Great Vespers All-Night 1 Priidite, poklonimsia 2 Blagoslovi, dushe moya, Ghospoda 3 Blazhen muzh Vigil 4 Svete tihiy 5 Nine otpushchayeshi 6 Bogoroditse Devo Organ: The Winkleigh Singers Requiem No. 7 from Faust directed by Roland Smith Petr Eben Matins 7 Shestopsalmiye: Laura Trayhurn Slava v vyshnikh Bogu 8 Hvalite imia Ghospodne Mezzo Soprano 9 Blagosloven yesi, Ghospodi 10 Voskreseniye Khristovo videvshe 11 Velichit dusha moya Ghospoda Oliver Kuusik 12 Slavosloviye velikoye Tenor Organ: Psalm Prelude from Set 2 No. 3 Herbert Howells Andrew Daldorph 13 Tropar Dnes spaseniye Organ Organ: Psalm Prelude from Set 1 No. 1 Herbert Howells St Michael and All 14 Tropar Voskres iz groba Angels Church Organ: Ite, Missa Est Great Torrington Kenneth Leighton First Hour Saturday 17th March 2007 15 Vzbrannoy voyevode
Programme.pmd 1 13/03/2007, 21:05 Laura Trayhurn trains at the Royal Rutter, Vivaldi’s Gloria and Handel’s Academy of Music under the tutelage of Messiah, Rossini’s Petite Messe Julie Kennard and Jonathan Papp. A Solemnelle, Perglesi’s Stabat Mater, music graduate and choral scholar of Durufle’s Requiem, Charpentier’s Te King’s College London, Laura has a Deum, Mozart’s Solemn Vespers and repertoire that spans a wide range of Coronation Mass and Andrew Carter’s musical periods and styles. Recitals have Musick’s Jubilee, in a concert for the included arias from Mozart’s Le Nozze di composer. Figaro and La Clemenza di Tito and Laura’s most recent performances have Walton’s The Bear as well as Bellini’s Tre included Mozart’s Requiem in St.Martin- Ariette, Britten’s A Charm of Lullabies and in the-Fields and St. Botolph’s, Aldgate, a selection of songs by Mahler and the and the role of Storge in Handel’s Jephtha Spanish composer Montsalvatge. in Crawley. Forthcoming performances During her time at the Royal Academy, include Bach’s St. John Passion in Hull Laura has participated in many and a charity concert of sacred music in masterclasses, notably with the counter- her home county of Somerset. tenor James Bowman, who provided Laura would like to thank the expert advice on her interpretation of the Josephine Baker Trust for their continued alto arias in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. support. She has also performed in a number of opera scenes, taking the roles of Oliver Kuusik studied at the Estonian Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte, Academy of Music under voice teachers Second Lady in another of his famous Pille Lill and Virgilijus Noreika, works Die Zauberflote, Hedwige in transferring to The Guildhall School of Rossini’s Guillaume Tell and Charmian in Music and Drama, London, in 2003 to Barber’s Anthony and Cleopatra. study under Rudolf Piernay and Despite maintaining a keen interest in graduating as MMus and GMSD. He opera, oratorio and sacred choral music continued at the Guildhall after continue to play a key role in her vocal graduation where he undertook the repertoire and she has appeared as a Opera Course. His competition successes soloist in the Requiems of Fauré and include first prize in the H. Krumme
Programme.pmd 2 13/03/2007, 21:05 Singing Competition, Kuressaare (2006), Andrew is the director of the semi- winner The Best Estonian Young Singer, professional choir Musica Prattica and is Tallin (2001) and second prize (2001) in also conductor of the East Devon Choral the M. Saaar Romance Competition and Society and the Exeter Chamber Choir. (2000) T Kuusik Singing Competition, He also teaches organ and piano privately both in Tallin, Estonia. and at Exeter School. To relax, Andrew Whilst at the Guildhall he took roles enjoys playing jazz piano with his trio at in a varied repertoire of operas, and has functions across the UK and abroad. sung oratorio solos (from Vivaldi to Pärt) throughout England, Norway, Finland, Roland Smith has been singing since the Latvia and his native Estonia. age of seven, starting with more than Solo recitals have taken him to Finland, twenty years in the church choir at Holy Sweden, Russia, France and England. An Trinity, Cookham-on-Thames, where he accomplished linguist, he has been also had his first taste of choir directing. Estonian and Finnish Langauage coach to During the last few years he was in the BBC Singers (2005), and a member Berkshire, Roland also sang with Palace of Savonlinna Opera Festival Chorus Chorale in London and as a guest with Le (2000) Madrigal de Paris. This year, 2007, Oliver has sung Gaston On moving to Devon, he founded the in Verdi’s La Traviata, and later in the year Winkleigh Singers and has sung with a will perform Beppo in Il Pagliacci number of distinguished choirs including (Leoncavallo), Borsa, (Rigoletto, Verdi), Schola Aquae Sulis, The South West Don Ramiro (La Cenerentola, Rossini), all Cathedral Singers, The Richard Roddis with Estonian National Opera, and Don Singers, and Exeter Festival Chorus . He Ottavio (Don Giovanni, Mozart) with now devotes his singing time to Somerset European Opera Centre in Liverpool. Chamber Choir. He has attended conducting workshops and masterclasses Andrew Daldorph graduated with a first led by a number of leading choral class honours degree in music from the directors, including Mike Brewer, Bob University of Southampton in 1993. He Chilcott and Jane Glover. then took up the post of Organ Scholar at Guildford Cathedral and subsequently gained Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists. Andrew took lessons from this country’s most eminent organists, including Peter Hurford, David Hill, David Sanger and Dame Gillian Weir. On the harpsichord he has studied under Richard Woolley. He frequently gives recitals and has played for services and concerts in cathedrals and concert halls throughout the country. Recent appearances include Exeter and Guildford Cathedrals, Bath Abbey, l’Auditoria de Girona, Spain.
Programme.pmd 3 13/03/2007, 21:05 All music of the Orthodox Church is sung It has been praised as Rachmaninoff’s unaccompanied, using only the musical finest achievement and “the greatest instrument God himself created: the musical achievement of the Russian human voice; no organ or other Orthodox Church”. It was one of instruments of any kind are permitted. Rachmaninoff’s two favourite Our excuse for interspersing the sections compositions, along with The Bells, and of the All Night Vigil with organ music is the composer requested that one of its threefold: firstly, this concert movements (the fifth) be sung at his performance is being given in an funeral. Anglican Church; secondly, this church is In accordance with Orthodox practice blessed with a fine organ; and thirdly, to (before composing the Vigil, give the choir’s voices a rest in what Rachmaninoff had studied ancient chant would otherwise be more than an hour under Stepan Smolensky, to whom he of continuous singing! dedicated the piece), he based this Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff (1873- music on traditional chants, movements 1943) was a Russian composer, pianist, 8, 9, 12, 13 and 14 being based on and conductor, one of the last great znamenny chants (traditional ancient champions of the Romantic style of Russian Orthodox chants, znamenny European classical music. meaning “written in signs”), four and The fifteen a cappella pieces making five on ‘Kiev’ chant (a Ukranian up the All-Night Vigil were written in less variation of the znamenny style chants), than two weeks in January and February numbers two and fifteen on Greek chant 1915. Rachmaninoff had set the Liturgy and movements 1, 3, 6, 10, and 11 of St John Chrysostom in 1910, and a where the chants were, in the performance which he conducted in 1914 composer’s words, ‘conscious convinced him that he should write counterfeits’ which he himself invented. another and (to him) more satisfactory The work is written for a four-part work for the Russian Orthodox Church. choir, with a very low bass part. The All-Night Vigil was an immediate However, in many places there is three, success at its premiere by the Moscow five, six, or eight-part harmony; at one Synodal Choir in 1915, but the point in the seventh movement, the suppression of the Church following the choir is divided into eleven parts. 1917 revolution prevented it achieving Movements four and nine each contain wide recognition until the 1960s. brief tenor solos, while movements two and five feature lengthy solos for alto and tenor, respectively. The fifth movement has gained notoriety for its ending, in which the low basses must negotiate a descending scale that ends with a low B flat (the third B flat below middle C). When Rachmaninoff initially played this passage through to Kastalsky and Danilin in preparation for the first performance, Rachmaninoff recalled that: “Danilin shook his head, saying, Rachmaninoff
Programme.pmd 4 13/03/2007, 21:05 ‘Now where on earth are we to find such Herbert Howells (1892-1983) was born basses? They are as rare as asparagus at in Lydney, Gloucester. In 1912 he won a Christmas!’ Nevertheless, he (Danilin) scholarship to the Royal College of Music did find them. I knew the voices of my where he studied composition with countrymen…” Stanford and was considered the best of Following the Revolution, Sergei his generation of composers. He started Rachmaninoff took the opportunity of a his musical career as a cathedral organist concert journey to Scandinavia to leave and in 1936 succeeded Gustav Holst as his country for ever. He lived in Paris for director of music at St Paul's Girls' School a time and then spent most of the rest of in London. He taught composition for his life in America. many years at the Royal College of Music, The All Night Vigil will tonight be sung where Gordon Jacob was one of his pupils. in the original Church Slavonic Language.
