OVERTU RE WITH CHORUS
TC HAI KOVSKY
PROKOFIEV: Ivan the Terrible
| BORODIN: Polovtsian Dances
[ The Brandenburg Sinfonia
Conductor: Jeremy Backhouse
Chorus 8
22nd May 2010
7.30 pm Guildford Cathedral
ANNA ARTHUR & ASSOCIATES
SOLICITORS
EVERY SUCCESS FOR THIS EVENING
FIERI FACIAS HOUSE, HIGH STREET
RIPLEY, SURREY GU23 6AF
TEL: 01483 222499 — FAX: 01483 222766
An Evening of Russian Music
Borodin:
Polovtsian Dances
Tchaikovsky:
1812 Overture
Prokofiev:
Ivan the Terrible — Concert Scenario
Natalia Brzezinska
Mezzo-soprano
Vytautas Vepstas
Baritone
The Brandenburg Sinfonia
conductor
Jeremy Backhouse
Vivace Chorus
PRE-CONCERT TALK
'Prokofiev and Eisenstein — Reluctant Russians’
| This will start at 6.30pm in the Chapter House of the Cathedral. The |
| speaker will be Martin Hall. Martin has a long-standing connection with |
| the Vivace Chorus as a deputy accompanist. He has also participated in |
| concerts as pianist and continuo player and is a Fellow of the Royal |
| College of Organists. Martin’s experience includes specialist study and |
| experience as a performer in 20th Century repertory. He has spoken |
| before about neoclassical traits in music of the French school and is i
| turning his attention tonight to the work of that seminal neoclassic
. composer, Prokofiev.
Alexander Borodin (1833 — 1887)
Borodin was born in St Petersburg, the illegitimate son of a Georgian
Prince, who had him registered as the son of one of his serfs. He
received a good education, including piano lessons, but it was chemistry
in which he specialised, and he did not receive any formal lessons in
composition until 1863, when he was taught by Balakirev.
Borodin was a member of 'The Mighty Handful', also known as 'The Five'
in
English-speaking
nationalist
countries.
composers,
This
brought
was
together
a
group
under
of
the
the
principal
leadership
of
Balakirev (the other members were Cui, Rimsky-Korsakov and
Mussorgsky) with the aim of producing a specifically Russian music,
rather than imitating older European music, and following the example of
Glinka, their forerunner. Collectively they influenced and taught many of
the great
Russian composers who were to follow, including Sergei
Prokofiev, Igor Stravinsky and Dmitri Shostakovich.
Although he was the last member of 'The Five', and acknowledged
himself as a musical dilettante, Borodin was in the first rank as a
scientist, winning distinction as a professor of chemistry at the Academy
of
4
Medicine
in
St Petersburg.
He was
also
a frequent speaker at
Vivace Chorus
seminars and conferences all over Europe. His busy professional life
meant that he composed somewhat irregularly — his total output was only
21 works and at his death he left a number of scores unfinished, to be
completed by his friend Rimsky-Korsakov and others.
Polovtsian Dances (from Prince Igor)
Borodin's greatest work, the opera Prince Igor, remained unfinished at
his death in 1887, after 18 years on the drawing board. It was finally
completed
and orchestrated by his friends Rimsky-Korsakov and
Glazunov. The libretto, by Borodin himself, is based on a 12th-century
epic which tells how Prince Igor defended Russia against the invading
barbarous and nomadic people known as the Polovtsi.
After Prince Igor and his son are captured in battle by the Polovtsi, their
leader, the magnanimous Khan Konchak, entertains his prisoners
lavishly as guests, while the warriors and slaves, boys and young
maidens of the Khan's retinue sing and dance to entertain Igor and the
Khan. This exotic dance sequence quickly enjoyed great success as a
separate concert piece — the Polovisian Dances. The version usually
performed omits the chorus; however, tonight’s performance is of the
complete suite with chorus, as it would appear in the opera, bringing the
second act to a spectacular conclusion.
The first dance is introduced by the percussion. Its strong, heavy rhythm
wonderfully depicts the barbarous character of the Polovisian people.
This is followed by a quicker, bouncier dance. Four descending notes on
strings provide an atmosphere of intrigue, which then dissolves into the
gentle and lyrical Maidens' Dance, from which came the lovely melody
known
as
A
Stranger in
Paradise.
And finally,
brief echoes from
preceding sections and singing the praises of Khan Konchak, the set is
brought to a momentous climax.
Fly away, our songs of freedom.
Fly away on gentle breezes;
fly swiftly songs of love, to greet our homeland
where once we lived in hope and knew no sorrow,
where once we sang, rejoicing in our freedom.
There beneath the burning sky languid breezes cooled us,
there the cloud capp’d mountains dream above the silver sea;
there our days were long and carefree
amid the sunlit hills and shady meadows
and there the scent of roses in the valleys
once filled the sultry air with sweetest perfume.
Vivace Chorus
5
There skylarks sing.
Fly away, our songs of freedom.
Glory, honour, praises to our Khan!
Fearless, mighty, ruthless warrior! Hail!
Sing his praise, praise! Great Konchak, praise him!
Fiercer than the scorching midday sun!
None can equal him in splendour, none!
Slaves and captives, all acclaim him,
slaves and captives all acclaim his glorious name.
Look at those slaves of mine, aren’t they beautiful?
Captives | took from the tribes of the Caspian.
They can make you forget all your loneliness,
choose anyone who attracts you and she shall be yours.
Braver far than all before you, mighty Khan, great Konchak!
