PROGRAMME
O
Radiant Dawn – James MacMillan (b 1959)
The
Three Kings – Jonathan Dove (b 1959)
Soloists:
Louis Cain and Fraser Rogers treble
Christ
hath a garden – Jeremy Jackman (b 1952)
Soloists:
Jake Barlow alto, Peter Thomson tenor and Charlie
Murray bass
Aria
for Joel and Vicki – Gabriel Jackson (b 1962) (first performance)
Soloists:
Luke Bond organ and Joel Garthwaite saxophone
From
‘Seven Magnificat Antiphons’: – Gabriel Jackson
O
Adonai
O
Radix Jesse
O
Clavis David
O
Oriens
Cantate
Domino – Patrick Hawes (b 1958)
Soloist:
Toby Pearce treble
Organ
– Graham Fitkin (b 1963)
Soloist:
Luke Bond organ
All
wisdom cometh from the Lord – Philip Moore (b 1943)
Soloist:
Charlie Murray bass
The
Seal Lullaby – Eric Whitacre (b 1970)
Nunc
Dimittis – Philip Stopford (b 1977)
Vox
clara ecce intonat – Gabriel Jackson
Soloists:
Joel Garthwaite saxophone and Paul-Ethan Bright alto
WORDS
AND PROGRAMME NOTES
O Radiant Dawn –
James MacMillan
MacMillan is one of the leading composers of this generation, whose varied output touches almost every aspect of sacred and secular music, informed not only by his faith as a Roman Catholic, but also by the traditional music of his native Scotland. This piece comes from the Strathclyde Motets, and is a setting of O Oriens, the antiphon for the 21st of December, which compares the light of Christ to the rising sun. It opens with the full choir in strict homophony (all parts moving together, as in a hymn), using grace notes in the treble and tenor parts to imitate the 'Scotch snap', and builds itself on simple repeated phrases. Suspensions (dissonances which resolve) add to the devotional character of the words, and the last word of the antiphon, “death”, is left unresolved. While the first section is the text of the antiphon, the second section is taken from Isaiah, and is sung by the upper voices alone, in consonant thirds. The antiphon is repeated and “death” finds its resolution as the choir sings the ‘Amen’ – the short, repeated phrases adding to the devotional nature, with a final 'Scotch snap' into the last chord.
O Radiant Dawn, Splendour
of eternal Light,
Sun of Justice: come,
shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.
Isaiah had prophesied,
'The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in
the land of gloom a light has shone.'
Amen.
Antiphon for the 21st
of December, Isaiah 9, v2
The Three Kings –
Jonathan Dove
Commissioned by the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge for its Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in 2000, this carol succeeds in preserving the narrative intensity of the poem while developing its own musical character. The nature of the poem is reminiscent of the ancient French 'forme fixe' Rondeau, using “O balow, balow la lay/Gifts for a baby King, O” as the refrain, tied together rhythmically throughout the piece. The different characters of each of the kings is represented through different choral textures – the melancholy of the youngest expressed by the doleful treble solos, the solemnity of the middle King focused by always being sung by no more than four parts at once, and the joy of the oldest King accentuated by the ebullient, virtuosic triplet figures at “Many a gaud and glittering toy”. The final chorus builds to an impassioned climax, before returning to the quiet character of the opening.
The
first king was very young,
O
balow, balow la lay,
With
doleful ballads on his tongue,
O
balow, balow la lay,
He came
bearing a branch of myrrh
Than
which no gall is bitterer,
O
balow, balow la lay,
Gifts for a baby King, O.
The
second king was a man in prime,
O
balow, balow la lay,
The
solemn priest of a solemn time,
O
balow, balow la lay,
With
eyes downcast and reverent feet
He
brought his incense sad and sweet,
O
balow, balow la lay,
Gifts for a baby King, O.
The
third king was very old,
O
balow, balow la lay,
Both
his hands were full of gold,
O
balow, balow la lay,
Many a
gaud and glittering toy,
Baubles
brave for a baby boy,
O
balow, balow la lay,
Gifts for a baby King, O.
