AFRICAN
SANCTUS
David Fanshawe
50th Anniversary
Concert
vivacechorus.org
Registered Charity No. 1026337
© The Hippo Man, Mayinda Orawo, Luo Kenya, 1973 (P. David Fanshawe)
Vivace
Saturday
14 March 2020
at 7.30pm
27/02/2020 11:24
David Fanshawe's African Sanctus Journeys 1969 - 73
BackBeat Percussion Quartet
Okavango
Cross Talk
Gear Train
Damien Harron
Richard Charles
Damien Harron
The Mighty Zulu Nation Theatre Company
Traditional Zulu song and dance showcase
African Sanctus
David Fanshawe
‐‐tt00::xxrrxx::00tt‐‐
Emma Griffiths
James Girling
Christopher Rabbits
Francis Pott
Peter Gough, Hannah Griffiths
S. Dillon
Jane Fanshawe
Soprano
Lead guitar
Bass guitar
Piano
Sound production
Projected slides
Audio-visual consultant
Conductor: Jeremy Backhouse
David Fanshawe: Composer & Explorer (1942-2010)
Photo © Claire Leimbach
Dr. David Fanshawe will best be
remembered for his legendary
choral work African Sanctus, and
his great legacy to World Music,
the Fanshawe World Music
Archive, a vast archive of
professional recordings of
traditional music from Arabia,
Africa, South-East Asia and the
Pacific (3500 tapes, 1500 boxes of
slides and 60 journals).
He will also be remembered for his charismatic personality and
captivating performances, giving speeches and presentations to
schools and festivals, and at fundraising and corporate events
around the world. He composed over 50 film and television scores
and about 25 other works. His work has been the subject of awardwinning television documentaries, over 30 CD releases and
thousands of concert performances worldwide. David Fanshawe
received many international awards, among them a Churchill
Fellowship, Ivor Novello Award and an honorary DMus from the
University of the West of England. This was awarded for “his
outstanding contribution to bringing music from around the world
into the lives of people who neither read nor write music and to his
pursuit of musical excellence”.
David Fanshawe married Judith Croasdell Grant in 1971 and they
had two children, Alexander and Rebecca. He also had another
daughter, Rachel, with his second wife, widow Jane Bishop (née
Walton) whom he married in 1985. David died suddenly in July 2010
after a short illness.
© Katharine Copisarow 2012
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Vivace Chorus
African Sanctus journey
African Sanctus has received
close to two thousand live
performances in over thirty
countries across the five main
continents. It has long been
established in the choral
repertoire and performances are
planned around the world well
into next season.
Photo © Judith Croasdell
“The music is as fresh today as it
was when first heard in 1972”, wrote Sir David Willcocks.
David Fanshawe remarked “In 1969 I went to Africa for the first time,
with the idea of writing a major work.... On the hill of the citadel in
Cairo, overlooking the Nile one evening, I suddenly heard in my
head the unlikely combination of a western choir accompanying the
Islamic Call to Prayer.” Some years later, when the score was
published, “I still remember that moment, hoping that one day, it
might be possible to hear my music on the concert platform,
harmonised with the field recordings I was privileged to find.”
David Fanshawe’s now legendary journey up the Nile (1969-73)
became the framework of the composition, a symbolic crossshaped pilgrimage. Armed with one rucksack and a stereo tape
recorder, he succeeded in recording music from over fifty tribes in
Egypt, Sudan, Uganda, and Kenya, achieving such a close rapport
with many local communities that they gave permission for their
performances to be specially recorded.
African Sanctus is a celebratory and visionary work expressing unity
between peoples, their faiths and, above all, their music. Its
message is ‘One Music - One God’. It is an unorthodox setting of the
Latin Mass integrated with the composer’s recordings of authentic
traditional African music. For David Fanshawe there were no musical
barriers.
The first performance of African Revelations, as it was originally
called, took place in 1972 while it was still a work in progress. The
Vivace Chorus
3
following year, on the shores of Lake Victoria, Fanshawe met the
‘Hippo Man’. This remarkable man made a profoundly deep
impression on the composer. The ‘Hippo Man’, Mayinda Orawo,
cultural leader of the Luo tribe, was the symbolic figurehead of all
African myths and legends and his striking image instantly became
the logo. As he finished composing, Fanshawe changed the title to
African Sanctus - 'Holy Africa' - the inspired idea of his first wife
Judith.
In 1974 the BBC made an ‘Omnibus’ film of African Sanctus, which
was shot on location with the composer in North and East Africa,
and directed by Herbert Chappell. It was nominated for the ‘Prix
Italia’ and the first broadcast coincided with release of the premiere
recording (Philips), conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes. Similarly, in
1994, the BBC produced a new film 'African Sanctus Revisited',
which followed the release of the new recording (Silva Classics)
conducted by Neville Creed.
