George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) Messiah (1741)

Part 1:

1. Overture 2. Recit. — Comfort ye my people [Tenor] 3. Air — Ev’ry valley shall be exalted [Tenor] 4. Choral Reading — And the glory of the Lord 5. Recit. — Thus saith the Lord [Bass] 6. Air — But who may abide [Alto] 7. Choral Reading — And he shall purify 8. Recit. — Behold, a virgin shall conceive [Alto] 9. Air — O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion [Alto] 10. Recit — For behold, darkness shall cover the earth [Bass] 11. Air — The people that walked in darkness [Bass] 12. Choral Reading — For unto us a child is born 13. Pifa ('Pastoral Symphony’) [Instrumental] 14. Recit — There were shepherds abiding in the field…And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them [Soprano] 15. Recit — And the angel said unto them [Soprano] 16. Recit — And suddenly there was with the angel [Soprano] 17. Choral Reading — Glory to God 18. Air — Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion [Soprano] 19. Recit. — Then shall the eyes of the blind [Alto] 20. Air — He shall feed his flock ---"version I in the Novella edition [Soprano] 21. Choral Reading — His yoke is easy, and his burthen is light

Part 2:

24. Choral Reading — Surely he hath borne our griefs 29. Recit. — Thy rebuke hath broken his heart [Tenor] 30. Air — Behold, and see if there be any sorrow [Tenor] 31. Recit. — He was cut off out of the land of the living [Tenor] 32. Air — But thou didst not leave his soul in hell [Tenor] 37. Choral Reading — The Lord gave the word 38. Air — How beautiful are the feet [Soprano] 40. Air — Why do the nations so furiously rage together? [Bass] 41. Choral Reading — Let us break their bonds asunder 42. Recit. — He that dwelleth in heaven [Tenor] 43. Air — Thou shalt break them [Tenor] 44. Hallelujah [All] * Amen [All]

Mary Bonhag, soprano Kelly Guerra, mezzo soprano

Daniel McGrew, tenor Erik Kroncke, bass

Mary Jane Austin, piano Lynnette Combs, piano Eric Sedgwick, piano

VT Philharmonic Chorus Readers Robert Griffin Lisa Jablow Mich Kabay Lotta Suter

Stuart Williams Carrie Youngblood

Nora Zablow

Artist Bios Soprano Mary Bonhag captivates audiences around the country with her “marvelous versatility” and “supple, expressive” voice (San Antonio News). As a new music specialist Mary made her Carnegie Hall solo debut in 2009 and orchestral debut with the American Symphony Orchestra in the same year. She is co-Artistic Director of Scrag Mountain Music with her husband, composer and double bassist Evan Premo. A consummate collaborator, Mary has performed with the Aizuri Quartet, Decoda, Spektral Quartet, as well as festivals around the country including Cactus Pear (TX), San Francisco Contemporary Players, 21st Century Consort, Tanglewood, New Music on the Point, and Yellow Barn. As a recitalist, she has been presented at Dartmouth, Smith, and Goucher colleges, and at the University of Vermont. marybonhagsoprano.com

Peruvian-American mezzo-soprano Kelly Guerra was noted as a “standout” in the Wall Street Journal, for her performance with the Tanglewood Music Center as Mrs. Doc in Leonard Bernstein's A Quiet Place. In Spring 2021, Kelly will sing Zweite Dame in Lighthouse Opera's Die Zauberflöte and will sing with the Metropolitan Opera Guild. During the 2019-20 season, Guerra was an Opera Santa Barbara Chrisman Studio Artist where she covered the roles of Suzuki in Madama Butterfly and Donna Rosa in Il Postino. Guerra has been featured at the Lucerne Festival, Tanglewood Music Center, and the Bard Music Festival. Guerra has performed with a variety of ensembles including the Albany Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Garden State Philharmonic, The Orchestra Now, Contemporaneous, Opera Parallèle and BluePrint. As a first-generation American and native of Southern California, Kelly is passionate about producing projects that raise awareness and monetary aid for detained immigrants in the USA as well as performing excellent music composed by underrepresented groups. She holds a D.M.A from UC Santa Barbara, her master’s in music from the Bard College Conservatory, and her bachelor’s from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she graduated with an award of Vocal Excellence.

