Soloists

Leah Creek – Alto

Described as “vibrant and full-voiced” (Denver Post), with a “tangy, nut-brown mezzo” (Opera News), Leah has been praised by Cantabile for a tone that is “velvety and powerful” and musical expression that is “second to none.” For over 15 years, she has been a highly sought-after soloist and ensemble singer throughout Colorado’s Front Range.

An energetic and versatile performer, Leah is equally at home with music ranging from medieval chant and polyphony to the works of Bach and Mozart, as well as contemporary repertoire. She performs regularly with Colorado Bach Ensemble, St. Martin’s Chamber Choir, Gaudium Verum, Ars Nova Singers, and Quorum Collaborative Choir. A founding member of both Anima Chamber Ensemble and Quorum—Denver’s first fully professional, collaborative choir—she has also appeared as a soloist with Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado, Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra, Boulder Chamber Orchestra, Seicento Baroque Ensemble, the Boulder Symphony, and the Colorado Springs Symphony.

Named a National Winner of the prestigious Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Leah has extensive performance credits in opera, performing leading roles with companies such as New York City Opera, Opera Colorado, Sarasota Opera, Syracuse Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and Santa Fe Opera. Leah holds a Master of Music in Voice Performance from Indiana University and trained at two of the country’s leading Young Artist Programs, Santa Fe Opera and Wolf Trap Opera.

Also a dynamic and joyful teacher of music and movement for young children ages birth through 5 years, Leah offers Music Together classes through her business, Petite Musician. She is also Co-Executive Director of the non-profit Colorado Institute of Music, which offers the Colorado Suzuki Institute, the Colorado Chamber Music Institute, and the Colorado Vocal Institute to young music students each June in beautiful Beaver Creek, Colorado.

Emily Murdock – Soprano

Soprano Emily Murdock is a versatile performer whose performances “resonate well with the audience” (Opera News). Adept at singing music from the Renaissance era to the present day, Emily has been featured as a soloist with Vox Anima in London, Central City Opera Touring Artists, Boulder Opera, Opera Maine, Opera in the Ozarks, the Boulder Fringe Festival, Pine Mountain Music Festival, Opera Colorado, and many regional chorales and orchestras. Emily has been successful in many multi-round competitions, including the Denver Lyric Opera Guild competition, the National Semi-Finals of the NATS Artist Award recital competition, the National Finals of the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Competition, and the Regional Round of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She is the soprano section leader and soloist at Augustana Lutheran Church in Denver and serves on the board of Creede Musical Arts Collective in Creede, Colorado. She received her Master of Music in Voice Performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder and her Bachelor of Music in Voice and Flute Performance from the University of Montana. Raised in Whitefish, Montana, Emily resides with her husband, daughter, and dog near Denver.

Blake Nawa’a – Tenor

A quintessential “gigging musician,” Blake divides his time as a music director, conductor, voice instructor, chorister, and soloist across the Denver metro area. He can be heard as the tenor soloist at Augustana Lutheran Church, where he has performed tenor solos in numerous oratorio and concert works. He sings as a chorister and soloist with various Denver professional choirs, and is the Assistant Artistic Director of the Colorado Chorale and music director of the Original Dickens Carolers (originaldickenscarolers.com). In theatre productions, he’s usually in the pit as a music director and conductor, but he also occasionally appears onstage, including recent productions of Princess Ida (Prince Hilarion) and The Mikado (Nanki-Poo) and an award-winning production of the two-man-and-a-piano musical, Murder for Two (Marcus Moscowitz). During COVID-19, he produced SONGspeare!, a YouTube lecture recital series exploring Shakespearean art song settings. Blake holds degrees in Vocal Performance and Choral Conducting from the University of Denver, and he teaches voice both privately and at Regis University.

Art Van Dyck – Bass

Arthur Van Dyck came to the world of opera in 2001 and has quickly established himself in both the operatic and oratorio genre. His rich, resonant voice and his thoughtful characterizations have brought to life such roles Antonio in “The Marriage of Figaro”, Alidoro in “La Cenerentola”, Angelotti in “Tosca”, Mr. Olsen in “Street Scene”, Benoit/Alcindoro in “La Boheme”, Sprecher in “Magic Flute”, Dottore in “La Traviata”, and Sciarrone in “Tosca”, all performed with Opera Theatre of the Rockies. Equally at home in oratorio, Arthur has sung bass roles in the Brahms “Requiem”, Bach’s “Magnificat in D”, Bach’s “St. John Passion”, Franck’s “Seven Last Words”, the “Lord Nelson Mass” by Haydn, Handel’s “Messiah”, Telemann’s “St. Luke’s Passion”, Mozart’s “Mass in C Minor”, and Beethoven’s “Mass in C Major”. Other roles in his repertoire are Haydn’s “Creation”, Mozart’s “Requiem”, and Verdi’s “Requiem”.

Lyrics & Translations

I: Introitus

Requiem

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion,
et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem.
Exaudi orationem meam,
ad te omnis care veniet.
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis.

Grant them eternal rest, Lord,
and let perpetual light shine on them.
You are praised, God, in Zion,
and homage will be paid to You in Jerusalem.
Hear my prayer,
to You all flesh will come.
Grant them eternal rest, Lord,
and let perpetual light shine on them.

II: Kyrie

Kyrie, eleison.
Christe, eleison.
Kyrie, eleison.

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.

III: Sequenz

No. 1: Dies irae

Dies irae, dies illa
Solvet saeclum in favilla,
teste David cum Sibylla.
Quantus tremor est futurus,
quando judex est venturus,
cuncta stricte discussurus!

