THE MAYOR OF GUILDFORD’S
CHRISTMAS
- inaid of the MAYOR’S CHRISTMAS DISTRESS FUND and
“~the MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY at the Samson Centre
Conductor:
Jeremy Backhouse
o
,,,,,
,,,,
Vivace *r
Chorus
13th Dec 2009
7 pm Holy Trinity Church
Guildford
A MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR OF GUILDFORD
| am honoured to be here tonight as Mayor
of Guildford and | hope you are looking
forward to tonight's Concert as much as |
am.
As we enjoy tonight's programme, and the
lead
up
to
Christmas,
we
should
also
remember that there are many people in
our local community, who face difficult
challenges on a daily basis.
We
are
Guildford
therefore
very
that
are
there
a
fortunate
in
number
of
charities working hard to meet the needs of
these individuals and families, who might
otherwise find it hard to enjoy such special
time of the year.
By attending tonight's concert, you are supporting two such charities
- the
Mayor's Distress Fund, which provides small sums of money to ease
the
strain of providing essential items during times of genuine
financial
difficulty; and Guildford’s Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre, which is
the
President of the Rotary Club of Guildford’s chosen charity for 2009/10.
| would like to sincerely thank all of you for attending tonight and
my
special thanks go to the Rotary Club of Guildford and The Vivace
Chorus
for once again presenting ‘The Mayor of Guildford’s Christmas Concert’
aid of our local charities.
in
| wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Peaceful
New
Year.
/\9
‘
Councillor Pauline Searle
Mayor of Guildford
THE MAYOR OF GUILDFORD’S CHRISTMAS CONCERT
featuring
THE VIVACE CHORUS
Conductor : Jeremy Backhouse
Organist : Graham Thorpe
This Evening’'s Programme
Choir
This is the truth sent from above
(arr. Vaughan Williams)
Welcome by the Rev. Robert Cotton
Audience Carol
(arr. Vaughan Williams / Willcocks)
O Little Town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth,
All praises sing to God the King,
All peace to men on earth;
For Christ is born of Mary
And, gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love.
Choir only
How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heaven,
No ear may hear his coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still
The dear Christ enters in.
r- 2
O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend on us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in,
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas Angels,
The great glad tidings tell:
O come with us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel.
Choir/Piano
Angels and Shepherds
(Christopher Norton)
Rise up, shepherds, and follow
(Spiritual, arr. John Rutter)
Audience Carol
(Este’s Psalter : arr. David Willcocks)
While shepherds watched their flocks by night
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down
And glory shone around.
‘Fear not’, said he, for mighty dread,
Had seized their troubled mind;
Glad tidings of great joy | bring
To you and all mankind.
To you in David’s town this day
Is born of David’s line
A Saviour, who is Christ the Lord:
And this shall be a sign.
The heav’nly Babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands
And in a manger laid.
Thus spake the seraph, and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels praising God, who thus
Addressed their joyful song.
~3~
Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
Born this happy morning,
Jesu, to thee be glory given;
Word of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing:
O Come, let us adore him....
Choir
There is a Flower
(John Rutter)
Jingle Bells
(J. Pierpoint, arr. David Willcocks)
INTERVAL
Wine, Soft Drinks & Mince Pies available
Choir
Wassail Choral
(William Mathias)
Mary’s Lullaby
(John Rutter)
Audience Carol
(English Trad. arr. David Willcocks)
God rest you merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour
Was born upon this day
To save us all from Satan’s power,
When we were gone astray;
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and Jjoy
O tidings of comfort and joy.
From God our Heavenly Father,
A Blessed angel came,
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same;
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by name.
O tidings of comfort and joy....
B
The Shepherds at these tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a feeding,
In tempest, storm and wind:
And went to Bethlehem straightway,
This blessed babe to find
O tidings of comfort and joy....
Choir only
But when to Bethlehem they came
Whereat this infant lay,
They found him in a manger,
Where oxen feed on hay;
His mother Mary kneeling,
Unto the Lord did pray.
O tidings of comfort and joy....
>
Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All others doth deface
O tidings of comfort and joy....
Choir
Christmas-tide
Choir & Audience
(Bob Chilcott)
(J.H.Hopkins_arr. David Willcocks)
We three Kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star.
O star of wonder, star of light
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light
Bass Solo
Born a King on Bethlehem plain
(Melchior)
Gold | bring, to crown him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign
O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light
Bass Solo
(Caspar)
Frankincense to offer have I,
Incense owns a deity nigh,
Prayer and praising, all men raising
Worship him, God most high
O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light.
Bass Solo
Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
(Balthazar)
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in a stone-cold tomb.
