GUILDFORD
PHILHARMONIC
ORCHESTRA
Leader WILLIAM ARMON
Philharmonic Choir
Guildford Corporation Concerts
DirecTOrR OF Music:
VERNON HANDLEY
THE KINGDOM
ELGAR
HONOR SHEPPARD
MONICA
Soprano
WILFRED
SINCLAIR
Contralto
BROWN
JOHN
Tenor
BARROW
Bass
Conductor: VERNON HANDLEY
SATURDAY, 9th MARCH,
1968, at 7.45 p.m.
CIVIC HALL
Programme 1/-
HONOR SHEPPARD
Honor Sheppard is Yorkshire born, though of West Country and Cornish
blood. She was discovered at the age of nineteen by Maurice Miles, who was
then conductor of the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra. He gave her fourteen
engagements with the Orchestra. After this, she went to the Royal Manchester
College of Music to study singing and the piano, and was awarded the Curtis
Gold Medal. Miss Sheppard then began a busy career and earned herself an
enviable reputation in the North of England at an unusually early age. She
was soon in demand further afield, and her work now covers not only the
whole of the British Isles, but also much of Europe. She has sung in Germany,
(In the latter country before
France, Belgium, Switzerland and Denmark.
Her particular interests lie in music
members of the Danish Royal family.)
of the 17th and 18th centuries, and she is especially noted as a singer of Bach.
Her sympathy and understanding of early music made her a natural choice
as first soprano in the Deller Consort with which group she has made many
continental tours.
_
MONICA SINCLAIR
Monica Sinclair who is of Anglo-Welsh parentage was born in Somerset. She
studied with her father, and at both Royal Colleges of Music subjects including Pianoforte, Organ, Viola, Singing and Opera. As a student Monica Sinclair
began a busy concert career, making her operatic debut with the Carl-Rosa
Opera Company shortly after leaving the Royal College of Music. She has
sung with all the major British Opera Companies and her countless Concert
and Opera appearances include Europe, North and South America, Africa,
Australia, Carnegie Hall, Edinburgh Festival, Festival des Nations, BBC Television and leading British Societies, etc.
WILFRED BROWN
Wilfred Brown returned to Cambridge in 1946, after 5 years service at home and
abroad with the Quaker Relief organisation, to complete his degree and qualify
as a teacher, but within five years he had decided to make music his career.
Despite his late start in the new profession he was soon in demand as an
He has travelled widely throughOratorio singer, recitalist and broadcaster.
out Great Britain and Northern Europe, and undertook his first transatlantic
engagements in December 1966. He has some thirty commercial recordings
to his credit and recently gave his five hundredth solo broadcast for the BBC. It
would be hard to say where he seems most at home: in his compassionate
reading of the narration of the Bach Passions, his subtle interpretation of
French Art Song, or the uninhibited irreverence of his folk singing.
JOHN BARROW
John Barrow has been singing professionally in this country for six years and
during this time has appeared as soloist with many of the leading choral and
music societies. As a boy he was given a valuable grounding in music at
Lichfield Cathedral where he was head chorister for two years. Before pursuing his present profession he served for five-and-a-half years at sea, navigat-
ing passenger and cargo ships all over the world. In 1955 he left the sea to
follow his love of music and spent a year in Europe, and four years in America
and Canada where he gained considerable stage experience.
As well as concert appearances all over the country he has sung in Opera
at Aldeburgh, Sadlers Wells and on the continent. He has appeared on
and is a frequent broadcaster. His repertoire is extensive, covering the major
Oratorios, Requiems and Passions, and he sings in English, French, German
and Italian. The range and colour of his voice enable him to encompass both
baritone and bass roles in such works as Bach’s Mass in B minor.
The Director of Music wishes to acknowledge with thanks the help he has
received in training the Philharmonic Choir from the assistant conductor,
Mr. Kenneth Lank, the accompanists Miss Mary Rivers and Miss Patricia
Finch: and from Mrs. D. W. Wren and Miss G. Hall who have given much
time to a seating plan to accommodate the Choir.
There are still a few vacancies in the tenor and bass sections of the
Philharmonic Choir, and anyone interested should apply to the Secretary,
Musical Director’s Office, 155, High Street, Guildford.
