All musicians gave freely of their time, on a completely voluntary basis, performing for the Glory of God.
For information regarding details of the music performed and musicians please see the programme and notes below:
Programme:
St. Luke’s Choir and Cantamus Directed by Malcolm Wood
Hosanna to the Son of David Arthur Hutchings
Arthur Hutchings was born at Sunbury-on-Thames in 1906 and died in 1989. After a career as a teacher he was appointed Professor of Music at Durham University in 1947. His joyous anthem ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’ with words from the antiphon for Palm Sunday effectively illustrates the shouts of the crowds as Jesus enters Jerusalem
Ave verum corpus William Byrd
William Byrd c. 1542 – 1623 was organist at Lincoln Cathedral and later at Queen Elizabeth 1’s Chapel Royal jointly with his teacher Thomas Tallis. He founded the English Madrigal School and is considered to be one of the greatest Tudor composers. This very moving setting of ‘Ave verum corpus’, a fourteenth century hymn which hails Christ as the true body born of the Virgin Mary suffering the pain and death of crucifixion for the atonement of mortal sin.
Piano solos Four Contredanses K269b Michael Whiteside (piano) W.A. Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756 – 1791 was born in Salzburg and began composing at the age of 6 being first taught by his father Leopold and later by J.C. Bach and Joseph Haydn. He performed all over Europe but despite success and fame died in poor circumstances. The contredanse seems to have developed from the English Country Dance which it resembles being danced by two couples facing each other (contra = against). It consists of a series of 8 bar phrases which may be repeated as many times as desired.
Bop goes the weasel Katy Wallis (piano) Bill Readdy
Bill Readdy was born in London in 1953. His parents were both musicians, playing both jazz and classical piano. Bill started learning the piano at the age of six, and started singing in the church choir at the age of eight. After hearing an Art Tatum record Bill became extremely interested in jazz piano, and started composing and improvising at quite an early age. Bop ( as opposed to Pop!) goes the weasel is a lively jazz version of the well-known nursery song.
Vocal duet:
I sing of a maiden Patrick Hadley
Lauren Laing (Soprano); Danielle Davenport (Mezzo Soprano)
Patrick Hadley was born in Cambridge in 1899 and died in London in 1973. He studied at Cambridge University and the Royal College of Music eventually becoming Professor of Music at Cambridge from 1946 – 1963. This setting of a fifteenth century text “I sing of a maiden” in praise of the Virgin Mary combines tenderness with intensity. The two upper voices are accompanied by a gently rocking piano part which creates the mood of a lullaby but with undertones of pain and sadness.
Cantamus Directed by Malcolm Wood
Beati quorum via C.V. Stanford
Charles Villiers Stanford was born in Dublin in 1852 and died in London in 1924. He was Organist at Trinity College Cambridge at the early age of 21 and later after gaining the university’s doctorate in music became Professor of Music at Cambridge. He was also a very influential teacher of composition at the Royal College of Music in London where he taught many of the later famous English composers – Vaughan Williams, John Ireland, Frank Bridge and many others. Although a composer of major works for orchestra, chamber music and oratorios he is now mainly remembered for his songs and church music which latter set a new standard and is still sung in Anglican Cathedrals all over the world. ‘Beati quorum via’, the beautiful setting of words from Psalm 119 “Blessed are those that are undefiled in the way, and walk in the law of the Lord” is dedicated to Alan Gray and the choir of Trinity College, Cambridge. It is written in 6 parts, 3 upper voices and 3 lower. These are used sometimes alternately and at other times each of the six voices enters one after the other to gradually build up rich harmonic textures of sound. The overall effect is one of peace and tranquillity.
Flute solo:
Andante Pastoral Paul Taffanel
Rebecca McLaughlin (Flute); Malcolm Wood (piano)
Paul Taffanel 1844 – 1908.A distinguished French flute virtuoso, conductor, composer and teacher, Paul Taffanel was a very impressive figure in Parisian musical life. Taffanel was one of the first musicians to see the flute as an extraordinary instrument. Taffanel single-handedly created the modern French school of flute playing. The achievements of the School were soon adopted worldwide. Taffanel was appointed professor of the Paris Conservatoire. The Andante Pastoral is a beautiful fantasie with rapid swirling figures in the flute part blending with rich harmonies and unexpected key changes in the accompaniment creating a mood reminiscent of Debussy and the French impressionist style of composition.
St. Luke’s Choir and Cantamus
Cantique de Jean Racine Gabriel Fauré
Directed by Malcolm Wood David Beeby, organ
Gabriel Fauré 1845 – 1924 was Director of the Paris Conservatoire from 1905 to 1920 and taught Ravel amongst other composers. He wrote in a delicate balanced style mainly in small forms for piano, chamber ensembles, orchestra and choral groups. He is famous for his beautiful Requiem and for works such as the Pavanne heard at this concert in an arrangement for organ from the original orchestral version with optional chorus. Its restful mood (apart from a more agitated middle section) is reminiscent of the beautiful choral work ‘Cantique de Jean Racine’ which precedes it. The Cantique is a setting of words by the 17th century dramatist and poet Jean Racine. It was Fauré’s first significant composition, written in 1865 whilst he was in his final year at the École Niedermeyer, the ‘École de musique religieuse et classique’. He submitted the piece for the composition prize, and won, though it was only published eleven years later, with a full orchestral version following in 1906.
