Saturday 19 March 2016 at 7.30pm
Conductor: Colin Stevens
Chiltern Orchestral SocietyLeader: Janet Hicks
SOLOISTS
Philippa Boyle (Soprano )Rebecca Lodge (Contralto)
Robert Johnston(Tenor)Charles Gibbs (Bass)
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PHILIPPA BOYLE (SOPRANO) trained inRome, at Conservatorio “Santa Cecilia” inRome, graduating with full marks anddistinction, and Santa Cecilia OperaStudio (Accademia Nazionale SantaCecilia), where she studied bel cantorepertoire with world-renowned sopranoRenata Scotto. Prior to her studies in Italy,
Philippa was a choral scholar at ClareCollege, Cambridge, where she readClassics.
Winner of first prize in the Emmy DestinnYoung Singer Awards for Czech song andopera, and semifinalist in the KathleenFerrier awards, Philippa has performed atFestival Lyrique d’Aix en Provence, BeijingMusic Festival, Munich Oper Fest andInnsbruck Festival under conductorsincluding Ivor Bolton, Rene Jacobs, PabloHeras-Casado and Andrea Marcon.
Recent opera engagements include AliceFord (Verdi’s Falstaff) for WoodhouseOpera, Donna Anna (Mozart’s DonGiovanni) for Opus Opera, Giorgetta(Puccini’s Il Tabarro ) for Opera Vera andGiunone (Cavalli’s La Calisto ) forHampstead Garden Opera, while oratorioengagements include Verdi’s Requiemunder David Hill in King’s College,Cambridge, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnisin Snape Maltings and St AlbansCathedral, Britten’s War Requiem inOxford Town Hall, Rachmaninov’s TheBells in Canterbury Cathedral andHandel’s Messiah in Auditorio Manuel deFalla, Granada.
Philippa performed with GlyndebourneFestival Chorus in the 2015 season inproductions of Bizet’s Carmen andDonizetti’s Poliuto and will return there in2016 in Berlioz’s Béatrice et Bénédict,
REBECCA LODGE (CONTRALTO);Rebecca studied at the Royal Academy ofMusic, where she graduated with a FirstClass degree in singing and piano.
During her time at the RAM, she receivedmany prizes, including the Lloyds BankScholarship for postgraduate study, whichenabled her to complete her studies on theOpera Course. Her career over the last 25years has seen her perform in manydifferent venues and styles – from amusical theatre one-woman show at the
Jermyn Street Theatre in London, tocreating the role of “The Informer” in TheJailer’s Tale, a new contemporary opera byMalcolm Singer. In 2012, she created therole of ‘Lizzie’ in the new community operaCycle Song in Scunthorpe, part ofYorkshire’s Cultural Olympiad.
As a member of the BBC Singers, theUnited Kingdom’s only full-time,professional chamber choir, she hasbroadcast extensively on BBC Radio 3 andBBC television. Her many solos for the
ROBERT JOHNSTON (TENOR) startedhis singing career as a treble in Salisbury
Cathedral Choir and went on to studysinging at The Royal Academy of Music,where he was awarded LRAMs in Singingand the Teaching of Singing, as well as aGRSM IIi honours degree in Music. He wasawarded an ARAM by Sir David Lumsdenin 1995 for services to the profession.
Robert has been much in demand as asolo singer and consort singer sinceleaving The Royal Academy of Music. Hewas a Vicar-Choral in the choir of St Paul’sCathedral from 1989 – 1997, making manyrecordings as well as performing regularlyin concerts and services. He appeared asa member of The Tallis Scholars from 1990– 1996, performing in over 300 concertsworldwide and recording extensively onTV, Radio and CD. He has also appearedregularly with The Monteverdi Choir, TheSixteen, The Gabrielli Consort, TheEnglish Concert and from 1997 to 2015,the BBC Singers, where he now has a
group include Strauss’s Deutsche Motette,the Rachmaninov Vespers, theDuruflé Requiem and Scarlatti’s StabatMater at the Proms. Proms this seasonhave included Schoenberg's Friede ofErden and Eric Whitacre's Cloudburst,both of which have been televised.
Recent engagements include Bach’s StJohn Passion in Coventry Cathedral withthe English Symphony Orchestra, and alsoin Finland with Kunin Kantien Muusikot,Liszt’s setting of Psalm 137 with theCheltenham Bach Choir at the CheltenhamFestival, Karl Jenkins’ Stabat Mater atBirmingham’s Symphony Hall, Tippet's AChild of our Time at the Royal Festival Halland the role of the the Newspaper Seller inPoulenc's Les Mamelles de Tirésias at theBarbican with the BBC SymphonyOrchestra.
full-time management position.