Praise our Khan, Konchak!
Fly away on gentle breezes;
fly swiftly songs of love, to greet our homeland
where once we lived in hope and knew no sorrow,
where once we sang, rejoicing in our freedom.
As we all sang there languid breezes cooled us,
there we saw the silver sea.
There our days were long and carefree,
roses scented all the air,
and fertile vineyards yielded sweet wine.
Fly away, our songs of freedom!
Braver far than all before you, mighty Khan, great Konchak!
Braver far than all before
mighty Khan, great Konchak!
Praise our Khan, Khan Konchak!
Dance and sing for Konchak’s pleasure,
Let all people praise him singing/dancing!
Offer songs of homage
to our glorious Khan Konchak!
6
Vivace Chorus
Pyotr llyich Tchaikovsky (1840 — 1893)
Born into a middle-class family, Tchaikovsky demonstrated a musical
talent from an early age but was not encouraged by his family. He
studied
law but,
in
1862,
he left the civil service and entered the
St Petersburg Conservatory as a student, teaching music privately to pay
for his studies. He was a master of melody and went on to write some of
the most popular concert and theatrical music in the current classical
repertoire, across a range of genres, including symphony, opera, ballet,
instrumental, chamber and song.
The formal, Western-oriented training Tchaikovsky received set him
apart from the contemporary nationalistic movement embodied by the
influential group of young Russian composers known as ‘The Five’' (see
more in Borodin notes), with whom Tchaikovsky sustained a mixed
professional relationship throughout his career.
1812 Overture
The overture was written in 1880 for the consecration of a new cathedral
in Moscow, which in turn was to be part of a festival to commemorate the
events of 1812 and Napoleon’s ill-fated attempt to subdue the Russian
Empire. It was conceived on a grand scale, including the use of massed
choirs, but never received its scheduled performance at the festival, and
the choral version of the overture is rarely heard.
The piece starts quietly, depicting the peace of rural life in Holy Russia,
and quoting from a Russian Orthodox liturgical hymn. Then come the
menacing clouds of war and the trumpets of the invading French army.
Tchaikovsky used quotes from both the French National Anthem La
Marseillaise and the old Czarist National Anthem to depict the two sides
in the ensuing Battle of Borodino. The concluding Russian victory is full
of joy, with church bells and symbolic firing of the cannon.
Spasi Gospodi liudi Tvoia i blagoslovi
God, Save Thy people,
dostoianiie Tvoie.
And Give Thy Blessing to our souls, which
Pobedy boriushchimsia za veru pravuiu
belong to Thee,
i za sviatuiu rus,
Granting us, who are struggling for the true
nasoprotivnyia daruia.
faith and for Holy Russia,
| Tvoie sokhraniaia
Victory against our adversaries,
krestom Tvoim zhitelstvo.
And Keep Thy Presence in our souls, with
the help of Thy Holy Cross.
Vivace Chorus
7
Gospodi liudi Tvoia i blagoslovi dostoianiie
Tvoie.
God, Save Thy people,
And Give Thy Blessing to our souls, which
pobyedy pravoslavnym
belong to Thee,
khristianom
Granting us, true Christian believers,
nasoprotivnyia daruia.
Victory against our adversaries,
And Keep Thy Presence in our souls, with
| Tvoie sokhraniaia
krestom Tvoim zhitelstvo.
I Tvoie sokhraniaia
the help of Thy Holy Cross.
Keep Thy Presence in our souls, with the
help of Thy Holy Cross.
krestom Tvoim.
~ Interval ~
Sergei Prokofiev (1891 — 1953)
Prokofiev was given piano lessons from the age of 3 by his mother, who
encouraged him to compose. He studied privately with Gliére in 1903-4,
then entered the St Petersburg Conservatory in 1904, studying harmony
and counterpoint with Lyadov and orchestration with Rimsky-Korsakov.
In 1918, when life under the Bolsheviks began to interfere with his
composing, Prokofiev left Russia for America and France. When he
returned to the Soviet Union in 1936, he was well-established in the
West as a composer-pianist-conductor, the widely-hailed creator of the
Classical Symphony and Scythian Suite, the first three piano concerti
and the first for violin, The Love For Three Oranges, and much more. He
said of his decision to return to Stalin's Russia "In Europe, we all have to
fish for performances, cajole conductors and theatre directors; in Russia
they come to me — | can hardly keep up with the demand...".
However, he was almost immediately trapped in a situation from which
he could not extricate himself. Although he wrote many works glorifying
the regime, he was resented for his international past and connections,
his foreign manner and arrogance. In 1948 Prokofiev was accused by
the Soviet authorities of anti-democratic tendencies, and his artistic
freedom was permanently curbed, although he continued to be
productive almost until the day he died, only hours before the death of
his principal persecutor, Joseph Stalin.
A concert tour abroad (1937-8) included a visit to Los Angeles and
several visits to the local Hollywood film studios, which were especially
stimulating to the composer as he noted the sort of musical techniques
8
Vivace Chorus
being used in Hollywood at the time. He hoped that a film assignment
would come to him soon after his return home. That assignment did
come quickly, in the form of the musical score of Sergei Eisenstein's
grand spectacular and patriotic film Alexander Nevsky, produced in
1938. Eisenstein was already established as one of the greatest cinema
directors of the world, and the film had an overt propaganda purpose: to
raise the morale of the Russia populace in the likely event of a war with
Germany.
Eisenstein and Prokofiev began to collaborate on a film project about the
life of lvan the Terrible (lvan IV of Russia) in 1942.
