A PURCELL COLLECTION A PURCELL COLLECTION sumptuous instrumental symphony, the anthem’s (1659-1695) five-part vocal texture offers great richness, It is said that Henry Purcell never set foot alternating imitative and contrasting material. 1 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem [7.25] outside England, in the same way that Johann 2 To the Hills and the Vales [2.30] Sebastian Bach hardly left his native Saxony. A change of scenery comes with To the Hills 3 By Beauteous Softness Mix’d with Majesty [3.34] Yet, both have become pinnacles of our Western and the Vales, a great favourite from Purcell’s Barnaby Smith music culture to an extent they could have only opera, . Based on Book IV 4 O God, Thou Art my God [3.51] little imagined in their own lifetime. In terms of of Virgil’s Aeneid, the plot recounts the love style, they were well-versed in their respective story of the Carthaginian queen Dido and the 5 How Happy the Lover [6.19] Andrea Haines soprano, Samuel Dressel tenor, Dingle Yandell bass native traditions while being permanently on Trojan hero Aeneas, as well as her despair at the lookout for all that was foreign. Bach his abandonment of her. The chorus celebrates 6 ‘Cold Song’ (What Power Art Thou…) [4.26] Dingle Yandell bass emulated Vivaldi and admired Couperin. Purcell their meeting, and urges them to enjoy fed on Italian models and drew inspiration their romance. 7 Behold, O Mightiest of Gods [3.22] from the courtly manner of Lully. The corpus 8 My Heart is Inditing of a Good Matter [15.03] of Purcell’s music, although not as large as One of the most tender and touching pieces, 9 Bid the Virtues [3.17] Bach’s, easily rivals it in terms of diversity. By Beauteous Softness Mix’d with Majesty, Emily Dickens soprano There is hardly a genre in which he did not is an excerpt from the birthday ode for Queen 0 Hail! Bright Cecilia [4.20] express himself: anthems, odes, funeral music, Mary Now Does the Glorious Day Appear, q Strike the Viol [3.55] semi-operas, masques, sonatas, consort-music, composed in 1689. Based on a ground, the Barnaby Smith countertenor songs and catches populate his extraordinarily vocal solo leads into an instrumental section w Second Dirge Anthem (Morley) / Thou Knowest, Lord, the Secrets of Our Hearts [5.09] multifaceted œuvre. It is this astonishing of great meditative gentleness. e Fairest Isle [4.40] diversity that we wish to celebrate by inviting Andrea Haines soprano the listener for a stroll through the world of one An early work dating from around 1680, the r Full Fathom Five [2.24] of England’s greatest composers. full anthem O God, Thou Art my God is widely known in Britain, appearing in an abundant Total timings: [70.18] Our perambulation starts with Praise the Lord, number of manuscripts. Its final ‘Hallelujah’ O Jerusalem, an anthem composed for the even gave birth to a separate hymn-tune known VOCES8 / LES INVENTIONS coronation of William and Mary at Westminster to churchgoers as ‘Westminster Abbey’. The ARTISTIC DIRECTION PATRICK AYRTON & BARNABY SMITH Abbey in 1689. Opening with a sober yet composition, in archaic style, brings to light www.signumrecords.com - 3 - the composer’s debt to his precursors Tallis, sheet of ice. The chilling effect of the piece is The splendour of the ceremony clearly appealed Strike the Viol is another well-known song Byrd and Gibbons, whose music he was enhanced by the composer’s indications to use to Purcell’s imagination, as he opted for an from the ode . The familiar with from his youth. Those influences tremolo in the vocal part and in the strings. It eight-part with string accompaniment. text delightfully summons various musical are obvious in the first homophonic phrase is likely that Purcell was alluding to a similar A joyful and majestic instrumental ‘Symphony’ instruments usually associated with sentiments of the anthem, as well as the imitative scene from the Lully-Quinault lyric-tragedy alternates with impressive choral developments, of tenderness and devotion: ‘Strike the viol, sections which unfold with great melodic and Isis from 1677. whilst dance-like dotted figurations and rich touch the lute; wake the harp, inspire the harmonic inventiveness. harmonies evoke a sense of magnificence. flute…’ and invites them to play in praise of The chorus Behold O Mightiest of Gods comes their ‘patroness’, Queen Mary – diplomatically The chorus How Happy the Lover is from from the semi-opera , or The Bid the Virtues is an air from the ode Come ye making an appreciative reference to the queen’s the semi-opera , or The British History of (1690), on a libretto by sons of Art, away, the last of the six odes generous patronage of Purcell himself. Again Worthy (1691) setting a libretto by John Dryden. Thomas Betterton, actor-manager of the Queen’s that Purcell composed for Queen Mary’s birthday the whole structure reposes on a ground bass In Act IV, the sirens tempt Arthur into the theatre at Dorset Garden. The opera closes on a (April 30th 1694) as she died of smallpox with episodic transitions during which the stream, but to no avail. Then a group of nymphs Masque of Cupid, a tribute to King William III, that December, aged only 32. The piece is recorders (‘flutes’), and violins playfully converse. and sylvans appear from behind the trees as indicated by symbols and metaphors in the written as a trio, in which the vocal line and – according to original stage directions – surviving staging instructions.* A ‘masque’ interlaces sensually with the oboe above a Purcell wrote Thou Knowest, Lord, the Secrets ‘sing and dance the following song, all with was an allegorical insertion into a play or smoothly unfolding bass-line. of Our Hearts for the funeral of Queen Branches in their Hands.’ Purcell weaves into opera, commenting on the action through Mary II in March 1695. This took place at this wonderfully sensual passacaille an array music and lavish choreography. This particular The chorus Hail! Bright Cecilia comes from Westminster Abbey, where Purcell had been of diverse vocal settings: tutti, 3 female and 3 masque ends with a stately and resplendent Purcell’s Ode to St. Cecilia – his delightful work organist since 1679 and where, in less than male voices, duets, etc. The influence of Lully section in which oboes and strings dialogue in honour of the patron saint of music. This a year’s time, the same anthem would be and his Passacaille d’Armide is unmistakeable. before the voices solemnly celebrate the God was composed in 1692, on a text by Nicholas sung again at his own burial. The text consists of Love’s incontestable superiority. Brady and performed at Stationers’ Hall. The of a prayer for mercy recited at the graveside, Amongst many examples of French influence chorus contains the immortal words ‘great before the body is interred. It had previously on opera in England, usually involving staging, The anthem My Heart is Inditing of a Good patroness of us – and harmony’, where ‘us’ been customary at royal funerals to perform costume and dance, the Cold Song stands out Matter was specially composed for the coronation refers to the Gentlemen of the Musical Society, the Burial Music by the Tudor composer Thomas as a bestseller. From Act III of the semi-opera of James II (April 23rd, 1685). According to a founded in the early 1680s. In the grave Morley (1557-1602). However, for reasons King Arthur, (libretto by Dryden), it is sung by contemporary source, it was ‘performed by the key of D minor, homophonic choral ‘blocks’ that are unclear, part of the Second Dirge the Genie of the Isle (of Britain) whom Cupid whole Consort of Voices and Instruments’ after alternate with mighty fugal sections and a Anthem got lost and so Purcell undertook has woken from his frosty slumber beneath a the coronation of his consort, Mary of Modena. pair of amorous duets in recitative style. the composition of a replacement setting of