© Katharine Copisarow
The Masai Girl, Kenya, 1973 © David Fanshawe
4
Vivace Chorus
Concert Programme
Pieces introduced and performed by BackBeat Percussion Quartet:
Okavango
Cross Talk
Gear Train
Damien Harron
Richard Charles
Damien Harron
00::xxrrxx::00
The Mighty Zulu Nation Theatre Company presents a traditional
Zulu song and dance showcase compilation with drumming. The
performance includes aspects of the following:
Amahubo negaza - war cries and chanting
Shosholoza - a very popular song, once sung by miners
Nkiyankiya - song
Webaba - song
Mdavu Bakubiza umbhombela - a praise song
Umzansi - a dance sequence about hunting
Ukusina ukhombisa ubucikobakho - solo dances to
showcase individual styles
Interval
(20 minutes)
Appeal on behalf of St Peter's Life-Line charity
David Baldwin MBE
Chair of Trustees
Flash photography, audio and video recording are not permitted without
the prior written consent of the Vivace Chorus. Please also kindly switch
off all mobile phones and alarms on digital watches. Thank you.
Vivace Chorus
5
David Fanshawe: African Sanctus
African Sanctus is dedicated to musicians who neither read nor write music
1. AFRICAN SANCTUS
North Uganda: Bwala dance of the Acholi people.
The African music heard in this movement, recorded in 1969, comes from
North Uganda and represents the Acholi people who perform their famous
"Bwala" dance, a royal welcome Ngoma, renowned for its vitality and
splendour. The traditional Bwala (a dance style) praises Acholi leaders and
past victories in battle; at one time it heralded visiting chiefs, kings and
dignitaries. The Bwala ostinato is heard three times in the work (movements 1,
8 and 13) and accompanies the chorus who sing the composed Sanctus.
The score is marked with “Power, Rhythm and Exuberance”.
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus
Holy, Holy, Holy
Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Lord God of Hosts.
Pleni sunt caeli
Your glory fills
et terra gloria tua.
all heaven and earth.
Gloria in excelsis.
Glory in the highest
Hosanna in excelsis.
Hosanna in the highest.
Benedictus qui venit
Blessed is he who comes
in nomine Domini.
in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in excelsis.
Hosanna in the highest.
Gloria in excelsis.
Glory in the highest.
2. KYRIE: CALL TO PRAYER
Egypt: Mu'azzin from the Muhammad Ali Mosque, Cairo.
This specially-recorded performance of the Azan, Call to Prayer, was recited
by the Imam, in the Muhammad Ali Mosque, Cairo, in 1969. In this movement
the Mu'azzin, harmoniously sounding in the key of D flat, is juxtaposed with
my setting of the Kyrie.
This fusion emphasises the musical relationships that do exist between the
Muslim and Christian faiths; an affirmation of belief in the one God.
6
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Allahu akbar! Allahu akbar!
Kyrie, eleison.
Ashhadu an la ilaha illa 'llah!
Kyrie, eleison.
God is most great!
Lord, have mercy.
I testify that there is no god but God!
Lord, have mercy.
Ashhadu anna Muhammadan
rasulu-llah!
Kyrie, eleison.
Hayya 'ala 's-salati!
Christe, eleison.
Muhammad is the Apostle of God!
Hayya 'ala 'l-falah!
Kyrie, eleison.
Hayya 'ala 'l-falah!
Christe, eleison.
Come to salvation!
Lord, have mercy.
Come to salvation!
Christ, have mercy.
Allahu akbar! Allahu akbar!
Kyrie, eleison.
La ilaha illa 'llah!
Kyrie, eleison.
God is most great!
Lord, have mercy.
There is no god but God!
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Come to Prayer!
Christ, have mercy.
3. GLORIA: BRIDE OF THE NILE
Egypt: wedding music south of Luxor. Sudan: Islamic prayer
school, boys recite the Koran.
The Gloria begins with the sound of an Egyptian wedding recorded on the
banks of the Nile in a village south of Luxor. Intoxicating rhythms of the
wedding band are interjected by the chorus who shout the Latin text in
exultation to God; not unlike the early Christians who fought for their faith.
Wedding festivities are followed by Khulwa, mesmeric sounds of an Islamic
prayer school, where Sudanese boys learn to recite the Koran from memory.
The soprano soloist adds a sheen to the chorus, which finally subsides into an
echo of the prayer school heard from afar. The movement ends with a chant,
reminiscent of plainsong, evoking scenes of idyllic abbeys and ghosts of the
past.
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7
Gloria in excelsis Deo et in terra
pax hominibus bonæ voluntatis.
Laudamus te.
Benedicimus te.
Adoramus te.
Glorificamus te.
Glory be to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men of
good will.
We praise Thee.
We bless Thee.
We adore Thee.
We glorify Thee.
Gratias agimus tibi propter
magnam gloriam tuam.
We give thanks to Thee for Thy
great glory.
Domine Deus, Rex cælestis, Deus
Pater omnipotens.
Lord God, heavenly King, God the
Father almighty.
Domine Fili unigenite Iesu
Christe,
Lord Jesus Christ, only-begotten
Son.
Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius
Patris.
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of
the Father.
Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere Thou who takest away the sins of
nobis;
the world, have mercy on us.
Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe
deprecationem nostram .
Thou who takest away the sins of
the world, receive our prayers;
Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris,
miserere nobis.
Thou who art seated at the right
hand of the Father, have mercy on
us.
Quoniam, tu solus Sanctus,
For Thou alone art Holy,
Tu solus Dominus
Thou alone art the Lord,
Tu solus Altissimus, Iesu Christe.
Thou alone art the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
Cum Sancto Spiritu: in gloria Dei
Patris, Amen.
With the Holy Spirit, in the glory of
God the Father, Amen.
