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Home , BBC Young Musician, Freddy Kempf, Jennifer Pike, Magnificat (Vivaldi), Matthew Barley, Nicola Benedetti

Programme notesBristol Beacon & Bristol Ensemble present

THE LARK ASCENDING CENTENARY

Programme notes

Bristol Beacon and Bristol Ensemble Present The Lark Ascending Centenary Concert Tuesday 15 December 2020 at 7.30pm Filmed at Shirehampton Public Hall

Programme

Jennifer Pike Roger Huckle violin Simon Kodurand violin Helen Reid Marcus Farnsworth baritone David Ogden conductor Bristol Ensemble Members of Exultate Singers

Dr Jonathan James compère

Vaughan Williams Fantasia on Christmas Carols Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending (arr. for violin and piano) J S Bach for Two in D minor BWV 1043 Parry Choral song “Jerusalem” Programme notes

Fantasia on Christmas Carols

This single-movement work for baritone, chorus and orchestra consists of a selection of English folk carols collected in southern by Vaughan Williams and his friend Cecil Sharp to whom the work is dedicated. From Herefordshire ‘There is a fountain’ and The Truth sent from above; from Somerset Come all you worthy gentlemen and from Sussex On Christmas night all Christians sing. These carols are interposed with brief orchestral quotations from other carols, such as The First Nowell. The piece was first performed on 12 September 1912 at the Three Choirs Festival in Hereford Cathedral, conducted by the composer.

The Lark Ascending Ralph Vaughan Williams

In the composition of this iconic, 100-year-old work, Ralph From its opening bars, this composition has a magical Vaughan Williams sought an escape from the onset and quality to it. The orchestra plays a soft and peaceful effects of war. His knowledge of violin technique, a love of introduction, then quietly sustains a chord. The solo violin, nature, and folk music combine in a piece that has been which represents the lark, enters tentatively, with four-note popular since its composition. singing motives reminiscent of bird song. Gradually, the notes rise and the violin soars above a gentle and delicate He wrote the first draft in 1914. Initially written for violin orchestral accompaniment. and piano, the piece was called A Romance for Violin, an instrument he had studied in his youth. After completing it, The middle section is more folk-like and restless at times, he put the manuscript away when he enlisted in the army but the change is short-lived, and the lark soon takes to the after the outbreak of the First World War. In 1919, when sky again, gradually spinning and floating out of sight and he returned to composition, he revised the piece and the hearing. first performance took place in Shirehampton, Bristol on 15th December 1920 at a concert of the Avonmouth and In the early 20th century, the sound of the lark in the clear Shirehampton Choral Society. A year later he made an air was a feature of the summer landscape. Written on the orchestral version. eve of a war which was to wipe out a whole generation in the mud and blood of the trenches, the piece depicts a lark The work takes its title from a poem by George Meredith singing in a landscape already devoid of people. The lark (1828–1909), from which Vaughan Williams chose twelve song represents a yearning and nostalgia for the untarnished lines to preface the score: English countryside and lifts us out the turmoil into a place where there is peace and serenity. He rises and begins to round He drops the silver chain of sound Of many links without a break, In chirrup, whistle, slur and shake For singing till his heaven fills, ‘Tis love of earth that he instills And ever wringing up and up Our valley is his golden cup And he the wine which overflows To lift us with him as he goes. Till lost on his aerial rings In light, and then fancy sings. Programme notes

Concerto for Two Violins Choral song ‘Jerusalem’ in D minor, BWV 1043 Words: William Blake (1757 –1827) Music: Hubert H. Parry (1848 –1918) Johann Sebastian Bach