- 4 - - 5 - the final sentence of the text. Whilst Thou is represented by mysterious bells chiming in TEXTS 3 By Beauteous Softness Mix’d with Majesty Knowest Lord is not typical of Purcell’s the continuo. choral music, this intensely emotional work 1 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem By beauteous softness mix’d with majesty, offers unexpected and dissonant harmonies As our journey through Purcell’s extraordinary An empire over every heart she gains; whilst still sitting well alongside Morley’s more diversity comes to an end, and having witnessed Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem: praise thy God, O Sion. And from her awful power none would be free, conservative style. his outstanding originality and creative power, For kings shall be thy nursing fathers, She with such sweetness and such justice reigns. it is hard to disagree with John Playford, a and queens thy nursing mothers. The semi-opera King Arthur, like Dioclesian, prominent music publisher of the time, who As we have heard, so have we seen: From ‘Now Does the Glorious Day Appear’ Z.332, ended with a masque. In the case of King wrote in 1698, three years after Purcell’s death, In the city of our God. Text: Thomas Shadwell (1642-1692) Arthur the masque depicts a celebration of that the composer was ‘especially admired God upholdeth the same for ever. 4 peace between Britons and Saxons, and the for having a peculiar genius to express the O God, Thou Art my God prediction of a bright future for Britain. Fairest energy of English words, whereby he moved the From ‘Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem’ Z.46 Isle was sung by Venus, probably in a machine passions of all his auditors.’ Text: Psalm 147: 12; Isaiah 49: 23; Psalm 48: 8 O God, thou art my God: early will I seek thee. drawn by doves hovering over the Isle of Britain My soul thirsteth for thee, 2 To the Hills and the Vales my flesh also longeth after thee which has just ‘risen from the sea’. It is one © Patrick Ayrton, January 2014 of Purcell’s most tender and, at the same time, in a barren and dry land where no water is. most vibrant melodies. *exquisitely recreated by 17th-century English stage and theatre To the hills and the vales, Thus have I looked for thee in holiness, specialists Julie and Frans Muller www.fransandjuliemuller.nl to the rocks and the mountains, that I might behold thy power and glory. The Tempest (1695) is an example of the way to the musical groves and the cool shady fountains. For thy loving kindness is better than life itself: in which, in the late 17th and 18th centuries, Let the triumphs of love and beauty be shown. My lips shall praise thee. Shakespeare’s plays were extensively re-written Go revel, ye Cupids, the day is your own. As long as I live will I magnify thee on this manner and adapted in order to make them conform to and lift up my hands in thy Name. From ‘Dido & Aeneas’ Z.626 Because thou hast been my helper, contemporary tastes. In this semi-opera of 1695, Text: Nahum Tate (1652-1715) additional characters are created in order to therefore under the shadow of thy wings ‘balance’ existing Shakespearean ones, including will I rejoice. Hallelujah. a female ‘Spirit of the Air’ as a partner for From ‘O God, thou art my God, Z.35 Ariel. It is she, rather than Ariel himself, who Text: Psalm 63: 1-5, 8 sings Full Fathom Five. In this picturesque solo followed by a chorus, the sea-nymphs’ knell