8
Vivace Chorus
4. CREDO: SUDANESE DANCES & RECITATIONS
West Sudan: Courtship dances, Kiata trumpet dance
Recitations by four men in a trance, Marra Mountains
Courtship dances, women's bravery dance and a Kiata trumpet dance herald
the liturgy of the word “Deo gratias” and Creed. Percussion, improvised with
verve during this interlude, become very heated during the trumpet dance.
Emerging out of a massive gong stroke, you hear a unique recording of four
men in a trance chanting by moonlight on top of the Marra Mountains in West
Sudan. They were sitting, swaying backwards and forwards reciting the Koran
in a strange mixture of local dialects and Arabic. My setting of the Credo,
which counterpoints the four men, is in fact a variation on Good King
Wenceslas, marked in the score as” tribalistic and not without humour!”
Deo gratias.
Gloria tibi, Domine.
Laus tibi, Christe.
Thanks be to God.
Glory to You, Lord.
Praise to You, Christ.
Credo in unum Deum, Patrem
omnipotentem, factorem caeli et
terrae, visibilium omnium, et
invisibilium.
I believe in one God, the Father
Almighty, Maker of heaven and
earth, Maker of all things visible
and invisible.
Et in unum Dominum Iesum
Christum,filium Dei unigenitum.
And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the
only-begotten Son of God,
Et ex Patre natum ante omnia
saecula.
Born of the Father before time
began.
Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine, God of God, Light of Light, true
Deum verum de Deo vero,
God of true God,
Genitum, non factum,
consubstantialem Patri:
Begotten, not made, one in
substance with the Father:
Patri!
The Father!
Per quem omnia facta sunt.
Through whom all things were
made.
Qui propter nos homines, et
propter nostram salutem
descendit de caelis.
Who for us men, and for our
salvation, came down from
heaven.
Vivace Chorus
9
5. LOVE SONG: PIANO SOLO
East Sudan: cattle boy plays a five stringed Bazenkop (harp).
In East Sudan, a cattle boy of the Hadanduan tribe plays a small five stringed
bazenkop harp. His song is all about a girl called Abdha. The piano part
develops the inherent harmonies and rhythms of the recording. The bazenkop
sounds in the key of F minor - quite a revelation coming from the desert. At
the end you hear a Hadanduan mother ringing tiny bells outside her tent.
These bells, an ancient custom, announce the birth of a newborn son to the
tribe. The bells protect the child and chase away the evil eye. It is a poignant
moment in African Sanctus signifying the birth of Jesus Christ.
6. ET IN SPIRITUM SANCTUM (I believe in the Holy Spirit)
North Uganda: frogs croak. Christian refugees from South
Sudan sing a "Song of Flight".
Four plucked notes introduce the sopranos and altos who sing in harmony
with a Christian refugee family of the Zande tribe, who had fled into Uganda
from South Sudan. Geographically this is equatorial Africa, with the sound of
millions of frogs croaking in the swamps of the southern Nile. The Zande
family are first heard discussing and agreeing "hmmm!" which song to perform
a "Song of Flight" about their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This song is
accompanied by a metal thumb piano, an improvised drum - a bottle beaten
on the earth, together with live ethnic drum. The movement reflects the
wonderful work carried out by the missionaries in Africa.
Et in Spiritum Sanctum,
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
Dominum et vivificantem:
the Lord, the giver of life:
qui ex Patre Filioque procedit.
who proceeds from the Father
and the Son.
qui ex Patre Filioque Sanctum.
who with the Father and the Son.
is holy.
10
Vivace Chorus
7. CRUCIFIXUS: RAIN SONG
Uganda: Equatorial thunderstorm and "Rain Song" performed
by Latigo Oteng in Gulu.
Frogs and a "Dingi Dingi" dance from Uganda were suddenly interrupted by
an almighty equatorial thunderstorm. Heavy tropical rains poured down and I
took refuge in an African home, in which the owner, a famous musician called
Latigo Oteng, happened to be singing, accompanying himself on his sevenstringed Enanga harp. I like to call it the “Rain Song” and in the Crucifixus, the
soprano soloist counterpoints Latigo's solo, like a duet. The Rain Song is
harmonised with instruments that conjure up an atmosphere of strife, with the
war cries of South Sudan piercing through. In a searing texture, menacing and
dramatic, martial and warlike, they are driven on relentlessly. This movement
is the pivot and central axis of the work; it presents an operatic culmination of
ideas, based on historical events and resolves them through the forces of
nature. After the storm there is a moment of silence and the sun breaks
through.
Crucifixus !
Crucify !
Et incarnatus est de Spiritu
Sancto ex Maria Virgine:
He was incarnate of the Virgin
Mary by the power of the Holy
Spirit:
Et homo factus est.
and was made man.
Crucifixus etiam pro nobis: sub
Pontio Pilato, passus et sepultus
est.
For our sake, too, under Pontius
Pilate, He was crucified, suffered
death, and was buried.
Et resurrexit tertia die, secundum
Scripturas.
The third day He rose from the
dead as the Scriptures foretold.
Et ascendit in caelum: sedet ad
dexteram Patris.
He ascended to heaven, and is
seated at the right hand of the
Father.
Resurrexit!
He rose from the dead!
Vivace Chorus
11
8. SANCTUS: BWALA DANCE
Uganda: Bunyoro Madinda (xylophone), Acholi Bwala dance.
