Saturday
22nd October 2005
7:30 Guildford Cathedral
Formerly Guildford Philharmonic Choir
Conductor Jeremy Backhouse
Forest Philharmonic Orchestra
~ Vivace
Chorus i
President: Sir David Willcocks CBE MC
Parry: | was glad (Psalm 122)
Elgar: Give unto the Lord (Psalm 29)
Holst: Lord, who hast made us for Thine own (Psalm 148)
Mendelssohn: Hear my prayer (‘Hymn’)
Mendelssohn: Symphony No.2
(Lobgesang or ‘Hymn of Praise’)
Patrizia Kwella
Soprano
Helen Neeves
Soprano
Eugene Ginty
Tenor
Forest Philharmonic Orchestra
Jeremy Backhouse
22 October 2005
Guildford Cathedral, 7.30pm
Registered Charity No. 1026337
Vivace Chorus
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C. Hubert Hastings Parry (1848 — 1918)
Parry was one of the most influential English composers since Henry Purcell. He
was strongly rooted in the romantic traditions of such composers as Brahms,
Chopin and Wagner.
Parry began teaching at the Royal College of Music in 1883. He became a
director in 1894, a post he held until his death. From 1900-1908, he served as a
Professor of Music at his Alma Mater, Oxford. While teaching at Oxford, Parry
inspired such prestigious students as Herbert Howells, Gustav Holst and Ralph
Vaughan-Williams.
Parry was the recipient of three honorary doctorate degrees: Cambridge (1883),
Oxford (1884), and Dublin (1891). He was knighted in 1898, and was made a
Baronet in 1903.
| was Glad
This anthem was written for the coronation of Edward VII in 1901, and has been
played at every coronation since that time. Moreover, it is a great favourite at
choral concerts when something on a grand scale is required, although the
central section, with its shouts of 'Vivat!' (originally assigned to the Queen's
Scholars of Westminster School) are usually omitted other than at coronations.
The words are from Psalm 122.
I was glad, glad when they said unto me
We will go into the house of the Lord.
Our feet shall stand in thy gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is builded as a city
That is at unity in itself.
O pray
for the peace of Jerusalem,
They shall prosper that love thee,
Peace be within thy walls, and plenteousness within thy palaces.
Edward Elgar (1857 — 1934)
Brought up in the Roman Catholic faith, and with a father who for many years
was the organist at St George's Church in Worcester, it is unsurprising that Elgar
wrote a number of religious works intended to be performed in church services.
From the age of 20, he composed short religious pieces for performance at
St George's. And when, in 1885, he succeeded to the post of organist there, the
move gave him a regular platform for such compositions.
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Against this background, what many will find surprising is that each of his four
most substantive compositions of church music were first performed in Anglican
churches, two of them being specially commissioned for the occasion.
The first of these, the Te Deum and Benedictus of 1897, was commissioned for
that year's Three Choirs' Festival at Hereford, when Elgar's reputation was far
from established.
The remaining three works - O Hearken Thou (1911), Great is the Lord (1912)
and Give Unto the Lord (1914) - followed each other in quick succession some
15 years later, by which time Elgar had already written most of his great
masterpieces. Each is a setting of verses from the Psalms.
Give unto the Lord (Psalm 29), Op.74
Give Unto the Lord was commissioned for a festival at St Paul's Cathedral by
Sir George Martin, the Cathedral organist, to mark the 200th anniversary of the
Sons of the Clergy. Elgar started work in January 1914 and the piece was first
performed on 30 April 1914. It is scored for chorus, organ and orchestra and is a
short (approximately 10 minutes) but exuberant work, which concludes with a
gentler mood of prayer for 'the blessing of peace’. Little could the composer or
the first listeners
have realised
how quickly that peace was about to be
shattered.
Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty,
Give unto the Lord glory and strength,
Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name;
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters:
The God of glory thundereth;
It is the Lord that ruleth the sea.
The voice of the Lord is mighty in operation;
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty;
The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
Yea, the voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire;
Yea, the voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness,
And strippeth the forests bare.
In His temple doth ev'ryone speak of His glory.
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
The Lord sitteth above the waterflood;
And the Lord remaineth a King forever;
The Lord shall give strength unto His people;
The Lord shall give His people the blessing of peace.
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5
Gustav Holst (1874 — 1934)
Holst was born in Cheltenham, England, the elder of the two children of Adolph
and Clara von Holst. Adolph Holst was an accomplished pianist of Swedish
origin. Holst studied composition at the Royal College of Music with Charles
Stanford. Early work as an organist and choirmaster, together with playing
trombone in orchestras, provided an income while he studied.
These early experiences helped the young composer grow in his understanding
of the workings of a choir. Choral music and the choral tradition in England
would remain important throughout the rest of Holst's life. In 1895, Holst won an
open scholarship for composition and was then able to continue his studies at
the RCM. He also met Ralph Vaughan Williams, which was the start of a lifelong
friendship.