Concert engagements also take himworldwide. In recent seasons he has sungin Argentina, Sri Lanka,South Africa,Israel,Germany, Holland, Italy, Denmark,Norway, Spain, Japan and France.
Robert has broadcast regularly on ClassicFM and BBC Radio 3, and has made manyCDs with, among others, the BBCSO andHarry Christopher’s The Sixteen.
For television Robert’s solo recordingsinclude filming works by Carl Orff withDonald Runnicles in Munich for The SouthBank Show, works by Purcell for England,
My England with Gardiner and he alsofilmed the part of the Venetian OperaSinger in the feature film of Dorian Gray.
His voice is often heard on TV and Filmsoundtracks, including the singing voice ofDaniel in BBC’s Daniel Deronda, a youngmonk in Brother Cadfael and several HarryPotter films.
On a lighter note, Robert has also maderecordings or performed live with EltonJohn, Sting, Dusty Springfield, MikeOldfield, The Opera Babes, Susan Boyle,Johnny Mathis, Richard and Adam,Jonathan and Charlotte, Jai MacDowelland Il Divo.
CHARLES GIBBS (BASS); CharlesGibbs was born in Bristol and studiedmodern languages at Robinson College,Cambridge before attending the RoyalAcademy of Music to study singing as apostgraduate student. He was taught by
Derek Hammond-Stroud and took variousleading roles, including The Marriage ofFigaro (Mozart) and Sweeny Todd
(Sondheim). He spent a year in LesMiserables in the West End, where heplayed the Bishop of Digne andunderstudied Javert, the experience ofwhich led him to concentrate on hiscareer as a concert singer.
Since leaving, he has worked for most ofthe British professional ensembles,including the Monteverdi Choir, TheSixteen, The Gabrieli Consort and TheKings Consort. In 2006, he joined theBBC Singers, the nation’s only full-timeprofessional choir, and is frequently to beheard on Radio 3, performing anythingfrom Renaissance polyphony to cuttingedge contemporary music. His careerhas taken him all over Europe, Iceland,Egypt, Japan, Australia, the USA, Mexicoand Singapore. He is also a member ofthe innovative vocal ensemble I Fagiolini,with whom he is able to indulge both hismusical and theatrical talents.Recent stage appearances includePlutone in Monteverdi’s Orfeo, Coyle inBritten’s Owen Wingrave and ColdGenius in Purcell’s King Arthur.
Mozart was born in Salzburg in 1756and, perhaps more so than mostother composers, his life story is
well known, and stories of his childhoodprecociousness are well documented. Forinstance, at the age of four he could learn apiece of music in half an hour. At five, hewas playing the clavier incredibly well and,at six, he began composing, writing hisfirst symphonies at the age of eight. He wasconstantly travelling all over Europe withhis father, Leopold. The musical feats andtricks of young Wolfgang were exhibited tothe courts, to musical academicians, and to
the public. Between the ages of seven andfifteen, the young Mozart spent half his timeon tour. During these tours, he heard,absorbed, and learned various Europeanmusical idioms, eventually crystallizing hisown mature style.
Fully expecting to find an ideal post outsidehis sleepy home town of Salzburg and thedetested archiepiscopal court, in 1777
Wolfgang went on a tour with his mother toMunich, Mannheim, and Paris. It was inParis that his mother died suddenly in July,1778. With no prospects of a job, Mozartdejectedly returned to Salzburg in 1779 andbecame court organist to the Archbishop.Mozart finally achieved an unceremoniousdismissal from the archiepiscopal court in1781, and thereafter became one of thefirst musicians in history to embark upon afree-lance career, without the benefit ofchurch, court, or a rich patron.
Mozart moved to Vienna where he lived fora time with the Webers, a family he had metin 1777. He eventually married ConstanzeWeber in August of 1782, against thewishes and strict orders of his father. Then,for a time, things began to look bright forthe young composer. Beginning in 1782with the Die Entführung aus dem Serail,Mozart began turning out one masterpieceafter another in every form and genre.
Mozart is probably the only composer inhistory to have written undisputedmasterworks in virtually every musicalgenre of his age. His serenades,divertimenti and dances, written on requestfor the entertainment and outdoor parties ofthe nobility, have become synonymous withthe Classical ‘age of elegance’.
