University Chorus

Texts & Translations

Salmo 150

translation  by Choongwoo Steve Ko.  Reprinted by permission.

Sweet Rivers

Sweet rivers of redeeming love
Lie just before mine eye,
Had I the pinions of a dove,
I’d to those rivers fly.
I’d rise superior to my pain,
With joy outstrip the wind;
I’d cross o’er Jordan’s stormy waves,
And leave this world behind.

O come, my Savior, come away,
And bear me through the sky,
Nor let the chariot wheels delay:
Make haste, and bring it nigh.
I hope to see Thy glorious face,
And in Thy image shine,
To triumph in victorious grace,
And be forever Thine.

A few more days, or years at most,
My troubles will be o’er;
I hope to join the heav’nly host
On Canaan’s happy shore.
My raptured soul shall drink and feast
In love’s unbounded sea:
The glorious hope of endless rest
Is ravishing for me.

John Adam Granade, 1803, public domain

Sea Fever

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a gray dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

public domain 

The Battle of Jericho

Joshua fit the Battle, yes, the Battle of Jericho. 
Joshua fit the Battle, yes, the Battle of Jericho
Joshua fit the Battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho
Joshua fit the Battle of Jericho, and the walls come tumbling down

Joshua fit the Battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho
Joshua fit the Battle of Jericho, and the walls come tumbling down

Talk about your kings of Gideon, (go on you can talk about)
Talk about your men of Saul (go on, yes, you can talk about him)
But none like good old Joshua at the Battle of Jericho, That morning
Right up to the walls of Jericho (Jericho), He marched with spear in hand
Blow that horn, Joshua “Go blow that ramhorn!” Joshua cried
‘Cause the battle am in my hand

God almighty then the Lamb, ram, sheephorn, 
begin to blow and the trumpet begins to sound, 
Joshua commanded the children to shout, 
and the walls come a tumblin’ down

public domain 

The Pasture

I’m going out to clean the pasture spring;
I’ll only stop to rake the leaves away (And wait to watch the water clear, I may):
I sha’n’t be gone long. You come too.

I’m going out to fetch the little calf
That’s standing by the mother. It’s so young, It totters when she licks it with her tongue.
I sha’n’t be gone long. You come too.

Soon Ah Will Be Done

Soon ah will be don’ a-wid de troubles ob de worl’,
Goin’ home t’live wid God.

I wan’ t’meet my mother, I’m goin’ t’live wid God.
Soon ah will be don’ a-wid de troubles ob de worl’,
Goin’ home t’live wid God.
No more weepin’ an’ a-wailin’, I’m goin’ t’live wid God.

Soon ah will be don’ a-wid de troubles ob de worl’,
Goin’ home t’live wid God.

I wan’ t’meet my Jesus, I’m goin’ t’live wid God.
In de mornin’ Lord! God, I’m goin’ t’live wid God.

text by William Dawson, public domain

We Are Here to Shine!

Imagine you are the sky
Wake up a little cloudy
Shift from ink to orange to blue
More clouds? Less blue? More blue.
Whistle to the wind. Coax
The seas to dance — nothing wild today
Something rhythmic and steady
The syncopated music of you —
Still we won’t be able to look away.
How the birds sing. How the leafless
Branches sway. Pour golden light
Make it clear; you and me, we
Are made of weather. Today
We are here to shine.

The Lord Is My Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He maketh me to rest in green pastures, he leadeth me beside still waters.
He giveth peace unto my soul: He leadeth me in paths of goodness for His Name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk thro’ Death’s dark vale of shadows, no evil will I fear:
For Thou art still with me; Thy rod and staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest here a table for me, in presence of mine enemies:
My head with oil Thou anointest; my cup runneth over.
Yea, surely peace and mercy all my life shall follow me: and I will dwell with God forevermore.

Psalm 23, the Bible, King James version, public domain

From Behind the Caravan: Songs of Hâfez

public domain

Peace Song

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Matthew 5:7-9, King James Version, public domain

O Clap Your Hands

O clap your hands together, all ye people; O sing unto God with the voice of melody. For the Lord is high and to be feared; he is the great King of all the earth. He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. He shall choose out an heritage for us, even the worship of Jacob, whom he loved.

God is gone up with a merry noise, and the Lord with the sound of the trumpet. O sing praises, sing praises unto our God: O sing praises unto the Lord our King. For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with the understanding. God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon his holy seat. For God, which is highly exalted, doth defend the earth, as it were with a shield.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 47, King James Version, public domain

Un Soir de Neige

translation  by Domonique Sharifi.  Reprinted by permission.