Day of wrath, day of anger
will dissolve the world in ashes,
as foretold by David and the Sibyl.
Great trembling there will be
when the Judge descends from heaven
to examine all things closely.

No. 2: Tuba mirum

Tuba mirum spargens sonum
per sepulcra regionum,
coget omnes ante thronum.

Mors stupebit et natura,
cum resurget creatura,
judicanti responsura.

Liber scriptus proferetur,
in quo totum continetur,
unde mundus judicetur.

Judex ergo cum sedebit,
quidquid latet, apparebit,
nil inultum remanebit.

Quid sum miser tunc dicturus?
quem patronum rogaturus,
cum vix justus sit securus?

The trumpet will send its wondrous sound
Through the graves of all lands,
Will drive mankind before the throne.

Death and nature will be astounded,
when all creation rises again,
to answer the judgement.

A book will be brought forth,
in which all will be written,
by which the world will be judged.

When the judge takes his place,
what is hidden will be revealed,
nothing will remain unavenged.

What shall a wretch like me say?
Who shall intercede for me,
when the just ones need mercy?

No. 3: Rex tremendae

Rex tremendae majestatis,
qui salvandos savas gratis,
salve me, fons pietatis.

King of tremendous majesty,
who freely saves those worthy ones,
save me, source of mercy.

No. 4: Recordare

Recordare, Jesu pie,
quod sum causa tuae viae;
ne me perdas illa die.

Quaerens me, sedisti lassus,
redemisti crucem passus;
tantus labor non sit cassus.

Juste judex ultionis,
donum fac remissionis
ante diem rationis.

Ingemisco, tamquam reus:
culpa rubet vultus meus;
supplicanti parce, Deus.

Qui Mariam absolvisti,
et latronem exaudisti,
mihi quoque spem dedisti.

Preces meae non sunt dignae,
sed tu, bonus, fac benigne,
ne perenni cremer igne.

Inter oves locum praesta,
Et ab haedis me sequestra,
Statuens in parte dextra.

Remember, kind Jesus,
my salvation caused your suffering;
do not forsake me on that day.

Faint and weary you have sought me,
redeemed me, suffering on the cross;
may such great effort not be in vain.

Righteous judge of vengeance,
grant me the gift of absolution
before the day of retribution.

I moan as one who is guilty:
owning my shame with a red face;
suppliant before you, Lord.

You, who absolved Mary,
and listened to the thief,
give me hope also.

My prayers are unworthy,
but, good Lord, have mercy,
and rescue me from eternal fire.

Provide me a place among the
sheep,
and separate me from the goats,
guiding me to Your right hand.

No. 5: Confutatis

Confutatis maledictis,
flammis acribus addictis,
voca me cum benedictus.

Oro supplex et acclinis,
cor contritum quasi cinis,
gere curam mei finis.

When the accused are confounded,
and doomed to flames of woe,
call me among the blessed.

I kneel with submissive heart,
my contrition is like ashes,
help me in my final condition.

No. 6: Lacrimosa

Lacrimosa dies illa,
qua resurget ex favilla
judicandus homo reus.
Huic ergo parce, Deus,
pie Jesu Domine,
dona eis requiem. Amen.

That day of tears and mourning,
when from the ashes shall arise,
all humanity to be judged.
Spare us by your mercy, Lord,
gentle Lord Jesus,
grant them eternal rest. Amen.

IV: Offertorium

No. 1: Domine Jesu

Domine Jesu Christe, Rex gloriae,
libera animas omnium fidelium
defunctorum de poenis inferni
et de profundo lacu.
Libera eas de ore leonis,
ne absorbeat eas tartarus,
ne cadant in obscurum.

Sed signifer sanctus Michael
repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam.

Quam olim Abrahae promisisti
et semini ejus.

Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory,
liberate the souls of the faithful,
departed from the pains of hell
and from the bottomless pit.
Deliver them from the lion’s mouth,
lest hell swallow them up,
lest they fall into darkness.

Let the standard-bearer, holy Michael,
bring them into holy light.

Which was promised to Abraham
and his descendants.

No. 2: Hostias

Hostias et preces tibi, Domine,
laudis offerimus.
Tu sucipe pro animabus illis,
quaram hodie memoriam facimus.
Fac eas, Domine, de morte transire ad vitam,
Quam olim Abrahae promisisti
et semini ejus.

Sacrifices and prayers of praise, Lord,
we offer to You.
Receive them in behalf of those souls we commemorate today.
And let them, Lord,
pass from death to life,
which was promised to Abraham
and his descendants.

V: Sanctus

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,
Dominus Deus Sabaoth!
Pleni suni coeli et terra gloria tua.
Osanna in excelsis.

Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God of Sabaoth.
Heaven and earth are full of Thy glory.
Hosanna in the highest.

VI: Benedictus

Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.
Osanna in excelsis.

Blessed is He who cometh in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

VII: Agnus Dei

Agnus Dei, qui tollis
peccata mundi,
dona eis requiem.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis
peccata mundi,
dona eis requiem.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis
peccata mundi,
dona eis requiem sempiternam.

Lamb of God, who takes away
the sins of the world,
grant them eternal rest.
Lamb of God, who takes away
the sins of the world,
Grant them eternal rest.
Lamb of God, who takes away
the sins of the world,
grant them eternal rest forever.

VIII: Communio

Lux aeterna

Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine,
cum sanctis tuis in aeternum,
quia pius es.
Requiem aeternum dona eis,
Domine,
et Lux perpetua luceat eis,
cum Sanctus tuis in aeternum,
quia pius es.

Let eternal light shine on them, Lord,
as with Your saints in eternity,
because You are merciful.
Grant them eternal rest, Lord,
and let perpetual light shine on them,
as with Your saints in eternity,
because You are merciful.