During his years in Vienna, Mozart alsomade the acquaintance of Haydn. The twobecame close friends and the oldercomposer's music had a profound influenceon Mozart. Between 1782 and 1785,Mozart composed a series of six stringquartets which he dedicated to Haydn.Upon playing through some of themtogether, Haydn said to Mozart's father,who was present, ‘Before God and as anhonest man, your son is the greatestcomposer I know, either personally or by
name”. Yet, through his mismanagementof money (and as a successful composerof operas and a renowned piano virtuoso,he made a great deal), and thedocumented incidences of his tactless,impulsive, and, at times, childish,behaviour in an era of powdered wigs andcourtly manners, Mozart seemed to find itdifficult to make a successful living.
By 1790, he was writing letters to friends,describing himself and his family (he andConstanze had six children, only two ofwhom survived) in quite desperatecircumstances and begging for money. Hewas also by this time seriously ill with whatwas most likely a disease of the kidneys.With the success of The Magic Flute, and
a newly granted yearly stipend, Mozartwas just beginning to become financiallystable when his illness brought an end tohis life and career at the age of thirty-six.He was buried, like most Viennese in thosedays by the decree of Emperor Joseph, ina common grave, the exact location ofwhich remains unknown.
The influence of Mozart on the composersthat followed cannot be emphasized toostrongly. Not only was he idolized by suchlate nineteenth-century composersas Wagner and Tchaikovsky but his musicalso came to influence the neo-classicalcompositions of Stravinsky and Prokofievin the twentieth century.
Mozart composed the Vespers,K339, in 1780 and the work isscored for bassoon, two
trumpets, three (optional) trombones,timpani, organ, strings (without violas)and chorus. In Mozart’s time, it wascommon for the Vespers to includenon-liturgical music such as arias orchoruses on spiritual themes andinstrumental music (except fordances) in addition to the usualVespers texts and those specific tothe time of year. The texts of K339(Psalms 109, 110, 111, 112, 116 andthe Magnificat, each ending with theDoxology) follow the Roman ritepractised at Salzburg’s cathedralrather than the Benedictine rite of itsother large church, St. Peter’s. Theprecise occasion for the work isunknown, but there was a greatdemand for such music. Thecathedral’s liturgical calendar
included 21 major feasts that wouldhave been preceded the night beforeby a solemn Vespers performed withorchestra, customarily with thearchbishop himself presiding. Onsuch occasions the two balconiesclosest to the cathedral’s altar heldthe Kapellmeister, solo singers, adouble bass, three trombones, abassoon and an organ on one side,with the strings led by theKonzertmeister on the other side.Trumpets and timpani stood on theother two balconies, while the choirwas down below in the chancel.Antiphons were probably sung by asmall group of priests between thepsalm movements, which explainswhy Mozart didn’t worry about settingadjacent movements in related keys.The opening of the Confitebor isbased on the traditional Gregorianchant melody for that text.
I. Dixit Dominus
Dixit Dominus Domino meo: sede adextris meis, donec ponam inimicos tuosscabellum pedum tuorum. Virgam virtutistuae emittet Dominus ex Sion, dominarein medio inimicorum tuorum. Tecumprincipium in die virtutis tuae insplendoribus sanctorum, ex utero anteluciferum genui te. Juravit Dominus et nonpoenitebit eum: Tu es sacerdos inaeternum secundum ordinemMelchisedech.
Dominus a dextris tuis confregit in die iraesuae reges. Judicabit in nationibus,implebit ruinas, conquassabit capita interra multorum. De torrente in via bibet,propterea exaltabit caput.Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. Sicuterat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et insaecula saeculorum. Amen.(The Lord said to my Lord: sit at myright hand, until I make your enemies astool for your feet.The Lord sends the rod of your strengthout of Zion, to rule in the midst of
your enemies. Your troops are with you inthe day of your strength, in the splendoursof the saints; from the womb have Ibrought you forth before the morning star.The Lord has sworn and will notrepent; you are a priest forever accordingto the order of Melchizedek.)The Lord at your right hand has brokenkings in the day of His wrath. He will judgeamong the nations, and fill them withruination; He will shatter the heads ofmany in the land. He drinks of the torrenton the way; therefore will He lift up Hishead. Glory be to the Father, and to theSon, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was inthe beginning, is now, and ever will be,forever and ever. Amen.)
