|
  Begun
in 1906 and completed in 1909, On Wenlock Edge is
based on six of Houseman's poems from A Shropshire
Lad (published in 1896) and from which VW crafted one of the finest
English song cycles ever written.
On Wenlock Edge, From far from eve and
morning, Is my team ploughing? O when I was in love with you,
Bredon Hill, Clun.
The wonderfully atmospheric and evocative outdoor effects can undoubtedly
be attributed to the influence of Ravel (above) with whom VW had just
spent three months studying in Paris. Although VW admitted to having
had a "bad attack of French fever" the song cycle is nevertheless
distinctly VW.
VW's start with Ravel was patchy but the two became great friends. RVW
said later "He showed me how to orchestrate in points of colour
rather than in lines." Ravel was to became a visitor of the Vaughan
Williams's at their house in Cheyne Walk in Chelsea and when in Paris
he busied himself on behalf of VW to have his work heard. Later when
some of VW's work was accepted at an important concert in Paris in which
Faure was also performing, Ravel offered to play the piano part. Ravel
wrote in March 1908 "...I will do my utmost to arrange a performance
of the work of a pupil of whom I am proud.." True to his word, in
February 1912, Ravel played the piano part in On
Wenlock Edge, a concert which VW attended.
(Above) Vaughan Williams with Frederick Grinke rehearsing The
Lark Ascending in Gloucester Catherdral. Written in 1914 and revised
in 1920. The first London performance was conducted by Sir Adrian Boult
with Marie Hall as the soloist to whom the work was dedicated. The piece
takes its name from the title of a poem by George Meredith (1828-1909).
See the superb BBC Radio 3 web site for an audio exploration.
| JANUARY
10
Droitwich Concert Club
The Seeds of Love (Vaughan Williams and The
Golden Age of English Folk Song Collecting)
Folk-song arrangements
Also by Butterworth, Sharp, and Grainger, together with diaries, letters,
and writings, evoke the wonder and excitement of these early twentieth-century
collectors.
Opus Anglicanum
01905 775246
web
site
JANUARY 16
London, Deptford - St Pauls’s Church
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Elgar - Serenade for Strings
Britten - Lachrymae
Britten - Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge
St. Paul's Strings
Andrew Morley (conductor)
Andrew Thorn (viola)
web
site
JANUARY 18
Horsham (West Sussex) – Christ's Hospital Big School (Main Hall)
Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis
Rimsky-Korsakov Capriccio Espagnol
Haydn Cello Concerto in D
Delius The Walk to the Paradise Garden
University of London Symphony Orchestra (ULSO)
John Forster (conductor)
Leonard Elschenbroich (cello)
8:00 pm
Box office: 01403 247434 or
Email boxoffice@christs-hospital.org.uk
web site
JANUARY 22
Blackheath Halls, London SE3
Flourish for Wind Band
Toccata Marziale
Robert Saxton – Ring, Time
Constant Lambert - Tiresias
Elena Firsova – Captivity (LONDON PREMIERE)
Olivier Messiaen – La Ville d’en Haute
TCM Wind Orchestra,
Conducted by Tom Hammond
7:30 pm
web site
JANUARY 31
Fairfield Hall, Croydon
Wasps Overture
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2
Beethoven Symphony No. 5
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Christopher Warren Green (conductor)
Tickets £10 - £29.50
Box Office tel: 020 8688 9291
|
|
Vaughan Williams probably started to think
about composing the Tallis Fantasia when he was editing the English Hymnal.
The modal tune, 'Why fumeth in fight' was the third of nine Psalm tunes composed
by Tallis, probably in 1567. Its monastic 'darkness' and spiritually
introspective melody deeply affected VW. Huge expanded chords (influences
probably from his time as an organist) feature prominently, and extensive
spacial effects are conveyed by the use of two groups of strings and
a solo quartet which are placed apart, resonating sympathetically.
"It is a piece which seems designed to highlight
the inadequacy of language to describe music, at once profound,
uplifting, calming, and thrilling." (from H2g2 (Edited
Guide Entry)
The first ever performance of the Tallis Fantasia was at Gloucester Cathedral on September 6th
in 1910 and VW himself was the conductor. There is no doubt that it was
the acoustics of Gloucester that VW had in mind when he composed the Fantasia.
It was subsequently revised on a number of occasions. Many composers
such as Herbert Howells, who was present at Gloucester that day, have
talked about the influence this composition had on them. It is difficult
to appreciate what a revelation this piece must have been at a time when
English music still bore a heavy Teutonic influence.
VW later irreverently nicknamed it 'The Tallywag'!
Visit the BBC Radio 3 website
Discovering Music for an audio exploration.
 The
5th Symphony was dedicated to Sibelius (left). It was completed
in 1943 but to many in the war years, unaware that the symphony began
to take shape as early as 1931, and coming after the 'violent' 4th
it seemed that here was a vision of peace. Because RVW was over 70,
many people thought that this was to be his last symphony. Some of
the themes were taken from his then unfinished opera 'The
Pilgrim's Progress'. Thinking that the time was inappropriate
for an opera, VW decided to use some of the material for a symphony.
Contemplative', 'radiant' and 'ecstatic' are words which have commonly
been used to describe this work. However, there are moments of menace
particularily in the scherzo.
Vaughan Williams and Sibelius were admirers of each other's work. A
meeting between the two in London however was a disappointment. Unable
to speak each other's language, their inadequate knowledge of French
and shyness hindered their genuine desire to make contact, although
the meeting was full of goodwill.
Sibelius wrote of the dedication, 'Dr Williams has no idea what pleasure
he has given me.'
"Let us then shun all pernicious and enervating drugs, and turn
to the pure water of Sibelius' art."
Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1950 (in a BBC programme)
 Religious
subjects inspired VW throughout his life and his contribution to church
music was significant although he was quoted as saying, 'There is no
reason why an aetheist could not write a good Mass.' The Mass in G Minor has its roots in the music of Tallis,
Byrd and the Elizabethans and has been described as ‘the vocal
equivalent of the Tallis Fantasia'. The Mass was composed probably
in 1920 and dedicated to Gustav Holst (above) and his Whitsuntide Singers.
The Kyrie was sung at the funeral of Holst at Chichester Cathedral.
