Press Release

Handel’s Messiah in Monaco on Saturday 1st December 8pm at St Paul’s Church

The annual performance of Handel’s Messiah is to take place on Saturday 1st December at 8pm, hosted by St Paul’s Anglican Church in Monaco and the Chamber Music Association. The Ristretto Chamber Choir and Instrumental Ensemble will be directed by Errol Girdlestone with international soloists Elenor Bowers-Jolley, Clint van der Linde, Alex Tsilogiannis and Jacques Imbrailo lending their voices to the performance.

This event echoes a well-known tradition in the Anglo-Saxon world whereby the Messiah, composed in English, is regularly performed during Advent. This year is particularly special as it marks the fifth and final time that a generous and anonymous sponsor has provided the funds for this momentous work to be given for music lovers in Monaco.

First performed in 1742, George Frideric Handel's Messiah remains one of the great musical masterpieces of all times. The work contains many well-known melodies, stunning choruses, dramatic arias, and underlying emotional intensity, which still awe listeners today, over 250 years after the composer's death.

A few amusing legends surround the Baroque-era oratorio. At the Dublin premiere in 1742, the renown of the composer was such that the audience was supposedly advised ahead of the performance to leave their hoop skirts and swords at home, for fear of overcrowding. Another off-repeated anecdote explains why audiences to this day stand up during the Halleluja Chorus at the end of the second part. It is rumoured that King George II was so moved by this Chorus during the first performance in London, that he is said to have risen to his feet. Naturally, everyone in attendance would have followed suit so as not to be seated whilst the King was standing.

Errol Girdlestone, Artistic Director of Ristretto, is a musician of international renown who has made the South of France his home. He is one of the founding members of the Hilliard ensemble, and has had a wide-ranging career as an and symphonic conductor. Alongside a busy freelance programme, he is currently Chorus Master at the Wexford Opera Festival (Ireland).

This year, to mark the fifth anniversary of the Monaco performance, a poignant reunion and a South African connection underpin the choice of soloists. Errol Girdlestone spent eight years in South Africa as a conductor working with the state and symphony orchestras. It was during this time that he met his South African wife, Susie, a ballet dancer. The four soloists all have prestigious international careers both as opera singers and concert performers. Two of them, Clint van der Linde and Jacques Imbrailo, are also South African and both are alumni of the famous Drakensberg Boys Choir, in which they were remarkable boy sopranos. A recording can be found on internet with the pair performing in turn the renowned Mozart aria ‘Queen of the Night’, famed for its challenging high notes. Coincidentally, the Drakensberg Boys Choir was directed at the time by a close friend of Errol’s.

Handel’s Messiah will be performed on Saturday 1st December at St Paul’s Church, 22 avenue de Grande Bretagne, in Monaco at 8pm. Tickets are 30€ and can be obtained from the FNAC, or by contacting the AMC (Association Musique de Chambre, Monaco) on 06.43.91.67.43.

Further Information

Errol Girdlestone, Artistic Director:

Born in Oxford, Errol Girdlestone obtained his degree from the same university. He subsequently won a British Council scholarship to study in Warsaw. His professional career began in a variety of ways – professor at Trinity College of Music, music editor, and singer. This last activity embraced St. Paul’s Cathedral choir and the renowned Hilliard Ensemble, of which he was a founder member. A move from the opera department at Trinity to the music staff of the confirmed his attachment to the lyric theatre, where the twin interests of voice and conducting have always held his interest. He has conducted operas in the USA, (Chicago), the UK (ENO), South Africa, Uruguay (Montevideo), France and Monte Carlo. He has pursued a parallel career conducting symphonic repertoire and oratorio in France, the UK, Germany (Leipzig), Austria (Bregenz Festival, Vienna Musikverein) and at the Gstaad Festival.

He undertakes occasional engagements as chorusmaster, for example at the Aix en Provence festival, the European Union Opera, and latterly at the Wexford Festival Opera (Ireland), where the chorus won the 2013 International Opera Awards nomination as best chorus. Composing is a hobby - his Concerto for two flutes and orchestra received its Paris première at Les Invalides in 2011, and Toccata for and orchestra was premièred by François-René Duchâble. He is the founder and artistic director of Ristretto since 2009.

