The opportunity to record a disc of Handel’s course, but the very first operatic aria I knew and HANDELIAN PYROTECHNICS operatic arias came to me very early on in my life. learnt was ‘Art thou troubled? Music will calm (1685-1759) I turned it down. As far as self-promotion and thee’: a not-very-faithful English rendering of general career-advancement were concerned, I ‘Dove sei’ from Handel’s . My choices could see how useful such a recording might be. for this recording have thus been guided by what Artistically-speaking I could not feel comfortable is significant to me, as well as their general with it. At this stage I had performed only a excellence. ‘Se possono tanto’ may seem obscure Xerxes, HWV 40 Rodelinda, regina de’ Longobardi, HWV 19 couple of Handel’s operatic roles on stage and I to some, but was my first ever Handel role, 1 Ombra mai fù [3.11] 7 Dove sei [4.44] had found them a stern examination of technique, and I really need no excuse to include what is, stamina and emotional reserves. I resolved along with ‘Qual nave smaritta’ and ‘Dove sei’, Poro, re dell’Indie, HWV 28 , HWV 12 therefore to aim to revisit this concept only when I a shining illustration of how frequently and 2 Se possono tanto due luci vezzose [5.45] 8 Qual nave smarrita [6.12] had performed a significant number of his , skilfully Handel uses the radiance of E major for 9 Ombra cara [7.44] and to choose repertoire for a recording that I a character’s defining aria. Beethoven said of in Egitto, HWV 17 knew and loved; that I had fully lived with. All the Handel: ‘Go to him to learn how to achieve great 3 Al lampo dell’armi [3.17] , HWV 6 recorded material here therefore is from roles that effects by such simple means’, and so I have gone 4 Dall’ondoso periglio – Aure, deh, per pietà [7.31] 0 Tacerò, purchè fedele [4.28] I have sung, in some cases many times over, in to ‘Tacerò, purchè fedele’; has anyone ever written , HWV 7 , re di Germania, HWV 15 various productions. so eloquently about being silent? I always begin 5 Cara sposa [8.24] q Dopo l’orrore [4.56] the da capo relishing the irony of this repetition. My original title for this recording was ‘Handel , HWV 31 Total timings: [60.52] for Life’. I have had an association with his I once overheard a distinguished conductor 6 Cielo! Se tu il consenti [4.33] music for as long as I can remember. My father being interviewed about how he ‘lived for his passed on a love of music to all his children, a art’. He refuted the concept: ‘Bullsh*t’, said love that he had acquired in the darkness of a he, ‘Art lives for us’. It is this life-affirming, Sheffield air-raid shelter; his earliest memories live-giving aspect of Handel that I’m aiming to are of his mother’s voice, singing to soothe him celebrate. So frequently his operas reveal their as the bombs fell. As a family we genuinely would most devastatingly beautiful and uplifting music WILLIAM TOWERS ARMONICO CONSORT gather around the piano in the evenings and sing when life is at its darkest. Here the arias shine CHRISTOPHER MONKS DIRECTOR together, and in these gatherings Handel was a brightest, here we find Radamisto’s ‘Ombra cara’ recurrent presence. The was foremost of and the boundlessly optimistic ‘Dopo l’orrore’, www.signumrecords.com - 3 - looking out beyond the darkest clouds to the of us, whatever air-raid shelter of life we might 4 Dall’ondoso periglio faint glimmer of a dawning hope. This is the find ourselves in. We just need to take the time Dall’ondoso periglio From the perilous billows uncrushable, indomitable spirit that lies in all to listen. Salvo mi porta al lido I was brought safely to shore Il mio propizio fato. By my propitious destiny. William Towers Qui la celeste Parca The celestial Fate Non tronca ancor lo stame alla mia vita! Has not yet severed the thread of my life! Ma Dove andrò? e chi mi porge aita? But where shall I go? And who will help me? Where are my troops? Texts and Translations Ove son le mie schiere? Ove son le legioni? Where are the legions? 1 Ombra mai fù Che a tante mie vittorie il varco apriro? Which to so many victories paved the way? Ombra mai fù di vegetabile, Never was the shade of a tree Solo in quest’erme arene Alone on these desert sands Care ed amabile More dear and loveable Al monarca del mondo errar conviene? The ruler of the world must wander? Soave più. Or more soothing. Aure, deh, per pietà Ye breezes, in pity 2 Se possono tanto Spirate al petto mio, Blow upon my breast Se possono tanto due luci vezzose, If a beautiful gaze can have such power Per dar conforto, oh Dio! al mio dolor. To give comfort, O God! to my grief Son degne di pianto le furie gelose The jealous rage of an unhappy soul, Dite, dov’è, che fa l’idolo del mio sen, Tell me, where is the idol of my breast D’un alma infelice, d’un misero cor. Of a tortured heart is worthy of pity. L’amato e dolce ben di questo cor? The beloved and sweet goodness of this heart? Ma d’ogni intorno io veggio But everywhere I see S’accenda un momento chi sgrida, Let him now stand and fight Sparse d’arme e d’estinti Arms and corpses scattered Chi dice che vano è il tormento, Who cries out, declaring such torments to be L’infortunate arene: In this unfortunate arena: Che ingiusto è ‘l timor. Vain, such fears to be wrong. Segno d’infausto Annunzio al fin sarˆ Sign of the ill-omened forecast of what is yet to be.