|
FEBRUARY
1
Chelmsford - Civic Theatre
Concerto in A minor for Oboe and String Orchestra
Vivaldi Oboe Concerto in C RV447
Shostakovich Prelude and Scherzo, Op. 11*
Britten Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge*
JS Bach Concerto in D minor for Oboe, Violin and
String Orchestra
Britten Sinfonia
Nicholas Daniel (oboe/director)
Jacqueline Shave (violin/director)*
FEBRUARY 1
Croydon - Fairfield Halls
Hodie
Serenade to Music
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
New London Sinfonia
David Gibson (conductor)
Akiko Enomoto (mezzo-soprano)
Basingstoke Choral Society
Croydon Philharmonic Choir with the choristers of
Royal Russell School
web
site
FEBRUARY 3
London – Cadogan Hall
Symphony No. 4
Mendelssohn Hebrides Overture
Medeek: Cello Concerto No.1
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Israel Yinon (conductor)
Guido Schiefen (cello)
web site
FEBRUARY 7
Leeds - Town Hall
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Mozart: Piano Concerto No 23
Sibelius: Symphony No 5
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
Stefan Solyom (conductor)
Jean-Philippe Collard (piano)
Box Office: (0113) 2243801
FEBRUARY 7
Lexington, MA, USA, Cary Hall
Symphony No.5 in D
Puccini I Crisantemi
Lister Sleeping in Air
Barber Knoxville Summer of 1915
Lexington Symphony Orchestra
Jonathan McPhee (conductor)
Janna Baty (mezzo-soprano)
web
site
FEBRUARY 13 & 14
Stockholm - Berwaldhallen (Berwald
concert hall)
Symphony No.5 in D
Torstensson The Polar Sea
R Strauss Oboe Concerto
Swedish Radio SO
Daniel Harding (conductor)
François Leleux (oboe)
web
site
FEBRUARY 14
Stockholm - Berwaldhallen (Berwald concert hall)
Symphony no 5
Torstensson The Polar Sea
R Strauss Oboe Concerto
Swedish Radio SO
Daniel Harding (conductor)
François Leleux (oboe)
web
site
3:00pm
FEBRUARY 14 & 15
Hagerstown - Maryland Theater
Symphony No. 2 'London'
Elgar Cockaigne Overture
Britten Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings,
Op. 31
Maryland Symphony Orchestra
Elizabeth Schulze (Music Director)
Joseph Lovensky (horn)
Scott Williamson (tenor)
8:00 pm
web site
FEBRUARY 21 & 22
Cincinnati, Ohio - Music Center
Symphony No. 1 - A Sea Symphony
Handel: Water Music
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
May Festival Chorus
Robert Porco (conductor)
Brett Polegato (baritone)
TBA, soprano
web
site
FEBRUARY 26
Eugene, Oregon (USA) - The Shedd Institute
Along the Field: songs
of Vaughan Williams
Songs with piano:
Bushes and Briars
Dream-land
A Clear Midnight
Twilight People
The New Ghost
Linden Lea
Six short pieces for Pianoforte
Two folksong arrangements
for voice & violin:
Searching for lambs
The Lawyer
Along the Field:
Eight Housman songs for voice and violin
With
violin and piano (from ENGLISH COUNTY SONGS):
The Unquiet Grave
The Seeds of Love
Maria Jette (soprano)
Sonja Thompson (piano)
Fritz Gearhart (violin)
web site
FEBRUARY 27
Washington, DC, USA - Georgetown University, McNeir Hall
Songs of Travel
Mahler Lieder eines Fahrenden Gesellen
David Newman (baritone)
1:15 pm
Telephone: 202.687.3838
web site
FEBRUARY 28
Leeds - Town Hall
Concerto in A minor for Oboe and String Orchestra
Vivaldi Oboe Concerto in C RV447
Shostakovich Prelude and Scherzo, Op. 11*
Britten Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge*
JS Bach Concerto in D minor for Oboe, Violin
and String Orchestra
Britten Sinfonia
Nicholas Daniel (oboe/director)
Jacqueline Shave (violin/director)* |
|
Vaughan Williams was working on the Five
Mystical Songs as early as 1906, and his response to George
Herbert's (1593-1633) metaphysical poetry is sensual and inspired.
In 1908 he went to France and studied for a period with Maurice Ravel. Vaughan
Williams later related how he had learned a great deal about orchestration from
Ravel. "He showed me how to orchestrate in points of colour rather than
in lines". The songs and their orchestration were thoroughly revised before
their first performance at the Worcester Festival of 1911 so it is reasonable
to conclude that Ravel had some influence on the final revisions. To Gustav Holst,
VW from Paris wrote, " I am getting a lot out of Ravel - I hope it doesn't
worry him too much - only I feel that 10 years would not teach me all I want".
Tender, ecstatic, ravishing, stirring, spiritual, magical!
" A firm favourite with audiences from its first
performance in 1911, it was cited as evidence that Vaughan Williams had indeed
'arrived' as a composer and was worthy of inheriting the mantle of such illustrious
musical forbears Lawes and Purcell."
© J. S. Whitehead 2003 - Halifax Choral Society notes.
| MARCH
1 & 3
San Rafael, California, USA - Marin Veterans' Memorial Auditorium
The Lark Ascending
Dona Nobis Pacem
Bizet - Symphony #1 in C Major
Marin Symphony
Alasdair Neale (conductor)
Soloist: Jeremy Constant (violin)
Marin Symphony Chorus
web
site
MARCH 2
Chiswick. St. Peter's Church, Acton Green, Southfield Road London W4
Silver Jubilee Concert, Marking the 25th Anniversary of Alistair Jones's Conductorship
of The Chiswick Choir
Symphony No 1 - A Sea Symphony
The Chiswick Choir
Julie Kennard (soprano)
Stephen Foulkes (baritone)
Alistair Jones (conductor)
7:30pm
web site
MARCH 4
Dartford, Kent – Orchard Theatre
The Lark Ascending
Britten Simple Symphony
Mozart Piano Concerto no 17 in G
Bach Suite no 1 in C
City of London Sinfonia
Nicholas Ward, (conductor/violin)
Tamara Stefanovich (piano)
MARCH 8
The Square Chapel for The Arts, Square Road, Halifax
English Folk Song Suite
Yorkshire Wind Orchestra
Conducted by Keiron Anderson
Also: Danceries (Set One) Kenneth Hesketh
Sun Paints Rainbows on Vast Waves David Bedford
Short Ride in a Fast Machine John Adams
Lincolnshire Posy Percy Grainger
Fete Galante Joseph Horowitz
Tickets available from The Square Chapel Box Office from December 1st on 01422
349422.
Tickets: 9, £7 concessions, £26 family ticket.
web site
MARCH 9
Albany, Georgia
St. Teresa’s Catholic Church, 431 Edgewood Ave.
Loch Lomond (SATB)
Serenade to Music
Five Mystical Songs
Alexander Elliot (baritone soloist)
7:30 p.m.
web site
MARCH 13
St Peter's Music, Budleigh Salterton
Five Mystical Songs
Songs of Travel
Also Fauré Requiem
James Birchall (bass-baritone)
Jonathan Watts (organ and piano)
Sylvia Pritchard (conductor)
St Peter's Church Choir and Friends
7.30pm
web site
MARCH 13 & 14
St.Louis - Powell Symphony Hall
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Neilsen: Flute Concerto
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, 'Pastoral'
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
Nicholas McGegan (conductor)
Mark Sparks (flute)
MARCH 15
Tilburg (The Netherlands)
Dona Nobis Pacem
Orchestra: EJO (Euregio Jeugd Orkest) (EYO: Euregio Youth Orchestra).
Conductor: Hans Casteleyn (Belgium)
Choirs: Musica Nova (from Boom/Belgium), Tilburg Vocaal Ensemble (from Tilburg/The
Netherlands), Eindhovens Kamerkoor (from Eindhoven/The Netherlands)
Soloists: Annelies Meskens, soprano (Belgium), Frank Hermans, baritone (The
Netherlands)
MARCH 25
Ipswich - Regent Theatre
The Lark Ascending
And works by Elgar, Ravel, Rossini, Gershwin, Grieg and Souza
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Nicholas Cleobury (conductor)
Clio Gold (violin)
Box Office: 01473 433100
MARCH 28
St. Mary's Priory Church, Old Malton
The G Minor Mass
Five Mystical Songs
Serenade to Music
Shakespearean Songs
Chanticleer Singers
Ed Sturmheit (tenor)
Geoffrey Coffin (organsit)
Jane Sturmheit (director)
Tickets £8 (£6 concessions), available from the Ticket Secretary
- Tel. 01653 691804.