Organ solo Pavanne Gabriel Fauré
David Beeby (organ)
St. Luke’s Choir and Cantamus Directed by Malcolm Wood
O Thou the Central Orb Organ: David Beeby Charles Wood
The first part of our concert finished with the exuberant and ever popular anthem ‘O Thou the Central Orb’ by Charles Wood 1866 – 1926. Like Stanford he was born in Ireland and studied at Cambridge University where he also became Professor of Music. Again, like Stanford, he did much to raise the quality of church music at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The words of the anthem adapted by H. R. Bramley celebrate the brightness and radiance of God entering our dark and wintry world.
Interval
The second part of our concert consisted of music composed entirely by the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn 1732 – 1809. He was a very prolific composer having written 104 catalogued symphonies, 84 string quartets, concertos, 20 operas, songs and many other works including his famous oratorios “The Creation” and “The Seasons” which were inspired by visits to England during which he heard performances of Handel’s oratorios. He established the form of the classical symphony and taught Beethoven and was a great influence on Mozart
Cantamus
Missa Brevis St. Joannis de Deo (“Little Organ Mass”) Joseph Haydn
Soprano Solo: Rebecca McLaughlin
Violins: Cathy Beeby, Danielle Davenport, Dorothea McCabe
Cello: Kathy JacksonContinuo,
David Beeby
Directed by Malcolm Wood
The Missa Brevis St. Joannis de Deo is known as the “Little organ Mass” due to the use of the organ as continuo and its predominance in the Benedictus. Haydn was in friendly contact with the Order of the Brothers of Mercy and dedicated this work to their Patron Saint, John of God. The text was radically shortened by having two or more parts sing different words simultaneously as in the Credo and Gloria. He wrote the work while organist to the Esterhazy family and he conducted the first performance playing the organ part himself. The movements are:
Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei
Our concert ended with two well-known excerpts form Haydn’s Creation:- a two-part arrangement of the chorus 'Achieved is the glorious work' followed by the choirs singing 'The Heavens are telling the Glory of God'.
Duet: Achieved is the Glorious Work (“The Creation”) Joseph Haydn
Lauren Laing (Soprano): Danielle Davenport (Mezzo Soprano)
St. Luke’s Choir and Cantamus Directed by Malcolm Wood
The Heavens are telling the glory of God (“The Creation”) Joseph Haydn
Details of soloists in order of performance:
Michael Whiteside sings in St. Luke’s Choir and Cantamus. He was a student at Bournemouth School and is currently studying for a music degree at Southampton University where he sings in the University of Southampton Chamber Choir.
Katy Wallis is a student at Bournemouth School for Girls. She has sung in St. Luke’s Choir and Cantamus and is a member of the Bournemouth Youth Handbell Team. She is currently studying piano and organ is a student at Bournemouth School for Girls. Katy is also a keen dancer and performs with “Pure Funk”.
Danielle Davenport is an A Level student at Bournemouth School for Girls and has been singing for the past seven years. She is also an accomplished violinist and a member of the Bournemouth Youth Handbell Team. On completion of her A level studies she aims to study history at university.
Lauren Laing is currently a Year 12 student at Bournemouth School for Girls. She is a member of St. John’s, Moordown Church Choir in which she has sung for the past 10 years. She is currently studying for Grade 6 Singing and also plays the trumpet. On leaving school she hopes to study Marine Biology.
Rebecca McLaughlin has sung with Cantamus since she was 11. In 2006 she completed a music degree at Durham University where she held choral scholarships and sang with Durham choirs in many English cathedrals. In addition to singing she plays the flute to a very high standard. This year she submitted her research to Durham University for her Masters degree.
David Beeby began his musical training as a chorister, then later Assistant Organist at the church of St. James the Greater, Leicester. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music with David Sanger and Arthur Wills where he won a prize for organ improvisation and gained a first in his final organ examination. In addition to being a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, he also holds the College’s Choir Training Diploma gaining the John Brook Prize for the highest marks in the practical section. He was Organist and Master of the Choristers at St.Peter’s, Bournemouth from 1993 – 2002, after which he was appointed Head of Music at Poole Grammar School.
Ensembles
We are very grateful to David and Cathy Beeby, Kathy Jackson, Danielle Davenport and Dorothea McCabe for forming the orchestra to accompany the Haydn Little Organ Mass. We very much appreciate their giving of their time and talents to make this performance take place.
Cantamus is a chamber choir specialising in liturgical music from the Tudor period to the present. It was formed by Malcolm Wood in 1992 and has sung in local venues such as Christchurch Priory, Wimborne Minster and St. Peter’s, Bournemouth. The choir also likes to bring traditional church music to churches which have no choir of their own. We are available to sing at weddings and sing in secular venues at Christmas.If you are interested in joining us, or would like more information, contact Malcolm Wood. Tel 01202 525444
St. Luke’s Church Choir is affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music and has been directed by Malcolm Wood since 2001. It is a four part choir with members of all ages and sings anthems, settings, psalms and other liturgical music of all periods. Apart from the weekly sung 10 am Eucharist, the choir also sings fully choral evensongs and special seasonal festival services at Christmas and Easter. If you are interested in joining us, or would like more information, contact Malcolm Wood. Tel 01202 525444
The Bournemouth Youth Handbell Team (run by Cathy Beeby who sings with St Luke’s regularly on a Sunday morning) had been intending to perform in this concert but, unfortunately, were unable to join us because of sickness.
The music in the evening’s concert was given in aid of materials and resources for St. Luke’s Sunday School; people gave generously to a retiring collection, which was taken by children from the Sunday School. We would like to thank those who supported this very successful event.