2. Confitebor
Confitebor tibi Domine in toto corde meoin consilio justorum et congregatione.Magna opera Domini, exquisita in omnesvoluntates ejus.Confessio et magnificentia opus ejus etjustitia ejus manet in saeculum saeculi.Memoriam fecit mirabilium suorum,misericors et miserator et justus, escamdedit timentibus se. Memor erit insaeculum testamenti sui. Virtutem operumsuorum annuntiabit populo suo. Ut det illishereditatem gentium. Opera manuum ejusveritas et judicium. Fidelia omnia mandataejus, confirmata in saeculum saeculi factain veritate et aequitate.Redemptionem misit Dominus populosuo, mandavit in aeternum testamentumsuum. Sanctum et terribile nomen ejus.Initium sapientiae timor Domini, intellectusbonus omnibus facientibuseum, laudatioejus manet in saeculum saeculi.Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto,Sicut erat, sicut in principio, et nunc, etsemper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.(I will confess the Lord with my wholeheart, in the assembly of the upright, andin the congregation.Great are the Lord's works, and soughtafter according to all His wishes. His workis affirmation and magnificence, and his
justice endures forever. He has made aremembrance of his marvellous works,being merciful, compassionate and just.He has given food to those who fear Him;He will be ever mindful of his covenant: Hewill tell his people of the power of hisworks. That He may give them theinheritance of the heathen, the works ofHis hands are truth and judgement. All Hiscommandments are reliable; confirmedforever and ever made in truth and equity.The Lord has sent redemption to Hispeople; He has commanded His covenantfor ever. Holy and fearful is His name. Thefear of the Lord is the beginning ofwisdom. A good understanding have allthey that do His commandments: Hispraise endures for ever.Glory be to the Father and to the Son andto the Holy Ghost as it was in thebeginning, is now and always will be, forever and ever. Amen.)
3. Beatus Vir
Beatus vir qui timet Dominum, in mandatisejus volet nimis. Potens in terra eritsemen ejus, generatio rectorumbenedicetur. Gloria et divitiae in domoejus, et justitia ejus manet in saeculumsaeculi. Exortum est in tenebris lumenrectis, misericors et miserator et justus.Jucundus homo, qui miseretur etcommodat, disponet sermones suos injudicio. Quia in aeternum noncommovebitur.In memoria aeterna erit justus, abauditione mala non timebit. Paratum corejus sperare in Domino.Non commovebitur donec despiciatinimicos suos. Dispersit dedit pauperibus,justitia ejus manet in saeculum saeculi.Cornu ejus exaltabitur in gloria.Peccator videbit et irascetur, dentibus suisfremet et tabescet: desideriumpeccatorum peribit.Gloria Patri, et Filio, et spiritui Sancto.Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper,et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.(Blessed is the man who fears the Lord
and His delights exceedingly in hiscommandments. His seed will be strong inthe land; the generation of the righteous willbe blessed. In his house will be glory andabundance; and His justice endures forever and ever. A light for the righteous hasrisen in the darkness; He is merciful andcompassionate and just. Agreeable is theperson who is merciful and helpful; Hearranges His words with judgement,because He will never be moved. He willbe just in eternal memory, and will not fearto hear evils; His heart is ready to put itshope in the Lord. He will not be moved untilHe looks down upon his enemies. He hasdistributed and donated to the poor; Hisjustice endures for ever and ever. His hornwill be exalted in glory. The sinner will see,and become enraged; He will gnash Histeeth and wither away. The desires of thesinners will perish. Glory be to the Father,and to the Son and the Holy Ghost as it wasin the beginning, is now and always will be,for ever and ever. Amen.)
4.Laudate Pueri
Laudate pueri Dominum: laudate nomenDomini.Sit nomen Domini benedictum ex hoc nunc,et usque in saeculum. A solis ortu usque adoccasum,laudabile nomen Domini. Excelsus superomnes gentes Dominus, et super coelosgloria ejus.Quis sicut Dominus Deus noster, qui in altishabitat, et humilia respicit in coelo et interra?Suscitans a terra inopem, et de stercoreerigens pauperem: Ut collocet eum cumprincipibuspopuli sui. Qui habitare facit sterilem indomo matrem filiorum laetantem.GloriaPatri ,et Filio., et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut eratin principio, et semper, et in saecula,saeculorum. Amen.(Praise the Lord, children; praise the nameof the Lord. May the name of the Lord beblessed, from this time onward for ever.The Lord is on high above all nations, andHis glory is over the heavens. Who is like
the Lord our God, who lives on high andregards the lowly in heaven and on earth?Raising up the destitute man from theearth, and lifting up the poor man from themuck, that He may place Him with theprinces of His people. Who makes thebarren woman to live in a house, the happymother of children. Glory be to the Fatherand to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as itwas in the beginning, is now and alwayswill be, for ever and ever. Amen.)
