MESSIAH

Robert Moody, conductor
Margaret Carpenter Haigh, soprano
Taylor Raven, alto
Samuel Cook, tenor
Christian Pursell, baritone
Memphis Symphony Chamber Chorus -
Dr. Lawrence Edwards, conductor

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL
(1685 - 1759)
(Edited by ALFRED MANN)

Messiah

PART ONE
      No. 1 Sinfony
      No. 2 Recit: Comfort ye (tenor)
      No. 3 Aria: Every valley (tenor)
      No. 4 Chorus: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed
      No. 5 Recit: Thus saith the Lord (bass)
      No. 6 Aria: But who may abide (bass)
      No. 7 Chorus: And He shall purify
      No. 8 Recit: Behold, a virgin shall conceive (alto)
      No. 9 Aria and Chorus: O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion (alto)
      No. 12 Chorus: For unto us a Child is born
      No. 13 Pifa
      No. 14 Recit: There were shepherds abiding in the field (soprano)
      No. 15 Recit: And the angel said unto them (soprano)
      No. 16 Recit: And suddenly there was with the angel (soprano)
      No. 17 Chorus: Glory to God
      No. 18 Aria: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion (soprano)
      No. 19 Recit: Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened (alto)
      No. 20 Aria: He shall feed His flock like a shepherd (alto/soprano)
      No. 21 Chorus: His yoke is easy

INTERMISSION

PART TWO
      No. 22 Chorus: Behold the Lamb of God
      No. 23 Aria: He was despised (alto)
      No. 24 Chorus: Surely He hath borne our griefs
      No. 25 Chorus: And with His stripes we are healed
      No. 26 Chorus: All we like sheep have gone astray
      No. 27 Recit: All they that see Him laugh Him to scorn (tenor)
      No. 28 Chorus: He trusted in God that He would deliver Him
      No. 29 Recit: Thy rebuke hath broken His heart (tenor)
      No. 30 Arioso: Behold, and see if there be any sorrow (tenor)
      No. 31 Recit: He was cut off out of the land of the living (tenor)
      No. 32 Aria: But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell (soprano)
      No. 33 Chorus: Lift up your heads, O ye gates
      No. 37 Chorus: The Lord gave the word
      No. 38 Aria: How beautiful are the feet of them (soprano)
      No. 40 Aria: Why do the nations so furiously rage (bass)
      No. 41 Chorus: Let us break their bonds asunder
      No. 43 Aria: Thou shalt break them (tenor)
      No. 44 Chorus: Hallelujah!

PART THREE
      No. 45 Aria: I know that my Redeemer liveth (soprano)
      No. 46 Chorus: Since by man came death
    No. 47 Recit: Behold, I tell you a mystery (bass)
      No. 48 Aria: The trumpet shall sound (bass)
      No. 53 Chorus: Worthy is the Lamb

On Stage

Internationally acclaimed conductor Robert Moody is well known as guest conductor to many of the world’s greatest orchestras, including Chicago Symphony and L.A. Philharmonic, Vienna Chamber Orchestra (Austria), and the major orchestras of Canada, Colombia, Germany, and South Africa,
Moody is currently music director for both Memphis Symphony Orchestra (TN) and Arizona Musicfest, as well as Principal Conductor for Lakeland Opera (FL). Prior to Memphis he was music director for both the Portland Symphony Orchestra (Maine) and Winston-Salem Symphony (NC), and on conducting staffs for Phoenix Symphony, Santa Fe Opera, Brevard Music Center, and the Interschool Orchestras of New York City.
Conducting highlights for this season include return engagements with the three top orchestras in South Africa, Shenzhen Symphony (China) as well as Buffalo Philharmonic, Chattanooga Symphony/Opera, Billings Symphony, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, and Greensboro Symphony Orchestra. He also leads a gala concert with Arizona Musicfest Festival Orchestra and superstar Renée Fleming in March 2024.
Moody’s work can be heard on multiple commercial recordings, including Stephenson’s “Concerto for Hope” with legendary trumpet player Ryan Anthony and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.
Maestro Moody holds degrees from Furman University (SC) and the Eastman School of Music (NY). He is a runner, swimmer, history buff, “Jeopardy!” addict, and snow-skier.