- 6 - - 7 - 5 How Happy The Lover 6 ‘Cold Song’ (What Power Art Thou…) 8 My Heart is Inditing of a Good Matter 9 Bid the Virtues

How happy the lover, What power art thou, who from below I. Bid the Virtues, bid the Graces How easy his chain! Hast made me rise unwillingly and slow My heart is inditing of a good matter: To the sacred shrine repair, How sweet to discover From beds of everlasting snow? I speak of the things which I have made Round the altar take their places, He sighs not in vain. See’st thou not how stiff and wondrous old, unto the King. Blessing with returns of pray’r Far unfit to bear the bitter cold, At his right hand shall stand the Queen Their great Defender’s care, For love ev’ry creature I can scarcely move or draw my breath? all glorious within: While Maria’s royal zeal Is form’d by his nature. Let me, let me freeze again to death. Her clothing is of wrought gold. Best instructs you how to pray No joys are above Hourly from her own The pleasures of love. From ‘King Arthur’ Z.628 II. Conversing with th’Eternal Throne. Text: John Dryden She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of In vain are our graces, needlework; From ‘Come, ye sons of art away’ Z.323 7 In vain are your eyes. Behold, O Mightiest of Gods The virgins that follow her shall bear her company. Text: attributed to Nahun Tate. In vain are our graces With joy and gladness shall they be brought, 0 If love you despise. Behold, O mightiest of Gods, behold And shall enter into the King’s palace. Hail! Bright Cecilia At thy command we come! When age furrows faces, III. ‘Tis too late to be wise. The gay, the sad, the grave, the glad, Hail! Bright Cecilia, Hail! fill every Heart! The youthful and the old. Hearken, O daughter, consider, incline thine ear; With Love of thee and thy Celestial Art; All meet as at the day of Doom Forget also thine own people and thy father’s house. That thine and Musick’s Sacred Love Then use the sweet blessing Instead of thy fathers thou shalt have children While now in possessing. May make the British Forest prove From ‘The Prophetess, or The History of Dioclesian’ Z.627, Whom thou may’st make princes in all lands. As Famous as Dodona’s Vocal Grove. No joys are above Text: Thomas Betterton (c.1635-1710), after ‘The Prophetess’ by The pleasures of love. (1583-1640) and John Fletcher (1579-1625) IV. From ‘Hail, bright Cecilia’ Z.328 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem: praise thy God, O Sion; Text: Nicholas Brady (1659-1726) From ‘King Arthur’ Z.628 For kings shall be thy nursing fathers, Text: John Dryden (1631-1700) And their queens thy nursing mothers. Alleluia. Amen.