After the storm we celebrate! In this setting of Sanctus, which includes the
Benedictus, you can hear all sorts of sounds, both African and European,
which are light hearted and fun, in keeping with the spirit of an Ngoma. The
returning Bwala dance is preceded by a recording of Bunyoro fishermen of
Lake Kyoga, Uganda, who play their fantastic Madinda xylophone. Chorus
and ensemble counterpoint the Ugandans and the score is marked: "Full
Blooded and Ritualistic!"
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus
Holy, Holy, Holy
Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Lord God of Hosts.
Pleni sunt caeli
Your glory fills
et terra gloria tua.
all heaven and earth.
Gloria in excelsis. [repeats]
Glory in the highest
Benedictus qui venit
Blessed is he who comes
in nomine Domini.
in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in excelsis.
Hosanna in the highest.
Benedictus qui venit
Blessed is he who comes
In nomine Domini.
in the name of the Lord.
Sanctus, Dominus!
Holy, Lord!
9. THE LORD’S PRAYER (OFFERTORIUM)
Uganda: Lamentation for a dead fisherman, Lake Kyoga.
Although not a formal part of the Mass, The Lord’s Prayer takes the place of
the offertorium and was composed in response to a heart-rending mother’s
lament for a dead fisherman, recorded on the shores of Lake Kyoga, Uganda,
1969. It was stiflingly hot in the papyrus hut where his wife and mother
grieved: "Oh, my son! Oh, my son! Oh, my son! Oh, what is this ? Oh, my son!"
As I stood looking down upon the body, the words of Our Lord came into my
mind. This setting of The Lord’s Prayer, represents the southernmost part of
my journey along the Nile, where many people speak English and sing the Our
Father in church. The accompaniment features a gentle counter melody on
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lead guitar, which is contrasted in the middle section by full chorus and soloist
who rise in a dramatic climax, denouncing evil and proclaiming the glory of
God.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Lead us not into temptation
Hallowed be Thy name.
But deliver us from evil,
Thy Kingdom come.
for Thine is the Kingdom
Thy will be done on earth,
for Thine is the glory.
as it is in heaven.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Give us this day our daily bread,
Hallowed be Thy name
And forgive us our sins,
Thy Kingdom come,
As we forgive the sins of them
Thy will be done on earth,
who sin against us.
as it is in heaven.
10. CHANTS
The recapitulation in African Sanctus begins with a return to Latin, organum,
to nature and the wilds of Africa. Each recorded song is beautiful, like a
prayer. Each song is in itself a Lord's Prayer. One is reminded of the very dust
of Africa, the country’s charm and humour, its gaiety and tragedy, its great
musical heritage. Sadly, so many of these sounds are dying out. This is why I
felt the urgent need to preserve what I have been privileged to hear in my time.
Masai milking song, Kenya, 1972
Recorded in a Masai manyatta at dusk, this song of praise, describes
a special kind of feeling that a woman gives to her cow. If a mother
doesn't sing, the cow may not provide enough milk for her family: "I
love you my favourite cow, you provide us with everything".
Song of the river in Karamoja, Uganda, 1969
Recorded in the heart of Karamoja, this song describes the
Omaniman river which flows to the west "The river is bending the
trees when it is in flood - Hor Hor! The river is bending the trees as it
flows - Hor Hor! It is entering the lake, it has entered the lake, Yeh!”
Vivace Chorus
15
Turkana cattle song, Northern Kenya, 1970
In a dried-up river bed, Turkana herdsmen sing cattle songs which
express the ownership and deep love they possess for their
animals. Sitting under the shade of trees in the heat of the day, they
sing: "When cattle are thirsty they moo, because they are thirsty.
They thirst and they have many colours and long tails - Lotodo!"
Luo ritual burial dance, Western Kenya, 1973
Members of the Luo tribe pay tribute at a ritual burial dance by
encircling the symbolic figure of a slain warrior. They communicate
with the spirits of their ancestors, accompanying themselves with
gourd horns, flutes, rattles, whistles and drums. For me, this dance
signifies the burial of traditional African culture. The leader of the
Luo tribe, Mayinda Orawo, is affectionately known as the “Hippo
Man”. He is the symbolic figurehead of African Sanctus.
11. AGNUS DEI
East Sudan: Hadandua war drums in the desert.
The Agnus Dei expresses the broader picture of Africa as it is today,
summarising humanity, man's suffering, tribal differences and injustices,
notably the plight of refugees in countries like Sudan and Rwanda. These
injustices are represented by the sound of distant war drums recorded in the
desert of East Sudan. The soprano soloist transcends the chorus with a freely
delivered solo of triumph which builds to a high and resolutory phrase of
conviction repeated three times "Iesu Christe!" A dramatic link from Latin to
Arabic resounds as the Mu'azzin answers antiphonally. War drums die away
leaving peace.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata
mundi: miserere nobis.
Lamb of God, who takest away
the sins of the world: have
mercy upon us.
Quoniam tu solus Sanctus.
For thou alone art Holy.
Tu solus Dominus,
Thou alone art the Lord.
Tu solus Altissimus, Iesu Christe
Dominus.
Thou alone art the Most High,
Lord Jesus Christ.
Iesu Dominus,
Jesus Lord,
Jesus Christ!
Iesu Christe.