This was initially intended as a three-part film. Part | was praised by the
Soviet authorities, but Part || was banned due to its dubious depiction of
lvan (Stalin apparently thought of himself as a modern day Ivan).
Subsequent to this, plans for Part 1ll were abandoned.
Vivace Chorus
9
There are several versions of the film music but tonight’s performance is
a concert scenario crafted by the late Christopher Palmer, orchestrator,
music essayist and critic. This version eliminates the narration, which
was considered by many to distract the listener from Prokofiev's music.
Ivan the Terrible: Concert Scenario
No.1
No.2
No.3
i)
i)
iii)
No.4
No.5
i)
i)
No.6
No.7
i)
ii)
Overture — with chorus
Ocean-Sea, Russian Sea — with contralto soloist and chorus
The Wedding
The White Swan — Allegro fastoso — with female chorus
Glorification — Andante — with chorus
The White Swan — Allegro fastoso — with female chorus
Fire
Tartars and Cannoneers
Allegro moderato
Moderato energico — with chorus
The Storming of Kazan — with chorus
Ivan’s Sickness
Adagio
Andante sostenuto — with (wordless) chorus
No.8
At the Polish Court
No.9
Anastasia
No. 10
The Song of the Beaver (Efrosiniya’s Lullaby) —
No. 11
The Banquet
with contralto soloist and chorus
i)
i)
Dance of the Tsar’s Men — Allegro ben ritmato, feroce
Song of Fyodor Basmanov and the Tsar’s Men Allegro moderato — with baritone soloist and male chorus
iii)
Dance of the Tsar’s Men — Allegro ben ritmato
No. 12 Murder in the Cathedral — with (wordless) chorus
No. 13 Finale — with soloists and chorus
No.1
Overture
The stormy Overture begins with a torrent of violin runs, laying the
foundation for the brass-heavy theme of Ivan, which is heroic, yet
contains an element of bombast.
A black cloud is looming.
The sunrise drenched blood-red.
The Boyars’ evil treachery,
Against our Tsar’s power,
Is leading us to war.
10
Vivace Chorus
No.2
Ocean-Sea, Russian Sea
This song, from his old nurse, inspired the young Ivan to extend Russian
domination and expel all enemies from the Motherland.
Contralto solo
Ocean, ocean-sea, sea so azure blue,
Sea so blue, sea so glorious,
You reach the very Heavens above.
And your breakers rise to the Sun on high.
Chorus
On your shores our ancient cities stand, captive to our enemies.
Ocean, ocean-sea, sea so azure blue,
Sea so glorious, our great Russian Sea!
No.3
The Wedding
This movement celebrates the marriage of Ivan and Anastasia in two
songs which, although they appear to be Russian folksongs, are thought
to be authentic Prokofiev, albeit reminiscent of Rimsky-Korsakov.
i)
The White Swan
Open, open, little gates, open, open wider yet!
The long wished for white swan floats by, blessed with her crown.
Through the town the Tsar is marching, searching for a bride.
He peers into the Boyars’ homes,
Searching for his own white swan.
Open, open, little gates, open, open wider yet!
The long wished for white swan floats by, blessed with her crown.
ii)
Glorification
On the little hilltops, the little oak trees stand,
And on the little oak trees, the little doves are perched.
Lulla, lulla, lulla, lullaby,
Lulla, lulla, lulla, lullaby.
And, amongst them all, the chitter-chatter starts,
And they give praise and glorify this fine young man.
Lulla, lulla, lulla, lullaby,
Lulla, lulla, lulla, lullaby.
Ivan is his name, our Ruler and our Tsar.
And, he is the son of Vasiliy.
Vivace Chorus
11
Lulla, lulla, lulla, lullaby,
Lulla, lulla, lulla, lullaby.
Ivan is his name, our Ruler and our Tsar.
And, he is the son of Vasiliy.
iii)
The White Swan
Open, open, little gates, open, open wider yet!
The long wished for white swan floats by, blessed with her crown.
Through the town the Tsar is marching, searching for a bride.
He peers into the Boyars’ homes.
Searching for his own white swan.
Open, open, little gates, open, open wider yet!
The long wished for white swan floats by, blessed with her crown.
No.4
Fire
This introduces the Boyars, enemies of Ivan; their drum rolls stir up the
people to riot, set fire to Moscow and interrupt the wedding feast.
No.5
Tartars and Cannoneers
The town of Kazan breaks friendship with Moscow, therefore Ivan
attacks. A group of Tartar hostages is sacrificed in an attempt to force a
surrender, while the cannoneers sing lustily to an accompaniment of
spades and pickaxes.
Forge the bronze cannons true, cannoneers!
Arquebuses forge them too, cannoneers, cannoneers!
Let the guns as sisters be, cannoneers,
To our pikes and sabres sharp steel blue, cannoneers, cannoneers!
Set up the cannons, cannoneers, cannoneers!
Haul the siege towers close to the walls, cannoneers, cannoneers!
To the Kazan walls, cannoneers, cannoneers!
Young Muscovite lads, cannoneers, cannoneers!
Set up the cannons, cannoneers, cannoneers!
Haul the siege towers close to the walls, cannoneers, cannoneers!
To the Kazan walls, cannoneers, cannoneers!
Young Muscovite lads, cannoneers, cannoneers!
Oh, our path, dear distant little path, across the Tatar Steppe,
Our task for the Tsar is weary,
Oh, our path, dear distant little path, across the Tatar Steppe,
Our task for the Tsar is weary.