And did those feet in ancient time is a poem by William Vivace Blake from the preface to his epic Milton: A Poem in Two Largo ma non tanto Books, one of a collection of writings known as the Prophetic Allegro Books written in 1804. Today it is best known as the hymn Jerusalem, with music written by Sir Hubert Parry in 1916. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) composed the Concerto for Two Violins between 1720 and 1730 while The song was quickly taken up by various groups, most Director of Music for Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen. It is notably by Millicent Fawcett of Union of possible that he wrote the work for the two principal violinists Women’s Suffrage Societies. The song had been taken up in Prince Leopold’s orchestra - Joseph Speiss and Martin by the Suffragists in 1917 and Fawcett asked Parry if it Friedrich Marcus who were both known as talented players might be used at a Suffrage Demonstration Concert on 13 at the time. March 1918. After the concert, Fawcett asked if it might become the Women Voters’ Hymn. Parry wrote back, “I wish Bach was clearly influenced by the collection of violin indeed it might become the Women Voters’ hymn, as you by , L’estro armonico (The Harmonic suggest. People seem to enjoy singing it. And having the Inspiration). Prime examples of the Baroque concerto grosso vote ought to diffuse a good deal of joy too. So they would form, these pieces feature a solo instrument, or small group combine happily”. of instruments, engaging in continuous dialogue with a larger ensemble. Around 1713, Bach studied Vivaldi’s Concerto for The hymn has been an unofficial national anthem ever since Two Violins in A minor RV 522, transforming it into the Organ being adopted not only by the Woman’s Institute but also by Concerto in A minor BWV 593. While Vivaldi’s ‘double’ schools around the world, and sung at royal weddings, the concerto feels open and breezy, with sunny, virtuosic solo funerals of US Presidents, the 2012 Olympics, and lines often soaring above a sonic expanse, Bach’s Concerto annually at the Last Night of the BBC Proms. for Two Violins is filled with dense, exhilarating counterpoint and layers of intricate moving parts.

The concerto is characterized by a subtle yet expressive relationship between the violins throughout. The first movement (Vivace) springs to life with a vigorous fugue statement, heard first in the second violin, then in the first violin, and finally deep in the basso continuo. Themes emerge in one voice, and then are taken up by another.

The second movement has resonances of a Handelian opera duet in its breath and intensity. Propelled forward by the heartbeat of the continuo, the movement begins with a sensuous and lamenting statement in the second violin. The first violin’s answer moves the dialogue to a new world and dimension.

The final movement (Allegro) explodes with ferocious, unrestrained energy with the solo violins following closely on each others’ heels in a snarling and playful game of musical tag. In the final moments, the solo violins revel in the pure ecstasy of the harmony, while the orchestra lines rise to the forefront. Programme notes

Jennifer Pike

Renowned for her unique artistry and compelling insight into music from the Baroque to the present day, Jennifer Pike has firmly established herself as one of today’s most exciting instrumentalists.

She made her concerto debut with the Hallé Orchestra aged 11, and her international career was launched the following year when she won the BBC Young Musician and became the youngest major prize winner in the Menuhin International Violin Competition.

Appearing as soloist in the world’s top concert halls, she has performed with eminent conductors including Sir Jirí Belohlávek, Sir Mark Elder, Juanjo Mena, Andris Nelsons, Sir Roger Norrington, Alondra de la Parra, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Leif Segerstam, Tugan Sokhiev, Mark Wigglesworth and Vladimir Fedoseyev.