3 Al lampo dell’armi 5 Cara sposa Al lampo dell’armi The soldier’s foremost thought in battle Cara sposa, amante cara, Beloved spouse, dearest love Quest’alma guerriera Vendetta farà. Is to strike the enemy first. He cares for Dove sei? Where are you? Non fia che disarmi nothing more Deh! Ritorna a’ pianti miei! Alas! Return to him who weeps La destra guerriera Chi forza le dà. Than to disarm And kill his foe.

- 4 - - 5 - Del vostro Erebo sull’ara, On your altars of Erebus 9 Ombra cara Colla face del mio sdegno With my face of blazing anger Ombra cara di mia sposa, Dear shade of my wife, Io vi sfido, o spirti rei! I defy you, you guilty spirits! Deh! riposa, Pray rest in peace, E lieta aspetta And joyfully await 6 Cielo! Se tu il consenti La vendetta che farò! The vengeance I will take. Cielo! Se tu il consenti Heaven! If you consent to this Deh! Fa che nel mio seno Ah! Into my heart let E poi tosto ove tu stai And very soon thereafter Possa anche il ferro entrar; The sword enter also; Mi vedrai You will see me fly Perché a un sì rio dolore For from such a bitter sorrow Venire a volo, Whither you are now, Dal misero mio core Of my wretched heart E fedel t’abbraccerò. And faithfully I will embrace you. Sappia col ferro almeno I can with the sword at least L’uscita ritrovar. Find escape. 0 Tacerò, purché fedele Tacerò, purché fedele I will be silent, 7 Dove sei Nel tuo sen conservi amor. As long as you truly love me. Dove sei, amato bene? Where are you, so dearly loved? Soffrirò, benché crudele, I will suffer, Vieni l’alma a consolar! Come and console my heart. Contro me sia il tuo rigor. Although your cruel severity is against me. Vieni, vieni amato bene! Come, come, beloved! Son oppresso da tormenti, I am oppressed by torments, q Dopo l’orrore Ed i crudi miei lamenti Sol con And my cruel lamenting can only be soothed If I Dopo l’orrore After the gloom te posso bear. am with you. D’un ciel turbato Of a stormy sky, Più vago e bello Appare il dì. The day appears more delightful and lovely; 8 Qual nave smarrita È tale more So too does love, Qual nave smarrita tra sirti e tempeste, Like a boat adrift midst quicksands and storms, Se a un cor sdegnato If it gives back Nè luce, nè porto gli toglie il timor. With no light for guide and no sight of port, Rende la calma To a scorned heart Tal io senz’aita fra doglie funeste, So I amid sorrows find no healing balm Che gli rapì. The calm which it took away. Non trovo conforto al misero cor. To comfort the griefs of a wretched heart.