12
Vivace Chorus
Set up the cannons, cannoneers, cannoneers!
Haul the siege towers close to the walls, cannoneers, cannoneers!
To the Kazan walls, cannoneers, cannoneers!
Young Muscovite lads, cannoneers, cannoneers!
Cannoneers!
No.6
The Storming of Kazan
The Storming of Kazan is the single largest movement. A solo tuba
depicts an approaching army of foot-soldiers and cavalry. One of the
most beautiful scenes and melodies arises from a leitmotif for the
Russian steppe, with that elemental Russian grace and melancholy that
makes Prokofiev immortal. The subsequent battle invokes recollections
of Alexander Nevsky — The Battle on the Ice — with gunfire, billowing
smoke and Ivan emerging triumphant to declare himself Tsar of Moscow
and ruler of all Russia.
Oh, such woe,
Oh such bitter sorrow, on the Tatar Steppe
Was our heavy task for the Tsar,
Such was our grim fate, on the Tatar Steppe!
No.7
Ivan’s Sickness
The double basses depict the dying Ivan’s despair over the Boyars’
refusal to acknowledge his son Dmitri as his heir. Miraculously, he
recovers, to the sound of a wordless chorus of benediction.
No. 8
At the Polish Court
Prince Kurbsky, trusted friend of Ivan, intrigues with King Sigismund of
Poland to surrender the Russian army. The court music consists of a
Fanfare and Polonaise, with its delightfully charming woodwind melody
and beautiful central theme.
No. 9
Anastasia
A theme of deceit enters in this movement devoted to Ivan’s loyal and
beloved wife, depicted by a tender theme of strings and solo oboe. But
Anastasia is doomed to die, poisoned by Ivan’s scheming aunt
Efrosiniya, whose sinister music begins and ends the movement.
Vivace Chorus
13
No. 10
The Song of the Beaver (Efrosiniya’s Lullaby)
The contrast between the sinister music for Efrosiniya the poisoner and
Ivan's wife Anastasia is stark. The Lady Macbeth-like Song of the Beaver
is threaded through with her dark ambition to assassinate Ivan and put
her own simpleton son Vladimir on the throne. Her lullaby degenerates
into a dance of vengeance and naked ambition.
In the freezing Moscow River, the beaver black was bathing,
The more he bathed, the blacker he became.
He washed himself clean, then to the top of a hill he climbed.
He shook himself dry, and he glanced around,
Is someone coming, is someone on his trail?
The hunters they are whistling, the beaver black they're seeking,
The hunters they are prowling, the beaver black they’ll find.
They want to slay the beaver, they want to have him skinned,
They want to make a fox-fur coat, trimmed with the beaver’s pelt,
A ceremonial robe, for Tsar Vladimir's adornment.
No. 11
The Banquet
In the film, The Banquet featured Eisenstein’s use of colour — for the first
and last time — the musical rhythms reminiscent of the victory sequences
from Alexander Nevsky, except that the context involves the oprichniki,
Ivan’s personal assassins and progenitors of the modern KGB.
The
baritone’s drinking song (the young Fyodor Basmanov was with Ivan at
the Battle of Kazan) is punctuated by rhythms one step away from Carl
Orff, assisted by the howling police whistles around the ruthless Song of
the Oprichniki.
Fyodor
The guests have gone a'visiting the Boyars at their gates,
And with their axes they are raising Hell!
Hey-Ho! Tell them! Hey-Ho! Tell them! Sentence them to death!
And, with your axes hack them down!
Split their gates asunder!
Hand round their golden goblets!
Hey-Ho! Tell them! Hey-Ho! Tell them! Sentence them to death!
And, with your axes hack them down!
And now with drunken heads, the guests are going home,
And they've left the Boyars’ palaces ablaze!
Hey-Ho! Tell them! Hey-Ho! Tell them! Sentence them to death!
And, with your axes hack them down!
14
Vivace Chorus
Chorus
To their gates! With our axes!
Hey-Ho! Tell them! Hey-Ho! Tell them! Sentence them to death!
And, with our axes hack them down!
Split asunder! Hand the goblets!
Hey-Ho! Tell them! Hey-Ho! Tell them! Sentence them to death!
And, with our axes hack them down!
Now let’'s go! We've lit the blaze!
Hey-Ho! Tell them! Hey-Ho! Tell them! Sentence them to death!
And, with our axes hack them down!
No. 12 Murder in the Cathedral
There is an ironic reversal of Efrosiniya’s plot, wherein Ivan gets her son
Viadimir drunk at the banquet and dresses him in the regal apparel that
attracts the oprichniki to stab him in the cathedral. The inverted liturgy
builds to an evil bass crescendo and cymbal crash; the coda reprise of
Song of the Beaver intones the slaughter not of the Tsar Ivan but of the
pretender.
No. 13 Finale
The brief Finale invokes Ivan’s return to Moscow following the entreaties
of his people, lending the piece a triumphant and towering finality.
As one nation, Rus’ is now united!
The Vivace Chorus wishes to thank two members of the choir, namely
Michael Golden and Tatiana Petrenko, for all their hard work to provide
us with translations, transliterations and help with pronunciation for
tonight’s concert.
Some of the printed music for this evening's concert has been hired
from The Philharmonia Chorus, Boosey & Hawkes Music
Hire Library, Oxford University Press Music Hire Library and
Surrey County Council Performing Arts Library.
