October 2018 Issue 59 Hemiola St George’s Singers W ALTER AND L ENNY John Walter Anderton Hussey, mission and installation of INSIDE THIS ISSUE: born in Northampton, second modern art including a statue son of a canon, was educated by Henry Moore, Madonna 100 Years On - Bernstein 2-3 at Marlborough College where and Child. Hussey, whilst he was a talented schoolboy ambitious for his church, was 100 Years On - Goodall 4 trombonist and a con- 100 Years On - Johnson 5 temporary of John Manning Betjeman. During his time at Keble College, Walter and Lenny cont. 6-7 Oxford, after watching ) Chichester Cathedral.org.uk Chichester a production of Romeo Leonard Bernstein and Walter Hussey Tales from the Choir 8 and Juliet, he began his Mahler 2 & Music Makers 9 foray into the world of In November, St George’s arts, buying a sketch of The Accompanist’s Saddle Singers will be performing three 10 Romeo’s costume for Thank you for the music works, including Chichester 11 ten shillings. (50p) Photo(Wikipedia KeithbyEdkins Psalms. Leonard Bernstein Tapestry by John Piper at Chichester Cathedral Manchester Sings 12 wrote the piece in 1964, follow- Sir Kenneth Clark, art ing a commission from the then historian and broadcaster, mindful of his parishioners. In Dean of Chichester, the Very described him as the ‘last great discussion with Moore, Hus- Reverend Walter Hussey. The patron of art in the Church of sey was concerned to ensure Dean wanted this work to be England … an aesthete, impre- the completed work respected ST GEORGE’S SINGERS the centrepiece for the 1965 sario and indomitable persuad- the ‘sensibilities of both the PRESIDENT: Southern Cathedrals Festival er’. Over a period of 40 years, artist and the congregation of held at the cathedral in Chich- he helped to reinvigorate the Marcus Farnsworth MA ARAM St Matthew’s’. Page 6 ester. great tradition of the church as VICE PRESIDENTS: patron of the arts. Susan Roper Stephen Threlfall Before his tenure in Stephen Williams Chichester, Hussey Sasha Johnson Manning was vicar at St Mat- MUSICAL DIRECTOR: thew’s in Northamp- Neil Taylor ton, having taken over from his father. This ASSISTANT MUSICAL DIRECTOR: magnificent church, Robert Brooks that John Betjeman ACCOMPANIST: described as ‘the sort Peter Durrant of church which brings you to your knees’, became a centre of Registered Charity no 508686 both visual and musi- Member of Making Music, the National cal creative arts. Hus- Federation of Music Societies Office WestRecord Sussex sey oversaw the resto- www.st-georges-singers.org.uk ration of medieval Madonna and Child, Henry Moore, features and the com- Congress Libraryof St Mathews, Northampton Page 2 Hemiola Saturday 24 November 2018 Royal Northern College of Music, A HUNDRED YEARS ON - B ERNSTEIN Oxford Road, MANCHESTER Leonard Bernstein L EONARD BERNSTEIN CHICHESTER PSALMS Chichester Psalms Howard Goodall civil rights movement ducting. Hussey suggested to Eternal Light and the Vietnam war. In Bernstein that he might like to Sasha Johnson Manning 1963 President Kennedy conduct the performance in War’s Embers was assassinated and a Chichester but this ultimately close friend of Bernstein fell to the musical director, St George’s Singers had been murdered. He John Birch. took a sabbatical from his Conductor Neil Taylor post as Music Director of Bernstein originally described Organ Graham Eccles the New York Philhar- the piece as Psalms of Youth, but Piano Pete Durrant monic to focus on com- he dropped this later as he con- position. sidered the piece might be too NB Coach from Poynton to RNCM difficult for young performers. It was in early December The work is for boy treble or 1963 that Bernstein had Tickets: £16, £14 concessions countertenor, solo quartet, first received a letter from £7 students/children/group choir and orchestra. However, The Reverend Dean Wal- we will be performing the re- discounts ter Hussey, commission- duction written by Bernstein, Tel : 01663 764012 ing a work for the Chich- that pares down the orchestral It is almost a hundred years Email: tickets@st-georges- ester Festival in 1965, so Chich- performance to organ, harp and since the signing of the armi- ester Psalms was composed amid singers.org.uk percussion. Bernstein stated stice between the allies of a busy schedule. It was his first explicitly that the boy treble Online: www.st-georges- World War One and Germa- completed work since finishing part (Psalm 23) should never be ny, to stop fighting as a prel- singers.org.uk the third symphony, Kaddish, sung by a woman, to reinforce ude to peace negotiations. On written in memory of President the liturgical meaning of the 24 November 2018, our con- Kennedy. Both pieces combine