THE KINGDOM
e
THE KINGDOM
October, 1906.
was
first
performed
at
the
Birmingham
Festival in
The setting is Jerusalem, and many of the scenes come from the early
Chapters of The Acts of the Apostles. The presence of the recently departed
Christ is very real to the Disciples and the Holy Women, represented by the
Chorus. We witness the choosing of Matthias to be numbered with the eleven
Apostles: we hear Mary and Mary Magdalene sing of the healing power of
hrist:
we see the tongues of fire on the day of Pentecost:
Peter, with
unaccustomed eloquence, finds himself able to explain to the people how they
share the guilt of the Crucifixion, and calls on them to repent: the lame man
is healed: the rulers come to arrest John and Peter, and Mary sings her beautiful soliloquy, ““The sun goeth downTM (with its accompanying violin solo, this
contains some of the most beautiful and eloquent pages which Elgar ever
wrote). The final section of the work, headed *In Fellowship”, tells of the
release of John and Peter, and of the Breaking of Bread in remembrance
of Christ.
The work is full of tunes, associated with ideas or people, and appearing
in one form or another when these are mentioned in the text. Elgar used
a number of the same tunes in his oratorio, ‘‘The Apostles’.
There is
space to note only a few of them, and to mention some of the outstanding
moments in the work.
In the Prelude, which is composed of material to be heard again later, we
hear, after the initial surging, a calmer section leading to a slow tune which
is used frequently by Peter when he sings about God. It is sequential, and
each bar contains a triplet. Peter sings it in Part III at the words, *‘It shall
come to pass in the last days, saith God”, and it is heard finally, orchestrally,
during the climax at the end of this section, “Whom the God of our fathers
hath glorified”.
Elgar also uses the plainsong ‘O Sacrum Convivium’.
This is heard
during the Prelude, and again near the opening of the work, just after the
Choir words ‘‘and peace be to thine helper”.
during the final scene (the Breaking of Bread).
It reappears, appropriately,
In Part Ill Peter introduces a phrase which is almost a quintessence of
Elgar’s music, with a characteristic drop of a seventh, to the words, “In the
Name of Jesus Christ””.
This is at the same time simple, memorable and
moving.
There are many other musical points to listen for:
the rushing mighty
wind of Pentecost, with the great strides of ‘He who walketh upon the wings
of the wind”’: the calming moment when Peter answers the anxious question,
“Men and brethren, what shall we do?”’ with the words, “Repent, and be
baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ”’, and the magnificent choral climax
which follows: the hint of marching feet in the orchestra at the arrest, and
whenever the rulers are mentioned later: the words, ““The Kingdom and the
patience” in Mary's soliloquy:
the opening of Part V where ‘“The stone
which the builders rejected is become the Head of the corner”: and finally,
the last few bars, already heard in the Prelude, ““Thou, O Lord, art our Father,
and we are Thine”.
Many admirers of Elgar’s music regard this work as in no way secondary
to ““The Dream of Gerontius’’ or ““The Apostles”’. Certainly it brings a great
sense of involvement. Whereas we watch Gerontius on his journey, in ‘The
Kingdom' we participate with the Disciples and the Holy Women. At the final
words, “So may Thy Church be gathered together from the bounds of the
earth into Thy Kingdom”, everyone, whether singer, player or listener, finds
himself taking part. This remarkable involvement of all concerned is one of
the signs of the greatness of this work.
Note by William Llewellyn
THE BLESSED VIRGIN
HONOR SHEPPARD
MARY MAGDALENE,
MONICA SINCLAIR
ST. JOHN
WILFRED BROWN
ST. PETER
JOHN BARROW
PRELUDE
1.—IN THE UPPER ROOM
Chorus
(The Dlsc1ples and the Holy
Women)
Chorus
AT
Seek first the Kingdom
Peace be multiplied unto you
(The Disciples and the Holy
omen)
Ak
s
(Peter)
Recit.
el
o
(Peter)
Recit.
Remember the words of the Lord
Jesus
He took bread
Chorus (The Dlsc1ples and the Holy
Women)
bt
et
Has
The true Vine
Let them give thanks whom the
Lord hath redeemed
Tutti
Chorus
%
i
(Peter)
Recit.
