The Sandham Singers

present

A Concert of Advent Readings and Carols

Sunday, 4th December 2016 at 4 pm St Mary’s Church, Greenham, Newbury, RG19 8RZ

Directed by Janet Coxwell

Accompanied by Steve Bowey

Retiring collection in aid of:

St Mary’s Church and The Sandham Singers Charity No 1142323

The Programme

Edward Elgar From the Bavarian Highlands

Interval

Karl Jenkins The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace

Conductor: Cathal Garvey Orchestra: Southern Sinfonia Pianist and organist: Steve Bowey Imam: Moynul Haque, from the Newbury Mosque

The solo parts in The Armed Man will be sung by members of the choir.

We are grateful to the following organisations for their support:

The Englefield Charitable Trust

Please visit www.newburychoral.org.uk/ConcertFeedback to tell us about your experience of our performance.

This programme was printed by Newbury College Print Room. 3 Programme Notes by Jane Hawker

Edward Elgar (1857-1934) From the Bavarian Highlands Sir Edward Elgar came from humble beginnings, was a self-taught musician and a Roman Catholic, all of which contributed to his feeling of alienation from the establishment of his country. He was, however, honoured for his achievements in his lifetime: he was knighted in 1904, and made Master of the King's Musick in 1924. Known for his patriotic works (especially the Pomp and Circumstance marches) Elgar was horrified by the carnage of war, as reflected in his choral piece , written in 1916. At 57 when the 1914-18 war began, he signed up as a special constable and joined the Hampstead Volunteer Reserve of the Army, the First World War equivalent of the Home Guard. Elgar's choral suite, From the Bavarian Highlands, is a product of much happier times when he and his wife, Alice, took a series of holidays in Garmisch, a mountain resort in Bavaria, in the 1890s. They walked in the mountains during the day and in the evenings watched the dances at local inns. In the autumn of 1894, Elgar wrote six songs, for which Alice supplied the words, adapted from German folk music of the region. She gave each song a subtitle related to favourite places from their visits. The piece was dedicated to the ex-patriot couple, the Slingsby Bethells, who owned the guesthouse where the Elgars stayed year year. Five of the songs are in triple time, and only the second one, False Love, sounds a sad note. They are gentle parodies of the Bavarian style, illustrating the spirit of the local dances, rather than copies or translations of actual folk songs, and were first performed in 1896 at the Worcester Festival. Elgar arranged numbers 1, 3 and 6 as an orchestral suite called .

4 1. The Dance (Sonnenbichl) Come and hasten to the dancing, Merry eyes will soon be glancing, Ha! My heart upbounds! Come and dance a merry measure, Quaff the bright brown ale my treasure, Hark! What joyous sounds! Sweet-heart come, on let us haste, On, on, no time let us waste, With my heart I love thee! Dance, dance, for rest we disdain, Turn, twirl, and spin round again, With my arm I hold thee! Down the path the lights are gleaming, Friendly faces gladly beaming Welcome us with song. Dancing makes the heart grow lighter, Makes the world and life grow brighter As we dance along!

2. False Love (Wamberg) Now we hear the Spring's sweet voice gladly thro' the world; Bidding all the earth rejoice. All is merry in the field, Flowers grow amid the grass, Blossoms blue, red, white they yield. As I seek my maiden true, Sings the little lark on high Fain to send her praises due.

5 As I climb and reach her door, Ah! I see a rival there, So farewell for evermore! Ever true was I to thee, Never grieved or vexed thee, love, False, oh! false, art thou to me. Now amid the forest green, Far from cruel eyes that mock Will I dwell unloved, unseen.

3. Lullaby (In Hammersbach) Sleep, my son, oh! slumber softly, While thy mother watches o'er thee, Nothing can affright or harm thee. Oh! sleep, my son. Far-away Zithers play, Dancing gay, Calls today. Vainly play Zithers gay, Here I stay All the day. Happily Guarding thee, Peacefully Watching thee. Sleep, my son, oh! slumber softly, While thy mother watches o'er thee, Oh! sleep, my son.