MARCH 29
Washington, DC, USA--The National Presbyterian Church
Dona Nobis Pacem
Purcell Come, Ye Sons of Art
Britten Cantata Misericordium
Norman Scribner (conductor)
Rosa Lamoreaux (soprano)
Trevor Scheunemann, baritone
Tony Boutté tenor
Roger Isaacs, (countertenor)
Chris Dudley (countertenor)
5 pm
web site
|
|
It was at a rehearsal of the uncompromising 4th
Symphony that RVW when questioned by a player who queried a note, "peered
at the score and remarked 'Well - it's B flat. I know it looks wrong
and sounds wrong. But it's right." (Michael Kennedy)
Much was made of its violence and how it reflected the state of the times
(1935) and VW's anger towards Facism. Vaughan Williams denied this. Nevertheless
by 1939 VW's music was on Hitler's black list. What is certain however,
is that the work came as a shock to audiences expecting more of the The Lark Ascending. Reflecting a starker attitude heard in works
works such as Flos Campi, Riders to the Sea and Sancta Civitas at
its first performance under Sir Adrian Boult, the 4th received thunderous
applause which was 'almost without parallel at Queen's Hall'.
"It has often been said that this work is related to the period in which
it was written, and, though this must be true to some extent of any work
by any composer who does not cut himself off from contemporary life,
no one seems to have observed how far more closely it is related to the
character of the man who wrote it. The towering furies of which he was
capable, his fire, pride and strength are all revealed and so are his
imagination and lyricism. He was experimenting with purely musical ideas;
no sea or city; no essence of the country was at heart of this score
and what emerged has something in common with one of Rembrandt's self
portraits in middle age."
( R.V.W. A Biography of Vaughan Williams – Ursula
Vaughan Williams)
VW was the first Festival Conductor from 1905 to 1953 and some of his
works received their first performance at the Festival. To read more
about the Festival visit our page
www.rvwsociety.com/dorking.html
To visit the Festival page go to:
http://www.lhmf.co.uk/ |
APRIL
1 & 2
Lisbon - Grand Auditorium
Symphony No.2 - A London Symphony
(rev. 1936)
Glinka: Overture: Ruslan e Ludmilla
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.4
Orquestra Gulbenkian
Christopher Seaman, Conductor
Senqueira Costa, piano
web
site
APRIL 2, 3, 4 & 5
Houston, Texas - Jones Hall
Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis
John Williams: Concerto for Horn and Orchestra
John Williams: Celebration Fanfare
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances
Houston Symphony Orchestra
Peter Oundjian (conductor)
William VerMeulen (horn)
web
site
APRIL 4
Derby - Derby Cathedral
Benedicite
Delius Sea Drift
Roddis Lauda Creatoris (premiere)
Derby Bach Choir and Orchestra
Richard Roddis (conductor)
Lucy Crowe (soprano)
James Rutherford (baritone)
web site
APRIL 4
Berlin - The Philharmonie
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
The Lark Ascending
Elgar - Symphony No. 1 in A flat major
Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Sir Roger Norrington (conductor)
Ilya Gringolts (violin)
APRIL 4
Bellevue, Washington
Symphony No 3 - A Pastoral Symphony
Butterworth Shropshire Lad
Holst/Kent Suite No. 2 in F
James Truher (conductor)
Lana Van Boven (soprano)
web site
APRIL 4
Tilburg (The Netherlands)
Dona Nobis Pacem
Orchestra: EJO (Euregio Jeugd Orkest) (EYO: Euregio Youth Orchestra).
Conductor: Hans Casteleyn (Belgium)
Choirs: Musica Nova (from Boom/Belgium), Tilburg Vocaal Ensemble (from
Tilburg/The Netherlands), Eindhovens Kamerkoor (from Eindhoven/The
Netherlands)
Soloists: Annelies Meskens, soprano (Belgium), Frank Hermans, baritone
(The Netherlands)
APRIL 5
Boom (Belgium)
Dona Nobis Pacem
Orchestra: EJO (Euregio Jeugd Orkest) (EYO: Euregio Youth Orchestra).
Conductor: Hans Casteleyn (Belgium)
Choirs: Musica Nova (from Boom/Belgium), Tilburg Vocaal Ensemble (from
Tilburg/The Netherlands), Eindhovens Kamerkoor (from Eindhoven/The
Netherlands)
Soloists: Annelies Meskens, soprano (Belgium), Frank Hermans, baritone
(The Netherlands)
APRIL 18
New York - Carnegie Hall
Symphony No. 1 - A Sea Symphony
Brahms - Song of Destiny op.54
St.Cecilia Orchestra and Chorus
David Randolph (conductor)
web
site
APRIL 8, 9, 10, 11
Athénée Théâtre Louis-Jouvet,
Sq. de l'Opéra Louis-Jouvet,
7 rue Boudreau 75009 Paris
Riders to the Sea
Direction musicale: Jean-Luc Tingaud
Mise en scène: Christian Gangneron
avec: Elsa Levy, Sevan Manoukian, Jacqueline Mayeur, Patrice Verdelet,
le Choeur Thibaut de Champagne (direction Hélène Le Roy)
l'Orchestre du Grand Théâtre de Reims
01 53 05 19 19
email: ecrire@ athenee-theatre.com
web
site
APRIL 19
Lexington, MA ,USA - Cary Hall
Tuba Concerto
Adams The Chairman Dances
Gershwin American in Paris
John Williams Pirates of the Caribbean
Lexington Symphony Orchestra
Jonathan McPhee (conductor)
Jobey Wilson (tuba)
web
site
APRIL 22, 23, 24, 25
San Francisco - Davies Symphony Hall
The Lark Ascending
Symphony no. 4
Also: Bizet - Selections from L'Arlesienne
Poulenc - Organ Concerto in G minor
The San Francisco Symphony
Yan Pascal Tortelier (conductor)
Nadya Tichman (violin)
Paul Jacobs (organ)
web
site
APRIL 23
New York, Carnegie Hall
The New York Choral Society, one of the
city’s most distinguished
choruses, celebrates its 50th year.
Dona Nobis Pacem
Julianna DiGiacomo (soprano)
Daniel Belcher (baritone)
Also: Stephen Paulus Whitman’s New York
Rossini Stabat Mater
Juliana DiGiacomo (soprano)
Laura Vlasak Nolen (mezzo-soprano)
John Matz (tenor)
Brian Kontes (bass)
Brooklyn Philharmonic
8.30pm
web site
APRIL 25
Oxford, Wesley Memorial Church, New Inn Hall Street, OX1 2DH
The Lark Ascending
Serenade to Music
Also: Parry Songs of Farewell
Campkin O Nata Lux
Richard Gratwick (soloist - Lark Ascending)
Charlotte Woolley (soloist - Clarinet Concerto)
The Oxford Spezzati Soloists and Orchestra
Nicholas Mumby (Conductor)
Tickets £10 (£5 concessions)
Available from 07973 655489 or on the door
web site
APRIL 25
Chester Cathedral, Chester
Symphony No 7 - 'Sinfonia Antartica'
Grieg: 'Peer Gynt Suite No 1'
Chester Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Stephen Threlfall
Peter Moore (trombone)
Diana Palmerston (soprano)
Charles Foster (narrator)
Tickets available from 0151 6321633
APRIL 25
Bath - Bath Abbey
Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis
Ravel Introduction and Allegro
Debussy Danse Sacre et Profanee
R. Strauss Serenade
Mahler Adagietto
Elgar Introduction and Allegro
Bath Philharmonia
Peter Donohoe (conductor)
web site
APRIL 25
Berkhamsted - Berkhamsted Collegiate School
Concerto for Oboe & Strings
Copland Appalachian Spring (original
version)
Elgar Serenade for Strings
Haydn Symphony No. 45 (Farewell)
City of London Sinfonia
Nicholas Ward, Conductor/Leader
Nicholas Betts, Oboe
APRIL 25
San Diego, California - Symphony Hall
The Lark Ascending
Krommer: Concerto for 2 Clarinets
Elgar: Symphony No.1
San Diego Symphony Orchestra
Jahja Ling (conductor)
Alexander Palamidis (violin)
Frank Renk (clarinet)
Sheryl Renk (clarinet)
web
site |
|
When a journalist wrote that the 6th
symphony was a war symphony he got a rebuke from VW.
