Music from Heaven

Music from Heaven ALLEGRI MISERERE BRITTEN ST CECILIA BACH POULENC BARBER BYRD The Choir of Ormond College directed by Douglas Lawrence 1 Miserere Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652) 12'52" fter listening to the Choir of Ormond Three pieces by College, a German critic wrote that William Byrd (1543-1623) during the concert she had felt “at the 2 Sing Joyfully unto God 2'30" Acentre of the world”. The Berliner Morganpost 3 Beata viscera 2'22" said “Twenty four young singers from 4 Hæc dies 2'22" Melbourne showed the Germans how to sing Bach”. “One of the most virtuosic chamber Four motets for Christmas choirs in the world” wrote Denmark’s Berlingske Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) Tidende. 5 O magnum mysterium 2'51" 6 Quem vidistis pastores 2'16" Indeed since its inception in 1982 the Choir of 7 Videntes stellam 2'46" Ormond College, directed by Douglas Lawrence, 8 Hodie Christus natus est 2'10" has become the first Australian choir to receive ongoing international recognition. Most of the 9 Hymn to Saint Cecilia singers are, or have been resident in Ormond Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) 9'41" College and come from schools where music education has occupied an important part in the q0 Agnus Dei curriculum. The choir rehearses twice a week, (”Adagio for Strings“) sings each Sunday evening during the university Samuel Barber (1910-1981) 6'47" year in the college chapel and presents an annual concert series. Singet dem Herren ein neues Lied Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Apart from concert tours, which have taken qa Singet dem Herren ein place every two years, the choir undertakes neues Lied 4'48" an ever increasing number of engagments qs Chorale: Wie sich ein for festivals and concert organisations within Vater erbarmet 4'34" Australia. During 1995 the choir was featured on qd Lobet den Herrn in seinen national radio twice in hour-long broadcasts. Thaten 3'28" This is the choir’s fifth recording. P 1996 Move Records regorio Allegri was born in requiring a soprano with exceptional skill and at our feast day. For this was made a Rome in 1582. He sang as a boy and high notes. It is possible that this part statute for Israel, and a law of the God of at the church of San Luigi Dei was improvised and not actually part of Jacob. GFrancesi in Rome, later taking lessons in the original written score. It would not be composition and becoming a priest. At the first or last time that the most famous The first of the three pieces presented the age of 47 he was appointed as a tenor aspect of a piece was not a part of the here shows that while he was a Catholic, singer in the Chapel of Pope Urban VIII, composer’s original conception. Byrd could also write excellent music in and sang there for 23 years until his death The Miserere was closely guarded English. The text of Sing joyfully unto in 1652. 1 The Miserere is his best known by the Pontifical Chapel, and there God is from Psalm 81, which invokes work, and was traditionally sung in the are unsupported stories of such dire the Hebrews to praise God with a variety Pontifical Chapel as a part of Holy Week punishment as excommunication for of musical instruments. Byrd depicts the before Good Friday. copying it. Mozart is supposed to have instruments with great skill, using a quick The Miserere is really made up of two copied it from memory after hearing it rising phrase for the words ‘pleasant pieces, one in five parts which is normally once in 1771 at the age of 14. In 1790 harp’, a characteristic slower phrase for sung by the large choir, and one in four Charles Burney obtained a copy and the words ‘and the viol’ and an extended parts normally sung by soloists. As well, published it in his La musica della fanfare for the words ‘blow the trumpet every second verse is sung by the male Settimana Santa (The Music of the in the new moon’. This is all incorporated singers in plainsong. The nineteen verses Seventeenth Century). into an effortlessly manipulated six-part of Psalm 51 are thus sung in the following For the words of the Miserere, refer to contrapuntal texture. manner: Psalm 51. v1a Choirv1b Plainsongv2 Soloistsv3 3 Beata Viscera Plainsong illiam Byrd was born in the Blessed is the womb of the Virgin Mary, v4 Choirv5 Plainsongv6 Soloistsv7 English cathedral which bore the Son of the Eternal Father. Plainsong town of Lincoln about 1543, Alleluia. and so on. This happens almost five times. Wand studied under Thomas Tallis. In 1575 To finish the piece, Allegri uses the choir Queen Elizabeth I gave