6 4. Aspiration (Aspiration bei Sankt Anton) Over the heights the snow lies deep, Sunk is the land in peaceful sleep; Here by the house of God we pray, Lead, Lord, our souls today. Shielding, like the silent snow, Fall His mercies here below. Calmly then, like the snow-bound land, Rest we in His protecting hand: Bowing, we wait His mighty will, Lead, Lord, and guide us still.

5. On the Alm (Hoch Alp) A mellow bell peals near, It has so sweet a sound; I know a maiden dear With voice as full and round. A sunlit alm shines clear, With clover blossoms sweet; There dwells my maiden dear And there my love I meet. There flying with no fear The swallows pass all day, And fast, my maiden dear, Sees chamois haste away. I cannot linger here, I cannot wait below; To seek my maiden dear, I, to the alm, must go. The mountain's call I hear, And up the height I bound; I know my maiden dear Will mark my Juchhé sound. 7 Rejoicing come I here My flaxen-haired sweet-heart; I love thee, maiden dear, Nay! bid me not depart! Notes: an alm is a high mountain pasture. Juchhé represents the sound of yodelling.

6. The Marksmen (Bei Murnau) Come from the mountain side, Come from the valleys wide, See, how we muster strong, Tramping along! Rifle on shoulder sling, Powder and bullets bring, Manly in mind and heart, Play we our part. Sure be each eye today, Steady each hand must stay, If in the trial we Victors would be! Sharp is the crack! 'tis done! Lost is the chance, or won; Right in the gold is it? Huzza! the hit! The sun will sink and light the west And touch the peaks with crimson glow; Then shadows fill the vale with rest While stars look peace on all below. In triumph then we take our way, And with our prizes homeward wend; Through meadows sweet with new-mown hay, A song exultant will we send.

Interval 8 (b.1944) The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace Welsh Karl Jenkins has music in his blood. The son of a chapel organist and choirmaster, he played the piano and and became Principal oboist of the National Youth Orchestra of Wales. He read music at the University of Wales, Cardiff, and was a postgraduate student at the Royal Academy of Music. Leaving the Academy he made his name as a jazz musician, playing oboe, saxophone, piano and keyboards. In the late 1960s he co-founded the jazz-rock band Nucleus and in 1972 joined Soft Machine, one of the most influential bands of its time, which pioneered a variety of innovative musical styles including progressive rock and minimalism. Karl Jenkins' compositions for the media, especially advertising, not only earned him prestigious industry awards but introduced him to ethnic music, which has informed his musical life ever since. He has achieved global success with his many choral compositions and has seventeen gold and platinum disc awards. In 2005 he was awarded an OBE, a CBE in 2010, and in 2015 he became the first Welsh-born composer to receive a knighthood, for his services to music. Jenkins says that he is committed to writing good, memorable tunes. He describes himself as a 'musical tourist' who rejects the confines of categorisation. He confesses to being an idealist and infuses his work with a strong spiritual dimension. He has been criticised in musical circles for being too accessible, but people all over the world want to sing and listen to his music. The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace was commissioned by the Royal Armouries, the UK's National Museum of Arms and Armour, to commemorate the millennium. Master of the Armouries at the time, Guy Wilson, put together a series of texts that would reflect the organisation's desire to promote an understanding of the consequences of war, while looking ahead with optimism to a new millennium of peace.

9 The result is a mixture of sacred and secular texts, in a variety of poetry and prose styles and from different cultures, all within the broader framework of the Christian Mass. Jenkins took up the challenge to work with the Royal Armouries to compose the music, and dedicated it to the victims of the war in Kosovo that was happening as he wrote it.

