February 2013 Issue 42 Hemiola St George’s Singers INSIDE THIS ISSUE: MEMORIES OF ALDEBURGH Britten at 100—preview 2-3 2013 is a special year for fans of atmosphere created by Diary of a recording 4-5 Benjamin Britten, as the nation performing St Nicolas in Christmas concert review 6 celebrates the 100th birthday of the church where it was Singing Day success 7 one of our greatest composers. first performed and record- SGS News 8 For St George’s Singers, our ed, where Britten’s funeral Jeff takes to the streets 9 ‘Britten at 100’ concert on 23 had included the two February at RNCM also brings hymns from the work, and Name that tune 10 The staging party 11 back happy memories of the beside the Piper memorial Pilgrimage to Leipzig 12-13 Choir’s tour to Suffolk in 2005, window, intensified the when we performed St Nicolas emotion of the occasion. Fit to sing 14 in Britten’s own church in In the first half Marcus Eric Whitacre on choirs 15 Aldeburgh. Geoff Taylor or- [Farnsworth] sang Let the St George’s in China 16-17 ganised the tour, and wrote the Dreadful Engines and Even- following for Hemiola: ing Hymn by Purcell, and The bear goes home 18 The trees they grow so high, Mindful music 19 ‘On Saturday morning we trav- arranged by Britten. Jeff elled through the Suffolk by- played a Bach prelude and ways to Snape Maltings where ST GEORGE’S SINGERS Britten’s Prelude and Fugue Esther Platten, who works for PRESIDENT: on a Theme of Vittoria brilliant- John Piper’s memorial window to Benjamin the Britten-Pears Foundation, ly. We sang Zadok the Priest , Britten in the Church of St Peter and St Paul Brigit Forsyth gave us an informative tour of in Aldeburgh O Quam Gloriosum, Beatus Vir VICE PRESIDENTS: the fabulous concert hall, home and, of course, Locus Iste. fabulous pianists, the bold Sue Roper of the Aldeburgh festival, creat- Mark Rowlinson ed by Britten and Pears. We young percussionists, and us, Stephen Threlfall ‘After the interval Stephen in- SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST: all responding to Stephen’s Stephen Williams sang Locus Iste (of course), con- troduced St Nicolas, reminding Briefly highlight your point of interest here. ducted by Jeff Makinson, to inspirational conducting, not Briefly highlight your point of interest here. the audience of all the happy MUSICAL DIRECTOR: claim it for St George’s. to mention the Pickled Boys, Briefly highlight your point of interest here. associations between the church Neil Taylor produced an experience for Briefly highlight your point of interest here. and the work, and encouraging ‘We had all too brief a time to which the word “memorable” ASSISTANT MUSICAL DIRECTOR: them to sing the hymns lustily explore the pretty town of Alde- is far too tame. The church Calum Fraser as a tribute to the composer. burgh before a rehearsal in the was packed and the audience The orchestra (you would have ACCOMPANIST: church. Our Musical Director responded enthusiastically, thought they had been playing Jeffrey Makinson [Stephen Williams] stood up in applauding us all the way out. together for years), Jeff’s magi- front of orchestral players he had never met, not to mention cal accompaniment, Mike Ben- ‘Rosamund Strode, Britten’s Registered Charity no 508686 the Pickled Boys. With the help nett’s bravura Saint, the brave music secretary and personal Member of Making Music, the National of St Nicolas another miracle young St Nicolas, the angelic assistant for many years, told Federation of Music Societies was wrought as singers and semi-chorus sound floating Stephen and Mike that it had www.st-georges-singers.org.uk orchestra came together in a down from the gallery (“where been terrific and that, “Ben remarkable way. The special Ben always put them”), the would surely have loved it”.’ Page 2 Hemiola Saturday 23 February, 7.30pm BRITTEN—THE FOURTH ‘B’ Royal Northern College of Music Britten at 100 Edward Benjamin Britten was composers. As well as experi- featuring born on 22 November 1913, the mental pieces, however, he was Hymn to St Cecilia, day dedicated to St Cecilia, the also writing works more charac- Hymn to the Virgin, patron saint of musicians and teristic of his mature style, church music. He was the amongst them the Hymn to the Te Deum in C, Jubilate Deo, youngest of four children born Virgin, written at the age of 16 Antiphon, Rejoice in the Lamb to Edith and Robert Britten, a in a few hours while recovering and orchestral works successful dentist who really from another bout of illness. wanted to be a farmer. Ben’s Metamorphoses after Ovid In 1930, aged 17, following a health was not robust; he nearly Phantasy Quartet for Oboe and selection interview with Ralph died of pneumonia at three Vaughan Williams and John Strings months, and had a congenitally Ireland, he won a scholarship £14, £12 conc, £5 students weak heart that ultimately led to the Royal College of Music. to his premature death aged 63. Tel: 01625 440404, The RCM proved a disappoint- Email: tickets@st-georges- Edith was the music lover in ment, and in 1959 he reflected singers.org.uk, the family, and recognised and that that he had found, ‘the Benjamin Britten (1913—1976) At Crag House Online: encouraged (some say ruthless- attitude of most of the students Photo: Roland Houpt ly) Ben’s obvious … amateurish www.st-georges-singers.org.uk talent, telling and folksy.’ scientious objectors. One of the friends that her son He was al- first works he composed on his would be ‘the ready having return was Hymn to St Cecilia, to fourth B’ after success how- words by Auden. But most of Bach, Beethoven ever: his work his energy at this time was con- and Brahms. He A Boy is Born, centrated on Peter Grimes. The was composing by was broadcast opera was immediately hailed the age of 5, and by on the BBC as the first indisputably great 11 he was produc- on 23 Febru- English opera since Purcell’s ing enormous quan- ary 1934—the Dido and Aeneas, and Britten’s tities of music. A very day El- reputation was made. He went school essay on gar died—and on to establish the Aldeburgh animals, turned the Phantasy Festival, was heaped with hon- into an attack on Quartet was ours and awards from around hunting and all performed at All photos All courtesy of www.britten100.org the world, and was made a life forms of aggres- Edith with her four children, young the ISCM peer in 1976, just six months sion, was an early Benjamin in the centre Festival in before his death. indicator of his Florence. Britten with Peter Pears at Snape Maltings commitment to In the 30 years after Grimes Escaping from the RCM, Brit- pacifism and sym- Britten wrote more great oper- ten wrote music for a small pathy with the as, instrumental and vocal documentary film company, ‘outsider’, which works. Indeed, he was unique then met and began to collabo- was to reappear in amongst his generation in writ- rate with WH Auden, who took his music through- ing music across a wide spec- on the role of intellectual and out his life. trum of genres, and for per- political mentor to the young formers of all ages and abilities, In 1928 he went composer. Then in 1937 Ben including children. However, it as a boarder to met the tenor, Peter Pears, who is his choral music that we par- Gresham’s became his lifelong artistic and ticularly celebrate in our School, and whilst domestic partner, and inspirer ‘Britten at 100’ concert. still at school, of much of his vocal music. Britten studied They sailed to America in the He had been educated at Gresh- with Frank Bridge spring of 1939, following in am in the Anglican choral tradi- who introduced Auden’s steps, but homesick- tion, and in his early years was the teenager to ness and the war persuaded a member of the English Madri- contemporary them to return in 1942 as con- gal Choir (though his bass voice Issue 42 Page 3 was somewhat uncertain!). wrote music for real people, The Choir will be joined at the Britten BALLAD OF HEROES From these beginnings, he always keeping performers as RNCM by our wonderful ac- wrought a distinctive sound well as listeners in mind. He companist Jeffrey Makinson on On Friday 5th July at the world, with an impeccable considered the power and range the organ, and we welcome the Bridgewater Hall, St George’s sense of timing and word- of their voices, the occasion and Eblana String Trio and oboist Singers join Chetham’s setting. He said, ‘One of my environments in which the David Curington to join the Symphony Orchestra and chief aims is to restore to the work would be performed. He celebrations. During their time Chorus in a performance of musical setting of the English delighted in providing music for at the RNCM they won all the Britten’s Ballad of Heroes, language a brilliance, freedom specific occasions or venues: major chamber music prizes, part of the Britten 100 and vitality that have been curi- Jubilate Deo was written for St notably the 2010 RNCM cham- celebrations. ously rare since the death of George’s Chapel, Windsor; ber music award and audience For more information: Purcell.’ Brit- Antiphon for St prize for their performance of You’re 50 this year. I can say www.st-georges-singers.org.uk ten chose his Michael’s College Britten’s Phantasy Quartet with texts with that when you and I are no in Tenbury; Rejoice David Curington—a perfor- enormous longer here, millions of in the Lamb for Wal- mance they repeat for us.