“Suite” de Lorca

translation by Michael Follis. Reprinted by permission. 

The Lighthearted Lovers

Fair Iris I love and hourly I die,
But not for a lip nor a languishing eye;
She’s fickle and false, and there we agree,
For I am as false and as fickle as she.

For Robin I love and hourly I die,
But not for a lip nor a languishing eye;
He’s fickle and false, and there we agree,
For I am as false and as fickle as he.

We neither believe what either can say;
And neither believing, we neither betray.
‘Tis civil to swear and say things, of course;
We mean not the taking for better or worse.

When present we love; when absent agree:
I think not of Iris, nor Iris of me (I think not of Robin, nor Robin of me.)
The legend of love no couple can find,
Easy to part or so easily joined

public domain

Wondrous Love

What wondrous love is this, O my soul,
What wondrous love is this, that caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul
 

When I was sinking down, O my soul,
Beneath God’s righteous frow,
Christ laid aside His robe for my soul
To God and to the Lamb I will sing
To God and to the Lamb who is the great I am,
While millions join the theme I will sing
And when from death I’m free I’ll sing on
And when from death I’m free I will sing and joyful be
And thro’ eternity I’ll sing on

public domain

I Got Shoes

I got shoes ‘n’ you got shoes, All o’ God’s chillun got shoes,
When I get to Heab’n, gonna put on my shoes, I’m gonna walk all over God’s heab’n
Ev’rybody talkin’ ‘bout heab’n ain’tagwine there, I’m gonna walk all over God’s heab’n

I got a robe ‘n’ you got a robe, All o’ God’s chillun got a robe
When I get to Heab’n, gonna put on my robe, I’m gonna walk all over God’s heab’n
Ev’rybody talkin’ ‘bout heab’n ain’tagwine there, I’m gonna walk all over God’s heab’n

I got a wings ‘n’ you got a wings, All o’ God’s chillun got a wings
When I get to Heab’n, gonna put on my wings, I’m gonna fly all over God’s heab’n
Ev’rybody talkin’ ‘bout heab’n ain’tagwine there, I’m gonna fly all over God’s heab’n

I got a harp ‘n’ you got a harp, All o’ God’s chillun got a harp
When I get to Heab’n, gonna take up my harp, I’m gonna play all over God’s heab’n
Ev’rybody talkin’ ‘bout heab’n ain’tagwine there, I’m gonna play all over God’s heab’n

Public Domain

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About the Artists

J.D. Burnett

Dr. J.D. Burnett enjoys a varied career as a conductor, singer, and teacher. In the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas, he serves as Director of Choral Activities, conducts the UT Concert Chorale, and teaches courses in graduate choral conducting and literature. Additionally, he is the founding Artistic Director of Kinnara, the premier professional chamber choir in Atlanta, Georgia. In March 2021, he was named Artistic Director of Orpheus Chamber Singers in Dallas, and assumed the role on January 1, 2022. Formerly, he was Associate Professor of Music and Associate Director of Choral Activities at the University of Georgia Hugh Hodgson School of Music. He has served as Assistant Director of the Dallas Symphony Chorus, conductor of the New Jersey Youth Chorus Young Men’s Ensemble, Associate Conductor of the Masterwork Chorus of New Jersey, and Acting Director of Choral Activities at Montclair State University.
 

Choongwoo Steve Ko

Choongwoo Steve Ko, a native of South Korea, is a second year Doctoral Student in Choral Conducting at the Butler School of Music where he studies with Dr. J.D. Burnett and is conductor of the University Tenor/Bass Chorus. Prior to his doctoral studies, Ko taught secondary music at Keswick Christian School in Florida. Steve, first prize winner of American Choral Directors Association Composition Focus Prize, is also a prolific composer whose compositions focus on biculturalism based on his Korean-American ethnicity. His compositions are published through Choruscenter, in Seoul, Korea and Hinshaw music. Ko’s research is focusing on the pedagogical method of authentic diction on Korean choral music and on the female dominant social phenomena in the Korean choral music composition. Ko holds a Master of Music in Choral music from University of Southern California where he studied with Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe, a Bachelor of Science in Music from Eastern Michigan University, and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

eric Newell

Eric Newell is in his first year pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting at the Butler School of Music, where he studies conducting with Dr. J.D. Burnett and conducts the University Treble Chorus, as well as assists with the Concert Chorale. Outside of UT, Eric also serves as Assistant Director of Sacred Music at St. Louis King of France Catholic Church, where he works with the King’s Choir, Children’s Choir, Contemporary Choir, and Vespers ensemble. Prior to his time in Austin, he was the Director of Choirs at the Kirby School in Santa Cruz, CA, as well as the Director of Music at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Walnut Creek. He has sung with Volti, the American Bach Soloists, and the Atlanta Master Chorale. Eric holds the Bachelor of Business Administration from Emory University and a Master of Music in choral conducting from the University of Georgia. When not conducting or singing, he loves jazz, tennis, cooking and baking.