Praised as “fiery, wild, and dangerous” (Classical Voice North Carolina) with “a talent for character portrayal” (Chicago Classical Review), soprano Margaret Carpenter Haigh captivates audiences with her “flawless intonation” and “perfect vocalism” (CNVC). Her dazzling technique and formidable skills as a collaborative artist shine in performances of repertoire spanning from the Renaissance and Baroque to the modern day.
Engagements of note include the American premiere of Huang Ruo’s 12-voice tour de force of vocal-theatre and puppetry Book of Mountains & Seas in a collaboration between Beth Morrison Projects, PROTOTYPE Festival, and Trinity Wall Street; Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the choirs of Trinity Wall Street and Saint Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue; performances of Thuthuku Sindisi and Gregory Maqoma’s dramaticized work of vocal-theatre Broken Chord at the Brooklyn Academy of Music; performing the eco-cantata A Forest Unfolding, inspired by Richard Powers’ Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Overstory, with NOVUS NY; and an upcoming soprano Evangelista interpretation of Bach’s St. John Passion at the 2024 Baldwin Wallace Bach Festival. Recent solo recording credits include Handel’s Israel in Egypt with Jeannette Sorrell and Apollo’s Fire and Desmarest’s Circé with Paul O’Dette, Stephen Stubbs and the Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra.
Past treasured performances include Bach’s Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen with Arizona MusicFest; a newly choreographed ballet performance of Del Tredici’s virtuosic and whimsical masterwork An Alice Symphony with Portland Symphony and Ballet in Maine; performing Couperin’s Leçons de Ténèbres in the Easter at King’s Concert Series in King’s College Chapel (Cambridge); and Scarlatti’s Stabat Mater à 10 with Bach Akademie Charlotte. Margaret has also been a featured soloist with TENET Vocal Artists, Oregon Bach Festival, Washington Bach Consort, Baldwin Wallace Bach Festival, Newberry Consort, and numerous symphony orchestras.
A native of North Carolina, Margaret is a grateful recipient of the Gates Cambridge Scholarship and
holds the M.Mus from the University of Cambridge and the D.M.A. in Historical Performance from Case Western Reserve University, where her dissertation was supervised by Susan McClary. She is a proud graduate of the UNC-Greensboro College of Visual and Performing Arts. Recent scholarship includes work on physical gesture in the madrigal repertory of the concerto delle donne in late sixteenth- century Ferrara, and she is active as a voice teacher and choral conductor. She has lectured widely, including at Case Western Reserve University, University of Iowa, Lipscomb University, Harvard University, Peabody Institute, Kansas State University, and Indiana University, and has served on the faculty of the Oklahoma Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain.
Margaret is a devoted mother, and in the brief moments when her daughter allows her two hands, she is also an avid knitter, yogi, runner, and hiker, and she enjoys experimental cooking and mixing craft cocktails with her husband Nicolas and beloved kitties, who enjoy participating when allowed. She lives in New York City, manages the music department of Saint Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue, and is a member of The Choir of Trinity Wall Street. More at www.margaretcarpenterhaigh.com.