Men and brethren
(The stcxples and the Holy
omen)
:
vin
58
o
Let his habitation be desolate
Wherefore of these men which have
(Peter)
Recit.
companied with us
Chorus (The Disciples)
Thou, Lord, Which knowest the
hearts of all men
They gave forth their lots
£
The Lord hath chosen
Soli
Chorus
Sy
£
O ye priests!
I.—~AT
THE
BEAUTIFUL GATE
The Morn of Pentecost
Solo
(Mary)
The singers are before the altar;
they make sweet melody
Solo
(Mary Magdalene)
This man, lame from his mother’s
womb
Solo
(Mary)
Solo
(Mary Magdalene)
The blind and the lame came to Jesus
vy
The service of the Lord is prepared
II.—PENTECOST
In the Upper Room
Recit., Tenor
...
s
Chorus (The Disciples)
Mystic Chorus
Contraltos)
And when the day of Pentecost was
fully come
=
(Sopranos and
o
When the great Lord will
e
The Spirit of the Lord shall rest
upon them
Solo
(John)
Solo
(Peter)
When the Comforter is come
£58
And speak as moved by the Holy
Spirit
I will pour forth of my Spirit
Mystic Chorus
And suddenly there came from
Contralto
Recit.,
heaven a sound
Chorus (The Disciples)
He, Who walketh upon the wings of
Mystic Chorus
(The Lord put forth His hand)
And there were dwelling at Jerusalem
the wind
Recit., Contralto
In Solomon’s Porch
Chorus (The People)
Solo
He, Who walketh upon the wings of
(John)
Chorus
Solo
Behold, are not all these
...
(The People)
the wind
What meaneth this?
...
He, Whose ministers are flaming fire
(Peter)
Chorus
(The People)
With stammering lips
...
“] have prayed for thee, that thy
(Peter)
Recit.
faith fail not”
Ye men of Judeea
Solo
Chorus (The People)
(His blood be on us)
‘
(Daughters of Jerusalem)
Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Repent, and be baptized
In the Name of Jesus Christ
Solo, Contralto
Chorus
Solo
(Peter)
Chorus
Tutti
(The People) ...
(The People)
The First-Fruits
(Soli and Chorus)
INTERVAL
IV.—THE SIGN OF HEALING
At the Beautiful Gate
Recit., Contralto
Then they that gladly received his
Recit., Contralto
The man that was lame, at the
Solo
word
Beautiful Gate
Look on us
(Peter)
This is he which sat for alms
Chorus (The Peop]e)
Solo
(Peter)
Ye men of Israel
Solo
(John)
Unto you that fear His Name
Turn ye again, that your sins may
be blotted out
Duet (Peter and ]ohn)
The Arrest
ok
Recit., Contralto
Recit., Contralto
Solo (Mary)
vk
e
vev
And as they spake
It was now eventide
Ve
w.s
The sun goeth down
V.—THE UPPER ROOM
In Fellowship
Chorus
(The Disciples and the Holy
Women)
; ;
(John)
Recit.
Chorus
3
Folx
(The stcxples and the Holy
omen)
s
N
:
The voice of joy
The rulers asked
In none other is there salvation
Recit.
(Peter)
And when they took knowledge of us
Recit.
(John)
Finding nothing how they might
Chorus
(The stc1ples and the Holy
omen)
punish us
Lord, Thou didst make the heaven
The Breaking of Bread
Chorus
(The Disciples and the Holy
Women)
(Peter)
Recit.
...
Chorus (The Dlsuples)
If any is holy;
F233
Let him come
Give thanks;
Recit.
(John)
Chorus
(The stcxples and bhe Holy
53
ey
omen)
Tuttl
Thou, Almighty Lord
v
con
first for the Cup
We thank Thee
As this Broken Bread was grain
scattered upon the mountains
The Prayers
Our Father
Tutti
s
Solo
(John)
Tutti
e
Ye have received
Thou, O Lord, art our Father, our
Redeemer
SUNDAY, 17th MARCH, at 3 p.m.
THE CROSSLEY CLITHEROE CONCERT
Overture ‘Carnival Romain’
Pianoforte Concerto No. 2 in F minor
Marche Ecossaise
Firebird Suite
LILIAN KALLIR (Pianoforte)
Berlioz
Chopin
Debussy
Stravinsky