Like Elgar before him, Holst at first struggled as a composer. However, Vaughan
Williams played a role in starting Holst's career as a gifted music teacher. In
1905, he was appointed Director of Music at St. Paul's Girls School in
Hammersmith, where, despite the fame of later years, he continued to teach for
the rest of his life.
Lord, who hast made us for Thine own (Psalm 148)
In 1912, Holst composed two psalm setting, (Psalm 86 To my humble
supplication and Psalm 148 Lord, who hast made us for Thine own), both of
which speak a language of Christian piety and penitence, and each consists of
variations on an ancient sacred tune. As always with Holst, directness and
economy of expression in this short work (approximately 6 minutes) is married to
an unconventional approach which takes in plainsong, orchestral interludes (the
original scoring included string orchestra), close harmony, ecstatic interjections
and strident reharmonisations of the melody.
Lord, who hast made us for Thine own,
Hear as we sing before Thy throne.
Alleluia.
Accept Thy children's rev'rent praise
For all Thy wondrous works and ways.
Alleluia.
Waves, rolling in on ev'ry shore,
Pause at His footfall and adore.
Alleluia.
Ye torrents rushing from the hills,
Bless Him whose hand your fountains fills.
Alleluia.
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Vivace Chorus
Earth ever through the power divine,
Seed-time and harvest shall be thine.
Alleluia.
Sweet flowers that perfume all the air,
Thank Him that He hath made you fair.
Alleluia.
Burn, lamps of night, with constant flame,
Shine to the honour of His name.
Alleluia.
Thou sun, whom all the lands obey,
Renew his praise from day to day.
Alleluia.
Felix Mendelssohn (1809 — 1847)
Although Mendelssohn held no official church appointments during his short but
busy musical career, he contributed generously to the repertory of sacred music.
Apart from his two great oratorios Elijah and St Paul, he wrote a large number of
smaller pieces, many of which are woefully neglected today.
One that has won a good measure of popularity, however, is Hear My Prayer.
Although it is heard less often today than it used to be, and has undoubtedly
suffered from weak and characterless performances in the past, it is a work of
surprising power. Mendelssohn composed the piece, which he called a hymn, in
January 1844 for Bartholomew's concerts staged in Crosby Hall, London, where
it received its first performance in English in 1845. Mendelssohn, who had set
the text in a German translation which is often performed, orchestrated the piece
in 1847.
Hear My Prayer uses a text whose sentiments echo those of the Psalms,
particularly Psalm 55, a song of supplication in the face of extreme adversity. It
falls into three basic sections. In the first, the sweet quality of the opening
soprano solo in a major mode soon gives way to a note of anguish and urgency
as the music shifts into the minor and becomes more chromatic. Just as the
music begins to repeat itself once more in the major, the chorus breaks in
dramatically, and in the second section the soloist leads the chorus in an urgent
call-and-response
passage
that
effectively
portrays
a
soul
embattled
and
surrounded by its enemies. Following a recitative in which the soloist appeals for
her prayer to be heard, her last phrase being echoed by the chorus, the final
section begins. This is the famous setting O for the wings of a dove, often
performed as a piece on its own but really at its best here, where its soaring
lyricism forms an uplifting conclusion to a splendid piece.
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7
Hear My Prayer
Hear my prayer,
O God, incline Thine ear!
Thyself from my petition do not hide;
Take heed to me!
Hear how in prayer
| mourn to Thee,
Without Thee all is dark,
| have no guide.
The enemy shouteth, the godless come fast!
Iniquity, hatred, upon me they cast!
The wicked oppress me,
Ah, where shall | fly?
Perplex'd and bewilder'd,
O God, hear my cry!
My heart is sorely pain'd within my breast,
My soul with deathly terror is oppress'd,
Trembling and fearfulness upon me fall,
With horror overwhelm'd, Lord, hear me call.
O for the wings, for the wing of a dove!
Far away, far a way would | rove!
In the wilderness build me a nest
And remain there for ever at rest.
~ INTERVAL ~
Vivace Chorus
Felix Mendelssohn
Symphony No. 2 in B flat major (Lobgesang) Op. 52
The numbering of Mendelssohn’s orchestral symphonies does not correspond to
the order in which they were first conceived, published or first performed, but is
distorted by the long delay in the completion of the Scottish symphony and still
more by the posthumous publication (in the wrong order) of the /talian and
Reformation symphonies. Thus it was that the last of Mendelssohn’s
symphonies to be conceived, and the last but one to be completed, came to
bear the subtitle Symphony no. 2.
The Lobgesang (Hymn of Praise) can be, and usually is, sung as a separate
work, although it is actually the closing part of the final movement of the
symphony. Mendelssohn drew on several biblical texts for this cantata, including
Isaiah and the Book of Psalms. The resulting work is a paean of thanks to God
for his salvation.