Taylor Raven is a “vocal sensation” (Washington Classical Review) and quickly establishing herself in opera, concert, and recital. Ms. Raven began the 22/23 season with her debut at the San Francisco Opera for a trio of operas including the world premiere of John Adams’ new opera Antony and Cleopatra (Charmian), Dialogues des Carmélites (Sister Mathilde) and La traviata (Flora). Other highlights this season include debuts with Kentucky Opera in La Cenerentola (Angelina) and Chicago Opera Theater in The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turing (Joan Clarke). She looks forward to her return to Des Moines Metro Opera for her role debut as Carmen in Bizet’s Carmen. On the concert stage, she will make her debut with The Cleveland Orchestra in La fanciulla del West (Wowkle) conducted by Franz Welser-Möst and return to the Memphis Symphony to perform Handel’s Messiah. Highlights from the upcoming 2023-24 season include returns to San Francisco Opera as Fatima/Omar’s Mother in Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels’ Omar and to Seattle Opera as Rosina in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia.
In the 2021-2022 season, Taylor made many debuts on the opera and concert stage. She made her house debut with Houston Grand Opera as Dritte Dame in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and a role/house debut with North Carolina Opera in Paul Moravec’s Sanctuary Road as Clarissa Davis. Taylor made a role/house debut as Mallika in Delibes’ Lakmé with Washington Concert Opera. She performed as the alto soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Dallas Symphony under conductor Fabio Luisi, Baltimore Symphony under conductor Marin Alsop and the Los Angeles Philharmonic under conductor Gustavo Dudamel. She returned to the American Symphony Orchestra, performing as the alto soloist in Alophons Diepenbrock’s Hymne an die Nacht. Additional engagements included the world premiere of a Shawn Okpebholo’s Unknown commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with Urban Arias and a return to the roster of the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Past engagements include debuts with Des Moines Metro Opera in Pique Dame (Pauline), Finger Lakes Opera in Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rosina), and Handel & Haydn Society for Beethoven Symphony No. 9 conducted by Marin Alsop. A graduate of the Young Artist Program at LA Opera where she was seen in La clemenza di Tito (Annio), Don Carlo (Tebaldo), the Kosky production of Die Zauberflöte (Zweite Dame) conducted by James Colon, and Hansel and Gretel (Sandman). As a Filene Artist at Wolf Trap Opera she performed in Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rosina) and L'heure espagnole (Concepción). On the concert stage she made her Alice Tully Hall debut appearing with the American Symphony Orchestra for a concert of Bach arias conducted by Leon Botstein.
In 2018-2019 Taylor made her Los Angeles Philharmonic debut as a soloist in the Hollywood Bowl performance of Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy. She appeared with the New West Symphony in Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky and made her Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra debut as a soloist in Mahler’s Das Klagende Lied as a part of their May Festival. In 2017-18 Taylor performed with Wolf Trap Opera and the National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic, making a Naxos Classical recording of Bernstein’s Songfest. She won 1st prize in the 2018 Loren L. Zachary competition and is a recipient of a 2017 Sara Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Music Foundation.

Samuel Cook is a native Texan and graduated from the Peabody Music Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. He received his graduate degree at Indiana University.
International Opera Performance credits include success with the Cape Town Opera in S. Africa, La Coruña, Spain, and The Prague State Opera in the Czech Republic. While living and performing in Austria Samuel appeared as soloist with Bregenz Opera, Linz City Opera, and the Graz opera festival in Graz.
National performances include The Chicago Opera, New Orleans Opera, Sacramento opera, and multiple roles with the Abilene Opera, in Texas. Not only has Mr. Cook appeared as an operatic artist, he’s also performed extensively as an international concert artist and recitalist in through-out Europe, and the United States.
Among other upcoming engagements, he is scheduled to return in April 2024 to perform as tenor soloist with the Memphis Symphony in Haydn’s master work, “The Creation.”
After enjoying an extensive and successful career performing through-out Europe, Samuel and his family moved to Abilene, TX where he is currently professor of Voice\Artist in Residence at Abilene Christian University.

Hailing from the Santa Cruz mountains of California, bass-baritone Christian Pursell is a rising star among the next generation of singers. This season he adds three important roles to his repertoire: Both Masetto and Leporello in Don Giovanni (San Diego Opera and Cincinnati Opera, respectively) and Don Basillio in Il barbiere di Siviglia (Virginia Opera). He also makes his Carnegie Hall debut in a concert performance of Ricky Ian Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath and sings performances of Handel’s The Messiah with the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.
A graduate of the prestigious Adler Fellowship at San Francisco Opera, Mr. Pursell’s performance credits with the company include Lieutenant Ratcliffe in Billy Budd, Walter Raleigh in Roberto Devereux, the Jailer in Tosca, Count Lamoral in Arabella, and an Angel in It’s a Wonderful Life conducted by Patrick Summers. He also sang a critically acclaimed performance of Dandini in La Cenerentola with Merola Opera Program.
Other recent opera engagements include his debuts at Opera Philadelphia as Elmiro in Rossini’s Otello, the Canadian Opera Company as Angelotti in Tosca, Wolf Trap Opera as Blitch in Susannah, at Wiener Staatsoper as Second Englishman in Prokofiev’s The Gambler, and the Houston Grand Opera in Laura Kaminsky’s Some Light Emerges. Known particularly for his performances of Escamillo in Carmen, he has performed the role at the Cincinnati Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Des Moines Metro Opera, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
As a concert soloist, Mr. Pursell has performed Handel’s Messiah with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Samuel in Handel’s Saul with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra in Walt Disney Concert Hall, a concert version of Strauss’ Salome with the Fabio Luisi and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and performances of Britten’s War Requiem, Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Haydn’s The Creation, Faure’s Requiem, and Pärt’s Passio. His first commercial recording, the world premiere of Gregory Spears’ Fellow Travelers with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, was released in 2017.
Pursell most recently placed 3rd in the 2022 Opera Mississippi Vocal Competition, and won 3rd prize in the 2021 James Toland Vocal Arts competition. He is the recipient of the 2019 Igor Gorin Memorial Award, and is a national semi-finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (2016). He was also a quarterfinalist in the 2019 Operalia competition, a Richard F. Gold Career Grant recipient (2018), winner of the Partners for the Arts competition (2018), second award winner of the Jensen Foundation competition (2017), winner of the Theodor Uppman Award from the Sullivan Foundation (2017), and recipient of a Sara Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Music Foundation (2017).
Mr. Pursell is a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and received his Master of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Memphis Symphony Orchestra