- 6 - - 7 - WILLIAM TOWERS at the Drottningholm Theatre and with the His oratorio and recital schedule has featured Philharmonia Baroque in San Francisco; Giunio appearances in many major venues and festivals William Towers read English at (Porpora L’Agrippina) for the Barber Institute; Poro in the UK and abroad, including the Wigmore University and was a postgraduate scholar at the (Handel Poro) at the Goettingen Festival; Giulio Hall, Symphony Hall , Barbican Hall, Royal Academy of Music. He appeared extensively Cesare (Handel Giulio Cesare) for Gothenburg Royal Albert Hall, the Grosses Festspielhaus as a soloist in Sir John Eliot Gardiner’s Bach ; Unulfo (Handel Rodelinda) for the Bolshoi Salzburg, Konzerthaus Vienna, Fundación Juan Cantata Pilgrimage and his performances in the Moscow; Marco Fabio (Caldara Lucio Papirio March Madrid, National Auditorium Madrid, complete Bach series have been issued on CD. Dittatore) for Buxton International Festival; Three Festival, Ravenna Festival, Flanders Radamisto (Handel Radamisto) for English Early Music Festival, the Festivale de Musique His opera engagements have included Medoro Touring Opera; Cristiano Mago (Handel Rinaldo) Ancienne de Lyon and La Chaise Dieu. Notable (Handel Orlando) and Farnace (Mozart Mitridate for Glyndebourne Festival Opera; Lotario (Handel performances include Handel’s Re di Ponto) for the Royal Opera House Covent Lotario) for the Handel Festival; and in Estonia and Latvia, Handel’s with Garden; Oberon (Britten A Midsummer Night’s Eustazio (Handel Rinaldo) for Grange Park Opera. Nicholas McGegan in San Francisco, Bach’s Mass Dream) for Teatro La Fenice Venice, Teatro in B minor with L’Orquestra Simfònica de les Illes Petruzzelli Bari, Teatro Municipale Valli Reggio Equally at home in contemporary work William’s Balears and Jonathan Cohen, Handel’s Messiah in Emilia, Staatsoper Hanover, for the Royal Opera roles include 5th Innocent in Harrison Birtwistle’s Dresden with the MDR and with the Bournemouth at the Linbury, and for the Aldeburgh Festival; Minotaur for the Royal Opera Covent Garden, John Symphony and Laurence Cummings, Apollo (Britten Death in Venice) for La Monnaie Adams’s The Gospel According to the Other Mary Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with the Royal Northern Brussels, Staatstheater Stuttgart, Luxembourg for Theater Bonn, The Guest in the UK premiere of Sinfonia and Lars Vogt, Bach’s St John Passion Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Prague State Salvatore Sciarrino’s Luci mie traditrici, Bishop with the BBC NOW and John Butt, Bach’s Easter Opera, Aldeburgh Festival, Oper Frankfurt and Baldwyn in Birtwistle’s Gawain, Der Leiermann Oratorio with the BBC NOW and Steven Devine, the Bregenz Festival; Ottone (Handel Agrippina), in Benedict Mason’s Playing Away, Lance in the and the premiere of Harrison Birtwistle’s Angel Ruggiero (Vivaldi Orlando Furioso) and Egeo world premiere of Paul Frehner’s Sirius on Earth, Fighter in the Leipzig Bach Festival. (Handel ) for Frankfurt; Ottone (Handel Little James in Birtwistle’s The Last Supper, and Ottone) and Ozia (La Guiditta) at the Casa da Refugee in Jonathan Dove’s Flight for Pacific Musica Porto; Orfeo (Gluck Orfeo) in Monte-Carlo; Opera, Canada. Ottone (Monteverdi L’incoronazione di Poppea) for the Teatro Real Madrid and Frankfurt; Orlando (Handel Orlando) at the Goettingen Festival,