Symphony No. 2 was composed in the year of 1840 when, at the age of 31,
Mendelssohn was commissioned to compose a work for a grand celebration
commemorating the 400th anniversary of the invention of the printing press. This
celebration took place in Bach’s church, St Thomas’s Leipzig, as part of the
Gutenberg Festival. Not long before this, Beethoven had stunned the world with
his Symphony No. 9, of which the last movement included vocal soloists and
chorus. Some of Mendelssohn's contemporaries thought his Symphony No. 2 to
be a bit pretentious in the shadow of 'the Ninth'. However, Mendelssohn was
unperturbed by this and the celebration for his symphony-cantata, as he called
it, was a mighty success. Robert Schumann said of the work "The form of the
work could not be more happily chosen. The whole stimulated enthusiasm, and
certainly the work, particularly at the choral movement, is to be accounted one of
his freshest and most charming creations..."
Soon afterwards there was another performance (in English) at the Birmingham
Festival, followed by a further Leipzig performance, given at the command of the
King of Saxony, to whom the work was dedicated on its publication in 1841. The
symphony was very popular in the 19th century, especially with British choral
societies, but in recent years has suffered considerable neglect, which is quite
undeserved, as the symphony-cantata is a grand and charming work.
The first three movements are for orchestra alone, playing as a sinfonia prelude
to the choral cantata. The first movement, Maestoso con molto — Allegro, opens
with a the sober and noble theme by the trombones, very much like a Lutheran
hymn. This theme links the entire work together (you will hear it plainly in the first
and last choruses in the final movement). From that theme the movement
gathers momentum, but is balanced by the second subject, a gently rolling motif.
Mostly, the first theme (and its counter subject) is developed thoroughly toward
the movement's end. From the beginning, there is no doubt that Mendelssohn
has set the stage for the religious feel of the whole work.
Vivace Chorus
9
The second movement, Allegretto un poco agitato, is a delightful minuet and trio.
Although the brass again pronounce a sombre hymnal theme, the movement
feels fresh and charming.
The third movement, Adagio religioso, is built upon a lovely but very serious
theme of deeply pious reflection. The movement proceeds through a restless
pulsing in the strings, but closes in gentle exaltation. The whole of it sings as an
instrumental prayer.
The finale is in nine vocal sections that explore a number of variations for vocal
combinations. The first theme of the first movement begins this finale. And from
here on this beautiful cantata exalts the heavens and our hearts. There is no
doubt of the musical reference to the old hymn, Now thank we all our God, in the
Chorale, no. 8, which was a favourite of Mendelssohn's. It was appropriate that
Mendelssohn inscribed the work with a quote by Martin Luther, "But | would see
all the arts, especially music, in the service of Him who gave and created them."
Symphony No. 2
Sinfonia:
1. Maestoso con molto — Allegro
2. Allegretto un poco agitato
3. Adagio religioso
Lobgesang (Hymn of Praise):
1a. All men, all things (Chorus)
1b. Praise thou the Lord, O my spint (Soprano solo and chorus)
2. Sing ye praise (Tenor solo: Recitative and Aria)
3. All ye that cried unto the Lord (Chorus)
4. | waited for the Lord (Soprano duet and chorus)
5. The sorrows of death (Tenor solo: Aria and Recitative)
6. The night is departing (Chorus)
7. Let all men praise the Lord (Chorale)
8. My song shall be alway Thy mercy (Soprano and tenor duet)
9. Ye nations, offer to the Lord (Final chorus)
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Vivace Chorus
1. Chorus and Soprano solo
All men, all things,
All that has life and breath, sing to the Lord.
Hallelujah, sing to the Lord!
Praise the Lord with lute and harp, in joyful song extol Him,
In joyful song extol the Lord.
And let all flesh magnify His might and glory.
All that has life and breath, sing to the Lord. (adapted from Psalm 150)
Praise thou the Lord, O my spirit, and my inmost soul
Praise His great loving kindness.
Praise thou the Lord, O my spirit,
And forget thou not all His benefits. (adapted from Psalm 103)
2. Recitative and Aria (Tenor)
Sing ye praise, all ye redeemed of the Lord,
Redeemed from the hand of the foe,
From your distresses, from deep affliction,
Who sat in the shadow of death and darkness.
All ye that cried in trouble unto the Lord,
Sing ye praise! Give ye thanks,
Proclaim aloud His goodness. (adapted from Psalm 107)
He counteth all your sorrows in the time of need.
He comforts the bereaved with His regard. (adapted from Psalm 56)
Sing ye praise! Give ye thanks,
Proclaim aloud His goodness.
3. Chorus
All ye that cried unto the Lord
In distress and deep affliction,
He counteth all your sorrows
In the time of need.
4. Soprano duet and Chorus
| waited for the Lord, He inclined unto me,
He heard my complaint.
O blessed are they that hope and trust in the Lord,
O blessed are they that hope and trust in Him. (adapted from Psalm 40)
Vivace Chorus
5. Aria and Recitative (Tenor)
The sorrows of death had closed all around me
And Hell's dark terrors had got hold upon me,
With trouble and deep heaviness. (adapted from Psalm 116)
But, said the Lord: "Come, arise from the dead,
And awake, thou that sleepest,
| bring thee salvation." (adapted from Ephesians 5, 14)
We called thro' the darkness:
“Watchman, will the night soon pass?”