Ristretto Chamber Choir and Instrumental Ensemble:

Conductor and artistic director Errol Girdlestone created “Ristretto” to provide, as its name implies, a taste of concentrated music – essentially, music created for small formations – of many periods and styles. Ristretto is as much about instrumental music as about singing, often providing mixed programmes where instruments accompany the voices or even play alone. Ristretto draws on the finest professional instrumentalists and singers on the Côte d’Azur and over recent years has widened its reach to foster links and shared musical events with top chamber choirs from the UK. Every August, Ristretto organizes a Summer Academy in the Luberon during which singers of a wide-range of nationalities join forces for a week of intensive and challenging choral singing. This Academy has recently started offering bursaries to young singers about to embark on a professional career.

To find out more about Ristretto, please visit our website www.ristrettovoices.com

Soloists

Elenor Bowers-Jolley, Soprano

Having been a professional soprano for 14 years, Elenor’s passion for music and singing has led her to perform as a soloist and consort member around the world. Elenor has been a soloist for The Monteverdi Choir and The Kings Consort and Capilla Cayrasco. She is also a member of Metro Voices, London Voices, La Nuova Musica, The Audio Network Choir, and is a founder member of the Arkell Ensemble.

Recent solo engagements include First Spirit in Mozart’s Magic Flute for Wexford Festival Opera, Carmina Burana in Ely Cathedral, Handel’s Messiah at Snape Maltings, Pergolesi Stabat Mater and Vivaldi Gloria for the North Norfolk Chorale, Handel’s Messiah in Monaco, and Mozart’s in Sheffield Cathedral, consort soloist for ‘Come and Sing in Secret’ in association with the National Trust, Arts and Gardens and The Come and Sing Company of which Elenor is a co-founder.

Opera credits include Chabrier’s L’Etoile and Bizet’s at the Opéra Comique in Paris and Weber’s Le Freischutz under the baton of John Eliot Gardiner and King Arthur for the Britten Pears Young Artists Programme. Roles performed include Belinda (), Papagena (Die Zaubeflote), Zerlina (), Nanetta (Falstaff) and Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro).

Future engagements include Handel’s Messiah in Bury Cathedral, North Norfolk, and London, Soprano soloist for the children’s opera gala at the Theatre Royal Norwich in association with Norfolk Music Hub, and Poulenc Gloria at Ely Cathedral. Ellie will also be joining the Monteverdi Choir in a semi-staged production of Benvenuto Cellini by Berlioz in 2019.

Ellie is delighted to be returning to Monte Carlo to sing with the Ristretto choir and orchestra for her fourth consecutive year!

Clint van der Linde, Countertenor

After having a boy soprano career, Clint studied at the RCM in London. Since then, as a countertenor, he has been privileged to work as a soloist for groups, orchestras and consorts worldwide throughout the US, Europe, and the Far East, collaborating with Bach Collegium Japan, Philharmonia Baroque, The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, The Hanover Band, The Academy of Ancient Music, Southern Sinfonia, Salzburg Camerata, Goettingen Festspieler Orchestra, Die Lautten Compagney, BBC Scottish Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Stuttgart Baroque Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, The King’s Consort, Israel Camerata, Il Fondamento, Zurich Chamber Orchestra, and conductors, Sir Roger Norrinton, Frieder Bernius, Masaaki Suzuki ,Nicholas McGegan, Kazushi Ohno, Lawrence Cummings, Nicholas Kraemer, Wolfgang Katschner, Stephen Layton, Robert King, Stephen Cleobury, Peter Schreier, Paul Dombrecht, Leonardo Garcia Alarcon and George Petrou.

Equally comfortable on both concert hall and opera stages, Clint has performed in venues such as Concert Gebouw Amsterdam, The Carnegie Hall (NY),The Lincoln Centre (NY), Tanglewood, St Martin’s in the Field St John’s Smith Square, The Barbecan, The , The , The Royal Festival Hall, King’s College Cambridge, Crown Hall (Jerusalem), Tokyo City Opera, Tokyo Suntary Hall ,Koelner Philhamonie, Bozar, Die Bijloke, deSingle, La Monnaie,The Royal Opera in Copenhagen,Bielefeld Theatre, Mannheim Theatre, National Theatre Budapest, National Theatre, Warsaw, Prague Estates Theatre, and international festivals such as the BBC Proms, Mostly Mozart Festival (NY), and Tanglewood Music Festival (US).

To add to his bow, Clint now studies harpsichord, and has just finished his first year at the conservatoire in Brussels.