Dorothy L Sayers
Christ hath a garden –
Jeremy Jackman
A three part setting of a hymn by Isaac Watts, this short anthem is full of originality and unexpected wit, including a quote from the classic jazz song “Autumn Leaves”. While the tonality is major overall, the harmonic centre constantly twists and turns, with surprising intervals and extended suspensions. The alto part is particularly characterised by upward leaps of a seventh, and there are moments of subtle word painting to be found: at the words “Awake, O wind of heav’n” and “Stir up, O South” the tenors and basses surge forward with a driving quaver rhythm, the altos reach their highest notes of the piece (another leap of a seventh) at the word “bloom”, and again at the end, where the springing rhythm in the alto part reflects the “springing green”. Jackman has previously been a countertenor in The King's Singers, and was once famous as the voice of the doggerel rhymes in the theme music of Blackadder II.
Christ hath a garden all around,
A
paradise of fruitful ground,
Chosen
by love and fenc'd by grace,
From
out the world's wide wilderness.
Like
trees of spice his servants stand,
There
planted by his mighty hand,
By
Eden's gracious streams that flow,
To
feed their beauty where they grow.
Awake
O wind of heav'n, and bear
Their
sweetest perfume thro' the air,
Stir
up, O South, the boughs that bloom,
Till
the beloved Master come.
That
he may come, and linger yet,
Among
the trees that he hath set,
That
he may evermore be seen.
To
walk amid the springing green.
Isaac
Watts
Aria for Joel and
Vicki – Gabriel Jackson (first performance)
Composed in celebration of the marriage of Joel Garthwaite and his fiance, this work reflects the joy of the wedding ceremony. It uses the entire range of the Tenor Saxophone, alongside the considerable tonal resources of the organ, and is full of Jackson's signature style, with long melodic phrases using lombardic rhythms, the true expression of the 'scotch snap'. The opening phrase features an organ melody over cluster chord accompaniment, giving way to the saxophone, in the middle of its register, in the spirit of the expressive 'en taille' aria movements of the French organ mass. While one instrument holds a note or chord, the other plays syncopated phrases, which are swapped back and forth over the piece. As we approach the end, the opening Saxophone melody is repeated up an octave, and finally draws to a close in a peaceful mood.
From ‘Seven
Magnificat Antiphons’ – Gabriel Jackson
O Adonai, O Radix
Jesse, O Clavis David and O Oriens
Gabriel Jackson composed
six of his seven Magnificat Antiphons for the gentlemen and boys of
Truro Cathedral Choir who gave their first performance on 7th
December. The remaining antiphon, O Clavis David was composed
for the Choir of Merton College, Oxford and premiered in 2012.
The words come from the
seven ‘great O antiphons’ (so named because each one starts with
an ‘O’) which are used liturgically in the seven days leading up
to Christmas Day. Jackson’s settings use the full resources of the
choir, with O Adonai for the tenors and basses, O Radix
Jesse for the trebles and altos, and the others for the full choir,
split into up to eight parts.
These are a further
expression of the style already encountered in the Aria for Joel
and Vicki, full of lively syncopation and colourful harmonies.
The long held notes (so-called ‘pedal notes’), especially in O
Clavis David, act as great granite-like drones, underpinning the
text sung in the other parts. Jackson often moves the tune around
the different voice-parts of the choir, sometimes clearly at the top
of the texture, sometimes in the basses, and sometimes with the
whole choir, in unison.
O Adonai, et Dux
domus Israel,
qui Moysi in igne
flamme rubi apparuisti,
et ei in Sina legem
dedisti:
veni ad liberandum
nos in brachio extento.
O Radix Jesse,
quistas in signum populorum,
super quem
continebunt reges os suum,
quem Gentes
deprecabuntur:
veni ad liberandum
nos, jam noli tardere.
O Clavis David, et
sceptrum domus Israel,
qui aperis et nemo
claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit:
veni, et educ
vinctum de domo carceris,
sedentem in
tenebris, et umbra mortis
O Oriens,
splendor lucis
aeternae, et sol justitae:
veni, et illumina
sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.
|
O Lord, and leader of
the house of Israel,
who appearedst in the
bush to Moses in a flame of fire,
and gavest him the law
in Sinai:
Come and deliver us
with an outstretched arm.
