Sir Richard Rodney Bennett 1936 – 2012

e seem in Britain to have a hear. The list of poets he set revealed the two contributions warrant revival: natural suspicion of versa- breadth of his reading, ranging from Epithalamion (written for the Leeds Wtility, but even some of the Shakespeare, Donne, Marvell, Spenser Triennial Festival in 1967), and espe- more ‘superior’ obituaries that appeared and Wordsworth to the more obscure cially the beautiful and evocative Spells following the death of Richard Rodney figures of the first Elizabethan age such as (1974). Those with no orchestra at their Bennett had to admit that he was a rare George Peele and Francis Quarles (whose disposal should consider three Bennett talent. Whether the music be a film brief poem A Good Night resulted in one classics: Sea-Change (1983), for virtuoso score, an elegant serial orchestral piece, of Bennett’s most magical pieces, written unaccompanied choir; The Glory and the Christmas carol, children’s opera or in memory of Linda McCartney in 1999), Dream (2000), for SATB and organ, an cabaret song, in Bennett’s music every to the more recent sardonic and some- ecstatic setting of part of Wordsworth’s note had its place and every bar was times bitter texts of that ode Intimations of Immortality; and beautifully crafted. It only takes a bar inspired the witty and brilliant Nonsense A Farewell to Arms (written for or two, a particular melodic shape, a for the National Youth Choir of Great VocalEssence in Minneapolis in 2001), a harmonic shift or instrumental colour to Britain in 1979. heart-stopping piece that brings together make it clear who the composer is. Some of Bennett’s earliest success came two closely related poems, one Jacobean Bennett studied with figures as diverse with the Five Carols, written for the Choir and one Elizabethan, in which an old as Sir , Howard Ferguson, of St Matthew’s, Northampton. The set soldier reflects on past times and his more Elisabeth Lutyens, and includes at least two classics that have peaceful retirement (a solo cello repre- . Choral music appeared entered the repertoire of both amateur sents the soldier, and a final pizzicato his reasonably frequently throughout his and professional choirs the world over – last breath, perhaps?) – never sentimental, career, and in recent years he turned more Out of your Sleep and Susanni, the words direct and the epitome of Bennett’s art. and more to the genre, writing many dancing to music that seems to have On a more personal note, Richard and I new versions of well-known Christmas always been there. Late in life Bennett became firm friends over the past decade carols and significant pieces for the returned to Christmas carols, breathing or so, meeting frequently in the two cities BBC Symphony Chorus. His attrac- new life into texts as well-known as My he called home: London and New York. tive melodic gift made his responses dancing day, In the bleak mid-winter and We last met at the end of September 2012, to English poetry a delight to sing and I saw three ships. Liturgical texts seemed which was to be his last trip to this side of of less interest to the Atlantic, when he took great delight in Bennett, although preparing a typically lavish lunch for Sarah he did write for the Tennant-Flowers and myself. Despite choir of Canterbury moving in the same ‘circles’ for a long time, Cathedral an attrac- Sarah and I had never met and Richard tive Missa Brevis took great delight in hosting an introduc- (1990), whose tion, a typically warm-hearted gesture. At piquant harmonic the time of writing I find myself getting world owes a good ready for a trip to New York – one of the deal to Poulenc and first things I used to do on arrival was his beloved William to ring Richard, and it is too sad that he Walton. won’t be there. I’ll miss his wit, his warmth, The choral world his love of life, the gossip and the wicked is littered with the anagrams, but will remember him through corpses of contribu- his music, choral and otherwise. tions to the ‘British It seems best to let this wonderful Choral Tradition’ composer and my great friend write his but sadly, very few own epitaph – ‘I hope that my music might recent oratorios have been useful, people wanted it and K

C and cantatas have it was beautiful’. Nobody could seriously NDY A Richard Rodney Bennett had entered the reper- doubt any of that. E V E I

