ANU Choral Society
King Arthur Concert
Henry Purcell's 'King Arthur'
with other works by Josquin and Britten
University House Dining Room
Sunday July 30th 8.15 p.m
Tickets $1.50. Students 80c - obtainable from
the Union Shop or at the door
PROGRAMME
Gaudeamus Igitur Trad.
1. Two motets Josquin Despres
(1450-1521)
(i) Ave Maria
(ii) Veni Sancte Spiritus
2. Choral Dances from "Gloriana" Benjamin Br1tten
(1913- )
(i) Time
(ii) Concord
(iii) Time and Concord
(iv) Country Girls
(v) Rustics and Fishermen
(vi) Final Dance of Homage
INTERVAL
3. "King Arthur, or the British Worthy" Henry Purcell
(1659-1695)
Soloists: Janet Allan Soprano
John Lander Tenor
Geoffrey Brennan Bass
*Continuo: (Jennifer Kain : Harpsichord
(
(Christian Wojtowicz : Cello
Conductor: Brian Hingerty
1. Two Motets Josquin Despres Josquin was one of the most admired and important composers of his time. The major part of his output is choral and is liturgicaliy inspired; it includes 17 Masses and over 100 motets and psalms. He was a master of the intricacies of the canon, and both the "Ave Maria" and the "Veni Sancte Spiritus" are in this styie. The latter work is an impressive and complex double canon for six voices, in which the alto and soprano are in canon and follow closely the plainchant melody of the hymn, whilst the bass and tenor are in canon with independent thematic material. A "quinta vox" (2nd soprano) and "sexta vox" (2nd tenor) follow highly elaborate independent lines. 2. Choral Dances from "Gloriana" Benjamin Britten "Gloriana", composed for the coronation af Elizabeth II in 1953 to s libretto by William Plomer, is Britten's most neglected opera, but the six unaccompanied choral dances hold a firm place in the choral repertoire. Four of the dances are for 4 part mixed choir whilst "Country Girls" is for soprano and alto and "Rustics and Fishermen" is far 4 part male choir. 3. "King Arthur or the British Worthy" Henry Purcell Opera did not take root in 17th century England. The only two through- composed operas by English composers, John Blow's "Venus and Adonis" (c. 1682) and Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas" (1689 or 1690) not only had no heirs but vere unlike contemporary operas on the continent. The English, who had cultivated masques for a century, continued in Purcell's day to prefer for their big stage works a hybrid form compounded of spoken dialogue, music, dancing and elaborate (and sometimes financially ruinous) sets, machinery and costumea. Music never- theless played a prominent part in these spectacles, and in the last six years of his lifa, Purcell wrote some of his greatest music for five of them: "Dio- clesian" (1690), "King Arthur" (1691), "The Fairy Queen" (1692) and "The Indian Queen" and "The Tempest" (1695).
"King Arthur or The British Worthy" is the only one of these 'semi-operas'
specifically designed as such: the others were adapted from plays by earlier
authors. The excellently written text by Dryden, who had originally written it
several years earlier as an intended sequel to his "Albion and Albanius", the
only attempt to create an English opera on the French model. The composer was
the Frenchman Louis Grabu, whom Dryden chose as being superior to any of his
English counterparts: "when any of our Country-men excel him, I shall be glad
for the sake of old England, to be shown my error". Dryden laid "King Arthur"
aside unset. By the time he turned to it again he had clearly been shown in
error, for, as he handsomely exclaims in the preface, "there is nothing better
than what I intended, but the Musick; which has since arriv'd to a greater
perfection in England, than ever formerly; especially passing through the art-
ful hands of Mr. Purcel, who has Compos'd it with so great a Genius, that he has
nothing to fear but an ignorant, ill-judging Audience."
The story is a fantastic jumble. After ten battles Arthur, King of the
Britons, has recaptured all his kingdom except Kent from the Saxon King Oswald,
his rival for the hand of Emmeline, the blind daughter of the Duke of Cornwall.
Oswald is assisted by the magician Osmond, who is in turn assisted by the earth-
spirit Grimwald and the air-spirit Philidel. In Act II, Merlin persuades Philidel
to go over to the Britons who, when Grimwald tries to mislead them, are restored
to the right path by Philidel. In Act III, we find that both Oswald and Osmond have
made amorous advances to Emmeline, but Philidel, at Merlin's behest, now restores
her sight. Osmond has turned on Oswa1d and imprisoned him and tries to impress
Emmeline by showing her how the power of love can bring even a frozen frost scene
to life. To counteract the wiles of Merlin, Osmond unsucessfully tries in Act IV
to use two sirens to waylay Arthur, who instead captures Griwald, who has been
masquerading as Emmeline. In Act V, the defeated Osmond decides to work again
with Oswald, who is to meet Arthur in single combat. Arthur of course wins, lets
Oswald go free and is restored to Emmeline. After a storm, all sense of time and
place is thrown to the winds as a patriotic tableau appears showing Britain rising
from the sea, and the work ends with forthright praise of Britain, her ruler and
her people.
ACT I 1. The Sacrificial Scene: The Scene represents the Saxon camp. Three Saxon Gods, Woden, Thor and Freya are placed on pedestals. In front are six Saxon soldiers, voluntary victims to the deities before the battle with the Britons. 2. Battle Scene: The British Forces are victorious. ACT II 1. Spirit Scene: Philidel strives to lead Arthur to safety whilst Grimwald endeavours to lure him into danger. 2. Pastoral Scene: Shepherds and shepherdesses dance and sing to entertain lovely Emmeline. ACT III Frost Scene: Osmond tries his tricks with Emmeline. He strikes the ground with his wanrd and the scene changes to a winter prospect. Cupid descends; the scene soon thaws. ACT IV Sylvan Scene: Nymphs and sylvans sing of the joys of love. Arthur has been unimpressed by Osmond's naked sirens and presses on in his quest of the lovely Emmeline. ACT V Vision of Britain
SOPRANOS TENORS
Jane Battersby Keith Currie
Alison Currie Richard Dixon
Margot Haenke Phillip Thomas
Christina Harding
Gwyneth Ioannides
Meg MacDonald
Chris Martin
Lynette Needham
Rosemary Richards
Kate Palethorpe
Janet Simmons
Kathy Warth
Alison Whish
ALTOS BASSES
Sue Flannery Tony Dooley
Christine Grigg Andrew Fraser
Elizabeth Ives George Garnsey
Debbie Martin Gary Hovey
Dorelle Pinch Mark Hyman
Woty Stokes Christopher Martin
Annabel Wheeler Robert Miller
Henry Pritchett
David Thomas
Murray Wackett
Robert Woodhouse
*Continuo details in the programme Brian Hingerty gave me were handwritten by him.