From ‘My Heart is inditing’ Z.30 Text: Psalms 45: 11, 9, 13-15, 10, 16; 47: 12; Isaiah 49: 23

- 8 - - 9 - q Strike the Viol thou most worthy Judge eternal, r Full Fathom Five Africa. Performance venues include the Wigmore suffer us not, at our last hour, Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Tokyo Opera City, Strike the viol, touch the lute; for any pains of death, to fall from thee. Full fathom five thy father lies; Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall, Tel Aviv Opera wake the harp, inspire the flute: Amen. Of his bones are coral made; House, National Concert Hall Taipei, Cité de la sing your patroness’s praise, Those are pearls that were his eyes: Musique in Paris, Dijon Opera House, National in cheerful and harmonious lays. From ‘Thou knowest, Lord’ Z.58 Nothing of him that doth fade, Centre for the Performing Arts Beijing and Text: Burial Service But doth suffer a sea-change Shanghai Concert Hall. From ‘Come, ye sons of art away’ Z.323 Into something rich and strange. Text: attributed to Nahun Tate. e Fairest Isle Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell: With a specialism in classical choral music, w Second Dirge Anthem (Morley) / Hark! now I hear them, Ding-dong, bell. the group performs repertoire ranging from Fairest isle, all isles excelling, Thou Knowest, Lord, the Secrets of Our Hearts Renaissance polyphony to unique Jazz and Seat of pleasure and of love; From ‘The Tempest’ Z.631 Pop arrangements. The ensemble regularly Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time Venus here will choose her dwelling, Text: John Dryden and William Davenant after William Shakespeare commissions and collaborates with world- (1564-1616) to live, And forsake her Cyprian grove. renowned contemporary composers including and is full of misery. Cupid from his favourite nation, Ola Gjeilo, Roxanna Panufnik, Thomas Hewitt He cometh up, and is cut down like a flower; Care and envy will remove; Jones, Alexander Levine and Ben Parry. VOCES8 He fleeth as it were a shadow, Jealousy that poisons passion, is delighted to be in partnership with the and never continueth in one stay. And despair that dies for love. acclaimed arranger, Jim Clements as Arranger In the midst of life we are in death: VOCES8 in Residence. Of whom may we seek for succour, Gentle murmurs, sweet complaining, Sighs that blow the fire of love; but of Thee, O Lord, Andrea Haines, Emily Dickens – Soprano With an ongoing programme of recordings and Soft repulses, Kind disdaining, Who for our sins art justly displeased? Christopher Wardle, Barnaby Smith – Countertenor live broadcast, VOCES8 is heard regularly on Shall be all the pains you prove. Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty, Oliver Vincent, Samuel Dressel – Tenor international television and radio, including Every swain shall pay his duty, O holy and most merciful Saviour, Paul Smith, Dingle Yandell - Bass Deutschlandradio, ARTE TV, Radio France Deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death. Grateful every nymph shall prove; Musique, BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM. VOCES8 And as these excel in beauty, VOCES8 is one of the most exciting and versatile is a Decca Classics Artist and has a busy Those shall be renowned for love. Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; vocal groups in the world. The multi award-winning and exciting release schedule that also includes shut not thy merciful ears unto our prayer; ensemble fulfils an international annual touring a continuation of its series of award-winning From ‘King Arthur’ Z.628 but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty, schedule across Europe, the USA, Asia and discs with Signum Classics. O holy and most merciful Saviour, Text: John Dryden

- 10 - - 11 - Outreach and Education are at the core of Diocese of London, a centre for vocal music and LES INVENTIONS works to their place in the repertoire. One VOCES8’s work and the group is delighted to be education at St Anne & St Agnes Church, in the particular project was the release of a world the flagship performance and education heart of the City of London. The early music ensemble Les Inventions was première recording of works by the French ensemble of the charitable music foundation, founded in 2005 by harpsichordist, organist Tartini-pupil Joseph Touchemoulin (1727-1801), Voces Cantabiles Music (VCM). The ensemble Artistic collaborations with orchestras have and conductor Patrick Ayrton. Since then it has a CD which has gained wide acclaim and leads an innovative series of music education included the Philharmonia, London Philharmonic been at the heart of a network of international received much praise in the press (BBC, workshops reaching 20,000 people annually Orchestra and period ensemble Les Inventions. musical collaborations through concerts, artistic Diapason, Classica, etc). Based in France, around the world with the aim of inspiring VOCES8 has received support from Arts Council exchanges and publications. The ensemble the ensemble performs there and abroad in creativity and excellence through music. The England, the Musicians Benevolent Fund, has sought to revitalize the ancient tradition major concert series such as the Dijon Opera, innovative education work of VCM has received the Concordia Foundation and the Worshipful of harmoniously combining elements of music, the Lyric Center in Clermont-Ferrand, “Early praise from UNESCO. In 2013 VCM established Company of Musicians. poetry and dance into one performance. Les Music at Souvigny”, the Ravello and Early the Gresham Centre in partnership with the www.voces8.com Inventions also aim to reawaken interest in Music in Magnano festivals in Italy, and the forgotten composers and to restore neglected Early Music series in Baarn, The Netherlands. © Barnaby Smith © Paul Stuart

- 12 - - 13 - Les Inventions have been for six years in With thanks to residence at France’s leading Bach festival, Amédée Chatriand Bach en Combrailles, in the Auvergne. The Jacques and Marie Chaize ensemble is sponsored by the Regional Agency Maison Albert Bichot of Cultural Affairs (DRAC) and the Regional Jean-Pierre and Annie Leguay Council of Burgundy (CRB) and the City of Boris Souchal and the Municipality of Herment, France. Chalon-sur-Saône.