Praised for his “lovely, nuanced tenor” (Boston Musical Intelligencer), Daniel McGrew is an active performer of a broad range of repertoires spanning opera, musical theatre, early, and new musics. He has recently appeared in recital with Brooklyn Art Song Society, Five Boroughs Music Festival, Mirror Visions Ensemble, New York Festival of Song, and the University Musical Society, where he joined Martin Katz and three other singers for performances comprising the complete Mörike Songs of Hugo Wolf. In 2019, Daniel spent his inaugural summer at the Marlboro Music Festival. Before that, at Tanglewood he performed the role of François in Bernstein’s A Quiet Place and participated in the annual Festival of Contemporary Music with a performance of Kurtág’s Three Ancient Inscriptions the Boston Globe called “viciously beautiful.” An early music specialist, Daniel has performed Bach with conductors including Matthew Halls, John Harbison, David Hill, and Masaaki Suzuki, and toured India and the Baltic region with Juilliard415 and Yale University’s Schola Cantorum. Beyond the classical repertory, he has participated in concerts including the symphonic premier of James Lapine’s Sondheim on Sondheim with the Boston Pops Orchestra and David Loud’s Sondheim revue, A Good Thing Going. Daniel holds degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and Yale University and recently completed his doctoral work at the University of Michigan.

Erik Kroncke has been in demand as Fiesco in Simon Boccanegra, Philip II in Don Carlo, Enrico VIII in Anna Bolena, Leporello in Don Giovanni, Ramphis in Aida, and Mephistopheles in Faust. He has appeared with Sarasota Opera, Opera San José, Chautauqua Opera, Opera Colorado, New Jersey Verismo Opera, Green Mountain Opera, and Austin Lyric Opera, among others. He was an award winner of the Gerda Lissner vocal competition in 2010, the American Wagner and St. Bonaventura award winner from the Liederkranz competition in 2008, and a winner of the 2002 and 2003 Friedrich Schorr Vocal Competition. His symphonic and oratorio performances have included engagements with the National Chorale, Sarasota Opera Orchestra, Chautauqua Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Korean Philharmonic, and the American Classical Orchestra, as well as appearances in “The Three Basses” concerts. In the last year, Erik sang the bass solo in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the National Chorale at Lincoln Center, and the role of Tackleton in the North American premier of Zandonai’s Il Grillo del Focolare with Teatro Grattacielo. He also opened the 27th season of the Capriccio concert series in recital with pianist Mary Jane Austin. He will be performing more recitals with Ms. Austin throughout the United States as well as in the Vermont Virtuosi concert series. He has performed in opera concerts in Oderzo and Feltre, Italy every summer since 2011. Erik is a student of Claudia Pinza.

Mary Jane Austin earned her bachelor’s degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Olga Radosavljevich and Vivian Weilerstein. She then pursued graduate studies in vocal coaching and accompanying, studying both art song and opera at Duquesne University with Warren Jones and Claudia Pinza. She has worked as an accompanist and coach for six summers at the EPCASO opera program in Oderzo, Italy, with mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux, soprano Young Ok Shin, and baritones Richard Bernstein and Michael Chioldi, among others. Closer to home, she co-founded the Sky Meadow Chamber Players in 2003, has worked at the Green Mountain Opera Festival as chorus pianist and repetiteur for their Emerging Artist Program, and has played with the Mad River Chorale, Onion River Chorus, Vermont Opera Theater and Echo Valley Community Arts. She has played for several silent films at the Vergennes Opera House. She is currently the organist at the Waterbury Congregational Church, accompanies the South Burlington Community Chorus and the Vermont Young Singers’ Chorus, and teaches at Johnson State College. Mary Jane Austin earned her bachelor’s degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Olga Radosavljevich and Vivian Weilerstein. She then pursued graduate studies in vocal coaching and accompanying, studying both art song and opera at Duquesne University with Warren Jones and Claudia Pinza. She has worked as an accompanist and coach for six summers at the EPCASO opera program in Oderzo, Italy. Closer to home, she co-founded the Sky Meadow Chamber Players in 2003, has worked at the Green Mountain Opera Festival as chorus pianist and repetiteur for their Emerging Artist Program. She has played for several silent films at the Vergennes Opera House. She is currently the organist at the Waterbury Congregational Church, accompanies the South Burlington Community Chorus and the Vermont Young Singers’ Chorus, and teaches at Johnson State College.