O Root of Jesse, which
standest for an ensign of the people,
at whom kings shall
shut their mouths,
to whom the Gentiles
shall seek:
Come and deliver us,
and tarry not.
O Key of David, and
sceptre of the house of Israel,
that openest and no
man shuttest; and shuttest and no man openeth:
Come, and bring the
prisoner out of the prison house,
and him that sitteth
in darkness, and the shadow of death.
O Dayspring,
Brightness of light
everlasting, and sun of righteousness:
Come, and enlighten
him that sitteth in darkness, and the shadow of death.
|
Antiphons for the 18th,
19th, 20th and 21st December
Cantate Domino –
Patrick Hawes
Commissioned by the saxophonist Christian Forshaw, this short anthem uses the timbres of upper voices, the organ, and the saxophone high in its range to create an avant-garde sound world. Hawes uses plainsong chant as the basis of his melody, which he shares between the different voice-parts of the choir. The short text is repeated several times through the piece, clothed in haunting melodies.
Cantate
Domino, benedicite nomen eius:
bene
nuntiate de die in diem salutare eius,
Alleluia
O sing
unto the Lord, bless his name:
tell
out his salvation from day to day,
Alleluia
Psalm
95, v2
ORGAN – Graham
Fitkin
Here, rhythm, texture and sheer volume lead this music, rather than a specific melody. The composer leaves a set of detailed yet simple instructions to the performer, and writes that he “focused on three things while composing ORGAN” – the power of the absolute full organ, juxtaposing contrapuntal interest against block chords and utilising a bass line composed of only two notes. It was commissioned for the Organ of Birmingham’s Symphony Hall in 2004, and shows a starkness of texture to match the neo-classical style of that particular instrument. There is no suggested registration or manual changes, just changes in the dynamic level, and the tempo stays exactly the same throughout the entire piece. The highest part of the texture is dominated by a constantly moving semiquaver figure, giving way to massive chords, while the left hand punctuates with melodic interest. It ends as suddenly and as abruptly as it began, free of any classical resolution.
All wisdom cometh from
the Lord – Philip Moore
Written in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Lanesborough Preparatory School, where the choristers of Guildford Cathedral Choir are educated, this anthem is a triumph of form as much as anything else. The huge variety in the musical texture compliments the different aspects of wisdom presented to us in the Biblical words from the book of Ecclesiasticus – the strong and austere opening gives way to a rhythmically sharp motif, the irregular beat pattern adding to the questioning nature of the text. The central section, a bass solo, answers the questions presented to us. Afterwards, the rhythm picks up again, returning to the jaunty syncopation of the second section, but this time in a major mode, with a celebratory feeling.
Finally, in the last
section, the trebles sing the words of the psalm to the plainsong
melody associated with the Nunc Dimittis, while the tenors
and bases repeat the melody from the very start but now drawn out
with longer note values. The organ part also uses material we have
previously heard, using some of the same harmonic progressions from
the bass solo. At the very end of the piece, as the trebles finish
their plainsong tune, the opening motif is repeated one last time,
moving from the altos to the basses and finally to the tenors; all
voice-parts have a share in the wisdom of the Lord.
All
wisdom cometh from the Lord, and is with Him for ever.
Who
can number the sand of the sea and the drops of rain and the days of
eternity?
Who
can find out the height of heav'n, and the breadth of the earth and
the deep and wisdom?
Wisdom
hath been created before all things and the understanding of
prudence from everlasting.
The
word of God most high is the fountain of Wisdom, and her ways are
everlasting commandments.
To
whom hath the root of Wisdom been revealed? Or who hath known her
wise counsels?
There
is one wise and greatly to be fear'd, the Lord sitting upon his
throne.
He
created her and saw her and numbered her, and poured her out upon
all his works.
She is
with all flesh according to his gifts, and he hath given her to them
that love him.
