Hear My Prayer, O Lord
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Night and Day including works by Brahms, Mahler, Schumann, Lauridsen and Whitacre Conductor: William Petter Accompanist: Paul Ayres St John the Divine Saturday 5th July 2014 at 7.30pm Registered Charity No 1112448 Programme Blessed City, Heavenly Salem Bairstow Abendlied Rheinberger O Thou the Central Orb Wood Sleep Whitacre “Musical Interlude” Hail Gladdening Light Wood Evening Hymn H. Balfour Gardiner Interval Sure on this Shining Night Lauridsen Mondnacht Schumann arr. Petter Urlicht Mahler arr.Gottwald 4 Songs Op 92 Brahms “Musical Interlude” All Alone Berlin arr. Petter The Very Thought of You Noble arr. Ayres Blessed City, Heavenly Salem Edward Bairstow (1874-1946) Sir Edward Cuthbert Bairstow was an English organist and composer in the Anglican Church music tradition. Born in Huddersfield, he studied the organ and went on to receive his Music Doctorate at Durham University in 1901. Bairstow held posts in London, Wigan and Leeds before being appointed organist at York Minster in 1913 where he served until his death. A composer of both instrumental and choral pieces, miniature and large-scale, Bairstow’s output includes twelve published organ works and chamber music. He is however best known for his sacred choral works. Bairstow was an admirer of Brahms and also of the polyphony of earlier English composers and these influences may be heard in the five, musically contrasting verses of Blessed City, Heavenly Salem. The melodic material of this anthem is based on plainsong, but is sung to an elaborate organ accompaniment. There is a remarkable instrumental interlude between the fourth and fifth verses in which the organ extends the triumphant feel of the fourth verse, and then gradually subsides into the mood of peace in the final phrases. Blessed city, heavenly Salem, Who for Christ's dear Name in this Vision dear of peace and love, world Who of living stones art builded Pain and tribulation bore. In the height of heaven above, And by Angel hands apparelled, Many a blow and biting sculpture As a bride doth earthward move. Polished well those stones elect, In their places now compacted, Out of heaven from God descending, By the heavenly Architect. New and ready to be wed Nevermore to leave the Temple To thy Lord, whose love espoused Which with them the Lord hath thee, decked. Fair adorned shalt thou be led; All thy gates and all thy bulwarks To this Temple, where we call Thee, Of pure gold are fashioned. Come, O Lord of hosts, today; With Thy wonted loving kindness, Bright thy gates of pearl are shining; Hear Thy servants as they pray; They are open evermore; And Thy fullest benediction And their well-earned rest attaining Shed within its walls alway. Thither faithful souls do soar, Amen. Abendlied Josef Rheinberger (1839-1901) Rheinberger, born in Liechtenstein, was an organist and composer who spent most of his life in Germany. He showed musical talent at an early age, studied at the Munich Conservatorium and eventually became a professor of piano and composition. In his music can be heard influences of his contemporary Brahms, as well as the earlier musical giants, Schubert and Bach. Rheinberger wrote a wealth of music for the organ, as well as choral religious works including twelve masses, a Requiem and a Stabat Mater. Abendlied is the third of a collection of three sacred songs published in 1873. The text, from Luke, Ch. 24, is scored for two soprano parts, two tenors, plus alto and bass. An “a cappella” piece for six-part choir and written when the composer was only sixteen, Abenlied has been called a “miniature gem” of the choral repertoire. Bleib bei uns, Bide with us, denn es will Abend werden, for evening shadows darken, und der Tag hat sich geneiget. and the day will soon be over. O Thou the Central Orb Charles Wood (1866-1926) Born in Armagh, Ireland, Wood was exposed to music from an early age as his father sang tenor in the Cathedral choir. He attended the cathedral choir school and then studied organ, firstly at the cathedral, but later as one of fifty inaugural class members of the Royal College of Music where his professors included Stanford and Parry. Wood continued his education at Cambridge, eventually becoming a professor. Wood is known mainly for his Anglican Church music and O Thou, the Central Orb, an anthem with organ accompaniment, is one of his most frequently performed and recorded pieces. A setting of a text by H. Ramsden Bramley, the music is at times reverential, at times weighty and culminates in an Amen section of great splendour. O Thou, the central orb of righteous love, Pure beam of the most High, eternal Light Of this our wintry world, Thy radiance bright Awakes new