Ursula Vaughan Williams reported "He was bloody angry. He was furious
about that".
Vaughan Williams said "I am not anything to do with war. Nothing
at all. It never seems to occur to people that a man might just want
to write a piece of music."
Yet the symphony starts with an explosion. The key is unclear. Shifting
themes and textures create a feeling of incredible energy, instability
and violence. It has been said that the symphony shares a mood with Shostakowitch’s
10th symphony. Dissonant, startling, contemporary, manic and shocking,
VW’s 6th features jazzy and jaunty saxophones which create some
very sinister effects. The overall feeling is one of terror and alienation.
Vaughan Williams said we can get nearer to the meaning of the symphony
in a quote from The Tempest. "We are
such stuff that dreams are made of". He was delighted when a contemporary
composer Rutland Boughton, described the symphony with reference to Dante,
as an 'agnostic’s Paradiso'.
The Epilogue is the eeriest of finales and is perhaps the most unusual
and unsettling part of this symphony. The orchestra barely raises above
a whisper. The conductor Andrew Davis, thought it depicted a post nuclear
vision as well as being a tribute to Holst’s 'Neptune'. With sparce
Holst-like orchestration, the symphony concludes by drifting into space
with the quietest and ghostliest of pianissimos. Uncertain and varying
between Eb major and E minor it continues its drift into a tense and
disquieting, nothingness.
A Sea Symphony continues to be
the choral societies' favourite, and rightly so. This is a huge
work for soprano, baritone, mixed chorus, and orchestra. Vaughan
Williams was introduced to the poetry of Walt Whitman in 1892
by fellow Cambridge undergraduate, Bertrand Russell. He began
the sketches as early as 1903 when he wrote Songs of the Sea. This grew into the Ocean Symphony and eventually matured into A
Sea Symphony. The music beautifully captures the spirit
of Whitman's poetry. The work took almost six years and VW acknowledged
that the work owed much to Elgar. "The Elgar phrase which influenced
me was 'Thou are calling me' in Gerontius". A Sea Symphony gives
ample scope for choral virtuosity. The final movement is especially
haunting. (visit
our sounds page)
"Oh vast Rondure, swimming in space,
Covered all over with visible power and beauty..."
For text
Above: VW Conducting A Sea Symphony at Leeds in
1910.
Following the success of the 2006 and 2008 EMF, dates for the 2009 English
Music Festival have been confirmed as 22-25th May. This is
a feast of English music representing Vaughan Williams, Britten,
Elgar, Purcell, Handel, Howells, Bantock, Ireland, Finzi, Moeran,
Dyson, Holbrooke, Bax, as well as many of the less often English
composers. The Festival is held mainly in Dorchester Abbey in Oxfordshire.
www.englishmusicfestival.org.uk
Composed in 1894 as an exercise for the degree of Bachelor of Music,
the hymn Vexilla Regis is a four movement work scored for soprano solo,
mixed five-part chorus (SSATB), string orchestra and organ. The work
has never been performed and never published, remaining in manuscript
form in the Anderson Room of the Cambridge University Library (Mus.B,
103). |
MAY
1 & 3
Wigmore Hall, London
Songs by Vaughan Williams,
also Elgar Gurney, Quilter, Warlock and Britten
Alice Coote (mezzo soprano)
Julius Drake (piano)
7.30pm
Tel: 020 7935 2141
Prices £18 - £35
web site
MAY 1
Worcester Cathedral
Job - A Masque for Dancing
Bliss Fanfare
Elgar Cockaigne Overture
Finzi Let Us Garlands Bring
English Symphony Orchestra
Laura Jellicoe (conductor)
Michael George (baritone)
This concert is the memorial concert for Vernon
Handley, who was Principal Conductor of the ESO. His protégée, Laura Jellicoe, explains
the choice of music: “Towards the end of his life, Tod remarked
that he considered his recording of Vaughan Williams' Job with the
London Philharmonic possibly his greatest, and also that he considered
the work to be possibly the most wonderfully crafted composition that
existed”.
Tickets 01386 791044
www.eso.co.uk
MAY
2
Bradford on Avon - Wiltshire Music Centre
Concerto in A minor for Oboe and String Orchestra
Vivaldi Oboe Concerto in C RV447
Shostakovich Prelude and Scherzo, Op. 11*
Britten Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge*
JS Bach Concerto in D minor for Oboe, Violin and
String Orchestra
Britten Sinfonia
Nicholas Daniel (oboe/director)
Jacqueline Shave (violin/director)
MAY 3
Lincoln High School Auditorium, Seattle, Washington USA
Symphony No. 6
With Sibelius Violin Concerto in d, Opus 47
Brahms Variations on a Theme by Haydn
Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra
Adam Stern (conductor)
Rachel Wong (violin)
3:00 p.m.
tel: (USA) 206-528-6878 or online at
web
site
MAY 6
Peterborough- Peterborough Cathedral
The Lark Ascending
Mahler arr. Britten What the Wild Flowers Tell
Me
John Woolrich New work (world première)
Delius On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring;
Summer Night on the River
Sibelius The Swan of Tuonela, Op. 22 No. 2
Britten A Time There Was
Britten Sinfonia
Alina Ibragimova (violin)
Jacqueline Shave (leader/director)
Box Office 01480 388248
MAY 7
Cambridge- King's College Chapel
The Lark Ascending
Mahler arr. Britten What the Wild Flowers Tell
Me
John Woolrich New work (world première)
Delius On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring;
Summer Night on the River
Sibelius The Swan of Tuonela, Op. 22 No. 2
Britten A Time There Was
Britten Sinfonia
Alina Ibragimova (violin)
Jacqueline Shave (leader/director)
Box Office 01223 357851
MAY 8 & 10
San Diego, California – Symphony Hall
The Lark Ascending
Krommer: Concerto for 2 Clarinets
Elgar: Symphony No.1
San Diego Symphony Orchestra
Jahja Ling (conductor)
Alexander Palamidis (violin)
Frank Renk (clarinet)
Sheryl Renk (clarinet)
web
site
MAY 8
Edinburgh - Usher Hall
Symphony No.1 'A Sea Symphony'
Wagner - Preludes to Acts I and III and Liebestode from Tristan
und Isolde
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Stéphane Denève (conductor)
Christine Goerke, (soprano)
Sir Thomas Allen (baritone)
RSNO Chorus
MAY 9
Glasgow - Royal Concert Hall
Symphony No.1 'A Sea Symphony'
Wagner - Preludes to Acts I and III and Liebestode from Tristan
und Isolde
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Stéphane Denève (conductor)
Christine Goerke, (soprano)
Sir Thomas Allen (baritone)
RSNO Chorus
web
site
MAY 10
Good Shepherd Church, 608 Isham St., New York, NY 10034
(211th Street & Broadway)
Five Variants on Dive and Lazarus
Also: American Reflections for string orchestra
and harp - Brian Wilbur
Grundstrom
*World premiere SONOS commission