Petr Eben (1929- ) was born in the Czech town of Zamberk. He studied piano and composition at Charles University in Prague, where he later taught musicology and was appointed Professor of Composition. Today he is one of the leading Czech composers. His works comprise a wide variety of genres including opera, oratorio, concerto and works for orchestra, choir and chamber
music. Due to his own particular love of Howells the organ and his strong religious Kenneth Leighton (1929-1988) was convictions, he particularly excels in organ born in Wakefield on October 2 1929, was and church music. He himself has a chorister at Wakefield Cathedral and performed in the world's most renowned educated at the Queen Elizabeth Grammar concert halls where he has established School. In 1946, while still at school he himself as one of the great organ gained the LRAM Piano Performer's improvisers of our time. diploma. In 1947 he went up to The Queen's College, Oxford, on a Hastings Scholarship in Classics; in 1951 he graduated both BA in Classics, and BMus. (having studied with Bernard Rose). In the same year he won the Mendelssohn Scholarship and went to Rome to study with Petrassi. Kenneth Leighton was Professor of Theory at the Royal Marine School of Music 1952-1953, and Gregory Fellow in Music at the University of Leeds 1953-55. Eben
Programme.pmd 5 13/03/2007, 21:05 In 1955 he was appointed Lecturer in As a pianist Kenneth Leighton was a Music at the University of Edinburgh frequent recitalist and broadcaster, both where he was made Senior Lecturer and as soloist and in chamber music. He then Reader; in 1968 he returned to recorded his piano music for the British Oxford as University Lecturer in Music and Music Society and conducted many Fellow of Worcester College. performances and broadcasts of his own In October 1970 he was appointed music. Reid Professor of Music at the University of Edinburgh, the post which he held until his death in 1988. Kenneth Leighton was one of the most distinguished of British post-war composers; over 100 compositions are published, many of which were written Acknowledgements to commission, and his work is frequently The Winkleigh Singers acknowledge the support given by the Josephine Baker Trust to Laura Trayhurn in tonight’s concert. We thank the Vicar, Churchwardens of St Michael and All Angels, Torrington, for allowing us the use of this church, and John Downing for his assistance. Special thanks to Ian Bromelow for imparting his knowledge of Russian Orthodox liturgy and correcting our
Leighton Church Slavonic diction; also for taking performed and broadcast both in Britain what must be the shortest solo part in and abroad. the bass repertoire, the Deacon’s call for Among the many prizes for all to stand for blessing at the start of composition awarded to him were the Vespers. Busoni Prize (1956), the National …and last, but not least, our visiting Federation of Music Societies Prize for the singers best choral work of the year (1960), the City of Trieste First Prize for a new symphonic work (1965), the Bernard Sprengel Prize for chamber music (1966) and the Cobbett Medal for distinguished Please note that there will be no break services to chamber music (1967). in this evening’s performance, and that In 1960 he was awarded the Doctorate the audience is asked to reserve in Music by the University of Oxford, and applause until the end of the evening. in 1977 was made an Honorary Doctor of the University of St Andrews for his Refreshments will be served after the work as a composer. He was made an performance Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Music in 1982.
Programme.pmd 6 13/03/2007, 21:05 Great Vespers Blessed are all who take refuge in Him. Deacon: Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! Arise! Master, bless! Alleluia, alleluia. alleluia. Silence Salvation is of the Lord; and Thy Priest: blessing is upon Thy people. Glory to the Holy, Consubstantial, Life- Alleluia, alleluia. alleluia. Creating, and Undivided Trinity, now Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and and ever, and unto ages of ages!” to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever Amen and unto ages of ages. Amen. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, Come, let us worship O God! Come, let us worship God, our King. Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King and our God. Come, let us worship and fall down before the very Christ, our King and our God. Come, let us worship and fall down before Him.