joy in faith, hope soars above. Come, quickly come, and let thy glory shine, Gilding our darksome heaven with rays Divine. Thy saints with holy lustre round Thee move, As stars about thy throne, set in the height Of God's ordaining counsel, as Thy sight Gives measured grace to each, Thy power to prove. Let Thy bright beams disperse the gloom of sin, Our nature all shall feel eternal day In fellowship with thee, transforming day To souls erewhile unclean, now pure within. Amen. Sleep Eric Whitacre (1970) Whitacre grew up in Nevada and in his early years, his eclectic musical tastes included playing in a marching band and in a techno-pop group on synthesizer. He discovered classical choral music – described as “like seeing colour for the first time” - at University and began composing, eventually gaining a Master’s degree at the Juilliard School of Music. Whitacre is now widely known as a conductor and composer of choral and instrumental music and has introduced the concept of the “virtual choir” to the internet. Sleep began its life as a setting of Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening”. Unknown to Whitacre however, the Frost estate had banned any musical settings of the writer’s work and publication was prevented. After some years, the composer asked his friend and poet Charles Anthony Silvestri to write a new text for the song - a challenging task that required the exact structure of the original and the sentiment to match the music. In interviews, Whitacre has spoken about the “chorale-like nature” of the piece and his love of the dissonance caused by close “clusters” of notes, particularly when produced by the timbre of human voices. The evening hangs beneath the moon, A silver thread on darkened dune. With closing eyes and resting head I know that sleep is coming soon. Upon my pillow, safe in bed, A thousand pictures fill my head, I cannot sleep my mind’s a flight; And yet my limbs seem made of lead. If there are noises in the night, A frightening shadow, flickering light; Then I surrender unto sleep, Where clouds of dream give second sight. What dreams may come both dark and deep, Of flying wings and soaring leap As I surrender unto sleep. “Musical Interlude” Hail Gladdening Light Charles Wood (1866-1926) The second piece tonight by Wood is seen as his most popular anthem. The music is a strident work for double choir. The bright, outer sections contrast with a more mellow middle section. Hail! gladdening Light, of His pure glory poured, Who is th'immortal Father, heavenly, blest, Holiest of Holies - Jesu Christ our Lord! Now we are come to the sun's hour of rest; The lights of evening round us shine; We hymn the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit divine! Worthiest art thou at all times to be sung With undefiled tongue, Son of our God, giver of life, alone: Therefore in all the world thy glories, Lord, they own. Amen. Evening Hymn H. Balfour Gardiner (1877-1950) Balfour Gardiner studied piano at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt and gained a degree at Oxford. He taught music briefly at Winchester College and then went on to earn his living as a composer, taking up the mantle of Stanford and Elgar. Balfour Gardiner was also a conductor, notably of contemporary British composers including Bax, Holst and Grainger and was a patron of younger musicians. A generous inheritance allowed him to fund a private benefit concert of Holst’s The Planets in 1918, as well as the means to purchase a house in France for the ailing Delius. Evening Hymn is perhaps his best-known work and is a setting of the Compline hymn Te lucis ante terminum. The piece, scored for eight-part choir and organ, is a lush and romantic work full of rich harmonies. Although the music begins as a morning hymn, the mood soon changes to one of mystery with a tremulous supplication to God for His protection from the terrors of the night. The danger past, the anthem returns to reflection on hope and thanksgiving, concluding with a stunning and uplifting ‘Amen’ section, finally subsiding into silence. Te lucis ante terminum, To thee before the close of day, Rerum Creator, poscimus, Creator of the world, we pray Ut pro tua clementia, That, with thy wonted favor, thou Sis praesul et custodia. Wouldst be our guard and keeper now. Procul recedant somnia, From all ill dreams defend our sight, Et noctium phantasmata: From fears and terrors of the night; Hostemque nostrum comprime, Withhold from us our ghostly foe, Ne polluantur corpora. That spot of sin we may not know. Praesta, Pater piissime, O Father, that we ask be done, Patrique compar unice, Through Jesus Christ, thine only Son, Cum Spiritu Paraclito, Who, with the Holy Ghost and thee, Regnans per omne saeculum.