The watchman only said:
"Though the morning will come, the night will come also".
Ask ye, enquire ye, ask if ye will,
Enquire ye, return again, ask:
"Watchman, will the night soon pass?" (adapted from Isaiah 21)
Soprano solo
The night is departing.
6. Chorus
The night is departing, the day is approaching.
Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness
And let us gird on the armour of light. (adapted from Romans 13, 12)
7. Chorale
Let all men praise the Lord, in worship lowly bending;
On His most Holy Word, redeem'd from woe, depending.
He gracious is and just, from childhood us doth lead,;
On Him we place our trust and hope, in time of need.
Glory and praise to God the Father, Son, be given,
And to the Holy Ghost on high enthroned in Heaven.
Praise to the Three-One God, with pow'rful arm and strong,
He changeth night to day; praise Him with grateful song.
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Vivace Chorus
8. Duet (Soprano and Tenor)
My song shall be alway Thy mercy,
Singing Thy praise, Thou only God;
My tongue ever speak the goodness
Thou hast done unto me.
| wander in night and foulest darkness,
And mine enemies stand threat'ning around,
Yet called | upon the Name of the Lord,
And He redeemed me with watchful goodness.
My song shall be alway Thy mercy,
Singing Thy praise, Thou only God,
| wander in night,
Yet called | on Thy name, O God
Singing Thy praise, O God. (adapted from Psalms 28, 31, 103)
9. Final chorus
Ye nations, offer to the Lord glory and might,
Ye monarchs, offer to the Lord glory and might,
Thou Heaven, offer to the Lord glory and might,
The whole earth, offer to the Lord glory and might.
(adapted from Psalm 96)
O give thanks to the Lord.
Praise Him, all ye people, and ever praise His Holy Name.
Sing ye the Lord, and ever praise His Holy Name.
(adapted from Psalms 105, 150)
All that has life and breath, sing to the Lord.
Hallelujah, sing to the Lord! (adapted from Psalm 150)
Some of the printed music for this evening’s concert has been hired from
SCC Performing Arts Library and Andrew Phillips Music Hire.
Vivace Chorus
13
Patrizia Kwella
Patrizia Kwella studied at the Royal College of Music
and while still a student was the soprano soloist in a
televised performance of Handel's Messiah from the
Royal Albert Hall. Shortly afterwards she made her
Proms début with an “impassioned” (the Daily
Telegraph) performance of Monteverdi's Lamento
della ninfa under Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
She has since returned often to the Proms, and has
sung at many of Europe’s greatest festivals with
conductors such as Sir Charles Mackerras,
Christopher Hogwood, Sir Roger Norrington, Phillipe
Herreweghe, Harry Christophers and Richard
Hickox. Appearances with the San Francisco, Houston and Washington
symphony orchestras followed her début in San Diego, and she sang with the
Hong Kong Philharmonic under David Atherton. Although best known in the
baroque and classical repertoire, Miss Kwella’s performances and recordings
range from the 16th century to contemporary music.
Patrizia Kwella’s recent concert performances have included Messiah with the
Ulster and Royal Scottish National Orchestras, Mozart's Requiem and Exsultate
Jubilate and Brahms' Requiem in three appearances with the London Mozart
Players, and Boismortier's solo cantata Diana et Acteon with Florilegium in the
Wigmore Hall Celebrity Series. She ended 2004 with Dvorak's Te Deum in the
Royal Albert Hall for Stephen Cleobury with the Philharmonia, and since then
has sung Tavener's Lament of the Mother of God in Winchester Cathedral in Sir
John Tavener's presence, Bach's St John Passion in Cadogan Hall, VaughanWilliams' A Sea Symphony with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the Royal
Festival Hall, and Lamento della ninfa and Dido in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas at
the Cirencester Early Music Festival.
Future engagements include several performances of Mozart's Requiem,
including with The English Sinfonia under Howard Shelley, Messiah in Bath
Abbey, Brahms' Requiem with the London Mozart Players, St John Passion with
the Britten Sinfonia under Nicholas Cleobury and Poulenc's Gloria in Winchester
Cathedral.
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Vivace Chorus
Helen Neeves
Helen Neeves gained a BA(Hons) in Music at the
University of York. Having completed a two-year
postgraduate course at the Royal College of Music,
she is now based in London where she is currently
studying with Julie Kennard.
Helen has experience as a solo and consort singer
embracing
concert
work,
broadcasts.
Recent
solo
recordings
and
engagements
radio
include
Handel's Messiah, Charpentier Trios and Duets,
and Mozart's Mass in C Minor. Having recorded
La France au Calvaire and De Profundis by Dupré,
Helen
—
performed the latter with the Bayerischer
Rundfunk Choir and Orchestra in Munich, and then
also in Paris, with the Vasari Singers.
Helen regularly works with Yorkshire Baroque Soloists, Corona Coloniensis, and
the Clerks Group, and frequently takes part in the York Early Music Festival,
most recently in a concert of Purcell Odes and Anthems.