Her broad repertoire has included performances of Dvor�ák with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Sibelius Her critically-acclaimed discography on Chandos includes with Tokyo Symphony, Bergen Philharmonic and Oslo the Sibelius, Rózsa and Mendelssohn concertos, the Philharmonic, Mozart with Rheinische Philharmonie, Chausson Concert, Brahms and Schumann sonatas, Zurich Chamber Orchestra and Singapore Symphony, Debussy, Ravel and Franck sonatas and the complete Brahms with the Nagoya Philharmonic, Tchaikovsky with violin and piano works of Janáček. Her latest disc for the Tchaikovsky SO of Moscow, Hallgrímsson with the Chandos, of Elgar and Vaughan Williams violin sonatas, Iceland Symphony Orchestra and The Lark Ascending was described as “an irresistible release”, received five- at New York’s Carnegie Hall. She also appears star reviews from major publications and won Limelight regularly with all the BBC orchestras as well as the Royal Magazine’s Recording of the Year award in the Chamber Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, London category. Philharmonic, Philharmonia, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony and Royal Liverpool Jennifer Pike is an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust and Philharmonic. As a guest director her credits include the Foundation for Children and the Arts, and patron of the BBC Philharmonic, Camerata and English Lord Mayor’s City Music Foundation. In October 2020, Chamber Orchestra. she was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to classical music. She plays a Equally sought after as a recitalist and chamber musician, 1708 violin by Matteo Goffriller. Jennifer Pike has collaborated worldwide with artists including Anne-Sophie Mutter, Nikolaj Znaider, Nicolas www.jenniferpike.com Altstaedt, Maxim Rysanov, Igor Levit, Martin Roscoe and www.facebook.com/jenniferpikeviolinist Mahan Esfahani. She has curated concert series at LSO www..com/JenniferPikeVLN St Luke’s for BBC Radio 3 and the where she celebrated her Polish heritage with three recitals of Polish music, including several UK and world premieres. A disc of Polish works for violin followed in January 2019, released on Chandos, and was richly rewarded by the press. Programme notes

Bristol Ensemble

The Bristol Ensemble is the city’s only professional Bristol Beacon, working with artists such as Gabriel orchestra, comprising a core of 25 musicians and Prokofiev, Juice, Get The Blessing, Charles Johnston, USA a further 50 musicians, all experienced players in a group Eighth Blackbird and Bhangra group RSVP. Through range of musical genres. The Ensemble has flexible Elektrostatic Bristol Ensemble has commissioned over 50 configurations, from a piano trio through to full symphony new works by British composers. orchestra. Film and TV engagements include music for BBC Bristol The orchestra holds a pivotal position in South West Natural History Unit and TV productions such as the David music, presenting a varied programme of concerts and Attenborough series Life in Cold Blood. The Ensemble has events in the region’s major venues. It was founded in also recorded soundtracks for several computer games, 1994 by its Artistic Director and lead violinist Roger and produced several CDs. Among recent films, Any Huckle. Roger studied with Frederick Grinke, and was a Human Heart won a BAFTA and an Ivor Novello award regular member of Norway’s Bergen Philharmonic. Roger for best music score for Bristol composer Dan Jones. now dedicates his time to directing and developing the Bristol Ensemble as well as spending time in Norway. In addition to its public performances, the Bristol Ensemble runs Preludes, an inspirational, long-term classical music The Ensemble has worked with outstanding international project in which primary school children learn artists and soloists, including , Dame to read music, sing and play a range of instruments in Evelyn Glennie, , Peter Donohoe, Andrei an inclusive and supportive setting. Its success has been Gavrilov, Chloë Hanslip, Matthew Barley, Alan Schiller, celebrated with the award of the inaugural St George’s Willard White, , James Bowman, Andy Prize For Music. Shephard, Wayne Marshall, Leslie Garrett, Emma Johnson, Natalia Lomeiko and Jiafeng Chen. The www.bristolensemble.com orchestra is known for collaborations with other art forms www.facebook.com/bristolensemble including film and media work, as well as its highly www.twitter.com/bristolensemble acclaimed contemporary music series Elektrostatic at www.instagram.com/bristolensemble Programme notes

Exultate Singers David Ogden

Exultate Singers was founded in 2002 and has gone on to David Ogden is a professional conductor and composer. give over 200 concerts, broadcasts and other appearances He conducts Exultate Singers, City of Bristol Choir, choirs at in the UK, Spain, , Poland, Italy, the Czech Royal Mail, Airbus and Sawday Publishing, and in his post Republic, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Portugal.The of Head of the Bristol Choral Centre, he conducts the Bristol choir has performed on BBC One’s Songs of Praise and The Youth Choirs. He also conducts choirs at several schools One Show, on Classic FM and on BBC Radio in broadcasts around Bristol and he is Director of Music at Holy Trinity on Radios 2, 3 and 4 and the World Service. Church, Westbury-on-Trym.