1. The Armed Man The catalyst for the entire piece was the tune of the first movement, L'Homme Armé, a secular song written in Burgundy between 1450 and 1463, bearing the message that the armed man must be feared. This simple melody went on to become widely used by Renaissance for settings of the Latin Mass, ensuring that it survived to this day. Jenkins builds the rhythm of this movement with repetition of the short lines of French text. The marching feet and military drums contrast strongly with the voices of the choir, the people who suffer when the powerful go to war. L'homme, l'homme, l'homme armé, L'homme armé L'homme armé doit on douter, doit on douter. On a fait partout crier, Que chacun se viegne armer D'un haubregon de fer.

The armed man should be feared. Everywhere it has been proclaimed That each man shall arm himself With a coat of iron mail.

10 2. Call to Prayers In this movement the Muslim call to prayer, or Adhaan, is sung just as it is five times a day, every day, in every mosque in the world. Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar Ashadu An La Illa-L-Lah Ashadu An La Illa-L-Lah Ashadu Anna Muhammadan Rasulu-l-lah Ashadu Anna Muhammadan Rasulu-l-lah Hayya Ala-s-salah Hayya Ala-s-salah Hayya Ala-l-Falah Hayya Ala-l-Falah Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar La Illaha il la-lah

Allah is the greatest. I acknowledge that there is no god but Allah. I acknowledge that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. Hasten to prayer. Hasten to success. God is greatest. There is no god but Allah.

11 3. The Kyrie is an element of the Requiem Mass which asks for divine blessing in the traditional Greek text. In contrast to the sparse effect of the first two movements, the singers are accompanied by a fuller instrumental sound. The lyricism and expression have a cathartic effect. The middle section of the movement, which Jenkins describes as 'after Palestrina', refers to the sixteenth-century composer's two settings of the L'Homme Armé tune. Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

4. Save Me from Bloody Men Sung by unaccompanied male voices in the style of Gregorian chant, Save Me from Bloody Men implores God to save us from those who would do us harm. The text is taken from two Psalms. The sudden drumbeat in the final phrase reminds us of the proximity of war and the piece ends with a sense of foreboding. Be merciful unto me, O God: For man would swallow me up. He fighting daily oppresseth me. Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: For they be many that fight against me. O thou most high. Defend me from them that rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, And save me from bloody men.

12 5. The Sanctus is the part of the Mass associated with the consecration of bread and wine, and is often given an ethereal treatment. In contrast, Jenkins takes the usual text, a hymn of praise to God, and interweaves restrained, chant-like lines reminiscent of the first movement with sections of more complex harmonies and orchestration. The effect is unsettling; the audience no longer has any idea of what to expect. Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth, Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.

6. Hymn Before Action The feeling of uncertainty is heightened in this movement, in which we are swept along by the broad, theatrical melody, only to be overwhelmed by Rudyard Kipling's words, which talk of the need for sacrifice in times of war, and end with the poignant appeal: 'Lord grant us strength to die!' The earth is full of anger, The seas are dark with wrath, The Nations in their harness Go up against our path: Ere yet we loose the legions Ere yet we draw the blade, Jehovah of the Thunders, Lord God of Battles, aid! High lust and froward bearing, Proud heart, rebellious brow Deaf ear and soul uncaring, 13 We seek Thy mercy now! The sinner that forswore Thee, The fool that passed Thee by, Our times are known before Thee Lord grant us strength to die!

7. Charge! Now there is no doubt that war will ensue, and in Charge! the agitated music echoes the momentum of the battle. The text is based on John Dryden's A Song for St Cecilia's Day of 1687. As the cacophony of war builds to a crescendo, the singers are directed to 'convey horror' with random cries and outpourings of grief. An unsettling silence is followed by the Last Post, traditionally played to mark the end of the military day and at ceremonies to commemorate the war dead. The 's loud clangour excites us to arms, With shrill notes of anger and mortal alarms. How blest is he who for his country dies. The double double beat of the thundering drum cries Hark! the foes come; Charge, 'tis too late, too late to retreat! How blest is he who for his country dies. The double double beat of the thundering drum cries Hark! the foes come; Charge, 'tis too late, too late to retreat! Charge.