AlexTsilogiannis, Tenor

From the 2017/2018 season, Alex joined the ensemble of Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz in Munich where his roles include Lyonel Martha, Camille Dantons Tod, Apollo Semele, Tamino /First Armed Man Die Zauberfloete.

Recent engagements have been Lysander in Midsummer Night’s Dream for Teatro Ponchielli in Cremona, Goro in Madama Butterfly, Remendado in Carmen and Gastone in for Greek National Opera, Lesley in Guglielmo Ratcliff and Cavaradossi in Tosca for Wexford Festival Opera, Il Duca in Rigoletto for Opera Nomade/Centre Lyrique Clermont- Auvergne, Nevill Holt Opera and Opera 2001, his Swedish debut as Cassio in Otello at Opera På Skäret, and Handel’s Messiah in Monte Carlo. He also participated in Kaohsiung Philharmonic Cultural Camp; Arts Foundation in Bel Canto: 2016 KSO Christmas Concert.

With regards opera engagements, Alex was the 2014 Wexford Opera Festival Emerging Artist, where he made his festival debut as Luigi in Puccini’s Il Tabarro and Kronprinz in Kevin Puts’ European Premiere of Silent Night. He also received the scholarship for Most Promising Young Singer at the 2014 Opera På Skäret. Past operatic roles include George in the European premier of Our Town, Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Fenton in Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor, the Duke in Rigoletto, Alfredo in La Traviata and Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor.

Jacques Imbrailo,

A regular at many of the most prestigious opera houses throughout the world, baritone Jacques Imbrailo has collaborated with conductors, directors and orchestras of the highest calibre and is one of the most in demand artists of his generation. In the 2018/19 season, Jacques returns to the , Covent Garden for the title role in Deborah Warner’s critically acclaimed production, conducted by Ivor Bolton. Further highlights next season include Pelléas et Mélisande for the Opéra National du Rhin and his debut for Norwegian National Opera as the title role Billy Budd. In future seasons, Jacques will return to Houston Grand Opera and make his debut at the Grand Théâtre de Genève.

Recent highlights include the title role Billy Budd at the , Madrid and for Rome Opera, his debut for Minnesota Opera as the Count in , Pelléas in Pelléas et Mélisande for Opera Vlaanderen, Zurich Opera, the Royal Swedish Opera, and Essen Opera, Michael in the world premiere of Kasper Holten’s production of Brothers for Danish National Opera, Zurga The Pearl Fishers for English National Opera, Horatio in Brett Dean’s Hamlet at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Messner in the world premiere of Jimmy López Bel Canto at the , the title role Don Giovanni for Perm Opera with Teodor Currentzis and for Scottish Opera, Valentin in Gounod’s Faust in Baden- Baden, Guglielmo Così fan tutte for Houston Grand Opera, Papageno Die Zauberflöte for Welsh National Opera, and Tarquinius The Rape of Lucretia in Florence and Houston.

South African Connections

Errol Girdlestone spent eight years in S. Africa in the following three posts (late 70's, early 80's): - Assistant conductor PACT opera and symphony orchestra in Pretoria. - Then (ditto) CAPAB Opera and symphony orchestra in Cape Town. Frequent guest conductor with the CTSO (Cape Town Symphony Orchestra). - Finally, Music Director of Pietermaritzburg Philharmonic Society, a civic post involving overall responsibility for music in the city, plus being conductor of the PMB Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonic Choir. He was a frequent guest conductor with the Natal Philharmonic orchestra (now KwaZulu Natal Ph. Orch.) and NAPAC Opera in Durban.

Errol’s wife Susie Girdlestone is South African (like Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene, born in Bulawayo, Rhodesia) - an ex-ballet dancer with the Cape Town University Ballet School and CAPAB Ballet company.

Two of the soloists for the Messiah in Monaco on 1st December are also South Africans: Clint van der Linde and Jacques Imbrailo, both of whom are alumni of the internationally renowned Drakensberg Boys Choir.

Coincidentally, their brilliant music director, Christian Ashley Botha (d 2014) and Errol were close friends as students in London, and then when later in South Africa.

Clint is now a prominent countertenor, working regularly with Masaaki Suzuki in Japan, one of the world's leading conductors of Baroque music. Jacques is an internationally renowned baritone in both Lieder and opera, where he has become known as the current leading exponent of the title role in Britten's opera Billy Budd.

======For further information, please contact:

Karen Davie 06 83 53 23 50 / [email protected] Ristretto