Cronaca, op. 79 for string orchestra -
Pehr Henrik Nordgren *in memoriam (1944-2008)
*United States premiere
Jacqui Kerrod (harp)
SONOS Chamber Orchestra
Erik E. Ochsner (Music Director and conductor)
Tickets: Suggested donation $15
web site
MAY 12
Southampton- Turner Sims Concert Hall
Concerto for Oboe & Strings
Copland Appalachian Spring (original version)
Elgar Serenade for Strings
Haydn Symphony No. 45 (Farewell)
City of London Sinfonia
Nicholas Ward (conductor/leader)
Nicholas Daniel (oboe)
MAY 13
Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center
Goodman House, 129 West 67th Street, New York, NY 10023
Five Variants on Dive and Lazarus
Also: American Reflections for string orchestra
and harp - Brian Wilbur
Grundstrom
*World premiere SONOS commission
Cronaca, op. 79 for string orchestra -
Pehr Henrik Nordgren *in memoriam (1944-2008)
*United States premiere
Jacqui Kerrod (harp)
SONOS Chamber Orchestra
Erik E. Ochsner (Music Director and conductor)
Tickets: $25 general admission, $15 Seniors and students
web site
MAY 16
First Baptist Church of White Plains
456 North St, White Plains, NY 10605
Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus
Also: American Reflections for string orchestra
and harp - Brian Wilbur
Grundstrom
*World premiere SONOS commission
Cronaca, op. 79 for string orchestra -
Pehr Henrik Nordgren *in memoriam (1944-2008)
*United States premiere
Adagio for Strings - Samuel Barber
Danses sacrée et profane for solo harp
and strings - Claude
Debussy
Jacqui Kerrod (harp)
SONOS Chamber Orchestra
Erik E. Ochsner (Music Director and conductor)
Suggested donation: $15
web site
MAY 19
Lucerne - KKL Luzern Konzertsaal
The Lark Ascending
Haydn - Symphony no.1
Shostakovich: Symphony no.9
Luzerner Sinfonieorchester LSO
Vasily Petrenko (conductor)
Hilary Hahn (violin)
MAY 22
Dorchester Abbey, Oxfordshire
The English Music Festival
Silence & Music
Greensleeves
Finzi God is Gone Up
Howells Salve Regina
Harris Faire is the Heaven
Holst St Paul’s Suite
Finzi Magnificat
Tippett Little Music for Strings
Howells Nunc Dimittis
Harris Bring us O Lord God
Berkeley Serenade
Dyson Hierusalem
Vox Musica
Southbank Sinfonia Strings
Michael Berman
web site
MAY 23
Dorchester Abbey, Oxfordshire
The English Music Festival
Notturno (after Bach)
Willow Wood
David Owen Norris (piano)
Also: Elgar Concert Allegro
Moeran Irish Love Song
Bax Second Sonata
Quilter Three Studies
Quilter Three Pieces for Piano
Lambert Sonata
Parry Jerusalem
Curtis Festival Overture
Havergal Brian Reverie
Elgar Sanguine Fan
Delius Hiawatha (World Premiere)
Cliffe Violin Concerto
web
site
MAY 22 & 23
Philadelphia - Verizon Hall
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Ades - Concentric Paths for Violin and Chamber
Orchestra
Sibelius - En Saga
Scriabin - The Poem of Ecstasy
The Philadelphia Orchestra
David Robertson (conductor)
Leila Josefowicz (violin)
MAY 22
London - Royal Festival Hall
The Lark Ascending
London Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir
Grieg Peer Gynt, Suite 1
Ravel Tzigane
Holst The Planets
Yutaka Sado (conductor)
Vilde Frang (violin)
web
site
MAY 22 & 23
Philadelphia - Verizon Hall
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Ades: Concentric Paths for Violin and Chamber Orchestra,
Op.24
Sibelius En Saga
The Philadelphia Orchestra
David Robertson (conductor)
Leila Josefowicz (violin)
MAY 22 & 24
Rochester, New York - Performance Hall
Symphony no.5 in D
Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
Christopher Seaman (conductor)
web
site
MAY 30
St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
St. Mark’s Music Series
Serenade to Music
Vexilla Regis (1894 - World Premiere Performance)
Made possible through the generous support of the RVW Trust and the
RVW Society
Also: Haydn - Missa in Angustiis (Lord Nelson
Mass)
Cathedral Choir, Choral Society, Soloists, Orchestra and Organ
Raymond Johnston (director)
tel: (USA) 612-870-7800
email: rayj@ourcathedral.org
Web
site
7:30 p.m. |
|
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The
Serenade to Music was composed for the unique occasion, of
Henry Wood's jubilee which took place at the Royal Albert Hall on
the 5th October 1938. 'Tailor' written for 16 internationally acclaimed
solo singers (VW identified the singers by inscribing their initials
in the score) with words by Shakespeare from The
Merchant of Venice, RVW later adapted the music for choral
or orchestral use. Beautiful words and beautiful music. Ursula Vaughan
Williams recalled that Rachmaninov who was there to play his Second
Concerto, was moved to tears.
The Concerto for Bass Tuba was written
when VW was aged 81, and first performed on 13th June 1954 by Philip
Catelinet and the LSO under John Barbirolli. Critical reaction was not
to take it too seriously - "an elephantine
romp, humorous and salty" - Michael Kennedy
VW took the task seriously enough as he always did and especially as
a champion for underated instruments.
'He discovered agility and melodic potential in an instrument few others
had suspected, and created a work of lasting value.
The D major romanza is really beautiful, with a main theme as fine any
Vaughan-Williams slow movement. Sung first by the violas, the tuba takes
it over and explores it lovingly. The finale is short, quick and more
chromatic, slithering into and out of keys rapidly, before another short
cadenza and closing flourish.' |
JUNE
3
Wigmore Hall, London
Part of a series: In Music is Such
Sweet Art devised by Julius Drake
Two Poems by Seamas O' Sullivan:
The Twilight People and A Piper
Three Vocalises for Soprano and Clarinet
Three Songs from Shakespeare
Also: Gurney Five Shakespeare Songs
Rubbra Shakespeare Settings
Finzi Let Us Garlands Bring etc
Alish Tynan (soprano)
Cora Buggraaf (mezzo soprano)
Chen Halevi (clarinet)
Julius Drake (piano)
Pre concert Talk 6pm by Michael White - £3
Supported by the RVW Trust
Box Office: 020 7935 2141
Tickets £15 - £30
web site
JUNE 7
Chatham – Central Theatre
Concerto for Oboe & Strings
Copland Appalachian Spring (original version)
Elgar Serenade for Strings
Haydn Symphony No. 45 (Farewell)
City of London Sinfonia
Nicholas Ward, (conductor/leader)
Nicholas Daniel (oboe)
JUNE 19
Portsmouth. St Thomas's Cathedral
The Portsmouth Festivities
The Lark Ascending
London Mozart Players
Tasmin Little (director)
Mozart Figaro Overture
Wagner Siegfried Idyll
Beethoven Violin Concerto
8pm
box office: 023 9282 6722
£12 (£10 conc, £1 U18) £27 (£25 conc, £16
U18)
Pre-Concert Talk - 6pm, Tasmin Little & Terry Barfoot
Festivities Supper Ticket: includes
Talk, Concert and a Buffet Supper at the Royal Naval Club. Seats for
Supper Ticket holders will be reserved at the concert.