- 8 - - 9 - ARMONICO CONSORT The ideas kept flowing, as did the titles (“many of This Creation scheme became the backbone them were created down the pub”) including the of AC Academy reaching 15,000 children a year. concert programmes Naked Byrd and Supersize Polyphony, and newly-created operas Monteverdi’s Since forming a workplace choir with our Flying Circus, Too Hot to Handel and Baroque sponsors Phillips 66 in 2016, media coverage Around the Block (opera’s answer to Horrible has shown the positive impact of singing in Histories). Their horizons broadened – alongside choirs, especially in the workplace. This has had Purcell, Bach and Palestrina, one might find an incredible effect on the mental health and Elgar and Bernstein – but at the heart remained well-being of the workforce, including increased music of the Baroque and Renaissance, including positivity, teamwork and helping in the recovery some rarely-heard gems, performed by the finest of illness such as depression. In 2018, Armonico singers and players using period instruments. Consort formed The Voice Squad workplace choir “We take great care to craft programmes which programme in collaboration with Arts Council bring as much little-known music to life as England and City Council, which rolled possible, and find new and imaginative ways to out nationwide in 2019. bring this music to audiences. I’m particularly proud of Supersize Polyphony where we perform

© The Real Music Video Company 40 and 60-part works by Tallis and Striggio completely in the round, interspersed with Oboe Geoff Coates, Jane Downer colleagues with a shared passion for music from Hildegard of Bingen”. It earned the group their Violin Kelly McCusker, Emma Lake the Renaissance to Baroque, coupled with the first 5 star review, from The Times, and there were Viola Joanne Miller imagination to find new and unusual ways to plenty more to follow. Cello Poppy Walshaw present . Audiences seemed to love their Theorbo Toby Carr engaging and imaginative approach, and most An education programme was fundamental Bassoon Siona Spillett concerts in the first years sold out. “That gave to Armonico Consort from the outset and Harpsichord Christopher Monks us confidence, energy and self-belief to carry on now encompasses three AC Academy after- and do more, also to take more risks with our school choirs and an in-school Choir Creation Armonico Consort began life in 2001, set up by programming, and keep on experimenting” programme which trains teachers as choir Christopher Monks and a group of university says Christopher. leaders, leaving a strong legacy in each school.

- 10 - - 11 - CHRISTOPHER MONKS Christopher is a guest lecturer, tutor and coach on the Cambridge MMus choral course, The founder and Artistic Director of Armonico and is a guest speaker on the Harvard Global Consort and its ground-breaking education Leadership programme. programme, AC Academy, Christopher Monks has established himself as a versatile and prolific A passionate advocate of reaching out to children conductor and arts leader. of all backgrounds through the creation of youth choirs, Christopher has founded and developed Specialising in the performance of music from AC Academy, a music education programme, as the Baroque and late Renaissance, Christopher well as the Voice Squad workplace choir scheme, is equally at home with major and modern both of which offer life-changing experiences and choral repertoire, and during his career he has first-class performance opportunities. conducted at many of the greatest concert halls in the UK, including the Royal Albert Hall, the When not conducting, Christopher loves fine Barbican, Wigmore Hall and Cadogan Hall in cooking. After a long day of music preparation, London, Symphony Hall Birmingham, and the RSC he often enjoys going for a cycle to process in Stratford-upon-Avon. everything he has worked on, and on many occasions, this is where he feels that the real Christopher performs regularly at major national music learning takes place. festivals and has worked extensively abroad, including in Israel, Italy, Ireland and France. To anybody who asked him whether he has ever Alongside his work with Armonico Consort, he has thought to give up his musical career, Christopher conducted internationally renowned would bluntly reply:“No, it feels bizarre when I talk and ensembles such as the Royal Philharmonic to other people about their jobs for which they Orchestra, the Philharmonia and the European Many of Christopher’s latest concerts and struggle to get out of bed, and I have never felt Union Chamber Orchestra. recordings, including Supersize Polyphony and his like a have a job. I just wake up and do a hobby.” rendition of Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas, have earned him several five-star reviews in The Times, The Independent and The Guardian.

