They Are Blessed! - Concert Program

Aug 23

Welcome to a new season of advocating for our LGBTQ+ siblings through new choral music (or choral classics presented in a new way!). We are thrilled to continue our mission and foster a community that acknowledges and celebrates the significance of presence, love, and advocacy for our LGBTQIA+ people.

Reflecting on our first season, we can proudly say it was a resounding success, thanks to your support. We hosted two powerful concerts and engaged in meaningful conversations about mental health and gun violence awareness. We are eager to provide a platform to celebrate our non-binary community, their triumphs, challenges, and the best ways to support them.

We want to create a community that nurtures love, understanding, and positivism. To continue our mission and achieve these goals, we need your support!

While we are grateful for the Nexus Grant that has funded part of this event, we need more to sustain our operations.

Your donation, regardless of its size, will make a significant difference in the lives of your LGBTQIA+ neighbors and help you become an advocate for the arts and your community.

Donate Today and get the Un/Heard T-Shirt

We are deeply grateful for the support of the City of Austin Economic Development Department, which has made 'They Are Blessed!' possible.

This concert will last 1 hour and 15 minutes with no intermission, and below, you can see our featured composers :) See you in a bit!

They Are Blessed!

My Heart Be Brave - Marques L. A. Garrett
“Sonnet” by James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938)

My heart be brave, and do not falter so,
Nor utter more that deep, despairing wail.
Thy way is very dark and drear I know,
But do not let thy strength and courage fail;
For certain as the raven-winged night
Is followed by the bright and blushing morn,
Thy coming morrow will be clear and bright;
’Tis darkest when the night is furthest worn.
Look up, and out, beyond, surrounding clouds,
And do not in thine own gross darkness grope,
Rise up, and casting off thy hind’ring shrouds,
Cling thou to this, and ever inspiring hope:
   Tho’ thick the battle and tho’ fierce the fight,
   There is [a] power [in] making for the right.
FRIEDRICH RÜCKERT (adapted) (1788-1866)
You my soul, you my heart, you my delight
O you my pain. You my world in which I live:
You my heav’n in which I float,
O you my grave into which I eternally cast my grief.

You are the rest, you are the peace.
You are the heaven upon me bestowed.
That you love me makes me worthy of you;
Your gaze transfigures me
You lift me lovingly above myself,
My good spirit, my better self.
Pianist: David Utterback
This is a collection of miniatures for solo piano, with the idea being that each piece is written in a single day (editing notwithstanding).
There is no set number of snapshots, rather they gradually accumulate over time. The titles are simply the date and weekday of composition with month and year excluded (which provides dating that is quite detailed, but also not at all precise, like poorly labelled snapshots in a shoebox).
Monday the 27th ("The song of Blackstad”) is dedicated to the town of Blackstad, Sweden, and all the people who made my time there such a wonderful experience.
TTBB arrangement adapted by William C. Powell
African American Spiritual
Good news, the chariot's coming
Good news, oh, the chariot's coming
Good news, the chariot's coming
Don't want them to leave me behind.
There a seat for me in the heavens I know.
Don't want them to leave me behind.
There a long white robe in the heavens, I know.
Don't want them to leave me behind.
Better Get on board and don't you be late,
Don't want them to leave me behind.
Cause the chariots are coming from the heavenly gates.
Old Moses is leading and he wont wait long.
Don't want them to leave me behind.
So get moving children when you hear this song.
Don't want them to leave me behind.
Don't want them to leave me behind.
I am,
We are,
They are
Nex! Blessed
Pianist: David Utterback
The score of ‘small’ gives only the minimum instructions to the pianist, and allows for a very large degree of personal choice in interpreting and performing the piece, meaning that each performance will be unique.
The overall shape of the piece is predetermined, but dynamics, tempo, rubato, phrasing, number of times repeating each section, and more is left to the discretion of the performer. These choices may be made in advance, or spontaneously during performance.
Loosely based on a Gregorian chant, this piece features harmonies that are warm and modern. Apart from the Latin text, there is really no sense of the ancient here - moving parts are structured with full harmonies that will challenge your advanced ensembles.
Kyrie eleison
Lord, have mercy
Christe eleison
Christ, have mercy
Kyrie eleison
Lord, have mercy
Child,
You are not alone.
Child,
You were made for peace.
Child,
You were made for love.
You are needed.
all your dreams,
all your wonders,
let them hear.
Child,
You are not alone.
Arrangement: Adam Podd
Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin'
And you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'
Come people and crowds
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your children
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand

For the times they are a-changin'
The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast

As the present now
Will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin'
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'
Pianist: David Utterback
This is a collection of miniatures for solo piano, with the idea being that each piece is written in a single day (editing notwithstanding).
There is no set number of snapshots, rather they gradually accumulate over time. The titles are simply the date and weekday of composition with month and year excluded (which provides dating that is quite detailed, but also not at all precise, like poorly labelled snapshots in a shoebox).
Monday the 27th ("The song of Blackstad”) is dedicated to the town of Blackstad, Sweden, and all the people who made my time there such a wonderful experience.
Glória in excélsis Deo
et in terra pax homínibus bonæ voluntátis.

Laudámus te,
benedícimus te,
adorámus te,

glorificámus te,
grátias ágimus
tibi propter magnam
glóriam tuam,

Dómine Deus,
Rex cæléstis,
Deus Pater omnípotens.
Dómine Fili Unigénite,
Iesu Christe,
Dómine Deus, Agnus Dei,
Fílius Patris,
qui tollis peccáta mundi,
miserére nobis;
qui tollis peccáta mundi,
súscipe deprecatiónem nostram.
Qui sedes ad déxteram Patris,
miserére nobis.

Quóniam tu solus Sanctus,
tu solus Dóminus,
tu solus Altíssimus,

Iesu Christe,
cum Sancto Spíritu:
in glória Dei Patris.
Amen.
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace
to people of good will.
We praise you,
we bless you,
we adore you,
we glorify you,

we give you thanks
for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ,
Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
Son of The Father,
you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father
have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
Charles Anthony Silvestri
We come from different places,
You and I,
on different paths we journey;
let me walk beside you for a while –
let me listen.
So briefly do our lonely paths converge,
Yours and mine,
along this human journey;
what hollow loss to never hear your song –
let me listen.
Let me listen,
let me listen as you tell your story:
Your triumphs and your tears,
Your trials and your fears.
Your story never has been mine to tell –
so let me listen.
And if a silence is your choice to keep,
then I will keep it with you;
as long as we walk together,
You and I,
I will listen.
Too long you’ve waited, too long,
to share your journey, your song –
so let me listen.
Alleluia.
Omnis spiritus, laudet Dominum. Alleluia.
Hallelujah.
Lat everything that has breath praise the Lord. Hallelujah.

* Denotes Commissioned World Premiere

** Denotes TTBB voicing premiere

Un/Heard - Carlos Cordero, Founder and Artistic Director

Central Presbyterian Church - Austin, TX. August 25th, 2024 | 5:00 PM

Un/Heard Artists

We are a tenor-bass choir made up of LGBTQ+ people and allies. Our artists encompass many cultures, experiences, ages, and skills, making Un/Heard a unique ensemble that advocates for the LGBTQ+ community in Austin, TX.