Having recently
performed a programme of modern works with the Clerks Group in London,
Helen subsequently travelled to Holland and Belgium with them. Forthcoming
work includes a CD recording and concert with Yorkshire Baroque Soloists in
next year's York Early Music Festival featuring music of the Bach family.
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Eugene Ginty
Eugene Ginty started singing whilst reading Music
at Durham University and to date has performed
more than fifty operatic roles. He made his
American debut as Tamino in The Magic Flute in
Boston in 1995, and has also performed in Japan,
China, Hong Kong, India, Egypt, Italy, France and
Switzerland. Closer to home he has performed
many times for Opera Theatre Company in Dublin,
in roles such as Sandy/Officer 1 in The Lighthouse
(1998, 2000), Tamino in The Little Magic Flute
(2001),
Lukas
in
The
Kiss
(2002),
Mayor
in
Hamelin (2003) and Taco in Vera of Las Vegas
—
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(2004). In the UK he has worked for English
Natlonal Opera Engllsh Tounng Opera, Opera North, Opera Holland Park,
Almeida Opera, Opera Restored and Scottish Opera. Future productions include
a revival of Mac-Beth7 for PanPan Theatre in the Netherlands, Germany and
Canada.
Eugene is also in demand in oratorio, and has sung at most of the major concert
halls in the UK and throughout Europe. He recently performed Beethoven's
Symphony no.9 at the Royal Albert Hall. Future engagements include Elgar's
Dream of Gerontius in Hadleigh, Schubert's Mass in C in Northern Ireland, and
Handel's Samson in Berlin.
Eugene's
television
performances
are
numerous
and
include
Gilbert
and
Sullivan’s The Gondoliers from the 1997 Proms, and various appearances on
Highway and Songs of Praise. He has broadcast on Lyric FM (Ireland), BBC
Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4, and is often to be heard on BBC Radio 2's Friday
Night is Music Night. In the near future he will appear on a live CD recording
from the Barbican singing the role of Hirt in Wagner's Tristan und Isolde. He is
also the tenor soloist in the recently released Decca CD recording of Celtic
Tiger, the new show from Michael Flatley (of Riverdance and Lord of the Dance
fame). A DVD of the show will be released next month.
Eugene last appeared with the Guildford Philharmonic Choir in October 2004,
singing Gerontius in a performance which drew a “encomium of praise” from the
Chief Reporter of the Surrey Advertiser.
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Vivace Chorus
Jeremy Backhouse
Jeremy
Backhouse began his musical career in
Canterbury Cathedral where he was Head Chorister,
and later studied music at Liverpool University. He
spent 5 years as Music Editor at the Royal National
Institute for the Blind, where he was responsible for
the transcription of print music into Braille. In 1986 he
joined EMI Records as a Literary Editor and from April
1990 he combined his work as a Consultant Editor for
EMI Classics with his career as a freelance conductor.
In November 2004, he took the post of music editor at
Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers.
Jeremy is also the conductor of the Vasari Singers,
widely acknowledged as one of the finest chamber choirs in the country.
Since
winning the prestigious Sainsbury’s Choir of the Year competition in 1988,
they
have performed regularly on the South Bank and at St John’s, Smith Square in
London, as well as in the cathedrals of Canterbury, Chichester, Winchester,
Hereford, Ely and Peterborough. In February 2002 the Vasari Singers performed
the UK Premiere of Dupré’s oratorio La France au Calvaire, followed by a
World
Premiere CD recording, on the Guild label. As a new departure, the Vasari
Singers’ recent Guild label CD, Our love is here to stay, is a collection of close
harmony, blues and jazz numbers, including several arrangements by Ward
Swingle, their Patron. Their CD of Howells' Requiem and Frank Martin's Mass
For Double Choir was released by Signum Records in January 2004, and
a CD
of Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem, in a piano duet version with Jeremy Filsell,
will be released later this year on the Guild label.
In January 1995, Jeremy was appointed Chorus Master of the Guildford
Philharmonic Choir, and now conducts the majority of the choir's concerts.
In
March 1999, Jeremy gave a “masterly” performance of Bruckners Mass in E
minor and Mahler's Symphony No.2 in Guildford Cathedral: in May 2003,
he
significantly extended his Mahler repertoire with a performance of Symphony
No. 8, the monumental 'Symphony of a Thousand'.
Jeremy has worked with a number of the leading choirs in the country, including
the Philharmonia Chorus (preparing for Sir Colin Davis), the London Choral
Society (for Ronald Corp) and the Brighton Festival Chorus (for Carl Davies).
From September 1998 to the end of 2004, Jeremy was the Music Director
of the
Wooburn Singers, only the third conductor in the distinguished history
of the
choir, following Sir Richard Hickox (who founded the choir in 1967) and
most
recently, Stephen Jackson.
