SCUNA history » Concerts » 1968 - 2
Advertisement | Programme | Review | Letter to the Editor
A.N.U. CHORAL SOCIETY
ANNUAL CONCERT
BACH MAGNIFICAT
and works by Monteverdi, Josquin, Britten, Dowland
University House Dining Hall
Friday, August 2, 1968 - 8.15 p.m.
$1-50 ($1 student concession)
Bookings D.J's, Union Shop, A.N.U.
Source: Advertising. (1968, July 20). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 15. Retrieved May 17, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article107063739 . The ad also appeared on Saturday 27 July and Wednesday 31 July 1968.
ANNUAL CONCERT
1968
AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CHORAL SOCIETY
* * * *
Conductor: Chris Burrell
Leader of Orchestra: Josette Esquedin
* * * *
UNIVERSITY HOUSE 2 August 1968
PROGRAMME
Mediaeval Song: Hyer matin à l'enjournée | Gautier de Coinci (1177-1236) | |
Motet: Tota pulchra es | Heinrich Isaac (1450-1517) | |
Motet: Ave Maria | Josquin des Près (1440-1521) | |
* * * * | ||
Italian Madrigals | Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) | |
Lasciate mi morire | ||
Ecco mormorar l'onde | ||
Si ch'io vorrei morire | ||
* * * * | ||
English Madrigals | ||
Flow not so fast, ye fountains | John Dowland (1562-1626) | |
All at once well met, fair ladies | Thomas Weelkes (1575-1623) | |
Weep, O mine eyes | John Benet (early 17th century) | |
Adieu, sweet Amaryllis | John Wilbye (1574-1638) | |
* * * * | ||
English Lute Songs | Soloist: | Judith Clingan |
Shall I come, sweet love, to thee | Thomas Campion (1567-1620) | |
It was a lover and his lass | Thomas Morley (1557-1603) | |
* * * * | ||
English Folk Songs | Soloist: | Janet Allan |
Down by the Sally Gardens | } | |
Waly Waly | } | arr. Benjamin Britten (b. 1913) |
Little Sir William | } |
Serial Theme and Fugue from Cantata Academica: Docendi ac discendi |
Benjamin Britten | |
* * * * | ||
Homage to Igor Stravinsky | George Dreyfus (b. 1928) |
|
I N T E R V A L | ||
MAGNIFICAT IN D | J.S. Bach (1685-1750) |
|
Soloists: | Janet Allan (mezzo-soprano) | |
Susan Barker (soprano) | ||
Judith Clingan (alto) | ||
Andrew Barker (tenor) | ||
Graeme Macintosh (bass) | ||
|
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
We are grateful to staff members of the Canberra
School of Music for their advice and help, to
Mr Wilfrid Holland for the use of his harpsicord,
and to the Master and House Manager of University House
for their assistance.
Choir | ||
Sopranos | Tenors | |
Janet Allan | Tony Ashendon | |
Ros Delaney | Allan Behme | |
Ceilidh Fenton | Jehn Chinn | |
Jill Fleming | Sue Barnes | |
Penelope Ingles | ||
Ann May | ||
Berilyn Morrison | ||
Kit Shepherd | ||
Val Thomson | Basses | |
Altos | Julian Brown | |
Rosemary Auchmuty | Andrew Fraser | |
Sue Baldwin | David Gibson | |
Judith Clingan | Richard Hartley | |
Elizabeth Erskine | Ken Healey | |
Jill Newman | Dennis Martin | |
Dorelle Pinch | Brian Norris | |
Debbie Price | John Pender | |
Linda Reid | Ian Robertson | |
Katharine Walker | David Woods | |
Orchestra | ||
1st violins | Bassoon | |
Josette Esquedin (leader) | George Dreyfus | |
Molly Brasch | ||
Phyllis Wood | Flutes | |
David Woods | Peter Treacy | |
Norma Newton | ||
2nd violins | ||
Marjorie Gilby | Oboes | |
Norma Hales | Donald Cartwright | |
Genevieve McCusker | Anne Gilby | |
Barbara Gilby | ||
Clarinets | ||
Violas | Morris Seligman | |
Ygraine Petrie | Michael Sawer | |
Lyn Dalgarno | Clinton Sleath | |
Cellos | Tympani | |
Mary Gellibrand | Geraldine Mantle | |
Beverley Hutchison | ||
Continuo and Accompanist: Jennifer Kain |
The ANU Choral Society presented last night an interestingly varied but over-long programme of "a capella" and accompanied choral music.
Opening brightly with a joyous 13th-century song by Gautier de Coinci, there was some attractive singing in the two motets by Heinrich Isaac and Josquin des Pres which followed. A group of English madrigals afforded a contrast to three darker-toned Italian examples by Monteverdi: although there were moments of rough tone and indistinct entries the latter were very competently sung, with some real feeling for the intensely dramatic quality of Monteverdi's setting of Tasso's poem 'Ecco Mormorar L'Onde'.
The final large choral item of the first half - the Fugue from the 'Cantata Academica', by Benjamin Britten, so different in style from what had preceded it on the programme, was effectively sung despite some rhythmic unsteadiness on the fugal entries.
The first performance in Canberra of the 'Homage to Igor Stravinsky', written by George Dreyfus for an ABC programme recently to celebrate Stravinsky's 86th birthday, concluded the first half on a joyous note - it is a brief but hilarious "send-up" of certain aspects of contemporary music.
If the first half was generally successful, the second half was much less so: this society is not yet ready to attempt a work like the Bach 'Magnificat in D'. Chris Burrell's inflexible conducting drained all expressiveness from the music, although he had directed the first half with considerable style and feeling. The accompanying orchestra was badly balanced and sometimes shockingly out of tune, and the singers seemed ill at ease.
Source: MUSIC Singing too long. (1968, August 3). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 16. Retrieved May 16, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article107065882
Sir, -I would comment on the aleatory statement of your music critic (The Canberra Times, August 3). "This society [the ANU Choral Society] is not yet ready to attempt a work like the Bach 'Magnificat in D'." Precisely because of SCUNA's presentation of said work (which I certainly did not find "drained of expressiveness"), many gained an appreciation of living Bach which would otherwise be denied them.
If a young and obviously musically enthusiastic group offers such a work, is this not a credit to them? Ambitious, yes: but to imply that demanding musical works should not be presented unless technical perfection of rendition is guaranteed is to deny rich musical experience to performers and those with whom they share. This is neither the time nor the place to stifle artistic experience.
Sister M. MICHAEL, FMM
Narrabundah.
Source: Living Bach. (1968, August 8). The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), p. 25. Retrieved May 15, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article107066614