Bless the Lord, O my soul Bless the Lord, O my soul, blessed art Thou, O Lord. O Lord my God, Thou art very great. Blessed art Thou, O Lord. Thou art clothed with honour and majesty. Blessed art Thou, O Lord. The waters stand upon the mountains. Marvellous are Thy works, O Lord. Gladsome Light The waters flow between the hills. Gladsome Light of the holy glory of the Marvellous are Thy works. O Lord. Immortal One— the Heavenly Father, In wisdom hast Thou made all things. holy and blessed—O Jesus Christ! Glory to Thee, O Lord, who hast Now that we have come to the setting created all! of the sun, and behold the light of evening, we praise the Father, Son, Blessed is the man and Holy Spirit. Blessed is the man, who walks not in Thou art worthy at every moment to be the counsel of the wicked. Alleluia, praised in hymns by reverent voices. alleluia. alleluia. O Son of God, Thou art the Giver of Life; For the Lord knows the way of the therefore all the world glorifies Thee. righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. Alleluia, alleluia. alleluia. Lord, now lettest Thou Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice in Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant Him with trembling. depart in peace, according to Thy Alleluia, alleluia. alleluia. word.
Programme.pmd 7 13/03/2007, 21:05 For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, O Lord, open Thou my lips, and my which Thou hast prepared before the mouth shall proclaim Thy praise. face of all people — a light to lighten (The six psalms at vespers are numbers 3, the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy 38, 63, 88, 103 and 143 and would be people Israel. chanted by a Reader. Rachmaninoff entitled this movement “The Lesser Doxology” in the Rejoice, O Virgin autograph.) Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, Mary full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Praise the name of the Lord Blessed art Thou among women, and Praise the name of the Lord. Alleluia. blessed is the Fruit of Thy womb, for Praise the Lord, O you His servants. Thou hast borne the Saviour of our Alleluia, alleluia. souls. Blessed be the Lord from Zion, He who dwells in Jerusalem. Alleluia. O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good. Alleluia, alleluia. For His mercy endures forever. Alleluia.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord O give thanks unto the God of Heaven. Alleluia, alleluia. For His mercy endures forever. Alleluia Blessed art Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy statutes. The angelic host was filled with awe, when it saw Thee among the dead. By destroying the power of death, O Saviour, Thou didst raise Adam, and save all men from hell! Blessed art Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy statutes. “Why do you mingle myrrh with your tears of compassion, O ye women disciples?” cried the radiant angel in the tomb to the myrrh-bearers. “Behold the tomb and understand: the Matins Saviour is risen from the dead!” The Six Psalms: Glory to God in the Blessed art Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy highest statutes. Glory to God in the highest, and on Very early in the morning the myrrh- earth peace, good will among men. bearers ran with sorrow to Thy tomb, Glory to God in the highest, and on but an Angel came to them and said: earth peace, good will among men. “The time for sorrow has come to an Glory to God in the highest, and on end! Do not weep, but announce the earth peace, good will among men. resurrection to the apostles!”
Programme.pmd 8 13/03/2007, 21:05 Blessed art Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy resurrection, for by enduring the cross statutes. for us, The myrrh-bearers were sorrowful as He has destroyed death by death. they neared Thy tomb, but the Angel said to them: “Why do you number the living among the dead? Since He is God, He is risen from the tomb!” Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. We worship the Father, and His Son, and the Holy Spirit: the Holy Trinity, one in essence! We cry with the Seraphim: “Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou, O Lord!” Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Since Thou didst give birth to the Giver of Life, O Virgin, Thou didst deliver Adam from his sin! Thou gavest joy to Eve instead of sadness! The God-man who was born of Thee has restored to life those who had fallen from it! Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! Glory to Thee, O God! My soul magnifies the Lord Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! Glory to Thee, (Magnificat) O God! My soul magnifies the Lord, and my Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! Glory to Thee, spirit rejoices in God my Saviour. O God! More honourable than the Cherubim and more glorious beyond compare Having beheld the resurrection of than the Seraphim, without Christ defilement Thou gavest birth to God Having beheld the resurrection of the Word, true Theotokos, we Christ, let us worship the holy Lord magnify Thee. Jesus, the only Sinless One. For He has regarded the low estate of We venerate Thy Cross, O Christ, and His handmaiden. For behold, we hymn and glorify Thy holy henceforth all generations will call resurrection, for Thou art our God, me blessed. and we know no other than Thee; we For He who is mighty has done great call on Thy name. things for me, and holy is His name, Come, all you faithful, let us venerate and His mercy is on those who fear Christ’s holy resurrection. Him from generation to generation. For, behold, through the cross joy has More honourable than the Cherubim… come into all the world. He has put down the mighty from their Ever blessing the Lord, let us praise His thrones, and has exalted those of low
