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John Rutter: Choral Ambassador

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John Rutter: Choral Ambassador October 2017 Issue 56 Hemiola St George’s Singers JOHN RUTTER: CHORAL AMBASSADOR INSIDE THIS ISSUE: BY NEIL TAYLOR Rachmaninov Vespers 2 Chanting Russia’s history 3 To my mind, John Rutter is a He’s also a thoroughly engag- Verdi Requiem review 4 skilled craftsman, a gifted com- ing, warm and generous man. I Christmas with Rutter 5 poser and a classy interpreter. first met him when, as a student, I had a call one Saturday after- Letter from the Editor 5 Let’s look: a definitive version of noon asking if I could come and SGS News 6 the Fauré Requiem in its original make drinks at a Cambridge scoring; many brilliant record- Singers’ recording session in Kath Dibbs remembered 6 ings with his own group, The Robert Brooks: interview 7 Hampstead, North London. Everybody tells me, who has sung in a choir, I hopped on the tube, arrived Costa Rica: final memories 8 that they feel better for doing it. Whatever the Song for Diana 9 at University College cares of the day, if they meet after a School, listened to the ses- long day’s school or work, somehow Beethoven’s Fantasy 10 they leave their troubles at the door. sions with that amazing Carol concert and Messiah 11 group and the wonderful Jill White as producer, and Cambridge Singers over the past brewed up. 35 years; such an accomplished Since then, I’ve had the privi- eye and ear for instrumental and vocal colours; beautifully hand- lege of working with John and ST GEORGE’S SINGERS whilst he is charming and anec- written music notation; well- dotal, he does demand much of PRESIDENT: crafted melodies; skilled and apt use of texts; a brilliant interpreter his fellow musi- Choral music is not one of life’s frills. Marcus Farnsworth MA ARAM cians and the of the music of William Byrd. It’s something that goes to the very VICE PRESIDENTS: singers around heart of our humanity, our Susan Roper If you’re in any doubt whatsoev- him, displaying sense of community, and our Mark Rowlinson er about John as a so-called seri- a boundless souls. Stephen Threlfall Stephen Williams ous composer, listen to Hymn to degree of energy the Creator of Light. It will blow and enthusiasm for the music. MUSICAL DIRECTOR: you away. I know the Choir will enjoy Neil Taylor He is truly All of those people are pouring out working with him for ASSISTANT MUSICAL DIRECTOR: an ambassa- their hearts and souls in perfect har- the Christmas con- mony, which is kind of an emblem for Robert Brooks dor for the cert. There is an al- English what we need in this world, most childlike delight ACCOMPANIST: choral tradi- when so much of the world is in making music and at odds with itself. Peter Durrant tion, and his working with his name and influence has brought singers. The concert on 11 De- the choirs, singers and other liv- cember is a marvellous oppor- Registered Charity no 508686 Hear more from an interview with ing composers of this country in tunity to work with great musi- John Rutter talking about The Member of Making Music, the National the homes of people across the cians in a fabulous venue to a Federation of Music Societies Importance of Choir on YouTube globe. sell-out audience. at https://www.youtube.com/ www.st-georges-singers.org.uk Let’s make it a good one! watch?v=pm-Pm1FYZ-U Page 2 Hemiola Saturday 21 October 2017 The Stoller Hall, Manchester RACHMANINOV VESPERS: PREVIEW Rachmaninov Vespers Górecki Totus tuus Tavener Song for Athene By the beginning of the 19th was composed by Rachmani- companied, since instruments Łukaszewski Nunc dimittis century Russia’s church music nov in a period of less than two were forbidden in the Orthodox had become Western in design weeks early in 1915, shortly church; the text (in Old Church St George’s Singers and form, and had largely for- after the outbreak of World Slavonic) was paramount, nev- conductor Neil Taylor gotten its roots in traditional War One. It was premiered on er to be obscured by counter- znamenny chant: the singing 10 March by the Moscow Syn- point; and the hymns had to Tenor: Stewart Campbell tradition of the Russian Ortho- odal Choir as a benefit for war use the ancient znamenny dox church, developed from the relief, receiving such enthusias- (‘notated by means of signs’) Byzantine chant introduced to tic public and critical reaction Tickets: £15, students £6 chants or more recent Greek Russia in the 10th century. But that it received four more per- and Ukrainian chants as basis Tel : 01663 764012 the nationalist revival, centred formances that same month. for the melody. The remaining on the Moscow Synodal School Kastalsky wrote: Email: tickets@st-georges- chants were invented by Rach- of Church Singing, led dozens ‘Rachmaninov’s new composi- maninov himself as ‘conscious singers.org.uk of