ANU
CHORAL SOCIETY
conducted by
BRIAN HINGERTY
FIRST TERM
CONCERT.
ANU
CHORAL SOCIETY
conducted by
BRIAN HINGERTY
FIRST TERM
CONCERT.
PROGRAMME
Gaudeamus igitur Trad.
l. Two Chansons: Clément Janequin
(i) Tresves damours (c1475-c1560)
(ii) Si dung petit de vostre bien
2. Two Madrigals: Edmund Rubbra
(i) It fell on a summer's day (1901-)
(ii) I care not for these ladies
3. Two Chansons: Maurice Ravel
(i) Nicolette (1875-1937)
(ii) Ronde
4. Magnificat a sei voci Claudio Monteverdi
(1567-1643)
Soloists: Janet Allan Soprano
Joan Richards "
Richard Dixon Tenor
Phillip Thomas "
Organist: John Aitchison
INTERVAL
5. Missa Papae Marcelli G.P. da Palestrina (1525-1594) Kyrie Gloria Credo Sanctus/Benedictus/Osanna Agnus Dei........miserere nobis Agnus Dei........dona nobis pacem 6. Cantata No. 4 J. S. Bach "Christ lag In Todesbanden" (1685-1750) Sinfonia: Verse I: Chorus Verse II: Duet, Soprano and Alto Verse III: Tenor Verse IV: Chorus Verse V: Bass Verse VI: Duet, Soprano and Tenor Verse VII: Chorale
l. Two Chansons Clément Janequin
(i) " Enough of love, for love is only a false tranquillity. It
is not stable, and cannot be trusted in, when faced with
harsh necessity. Against human compassion it proves too
strong, however, and so, against our will, we give in and love."
(ii) " If you would only, Madame, show yourself the least little
bit favourably disposed towards me, that's all I ask of
you: this would be sweet as spice to me. That little
hole through which people pee, that's what it will be my
pleasure to ask of you. All that remains is for ne to ask.
My affection for you will not be any the less for it - on
the contrary, it's I who must watch my step if the request
receives a favourable reply. And may I be strung up if you
don't come to roost in my nest. A request so finely
phrased deserves a fitting reply." (Trans. from French)
The two chansons presented here come from 1530 during the
reign of Francis I. Janequin, in the spirit of his contemporary
Clement Marot, the poet, broke away from the cumbersome
canonic complexities of Josquin's generation and much influ-
enced by the Italian musicians at the court of Francis I,
developed a distinctively French style of simplicity, elegance
and wit. Musical repetition is a characteristic of the 16th
century chanson and forms one of the chief marks that dist-
inguish a true chanson from a madrigal, chanson form being
modelled on its verse structure, madrigal form being shaped
by the 'ideas' expressed in its verse.
2. Two Madrigals Edmund Rubbra (i)"It fell on a summer's day, while sweet Bessy sleeping lay In her bower on her bed, light with curtains shadowed. Jamie stole in through the door; she lay slumbering as before. Softly to her he drew near; she heard him yet would not hear. First a soft kiss he does take; she lay still and would not /wake. Then his hands learned to woo; she dreamt not what he would do. Jamie then began to play; Bessie as one buried lay, Gladly still through this sleight deceived in her own deceit." Cantus firmus -- Alto "Jamie came. She him spies, opening half her heavy eyes. Bessy vowed not to speak; he resolved that dump to break. But still slept, while he smiled to see love by sleep /beguiled. And since this trance began, she sleeps every afternoon." (ii) "I care not for these ladies who must be wooed and prayed; Give me kind Amaryllis, the wanton country maid. Nature art disdaineth; her beauty is her own." Refrain: "Her when we court and kiss, she cries: forsooth, let go! But when we come where comfort is, she never will say No.
If I love Amaryllis, she gives me fruit and flowers; But if we love these ladies, we must give golden showers. Give them gold that sell love; give me the nut-brown lass, Refrain These ladies must have pillows and beds by strangers wrought. Give me a bower of willows, of moss and leaves unbought, and fresh Amaryllis with milk and honey fed." Refrain Rubbra was a pupil of Vaughan Williams and Holst. In his compositions, English 16th century music had considerable influence. These two madrigals, whilst being in distinctively 20th century English idiom, certainly capture the style and spirit of their 16th century counterparts. The texts are those of Thomas Campion (1562-1620) who as both poet and composer wrote his own settings of these verses. Both Rubbra settings were first published in 1939.