O star of wonder, star of light
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light
Glorious now behold Him arise,
King and God and sacrifice,
Heav’'n sings Alleluia,
Alleluia, the Earth replies
O star of wonder, star of light
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light.
Reading
O Simplicitas
by Madeline L’ Engle : read by Jane Brooks
Choir & Audience
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Choir
(English Trad. arr. John Rutter)
Christmas Past
(arr. Goff Richards)
Address by the Mayor of Guildford ~ Councillor Pauline Searle
Introduced by the President of the Rotary Club of Guildford
Audience Carol
(Charles Wesley : arr. Mendelssohn)
Hark! The herald angels sing
Glory to the new-born King:
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled:
Joyful all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies,
With the angelic host proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem
Hark! The herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King.
Christ by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold him come
Offspring of a virgin’s womb:
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate deity!
Pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King.
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings;
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! The herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Encore
A Merry Little Christmas!
(Carol Medley : arr. Goff Richards)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Rotary Club of Guildford would like to thank the
following people and organisations for their help in staging
this year's Mayor of Guildford’s Christmas Concert:The Members of the Vivace Chorus
Jeremy Backhouse ~ Graham Thorpe
Rev. Robert Cotton ~ The Surrey Advertiser
The Parish of Holy Trinity and St. Marys, Guildford
The Inner Wheel Club of Guildford
BBC Radio Surrey ~ County Sound Radio ~ Eagle 96.4
THE SINGERS OF THE VIVACE CHORUS
FIRST SOPRANOS:Joanna Andrews, Helen Beevers, Mary Broughton, Elaine Chapman, Mo Kfouri,
Rachel Edmonson, Maggie Martelli, Susan Norton, Robin Onslow, Margaret Parry,
Margaret Perkins, Alex Simpson, Rosemary Spalding, Carol Terry, Nikki Vale
SECOND SOPRANOS:Jacqueline Alderton, Anne Arthur, Barbara Barklem, Judith Chester, Kate Peters,
Anna Durning, Mandy Freeman, Judith Lewy, Krystyna Marsden, Judy Smith,
Enid Millinger, Debbie Morton, Alison Newbery, Rosalind Plowright, Isobel Rooth,
Ann Shepherd, Kathy Stickland, Paula Sutton, Christine Wilks, Frances Worpe
FIRST ALTOS:Penny Baxter, Monika Boothby, Jane Brooks, Liz Durning, Margaret Dentskevich,
Sue Fletcher, Jane Hedgecock, Sheila Hodson, Pamela Leggatt, Margaret Mann,
Lois McCabe, Clare McKinlay, Kay McManus, Christine Medlow, Rosalind Milton,
Mary Moon, Penny Muray, Gill Perkins, Karen Prodger, Marjory Rollo, Hilary Trigg,
Lesley Scordellis, Maggie Woolcock
SECOND ALTOS:Valerie Adam, Hannah Andrews, Marion Arbuckle, Jo Glover, Evelyn Beastall,
Sylvia Chantler, Christine Curtis, Andrea Dombrowe, Carolyn Edis, Claire Hann,
Celia Embleton, Elizabeth Evans, Barbara Hilder, Susan Hinton, Carol Hobbs,
Yvonne Hungerford, Brenda Moore, Prue Smith, Jacqueline Norman, Jo Stokes,
Beryl Northam, Rosey Storey, June Windle
FIRST TENORS:Bob Cowell, Tim Hardyment, Martin Price, Chris Robertson, John Trigg
SECOND TENORS:John Bawden, Bob Bromham, Tony Chantler, Fergus Hamilton, Geoff Johns,
Jon Scott
FIRST BASSES
John Britten, Michael Golden, Brian John, Jeremy Johnson, Eric Kennedy,
Chris Newbery, Chris Peters, Robin Privett, David Ross, Philip Stanford
SECOND BASSES:Peter Andrews, Roger Barrett, Alan Batterbury, Norman Carpenter, Dave Cox,
Geoffrey Forster, James Garrow, Stuart Gooch, Michael Jeffery, Jonathan Long,
Maxwell New, Mike Osborn, John Parry, Roger Penny, Chris Short, Michael Taylor
~10
~
ABOUT THE VIVACE CHORUS
The Choir was founded back in 1947 as the Guildford Philharmonic Choir
but in May 2005, it was ‘rebranded’ as the Vivace Chorus, to reflect its new
independent status from the Borough of Guildford.
The Choir enjoy a
challenging and varied repertoire from the 16".Century onwards, featuring
some pieces that are well-known, while others are rarities, which deserve
to be heard by a wider audience.
The
2007/8 season tested both our tuning and our nerves, with a
programme of music by French composers.