passage sung, as if David him- cert will include three works choruses singing Hebrew text, self was giving voice. that bear testament to this with orchestral forces, but momentous centenary. where Kaddish is a statement of Despite it being ‘accessible’, profound anguish and despair, Chichester Psalms has a reputa- 2018 also marks the centenary tion amongst singers as being of the birth of Leonard Bern- Chichester Psalms is filled with more hope. By combining the notoriously tricky, especially stein, who occupies an im- the opening move- portant place in music history Awake, psaltry and harp! I will rouse the dawn! ment. Spare a thought as conductor, pianist and com- Urah, hanevel, v’chinor! A-irab shahar! for our valiant tenors poser, a triple career he pursued who will be singing what is considered עּוה נֵּבֶל וְכִ נֹור; אָעִירָ ה שָחַר. with flamboyance and vigour throughout his professional life. one of the most diffi- As a composer he is probably cult parts for choirs. best known for his stage musi- Hebrew with Christian choral The range of the piece is one cal West Side Story (1957) as thing, but maintaining major well as several other shows for tradition, Bernstein was implic- itly issuing a plea for peace in sevenths with the basses is a stage and screen including the significant challenge! The first film On the Town (1949) with Israel during a turbulent time in that young country’s history. movement’s dissonant sev- Gene Kelly. enths, present in every chord, An openly Jewish work, Chich- But he was more than a popu- sound like clanging bells order- list composer. He produced ester Psalms is affirmative, a ing their listeners to wake from three powerful symphonies and rousing call to arms but also, at deep sleep. Page 3 a sparkling opera on the subject times, almost serene. He of Voltaire’s Candide amongst deliberately wrote what other works. His overall style might be seen as an accessi- was very eclectic, with influ- ble piece, and he is recorded ences of Stravinsky as well as as joking that John Cage traditional and popular sources. might find it ‘square’. Most of his large scale non- Although Chichester Psalms theatrical works deal with reli- was commissioned by The gious themes and include set- Reverend Dean Walter ting of biblical or liturgical Hussey, for the Southern texts. Cathedrals Festival, the The 1960s was one of the most premiere took place in the divisive and tumultuous dec- Philharmonic Hall, New ades for America and the York, on July 15, 1965, world. It was marked by the with Bernstein himself con- Issue 59 Page 3 A HUNDRED YEARS ON - B ERNSTEIN H between the tradition and Broadway jazz. At Chichester com- least two choreographed ballets In June 1973, Bernstein mission and his have been set to Chichester conducted Chichester Psalms at a most popular Psalms. In 2004 the New York concert for Pope Paul VI at the stage-work: ‘It is City Ballet shared the stage of Vatican, which was televised all quite popular in the New York Stage Theatre over Europe. feeling (even a with the Julliard Ensemble, for a hint, as you sug- visual interpretation of the score After the concert by the Orchestra gested, of West by Peter Martins. In March this Sinfonica de Roma, the Harvard Side Story), and it year, in a tribute to Bernstein at Glee Club and the Newark Boys has an old- the Royal Opera House, the Chorus, the Pope blessed the Chichester Cathedral ©Telegraph fashioned sweet- work was also interpreted on musicians, and thanked Bernstein. ness along with its stage, this time by the Royal more violent moments.’ In his Ballet’s Yugen, choreographed by The pontiff said to the audience, Page 2 The second “Ecco un Americano che vien a movement, Psalm 23, The Lord programme notes for the New Wayne McGregor. dare lezione musicale a noi della is my shepherd, opens with the York premiere Bernstein said ‘I Bernstein commented during a vecchia Europa.” song of David in a gentle, tradi- have a deep suspicion that eve- ry work I write, for whatever 1977 press conference, ‘I spent tional sounding melody, sung almost the whole year writing 12 (“Behold an American who has by the boy treble and echoed in medium, is really theatre music in some way’. -tone music and even more ex- come to give music lessons to us the sopranos. perimental stuff. I was happy of the old Europe.)” The boy treble’s theme was In a letter to a friend after the that all these new sounds were adapted from a musical that English première, Bernstein coming out: but after about six Bernstein never completed, The wrote: months of work I threw it all away. It just wasn’t my music; it Skin of our Teeth, based on a ‘The Psalms went off well, in play by Thornton Wilder. The wasn’t honest.