5. Laudate DominumLaudate Dominum omnes gentes: laudateeum omnes populi: Quoniam confirmataest super nos misericordia ejus: et veritasDomini manet in aeternum. Gloria Patri ,etFilio et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat inprincipio, et nunc, et semper, et in saeculasaeculorum. Amen.(Praise the Lord, all nations; praise him, allpeoples; For his mercy is established overus, and the truth of the Lord enduresforever. Glory to the Father and to the Sonand to the Holy Ghost, as it was in thebeginning, is now and always will be, forever and ever. Amen)
6. Magnificat
Magnificat anima mea Dominum. Etexultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo.Quia respexit humilitatem ancillaesuae:Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicentomnes generationes.Quia fecit mihi magna, qui potens est etsanctum nomen ejus. Et misericordia ejusa progenie inprogenies timentibus eum. Fecit potentiamin brachio suo: dispersit superbos mentecordis sui.Deposuit potentes de sede, et exaltavithumiles.Esurientes implevit bonis: et divites dimisitinanes.Suscepit Israel puerum suum, recordatusmisericordiae suae. Sicut locutus est adpatres nostros, Abraham et semini ejus insaecula. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et SpirituiSancto.
Sicut erat, in principio, et nunc, et semper,et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.(My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirithas rejoiced in God my saviour. For Hehas regarded the lowliness of His servant:for behold, from this time forward allgenerations will call me blessed. For Hewho is mighty has done great things tome, and holy is his name. And His mercyis on those who fear Him from generationto generation. He has shown strength withHis hand; He has scattered the proud inthe imagination of their hearts. He has putdown the mighty from their seats, andraised up the lowly. He has filled the
hungry with good things, and sent the richaway empty. He has protected His childIsrael, being mindful of His mercy, as Hespoke to our fathers, Abraham and Hisseed forever.Glory be to the Father and to the Son andto the Holy Ghost as it was in thebeginning, is now and always will be, forever and ever. Amen.)
It is generally accepted amongmusicologists, musicians, composersetc that Mozart was the suprememusical genius, so the quality of hismusic is undisputed - but what aboutthe quantity?
In his all-too-short life, he turned out626 compositions (going by Köchelnumbers). It is thought that his firstpiece (K1) was composed when hewas five years old and, as he diedwhen he was thirty-five, he effectivelyhad thirty years of productive life. Inthis time he wrote forty-onesymphonies, twenty-seven pianoconcertos, twenty-two operas andnineteen piano sonatas - and this is inaddition to concertos for otherinstruments, choral and other vocalworks and many other compositions.
If we just indulge in a little simplemathematics for a moment, we will
see that, if Mozart wrote 626compositions in thirty years, heobviously wrote a fraction undertwenty-one a year. This means thathe was turning out a new piece everytwo weeks. If you consider that we aretalking about operas, symphonies,concertos, sonatas and the like, itreally is a quite phenomenalachievement in quantity terms alone,never mind the sublime quality. Andhe did this continuously for thirty years!
That wasn’t all, of course. He wasalso a performer (performing most ofhis own pieces), teacher and familyman.
So where on earth did he find thetime? Perhaps that was part of hisgenius.
Oh yes, and he still found time to playbilliards!
Elis Pehkonen was born in Swaffham,Norfolk, England in 1942. He was apupil at Hamond’s Grammar School,
Swaffham, where he was taught Art byHarry Carter, the man who created manyNorfolk Village signs and nephew ofHoward Carter (the Egyptologist whodiscovered the tomb of Tutankhamen).
In 1960, Elis had his first compositionlesson with Benjamin Britten. That sameyear he won a composition scholarship tothe Royal College of Music, where hestudied with Peter Racine Fricker until1964. He also had consultation lessonswith Lennox Berkeley, Alan Ridout,Geoffrey Bush, Richard Rodney Bennett,and Anthony Payne.
His first commission, at Britten’srecommendation, was in 1966 for theKings Lynn Festival, the Incidental Musicfor Everyman. His first work to bebroadcast on Radio 3 was the ThreeSongs to poems by Laurie Lee, whom hemet when he moved to Gloucestershire in1964.
It was in Cirencester where Elis composedthe first version of his major work Requiem,the first ever complete setting of the MissaPro Defunctis, lasting one hour and fiftyminutes. From 1967 to 1979, Elis taught atCirencester School, where he continuedthe tradition begun by Peter MaxwellDavies of involving pupils in performingcontemporary music. For eight years, Elisconducted the Cirencester SchoolPercussion Ensemble in dozens ofconcerts and broadcasts, which includedmusic by David Bedford, Brian Dennis,Philip Lane, James Patten, and manyother notable composers.