Sung only with organ or
unaccompanied, this followed our Viennese Masters concert, which
included more a cappella singing, featuring three Bruckner motets and a
16-part arrangement of Mahler’s Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen.
Our contemporary concert featured Karl Jenkin's Requiem, with other
works by Britten, Elgar, Barber and Mahler.
We started the 2008/9 season with a spectacular performance of Verdi's
Requiem, in collaboration with our twin choir The Freiburger Bachchor and
the Romsey Choral Society.
Then, as a complete contrast, our Venetian
Baroque concert included some of the earliest music that we have ever
sung, featuring the works of Gabrieli, Schutz and Monteverdi, with Vivaldi's
uplifting Gloria to finish the evening.
Finally, and following on from the
success of our first-ever jazz concert in May 2007, the season finished with
Will
Todd's Te Deum - a World Premiere
commissioned work to be sung by the Choir.
and
the
first
specially
Apart from singing at the Mayor of Guildford’s Christmas concert, we also
regularly perform at a ‘Last Night of the Proms’ charity concert in
Croydon’s Fairfields Hall, and with our good friends the Brandenburg
Sinfonia, we sing at least once a year in the superb venue
St. Martin-in-the-Fields, performing such works as Mozart's Requiem. -
of
During last summer, half the Choir and Jeremy embarked on what quickly
became known as our Tour de France.
We gave concerts in the
cathedrals of Paris (Notre Dame), Rouen and Beauvais, which proved to
be both inspiring and emotionally moving.
Eagerly anticipated future
events include a commercial recording of Will Todd’s Te Deum and a
performance of Mahler's 8" Symphony, planned for May 2011 in the Royal
Albert Hall.
If you are interested in singing with us, please contact Jane Brooks on
01483 — 539088 or see our website www.vivacechorus.org
~q]
~
JEREMY BACKHOUSE
|
Jeremy
Backhouse
began
musical
career
Canterbury
Cathedral,
in
where
he was
his
Head
| Chorister, and later studied music
|
at Liverpool University.
He spent
| 5 years as a 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 started to
combine his work as a Consultant Editor for EMI Classics with his
work as a freelance conductor.
In November 2004, Jeremy joined
Boosey & Hawkes Music publishers and now works for them in a
freelance capacity.
In January 1995, Jeremy was appointed Chorus Master and Music
Director
of
the
Vivace
Philharmonic Choir.
Chorus,
known
then
as
the
Guildford
Major works performed with them in Guildford
Cathedral have included Mahler's Symphony No.2 and Symphony
No.8,
Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky,
Elgars
The Dream of
Gerontius, Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man, Mendelssohn’s Symphony
No.2 (Lobgesang) and Verdi’'s Requiem.
Since 1980, Jeremy has also been the conductor of the Vasari
Singers, acknowledged as one of the finest chamber choirs in the
country, performing music from the times of Renaissance to today’s
contemporary commissions.
Jeremy has also worked with a number of the country’s leading
choirs,
including
the
Philharmonia
Chorus,
Society and the Brighton Festival Chorus.
the
London
Choral
For 6 years until the end
of 2004, Jeremy was the Music Director of the Wooburn Singers,
following in the footsteps of Sir Richard Hickox, who founded the
choir
in
1967.
In
January
2009,
Jeremy was
appointed
Music
Director of the Salisbury Community Choir and conducted his first
concert with them in May this year.
~12~
GUILDFORD SPRING
MUSIC FESTIVAL
Patron : The Mayor of Guildford : Councillor Pauline Searle
The Fourth biennial Guildford Spring Music Festival will take place from
Sunday, March 21% to Saturday, March 27" 2010, with 14 events ranging
from Rock Choir presentations to Jazz, Chamber Music, Choral and
Orchestral performances throughout the whole week of the Festival.
The GSMF celebrates the work of musicians from the Guildford and West
Surrey area and all events must include at least one musician with a
significant connection with the area through birth, education, work or
residence.
There are many famous names that fall into this category and
several of them will be appearing on the GSMF 2010 Festival.
The Festival’s President is the distinguished tenor Philip Langridge CBE,
who lives locally and he will be singing on Friday, March 26TM with the
prize-winning Heath Quartet, led by West Surrey violinist Oliver Heath.
Also appearing will be harpsichordist Penelope Cave and baritone Jonathan
Veira, who will be using the ‘An Audience with.....” format to recount his
career as an international opera singer.
Other performers will include the GSA Singers, Surrey Brass and young
musicians from Guildford’s County School.
The newly formed Surrey
Cantata will present a programme of English choral music from the 19" and
20TM Centuries and the Surrey Mozart Players will be giving the final Gala
Concert on Saturday, March 27TM,
Altogether, the Festival’s 14 events represent a selection of music from
international stars, professional players, student and amateur musicians,
who live in the area and are pleased to perform for local audiences.