Programme.pmd 9 13/03/2007, 21:05 degree; He has filled the hungry with generation to generation. good things, and the rich He has sent I said: Lord, have mercy on me, heal empty away. my soul, for I have sinned against More honourable than the Cherubim… Thee. He has helped His servant Israel, in Lord, I flee to Thee, teach me to do Thy remembrance of His mercy, as He will, for Thou art my God; for with spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and Thee is the fountain of life, and in to his posterity forever. Thy light we shall see light. More honourable than the Cherubim… Continue Thy mercy on those who know Thee. The Great Doxology Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Glory to God in the highest, and on have mercy on us. earth peace, Good will toward men. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we have mercy on us. worship Thee, we glorify Thee, we give Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, thanks to Thee for Thy great glory. have mercy on us. O Lord, Heavenly King, God the Father Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and almighty. to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever O Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus and unto ages of ages. Amen. Christ and the Holy Spirit. Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, Father, who takest away the sin of the have mercy on us. world have mercy on us. Thou who takest away the sin of the Troparion world, receive our prayer. Today salvation has come to the Thou who sittest at the right hand of world the Father, have mercy on us. Today salvation has come to the world. For Thou alone art holy, Thou alone art Let us sing to Him who rose from the the Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of dead, the Author of our life. God the Father. Amen. Having destroyed death by death, Every day I will bless Thee and praise He has given us the victory and great Thy name forever and ever. mercy. Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin. Troparion Blessed art Thou, O Lord, God of our Thou didst rise from the tomb fathers, and praised and glorified is Thou didst rise from the tomb and burst Thy name forever. Amen. the bonds of Hades! Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as Thou didst destroy the condemnation of we have set our hope on Thee. death, O Lord, releasing all mankind Blessed art Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy from the snares of the enemy! statutes. Thou didst show Thyself to Thine Blessed art Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy apostles, and didst send them forth to statutes. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, proclaim Thee; and through them Thou teach me Thy statutes. hast granted Thy peace to the world, O Lord, Thou has been our refuge from Thou who art plenteous in mercy!
Programme.pmd 10 13/03/2007, 21:05 First Hour To Thee, the victorious Leader MUSIC FOR To Thee, the victorious Leader of triumphant hosts, we Thy servants, BASTILLE DAY delivered from evil, offer hymns of thanksgiving, The Winkleigh Singers O Theotokos! and North Devon Sinfonia Since Thou dost possess invincible might, set us free from all calamities, A PROGRAMME OF ALL so that we may cry to Thee: FRENCH MUSIC TO INCLUDE “Rejoice, O unwedded Bride!” FAURE’S REQUIEM St Peter’s Church, Barnstaple Saturday 14th July 2007
Details and tickets from 1st May www.winkleighsingers.org.uk Don’t miss it!
The Winkleigh Singers Honorary Patron Richard Stilgoe OBE Sopranos Altos Tenors Basses Cecily Blyther Rachel Arnold Ian Burnett Les Billig Sally Daldorph * Lisa Pincombe Andrew Daldorph * Ian Bromelow * Doreen James Sarah Slade Adrian Male * Ian Cornwell Margaret Jury Liz Smith David White Simon Francis * Miriam McCurdy Carol Wisken Brian Wilmot Rob Martin * Naomi Overny John Smith Tattwa Gyani John Thompson * We welcome and are very grateful to our guest singers.
FRIENDS OF THE WINKLEIGH SINGERS We hope you have enjoyed this concert. If you did, we would like to invite you to become a Friend of the Winkleigh Singers. Friends enjoy advance notice of choir activities, discounts on concert tickets, and opportunities to join in choir activities (for example, four of our Friends joined our tour to Hungary). To apply to become a Friend, there are forms available at all our concerts and on our web site at http:// www.winkleighsingers.org.uk, or write to Margaret Jury, Normandie, 23 Stoats Close, South Molton, Devon EX36 4JU.
Programme.pmd 11 13/03/2007, 21:05 A Workshop/Masterclass for Adult Amateur Singers Join the Winkleigh Singers for a full day of informal singing with the internationally renowned soprano, Evelyn Tubb. Everyone will have the opportunity to join in the general sessions throughout the day and to observe masterclass sessions. There will be a limited number of sessions available to non-members of the Winkleigh Singers, either as individuals or small groups (first come, first served). Saturday 14th April 2007, 9.30am to 5.00pm Entrance for the day £10.00. Masterclass session, add £10.00. The Plough Arts Centre 9-11 Fore Street, Great Torrington 01805 624624
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Programme.pmd 12 13/03/2007, 21:05