Elgar, the Kingdom

Saturday 2 May, from 9.30am to 6.00pm Come and Sing Day with Matthew Owens J. S. BACH: ‘LUTHERAN’ MASS IN F MAJOR HANDEL: MESSIAH HIGHLIGHTS in the Methodist Church, Wells Saturday 7 November, 7.00pm J. S. BACH: ‘LUTHERAN’ MASS IN F MAJOR CANTATA 140, WACHET AUF! BRANDENBURG CONCERTO 1 Ali Darragh soprano Simon Clulow countertenor Iain MacLeod-Jones tenor Greg Skidmore bass Music for Awhile Orchestra (on period instruments) Maggie Faultless leader Matthew Owens conductor Saturday 5 December, 7.00pm HANDEL: MESSIAH Susan Hamilton soprano James Neville countertenor Iain Milne tenor David Shipley bass Music for Awhile Orchestra Matthew Owens conductor 2 Sir Edward Elgar (1857 – 1934) Opus 51 (1906) The Kingdom An oratorio for soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor and bass soloists, full choir and orchestra, based on biblical texts selected and arranged by Elgar. ______________________________________ Jane Irwin soprano Kathryn Rudge mezzo soprano Peter Auty tenor David Kempster baritone ______________________________________ Wells Cathedral Oratorio Society Chorus ______________________________________ Southern Sinfonia Alexander Hohenthal leader ______________________________________ Matthew Owens conductor ______________________________________ This concert takes place in the Cathedral by kind permission of the Chapter of Wells Cathedral. The use of mobile telephones, photography, or recording of any kind is forbidden except by express permission of the Chapter. Printed music supplied by Somerset Libraries, Arts, & Information Wells Cathedral Oratorio Society is affiliated to Making Music. 3 Programme Notes Elgar was born in Broadheath, a village been given as a wedding present), was close to Worcester, on 2nd June 1857. particularly well received. In Germany His father was a piano tuner with a shop Richard Strauss praised Elgar as ‘the first in the centre of Worcester. He studied English progressive musician’. the music availa- Whilst still at ble in his father’s school Elgar’s shop and taught class had been himself to play a taught that: ‘The number of instru- Apostles were ments. He played very young men the organ at St. and very poor. George’s Roman Perhaps, before Catholic Church in the descent of the Worcester, taught Holy Ghost, they the violin and were no cleverer conducted and than some of you composed for here.’ Elgar be- local musical organ planning a ganisations. His religious work original genius about those lowly, was coupled with a strong determination uneducated men who had laid the foun- and Elgar was largely self-taught as a dations of Christianity, the first sketches composer. dating from the early 1880s. But it be- He struggled to gain recognition in a late came clear that one work would not con- Victorian provincial class conscious soci- tain all he wanted to say. Elgar arrived ety where, as a Roman Catholic, he also at the idea of a trilogy. Three full-length had to contend with religious bigotry. In oratorios would depict the calling of the opposition to her family in 1889 he mar- twelve young men (The Apostles), the ried Caroline Alice Roberts, the or- beginning of their evangelical mission on phaned daughter of a Major-General earth (The Kingdom) and the outcome at who had been prominent in the British the end of time (The Last Judgement). army in India. Her faith in Elgar was im- This would deal with the foundation and portant as his career slowly developed in ultimate purpose of the Church. Worcestershire until, at the end of the Elgar only managed to get two-thirds of century, in 1899, he had particular suc- the way through his trilogy. The Apostles cess with the Enigma Variations. was finished in 1903 and The Kingdom in The Dream of Gerontius (1900), based on 1906; but although he continued sketch- Cardinal Newman’s poem (which he had ing out The Last Judgement almost up to 4 his death in 1934, the music remained but it seems that, at heart, he knew the fragmentary. Elgar conducted the first trilogy idea was dead in the water. performance of The Kingdom at the Bir- The Kingdom has had some distinguished mingham Festival on 3 October 1906. admirers, among them the conductors Like his other works on sacred themes at Hans Richter and Adrian Boult, who con- the top of the manuscript Elgar added sidered it Elgar’s greatest choral work, of the dedication A M D G (Ad Majorem Dei more consistent quality than even Ger- Gloriam – to the greater glory of God) ontius. He wrote it at Plas Gwyn, his Hereford home from 1904 to 1911 As the second part of a huge trilogy (possibly to be performed, like Wagner’s The first performance was a success with Ring, on successive evenings), The