3. Two Chansons Maurice Ravel
(i)"Nicolette, at evening, went walking in the fields, to pick daisies
jonquils and lilies of the valley. Merrily skipping, happy and
gay, glancing here there and everywhere.
She met an old growling wolf, bristling hair and sparkling eye:
"Just a moment, Nicolette; do come to Grandma's place."
Breathless, Nicolette fled, leaving behind her cap and her white
clogs.
She met a handsome page, dressed in blue hose and doublet:
"Just a moment, Nicolette; wouldn't you like a gentle lover."
Wise, she turned away, poor Nicolette, very reluctantly and sore
at heart.
She met a grey haired lord, twisted, ugly, smelly and corpulent:
"Just a moment, Nicolette; wouldn't you like this money?"
Quick as a flash she was in his arms, good Nicolette, and has
never come back to the fields again."
(ii)"Go not to the woods of Ormonde, girls; they are full of satyrs,
centaurs, wicked sorcerers, hobgoblins, incubuses, ogres,
imps, fauns, will o' the wisps, roguish lamies, big devils,
medium sized devils, little devils, goat-footed folk, gnomes,
demons, were-wolves, elves, myrmidons, enchanters, magicians,
stryges, sylphs, rude monks, cyclopses, djinns, goblins,
korrigans, necromancers and kobolds. Don't go to the woods of
Ormonde.
Go not to the woods of Ormond, boys; they are full of faunesses,
bacchantes, naughty fairies, satyresses, ogresses, baba-iagas,
centauresses, she-devils, witches fresh from their Sabbath,
she-hobgoblins, female demons, larves, nymphs, myrmidones,
hamadryads, dryads, naiads, menades, thyades, she-will o'
the wisps, lemurs, she-gnomes, succubes, gorgonesses and
she-goblins. Go not to the woods of Ormonde.
We shall never again go to the woods of Ormonde; alas never
again. There are no more satyrs etc., etc. Go not to the
woods of Ormonde, ill advised old women; ill advised old men
have frightened them all away. Ah!" (Trans. from French)
Whilst both chansons are very much in the Ravel idiom
(they were published in 1916) they have much in common with
the earlier French chanson tradition. Their words (written
by Ravel himself) are comic, inconsequential and colloquial
and Ravel's treatment of them highlights their picturesque
and graphic elements.
4. Magnificat a sei voce Claudio Monteverdi
This Magnificat for six voices and organ was published
by Monteverdi as part of the Vespers of 1610. In this
edition, Monteverdi provides two settings of the Magnificat:-
one for large instrumental ensemble and voices, and the
other, in similar style, for smaller forces viz. choir,
soloists and organ. It is this latter that we are performing
tonight.
This Magnificat, like the larger setting, is based upon a
plainchant psalm-tone. This psalm-tone is the underlying motif
which pervades every section of the work and constitutes in many
sections a "cantus firmus" around which Monteverdi constructs a
most elaborate baroque decoration, ranging from 6-part choral
writing to the thrilling and highly operatic tenor and soprano
duets. It is the use of the plain-chant "cantus firmus" which
gives this Magnificat a greater sense of unity than the later,
more magnificently baroque, Magnificat in D of J. S. Bach.
In his edition of 16l0, Monteverdi provided, besides the
various voice parts, an organ part which is largely, as was the prac-
tice, a single bass continuo line. However, this organ part is
of considerable interest since Monteverdi himself gives detailed
instructions about the registration to be adopted, and in
several instances tempo indications. The organ accompaniment
used in our present performance is a modern realisation of the
basso continuo line.