Vivace Chorus
17
The Forest Philharmonic Orchestra
The Forest Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1964, and has since become
one of the country’s leading community orchestras, rivalling the highest
professional standards. Members are drawn from diverse backgrounds including
music students, teachers, freelancers and amateurs. The orchestra thereby
fulfils its aim of helping train the musicians of tomorrow while providing a forum
for the leading amateur players of today. Many of the major professional
orchestras in this country have, in their ranks, players who have trained with the
Forest Philharmonic.
The orchestra is based in Waltham Forest, the London borough centred on
Walthamstow, Leyton, Leytonstone and Chingford. The forest in question is the
famous Epping Forest, which belongs to the Corporation of London, and which
extends from within the Borough of Waltham Forest out into Essex.
The Forest Philharmonic is also regularly invited to perform around the country,
acting as an ambassador for the Borough of Waltham Forest and broadening the
orchestra’s repertoire of orchestral and choral works. The orchestra has been
joined by many international artists, such as pianists John Lill and Ronan
O’Hora, violinists Gyorgy Pauk and Tasmin Little, cellists Robert Cohen and
Natalie Clein, and singers Lesley Garrett, Della Jones, Patricia MacMahon and
Sarah Walker. The orchestra’'s current season includes performances of
Janacek’'s Taras Bulba and Shostakovich’s Symphony No.6 in Walthamstow
Assembly Hall, Handel's Messiah in Shoreditch Town Hall and Verdi's Requiem
in London’s Barbican Hall.
Vivace Chorus warmly welcomes the orchestra back for our first concert this
season. Since our first joint and memorable concert of Mahler's Symphony No 2
— ‘Resurrection’ in May 1999, subsequent programmes comprised Walton's
Belshazzar's Feast, Vaughan Wiliams’ Sea Symphony, Mendelsohnn’s Eljjah,
and a tremendous performance of Mahler's Symphony No 8 in May 2003.
During the 2003/04 season, the orchestra provided the challenging and lively
accompaniment for our concert of American music, including Stravinsky’s
Symphony of Psalms,
and made a second visit for the
Russian
Spectacular’ (Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky). During the 2004/05 season, the
Forest Philharmonic joined us in a highly acclaimed performance of Elgar's The
Dream of Gerontius, followed by the first concert of our Contemporary Choral
Classics Cycle: Vaughan Williams’ Dona nobis pacem and Karl Jenkins’ The
Armed Man.
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From Contemporary Choral Classics Cycle: 14 May 2005
3
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“The whole concert touched me very deeply it's hard to find the right words %
%k really. The next day was spent with the feeling and sound around me and in sk
e my head.”
S S S 6 6 I I S TR SR I
18
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Vivace Chorus
Vivace Chorus
(formerly the Guildford Philharmonic Choir)
The Guildford Philharmonic Choir was
founded in 1947 by the Borough of
Guildford to perform major works from the
choral repertoire with the Guildford
Philharmonic Orchestra. During this time,
the Choir grew both in stature and
reputation to become one of the foremo
st Choruses in the country. The Choir
grew to prominence under the batons
of such eminent British musicians as
Sir
Charles Groves, Vernon Handley and Sir David
Willcocks, the current President.
ndent from the Borough of Guildford,
For some time, the Choir had been indepe
and to reflect its independent status
and ever-increasing and varied
undertakings, decided to 'rebrand’ itself —
the change of name, to Vivace Chorus,
was announced in May 2005, during
our last concert of the 2004/05 season
.
Vivace Chorus enjoys a challenging and
varied concert repertoire, performing
works spanning the last five centuries —
some well-known, but also many rarities
deserving to be heard by a wider audienc
e. By way of demonstration: the
2002/03 season included Dvofak’s rarely
heard Requiem, followed by Verdi's
Requiem, but the climax of the season
was undoubtedly Mahler's Symphony
No. 8, where the choir combined forces with
Lewisham Choral Society, the South
West Essex Choir and the Grey Coat Hospita
l Girls Choir. The 2003/04 season
included an evening of Baroque music,
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and a
concert of American music, including
works by Barber, Bernstein, Copland
and
Stravinsky.
The season concluded with Borodin’s
Polovtsian Dances and
Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky (both sung
in Russian), and Rachmaninov's Piano
Concerto No 3, performed by the choir’s outstan
ding accompanist, Jeremy Filsell.
The 2004/05 season began with a glowing
performance of Elgar's The Dream of
Gerontius, followed by the unusual and much-a
ppreciated /talian Inspirations —
non-operatic works by famous compos
ers of Italian opera. This was followe
d by
the first in our Contemporary Choral Classic
s Cycle, a projected 4-year cycle
and innovative series of choral works
from the late 20th and 21st century —
classics of the future paired with establi
shed masterpieces. The chosen pairing
was Vaughan Williams’ Dona nobis pacem
Man
(1936) and Karl Jenkins’ The Armed
(2000). The next concert in the cycle
will feature not only Jeremy
Backhouse's outstanding chamber choir,
the Vasari Singers, but also The
Philharmonia orchestra, a new and excitin
g undertaking for us.
During this year's summer break, we were
invited to sing (under our new name
for the first time) a 'Last Night of the Proms'
charity concert for Chase at a
packed Fairfield Halls, Croydon. This was
a big success as well as great fun,
and we have already been invited back for
next year's concert!