- 12 - - 13 - Recorded in St Mark’s Church, Leamington Spa, UK from 5th to 6th November 2019 Any unauthorised broadcasting, public performance, copying or re-recording of Signum Compact Handelian Pyrotechnics has been generously sponsored by Jack and Hilary Eldridge Producer & Editor – Tim Oldham Discs constitutes an infringement of copyright and will render the infringer liable to an action Recording Engineer – Mike Hatch by law. Licences for public performances or broadcasting may be obtained from Phonographic who have enjoyed listening to William Towers since the early days of Armonico. Performance Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this booklet may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval The recording of this CD has been made possible by a gift from Hilary, Jack and his system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, Cover and Tray Images – © Dorothea Heise, www.dorothea-heise.de recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Signum Records Ltd. mother Peggy, in memory of Jack’s father, Angus John Eldridge. Angus loved music all Design and Artwork – Woven Design www.wovendesign.co.uk his life and would have been delighted with this memorial. SignumClassics, Signum Records Ltd., Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, P 2021 The copyright in this sound recording is owned by Signum Records Ltd Middlesex, UB6 7LQ, UK. +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 © 2021 The copyright in this CD booklet, notes and design is owned by Signum Records Ltd E-mail: [email protected] www.signumrecords.com

- 14 - - 15 - ALSO AVAILABLE on signumclassics

Greensleeves Supersize Polyphony Folk Music of the British Isles Armonico Consort Armonico Consort Choir of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge Christopher Monks Christopher Monks | Geoffrey Webber SIGCD447 SIGCD560

“Here’s a richly satisfying traversal of British songs delivered with “In glorious sound, the Armonico Consort presents a selection of consummate feeling and eloquence by the Armonico Consort…a large choral works, with a handful of pieces by Bingen, delivered delightful recital sung with entrancing beauty.” with delicacy. A total delight.” Choir & Organ HHHHH BBC Music Magazine HHHHH

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 Customer SignumClassics MAGENTA YELLOW Catalogue No.SIGCD658 BLACK Job Title: Handelian SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD658

HANDELIAN PYROTECHNICS GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685-1759) HANDELIAN PYROTECHNICS TOWERS / ARMONICO CONSORT

Xerxes, HWV 40 Rodelinda, regina de’ Longobardi, HWV 19 1 Ombra mai fù [3.11] 7 Dove sei [4.44]

Poro, re dell’Indie, HWV 28 Radamisto, HWV 12 2 Se possono tanto due luci vezzose [5.45] 8 Qual nave smarrita [6.12] 9 Ombra cara [7.44] Giulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17 3 Al lampo dell’armi [3.17] Agrippina, HWV 6 4 Dall’ondoso periglio – Aure, deh, per pietà [7.31] 0 Tacerò, purchè fedele [4.28]

Rinaldo, HWV 7 Ottone, re di Germania, HWV 15 5 Cara sposa [8.24] q Dopo l’orrore [4.56]

Orlando, HWV 31 Total timings: [60.52] 6 Cielo! Se tu il consenti [4.33]

WILLIAM TOWERS COUNTERTENOR TOWERS / ARMONICO CONSORT ARMONICO / HANDELIAN PYROTECHNICS TOWERS ARMONICO CONSORT CHRISTOPHER MONKS DIRECTOR

LC15723

Signum Records Ltd, Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road, SIGCD658 Perivale, Middlesex UB6 7LQ, United Kingdom. P 2021 Signum Records DDD SIGCD658 © 2021 Signum Records www.signumrecords.com 24 bit digital recording 6 35212 06582 2 SIGNUM CLASSICS