Lynnette Combs is organist and choirmaster at Christ Episcopal Church in Montpelier. She first began accompanying for the Messiah when her sister brought home a score from college. She has played in numerous Messiah performances in Vermont and elsewhere, sometimes as part of the continuo section, and sometimes as the whole orchestra on piano or organ. Since graduating with a degree in music from Swarthmore and further study on the organ, Lynnette has worked in several churches as organist and choir director, and has played with many ensembles and choral groups in Vermont, on piano, harpsichord, and organ.

Eric Sedgwick has performed with many of music’s top talents including Leona Mitchell, Sanford Sylvan and Marni Nixon, Broadway leading ladies Sarah Rice, Carole Demas and Debra Monk, and English hornist Thomas Stacy of the New York Philharmonic. He is a staff vocal coach at the Manhattan School of Music, a staff accompanist for the Tanglewood Music Center, and has served as rehearsal pianist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, under the batons of Michael Tilson Thomas, Bramwell Tovey, John Williams and Andris Nelsons. He is a regular pianist for events with the Metropolitan Opera Guild, and has worked for Carnegie Hall’s Music Education Workshops with Joyce DiDonato, as well as for the International Vocal Arts Institutes in New York and Montreal. On the west coast, he has been a longtime coach and music director for the OperaWorks training program in Los Angeles. Eric can be heard in the PBS series “The Heart of Art” as well as on the soundtracks for the prize-winning short films “Connection Lost (The Tinder Opera),” “Something Blue (The Bachelor Opera)” and “Someone Like Me (The Facebook Opera).” He was a winner of the Boston Steinway piano competition, and has premiered new works by composers Seymour Barab, J. Mark Stambaugh, Joelle Wallach, and Louis Hardin. He is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music and Brown University.

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Scrag Season Sponsors Special thanks to Beth Damon for her flower arrangements for this program!

Scrag Mountain Music's Fall/Winter 2020 Season is generously supported by the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, Vermont Humanities and the National Endowment of Humanities, Montpelier Alive, Montpelier Community Fund, the Cummins-Levenstein Charitable Foundation, and Vermont Mutual Insurance Company.

We are so grateful for our family of supporters! Summit ($3000 +) Anonymous Molly Bonhag Cummins-Levenstein Charitable Foundation, Inc. Laura Olsen and Mari Omland in memory of Kathy Clark Vermont Arts Council

Peak $1500 - $2999 Bette and Dean Premo Merry and Tom Schmidt City of Montpelier Community Fund Montpelier Alive

Alpine Zone $750- $1499 Jennifer and Geoff Bergen Neela and Dushyant Chipalkatty John and Dana Donaldson Jane Osgatharp Jon and Catherine Shapiro Vermont Mutual Insurance Group

Ridgeline $500 - $749 A Music Lover Evan Chambers and Suzanne Camino Joseph and Eileen Donahue Foundation Alisa Dworsky and Danny Sagan Allyson Evans Susan Hoyt Bob Korth and Nancy Miller Kinny Perot Lawson’s Finest Liquids, LLC Ginny Roth Andrew Shuford and Jeff Prescott Sue and Doug Stoehr Marion and Michael Usher Tikkun Olam (Kathy Wonson Eddy and Bob Eddy)

