The Tallis Scholars
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Saturday, April 9, 2016, 8pm First Congregational Church The Tallis Scholars Director Peter Phillips Soprano Amy Haworth Emily Atkinson Alto Caroline Trevor Patrick Craig Tenor Steven Harrold Christopher Watson Guy Cutting Simon Wall Bass Tim Scott Whiteley Simon Whiteley PROGRAM William BYRD (1543-1623) Laetentur coeli John TAVERNER (1490-1545) Missa Western Wynde INTERMISSION Richard DAVY (1465-1507) Salve regina BYRD Salve regina (a 5) Thomas TALLIS (c. 1505-1585) Lamentations I Alfonso FERRABOSCO , Lamentations the Elder (1543-1588) BYRD Vigilate Cal Performances' 2015-2016 season is sponsored by Wells Fargo. PROGRAM NOTES Tonight’s program explores the extraordinary continent. Taverner took an English tune— flowering of sacred choral music that took perhaps one favored at court—but instead of place in England in the 16th century. The using it as a cantus firmus , as continental various religious upheavals associated with composers did, used it as the basis for a series of the Tudor dynasty forced English composers variations. This means one can always hear the to learn flexibility and adapt to rapidly melody, most often in the top voice, and marvel changing circumstances. The most successful at the virtuosity with which the composer became experts at securing patronage, elaborates around it, continuously varying the being in the right place at the right time, texture and rhythm. Perhaps inspired by the and even—as with one of this evening’s ingenuity of the work, Taverner’s contempo - com posers—trafficking in information as raries Sheppard and Tye would also go on to inter national men of mystery. compose Western Wind masses. If making a living as a composer in Tudor Often a comparison of two composers’ England was a matter of playing one’s cards settings of the same text can illuminate the right, Thomas Tallis and William Byrd must gradual evolution of styles in music. Such is the have thought themselves in possession of a full case with the Salve regina s of Byrd and Richard house when, in 1575, they secured from Queen Davy, who was active in the late 15th century. Elizabeth a monopoly on printed music. In Davy worked at Magdalen College in Oxford, gratitude, they used it to publish a volume of where he was Informator Choristarum in 1491. sacred music dedicated to the monarch—a His music must have been highly regarded, as collection that includes Byrd’s motet Laetentur several of his works are found in the lavish Eton coeli . The words look with joy towards the Choirbook, an important source of early Tudor coming of the Lord, a sense conveyed by the music. His setting of the Marian antiphon Salve optimistic opening motif, which rises and regina largely follows the standard pattern for proceeds into scales and runs as if bursting with music of this era. It is mostly in five parts, excitement, and is then picked up and imitated though a grandiose effect is achieved at the by the other voices in turn. opening of the piece by dividing and further John Taverner’s hold on musical patronage dividing the highest part in a technique known was less secure. Initial success led to his as gymel . Grand sections for full choir alternate appointment as Informator Choristarum at with more intimate trios and duets, which use Cardinal Wolsey’s brand new educational a florid, highly ornamented style. establishment in Oxford. Wolsey, a chief advisor By the time William Byrd came to publish to King Henry VIII, wished his new college to his setting nearly 100 years later, times had reflect his magnificence, and endowed it with changed. In particular, the influence of considerable resources, including a large choral continental models had pervaded English foundation replete with “clerkes skilled in composition. Close imitation between voices is polyphony.” Nevertheless, when Wolsey fell rife, and after the opening trio, the texture dramatically from the King’s graces, so too did remains full throughout. his college, and Taverner was forced to find Some sacred texts came into vogue at work elsewhere. During his years at Cardinal particular times and were set by multiple College, however, he made significant contri - composers. The Lamentations of Jeremiah butions to church music, including many |were a popular subject later in the 16th compositions that are still sung today at what is century, perhaps because of the Elizabethan now Christ Church, Oxford. “fashionable melancholy” that would later Among these was the Mass Western Wynde , bequeath the doleful lutenist John Dowland to a pioneering work in England, in that it was the world. The text laments the destruction of based not on a sacred model but a secular tune. Jerusalem, and while it was appointed to be This may have been in conscious emulation of read during Holy Week, musical settings such a style that had become popular on the as those by Tallis and Alfonso Ferrabosco were