The choir has recorded five CDs, four on its own label For 30 years he has worked with numerous professional and one, All Shall Be Well, for Naxos, which features the and amateur groups of all shapes and sizes in many fields title track by Roxanna Panufnik. The choir also appears of music making, including church music, concerts, musical on Signum Classic’s CD Love Abide, performing Roxanna theatre and opera, community projects, primary and Panufnik’s and Nunc Dimittis. Exultate Singers has secondary level educational workshops, from small children’s commissioned music from Sir James MacMillan, Toby Young, groups to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Roxanna Panufnik, Philip Moore, Ian Carpenter, Jaakko Mäntyjärvi, David Bednall, and Naji Hakim. David has conducted choirs on BBC Radios 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and the World Service, and worked as conductor, Over lockdown, choir members kept in touch with each arranger and music adviser on BBC TV’s Songs of Praise. other via the magic of Zoom meetings, chats and quizzes, He is Choral Music Adviser for the BBC’s hit series Call The and made an individually-recorded video of Pearsall’s Midwife, and worked with the Royal Mail Choir in the BBC Lay a garland. They gave their first concert back in the Two series The Choir: Sing While You Work. gardens of St George’s in August, and streamed an online Remembrance Sunday concert. His compositions are published by the RSCM and White Light Publishing, and are performed in schools and churches Exultate Singers is grateful for the support of the Friends of worldwide. His music is broadcast frequently on BBC radio Exultate Singers, Richard Pedlar Architects, and the choir’s and television. In October 2015 David was awarded an Patrons, Jill White and Toby Young. Honorary Fellowship of the Royal School of Church Music in recognition of his service and contribution to choral music www.exultatesingers.org and the RSCM. www.facebook.com/exultate www.twitter.com/exultatesingers www.davidogden.co.uk www.instagram.com/exultatesingers www.twitter.com/mrdavidogden Programme notes

Marcus Farnsworth Roger Huckle

Marcus Farnsworth was awarded first prize in the 2009 Roger Huckle has been the inspiration and Artistic Director of Wigmore Hall International Song Competition and the Song The Bristol Ensemble since its foundation in 1994. Prize at the 2011 Kathleen Ferrier Competition. He sang as a chorister at Southwell Minster and went on to study at Born in Bristol, Roger studied at Birmingham Conservatoire Chetham’s School of Music and the University of Manchester. and with Fredrick Grinke, winning many prizes and Marcus is an Associate of the where scholarships. In 1985 he became a member of the Bergen he completed his postgraduate studies as a member of Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway. He moved back to Academy Opera. He has appeared as a principal artist with Bristol in 1990. Since then he has performed with all the major opera companies in the UK and abroad including major orchestras in the UK and is much in demand as soloist, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Bergen chamber musician, Leader and recording artist. He also has National Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Aix en Provence and a private teaching practice. Teatro Real Madrid. He has given recitals at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, La Monnaie, the Oxford Lieder Festival and Leeds Lieder and has appeared many times at the Wigmore Hall. In concert, he has performed extensively with ensembles including BBCSO, BBCSSO, LSO, Aurora Orchestra, the Gabrieli Consort and the Academy of Ancient Music.

A strong supporter of contemporary composers, he has sung works by Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Sally Beamish, Thomas Larcher and David Sawer. For the 2017 BBC Proms, Marcus performed Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ Eight Songs for a Mad King with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, conducted by Sian Edwards. He was subsequently invited to perform the work with the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble at the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. Marcus is Head of Vocal and Choral Studies at Chetham’s School of Music and is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Southwell Music Festival. He lives in East London with his wife and son. He is a keen cook, a wine enthusiast and loves nothing more than exploring the British countryside on long hikes. www.twitter.com/mbjfarnsworth Programme notes

Simon Kodurand Helen Reid

Simon Kodurand was born in in 1980 and began Helen Reid first came to public attention when she appeared playing the violin at the age of 13. He gave his concerto on BBC2 in the National Keyboard Finals of the BBC Young debut aged 17, before going on to study at the Royal Musician competition in 1998. In 2000 she won first prize College and Royal Academy of Music, where he was in the Karic International Piano Competition. In 2006 she awarded a scholarship. was hailed as a ‘rising star’ in magazine.