Violin I
Barrie Cooper, Concertmaster
The Joy Brown Wiener Chair
Marisa Polesky, Assistant Concertmaster
Diane Zelickman Cohen, Assistant Principal
Paul Turnbow, Assistant Principal
Wen-Yih Yu

Violin II
Gaylon Patterson, Principal
The Dunbar and Constance Abston Chair
Erin Kaste, Assistant Principal
Lenore McIntyre, Assistant Principal
Yennifer Correia
Priscilla Tsai

Viola
Jennifer Puckett, Principal
The Corinne Falls Murrah Chair
Michelle Pellay-Walker, Assistant Principal
Beth Luscombe, Assistant Principal

Cello
Ruth Valente Burgess, Principal
The Vincent de Frank Chair

Bass
Scott Best, Principal

Oboe
Shelly Sublett, Acting Principal
The Paul and Linnea Bert Chair
Lani Kelly, Visiting Oboe

Bassoon
Susanna Whitney, Principal

Trumpet
Scott Moore, Principal
The Smith & Nephew Chair
Susan Enger

Timpani
Frank Shaffer, Principal

Harpsichord
Adrienne Park, Principal
The Buzzy Hussey and Hal Brunt Chair

Organ
James Jones

Memphis Symphony Chamber Chorus

Dr. Lawrence Edwards has been the Artistic Director of the Memphis Symphony Chorus since 1988 and he often conducts both the orchestra and the chorus. Dr. Edwards served as Coordinator of Choirs for the University of Memphis School of Music from 1987 to 2021. During that time, he directed the University Singers and the group Sound Fuzion, and taught undergraduate choral conducting. He also served as advisor/teacher for graduate choral conducting students. During the summers he taught raduate conducting at Villanova University in Philadelphia, and is active as a choral clinician throughout the country, working with junior and senior high honor choirs.
Dr. Edwards received his undergraduate degree in music from Seattle Pacific University where he directed the Seattle Pacific Singers. He holds both Masters and Doctoral degrees in Music from the University of Illinois at Champaign where he studied orchestral conducting with the Romanian conductor, Mircia Cristescu. Prior to assuming his position at the University of Memphis, Dr. Edwards was Director of Choral Activities at West Virginia University in Morgantown.

Soprano
Olivia Ball
Alicia Butler
Roberta Hoppe
Sophia Marmion
Zeynep Miles
Catherine Phelps
Aimee Randolph
Emma Weaver
Rosemary Winters

Alto
Lily Axelrod
Katie Brown
Gretchen Carstens
Caroline Clements
Donny Darienzo
Christine Hughes
Sue Lease
Lisa Mendel
Sam Powell
Cindy White

Tenor
Elijah Bell-Clarke
Will Brown
Julius Dabbs
Dylan Hooper
Joseph Powell
John Sanborn

Bass
Charles Dove
Alex Happ
Ed Holt
Samuel Hughes
Marcus King
James McClanahan
Barry White
Alvin Whitney
Lewis Wright

Accompanist
Liz Parsons

DONORS

THANK YOU! Individuals, corporations, foundations, ArtsMemphis, the Tennessee Arts Commission, and others make annual contributions to support the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. The following community members have expressed their support for the Memphis Symphony Orchestra for 2022 and 2023.