16
Vivace Chorus
12. CALL TO PRAYER: KYRIE
Egypt: Mu'azzin from the Muhammad Ali Mosque, Cairo.
The Call to Prayer now evokes a reprise of the Kyrie. Although the
composition is virtually the same as No 2., the juxtaposition of tape to live is
completely different. The resulting tempo is therefore more fluid; the choir
singing a cappella convey an ambience of space and timelessness which
expresses unity of faith through prayer.
13. FINALE & GLORIA
Uganda: Acholi Bwala dance.
African Sanctus ends with a spectacular return of the Sanctus and Gloria
accompanied by the pounding energy of the Bwala dancers of Uganda. The
score is marked "With Power, Rhythm and Exhuberance!" In this final
movement, everybody takes part, augmenting the spirit of the Bwala dance.
The last page of the score sums it all up "Glory to the Acholi Bwala Dancers!
Glory to Africa!"
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus
Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt caeli
et terra gloria tua.
Gloria in excelsis.
Hosanna in excelsis.
Benedictus qui venit
in nomine Domini.
Gloria! Gloria!
Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt caeli et terra.
Gloria in excelsis.
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus
Dominus!
Holy, Holy, Holy
Lord God of Hosts.
Your glory fills
all heaven and earth.
Glory in the highest
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Glory! Glory!
God of Hosts.
Heaven and earth are filled.
Glory in the highest.
Holy, Holy, Holy
Lord!
End
Programme notes by David Fanshawe
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BackBeat
Simone Rebello
Damien Harron
Richard Charles
Cormac Byrne
BackBeat Percussion Quartet was
founded in 1995, bringing together
four outstanding performers: Simone
Rebello, Damien Harron, Chris
Bastock and Richard Charles. They
have performed prolifically
throughout the UK and have travelled
to countries such as Switzerland,
Photo © Yamaha
China and USA to entertain audiences
with their imaginative programmes that resist categorization. Recent
trips have included a fifth visit to Japan and a sellout appearance at
the Cayman Islands Arts Festival.
BackBeat established itself by winning a succession of awards at
home and abroad, which have led to appearances in such
prestigious venues as the Royal Albert Hall (London) and Weill
Recital Hall (Carnegie Hall, New York).
BackBeat’s recording activities have included three highly
successful CDs and numerous television and radio broadcasts.
Highlights have included a televised recording of their BBC Prom
début and a concert broadcast in its entirety on Japanese National
Television. Part of the quartet’s 2001 winning performance at the
CAG competition in New York was broadcast on US national radio
and the group performed to a global audience in 1999 in a live
broadcast from Westminster Abbey.
As well as composing much of their own repertoire, BackBeat has
commissioned many leading composers to write for them. Through
its performance activities and highly-commended education
programme, the group is firmly committed to raising the profile of
percussion playing as an artistic medium.
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The Mighty Zulu Nation Theatre Company
The Mighty Zulu Nation Theatre
Company was inaugurated in 1982
under the directorship of Dr. Iain
Storey. Over the past 38 years, the
Company has afforded opportunities
for young South Africans to follow
creative pursuits at all standards,
from grass roots level to achieving
professional excellence.
Their main aim is to grow positive
perceptions and understanding in
pursuit of respecting ethnic values,
while identifying with all the creative aspects of life that encourage
us to share our common humanity. This project delivers creative
skills relevant to the National Curriculum, specifically in drama,
music and dance.
The cast of professional performers are all multi-talented and
originate from the city of Durban, in the kingdom of Kwa-Zulu Natal.
Their first UK tour was undertaken in
1997; since then they have visited
theatres, festivals, and educational
institutions throughout the country, as
well as touring in Russia, Italy, France,
Germany and South Africa.
Highlights include performing for HM
Queen Elizabeth on Commonwealth
Day at Westminster Abbey, at the
inauguration of the Lord Mayor of the
City of London in 2010, as well as
performances for Nelson Mandela
and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
20
Vivace Chorus
Emma Griffiths - Soprano
Emma trained at the Royal
Birmingham Conservatoire where
she completed a master’s degree
in Performance and Pedagogy,
graduating with commendation in
2016, following an earlier BA
(Hons) degree in Music
Performance. She was privileged
to work under the expert tutelage
of Maureen Brathwaite, Robin
Bowman and Julian Pike
throughout her many years there,
and was awarded the Ella Cheshire
Scholarship for postgraduate soprano in her last two
consecutive years. During her latter studies, Emma specialised
in contemporary music, particularly the works of Libby Larsen
and Judith Weir.
Emma is a versatile singer, performing operatic, oratorio and
contemporary repertoire. Her most recent oratorio
appearances include Handel Messiah, Haydn Nelson Mass,
Mozart Requiem, St John Passion (Chilcott and Bach) and
Haydn Creation. A regular solo recitalist, Emma is fond of
contemporary song cycles, and is known for her Libby Larsen
cycles such as the Songs from Letters series and Britten's On
This Island.
Emma first came across African Sanctus in 2018 and instantly
fell in love with the vocal acrobatic challenges, and the fusion
of African and Western music. When she first learned of David
Fanshawe's journey through Africa during the composition
process, the music became all the more powerful and
personal, and she has been performing this dramatic work
with different musical groups ever since.