Vivace Chorus
18
Natalia Brzezinska — Mezzo-soprano
Natalia joined the Royal Academy Opera
in September 2008. She graduated with
distinction in vocal studies from the Music
Academy in Lodz (Poland) before coming
to the UK in 2006 to take up postgraduate
studies with Anne Howells and Mary Hill at
the Academy. She was a finalist in the
Richard Lewis Competition (2008, 2009)
.
and
k
highly
commended
in
the
Flora
Nielsen/Elena Gerhardt Prize Competition
(2008). She is supported by the Josephine
Baker Trust and the Nan Copeland Award.
Her oratorio experience includes Bach'’s
Magnificat, St Matthew Passion, B Minor
Mass and cantatas, Handel's Messiah and
Samson,
Vivaldi's
Gloria
and
Stabat
Mater, Pergolesi’'s Stabat Mater, Haydn’s Nelson Mass and Theresia
Mass, Mozart’'s Requiem and Coronation Mass, Zebrowski's Requiem,
Rheinberger’'s Mass in C, Nicolai's Mass in C, Schubert's Mass in E flat,
Saint-Saéns’ Oratorio pour Noel and Dvorak’'s Stabat Mater. Operatic
roles include Berta in Rossini’'s Barber of Seville, Fidalma in Cimarosa’s
The Secret Marriage, Florence Pike in Britten's Albert Herring, Larina
and Filipievna in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin and Emira in Hasse's
Il Siroe. In April 2010 Natalia joined Glyndebourne Festival Opera as a
chorus member in their productions of Macbeth, Don Giovanni and The
Rake's Progress. Her forthcoming roles include Enotea in Vinci's Medo.
For 15 years Natalia has been a member of Con Vigore, a specialist
chamber choir of 12 voices performing a wide range of repertoire from
Gregorian chant to contemporary works at prestigious venues across the
world. She has participated in master-classes with Jadwiga Rappé,
Diane Forlano, Malcolm Martineau, Rosamund llling and Dennis O’Neill.
In the last 6 years she has featured in the Schleswig-Holstein Music
Festival in Germany. As the mezzo Bach Scholar, she performs regularly
as a soloist in the Royal Academy of Music/Kohn Foundation Bach
Cantata Series.
The Vivace Chorus gratefully acknowledges the sponsorship of
tonight’s soloist Natalia Brzezinska by the Josephine Baker Trust.
16
Vivace Chorus
Vytautas Vepstas — Baritone
Lithuanian
baritone
Vytautas
Vepstas
began his musical education aged 9, as an
oboe player. At 17 he took up singing and
by 2000 was accepted to the Academy of
Music and Theatre in Lithuania. Vytautas
. was awarded a full scholarship to join the
Opera Course at the Royal Academy of
Music in London in 2008, where he studies
with Mark Wildman.
In 2005, Vytautas premiered Pater Noster,
a piece for baritone and chamber orchestra
by the
Lithuanian
composer
Feliksas
Bajoras. Vytautas has also sung in several
festivals in his native Lithuania: the Early
music festival Donum musicae (2005) and
in 2008, the Kristupo summer festival, the
Sesuoleliu and Bistrampolio estate festivals, and the Festival of Short
Operas, where he took the role of the Husband in Jonas Sakalauskas’
opera Svingas.
Other operatic roles include Apollo in Monteverdi's L‘Orfeo at Klaipeda
musical theatre (premiere), Somnus in Handel's Semele and Martino in
Rossini's L‘Occasione fa il ladro (both with Royal Academy Opera, 2009)
Vytautas has performed at concerts in Lithuania with the St Kristoforas
Chamber Orchestra and with the Lithuanian Academy of Music and
Chamber
Orchestra,
and
in
Germany
with
the
Theatre
Branderburgisches Staats Orchestra, Frankfurt. Since commencing his
studies at the Royal Academy, Vytautas has performed in Switzerland at
Lucerne Pianos with Alissa Firsova and with the Didcot Choral Society.
Vytautas has participated in master-classes with distinguished artists
such as Joseph Wallnig, Jutta Schlaegel and Dennis O'Neill.
" An Ttalian Evening; 6th March 2010
The performance was absolutely beautiful! It was
amazing and nothing like I've ever been to before.
Thank you for inviting me to a new experience!
Vivace Chorus
17
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 work as a Consultant Editor for
EMI Classics with a career 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
subsequently Music Director of the Guildford Philharmonic Choir (now
Vivace Chorus). Major works performed in Guildford Cathedral include
Mahler's Symphony No. 2 and Symphony No. 8, Prokofiev's Alexander
Nevsky, Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius, Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man
Mendelssohn’s
Symphony No. 2 (Lobgesang), Verdi's
Requiem and
most recently, in November 2009, Haydn's The Creation.
Since 1980, Jeremy has been the conductor of the Vasari Singers,
acknowledged as one of the finest chamber choirs in the country,
performing music from the Renaissance to contemporary commissions.
Jeremy has also worked with a number of the country's leading choirs,
including the Philharmonia Chorus, the London Choral Society and the
Brighton Festival Chorus. For 6 years, to the end of 2004, Jeremy was
the Music Director of the Wooburn Singers, following Sir Richard Hickox
(who founded the choir in 1967) and most recently, Stephen Jackson. In
January 2009, Jeremy was appointed Music Director of the Salisbury
Community Choir. His first concert with them was in May 2009.