Shunske Sato – violin Varoujan Doneyan – violin Louise Ayrton – violin Bach en Combrailles Festival Kayo Saito – viola Regional Agency of Cultural Affairs (DRAC) and the Regional Council of Burgundy (CRB) Felix Knecht – violoncello Dame Emma Kirkby Thomas de Pierrefeu – violone Ulrich Messthaler Simon Linné – theorbo Robin Tyson and the team at Edition Peters Guillaume Cuiller – oboe Louise Hughes, Clare Stewart and the team at Voces Cantabiles Music Laura Duthuillé – oboe The Gresham Centre Gwénaël Bihan – recorder Phill Tarling Armelle Brouard-Plantier – recorder Patrick Ayrton – organ and harpsichord VOCES8 is proud to be dressed by T.M.Lewin

Keyboards: Chest organ by Quentin Blumenroeder, Artistic Direction – Patrick Ayrton and Barnaby Smith P 2014 The copyright in this CD booklet, notes and design is owned by Signum Records Ltd Hagenau (2013) / Flemish harpsichord by Joel Recorded in Église Notre-Dame d’Herment, France, from 12-16 August 2013 © 2014 The copyright in this CD booklet, notes and design is owned by Signum Records Ltd Katzman, Amsterdam (1997) after Ruckers, Producer and Editor – Nicholas Parker Recording Engineer – Andrew Mellor Any unauthorised broadcasting, public performance, copying or re-recording of Signum Compact Antwerp (1638) Discs constitutes an infringement of copyright and will render the infringer liable to an action by law. Licences for public performances or broadcasting may be obtained from Phonographic Cover Image – Emmanuelle Ayrton Performance Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this booklet may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval www.lesinventions.fr Design and Artwork – Woven Design system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording www.wovendesign.co.uk or otherwise, without prior permission from Signum Records Ltd.

www.signumrecords.com SignumClassics, Signum Records Ltd., Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Middx UB6 7JD, UK. +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 E-mail: [email protected]

- 14 - - 15 - ALSO AVAILABLE on signumclassics

Bach Motets A Choral Tapestry VOCES8 VOCES8 SIGCD213 SIGCD283

“One can only marvel at the group’s remarkable collective skill “… virtuosic ensemble singing … In Tavener’s The Lamb the and cohesion.” beautifully tuned chords hang in the air with a shimmering FanFare stillness, and in Tippett’s setting of the spiritual Go Down Moses the performance is gutsy and reverent by turn.” BBC Music Magazine

Available through most record stores and at www.signumrecords.com For more information call +44 (0) 20 8997 4000

- 20 - CTP Template: CD_INL1 COLOURS Compact Disc Back Inlay CYAN MAGENTA Customer SignumClassics YELLOW Catalogue No.SIGCD375 BLACK Job Title: Purcell

SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD375 A PURCELL COLLECTION

HENRY PURCELL (1659-1695)

1 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem [7.25] A PURCELL COLLECTION VOCES8 / LES INVENTIONS INVENTIONS LES / VOCES8 COLLECTION PURCELL A 2 To the Hills and the Vales [2.30] 3 By Beauteous Softness Mix’d with Majesty [3.34] 4 O God, Thou Art my God [3.51] 5 How Happy the Lover [6.19] 6 ‘Cold Song’ (What Power Art Thou…) [4.26] 7 Behold, O Mightiest of Gods [3.22] 8 My Heart is Inditing of a Good Matter [15.03] 9 Bid the Virtues [3.17] 0 Hail! Bright Cecilia [4.20] q Strike the Viol [3.55] w Second Dirge Anthem (Morley) / Thou Knowest, Lord, the Secrets of Our Hearts [5.09] e Fairest Isle [4.40] r Full Fathom Five [2.24]

Total timings: [70.18] A PURCELL COLLECTION VOCES8 / LES INVENTIONS A Purcell Collection: An invitation to stroll through the world of one of England’s greatest composers

LC15723

Signum Records Ltd, Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road, SIGCD375 CLASSICS Perivale, Middx UB6 7JD, United Kingdom. P 2014 Signum Records DDD SIGCD375 © 2014 Signum Records www.signumrecords.com 24 bit digital recording 6 35212 03752 2 SIGNUM