Fire Tower $150 - $499 Alice and Richard Angney Bonnie Barnes Christine Bartlett Courtright Beard Mary Bonhag and Evan Premo Jan Brough Martha Chaiken J. Keith Clark Marcia Clark and Tim Shea Bob Cook and Freddie Mahlmann Ruth Coppersmith Meena and Owen Bhasin Dalby Nick Defriez and Sudie Marcuse Frank and Gayle Eby Lois Eby David and Janet Ellison David French Laura Fried and Owen McDermott

William and Susan Gay Harry Grabenstein and Fran Stoddard Thomas Hyde Christina Root and Don Jamison Janet and David Johnson Jason Kelley and Susan Johnson Dana Lawrence and Nancy Thomas The Lena Fund Amy Lilly and Prospero Gogo Craig Line Carl Lobel Hannah Loope, Andy and Alice Warner Chris and Ellen Lovell Tom and Kate Marincic Lara Mones Maria Morck Brett and Carol Murphy Conal O’Brien and Gwen Ellison Gail Osherenko and Oran Young Gary and Frances Plewak Richard and Susan Riley Arthur Schaller Michael Sherman James Austin Smith Leslie Taynor and Art Mones Georgia Valentine Margaret and Robert Watson Susan Weber Rachel Williams and Richard Edwards Linda Young

Switchbacks $75 - $149 Anonymous Laura Arnesen and Bob Meany Jane Bartrum Scott and Carey Bennett Glenda Bissex Alice Blachly Sandra Bruggemann Sandy and Rod Buck Anne Campbell and Kenneth Matzner Jane Caron Kip and Bill Carey Jeffrey Chappell Muffie Conlon Singne and Robert Coe Nancy Colby Bob Dascola Claire Dumas Hiromi Fukuda and Marc Law Geordie Joseph Gainza and Sara Norton Mary Grass and Arthur Kunin Lotta Suter and Robert Griffin Mary Hallmark Judy Harden Pamela Hathaway Peggy and Paul Irons Pauline and John Kiltinen Brent and Rona Kinsley Ed and Curtis Koren Carol Leech and Deborah Reed Donald Leka and Jane Gilman

Hugo and Cynthia Liepmann Buff Lindau and Huck Gutman Jane and Bill Macan Charlotte and Tom MacLeay Jessica Macleod and Ilisa Stalberg Melitta and John Maddox Barb Mansfield Kelly McCracken and Edie, Lena, and Michael Donofrio Edie and Martin Miller Karl and Katie Naden Erik Nielsen and Jackie Smith-Nielsen Isabel Weinger Nielsen Kathleen Osgood Catherine Kennedy-Paine and Stan Paine Almuth Palinkas Allen and Barbara Ploof Nan Prince Bob Riggen Ellen and Don Shepheard Cecile Sherburn Mark Silver and Mary Hindelang Catherine Simpson David Soccodate Charlotte Staples Joan Stepenske and Robert Troester Connie and Bruce Story Ann and David Strubler Susan and Bruce Talmadge Nick Tolle Nancy Vachon Peter Van Pelt Wendy Wade Ruth Warmanen Andrea Wasserman Pat and Brian Webb Fran and Peter Weinbaum Joy Worland and Paul Gambill Edie Yovu

Foothills up to $74 Mary Azarian Brad Balliett Gary and Nancy Banks Kendra Barber Eben Bodach-Turner Carl Brandon Betsy Brigham and F. Brett Engstrom Sarah and Richard Brock Laura Brown Ashley Hensel-Browning Lindy Biggs Ann Burcroff In memory of Roy Butler Michael Brofman Nadine Budbill Elizabeth and Cecil Cadwell Sandra and William Cathey Angelia Cho Paul Wonjin Cho Danae Coco Joseph Comeau Jonathan Cahill