Vivace Chorus is always searching for
new members to maintain
its high
standard. For further details about joining,
please contact Noreen Ayton, tel:
01932 221918. Rehearsals are held on Monda
y evenings throughout term time
in central Guildford and prospective membe
rs are most welcome to attend
rehearsals on an informal basis before
committing to an audition. For more
information, see our new website at www.vi
vacechorus.org.
Vivace Chorus
19
Vivace Chorus
FIRST SOPRANOS
FIRST ALTOS
FIRST TENORS
Joanna Andrews
Marion Adderley
Adam Boniface
Noreen Ayton
Penny Baxter
Bob Cowell
Tim Hardyment
Helen Beevers
Monika Boothby
Mary Broughton
Jane Brooks
Chris Robinson
Miranda Champion
Celia Embleton
John Trigg
Elaine Chapman
Ingrid Hardiman
Rachel Edmondson
Calli Hayes
Susan Hinton
Kay McManus
Bob Bromham
Mo Kfouri
Christine Medlow
Tony Cousins
Hilary Minor
Mary Moon
Stephen Linton
Susan Norton
Penny Muray
Robin Onslow
Jacqueline Norman
FIRST BASSES
Rachel Owen
Penny Overton
John Britten
Margaret Parry
Marjorie Rollo
Jonathan Draper
Margaret Perkins
Lesley Scordellis
Michael Dudley
Gillian Rix
Jane Sweaney
Geoffrey Forster
Carol Terry
SECOND TENORS
Hillary Trigg
Keith Hester
Nikki Vale
Pamela Woodroffe
Chris Newbery
SECOND SOPRANOS
SECOND ALTOS
Valerie Adam
Sally Bailey
Evelyn Beastall
David Ross
Mandy Freeman
Mary Clayton
SECOND BASSES
Jane Kenney
Dan Adderley
Krystyna Marsden
Carolyn Edis
Valerie Garrow
Lois McCabe
Barbara Hilder
Roger Barrett
Alison Newbery
Carol Hobbs
Alan Batterbury
Alison Palmer
Sheila Hodson
Yvonne Hungerford
James Garrow
Chris Peters
Jacqueline Alderton
Josephine Field
Lucy Foster
Kate Peters
Philip Stanford
Kieron Walsh
Peter Andrews
Norman Carpenter
Susannah Priede
Brenda Moore
Nick Gough
Alison Rawlinson
Jean Munro
Michael Jeffery
Ann Sheppard
Kate New
Stephen Jepson
Kathy Stickland
Prue Smith
Neil Martin
Christine Wilks
Alex Stevens
Maxwell New
Rosey Storey
John Parry
Elizabeth Yates
Michael Taylor
20
Vivace Chorus
Choir Functionaries
Jeremy Backhouse
Chorus Director
Jeremy Filsell
Accompanist
The Committee
John Trigg
Chairman
email: chairman@vivacechorus.org
Bob Cowell
Hon. Treasurer
email: treasurer@vivacechorus.org
Patrons Liaison
email: patrons@vivacechorus.org
Miranda Champion
Hon. Secretary
email: secretary@vivacechorus.org
Noreen Ayton
Membership Secretary
Tel. 01932 221918
email: membership@vivacechorus.org
Stephen Jepson
Projects, Staging overview
Jackie Alderton
Fundraising
Social events
Ladies’ uniforms
Mailing List
Tel. 01932 343625
email: mailing@vivacechorus.org
Chris Peters
Website coordinator
Rachel Edmondson
Alison Rawlinson
Hilary Trigg
Publicity
email: publicity@vivacechorus.org
Other responsibilities
Christine Medlow
Music Librarian
Michael Taylor
Ticket Sales
Tel: 07958 519741
email: tickets@vivacechorus.org
Stephen Arthur
Orchestra and soloist liaison
Chris Alderton
Front of House
Vivace Chorus
Patrons and Friends of
Vivace Chorus
Vivace Chorus is extremely grateful to all Patrons and Friends
for their Financial support.
Patrons
Dr. J.B.R. Arbuckle
Mr. & Mrs. G. Dombrowe
Dr. Roger Barrett
Golden and Associates
Mrs. E.A. Batterbury
Mrs. Carol Hobbs
Mr. Bill Bellerby MBE
Mr. Laurie James
Mrs. Doreen Bellerby MBE
Mr. Ron Medlow
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Bennett
Mrs. Christine Medlow
Mr. G.S. Blacker
Dr. Roger Muray
Mrs. J. G. Blacker
Mr. & Mrs. Maxwell S New
Mrs. Ingrid Brockdorff
Mr. & Mrs. John Parry
Mr. & Mrs. R.H.R. Broughton
Penny & Hayter Opticians
Mr. H.J.C. Browne
Mr. Robert Plowright
Canon Patricia Cousins
Mr. & Mrs. B. Reed
Mrs. Maryel Cowell
Mr. Michael Shortland
Mr. & Mrs. Philip Davies
Dr. & Mrs. M.G.M. Smith
Mr. Michael Dawe
Mrs. Y.M.L. Tiplady
Mrs. Margaret Dentskevich
Miss Enid Weston
Friends
Dega Broadcast Systems
Mrs. Jean Shail
Maggie van Koetsveld
Mrs. K.C. Stickland
As a Patron and in return for donating £25 or more per annum, you will be kept
informed of future concerts and given priority booking at our own concerts.