8. Angry Flames In this movement Jenkins evokes the eery silence of the aftermath of war. The effects of mass destruction are described in the stark words of Japanese poet Toge Sankichi, who was in Hiroshima at the time of the atomic bomb and who died in 1953 of leukaemia caused by exposure to radiation. 14 Pushing up through smoke From a world half darkened by over-hanging cloud, The shroud that mushroomed out And struck the dome of the sky, Black, red, blue, Dance in the air, Merge, Scatter glittering sparks, already tower over the whole city. Quivering like seaweed The mass of flames spurts forward. Popping up in the dense smoke, Crawling out wreathed in fire, Countless human beings on all fours, In a heap of embers that erupt and subside, Hair rent, Rigid in death, There smoulders a curse.

9. Torches This movement is a reminder that devastation on this scale is not a modern phenomenon. Torches is an excerpt from the epic Sanskrit poem The Mahabharata. It portrays in graphic detail the horrors of war inflicted on humans and animals, the 'living torches'. The animals scattered in all directions, screaming terrible screams. Many were burning others were burnt. All were shattered and scattered mindlessly, their eyes bulging. Some hugged their sons, others their fathers and mothers, unable to let them go, and so they died. Others leapt up in their thousands, faces disfigured and were consumed by the fire.

15 Everywhere were bodies squirming on the ground, wings, eyes and paws all burning. They breathed their last as living torches.

10. In a complete change of mood, the Agnus Dei reminds us of the hope of redemption from sin through Christ. The gentle melody and traditional Lamb of God litany is the part of the Mass when bread is broken. It asks that we be granted first mercy and finally peace. Agnus Dei, Qui tollis peccata mundi, Miserere nobis. Agnus Dei, Qui tollis peccata mundi, Dona nobis pacem. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

11. Now the Guns have Stopped This short movement acts as an interlude in which Guy Wilson's words convey the feelings of a survivor of war whose comrades did not come home. Silent, so silent, now, Now the guns have stopped. I have survived all, I who knew I would not. But now you are not here. I shall go home alone; 16 And must try to live life as before And hide my grief. For you, my dearest friend, who should be with me now, Not cold, too soon, And in your grave, Alone.

12. Benedictus A poignant solo begins this movement, the part of the Mass in which faith is affirmed. The choir sings quietly at first, but there is a sudden change to fortissimo as the singers proclaim 'Hosanna in excelsis'. The healing process has begun, preparing for the return to the original fifteenth-century theme in the final movement, but this time to celebrate peace. Benedictus, benedictus Qui venit in nomine Domini Hosanna in excelsis. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

13. Better is Peace Jenkins' musical direction for Better is Peace is giocoso, merry and jocular. It begins with Malory's account in Le Morte d'Arthur of Lancelot and Guinevere's declaration that 'Better is peace than always war', sung to the L'Homme Armé tune. Then Tennyson's words from his poem Ring Out, Wild Bells of 1850 joyfully proclaim that a thousand years of war can herald a new millennium of peace. The final section brings another change of mood, a lyrical, hymn-like setting, sung unaccompanied, of text from the Book of Revelation that we can overcome death and suffering.

17 Better is peace than always war, And better is peace than evermore war, always war, always war, better is peace than evermore war, and better and better is peace. L’homme, l'homme, l'homme armé, L'homme armé doit on douter? Ring out the thousand wars of old. Ring in the thousand years of peace. Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring happy bells across the snow. The year is going, let him go, The year is going, let him go. Ring out the false, ring in the true, Ring out old shapes of foul disease. Ring out the narrowing lust of gold; Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace. Ring in the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand. Ring out the darkness of the land, Ring in the Christ that is to be. The year is going, let him go, The year is going, let him go. Ring out the false, ring in the true. God shall wipe away all tears And there shall be no more death, Neither sorrow nor crying, Neither shall there be any more pain. Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord.