web site
JUNE 20
St Magnus Festival, Orkney
Symphony No.1 'A Sea Symphony'
Neilsen: Helios
Sally Beamish Accordion Concerto: The Singing,
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Huddersfield Choral Society, The Festival Chorus
Martyn Brabbins (conductor)
James Crabb (accordion)
Lisa Milne (soprano)
JUNE 20
Yeovil, St John's Church
Mass in G Minor
Three Shakespeare Songs
Also: Charles Villiers Stanford The Blue Bird
E W Naylor Vox dicentis: Clama
Two Shakespeare songs Matthew Harris
The Lord is my Shepherd James Henderson
Tickets £8, Under-16’s free available on the door, and
in advance from Keith Jones Christian Bookshop, 2 Park Road, Yeovil
web site
JUNE 21
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. St Edmundsbury Cathedral
Symphony No. 8
Fantasia on Greensleeves
Britten Matinee Musicale
Ney Rosauro Marimba Concerto
Suffolk Sinfonia
Neil Carson: (conductor)
Lucy Livermore (soloist)
JUNE 22
Wigmore Hall, London
Songs of Travel
Three Poems by Walt Whitman
Four Poems by Fredegond Shov
Butterworth Bredon Hill, Extracts 'A
Shropshire Lad'
Gerald Finley (baritone)
Julius Drake (piano)
Box Office 020 7935 2141
Tickets: £18 - £35
7.30pm
web site
JUNE 26
St James's Church, Piccadilly
Dona Nobis Pacem
Elgar: The Spirit of England
and organ solos by these composers
Jamesena Tait (soprano)
Leslie MacLeod-Miller (bass)
Marcus Andrews (piano)
Nicholas Luff (organ)
James Gaddarn (conductor)
For RVW Society members only: Full price tickets are £15; but buy
one ticket and get a second ticket for £5. There is no limit on the
number of tickets that can be bought using this offer. To buy tickets,
please contact Choir Chairman, Colin Evans, tel: 020 7486 1929. Please
quote "choir
offer" when
ordering tickets.
|
|
Neglected in the concert hall the extraordinary
and visionary 9th Symphony is considered
by a growing number of critics to be VW's finest symphony. Written
during the last few years of VW's life (between 1956-7), early manuscripts
have the words, "Tess" and "Stonehenge" clearly
marked on them. We know that during their early years both VW and Gustav
Holst were both moved and affected by Hardy's novel. The pair even
went on a walk following Tess' footsteps! The Symphony requires a large
orchestra with the additions of saxophones, deep bells and a fluglehorn.
Robin Barber writes: Often dubbed the 'Tess' Symphony but it doesn't
really have a programme. The first 2 movements allude to Hardy's Novel
but only fleetingly. The 1st movement once was called a 'Wessex prelude'
and then 'Landscape' does conjure up vast lonely skies and Salisbury
Plain but it is also a homage to Bach.The second movement has the greatest
associations with Tess as the composer did write her name over the sketches
and also "Stonehenge". Thereafter 'the programme got lost on
the way'. The inscription: "Introibo ad Altarum Dei" is repeated
over sketches to the last movement. (I will go
unto the altar of God: Psalm 43). The composer knew it would be
his last major work, it's not a farewell, he looked at death and didn't
fear it. The terrific climax, maybe represents the desire for his atoms
and memories to return into the cosmos for re-cycling?
Vaughan Williams, eschewing sentimentality,
for the last time summons up those reserves which, for want
of a better word, must be called visionary. (Michael
Kennedy)
It is the work, not of a tired
old man, but a very experienced one. (James Day)
|
JULY
2
Cardiff - Millennium Centre, BBC Hoddinott Hall
Symphony No. 6 in E-minor
Delius Paris - the song of a great city
Ravel Piano Concerto in G
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Rumon Gamba (conductor)
Piano Roger Muraro (piano)
JULY 6
London - Barbican Centre
Symphony No 1 (A Sea Symphony)
Programme also includes:
Faure Requiem
London Orchestra da Camera
Crouch End Festival Chorus
David Temple (conductor)
web site
JULY 6
Lyon, France - Grand Théâtre
Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra
Berlioz Roman Carnival Overture
Dvorak Carnival Overture
Gershwin:Rhapsody in Blue arranged
for two pianos and orchestra
Orchestre National de Lyon
John Axelrod (conductor)
Lang Lang (piano)
Herbie Hancock (piano)
web site
JULY
9
Vienna – Konzerthaus
Dona nobis pacem
Haydn – Mass in C major 'Mass in Time of
War'
Duke University Festival Chorus & Orchestra
Festival Chorus & Orchestra
Rodney Wynkoop (conductor)
web
site
JULY 10
Snape Maltings
Symphony No 1 - A Sea Symphony
Celebrating our 'conductor in common', Leslie Olive, reaching his sixtieth
birthday,
Walton Belshazzar's Feast
Leslie Olive (Conductor)
The English Arts Chorale, Stowmarket Chorale Eye Bach Choir and the
choir of Colchester Royal Grammar School
JULY 10
Essen, Germany - Philharmonie
Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra
Programme also includes:
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue arranged for
two pianos and orchestra
and other works for two pianos and for piano four hands
Neue Philharmonie Westfalen
Lang Lang (piano)
Herbie Hancock (piano)
web site
JULY 11
London - The Royal Albert Hall
Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra
Programme also includes:
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue arranged for
two pianos and orchestra
and other works for two pianos and for piano four hands
The Philharmonia Orchestra
John Axelrod (conductor)
Lang Lang (piano)
Herbie Hancock (piano)
web
site
JULY 22
BBC Proms NO 8 800th Anniversary of Cambridge University
The Wasps - Overture
Five Mystical Songs
Also: Ryan Wigglesworth The Genesis of Secrecy BBC commission: world
premiere
Stanford Magnificat and Nunc
dimittis in A major
Jonathan Harvey Come, Holy Ghost*
Judith Weir Ascending into Heaven†
Saint-Saëns Symphony No.3, 'Organ'
Simon Keenlyside (baritone)
Thomas Trotter (organ)
Choirs of King's and St John's colleges
Choirs of Clare, Gonville and Caius, and Trinity colleges
Choirs from combined Cambridge colleges
BBC Symphony Orchestra
Sir Andrew Davis (conductor)
Stephen Cleobury† (conductor)
Andrew Nethsingha* (conductor)
8.00pm
JULY 25
Hadleigh, Suffolk
The Old School House, Bridge Street
String Quartet No 1in G Minor
Haydn Piano Concerto no 7 in F Major
Haydn Piano Concerto no 9 in G Major
Elgar String Quartet no 1 in E Minor
Tickets £8.50
7.30pm
Contact 01473 822596
Email thomas.mcintosh@minstrelmusic.co.uk
JULY 26
Hadleigh, Suffolk
The Old School House, Bridge Street
String Quartet No 1in G Minor
Haydn Piano Concerto no 7 in F Major
Haydn Piano Concerto no 9 in G Major
Elgar String Quartet no 1 in E Minor
Tickets £8.50
14.30
Contact 01473 822596
Email thomas.mcintosh@minstrelmusic.co.uk
JULY 28
Chicago - Ravina Festival
Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra
Also: Berlioz Roman Carnival Overture
Dvorak Carnival Overture
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue arranged for
two pianos and orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
John Axelrod (conductor)
Lang Lang (piano)
Herbie Hancock (piano)
|
|
Dona Nobis Pacem Using
the Liturgy and words by Whitman and John Bright, the cantata, first performed
in 1936 was RVW's optimistic plea for peace. Superb and atmospheric choral
music.
'The music abounds in beauties -'
Michael Kennedy
|
AUGUST 1
New Jersey, New York - Prudential Hall
Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra
Programme also includes:
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue arranged for two pianos and orchestra
and other works for two pianos and for piano four hands.
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
John Axelrod (conductor)
Lang Lang (piano)
Herbie Hancock (piano)
AUGUST 8
Hereford Cathedral
3 Choirs Festival Opening Service
O Clap Your Hands
Francis Jackson Benedicite in G
Mendelssohn Erhaben, o herr, über alles lob
Stanford Jubilate in C
web site
AUGUST 10
Hereford Cathedral
3 Choirs Festival
Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis
(arr. Tim Jackson)
Gabrielli Canzon duodecimi toni à 10 no.