Vivace Chorus
21
Jeremy Backhouse
Jeremy Backhouse is one of Britain’s
leading choral conductors. He began his
musical career in Canterbury Cathedral
where he was Senior Chorister.
Jeremy has been the sole conductor of the
internationally-renowned chamber choir,
Vasari Singers, since its inception in 1980.
Since winning the prestigious Choir of the
Year competition in 1988, the Vasari
Singers has performed regularly at major
concert venues and cathedrals throughout
the UK and abroad. Jeremy and the Vasari
Singers broadcast frequently on Classic
FM and BBC Radio 3 and have a
Photo © Ash Mills
discography of over 25 CDs on EMI, Guild,
Signum and Naxos. Their recordings have been nominated for a
Gramophone award, received two Gramophone Editor’s Choice
awards, the top recommendation on Radio 3’s ‘Building A Library’
and two recent CDs both achieved Top Ten status in the Specialist
Classical Charts. He is totally committed to the performance of
contemporary music and, with Vasari, he has commissioned over 25
new works.
In January 1995 Jeremy was appointed Music Director of the Vivace
Chorus. Alongside the standard classical works, Jeremy has
conducted the Vivace Chorus in some ambitious programmes
including Howells’ Hymnus Paradisi, Szymanowski’s Stabat Mater,
Mahler’s ‘Resurrection’ Symphony, Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky and
Ivan the Terrible, then Mahler’s ‘Symphony of a Thousand’ and Verdi’s
Requiem in the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra.
In January 2009 Jeremy became the Music Director of the Salisbury
Community Choir. In 2013 the choir celebrated its 21st Anniversary
with a concert in Salisbury Cathedral, premiering a speciallycommissioned work by Will Todd, The City Garden, which they
toured to Lincoln (2014) and Guildford (2015) cathedrals. A new work
from Alexander L'Estrange was premiered in Winchester Cathedral
in November 2018.
Jeremy has also worked with a number of the country's leading
choirs, including the BBC Singers, the London Symphony Chorus,
the Philharmonia Chorus, and the Brighton Festival Chorus.
22
Vivace Chorus
Will you help secure the future of this award-winning community resource?
The Surrey Performing Arts Library (SPAL) collection supports
hundreds of amateur orchestras, choirs and drama groups in
Surrey and beyond, by providing access to a wide range of
scores and performance sets. Surrey County Council, no
longer able to run the service, agreed in February 2019 to
hand the entire collection to a newly formed, user-led charity
NewSPAL (Reg No 1176729).
NewSPAL will give the collection a new home and a sustainable, independent future.
We have already raised £85,000 towards this goal.
We urgently need to find another £50,000 by Spring 2020.
Your support for NewSPAL will ensure it continues to benefit current and future
generations of musicians, singers and actors. Find out how at:
www.newspal.org.uk/support-us
SING WITH THE BEST
It's official: singing
. Makes you feel happier
. Reduces stress
. Improves memory
. Strengthens the lungs and
immune system
Photo © Carol Sheppard
Singing can also release endorphins, reducing our perception
of pain and acting in a similar way to morphine — but without
the danger of addiction.
So it's not just meeting friends, the music or the mid-rehearsal
cakes that tempt you out on a cold Monday night, but the
chance to be pain free!
Most of all, it's just great fun!
Apart from singing in local
venues, we also tour abroad
and have a full calendar of
social events, including walks
and parties.
Photo © Phil Stanford
If you're tempted to join us, just
drop an email to our
membership secretary, Jane
Brooks at
membership@vivacechorus.org
.
Advertising in our concert programmes is an effective
and economical way of reaching a discerning local
audience. If you're interested in finding out more, just
drop an email to 'programmes@vivacechorus.org'
24
Vivace Chorus
Vivace Chorus Singers
FIRST SOPRANO
Christine Wilks
Sylvia Chantler
SECOND TENOR
Sel Adamu
Fiona Wimblett
Mary Clayton
Ewan Bramhall
Amelia Atkinson
Fran Worpe
Liz Curry-Hyde
Tony Chantler
Andrea Dombrowe
Simon Dillon
Joanna Bolam
Mary Broughton
FIRST ALTO
Sheena Ewen
Geoff Johns
Rebecca Kerby
Jackie Bearman
Valerie Garrow
Peter Norman
Julia Lister
Jane Brooks
Margaret Grisewood
Fran MacKay
Amanda Burn
Liz Hampshire
FIRST BASS
Suzie Maine
Valentina Faedi
Mary King
Phil Beastall
Heather Newbery
Elaine Harris
Christine Lavender
Richard Broughton
Sue Norton
Sheila Hodson
Penny Macfarlane
Michael Dudley
Robin Onslow
Jean Leston
Lois McCabe
Brian John
Gillian Rix
Liz Martin
Kay McManus
Jeremy Johnson
Sarah Smithies
Penny McLaren
Val Morcom
Jon Long
Barbara Tansey
Christine Medlow
Sonja Nagle
Malcolm Munt
Joan Thomas
Rosalind Milton
Jacky Norman
Chris Newbery
Hilary Vaill
Mary Moon
Sheila Rowell
Peter Pearce
Clare Wills
Lilly Nicholson
Prue Smith
Chris Peters
Linda Ross
Rosey Storey
Robin Privett
SECOND SOPRANO
Catherine Shacklady
Pamela Usher
David Ross
Jacqueline Alderton
Carol Sheppard
Susie Walker
Philip Stanford
Anna Arthur
Marjory Stewart
Catherine White
Rob Walker
Suzanne Cahalane
Jo Stokes
Anne Whitley
Philippa Curtis
Julia Stubbs
June Windle
SECOND BASS
Sonia Morris
Sue Thomas
Elisabeth Yates
Peter Andrews
Michelle Mumford
Hilary Trigg
Alison Palmer
Maggie Woolcock
Gill Perkins
Norman Carpenter
FIRST TENOR
James Garrow
Bob Bromham
Nick Gough
Kate Peters
SECOND ALTO
Bob Cowell
Neil Martin
Rosemary Spalding
Geraldine Allen
Nick Manning
Roger Penny
Paula Sutton
Evelyn Beastall
Chris Robinson
Phil Tudor
Valerie Thompson
Diana Butcher
John Trigg
Vivace Chorus
25
Vivace Chorus Patrons
The Vivace Chorus is extremely grateful to all patrons for their support.