18
Vivace Chorus
the
Artistic Director — Robert Porter
SBraniepbire
Associate Music Director — Sarah Tenant-Flowers
W sinfonia
The Brandenburg Sinfonia is one of the most dynamically versatile
musical organisations in the country. It is renowned for its special quality
of sound and poised wvacnty in performance. The orchestra performs
regularly in the majority of the major venues across the country, and in
London
at the
Barbican,
Royal
Albert
Hall,
Queen
Elizabeth
Hall,
Fairfield Halls and St John's, Smith Square. The Brandenburg Sinfonia is
also in great demand abroad and has visited France, USA, Bermuda, the
Channel Islands, Barbados, Russia, Germany, Japan and Hong Kong. In
1999 the orchestra established major concert series at both St Martin-in-
the-Fields and Crystal Palace Bowil.
A large number of artists of international standing have worked with the
orchestra including Emmanuel Hurwitz, Lesley Garrett, John Georgiadis,
John
Wallace,
ranges from
Michael
Bach to
Thompson
Lloyd
and
Gordon
Webber and
its
Hunt.
Its
repertoire
members give
around
100 performances of orchestral, chamber, choral and operatic music
during the year. The orchestras for a number of touring companies are
formed from members of the Brandenburg Sinfonia including First Act
Opera, London City Opera, Opera Holland Park, London Opera Players
and Central Festival Opera.
Violin 1
Viola
Oboe
Mihkel Kerem
Matthew Quenby
Emily Pailthorpe
Heidi Bennett
David Ballesteros
Sarah Chapman
Rachel Broadbent
Jo Harris
Sarah Wolstenholme
Karin Norlen
Mariam Ruetschi
Stephen Hudson
Clarinet
Andrew Webster
Charlotte Self
Chris Evans
Anna Harpham
Mary Hofman
Rhees Watkins
Ruth Gibson
Liz Sharp
Cello
Trumpet
Irene Haberli
Ross Brown
Trombone
Gabriella Nikula
Emily Steinitz
Barbara Dziewiecka
Sheila Law
Violin 2
Tai Mi Song
Bassoon
Mike Poyser
Elizabeth van Ments
Lydia Shelley
Sarah Burnett
Elizabeth Trigg
Tom Hardy
Rosie Cow
Horn
Timpani
Adrian Bradbury
Ben Rogerson
Harriet Wiltshire
Julian Sax|
Bass
Natalie Dick
Anthony Williams
Tina Jacobs-Lim
Laura Campbell
Elunid Pritchard
Jan Zahourek
Flute
Catriona Hepburn
Francesca Rogerson
Lara Hoccam
Saxophone
Peter Nicholls
David Lee
Fergus Davidson
Nick Wolstencroft
Alan McAfee
Susie Koczur
Jason Koczur
Claire O'Connell
Claire Findlater
Vivace Chorus
Juliet Bucknall
Tom Lessels
Susan White
Emma Juliette Boyd
Dougal Prophet
Tuba
Gillian McDonagh
Percussion
Dominic Hackett
Janne Metsapelto
Mike Osborne
Harp
Rhian Hanson
19
Vivace Chorus Singers
FIRST SOPRANOS
Helen Beevers
Mary Broughton
Rachel Edmondson
Mo Kfouri
Maggie Martelli
Hilary Minor
Susan Norton
Margaret Parry
Kate Rayner
Gillian Rix
Rosemary Spalding
Carol Terry
Nikki Vale
SECOND SOPRANOS
Jacqueline Alderton
Anna Arthur
Barbara Barklem
Anna Durning
Jane Kenney
Judith Lewy
Krystyna Marsden
Enid Millinger
Debbie Morton
Alison Newbery
Alison Palmer
Kate Peters
Isobel Rooth
Ann Sheppard
Laura Sheppard
Zowie Sweetland
Paula Sutton
Philippa Walker
Christine Wilks
Frances Worpe
FIRST ALTOS
Penny Baxter
Monika Boothby
Jane Brooks
Margaret Dentskevich
Liz Durning
Sue Fletcher
20
Jane Hedgecock
Sheila Hodson
Jean Leston
Margaret Mann
Lois McCabe
Clare McKinlay
Kay McManus
Christine Medlow
Rosalind Milton
Mary Moon
Penny Muray
Gill Perkins
Karen Prodger
Marjory Rollo
Lesley Scordellis
Catherine Shacklady
Hilary Trigg
SECOND ALTOS
Valerie Adam
Geraldine Allen
Hannah Andrews
Evelyn Beastall
Sylvia Chantler
Mary Clayton
Christine Curtis
Andrea Dombrowe
Carolyn Edis
Celia Embleton
Elizabeth Evans
Valerie Garrow
Jo Glover
Susan Hinton
Carol Hobbs
Yvonne Hungerford
Brenda Moore
Jacqueline Norman
Beryl Northam
Tatiana Petrenko
Sheila Rowell
Prue Smith
Jo Stokes
Rosey Storey
June Windle
Elisabeth Yates
FIRST TENORS
Bob Cowell
Tim Hardyment
Peter Norman
Martin Price
Chris Robinson
John Trigg
SECOND TENORS
John Bawden
Bob Bromham
Tony Chantler
Geoff Johns
Stephen Linton
Jon Scott
FIRST BASSES
John Britten
Michael Golden
Brian John
Jeremy Johnson
Eric Kennedy
Chris Newbery
Chris Peters
Robin Privett
David Ross
Philip Stanford
Kieron Walsh
SECOND BASSES
Roger Barrett
Alan Batterbury
Norman Carpenter
Dave Cox
Geoffrey Forster
James Garrow
Michael Jeffery
Jonathan Long
Neil Martin
Maxwell New
Mike Osborn
John Parry
Roger Penny
Chris Short
Michael Taylor
Vivace Chorus
Vivace Chorus Patrons
The Vivace Chorus is extremely grateful to all Patrons
for their financial support.