Since leaving the Academy Simon has pursued a busy Helen has given recitals all around in England, at venues career on both the modern and baroque violin, playing and including the Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room, Fairfield Halls and recording with a number of groups including The Avison Blackheath Halls, London, St. George’s, Bristol, Cheltenham, Ensemble, La Serenissima, The Academy of Ancient Music, the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester and the Aldeburgh and The Sixteen, The Kings Consort, The Royal Philharmonic Buxton Festivals. She has performed in Spain, Slovakia, Orchestra, English Symphony Orchestra, London Soloists Hungary, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. Chamber Orchestra, and he is currently leader of The London Concerto performances have included Rachmaninov’s second Charity Orchestra. As a soloist and chamber musician Simon Piano Concerto with the Westmoreland Orchestra and made his debut at the Purcell Room in 2004, recorded Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the Aurelian Ensemble at Schoenberg’s Verklarte Nacht with the RAM Soloists whilst Blackheath Halls and the world premiere of David Matthews’ at the Academy and has recorded concerti by Vivaldi and Piano Concerto, at Dartington International Summer School. Valentini with La Serenissima. Helen has played a wide range of chamber music, with artists such as Paul Archibald - , John Kenny - , Sheida Davis - , and Fenella Humphreys - violin.

Helen studied at Chetham’s School, Royal Holloway University and Cologne Music College, completing a Master’s Degree at City University and the Guildhall School of Music. She is currently professor of piano at Bristol University; runs the Professional Studies course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and has been invited to give masterclasses at Gdansk Conservatoire, Wells Cathedral School; The Universities of Bath, Royal Holloway and Hull, Dartington International Summer School and Pro Corda. Programme notes

Dr. Jonathan James

Jonathan has been enthusing about music to concert audiences and in classrooms for over twenty years, ever since he started giving pre-performance talks as a conductor. His freelance work as a presenter, interviewer and workshop leader takes him all over the UK and into Europe.

As a conductor, Jonathan has worked in London, Europe and the States, including with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Boston Philharmonic (as a Zander Fellow) and City of Prague Symphony Orchestra. He was principal guest conductor with the Bristol Ensemble for four years and was founder-conductor of the New Bristol Sinfonia. He had training from John Forster, formerly head of conducting at the and at the Music Academy in Weimar, Germany, as well as attending numerous international masterclasses.

With a PhD in Music Education and a qualified teacher, he founded and directs the Bristol Pre-Conservatoire, a prestigious evening school for talented young classical and jazz players. Whilst Head of Performing Arts for a Further Education college in Bristol (2007-12), he taught on a Rock and Pop performance course, and continues to teach jazz piano. Programme notes

Credits

Bristol Ensemble Creative Team

Roger Huckle violin Frazer Riches Technical Production Manager Simon Kodurand violin Ben Knowles Broadcast Production Manager Helen Reid piano Duncan Smith Producer Hugh Blogg violin Sam Garland PTZ Camera Operator Carl Hill viola Barry Wilkinson Camera Operator Jane Fenton cello Tim Shapcott Camera Operator Jub Davis double bass Tom Skeates Vision Mix Jon Fox Sound Engineer Jon Worsley Sound Engineer Exultate Singers Alex Riley Photographer Heather Myatt Press Officer Lucy Hughes soprano Beth Napier Social Media Manager Chloe Martindale soprano Daniel Wood Covid-19 Officer Jenna Brown alto Terry Danks Production Assistant Judith Ogden alto Rhys Richards Production Assistant Gustavo Infante tenor Sam Mazzarella tenor Martin Le Poidevin bass Richard Bacon bass

With thanks to Kings Weston House and Shirehampton Public Hall