[choral singing in Latin] Our program this evening opens with The Whole Bright World Rejoices by the English composer Eugene Hill. This will be followed by the Ave Maria of the 16th century Spanish composer Victoria. And for the final selection in this first group, the Madrigal singers will present an early American spiritual ballad Poor Wayfaring Stranger. [singing The Whole Bright World Rejoices] [singing Ave Maria] [singing Poor Wayfaring Stranger] In the second group of selections, the Madrigal singers will present Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier, an early American folk song arranged by Alice Parker and Robert Shaw. Next, they'll sing What if I Never Speed by the 17th century English composer John Dowland and transcribed and edited by Peter Warlock. Then the second group will close with the Lord's Prayer by the Russian- American composer Alexander Gretchaninov, who recently passed away at the age of 91 years. [singing Johnny has Gone for a Soldier] [singing What if I Never Speed] [singing Lord's Prayer] In the field of modern music, the name of Zoltan Kodaly is an important one. He's now 73 years of age and is still living in his native Hungary. The Madrigal singers will now present his choral work, Jesus and the Traders with English words adapted by the distinguished British writer Edward Dent. [singing Jesus and the Traders] Our next group of selections begins with a modern anthem. We Wait For Thy Loving Kindness by the contemporary English composer William McKie. Next, the Madrigal singers will present a sprightly chanson, He Is Good and Handsome by the early 16th century French composer Passereau. And then we'll hear a 16th century English madrigal Fire, Fire My Heart! by the leading personality of the English School of madrigal composers Thomas Morley. [singing We Wait For Thy Loving Kindness] [singing He is Good and Handsome] [singing Fire, Fire My Heart!] The Madrigal singers will close the program with two selections. First, O Bone Jesu by Palestrina, a distinguished and prolific 16th century Italian composer of religious works. And finally, we'll hear the Alleluia by the contemporary American composer Randall Thompson. This work was written at the request of the late Serge Koussevitzky for the 1940 opening exercises of the now famous Berkshire Music Center. [singing O Bone Jesu] [singing Alleluia] [choral singing in Latin]