Album Notes

Cantata

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
1. Adelaide, Op. 46

Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
5 Songs

2. Liebeshymnus
3. Die Nacht
4. Morgen
5. All mein' Gedanken
6. Heimliche Aufforderung

Franz Liszt (1811-86)
Tre sonetti di Petrarca

7. Pace non trovo
8. Benedetto sia 'l giorno
9. I' vidi in terra angelici costumi

Robert Owens (1925-)
Silver Rain
(To text from Fields of Wonder [1943] by Langston Hughes)

10. In Time of Silver Rain
11. Fulfillment
12. Night Song
13. Silence
14. Carolina Cabin
15. Songs
16. Sleep

John Carter (1932-1981)
Cantata

17. Prelude/Rondo (Peter go ring dem bells)
18. Recitative (Sometimes I feel like a motherless chile)
19. Aria (Let us break bread together)
20. Tocatta (Ride on King Jesus)

Samuel Barber
21. Sure on this shining night



Henry Pleas, tenor
Rachel Jensen, piano

Henry H. Pleas, III is an emerging artist, exciting audiences with passionate and committed performances of old and new repertoire. He was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois and became active in music there from an early age. Accepted and attending Brown University, he received Brown's Madeira Prize for Excellence in Music at his graduation. He continued music studies, attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign under a Graduate College Fellowship and Northwestern University, receiving his Master of Music degree and an honors designation from the Voice faculty. Recently, he has been a doctoral candidate in Vocal Performance at the University of Illinois.

Performing as leading tenor in operatic productions of Die Zauberflöte, La Boheme, Cavalleria Rusticana, Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Carmen and as The Director in Weisgall's Six Character's in Search of an Author; he has performed as soloist for Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opera Grand Rapids, Skylight Opera Theater and Chicago Opera Theater. His orchestral performance includes work as soloist in the Beethoven Missa Solemnis, Messiah, Vaughan William's Hodie and Adolphus Hailstork's "Done Made my Vow".

Over the course of his career he has collaborated with conductors Roger Norrington, David Lockington, Michel Singher; singers Janice Chandler, Nancy Pifer, Jonita Lattimore, and the late William Warfield. He is a gifted recitalist and includes in his repertoire performance of Schubert's Winterreise, Liszt's Petrarch Sonnets, and the works of Benjamin Britten.

Rachel Jensen is a vocal coach and accompanist living in Champaign, Illinois. She holds a doctorate in Vocal Coaching and Accompanying earned at the University of Illinois where she was a student of John Wustman. Ms. Jensen has recently visited on the faculty of the Oberlin Conservatory and is currently teaching at Illinois Wesleyan University. In addition, she maintains a busy schedule coaching and concertizing with students and professional singers alike. In recent years Ms. Jensen has worked with singers Cynthia Haymon, Ollie Watts Davis, Monica Zerbe, Stephanie Novacek, and Edward Scott Hendricks, among others, as well as oboist Nancy Ambrose King and violist Rudolf Haken.



The word "Cantata" comes from the Italian verb "cantare"-to sing. There is no greater joy than opening your mouth and allowing music to flow forth; Singing is a spiritual thing, allowing performers and listeners to share an expression of emotion that transcends the spoken word, melody and harmony. I hope that you embrace singing as a part of your life."

Peace,
Henry