Tickets will be available from January 4TM from the Box Office at the
Electric Theatre (01483 — 444789) and the Guildford Tourist Information
Centre (01483 — 444334) and on the Festival Website.
about each concert can be found on www.gsmf.org.uk
~ {3~
Full information
THE ROTARY CLUB OF GUILDFORD
The Rotary Club of Guildford was
formed in 1921, when only six such
Clubs existed in Great Britain at that
time.
Today, there are 1,840 Rotary
Clubs
in
the
UK,
with
over 55,000
members and 1.2 million members in
33,000 Clubs worldwide. Besides the
1921 Guildford Club, there are two
other Rotary Clubs in the town — the
Guildford
founded
District
in
1975
Club,
and
which
the
was
Guildford
Chantries Club, founded in 1991.
One of the Club’s earliest fund-raising projects in the 1920s was its
‘Big
Brother
scheme,
which
was
launched
to
help
the town's
youngsters, some of whom had lost their fathers during the First
In 1927, the Club embarked on another scheme to
World War.
raise enough money to install radio sets in the wards of the Royal
Surrey County Hospital, so the patients could ‘listen in’.
During the Second World War, one of the Club’s most memorable
humanitarian events was dealing with the survivors from the
beaches of Dunkirk, when the special troop trains carrying survivors
arrived back at Guildford Station in June 1940.
In the mid 1960s, significant contributions were made by the Rotary
Club of Guildford to prepare the way for the building and opening of
the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and the establishment of the University
of Surrey on Stag Hill.
The Rotary Club of Guildford continues to raise money to support
Calcutta’s Eye Hospitals through the Club’s Calcutta Eye project.
There are now 25 hospitals in operation in Calcutta alone and these
eye clinics help to restore the sight of 30,000 people per year.
The
Club also continues to sponsor its Jaipur Limb project, which was
established in 1975. Since then, over 960,000 patients have been
given new artificial limbs free of charge at the project's 14 limb
centres in Jaipur, New Delhi and Bangalore.
~14
~
Last
year, the Rotary Club’s
fundraising efforts supported the
local children’s hospice CHASE
raised £10,000 through a
and
number of events that included
Tastings, a Bridge Day,
Wine
our annual collection in Guildford
High Street and a Charity Film
Night. This well-known Guildford
charity
provides
support
for
help
families
with
and
sick
children, who are not expected
to reach their 19" Birthday.
Our
photo shows the £10,000 cheque being presented to David King,
CHASE’s Chief Executive officer by our outgoing Rotary President
Neil Ritchie.
To aid the enormous efforts being made by Rotary Clubs worldwide
to eradicate Polio by 2013, Bill Gates challenged Rotarians to match
his $100 million donation made in 2008 and to date, $73 million has
already been raised well ahead of schedule.
Encouraged by this,
the Bill Gates Foundation has promised a further $250 million, if
Rotarians can raise a further $100 million by 2012.
As our photo shows, Bill Gates has been at the forefront of this
campaign, visiting India, Pakistan and Nigeria, where the risk of polio
IS
greatest
5
1
At
the
launch
:
-----'
of the
3
campalgn
Bill Gates
“Rotarians,
leaders
said
government
and
Health
professionals have made a
phenomenal
to
the
commitment
eradication
disease
every
and
child
of this
reaching
in
these
affected countries with the
polio vaccine is crucially
important, so that no child
will
ever
be
paralysed
again
by this
disease”.
devastating
FORTHCOMING CONCERTS BY
THE VIVACE CHORUS
THE VIVACE CHORUS
Saturday, January 30" 2010 : Normandy Village Hall
10am to 4.30pm plus refreshments
Join us and our musical director Jeremy Backhouse to sing
David Fanshawe’s AFRICAN SANCTUS.
PUCCINI & VERDI
Saturday, March 6" 2010 : Guildford Cathedral : 7.30pm
The Vivace Chorus and the Brandenburg Sinfonia
Andrew Dickinson (Tenor)
Frederick Long (Bass)
Puccini : Preludio Sinfonico
Verdi : Four Sacred Songs
Puccini : Crisantemi (Chrysanthemums)
Puccini : Messa Di Gloria (1880)
Tickets : £22, £16, £11, (Under 18, Students £5)
Available by calling 07958 — 519741
or Guildford Tourist Information Centre on 01483 — 444334
For further information, please visit our website at
www. vivacechorus. org
~16
~
We wish you a
Merry
Christmas
www.VivaceChorus.org
Registered Charity No 1026337