Honorary Life Patrons
John Britten
John Trigg MBE
Life Patrons
Joy Hunter MBE
John and Jean Leston
Platinum Patrons
Alan & Elizabeth Batterbury
Peter & Clare Bevan
Robin & Jill Broadley
Roger & Sharon Brockway
Richard & Mary Broughton
Amanda Burn
Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson CBE
Norman Carpenter
Andrea & Gunter Dombrowe
Rosemary & Michael Dudley
Susan & Cecil Hinton
Michael & Anna Jeffery
Stephen Linton
John McLean OBE & Janet McLean
Ron & Christine Medlow
Lionel & Mary Moon
Roger Muray
Peter Norman
John Parry
Robin & Penny Privett
David & Linda Ross
Geoffrey Johns & Sheila Rowell
Jonathan Scott
Catherine & Brian Shacklady
Prue & Derek Smith
Dennis & Marjory Stewart
Joanna Stokes
Idris & Joan Thomas
Pam Usher
Rob and Susie Walker
Anthony J T Williams
Bill & June Windle
Maggie Woolcock
BECOME A VIVACE PATRON
If you have enjoyed this concert, why not become one of our patrons? We
have a loyal band of followers whose regular presence at our concerts is
greatly appreciated. With the valued help of our patrons, we are able to
perform a wide range of exciting music, with world-class, professional
musicians in venues such as Guildford Cathedral, G Live, the Royal Albert
Hall and the Royal Festival Hall. For an annual donation, patrons can have
unlimited tickets at a 10% discount. If you are interested, please contact
Mary Moon on 01372 468431 or email: patrons@vivacechorus.org.
26
Vivace Chorus
A selection of David Fanshawe’s photographs showing some of the
musicians and instruments representing his African Sanctus journey
Egyptian Wedding band
3. Gloria: Bride of the Nile
Kiata trumpet
4. Credo:, Sudanese dances
Imam Mohammed
2. Kyrie: Call to prayer
Hadandua cattle boy with
Bazenkop harp
5. Love Song
Hadandua desert bells
5. Love Song
Zande family playing a metal 'thumb piano'
6. Et in Spiritum Sanctum
Bunyoro Madinda Xylophone
8. Sanctus: Bwala dance
Latigo Oteng and
Enanga Harp
7. Crucifixus: Rain Song
Hadandua War Drums
11. Agnus Dei
Samburu Warriors
singing
The editors of this programme would like to extend their grateful thanks to
Jane Fanshawe for all the photographs, notes and helpful advice provided.
About Vivace Chorus
Jeremy Backhouse
Music Director
Francis Pott
Accompanist
James Garrow
Chairman
Photo © Ash Mills
Vivace Chorus is a flourishing, ambitious and adventurous choir
based in Guildford, Surrey, which aims to have fun making and
sharing great choral music.
The choir has come a long way since it began in 1946 as the
Guildford Philharmonic Choir and now has an enviable reputation for
performing first-class concerts across a wide range of musical
repertoire. Particular successes include a sell-out performance in
May 2011 of Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, the ‘Symphony of a Thousand’,
at the Royal Albert Hall, a highly acclaimed performance in
November 2012 of Britten’s War Requiem and another Royal Albert
Hall success in May 2014 when we performed the Verdi Requiem. In
2017 we celebrated our 70th birthday with the Philharmonia
Orchestra in the Royal Festival Hall.
Since 1995, Vivace has thrived under the exceptional leadership of
this evening’s conductor, Jeremy Backhouse. Jeremy’s passion for
choral works and his sheer enthusiasm for music-making are evident
at every rehearsal and performance. He is supported by Francis Pott,
who is not just a very fine rehearsal accompanist, but is also an
academic and composer of international repute and an
accomplished concert pianist.
Vivace Chorus
29
In addition to our own concerts in
Guildford and London, we also sing
in various charity concerts and,
with our regular orchestra, the
Brandenburg Sinfonia, take part in
the Brandenburg Choral Festival
each year in St Martin-in-theFields. We also like to take our
music-making overseas and have
Photo © Mark Dean
toured to France, Italy, Germany,
Austria and the Baltic States, with a trip to Northern Spain planned
for June 2020.