2
Gabrielli Canzon IX
Gabrielli Sonata Pian e Forte
Gabrielli Canzon in echo duodecimi toni à 10
Michael Berkeley Among the Lilies
Derek Bougeois Concerto Grosso
Philharmonia Brass
web site
AUGUST 14
Hereford Cathedral
3 Choirs Festival
Concerto Grosso
Handel Concerto Grosso Op. 6 No. 1 in G
Finzi Romance for Strings Op. 11
John McCabe Les martinets noirs (UK première)
David Le Page (violin)
Cathy Leech (violin)
Orchestra of the Swan
David Curtis (conductor
web site
AUGUST 18
Opera Holland Park - London W8 6LU
Serenade to Music
Three Shakespeare Songs
In Windsor Forest
Mendelssohn - Midsummer Night's Dream Overture
Delius - Walk to the Paradise Garden
George Shearing - Songs and Sonnets from Shakespeare
Barts Choir
New London Soloists Orchestra
Chris Lee (piano)
Ivor Setterfield (conductor)
7.30pm (picnics from 5.30pm)
Box office: 0845 230 9769 or
web site
AUGUST 18
Srni (SW Czech Republic)
On Wenlock Edge
Also: Kubla Khan Vaclav Zahradnik
Il Tramonto (for Mezzo & string quartet)
Respighi
Catriona Bell (mezzo soprano)
Tim German (tenor)
Vaclav Zadradnik (piano)
The Herold Quartet;
Peter Zdvihall (violin)
Jan Valta (violin)
Karel Untermuller (viola)
David Havelik (cello)
AUGUST 26
The Lark Ascending
Shirehampton Public Hall, Bristol
A concert to commemorate the first performance of the Lark Ascending
(solo violin and piano version)
Programme includes:
Elgar Serenade for Strings, Chanson de Matin,
Salut d'amore
Holst St.Pauls Suite
Warlock Capriol Suite
Mozart Eine Kleine Nacht Musik
Brahms Hungarian Dance
The Emerald Ensemble
1st violins - Roger Huckle (solo) Nia Bevan, Will Hillman
2nd violins - Naomi Rump, Matt Everett
Viola - Ania Leadbeater, Ben Kaminskia
Cello - Keith Tempest, Ruth Zagni
Bass - Jub Davis
Piano - Christopher Northam
£10 per ticket including refreshments.
7.30pm
AUGUST 29
Norwich - Cathedral
A Tribute to Vaughan Williams
Norfolk Rhapsody No 1
Fantasia On A Theme of Thomas Tallis
English Folk Song Suite orch. Jacob
Fantasia on Greensleeves
'Job' - A Masque for Dancing (excerpts)
Serenade to Music
Sinfonia Antarctica First Movement
Norwich Pops Orchestra
Mid-Norfolk Singers
Geoff Davidson (Conductor)
To include anecdotes and stories about Vaughan Williams
web site
|
|
|
SEPTEMBER 19
Dorchester-on–Thames, Oxford, Dorchester Abbey
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Rhosymedre
Elgar Elegy
Elgar Introduction and Allegro
Piazzola Four Seasons
Part of the Piazzola will be choreographed and danced by two tango dancers.
Orchestra of St John's
John Lubbock (conductor)
Phone: 0845 680 1926
web site |
|
Vaughan Williams was working on the Five
Mystical Songs as early as 1906, and his response to George Herbert's
(1593-1633) metaphysical poetry is sensual and inspired. In 1908 he went
to France and studied for a period with Maurice Ravel. Vaughan Williams
later related how he had learned a great deal about orchestration from
Ravel. "He showed me how to orchestrate in points of colour rather
than in lines". The songs and their orchestration were thoroughly
revised before their first performance at the Worcester Festival of 1911
so it is reasonable to conclude that Ravel had some influence on the
final revisions. To Gustav Holst, VW from Paris wrote, " I am getting
a lot out of Ravel - I hope it doesn't worry him too much - only I feel
that 10 years would not teach me all I want".
Tender, ecstatic, ravishing, stirring, spiritual, magical!
" A firm favourite with audiences from its first performance in 1911,
it was cited as evidence that Vaughan Williams had indeed 'arrived' as
a composer and was worthy of inheriting the mantle of such illustrious
musical forbears Lawes and Purcell."
© J. S. Whitehead 2003 - Halifax Choral Society notes.
Barbican October 15
Richard Hickox was a great friend to the Ralph Vaughan
Williams Society so we urge you to go this concert if you possibly can.
Almost a year
after Richard Hickox's sudden and untimely death, this concert is a celebration
of his life in music by two organisations with which he was very closely
associated. Richard was Founder and Music Director of the City of London
Sinfonia from 1971 to his death, and Chorus Director of the LSC from
1976-1991. Proceeds from the concert will be donated to The Richard Hickox
Foundation, which aims to support those causes about which Richard felt
passionately - to support young conductors and soloists, to support recordings
of British composers and to encourage performances of British music outside
the UK.
|
OCTOBER
1, 2 & 3
Sydney, Australia - The Opera House
The Wasps Overture
Flos campi (Flower
of the Field)
Symphony No 2 - A London Symphony (1913 version)
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
conductor tba
Roger Benedict (viola)
Cantillation chorus
web site
Please note Richard Hickox who sadly passed away late last year was originally
programmed to conduct this concert.
OCTOBER 1
Cheltenham, Town Hall
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Rhosymedre
Elgar Elegy
Elgar Introduction and Allegro
Piazzola Four Seasons
Part of the Piazzola will be choreographed and danced by two tango dancers.