Michael Follis

Michael Follis is a second year graduate teaching assistant at the Butler School of Music where he is pursuing a Master of Music in Choral Conducting. He returns to the Forty Acres having completed a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance in 2020. Michael served as Instructor of Voice and Associate Director of Choirs at East View High School in Georgetown, Texas for two years. In 2021, Follis was named Director of Music Ministries at Shepherd of the Hills Christian Church in Austin, Texas where he oversees the Chancel and Handbell Choirs. He is currently the Director for the Longhorn Singers and Assistant Director of the University Tenor Bass Chorus. He also serves as the Assistant Conductor of Chorus Austin and the Children’s Choir of St. David’s Episcopal Church. Michael continues to be an active performer in Central Texas. He regularly sings in several professional ensembles including the Ars Longa Ensemble, San Antonio Chamber Choir, Texas Bach Festival Chorus, Austin Cantorum, Texas Early Music Project, and Inversion Ensemble.

McKenna King

McKenna King is pursuing the Master of Music in Choral Conducting under the direction of Dr. J.D. Burnett. Ms. King is currently the Associate Conductor for the University Treble Choir and the Butler Chamber Treble Choir. She previously taught Secondary Music in Bastrop ISD where she was privileged to re-invigorate the Bastrop Middle School choir department with growth and success. Her choirs have received Superior ratings at the University Interscholastic League evaluation and during her tenure, the program nearly doubled in size. During her undergraduate degree, she was a piano primary studying under Dr. AndrewBrownell, a member of the UT Concert Chorale, and studied conducting with Dr. Suzanne Pence. She has sung professionally in the Central Texas area with the Capital City Chamber Choir, the Austin Masterworks Choir, and with Chorus Austin for their collaborations with the Austin Symphony Orchestra. King holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Choral Music Studies from UT Austin, a Texas EC-12 Teacher Certification, and is a member of both TCDA & TMEA

Renan Branco

Renan Branco is a Brazilian collaborative pianist currently based in Austin, Texas. His passion for chamber music and innovative performance possibilities has led him to numerous festivals, masterclasses and ensembles in the past 12 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from the School of Communications and Arts at the University of São Paulo (2014). From 2015-2021, he worked actively as a versatile collaborative pianist. As an opera rehearsal pianist, he worked in two of Brazil’s most prestigious theaters in a wide range of operas, including works by Mozart, Verdi, Massenet, Stravinsky, Strauss, Wagner, Puccini and Britten. Prior to coming to Texas in 2021, Renan was an active chamber music performer and collaborative pianist, working mostly with choirs and ballet classes in Manaus, northern Brazil. Most recently, Renan graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a master’s degree in collaborative piano performance. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the same university, where he serves as a graduate teaching assistant of Dr. Colette Valentine.

Sunbeam Choi

Dr. Sunbeam Choi started piano at age of five and studied at the prestigious schools including Seoul Arts High School and Yonsei University in Seoul where he received the Bachelor of Music degree. He holds the Master of Music degree at The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University and Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Texas at Austin where he was awarded Teaching Assistantship for teaching Group Piano Class for undergraduates. He has won various competitions including the first prize in the American Protégé International Piano Competition. After his public debut in 1996 at Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall, he has performed numerous recitals around the world including Carnegie Hall in New York. He was also featured as a soloist at a live radio show at “Classical 89 station”. As an active lecturer, he taught at Brigham Young University, Sejong University, Gwangwoon University, and Sunhwa Arts High School. Currently, he is a candidate for Master of Music in Collaborative Piano at UT Austin.

Shuyi Xie

Shuyi Xie, is currently a second-year doctoral student in Collaborative Piano at University of Texas at Austin, working as a teaching assistant at Butler School of Music. Ms Xie holds her Masters and Professional Studies Certificate from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She also served as a part-time staff pianist in the Pre-College and Continuing Education of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music from 2020 to 2022.

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