King- the audience, one reviewer even ranking dom can be understood as a kind of sym- The Kingdom with Bach’s St Matthew phonic ‘slow movement’ and the open- Passion. However, others were more ing orchestral Prelude has a splendid dubious and the influential critic Ernest slow march tune that Elgar called ‘New Newman, seems to have influenced him Faith’. in not continuing the trilogy: ‘He has The emphasis in The Kingdom is not so seen fit to fasten upon his own back the much on the vigorous action of the burden of an unwieldy, impossible young Church as it sets out to convert scheme for three oratorios on the sub- the world, but on its spiritual consolida- ject of the founding of the Church; and tion. Some of the finest moments in the until that scheme is done with, and Elgar work are those that depict the Apostles seeks inspiration in a subject of another together: celebrating Mass in the first type, the most sanguine of us cannot and final scenes, and receiving the Holy expect much from him in the way of Spirit at Pentecost. There are also mo- fresh or really vital music ... At present ments where the emphasis is on individ- he is simply riding post-haste along the uals. Peter’s condemnation of the ‘men road that leads to nowhere.’ The experi- of Israel’ for crucifying Christ and Mary’s ence of writing The Kingdom had been solo ‘The sun goeth down’ after the ar- draining; Elgar’s physical health declined rest of the Apostles. During the compos- and he began to suffer seriously from er’s lifetime this became popular as a anxiety and depression. separate concert piece but here it is the Elgar soon after began work on his First culminating point of his radiant confes- Symphony, which – at its premiere in sion of faith. 1908 – was to prove a great success. This was followed by the Symphony No. 2, Synopsis the violin and cello concertos, and the In The Kingdom Elgar set about telling ‘symphonic study’ Falstaff; Elgar had the story of the acts of the disciples after found his true métier. He may have gone Jesus’s ascension, taking most of his text on tinkering with The Last Judgement, from the first four chapters of the Acts of 5 the Apostles and adding some extra lines lame man the women had seen earlier. from the Didache (later writings about They command him to rise up and walk, the Apostles from circa 100AD) which and people marvel at witnessing this had been re-discovered in 1872. miracle. Peter and John preach to the crowd, proclaiming Jesus’s resurrection – The opening orchestral prelude depicts unpopular with local officials, who arrest Jerusalem, and introduces St Peter, who them. reflects on the denial of Christ, and then gathers strength for the duties that await There follows a nocturnal interlude him. where Mary sings The Sun Goeth Down. As evening falls around her, she medi- The Prelude runs straight into Part One, tates on the wonders she has witnessed. which Elgar calls ‘In the Upper Room’, where St Peter greets St John and the The final section of The Kingdom is subti- two holy women – the Blessed Virgin tled ‘In Fellowship’ and returns to where Mary and Mary Magdalene. Together the piece started – the Upper Room. they remember Jesus, and quote his re- Saints Peter and John recount the story marks “where two or three are gathered of their arrest and interrogation. Togeth- together in My Name, there am I”. er they take Holy Communion, and the Part Two takes place ‘At the Beautiful Lord’s Prayer is heard. The Kingdom Gate’ on the morning of Pentecost; and, doesn’t end in a blaze of glory – the clos- on seeing a lame man, Mary the mother ing music is gracious and gentle – a se- of Jesus and Mary Magdalene reminisce rene acceptance of God’s love. on how Jesus healed the blind and lame. Part Three returns to the Upper Room, and the tenor soloist, assuming the role THE KINGDOM of narrator, reflects on Pentecost, when Jerusalem the Holy Spirit descended from heaven Prelude and granted the Apostles the power to I—IN THE UPPER ROOM be understood in every language. Peter recalls God’s promise to pour forth his Chorus: The Disciples and the Holy spirit, reminding the Apostles that Women ‘whoever shall call on the name of the Seek first the Kingdom of God. and His Lord shall be saved’. Peter exhorts the righteousness. people to be baptized in the name of Christ, and Part Three ends with a rous- Recit: Peter ing chorus. Peace be multiplied unto you. Part Four begins with a section called Chorus: The Disciples and the Holy The Sign of Healing which opens with a Women tranquil interlude. We’re at the Gate of Peace; peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers. the Temple, and Peter and John see the 6 Peter holy promise.

Load more