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CELESTIAL BIRD is “very personal, showing different sides of me CELESTIAL BIRD Jessica Duchen and my music. There are many, and some that Roxanna Panufnik (b. 1968) people haven’t necessarily seen before.” This collection of choral music by Roxanna Panufnik emerges as the composer celebrates Unending Love, the most substantial work on her fiftieth birthday in 2018. A half-century the album, sets a poem by the Indian poet and can be a crucial moment for any creative artist, polymath Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), a time to take stock and assess one’s identity, a seminal figure in the mystically-inclined 1 Unending Love [9.14] achievements and aims. And for Panufnik artistic circles, among others, of the early 2 Celestial Bird [5.42] there is also plenty to celebrate: this recording 20th century. The piece was a response to 3 Salve Regina [3.41] is the latest in a series of landmark events, a commission from the National Youth 4 O Hearken [2.08] including the powerful impact of her ‘People’s Choir, requesting a Tagore setting with 5 - 6 St Pancras Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis [10.09] Opera’ Silver Birch, premiered at Garsington accompaniment by the traditional South in 2017 and shortlisted for an International Asian ensemble Tarang – which includes the 7 Since We Parted [10.05] Opera Award, and a choral commission for Indian violin, percussion and sitar, as well 8 A Cradle Song [4.41] the Last Night of the Proms 2018. as a Carnatic singer. Panufnik based the 9 Deus est Caritas [3.52] work’s harmonies on Indian ragas: “I was 0 St Aidan’s Prayer [3.45] While many listeners associate her with choral eager to explore a multitude of kaleidoscopic q Child of Heaven [3.13] music, and with good reason – the genre Indian modes and instruments,” she says, accounts for around 70 per cent of her “and I instantly fell in love with this colourful Total timings: [56.33] compositions – this output encompasses great and passionate poem. I particularly wanted to variety, from ecstatic religious settings, such use some of the original Bengali words, as the St Pancras Magnificat and Nunc including those for ‘unending love’ – Jonme Dimittis or St Aidan’s Prayer, to the vivacious jonme juge juge – which provided the rhythm and the romantic (Since We Parted), as well for the entire last verse.” NYCGB requested a as influences from different musical traditions “a Bollywood ending” – and Panufnik says EX CATHEDRA MILAPFEST as diverse as South Asia (Unending Love) she was delighted to oblige. JEFFREY SKIDMORE conductor and a hint of English and Celtic folksong (Celestial Bird). This album, Panufnik reflects, www.signumrecords.com - 3 - The album’s title, Celestial Bird, is from a but the raffle winner, Pamela Carrington, “Mag and Nunc” and her existing music kept “The whole piece is made up of my typical setting of a mystical poem by Jessica Powers persuaded her instead to write a new piece surfacing when she looked at the text. “A major-minor harmonic language which sets (1905-1988), who became a Carmelite nun for the Westminster Abbey Choir and its combination of advice from my ever-helpful a bittersweet atmosphere,” Panufnik says. in Wisconsin, but had Scottish and Irish director James O’Donnell. For the resulting Facebook friends and the fact that this was “The trumpets remind us, from time to time, of ancestry; Panufnik says she discovered this Introit, says Panufnik, O’Donnell requested that a cappella and in Latin (whereas the first the backdrop of war.” fact only after imagining the music with Celtic it should be “pithy” and celebratory. Panufnik’s one had been accompanied by organ and influences. “I have heard her described as young son, Benedict Macklow-Smith, is a set mostly in English) helped, and soon I was Panufnik set William Blake’s A Cradle Song an ‘artist, painting words’ – which fits my chorister at the Abbey: “It was the first time flying,” she says. in fulfilment of a long-standing wish to write overt style of word-painting in music,” Panufnik I’d heard my son sing my music,” she a Christmas carol in the style of a lullaby. writes. The piece was composed originally remembers. (He is not singing in this piece on Two works on the present album were Presented with this option by the Royal for VOCES8 in thanks for their participation the recording, but features later in the album.) commissioned by Ex Cathedra and Jeffrey Choral Society, she says she “leapt at it”. in another recording, and dates from 2013. Skidmore. The first is Since We Parted, The piece was commissioned by the RCS The St Pancras Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis written in 2014 as part of the choir’s “in affectionate memory of their chairman, The setting of Salve Regina is a tribute of a was commissioned by the London Festival of commemoration of the centenary of World War Anthony Forbes MBE”, who sadly had died different kind: Panufnik wrote it for the 80th Contemporary Church Music and first performed I. It is, says Panufnik, “extremely romantic, in 2017. “Just as I was starting to compose, birthday of Dame Raphael, a Benedictine nun by the Choir of St Pancras Church directed more romantic than the music people might photos appeared of a friend’s newborn baby formerly based at an abbey which the composer by Christopher Batchelor at the festival in associate me with, and it’s for mixed voices daughter, Daisy McNicholl, on Facebook. It used to visit on occasional retreats and who 2014 – therefore is named after that choir’s and instrumentation of trumpet, harp, cello brought home how the soothing nature of a has remained an artistic and spiritual home base. Panufnik often assigns place names and piano.” The words mingle two different lullaby is so important at every stage of the consultant ever since. “A friend of hers sent to her religious settings, following a pattern poems – a technique Panufnik increasingly ‘circle of life’,” Panufnik explains. me her favourite plainsong, which was the set with her breakthrough work, Westminster Mass. likes to use. The first is ‘A Year and a Day’ by Salve Regina,” says Panufnik. “I’ve set it Kathleen Coates, included in Vera Brittain’s Deus est Caritas, too, was commissioned in for unison women’s voices with piano Here the a cappella setting for six voices is Testament of Youth: written between 1910 and 2017 in “affectionate memory”, this time by accompaniment – in a very unplainsongy way.” both dramatic and colourful: “It has myriad 1913, it seems, says Panufnik, “prophetic of the lay clerk Marius Carney for the choir of different textures and overlapping harmonies,” the impending war in its depiction of a woman Peterborough Cathedral, in tribute to his late O Hearken’s genesis was a little more says Panufnik. “There’s a lot going on: it’s full and man in love, reluctantly separated and parents. “Marius asked for ‘profound joy’,” surprising: it started life as a raffle ticket prize of energy and is very vivid.” At first she was missing each other”. Foil to this, as refrain, is relates Panufnik. “I hope I’ve managed to at Westminster Abbey Choir School’s Summer nervous about writing it, she adds, since it ‘Since we parted, yestereve’ by the Victorian convey this with bright and vivacious harmonies Fête in 2015. Panufnik had promised a fanfare, was not long since she had previously set a statesman and poet Robert Bulwer-Lytton. and church peals.” - 4 - - 5 - Panufnik’s chorister son, Benedict Macklow- mysterious Bhairavi mode, depicting barely TEXTS & TRANSLATIONS Tha dhim tha dhim ta-ka, Tha ka dhi mi… Smith, is the treble soloist for St Aidan’s Prayer, half-light as hints of dawn emerge from (mnemonics for Indian 4/4 rhythm) which Panufnik wrote in 2016 as an 80th the darkness,” says Panufnik. “As light 1 Unending Love You and I have floated here on the stream that birthday gift for her godfather, the Polish establishes we go onto the more ‘happy’ Kãfi Recording supported by Stephen Macklow-Smith brings from the fount artist Andrzej Dzierzyński. He lives part of mode...” The start of day is represented by At the heart of time love of one for another. the time in Italy and therefore Panufnik the Purvi mode: “mysterious but joyful,” as Ononto, ononto… (‘Numberless’) Tha dhi-gi na thom Tha kit-a… decided to set the words of St Aidan of Panufnik says. I seemed to have loved you in numberless forms, We have played alongside millions of lovers, Lindisfarne in both English and Italian. It numberless times, shared in the same was first performed by the choir of the Church And perhaps “mysterious but joyful” is also, In life after life, in age after age forever. Shy sweetness of meeting, the same distressful of Our Most Holy Redeemer and St Thomas in summary, a fine description of Panufnik’s My spell-bound heart has made and re-made the tears of farewell – More, Chelsea, in December 2016. “I’ll never musical voice. She expresses deep thanks necklace of songs Old love, but in shapes that renew and renew forget Uncle Andrzej’s face when he saw Ben to Ex Cathedra and Jeffrey Skidmore for their That you take as a gift, wear round your neck in forever. singing,” Panufnik says. “This album is all the excellent performances herein: “I’m thrilled your many forms more personal because Ben is in it. In a few that they have made this recording because In life after life, in age after age forever.