We’re a friendly and sociable choir that enjoys singing traditional
choral classics alongside the challenge of contemporary and newlycommissioned music. We are always happy to welcome new
members, so if you would like to try us out, do come along to any of
our regular rehearsals on Monday evenings at 7.15 in the United
Reformed Church, Portsmouth Road, Guildford.
Just contact our membership secretary Jane Brooks at
membership@vivacechorus.org and for more information, visit our
website, vivacechorus.org, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter @VivaceChorus.
Photo © Carol Sheppard
30
Vivace Chorus
BRAVO!
Mass in Blue November 2019
"Congratulations on an incredible artistic spectacle last night.
We loved the tango dancers, bandoneon and the Will Todd
arrangement to include strings. Bravo Jeremy Backhouse and
all for a superb concert"
"We both agreed that it was one of the very best concerts we
have attended in years. The combination of the chorus, the
musicians and the dancers was absolutely sublime"
"Fab concert last night - what an inspired programme!!! All
immensely enjoyable. The choir was fantastic and I thought the
band were superb. Many congratulations"
"A wonderful evening, I thought. The programme worked really
well, with the different fusion styles complementing each other.
Excellent choral singing and the band did a great job too"
Guildford in Bloom Awards September 2019
"Beautiful opening performance by Vivace Chorus. Thank you
for starting the awards in such style"
"Special guest appearance opening tonight – Vivace Chorus, a
magical choir of 48 singing Linden Lea"
Mozart Requiem May 2019
"The Requiem was really powerful in its contrasts - loved the
strength of the men's voices in Dies irae and the angelic
women's choir in Confutatis! Well done! The people around me
were saying 'what an excellent evening of culture' it was for the
people of Guildford"
Vivace Chorus
31
Vivace Chorus dates for your diary
Best of Broadway
Saturday 23rd May 2020
G Live, Guildford
One of the most moving moments in our sell-out Concert for Peace
in 2018 was an arrangement of You’ll Never Walk Alone for choir and
brass band. This year, we are delighted to be performing again with
the Friary Brass Band – Guildford’s local brass band that ranks in the
top 25 bands in the world! We’ll be singing and playing some alltime favourites from Broadway, including music from Bernstein,
Lloyd Webber and Rodgers and Hammerstein. A delightful
programme of music for a summer’s evening.
The Cherry Trees Concert
Saturday 4th July 2020
Holy Trinity, Guildford
A short concert of items from Vivace's recent tour of northern Spain,
performed in aid of the local children's charity Cherry Trees.
Elgar: Dream of Gerontius
Saturday 14th November 2020
Dorking Halls
We will be returning to Dorking in November to perform one of the
masterpieces of the British choral repertoire, Sir Edward Elgar’s
Dream of Gerontius. Using words by John Henry Newman, it tells the
story of the journey of a devout man’s soul from death into the
afterlife. The music is sometimes dramatic, but often tender, and
includes a thrilling setting of “Praise to the Holiest in the Height”.
Vivace Chorus will be supported by the wonderful Brandenburg
Sinfonia and a team of soloists for this concert.
Further details at vivacechorus.org
Printed by IMPRINT COLOUR LTD
Pegasus Court, North Lane, Aldershot GU12 4QP. Tel : 01252 330683
Vivace Chorus is a Registered Charity No. 1026337
32
Vivace Chorus
Vivace
Rodgers and Hammerstein,
Bernstein, Sondheim,
Lloyd Webber and more
Tickets £18 £15 U18: £10,
Saturday
23 May 2020
at 7.30pm
plus an additional £3 per ticket GLive booking fee.
Book online GLive.co.uk or phone 01483 369350
vivacechorus.org
Registered Charity No. 1026337
Vivace 2020 concerts-chosen.indd 13
Guildford’s state-of-the-art
entertainment venue
27/02/2020 11:18
FUTURE CONCERTS
Vivace
Join Vivace Chorus
in Guildford and
Dorking for our
other 2020 concerts
May GLive
mmerstein,
Rodgers and Ha heim,
Bernstein, Sond
d more
Lloyd Webber an
Saturday
23 May 2020
at 7.30pm
state-of-the-art
Guildford’snment
venue
entertai
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vivacechNo.
1026337
The
Registered Charity
CHERRY
TCoRncEerES
t
Your choral
favourites
including
July Holy Trinity
Fauré, Handel,
Rutter and
Swingle
From Handel’s Zadok the Priest
to Rutter’s All things bright
and beautiful – your perfect
summer’s evening concert
Vivace
Saturday
6 July 2020
7 pm
vivacechorus.or
Registered Charity
No. 1026337
For one night only, we present
The Best of Broadway – an
evening packed with your
favourite show tunes!
Laugh, cry, stomp your feet –
join in alongside Vivace and
the award-winning Friary
Brass Band! This concert is the
very best in musical theatre
entertainment.
November Dorking Halls
Holy Trinity
Guildford
g
The Dream of Gerontius Elgar’s finest choral work
Retiring collect
ion in aid of:
Vivace
Elgar
THE DREAM OF
GERONTIUS
emy Backhouse
Conductor: Jer
enburg Sinfonia
Orchestra: Brand
Saturday
14 Nov 2020
at 7.30pm
orus.org
vivacechNo.
1026337
Registered Charity
Viv18-African Sanctus-Programme.indd 1
Grand Hall,
Dorking Halls
vivacechorus.org
Registered Charity No. 1026337