The
fear of the Lord is honour and glory and gladness and a crown of
rejoicing.
The
fear of the Lord maketh a merry heart and bringeth joy and gladness
and a long life.
Teach
me O Lord the way of thy statutes: and I shall keep it unto the end.
Give
me understanding and I shall keep thy law; yea I shall keep it with
my whole heart.
Make
me to go in the way of thy commandments: for therein is my desire.
O
stablish thy word in thy servant: that I may fear thee.
Behold
my delight is in thy commandments: O quicken me in thy
righteousness.
Ecclesiasticus
1 vv1-6 & 8-12, and Psalm 119 vv33-35 & 38-40
The Seal Lullaby –
Eric Whitacre
With words from a classic Kipling story, Whitacre wrote this in response to a commission for an animated film. Simple yet accessible, the music imitates the rolling movement of the waves. The melodic interest is shared between all parts of the choir and the accompanying piano, and closes by repeating the opening chorus. This particular arrangement was commissioned by the Towne Singers, after the animation studio dropped the project to make Kung Fu Panda instead.
Oh!
hush thee, my baby, the night is behind us,
And
black are the waters that sparkled so green.
The
moon, o'er the combers, looks downward to find us
At
rest in the hollows that rustle between.
Where
billow meets billow, there soft be thy pillow;
Ah,
weary wee flipperling, curl at thy ease!
The
storm shall not wake thee, nor shark overtake thee,
Asleep
in the arms of the slow-swinging seas.
Rudyard
Kipling
Nunc Dimittis
(from The Truro Evening Canticles) – Philip Stopford
In the Nunc Dimittis, composed in 2011 for unaccompanied choir, Stopford shows his talent for writing a beautiful, uncomplicated melody, and for engineering a good musical climax. Specially commissioned for Truro Cathedral Choir, this service has entered the regular repertoire, as well as being featured in webcasts, recordings and broadcasts. Stopford juxtaposes the delicacy of the treble melody with the vulnerability in the text, as the old Simeon gives thanks to the Lord for meeting the child Jesus, knowing that his lifetime of service to the temple has finally been rewarded by seeing his saviour. As in The Seal Lullaby, the lower parts present a gently rocking accompaniment of pure calm.
Lord,
now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace: according to thy word.
For
mine eyes have seen: thy salvation,
Which
thou hast prepared: before the face of all people;
To be
a light to lighten the Gentiles: and to be the glory of thy people
Israel.
Glory
be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;
As it
was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end.
Amen.
Luke
2:29-31, minor doxology
Vox clara ecce
intonat – Gabriel Jackson
As the saxophone bursts
into life, high in its register, the choir answers with “Hark! A
herald voice is calling”, like rays of light shining through
darkness. The voices rise to embrace the exuberance of the
saxophone part, sometimes playing in a 'call and answer' style, and
at other times fully involved in the texture. In the third verse,
the tenors and basses provide a sustained backdrop for an alto solo,
which duets with the saxophone, with imitative exchanges and
parallel phrases. The fourth verse slowly builds in choral texture,
and is dominated by the brilliance of the saxophone part, moving to
the final verse which gives way to the ‘Amen’, chorally subdued
but topped off with a final dramatic flourish.
Vox clara ecce intonat,
obscura quaeque increpat:
procul fugentur somnia;
ab aethre Christus
promicat.
Mens iam resurgat torpida
quae sorde exstat saucia;
sidus refulget iam novum,
ut tollat omne noxium.
Esursum Agnus mittitur
laxare gratis debitum;
omnes pro indulgentia
vocem demus cum lacrimis.
Secundo ut cum fulserit
mundumque horror
cinxerit,
non pro reatu puniat,
sed nos pius tunc
protegat.
Summo Parenti gloria
Natoque sit victoria,
et Flamini laus debita
per saeculorum saecula.
Amen.
Hark! a herald voice
is calling:
'Christ is nigh,' it
seems to say;
'Cast away the dreams
of darkness,
O ye children of the
day!'
Startled at the solemn
warning,
Let the earth-bound
soul arise;
Christ, her Sun, all
sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the
morning skies.