Russian composers, particu- tion is undoubtedly a contribu- counterfeits’ (and for which he Online: www.st-georges- larly choral specialists such as tion of great importance to our seemed to have a natural stylis- singers.org.uk Kastalsky, Chesnokov and church’s musical literature… of tic affinity) and this consistent Gretchaninov, to turn their unusual value is the artist’s use of chant serves to unify the creative energies to composing loving and conscientious atti- work. Within all these con- choral music on texts drawn tude to our church chants, for straints, however, Rachmani- from the Russian Orthodox in this lies the promise of a nov created a monumental liturgy. In doing so, they creat- splendid future for our liturgical work that elevates the spirit by ed the New Russian Choral music.’ its lofty expressiveness, and School which, from the 1880s captivates the ear by its sheer Sadly this promise never mate- to 1917, constituted a ‘Golden beauty. rialised. Two years later, the Age’ of Russian church music – Russian Revolution banned and of which Rachmaninov’s Some movements are short, religion, disbanded the Synodal All-Night Vigil is the crowning whilst others are complex struc- Choir, and forced Rachmani- achievement. tures in which thematic materi- nov into self-imposed exile in al is continuously reworked. Sergei Rachmaninov (1873– the West, never to compose The rhythms are rarely regular, 1943) was born into a noble another sacred work. with frequent changes of time family of Tartar descent who signature, and often the elimi- Today the Vespers is regarded as had been in the service of the nation of bar lines altogether. amongst the most evocative, Tsars since the 16th century. The most remarkable feature is dramatic and harmonically His father having squandered its ‘choral orchestration’. Rach- Rachmaninov: The Last Concert – sumptuous in the Russian Or- his wife’s fortune, the family maninov created great richness statue of Sergei Rachmaninov in thodox repertoire, and a major Knoxville, Tennessee, where the moved to St Petersburg where of sound by techniques such as work in the canon of Western composer gave his final concert in Sergei studied at the Conserva- dividing the choir into as many choral music. 1943 tory before as twelve separate parts, dy- moving to The work is scored for unac- namic extremes and contrasts Moscow. Alt- companied chorus, and com- in texture, the onomatopoeic hough recog- prises settings of fifteen hymns sound of bells, and humming – nised mainly and psalms from the All-Night which probably would have as a gifted Vigil – the evening and night been frowned on by the Ortho- pianist and Offices of Vespers (evening dox authorities, since removing composer of prayer at 6pm or when the the text converts the singing concertos and lights are lit), Matins voice into an instrument. He symphonies, (midnight), Lauds (dawn pray- also makes full use of the char- he also com- er, 3am) and Prime (early acteristic sonorities of the low posed a num- morning prayer, 6am) – which Russian bass voice, which de- ber of choral were held as one long service scends to the subterranean works, before major feast days. Some depths of a low B flat at the end amongst them texts are familiar as Anglican of the Nunc Dimittis. The Bells and canticles or parts of the Catho- The last time St George’s Sing- The Liturgy of lic Mass, whilst others are spe- ers performed the Vespers was in St John Chrys- cific to Orthodox worship. ostom. 2008 in Gorton Monastery – an Despite the fact that the Vespers amazing space in which to sing Photo:Carl Dr Droms Commonly was intended as a concert one of the greatest of all spiritu- (but incorrect- work, not a church service, al works. The forthcoming per- ly) called the Rachmaninov was still careful formance at The Stoller Hall Vespers, the to observe Orthodox proprie- will be no less remarkable. All-Night Vigil ties. The voices had to be unac- Issue 56 Page 3 CHANTING RUSSIA’S HISTORY The beauty of the sound world at sight. Around AD 1600 a (hooks) or zna- created by Rachmaninov’s Ves- simplification to the notation mena (signs or pers arises largely from his use was introduced called ‘red marks). Each of traditional Russian chant, marks’ – small letters in red sign may include the singing tradition used in the placed before each znamenny a large black sign, to indicate the highest Russian Orthodox Church. hook or stroke, Znamenny notation with ‘red marks’ note of the sign it stands before. several smaller black points and The acceptance by Russia of the lines. Some may mean only one Meanwhile, in the south-west, Orthodox faith from Greek- note, some 2-4 notes, and some the Orthodox Church in Kiev speaking Byzantium in AD 988 a whole melody with a compli- faced increasing competition meant that their liturgy was cated rhythmic structure.
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