Robin Chase and Annie Wattles Bonnie Clause Jeanne Cook Colin and Tanya Crawford-Stemple Barbara Christie-Garvin and Jack Garvin Priscilla Daggett Bradford and Mary Denny Jeanne Desrochers Gahlord Dewald Chris Ditmeyer Anna Elashvili Katri Ervamaa Carolyn Friberg and Carl Yalicki Victoria Fraser Janet Fu Catherine Gates and Mark Yorra Mary Victor Giersch Barbara and Donald Goldberg Hilary Goldblatt Carlotta, Suzy, and Goddard Graves Diane and Charles Gottlieb Rolaine Grandey Susan Green Nick and Anne Marie Harmon Julie Henderson and Stratton French Judy Henkin Linda Henzel Gail and Heli Hietzker Jane and Al Hobart Carol and Charlie Hosford Joan Kahn and Shaun Stephens Ani Kalayjian Laura Kaskey and Stephen Guerrera Kathleen Keenan and Kim Bent

Lori Keene Ned Kelley Karen Kevra Ariane Kissam MH Kroncke Maria Weber Lamson Leslie London Sandra MacLeod Fran and John Mallery Laura and Colin McCaffrey Mary and Patrick McCarthy Charles and Becky McMeekin Gary Miller Celina Moore Joseph Moore and Judith Sargent Lee and Carolyn Moore Ann M. Moulton James Muir Theresa Murray-Clasen Robert Murphy Adelya Nartadjieva Emma Ottolenghi Clare Overlander David Pelletier Dorothea and Paul Penar Kimberlee Phelps Joan Polanshek Meg Pond Linda Radtke Margaret Ramsdell Nancy and Don Rhoades Christiane Romero Cynthia Ross Phyllis Rubenstein

Victoria Russell Miho Saegusa Peter and Jane Schneider Elizabeth Hunt Schwartz Dan Sedjwick and Mardi Gere Elisabeth Shewmaker Kelly Simpson Nancy and Peter Simpson Steve Sirch and Colleen Wilford Sarah G. Smith George Spontak Beck Starks Dale Stafford and Mary Fran Cameron and Allison Steinmetz Mary and Sanders Stephen Caitlin Sullivan Pamela Taylor Stefanie Taylor Elizabeth Templeton Diane Tetault Sam Thurston Michael Unterman Dana Walrath Christopher Warmanen Rebecca Watson Rebecca Weaver Sandra Wells Don White and Dru Macy K.C. Whiteley J.D. Williams Lucy Wollaeger Wei-Han Wu Betsy Ziegler and Joe Klein

Organizations that have provided matching gifts Exxon Mobile National Life Group IBM

Scrag Mountain Music Board of Directors Laura Arnesen

John Donaldson Mike Donofrio

Lois Eby Allyson Evans Virginia Roth

Scrag Mountain Music Staff Mary Bonhag, Founder and Co-Artistic Director Evan Premo, Founder and Co-Artistic Director

Lara Mones, Managing Director

Friends of Scrag Mountain Music Amelia Allen, Joan Allen, Laura Arnesen, Jennifer Bergen, Michael Binder, Ann Burcroff, Jane Caron, Marcia Clark, Lynnette Combs, Ruth Coppersmith, Dana Donaldson, John Donaldson, Kathy Wonson Eddy, Bob Eddy, Allyson Evans, Joseph Gainza, Larry Gordon, Peggy Johnson, Joan Kahn, William Koucky, Dana Lawrence, Craig Line, Jennifer Garson Loughran, Jessica Macleod, Carla Mazzariello, Brett Murphy, Carol Murphy, Stuart Murphy, Sara Norton, Laura Olsen, Mari Omland, Jane Osgatharp, Kati Osgood, Helen Rabin, Jules Rabin, Ginny Roth, Linda Schutz, Catherine Shapiro, Jon Shapiro, Tim Shea, Rob Spring, Ilisa Stalberg, Shaun Stephens, Douglas Stoehr, Sue Stoehr, Masa Takahashi, Nancy Thomas, Harris Webster, Ginny Zahner, and Michael Zahner. (as of Feb. 2020)

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