18 Cathal Garvey — Musical Director Cathal Garvey hails from Ireland where he made his name as a choral and orchestral conductor. Since moving to London in 2009, he has conducted Southern Sinfonia, London International Orchestra, Covent Garden Chamber Orchestra, I Maestri, London Repertoire Orchestra, London Medical Orchestra, King's College London Symphony Orchestra and Morley College Choir. He was also Chorus Master and Assistant Conductor for two seasons at Grange Park Opera. He is currently on the staff of the Royal Academy of Music. Cathal began his career as an Opera Chorus Master working for most of Ireland’s major opera companies including Opera Ireland, Opera Theatre Company, Anna Livia Opera Festival, Opera South and Lyric Opera. For these companies he has worked on over fifty productions, including La Bohème, Il trovatore, Boris Godunov, Aïda, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Hérodiade, La rondine, Madama Butterfly, The Flying Dutchman, The Silver Tassie, Cavalleria rusticana, Tosca, Don Carlo, La traviata, Carmen, Macbeth, Faust, Martha, The Queen of Spades, Andrea Chénier, Jenůfa, Rigoletto, Orfeo ed Euridice, La Cenerentola, Fidelio, Don Pasquale, The Pearl Fishers and Lucia di Lammermoor. He acted as Assistant Conductor for many of these productions and has also conducted several musicals in Cork and Dublin. During his ten years in Dublin, Cathal conducted the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the Orchestra of St Cecilia, the Ulysses Orchestra, the Irish Sinfonia, the Dublin Baroque Players, the Royal Irish Academy of Music Wind Ensemble, Dublin Concert Band, the RTÉ Philharmonic Choir, Bray Choral Society and from 2001 to 2006 was Principal Conductor of the Dublin Orchestral Players.

19 From 2004 to 2009 he was Musical Director of the Dun Laoghaire Choral Society with whom he had a highly successful tenure, covering a wide range of sacred music and oratorios. During this time he became a noted champion of British music, conducting many works by Elgar, Delius, Britten, Tippett, Stanford (Irish!) and, in particular, Vaughan Williams with whose music he has a special affinity. At his 2005 debut concert with Dun Laoghaire Choral Society, the Irish Times wrote: "Cathal Garvey is a young conductor knocking at the door. His most prominent achievement to date has been his transforming impact at Opera Ireland…. Garvey not only has good musical instincts but also the technical proficiency to communicate them to his choir and players." Cathal began violin and piano studies in his native Cork at an early age, continuing at the Cork School of Music and later reading music at University College Cork. After completing his Masters Degree in Conducting he studied for two years at the prestigious College of Moscow Conservatory. As a violinist, Cathal was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland and has played professionally with numerous orchestras including the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and the German-based Philharmonia of the Nations. He currently works as a freelance player in London. As a chorister, Cathal has sung and toured with many large choirs and chamber choirs, among them the Irish Youth Choir, University College Cork Choir, Madrigal '75 and the College of Moscow Conservatory Choir. Newbury Choral Society was delighted to appoint him as its Musical Director in 2009.

20 Steve Bowey - Accompanist Steve studied organ and piano from an early age, playing the organ regularly at St Francis and St

Andrews churches in Coulsdon. After studying Engineering at Salford University he moved to Newbury to work for Vodafone. In 1991 Steve was appointed as accompanist of the Cromwell Singers and became their musical director in 1993. From 1992, he was Director of Music at St Mary's Church, Shaw-cum-Donnington, and regularly accompanies for local choirs, including the Douai Choral Society, the Downland Chorale, the RSCM Southern Cathedral Singers, Berkshire Maestros youth choirs, Worcester College Oxford and Newbury Choral society. In June 1995 an opportunity at work took Steve to live in Holland. On returning to Newbury in 1997 he returned to St Mary's Shaw-cum- Donnington as organist. He is a regular performer in the Newbury and District Organists' Association lunchtime recital series and has also given recitals in Thaxted, Caterham and Manchester and Farnham. In 2001 he was appointed Musical Director of the Sandham Singers. In 2006 Steve joined the Royal College of Organists, and in July the following year took the examination for Associate (ARCO) in which he was awarded the Limpus prize for performance, as well as the Sowerbutts and Samuel Baker prizes. After further study, he was awarded the Fellowship diploma (FRCO) in January 2011.