Elis’ music took a new direction in 1980with Buccinate Tuba for choir and brass,commissioned by John Sanders and the
Three Choirs Festival. (This was revived atthe 1992 Gloucester Festival.) Manycommissions and important performancesfollowed after Elis moved to Suffolk tocompose full-time.
In 1982, the large-scale Requiem – Missapro Defunctis - received its second-versionperformance at Cheltenham Town Hall,the impetus coming from the conductorRoger Smith and the Arts Council. In 1986The Russian Requiem was performed atthe Three Choirs Festival conducted byJohn Sanders, and in 1993 The RussianRequiem was performed at the RoyalFestival Hall with the Bach Choirconducted by Sir David Willcocks.
Since 2000, Elis has been digitalizing andpublishing his “In Manuscript” works,including all the Concertos and music forString Orchestra and many small-scalepieces. He has also produced a definitivefinal-edition Full Score of what he calls the“Big Requiem” (1967/82) and hascomposed many other works for a widerange of virtuoso performers.
Elis Pehkonen composed hisremarkable Russian Requiem in1986 for Birmingham Festival Choral
Society. It was repeated in Birmingham in1998, where it was also recorded, and hassince been performed at the 1989 ThreeChoirs Festival and the 1991 Leith HillMusic Festival in Dorking.
Russian Requiem stands in fascinatingrelation to two other outstanding Britishtwentieth-century oratorios - Tippett’s AChild of our Time, written in 1942 at a timeof war, and Britten’s War Requiem, writtenin the 1960s as an act of healing after thatwar, and incorporating poems from theearlier Great War. Like Britten, Pehkonenuses the Latin text of the Missa prodefunctis, the Catholic Requiem Mass,though he uses only short extracts. LikeBritten, he interweaves this with othertexts, but he uses several disparatesources, unlike Britten’s single choice ofWilfred Owen. He looks back, again likeBritten, to the world of 1918, but his eye isturned to Russia and the Leninist/Marxistrevolution.
He is looking also at the subsequenthorrors of Stalin’s era and, in the score, heacknowledges the influence of Tolstoy’sbook Stalin’s Secret War. The work isdedicated ‘To the still-born child ofGorodietsky’ and at the head of the scorestands a quotation from AlexanderTvarkovsky:
They are mistaken who think That memory sets no store by itself, That the waterweed of time will entangle All the past, All the pain.
Compared with the universal lamentagainst war and persecution in Britten’sand Tippett’s works, the Russian Requiem
seems to be more specific in its lament forthe Russian victims and, in its choice ofLenin, an historical leader, as themouthpiece of demonic destruction.Pehkonen does reach out to a wider worldin his direct reference to Christ’s death andresurrection through Boris Pasternak’spoem Gethsemane, but his response isspecifically Christian, compared with themore humanist response of Britten andTippett.
The work has four distinct movements.The opening Requiem, using only the Masstext, acts as an atmospheric prelude andsets a prayerful mood, with gentle choralchanting rising to a climax at the plea forperpetual light.
The long Dies Irae which follows is aremarkable and fierce extended collage forthe two soloists and chorus, full of imagesof violence, destruction and damnation; theMass text on the wrathful day of judgementis interspersed with images of Hell fromDante’s Inferno and with biblical passagesfrom the Revelation of St John describingthe horsemen of the Apocalypse. Thishorror is directly identified with the Russianrevolution by the inclusion of invective fromLenin’s writing, and an undeniably politicaldimension is introduced. Theserevolutionary cries of ‘Root then out!Trample them underfoot!’ strongly recallthe chorus ‘Burn down their houses! Beatin their heads!’ from A Child of Our Time,and also hark back to the cries of ‘CrucifyHim!’ from the Passions. Lenin’s revolutionis clearly represented as both a day ofjudgement and the work of the devil. Themovement ends with great unaccompaniedchoral plea, ‘How long wilt thou wait, OLord, to avenge our blood?’ followed bywords of desolation from Dante.
The contrasting third movement,Offertorium, is quieter but no less dark inmood. Pasternak’s poem Gesthemanetells of Christ’s agony in the garden, andPehkonen links his prayer for release fromdeath with the Requiem’s Latin prayer forescape from Hell. Christ does eventuallyfreely accept his own agony and predictshis resurrection and reign; the movementends with his quiet but chilling warning tofuture centuries: ‘I will judge them’ (areminder that the dreadful day ofjudgement is, paradoxically, instigated byGod).