You may book an unlimited number of reserved seats at the Cathedral where
the concert is sponsored by Vivace Chorus.
New Patrons and Friends are always welcome. If you are interested in
participating, please contact Patrons Secretary Bob Cowell,
Tel: 01483 770896, or email: patrons@vivacechorus.org
22
Vivace Chorus
Decorator
Why not let me ‘orchestrate
your decorating?
Interior and exterior work
Tel: 01932 343625
For Complete
Family Eyecare
Extensive ra nge fof(;,mgs
1 Wolsey Walk, Woking GU21 IXU
with many designer names | Tel: 01483 766800
Richard Broughton FCOpiom DipCLP
Resident Partner
Branches also au
Camberlev. Fleet and Guildford
John Harwood
Optometrists & Contact Lens Practitioners
LOBNG
ESTABLISHED
Vivace Chorus
INDEPERDEN]
PRACEICE
23
The Anvik 2005-2006 International Co
PR}
Witn some
of the most celebrated names in music for you to enjoy. in the finest
acoustics in the south of England.
Join us for this celebration of great
music — lve.
Upcoming concerts:
Wed 2 Nov, 7.45pm
Tue 29 Nov, 7.45pm
Phitharmonia Orchestra
Marc-André Hamelin
Mussorgsky
Night on a Bare Mountain
Beethoven
Piano sonata Op. 109
Bartok
Suite: The Miraculous
Beethoven
Piano sona
Mandarin
Schubert
Piano sonata in B flat
Stravinsky
The Firebird
Op. 110
D360
{1910, complete}
Esa-Pekka Salonen
conductor
Sat 3 Dec, 7.45pm
London Mozart Players
Fri 11 Nov, 7.45pm
Mozart
Overture:
Variations on a theme
Wagner
Siegfried Idyll
of Haydn
Mendeissohn
Violin concerto
Beethoven
Symphony no. 2
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Brahms
Liszt
Piano concerto no.
McNetf
Heiligenstadt
Beethoven
Symphony no. 5
sudet
1
The Marriage of Figaro
Nicola
Benedetti
violin
Nicolae Moldoveanuy
onductor
To join the mailing list and receive a free copy of our full
brochure, call the Box Office on 01256 844244 or write to:
The Anvil, Churchill Way, Basingstoke, Hants. RG21 7QR
24
conductor
plano
\
THEA
IV
Vivace Chorus
Forthcoming Programmes
Dates for your Diary
Sunday, 11 December 2005: Holy Trinity 6.30pm
Christmas Family Concert
Organised by the Rotary Club of Guildford, in aid of the Mayor’s charities.
CHASE hospice care for children invites you to
Carols at Christmas
Thursday, 15 December 2005
at Charterhouse Chapel, Godalming
Mulled wine reception followed by concert at 7.15pm
Vivace Chorus, conducted by Jeremy Backhouse
Full details and tickets from Gill Rodrigues at CHASE on 01483 447766
Saturday, 25 March 2006: Guildford Cathedral 7.30pm
Pillars of the Baroque
Handel:
Handel:
Handel:
Zadok the Priest
Water Music (extracts)
Let God Arise (Chandos Anthem No. 11)
J.S. Bach:
Cantata No. 50 ‘Nun ist das Heil und die Kraft’
J.S. Bach:
Airon the G string from Suite No. 3 in D, BWV 1068
J.S. Bach:
Menuet and Badinerie from Suite No. 2
J.S. Bach:
Magnificat in D
Saturday, 20 May 2006: Guildford Cathedral 7.30pm
Contemporary Choral Classics Cycle: Year 2
Trials and Tribulation
Walton:
Belshazzar's Feast (1931)
Francis Pott
A Song on the End of the World (1999)
Featuring The Philharmonia orchestra and the Vasari Singers
The
staging
for
this
concert
is
owned
by
the
@ Association of Surrey Choirs. To hire, please contact
Stephen Jepson, tel: 01306 730383. It was purchased
with financial assistance from the Foundation for Sport
and Arts, PO Box 20, Liverpool.
Vivace Chorus
25
ANNA ARTHUR & ASSOCIATES
SOLICITORS
EVERY SUCCESS FOR THIS EVENING
FIERE FACIAS HOUSE, HIGH STREET, RIPLEY, SURREY
GU23 6AF
TEL: 01483 222499 - FAX: 01483 222766
Forthcoming
Concerts
25th March 2006
7:30 Guildford Cathedral
ai\\m{w‘ “ :‘w
Pillars
AR B
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Baroque
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Vivace
formerly Guildford Philharmonic
Choir