Lo! the Lamb, so long
expected,
Comes with pardon down
from heaven;
Let us haste, with
tears of sorrow,
One and all to be
forgiven;
So when next he comes
with glory,
Wrapping all the earth
in fear,
May he then as our
defender
On the clouds of
heaven appear.
Honour, glory, virtue,
merit,
To the Father and the
Son,
With the co-eternal
Spirit,
While unending ages
run. Amen.
6th century
Latin hymn, sung at the hour of Lauds during Advent, translated by
Edward Caswall
Programme notes by
Paul-Ethan Bright
Truro
Cathedral Choir
Truro Cathedral has had a
choir of boys and men since it was consecrated in 1887. The current
team of eighteen boy choristers and twelve gentlemen sings at six
services each week during term time as well as at the major services
around Christmas and Easter. They also undertake regular concerts,
broadcasts, webcasts, foreign tours and CD recordings.
In recent years the choir
has performed live on BBC1 as well as making recordings for BBC1’s
Songs of Praise programme and a BBC2 documentary The Truth
about Carols. There are regular live broadcasts on BBC Radio 3
and, in 2011, it became the first British cathedral choir to webcast
a service. On Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs programme, Howard
Goodall chose the choir’s recording of music by French composer
Maurice Duruflé as his favourite disc.
Recent CD recordings have
attracted praise from critics in the international classical press:
“Inspirational singing from one of the top cathedral choirs in the
land” (Organists’ Review); “The singing of the choir, set in
the wonderful acoustic of Truro Cathedral, is beyond praise”
(MusicWeb International); “They have a fresh, unforced sound and
encompass with ease the bigger eight-part writing and unexpected
harmonic progressions. It’s noticeable that the solo voices include
five different boy choristers of equal accomplishment – a tribute
to Gray’s expert training.” (Gramophone).
In addition to its
commitments in Truro, the Choir has performed in Germany, Austria,
Switzerland, France, Sweden, Italy, Spain and the USA.
A great deal of new music
has been written specially for Truro Cathedral Choir by some of the
UK’s top composers, among them David Bednall, David Briggs,
Jonathan Carne, Paul Comeau, Paul Drayton, Graham Fitkin, Howard
Goodall, Gabriel Jackson, James MacMillan, Russell Pascoe, Howard
Skempton and Philip Stopford.
The eighteen boy
choristers are all educated at Polwhele House School. They rehearse
every day before school for at least 45 minutes. On most weekdays
they come straight from school to the Cathedral where they do their
homework before rehearsing for another 40 minutes and singing a
service at 5.30 pm. They sing two further services on Sundays.
The boys are joined by
twelve gentlemen who sing the alto, tenor and bass parts. Six are Lay
Vicars who are based permanently here in Cornwall. Six are Choral
Scholars who come from various parts of the UK and further afield to
spend their gap years singing with our renowned choir. There is also
an Organ Scholar. All organise their lives, work and holidays around
the choir’s busy schedule of commitments.
Truro Cathedral supports
three other choirs which provide singing opportunities for boys and
girls aged 7 to 18, as well as adults. A separate team of girl
Choristers, in the age range 13 to 18, will join Truro Cathedral
Choir next September. Full details can be found on the Cathedral’s
website.
Joel Garthwaite Saxophonist
Graduating from both the
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (BMus 2006) and the Guildhall
School of Music and Drama (MMus 2007) Joel is sought after as a
soloist, chamber musician and recording artist.
His performance work is
centred on the award winning Lunar Saxophone Quartet which, since
2006, has developed a reputation as one of the leading chamber music
ensembles in the UK. Other regular performance work includes solo
performances, orchestral work with the London Contemporary Orchestra
and session work. Joel’s media work has included live broadcasts
for BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio 3, Sky Arts, ITV and
BBC TV.
His performances have
spanned classical halls across the UK including the Barbican Hall and
St David’s Hall, and more diverse venues including The Roundhouse,
Jazz at Pizza Express Soho, and Bryn Terfel’s Faneol Festival.
Joel is a Signum Records
and Edition Records recording artist.