PLAYBILL PROGRAM NOTES more likely intended for private performance verse. Both Tallis and Ferrabosco follow this in secular contexts. convention, which allowed composers to Though less famous than his contemporary indulge in a sort of “pure polyphony,” where Tallis, Ferrabosco was highly regarded in his melismas conjure a sensation that has been time, and not only as a composer. Born in described as “ritualized weeping in music.” England to Italian parents, he became a court Tallis demonstrates restraint and an austere musician and was favored by Queen Elizabeth. beauty, while the Italian Ferrabosco allows He seems to have been adept at gaining the himself a more piquant harmonic style. confidence of powerful people, and was The program concludes with Byrd’s powerful entrusted with diplomatic as well as musical Advent motet, Vigilate . Each successive musical responsibilities. Indeed, a Vatican emissary point is sharply defined in an almost asserted that Elizabeth “made much use of him madrigalian manner, as when the falling lines for spying and scheming,” activities that of “sero”(“in the evening”) are interrupted by frequently landed the composer in hot water. the crowing of the cock at “an gallicantu.” Yet The original Hebrew from which the despite this, the motet always feels unified, Lamentations are drawn is in the form of an periodically returning to that central injunc - acrostic poem, and it became conventional to tion, “vigilate”—“Watch!” set the Hebrew letters to music to preface each —James M. Potter, 2015 TEXTS & TRANSlATIONS Laetentur coeli William Byrd Laetentur coeli et exultet terra; Rejoice, heavens, and let the earth rejoice. jubilate montes laudem Rejoice, hills, quia Dominus noster veniet; for our Lord will come et pauperum suorum miserebitur. and show mercy to his poor people. Orietur in diebus tuis justitia Justice and abundance of peace et abundantia pacis. will rise up in those days. Missa Western Wynde John Taverner Gloria in excelsis Deo, et in terra pax Glory be to God on high, and in earth peace, hominibus bonae voluntatis. Laudamus te; goodwill towards men. We praise thee; we benedicimus te; adoramus te; glorificamus te. bless thee; we worship thee; we glorify thee. Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam We give thanks to thee for thy great glory, tuam, Domine Deus, Rex caelestis, Deus Pater O Lord God, heavenly king, God the Father omnipotens. almighty. Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe; Domine O Lord the only-begotten Son, Jesu Christ; Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris, qui tollis O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, peccata mundi, miserere nobis; qui tollis that takest away the sins of the world, have peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem mercy upon us; thou that takest away the sins nostram; qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, of the world, receive our prayer; thou that miserere nobis. sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us. Quoniam tu solus Sanctus; tu solus Dominus; For thou only art Holy; thou only art the Lord; tu solus altissimus, Jesu Christe, cum Sancto thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art Spiritu, in gloria Dei Patris. Amen. Most High in the glory of God the Father. Amen. Credo in unum Deum, Patrem I believe in one God, the Father almighty, omnipotentem, factorem coeli et terrae, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visibilium omnium et invisibilium. Et in visible and invisible. And in one Lord, Jesus unum Dominum Jesum Christum, Filium Dei Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, unigenitum, et ex Patre natum ante omnia begotten of his Father before all worlds. God saecula. Deum de Deo; Lumen de Lumine; of God; Light of Light; very God of very God; Deum verum de Deo vero; genitum, non begotten, not made: being of one substance factum; consubstantialem Patri; per quem with the Father; by whom all things were omnia facta sunt. made. Qui propter nos homines, et propter nostram Who for us men, and for our salvation, came salutem descendit de coelis, et incarnatus est down from heaven, and was incarnate by the de Spiritu Sancto, ex Maria Virgine, et homo Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made factus est. Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub man. And was crucified also for us under Pontio Pilato; passus et sepultus est. Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. PLAYBILL TEXTS & TRANSlATIONS Et resurrexit tertia die secundum Scripturas; And the third day he rose again according to et ascendit in caelum, sedet ad dexteram the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and Patris; et iterum venturus est cum gloria is seated at the right hand of the Father; and judicare vivos et mortuos; cuius regni non erit he shall come again with glory to judge both finis. the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.