In the final soothing and reconciling AgnusDei, discord and pain are left behind.Against the Latin text referring to theredemption of sins through Christ’s
sacrifice, sung by the soloists, Pasternak’sverse, sung by the chorus, depicts snowcovering all the world – snow of desolationor of cleansing? The warmth of the simpleharmonies, backed by gentle trumpet andhorn calls, highlights the final vivid image –the candle on the table – a glimmer ofhope, of which Christ, the Lamb of God,the Light of the World, has been such apowerful representation down thecenturies. Pehkonen has developed amusical language of great directness andsimplicity, and there are no ‘difficultmodernisms’ to prevent his message andhis music reaching the widest audience.
(Reprinted by kind permission of the Leith HillMusical Festival)
The Text
1. Requiem AeternamRequiem aeternam dona eis Domine,Et lux perpetua luceas eis.Dies irae, dies illa(Eternal rest grant to them O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. Day ofanger, day of wrath.
2. Dies IraeLasciate ogni speranza, voi ch’entrate(Abandon hope all ye that enter here.)
I looked and beheld a pale horseAnd the man that sat on him was DeathAnd hell followed with him.And power was given unto themOver the fourth part of the earth,To kill with the sword,With hunger, and with death
Dies irae, dies illa,Solvet saeclum in favilla,Teste David cum Sybilla.Quantus tremor est futurus,Quando judex est venturus,Cuncta stricte discussurus.(The day of wrath, that dayThe world shall lie in ashes,As David with the Sybil testifies.How great shall be the powerWhen the judge shall come toexamine all things.)
The world must be destroyedby fire and iron.We destroy in order to build better.Podonki, nasekomoi, tuneyadisti.(Scum, insects, parasites).
Per me si nella citta dolente,Per me si nell’ eterno dolore,Per me si va tra la perduta gente.
(Through me is the way to the doleful city,Through me is the way to eternal pain,Through me is the way amongst lostgenerations.)
Root them out!Slap them down!Trample them underfoot!Dies irae, dies illa(Day of anger, day of wrath.)
I looked and beheld another horseThat was red as blood,And power was given unto him that satthereonTo take peace from the earth,And that they should kill one another.
Insult them!Spit on them!Arrest them all and don’t forget you rifles!Intensify the repression!Long live the Revolution!We destroy in order to build better!
Dies irae, dies illa(Day of anger, day of wrath.)
And I saw the souls of themthat were slain for the word of Godand they cried with a loud voice saying,“How long will wilt Thou wait, O Lord, toavenge our blood?”
Non isperate mai veder lo cielo,I’vegno per menarvi all’altra riva,Nelle tenebre eterne, in caldo e in gelo.(Hope not to see heaven,I come to lead you to the other shore,into eternal darkness, into fire and ice.)
3. OffertoriumDomine Jesu Christie, Rex gloriae,Libera animas omnium fideliumDe poenis inferni,et de profundo lacu.(Lord Jesus Christ , King of glory,Free the souls of all the faithfulFrom the depths of hell and the deep lake.)
My soul is sorrowful unto deathStay here and watch with me!The night was a kingdom of despair.The world seemed uninhabited.Only a garden was a place for the living.He gazed into the black abyss.Empty, without beginning or end.Sweating blood, he prayed to his FatherThat the cup of death should pass him by.
Libera eas de ore leonisNe absorbeat eas tartarusNe cadant in obscurum.(Deliver them from the jaws of the lionLest they fall into darknessAnd the black depths swallow them up.)
God has granted you to live in my timeThe hour of the Son of Man has struck,He will deliver himself into the hands ofsinners.Could not my Father send me a hostOf winged legions to defend me?Then would no hair of my head be touched.I shall go freely, through torment, down tothe grave.And on the third day I will rise again.Like rafts down a river, like a convoy ofships,the centuries will float to me out ofthe darkness.
4.Agnus DeiAgnus dei qui tollis peccata mundi,Dona eis requiem sempiternam.(Lamb of God that takes away the sinsof the world, grant them eternal rest.)
Snow, snow swept over all the world,swept it from end to end.The candle on the table burned,The candle burned.
The text of the Russian Requiemconsists of selected excerpts from fivedifferent sources: verses from theMissa pro defunctis, short passagesfrom Dante’s Inferno , short quotationsfron The Book of Revelations, briefcomments from Lenin’s sayings, andverses from ‘Zhivago’s Poems’ at theend of Pasternak’s novel Dr Zhivago,reproduced by kind permission of thepublishers Collins Harvill. Thecomposer is indebted to BorisPasternak and the translators of hiswork, Max Hayward and ManyaHarari.
If you like what you hear (and see) tonight, and wouldlike to be involved as a choir member, patron or helper(or perhaps you would simply like to learn more aboutTring Choral Society), our web site will provide a mineof information.