Byrd and Tallis a Byrd’s Catholic heritage is more apparent music for the first part of verse 19, and 21 year monopoly on printing music and in the Latin motet Beata Viscera. It is a composes new music for the second part, music paper, one would hope because of simple adoration of the Virgin Mary in five where the pattern otherwise would have the two composers’ undeniable talent. parts, with a particularly beautiful Alleluia required plainsong. There are no specific at the end. references in the music to particular words 2 Sing Joyfully of the text, but the mood of the piece is Sing joyfully unto God our strength; sing 4 Hæc Dies slow and meditative. loud unto the God of Jacob. Take the song, This is the day which the Lord has made. The most famous aspect of the and bring forth the timbrel, the pleasant Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Alleluia. Miserere is the first soprano line in the harp and the viol. Blow the trumpet in the solo music that soars up to a high C, new moon, even in the time appointed, Hæc Dies is one of Byrd’s most famous The first motet is calledO Magnum 8 Hodie Christus natus est motets on the famous words from Psalm Mysterium and concerns the great mystery Today Christ is born: today the Saviour 118. It is in three contrasting sections. of God becoming human in the incarnation appears: today on earth angels are The first section, on the words “This is the of Christ. It begins with quiet, low chords singing, archangels are rejoicing: today day that the Lord has made” has all the that express the sense of awe that other the just people are crying out in exultation: parts entering in imitation. Throughout composers also have sought to express glory to God in the highest, alleluia. the section different voices may be when setting the same text. Poulenc’s heard singing the same melodies in close mysterious harmonies also help maintain The last of the motets uses the famous text succession. The next section on the words the mood. Hodie Christus natus est, which is a joyful “We will rejoice and be glad in it” is in a celebration of the arrival of Christmas different meter, and puts ideas in 6/8 time 6 Quem vidistis Day. The first text phrase is declaimed together with others in 3/4 time, creating What have you seen, shepherds, tell us the loudly and confidently, in this case by the a complex texture. The last section on news; who has just appeared on the earth? altos and later by the tenors. As each text “Alleluia” is slower again and all the We have seen a newborn child, phrase builds on the last, Poulenc repeats entries of the theme with its long note on and a chorus of angels phrases louder and louder, gradually the first syllable of ‘Alleluia’ can easily praising the Lord together. building up the excitement until the end. be heard, and the whole piece ends on a Tell what you have seen, beautifully resonant chord. and proclaim the birth of Christ. eing the patron saint of music, St. Cecilia could hardly escape the oulenc’s Four motets for Christmas The second, Quem vidistis, asks the attention of composers. It was are a complementary set to his Four shepherds what they have seen and they Ba British tradition to compose odes to motets for a time of penitence. He reply. Then all Christians are urged to St. Cecilia on poetry of the day, with Pwrote them between December 1951 proclaim the birth of Christ. examples by Blow, Handel and most and May 1952 in Paris, Marseille, Aix famously Purcell. Britten’s Hymn to St. en Provence and Noizay. The texts are 7 Videntes Stellam Cecilia is his most extensive piece for not from the Bible but from the Catholic Seeing the star, the wise men rejoiced unaccompanied choir, and was completed liturgy, and offer commentaries on various greatly, and entering the house gave the “At sea, M. S. Axel Johnson, April 2nd aspects of the incarnation and birth of Lord gifts of gold, frankinsense and myrrh. 1942”. The poem, written by Auden for Christ. Britten in 1940, is complex and could be Videntes Stellam deals with another interpreted in many different ways. 5 O magnum mysterium important aspect of Christmas, the story of How great a mystery and wonderful the wise men following a star and finding 9 Britten: Hymn to St. Cecilia sacrament that beasts should see a new- the infant Christ. Poulenc uses some (W.H. AUDEN) born Lord lying in a manger. particularly unusual chords at the words I – O Blessed Virgin, whose body was worthy “gold, frankincense and myrrh” (aurum, In a garden shady this holy lady to bear the Lord Jesus Christ.

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