Honorary Life Patrons:
Mr Bill Bellerby MBE
Dr John Trigg MBE
Mrs Doreen Bellerby MBE
Platinum Patrons:
Dr Roger Barrett
Mrs Rita Horton
Mr and Mrs Peter B P Bevan
Mr Laurie James
Mrs J G Blacker
Mrs Pamela Leggatt
John and Barbara Britten
John and Janet McLean
Mr and Mrs R H R Broughton
Ron and Christine Medlow
Mr Michael Dawe
Dr Roger Muray
Mr and Mrs G Dombrowe
Mr and Mrs Maxwell S New
Mr and Mrs Joseph Durning
Dr and Mrs M G M Smith
Dr Michael Golden
Miss Enid Weston
Susan and Cecil Hinton
Bill and June Windle
Gold Patrons:
Mr Robin Broadley
Mrs Jean Radley
Mr and Mrs Philip Davies
Brenda and Brian Reed
Mr and Mrs John Parry
Prue and Derek Smith
Silver Patrons:
Dr J B R Arbuckle
Mrs Carol Hobbs
Mrs Iris Bennett
Mrs M van Koetsveld
Mr H J C Browne
Mr Lionel Moon
Mrs Maryel Cowell
New Patrons are always welcome. If you are interested in participating,
please contact our Patrons Secretary, Chris Short, on 07703 807250 or
email patrons@vivacechorus.org
Our Patrons scheme underwent a re-launch in 2009, the purpose of
which was two-fold: to give Patrons additional benefits for their financial
backing and to encourage new Patrons to support the choir, which will
help us to continue to perform innovative, high-quality programmes.
For more details, see inside the programme back cover.
Vivace Chorus
About the Vivace Chorus
Jeremy Backhouse
Music Director
Francis Pott
Accompanist
The Committee
James Garrow
Chairman
Isobel Rooth
Hon. Secretary
Tel. 01252 702979
email: secretary@vivacechorus.org
Bob Cowell
Hon. Treasurer
Jane Brooks
Membership Secretary
Tel. 01483 539088
email: membership@vivacechorus.org
Michael Taylor
Ticket sales
Tel. 07958 519741
email: tickets@vivacechorus.org
Jackie Alderton
Mailings
Tel. 01932 343625
Gill Perkins
Sponsorship
Tel. 01483 458132
Chris Short
Patrons Secretary
Tel. 07703 807250
Hilary Trigg
Publicity
Hilary Minor
Press Officer
Neil Martin
Committee member
Tel. 01403 751552
Tel. 01483 770896
Other (non-Committee) responsibilities
Christine Medlow
Music Librarian
John Britten
Music sales
Penny Baxter
Pre-concert talks
Prue Smith
Auditions accompanist, cathedral & library displays
Brenda Moore
Programme notes, soloists liaison & advertising
Alan Batterbury
Concert staging
Chris Alderton
Front of House
Chris Peters
Website Manager
For other phone numbers and email addresses, please refer to the
'Contact us' page of our website: www.vivacechorus.org.
22
Vivace Chorus
The choir was founded in 1947 as the Guildford Philharmonic Choir but
in May 2005, to reflect its new independent status from the Borough of
Guildford,
'rebranded'
itself
as
the
Vivace
Chorus.
We
enjoy
a
challenging and varied repertoire from the 16th century onwards; some
pieces are well-known, others are rarities deserving to be heard by a
wider audience. In the 2004/5 season, we introduced our Contemporary
Choral Classics Cycle, an innovative series of works from the late 20th
and 21st centuries. To show the variety of our recent programmes:
We started the 2008/9 season with a spectacular performance of Verdi's
Requiem, in combination with our twin choir, the Freiburger Bachchor,
and Romsey Choral Society. Then as a complete contrast, our Venetian
Baroque concert included some of the earliest music we have ever sung.
These were masterpieces from Gabrieli, Schiitz and Monteverdi, with
Vivaldi's uplifting Gloria to end the evening. Finally, and following on from
the success of our first-ever jazz concert in May 2007 (which included
Will Todd's fabulous Mass in Blue), the season finished with Will Todd's
Te Deum — a world premiere and first commission by the choir.
During last summer's break, half the choir and Jeremy embarked on
what quickly became known as the Tour de France. We gave concerts of
music, from the early 16th to late 20th Centuries, in the cathedrals of
Paris
(Notre-Dame),
Rouen
and
Beauvais.
This
proved to
be
both
inspiring and emotionally moving — and we had great fun too.
The 2009/10 season started in lively fashion with Haydn's The Creation,
to mark the 200th anniversary of the composer’s death. Our Italian
evening, which followed in March, showed the operatic composers Verdi
and Puccini in a light new to many, and tonight we revisit Russia!
Our biggest project to date, to mark the centenary of Mahler’s death, is a
performance of his monumental Symphony No. 8, being organised for
15th May 2011 in the Royal Albert Hall — more on this anon...
We also regularly sing in a 'Last Night of the Proms' charity concert in the
Fairfield Halls, Croydon, and with our good friends the Brandenburg
Sinfonia, we sing at least once a year in the superb venue of St Martinin-the-Fields, performing works such as Mozart's Requiem.