Our web site contains details of future concerts,rehearsal dates and many other details that are sure tointerest friends of our choir.You can visit us at www.tringchoral.org.uk
As a member of the choir, you will not only have thechance to sing some of the world’s greatest music, butyou will also benefit from the choir’s healthy social life!
Our Membership Secretary, Margaret Collier, will bepleased to hear from you on 01296 660406 or email;[email protected]
Our Membership Secretary, Margaret Collier, will be
SOPRANOSNiamh AlisonUna AlisonCelestria BellGillie BlighJane BrownCorinna ChuteCharlotte Clark*Hilary ColbertMargaret CollierSally DussekElaine FlorsheimMary HaywoodZoe HillKatie HughesSue JonesChristine KeenLucy KibbleHarriet MackinderBrigid MathersHeather NashFiona O’NeillEileen PattersonBarbara PearcePam RushRosemary SouthworthBrenda StapletonHelen StokesElizabeth ThompsonJenny WatkinsJenny WattLouise Westley* Choral Scholar
ALTOSKaren BaldwinRachel BaldwinChristine BassJanet BriantNicky BullJean BygateKathy ChantlerSue CollinsKate DaviesAnn DenwoodDorothy DenwoodMargaret FlaniganNatasha GethingJane GloverJanet GravesMaggie HalseyJenny HoareLorna LangJane LeggGill LerigoElizabeth MoxleyRhian NichollsElizabeth NorrisEnid PowellMarilyn PryorHarriette PurchasPhyllis ReynoldsChris SiversAnne WalesHeather WignallKate Winterbottom
TENORSJenny Brannock-JonesCliff BrownRichard BrownJohn DeanePhilip HayesRoger JuddAndrew RobertsonChris SmithDavid WildeMax Wittwer
BASSESRobert AllnuttAlan ArcherMichael BernsteinDavid ChaseyDave ClarkeBob DaviesPaul DoughtyPeter GravesRichard GryllsGeoff HarrisonTony MackinderDavid MorganRichard OnslowRichard TregoningJohn WignallGuy Williams
Violins; Marion Garrett, EdHewitt, Fiona Jacob, Henry Fagg,Darrell Dunning, Lesley Pearce,Akiko Coulter, Keiko Iwatsu-Thiele, Kay Geradine, DavidGlenister, Mark Redman
Violas; Katie Hayes, JohnSaunders, Ceri Fagg, Steffi Cook
Cellos; Mary Harris, HerrickHayes, Caroline Ridout
Bass; Mark Lipski
Oboe; Victoria Parkins, FrancesSlack
Bassoon; Caroline Cartwright
Trumpets; Ian Lynch, DavidClewlow
Tympani; Anna Stevens
Percussion; John Stevens
Organ; Adrian Johnson
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Tring Choral Society thanks the Rennie Grove HospiceCare Shop, Tring, for support as our ticket agents.
The piano accompanist for Tring Choral Society rehearsals is AdrianJohnson.
Our thanks go to Roy Mathers for writing and compiling thisprogramme.
We are grateful for the presence of St John Ambulancerepresentatives at this concert.
Leader; Janet Hicks
Mr G E BullMr J BurchellMrs J CadgeMrs A CaloiaMs A CaloiaMrs J CherryMr R FlaniganMr and Mrs R FranklinMrs S K FranklinMr and Mrs J HawkesMr M HerbautMr C W HoareMrs J HollingsworthMr D Long
Mrs E MarchantMr I MartinMrs M F MerlierMr R O’ReillyMr C B J PearceMr G PulferMr and Mrs J StackMr and Mrs JStanhopeMrs J StevensMr W StringerMr and Mrs E TapsonDr and Mrs D ThallonMr and Mrs W Thomas
Mr and Mrs K ToddMr J R WatkinsMr and Mrs J KWatsonMr and Mrs M WatsonMr A Winterbottom
Life MembersMr and Mrs D BanyardMr R GryllsMr J RenalsMrs R SouthworthMrs K Woodward
Why not become a Patron of Tring Choral Society?
For a minimum donation of £25, you too could become a Patron of Tring Choral Society,this annual donation entitling you to two free tickets (in any one season). You will alsoreceive an annual newsletter giving concert details in advance, and an invitation to join oursocial events.
To become a Patron, simply fill in the form below and send it, with your donation, toMrs B S Mathers, 8 Old Mill Gardens, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire HP4 2NZ
Telephone; 01442 872727
I would like to become a Patron of Tring Choral Society and enclose
a cheque for £.......................
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