy rall. al ine mp - cy rall. al ine mp - cy rall. al ine mp - cy rall. al ine mp lunga mp lunga mp lunga mp lunga mp lunga pp lunga 11 Holy Thursday 2001 Washingn D.C. 3 20