If you are interested in singing with us, please contact Jane Brooks,
01483 539088. Rehearsals are held on Monday evenings at Holy Trinity
Church, Guildford High Street, and prospective members are welcome to
attend rehearsals on an informal basis before committing to an audition.
For more information, see our website at www.vivacechorus.org.
Vivace Chorus
23
An Italian Evening, 6th March 2010
from Christian Benvenuti's review
for 'The Surrey Advertiser'
For the audience who arrived to see Vivace Chorus' concert last Saturday, the
unusual sight of basil leaves, mozzarella balls, and fresh tomatoes printed on
the programme's cover was not simply a reference to the colours of the Italian
flag. True, Puccini and Verdi are arguably the best composers of Italian opera
ever - but what could be understood as a gastronomic in-joke meant, in the end,
that what could have otherwise been a cold night amidst the cold neo-gothic
columns of Guildford Cathedral turned out to be a feast as heart warming as a
good Mediterranean dish.
The menu was surprisingly atypical - in fact, the contrasting combination of non-
operatic music such as the Preludio Sinfonico, a work from Puccini's student
days, and Verdi's Quattro Pezzi Sacri, a mature work by a mature composer,
gave the programme a quite refreshing flavour...
Verdi's Quattro Pezzi Sacri, a compilation of originally independent sacred
pieces, was a clear example of Verdi's late style and beautifully done by the
choir and Brandenburg Sinfonia. Ave Maria, sung a capella, was the first of the
series and represented the power of the choir and the conductor Jeremy
Backhouse in dealing with expressive silences and soft dynamics...
Messa di Gloria, the closing piece of the night, was perhaps the best example of
the fascination of Italian opera composers for liturgical subjects. Another work
of Puccini's youth, the Mass lacks the skilful intensity of his later pieces and
may sound even ndive in comparison. Puccini was anything but naive, however, and
the simplicity of the Mass' vocal writing turns out fo be one of its strengths.
Andrew Dickinson, tenor, and Frederick Long, bass-baritone, are fwo young
soloists and both performed expressively and subtly according to the Mass’
character...
In a programme fairly demanding for the singers, especially its sopranos, Vivace
Chorus impressed by the energy and purposefulness of
its performance.
- Jeremy's expressive and fully aware conducting was reflected onto the choir's
execution, and the result was that an otherwise odd programme became a
pleasant surprise with a lovely Italian aftertaste.
24
Vivace Chorus
The staging for this concert is owned by
o
—
>
GUILDFORD
hire, please contact Penny Peters,
Guildford Cathedral Office (tel: 01403
547860). It was purchased with financial
assistance from
the
-
inancially assisted by
the Association of Surrey Choirs. To
‘ BOROUGH
| Tonight's concert has been
Foundation for | heldin Guildford Cathedral
Sport and Arts, PO Box 20, Liverpool.
P
P
by kind permission of the
Dean and Chapter.
Printed by WORDCRAFT
115 Merrow Woods, Guildford, Surrey GU1 2LJ
Tel: 01483 560735
Vivace Chorus
Registered Charity No 1026337
in the name of Guildford Philharmonic Choir
Come & Sing: 30th January 2010 [African Sanctus]
I just had to drop you a line and ask you to pass on my
thanks to all concerned for the most wonderful day
yesterday. The whole experience was so worthwhile,
the organization without fault and the joy of working as
part of a group of interested and focused singers
simply marvellous. I have not sung under the direction
of Jeremy Backhouse before - what a privilege that was - and the arrival of
David Fanshawe himself was the equivalent to the icing on the cake. Thank
you so much forinviting me to take part.
Bells and Bangs
by Mr P Newis
and mates
(and with many thanks
from the Vivace Chorus!)
Vivace Chorus
o5
For Complete
Family Eyecare
Extensive range offrames
1 Wolsey Walk, Woking GU21 1XU
with many designer names
Tel: 01483 766800
Richard Broughton FCOptom DipCLP
Resident Partner
Branches also at:
Camberley, Fleet and Guildford
J ohn{
/Music Lovers...
s
You'll find what you want af the
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Vivace Chorus
-
Supported by Vivace Chorus
Julia Lampard Hair Salon presents a
Charity Candlelit Dinner Dance
in aid of Chase Hospice care for children
At the Loseley Tithe Barn, Loseley Park
Guildford, Surrey, GU3 1HS
Friday 11th June 2010
Entertainment for the evening will include songs from
Vivace Chorus, British Championship Dancers
and live music from the band Night Train.
Tickets: £75 from Wendy or Julia on 01483 579977
CH%VSE E\/Ew%
?smp ce care fm’ children
~ Vivace
Chorus
Would you like to
become a Patron?
As a Patron you will receive discounts
on tickets for concerts sponsored by
Vivace Chorus and priority booking. You can also
reserve seats in sections of the Cathedral which are
normally unreserved. You will be invited to our social
events and your name will appear in our programmes.
Being a PLATINUM Patron costs just £75 a year and
entitles you to 20% off all ticket purchases.
GOLD Patrons enjoy a 10% discount on tickets in return
for their £50 subscription.
For more details contact our Patrons Secretary, Chris Short, on
07703 807250 or email patrons@vivacechorus.org
Avflace ChorusPromotion
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CONDUWR: JEREMY
BACKHOUSE
VIVACE CHORUS
LONDON SYMPHONY
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CHORUS
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ROMSEY CHORAL SOCI
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TIFFIN BOYS’ CHOIR
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ORCHESTRA
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