Orchestra of St John's
John Lubbock (conductor)
OCTOBER 7
Croydon, London – Fairfield Halls
The Wasps: overture
The Lark Ascending
Elgar Cello concerto in E minor
Elgar Chanson de Matin
Delius Walk to the Paradise Garden
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Stephen Bell (Conductor)
Clio Gould (violin)
Timothy Gill (cello)
OCTOBER 8
Manchester - Bridgewater Hall
Heroic Elegy and Triumphal Epilogue
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24, K491
Strauss Also sprach Zarathustra
Adams Short Ride in a Fast Machine
Lars Vogt (piano)
Hallé Orchestra
Sir Mark Elder (conductor)
web site
OCTOBER 15
Barbican Hall, London
Music Maker: A Celebration of Richard Hickox
Toward the Unknown Region
Britten Peter Grimes - Four Sea Interludes
Elgar The Music Makers
Holst The Hymn of Jesus
London Symphony Chorus
City of London Sinfonia
Joseph Cullen & Andrew Litton conductors
web site
19:30
Proceeds in aid of The Richard Hickox Foundation
OCTOBER 16, 17 & 18
Philadelphia, USA – Verizon Hall
Symphony no.4 in F
Beethoven Symphony No. 4
Mozart Bassoon Concerto
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Sir Roger Norrington (conductor)
Daniel Matsukawa (bassoon)
web site
OCTOBER 21
Inverness – Eden Court Theatre
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Tippett Concerto for Double String Orchestra
Berio Corale (Sequenza VIII) for violin, 2 horns
and strings
Bach Double Concerto for 2 violins in D minor, BWV1043
Scottish Ensemble
Jonathan Morton, (director)
Clio Gould (violin)
OCTOBER 21
Birmingham, Town Hall
The Lark Ascending
Elgar Serenade for Strings
Walton Two Pieces from Henry V
Holst St Paul’s Suite
Britten Simple Symphony
Elgar Chanson de Matin, Chanson de Nuit
Orchestra of the Swan
David Curtis (conductor)
Tasmin Little (violin)
OCTOBER 22
Aberdeen – Music Hall
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Tippett Concerto for Double String Orchestra
Berio Corale (Sequenza VIII) for violin, 2 horns and strings
Bach Double Concerto for 2 violins in D minor, BWV1043
Scottish Ensemble
Jonathan Morton, (director)
Clio Gould (violin)
OCTOBER 21, 22 & 24
Toronto – Symphony Hall
Symphony No. 4 in F
Bernstein (orch. Ramin): Clarinet Sonata (Canadian
Première)
Mozart Clarinet Concerto, K.622
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Peter Oundjian, (conductor)
Joaquin Valdepeñas (clarinet)
web site
OCTOBER 23
Edinburgh – Queen's Hall
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Tippett Concerto for Double String Orchestra
Berio Corale (Sequenza VIII) for violin, 2 horns and strings
Bach Double Concerto for 2 violins in D minor, BWV1043
Scottish Ensemble
Jonathan Morton, (director)
Clio Gould (violin)
OCTOBER 24
Perth – Concert Hall
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Tippett Concerto for Double String Orchestra
Berio Corale (Sequenza VIII) for violin, 2 horns and strings
Bach Double Concerto for 2 violins in D minor, BWV1043
Scottish Ensemble
Jonathan Morton, (director)
Clio Gould (violin)
OCTOBER 26
Dundee – Caird Hall
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Tippett Concerto for Double String Orchestra
Berio Corale (Sequenza VIII) for violin, 2 horns and strings
Bach Double Concerto for 2 violins in D minor, BWV1043
Scottish Ensemble
Jonathan Morton, (director)
Clio Gould (violin)
OCTOBER 28
London – Wigmore Hall
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Tippett Concerto for Double String Orchestra
Berio Corale (Sequenza VIII) for violin, 2 horns and strings
Bach Double Concerto for 2 violins in D minor, BWV1043
Scottish Ensemble
Jonathan Morton, (director)
Clio Gould (violin)
OCTOBER 29
Manchester - Bridgewater Hall
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Walton Cello Concerto
Ravel La Valse
Ravel Pavane pour une infante défunte
Ravel Boléro
Natalie Clein (cello)
Hallé Orchestra
Christian Mandeal (conductor)
web site |
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NOVEMBER 3
London – Wigmore Hall
On Wenlock Edge
Schubert Die schöne Müllerin (W. Müller),
D.795 (selection)
Birtwistle New Work (World Première)
Britten: Who are these Children? for tenor and piano, Op.84
Schubert: Winterreise (W. Müller), D.911 (selection)
Philip Langridge (tenor)
David Owen Norris, (piano)
Doric String Quartet
NOVEMBER
6, 7 & 8
Florida, USA – Tampa Bay
Symphony no. 4 in F
MacMillan The Sacrifice Three Interludes
Mendelssohn Violin Concerto
The Florida Orchestra
James MacMillan (conductor)
Jeffrey Multer (violin)
NOVEMBER 12
London – St. Paul's Cathedral
The Lark Ascending
Barber Adagio for strings, Op.11
Butterworth The Banks of Green Willow
Tavener Exhortation
Rutter Requiem
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
John Rutter (conductor)
Clio Gould, (violin)
Elin Manahan Thomas (soprano)
Choir of London
NOVEMBER 15
Chelmsford, Town Hall
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Rhosymedre
Britten Simple Symphony
Elgar Introduction and Allegro
Piazzola Four Seasons
Part of the Piazzola will be choreographed and danced by two tango dancers.
Orchestra of St John's
John Lubbock (conductor)
web site
NOVEMBER 27,
Cambridge, UK – Emmanuel United Reformed Church
On Wenlock Edge
Oliver Rudland Yorkshire Songs
Helen Roche Ensemble
Matthew Sandy (tenor)
Christopher Dollins (baritone)
Free, retiring collection for BBC Radio Cambridgeshire's Trustline appeal
1.10 pm
Box Office 01223-357851
web site
NOVEMBER 21
Burgess Hill (West Sussex) – St Andrew's Church, Junction Road
English Folksong Suite
Also: Finlandia Sibelius
Symphony No 2 Sibelius
Burgess Hill Symphony Orchestra
Michael Stefan Wood (conductor)
Tickets £10, Under-16’s free, available on the door,
and in advance Tel 01273 401794 or 01892 610551
NOVEMBER 21
Birmingham, Symphony Hall
Symphony no.1 (A Sea Symphony)
Delius Sea Drift
City of Birmingham Choir
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Julie Cooper (soprano)
James Rutherford (baritone)
Adrian Lucas (conductor)
Box Office: 0121-780 3333
web site
NOVEMBER 29 2009
Cambridge, UK – West Road Concert Hall
On Wenlock Edge
Mozart Piano Quartet in G minor K478
Schubert Five Songs from 'Schwanengesang'
Dvorak The Cypresses
Aronowitz Ensemble
Andrew Kennedy (tenor)
3.00 pm
Box Office 01223-357851
web site |
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Sancta
Civitas (" The Holy City") was written between 1923
and 1925. VW said in later life that of all his choral works it was
the one he liked best. Its first performance was in May 1926 in Oxford
where it was conducted by Hugh Allen with Arthur Cranmer as soloist.
The words are from the Authorised Version and Taverner's Bible and
describes the fall of Babylon and the new heaven and new earth. Ursula
Vaughan Williams writes in her biography "...there
is no doubt that it epitomizes much of his thoughts, belief, and imagination." When
VW conducted the oratorio at The Three Choirs Festival in 1935 shortly
before Italy launched its armies from Eritrea into Ethiopia, Ursula
wrote, "some passages seemed to have a
terrible appositeness". Indeed, there are sections which
contain some of RVW's most terrifying music.
This is a wonderful but rarely performed work. |
DECEMBER 5
London- The Royal Festival Hall
The First Nowell
Mendelssohn Vom Himmel Hoch
J S Bach Christen, ätzet diesen Tag, BWV63
Honegger Une cantate de Noël
London Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir
New London Children's Choir
Vladimir Jurowski (conductor)
Lisa Milne (soprano)
Ruxandra Donose (mezzo soprano)
Andrew Staples (tenor)
Christopher Maltman (baritone)
DECEMBER 5
London – St James's Church, Piccadilly
Christmas Celebration by Candlelight
Fantasia on Christmas Carols
Unknown Programme of popular carols
Handel Messiah, HWV 56: excerpts
Handel Solomon, HWV 67: Arrival of the Queen of
Sheba
Vivaldi Concerto no. 4 in F minor 'L'Inverno
(Winter)'
Corelli Christmas Concerto
English Chamber Choir
Belmont Ensemble of London
Peter Dyson, (conductor)
Guy Protheroe, (conductor)
DECEMBER 5
Hexham Abbey, Hexham, Northumberland
The First Nowell
The Lark Ascending
Toward the Unknown Region
Hexham Orpheus Choir and Orchestra
Glenn Davis (conductor)
With Iona Brown (violin)
Other songs including;
Heart's Music
The Turtle Dove
Orpheus with his Lute
And RVW Carols for audience, choir and orchestra.
web site
DECEMBER 6
Tunbridge Wells, Assembly Hall Theatre
Concerto Grosso for Strings
Also: Tomlinson Fantasia on 'AuldLangSyne'
Rimsky-Korsakov Suite, 'The Snow Maiden'
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue
Royal Tunbridge Wells Symphony Orchestra
Neil Thomson (conductor)
Jack Gibbons (piano)
3pm
Assembly Hall Box Office 01892 530613 or online at
web site
DECEMBER 9
Hall One, The Sage Gateshead
The Lark Ascending
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Elgar Introduction and Allegro
Mozart Clarinet Concerto
Northern Sinfonia
Christopher Richards (clarinet)
Bradley Creswick (director)
7:30 pm
Tickets: £7-£25 |