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$25,000+
AutoZone, Inc.
Paul and Linnea Bert
City of Memphis
The Estate of Adrienne D. Davis
FedEx Corporation
First Horizon Foundation
Dr. Suzanne Gronemeyer
Carolyn and Scott Heppel
Hyde Family Foundation
International Paper Foundation
Plough Foundation
The Estate of Mary Alice Quinn
Mr. and Mrs. Fredrick W. Smith
J. Richard and Carole M. Briscoe
John and Marsha Evans
Masanori and Seiko Igarashi
Frank and Jeanne Jemison
Dorothy Kirsch
Ann L. Powell

$10,000+
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Shelby County Government
The Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams
Charitable Foundation
Nancy Walker
The Estate of Patricia Walker
Joy Wiener
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$5,000+
Bert and Carol Barnett
Jack and Kathleen Blair
Maria and Michael Douglass
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David and Susan Ellison
Pam and Steve Guinn
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Edwin Koshland
Robert and Mary Nell Kuhlo
Nathaniel Landau
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Amy and Tony Milam
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Henry and Snowden Morgan
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Paul Thomas

$2,500+
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Judith Bookman
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Copland Foundation
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Juan Fuentes
Jere Gerard
Lowry and Laura Howell
Donna Jefcoat
Dr. Carol Johnson-Dean
Christopher Knott-Craig
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Laretha R. Sargent
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Richard Tanner
Deborah Dunklin Tipton Charitable Fund
Otis and Marilane Warr
Betty and Jules Weiss
Barry and Cynthia A. White
Evelyn Wofford

$1,000+
Stephen Agar
Kay and Keith Anderson
Henry and Janet Bartosch
Reed Baskin and Alice Nishiwaki
Joey and Neal Beckford
Fiona and Lance Binder
Betty Blaylock
Peggy Bodine
Robert and Sheryl Bowen
Ray Brandon
Rose Merry Brown
Mary Beth and Tom Bryce
Paul and Suzanne Burgar
Alice Rawlins and Phil Burnett
Canale Foundation
Carol Lee and Joe Royer
Daniel Case
Irvine and Gloria Cherry
Karen Clawson
Charles and Nancy Coe
Carol Cummings
Gay Daughdrill Boyd
Mike and Blanche Deaderick
Dr. Margaret Debon
Dillard Door
Jim Dorman
JT Elliott
Eyleen Farmer
Jim and Susan Fletcher
Fred and Mary Lawrence Flinn
David Forell
Susan Frazee
Katherine and Jimmy Gould
Jerrold and Martha Graber
Kathy Hammond
Carolyn Chism Hardy
Larry Hardy
Page Henrion
Marisa and Paul Hess
Honeybird Foundation
Walter and Nancy Howell
Joanna Hwang
J. R. and Barbara Hyde
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Rose and Thomas Johnston
Edith Kelly-Green
Ellen Klyce
Bruce and Susanne Landau
Barbara Lapides
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Rodgers Menzies
Irma W. Merrill
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Nancy Otto
Marianne Parrs
Rushton Patterson
John Pickens
Kenneth Prince
Eileen and Joel Prout
Linda Rhea
Neil and Judy Ringel
Betty Robinson
Rose Montgomery Johnston Family Foundation
Gayle Rose
Diane Rudner
Beverly and Ken Sakauye
Craig and Andrea Sander
Dale Schaefer
Samuel and Leanne Scull
Mary Seratt
Patricia Seubert
Jerry Sharp
Cynthia Spangler and Charles Askew
Richard and Trish Spore
Mary Anne K. Sullivan
Irvin Tankersley
Lura and Steve Turner
Michael and Andie Uiberall
Susan Van Dyck and James Newcomb
Bill and Carmine Vaughan
Dr. Lee and Mary Linda Wardlaw
Graham and Megan Warr
Benton Wheeler and Aimee M. Christian
Alvin and Myra Whitney
Linda Wible
Camilla Wilson
Mary Wurtzburger
Susan Yount
Lyn and Gordon Yukon
Dennis Zolper

This list recognizes philanthropic contributors to the MSO made between July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023 . While compiling this list every effort has been made to reflect the accuracy of our donors. If your name has been misspelled, omitted, or misrepresented please contact us at 901-537-2500 and will correct our records. We appreciate your generosity and understanding.

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