T an attractive melodic gift A

K toire. Bennett’s own David Wordsworth

14 CHOIR & ORGAN MARCH/APRIL 2013 www.choirandorgan.com Jonathan Harvey 1939 – 2012

onathan Harvey, who died in say, a well-behaved Church of England December, was at the forefront of anthem, doing what everybody expects Javant-garde and electronic music to be done with Psalm 150, is the oppo- for over 50 years, winning him a number site of art. I could do it automatically; I of important awards. Yet despite these, would know the end result without any and prestigious professorships at Sussex groping in the dark.’ University, Stanford University (USA) and Jonathan’s time as a chorister at Imperial College, London, plus a spell as St Michael’s College, Tenbury, surely composer-in-association with the BBC contributed to his feeling at home Scottish Symphony Orchestra, it is only when writing for the church. I had the recently that his undoubted genius has privilege of seeing this at first hand in come to be more widely recognised in the 1974, when he began composing for M UK. Last year, the BBC’s ‘Total Immersion’ the Winchester Cathedral Choir shortly AURIC E Harvey weekend at the Barbican, and after I arrived as Organist and Master Avant-garde and deeply FOXALL Southbank Centre’s homage in October of the Music. In The dove descending spiritual: Jonathan Harvey helped to redress the balance; he also he found a musical way to match the received a Royal Philharmonic Society symmetry of Eliot’s words in Little Gidding Resurrection, was first performed in award for his large-scale choral work by magical use of the tritone; and I love the Winchester in 1981. The action grows out Messages, and a lifetime achievement award Lord is a supreme example of his ability to of the liturgy, with Jesus intoning the words from the Incorporated Society of Musicians. integrate quasi-modern techniques into ‘Take, eat, this is my body’ offstage, in a kind Nonetheless, the UK will have had to traditonal harmony, without any loss of of recitative expanded from plainchant. wait over four years since the premieres integrity. More challenging and controver- This plainsong element also comes out (in Luxembourg and Amsterdam) for sial were the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, forcefully in two great Passiontide hymns a staging of his highly acclaimed opera commissioned by the Southern Cathedrals sung by the congregation: Pange lingua Wagner Dream, by Welsh National Opera Festival in 1978. In the Magnificat the and Vexilla regis. After the dark austerity of in June 2013. As the composer himself melodic line passes from voice to voice (à the Passion music, the mood completely acknowledged: ‘It has always been difficult la Webern), with half the voices interspers- changes with radiant, dance-like passages for certain kinds of composers to establish ing words at indeterminate pitch; while the for the Three Marys, ending with wonderful themselves.’ Despite the admiration of key opening baritone solo in the Nunc Dimittis brass fanfares from all parts of the building. figures such as Pierre Boulez and Simon is eventually overwhelmed by a series of Finally, I must mention two electronic Rattle (who in 2011 conducted the Berlin ‘flickering’ vocal entries at the word ‘light’ works. Toccata for organ (1980), in the Philharmonic in the premiere of Weltethos, before organ clusters smother everything. manner of a concerto, is built around the Harvey’s major work for orchestra, choir Few choirs have as yet taken up the chal- dialogue between live solo organ sounds and and children’s chorus), it took a long time lenge of singing these canticles, but there a prepared tape; and the IRCAM commis- for performers to meet the demands, and have been some notable performances, such sion, Mortuos Plango, Vivos Voco, based audiences to appreciate the quality, of his as a recently broadcast Choral Evensong upon the overtones of the great tenor bell of complex and frequently dissonant scores. from St John’s College, Cambridge, where Winchester Cathedral and the treble voice of Harvey’s church music, however, gener- Jonathan had studied and was an Honorary Jonathan’s son, Dominic (then a Winchester ated a much more positive response, and Fellow (he wrote the unaccompanied chorister), was an overnight sensation at its he commented in 1990 on the often misun- anthem The Annunciation for the college’s premiere at the Lille Festival in 1980. derstood contrast in his styles, convinced as 500th anniversary in 2011). Come Holy Jonathan was both avant-garde and he was that his church music complemented Ghost, more frequently sung, reflects deeply spiritual. His innovative voice not his large-scale, ultra-modern compositions: Jonathan’s fascination with the sounds only broke down barriers in the church ‘Unfortunately, most of my colleagues see of the higher harmonics echoing around music world, but also created, I believe, some me as wearing two hats – one a church cathedrals, encouraging him to find marvel- of the most spiritual sounds ever heard. He music composer’s, the other an avant-garde lous sonorities of his own. These appear was one of the gentlest and most modest instrumental/electronic composer’s. I wish again most strikingly in the Gloria of the people I have ever known, and I feel deeply I could say it was one hat. I think of all Missa Brevis written for Westminster Abbey. the loss of such a warm and inspiring friend. my music as sacred in a sense … To write, Jonathan’s church opera, Passion and Martin Neary www.choirandorgan.com MARCH/APRIL 2013 CHOIR & ORGAN 15