The work is divided into the following sections:-
l. Magnificat: 6 voices
2. Anima mea: 2 voices
3. Et exultavit: 2 tenors, alto cantus firmus
4. Quia respexit: one voice
5. Quia fecit: 6 voices in dialogue
6. Et misericordia: 2 sopranos in dialogue,
tenor cantus firmus
7. Fecit potentiam: 3 voices
8. Deposuit: 2 sopranos in echo
tenor cantus firmus
9. Esurientes: 2 voices
10. Suscepit: 2 voices
11. Sicut locutus: 5 voices in dialogue
12. Gloria patri and Sicut erat: 6 voices
5. Missa Papae Marcelli G.P. da Palestrina
Palestrina's Mass in honour of Pope Marcellus was composed
between 1555 and 1563. The Council of Trent (1545-63) was much
concerned at the direction polyphonic music was taking and
expressed itself, in its own quaintly inimitable style, as follows:
"In those Masses which are celebrated with singing and with the
organ, let nothing profane be intermingled" (an obvious swipe
at the ever popular 'parody' masses based on popular secular
songs; Palestrina himself had written several of these). "The
singing should be arranged not to give empty pleasure to the ear
but in such a way that the words may be clearly understood by all,
and thus the hearts of the listeners be drawn to the desire of
heavenly harmonies, in the contemplation of the joys of the
blessed."
Because, in the polyphonic settings of the Mass, the words
were becoming lost in the contrapuntal maze, it was proposed to
ban from the Church use the polyphonic style. Palestrina is said
to have composed the Missa Papae Marcelli to prove to the Council
Fathers that whilst retaining the polyphonic style, the words
could indeed be given their due prominence. Whilst it is cert-
ainly not true that this Mass "saved" contrapuntal music, none-
theless this Mass was one of the arguments that persuaded the
Council against banning such music.
The work is largely written for 6 voices. However, the
"Crucifixus" of the Credo and the Benedictus are for 4 voices,
and the final Agnus Dei is for 7 voices.
Whilst the music of Palestrina probably surpasses that of
all his contemporaries by reason of its classical restraint, its
noble simplicity, its intense devotion and its flawless contra-
puntal technique, one will seek in vain for any of the word-
painting of Lassus or any of the vivid colouristic effects that
one finds in the Gabrielis, in this Missa Papae Marcelli. The
texture, despite the large number of voices is clear and
uncluttered by prolonged melismatic figures. Words are not
repeated to fit the logic of the musical phrase; where this does
occur, as in the Agnus Dei, the repetition serves to enhance the
reflective nature of the section.
The Missa Papae Marcelli is certainly Palestrina's most
important achievement and must rank as the most splendid musical
feat of the l6th century.
6. Cantata No. 4 J. S. Bach
"Christ lag in Totesbanden", an Easter Cantata, is the
strictest chorale-cantata Bach ever wrote. Every one of the
seven stanzas of Luther's Easter hymn is set and each setting is
a variation upon its tune of 1524. It is generally accepted as
belonging to 1707 or 1708 when Bach was organist at St. Blasius'
Church at Muhlhausen.
The work is scored for voices, instruments and continuo. The
instrumentation presents problems: it is scored far 2 violins and
two violas with basso continuo. In several of the verses, Bach
has cornetto and trombone doubling the voices. Since the
cornetto is no longer in use and the modern trombone is much too
loud, these instruments are not used in this presentation. Several
of the verses, moreover, are scored for basso continuo only.
While several of the verses are no doubt intended for per-
formance by solo voices, Bach made no definite indication of this.
In fact, it is usual with this cantata for all members of the
voice parts involved to sing the duets and the solos.
This cantata is deservedly one of the most popular and satis-
fying of all Bach's Church cantatas.
ORCHESTRA
1st Violins: Barbara Gilby
Jennifer Cockburn
2nd Violins: Agnes Feld
Tessa Gargan
1st Viola:
2nd Viola: David Dixon
Cello: Bob Stobie
Organ: John Aitchison
SOPRANOS TENORS Tanya Buchdahl Keith Currie Alison Currie Richard Dixon Jane Elliot Frank Gleason Margot Haenke Phillip Thomas Christina Harding Gwyneth Ioannides Ann Nicholson Kate Palethorpe Rosemary Richards Kathy Warth Alison Whish ALTOS BASSES Sue Baldwin Noel Cressie Merrilee Edwards Glen Davies Sue Flannery Tony Dooley Elizabeth Ives Andrew Fraser Debbie Martin George Garnsey Dorelle Pinch Gary Hovey Linda Reid Mark Hyman Annabel Wheeler Trevor Lewis Chris Martin Henry Pritchett Murray Wackett