21 Southern Sinfonia

Southern Sinfonia’s reputation continues to grow as the leading professional Chamber Orchestra of England. With Sir Roger Norrington as its Patron and David Hill as its Music Director, the orchestra was established in 1990 and is based in Somerset and Berkshire. Its unique ability to play modern and Baroque instruments, and therefore music from the 1600s to the present day, at the correct pitch and with informed playing style, puts it in huge demand, as does its commitment to contemporary and new music. The orchestra is Orchestra in Residence at the Corn Exchange and the University of Winchester, has an association with Reading University, and performs in venues throughout England, including London, Wells, Exeter, Canterbury, Cambridge, Nottingham and Romsey. As well as regular orchestral concerts and performances with the South of England’s most established chamber choirs and choral societies, the organisation runs biennial Young and Older Musician of the Year competitions, provides a performance platform for the Hampshire Singing Competition winner and runs regular and extensive educational programmes, as well as a popular lunchtime series of Café Concerts. Southern Sinfonia’s most recent releases include the Monteverdi Vespers, on the Signum label, the world premiere of Carl Rütti’s Requiem (Naxos), and the Bach B Minor Mass, with Ralph Allwood and the Rodolfus Choir (Signum). For further information about the orchestra, sponsorship opportunities or to become a Friend of the orchestra please email [email protected]

22 Newbury Choral Society Members Honorary Life Patron: Lady Knill Chairperson: Liz Wallace Secretary: Nat Smith Treasurer: Tracy Smith Concert Manager: Mike Barthorpe Rehearsal accompanist: Steve Bowey SOPRANOS ALTOS Rachel Atkinson Margaret Owen Katharine Andrews Kiki Kettunen Rebecca Berger Pauline Phillips Gayle Ashby Ceinwen Lally Helen Bomgardner Laura Rushton Margaret Baker Mary Lawler Teresa Brown Taylor Hilary Banks Emma Leader Christine Castle Brigitta Small Denise Barthorpe Clare Owen Marion Croxford Sarah South Jaquie Basker Susanne Padel Ann Doyle Patricia Stewart Angela Bates Bridget Purr Sarah Foley Judith Stock Jane Burgess Georgina Seaman Janet Freer Fenisia Stopher Helen Cook Sally Sinclair Ellie Gibson Heather Yule Jacquie Cooper Nat Smith Gill Hitchcock Liz Coughlan Tracy Smith Monica Huddie Helen Douglass Ann Turner Murrie Jackson Nicola Foster Vicci Vaughan Lauraine Leigh Margaret Freeman Ann Vodden Klugman Elizabeth Hanning Liz Wallace Beverley Lewis Lynette Harper Sally Walsh Penny Lovelock Jane Hawker Margaret Wright Katie Massey Jenny Hayward Margaret Yates Lynne Moore Mavis Hughesdon Debbie Murphy Gwenda Hutchinson

TENORS BASSES Peter Angwin Neil Rendall Gerald Atkinson David Hunt Mike Barthorpe Andrew Salisbury Robin Basker Alexander Jackson Matthew Evans Tony Vickers Peter Bell Richard Moore Russell George Angela Whitcomb David Bomgardner Brendan Murphy Derek Harwood Jeremy Wright Mike Braide Andrew Parker Nic Lampkin Nick Yates David Craig Barrie Seaman Richard Papworth Peter Donnelly Jon Trickey John Garbutt Simon Wake Paul High

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