WHO ARE WE? WE ARE THE SOLDIERS’ CHARITY WHAT ARE WE? THE MOST EFFECTIVE AND RELIABLE CHARITY FOR THE ARMY FAMILY WHAT DO WE DO? WE CURRENTLY HELP OVER 4,000 INDIVIDUALS ANNUALLY WHO FOR? SOLDIERS, FORMER SOLDIERS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN NEED HOW DO WE DO IT? GRANT GIVING TO INDIVIDUALS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH REGIMENTS, CORPS AND OTHER SERVICE-RELATED CHARITIES HOW CAN YOU HELP? DONATING, VOLUNTEERING, LEGACIES, FUNDRAISING EVENTS AND SPONSORSHIP A LIFETIME OF SUPPORT CALL 0845 241 4820 OR VISIT soldierscharity.org Registered Charity No: 211645 Scottish Registered Charity No: SC039189 210x210_Corporate-poster.indd 1 19/10/2011 20:07 The British Art Music Series Friday, 11th November 2011 Holy Trinity, Sloane Square, London In the Midst of Life Introduction Major-General Sir Sebastian Roberts kcvo obe Director Ben Fleetwood Smyth Assistant Director Benedict Morrison Conductor Hugh Brunt Patrons Dr James MacMillan cbe Libby Purves obe John Wilson Trustees John Eidinow Alex Hall William Parry Front cover image by Dom Agius www.domagius.com 1 Welcome Welcome to the very first British Art Music Series. It has been a long time in “Unless we can think peace into existence the making. I know I’m not the only one who is relieved we’ve finally got here. we – not this one body in this one bed but And where is here? Well, for the first Series, Benedict and I have combined millions of bodies yet to be born – will lie British music with literature and poetry and we’ve set out to build a story of the life and experiences of a soldier during a time of war. The story is twofold: in the same darkness and hear the same how a particular love between Albert and Agatha, found during but cut short death rattle overhead. by war, is able to transcend its participants to be felt differently, but no less ” acutely, in all its tortuous fragmentation and confusion, by any man and These words, written by Virginia Woolf during an air woman caught up in humanity’s love and loss. raid in 1940, just one year before she herself would die, begin an impassioned plea for peace. And, as she For the past two years I’ve talked endlessly with friends of what The British Art goes on to explore, literature and music have played Music Series will be about. The conclusion is that it will not be a redefinition a truly extraordinary role in the history of human or a revolution in the arts, but the best it could be is a reconsideration. It will conflict and in the creation of peace. strive for rediscovery: find the new in the old and the old in the new; avoid mockery and alienation; allow music to provide a reflection of where and The programme tonight begins with a series of when we find ourselves – a link to our past, a vision of our future, an image letters between a young man called up to fight and of the timeless. his sweetheart, a young English teacher. The letters, along with the readings afterwards, explore some of The music in this series covers over 500 years of British history. From literature’s many responses to war: the jingoistic Sheppard’s elegant polyphony, through Walton’s exuberance, via the lyrical rallying cries of Jessie Pope and the unflinching genius of Finzi, the profound resonance of Howells, the taut energy of realism of Sebastian Faulks; Hector’s glory as told Matthews, and the excitement of our own commissions and arrangements, we by Homer and Virgil’s women’s action born of hope that each piece you hear will add to and build up the bigger story being despair; Thomas Mallory’s allegorical battles and the played out around it. terrifying emptiness that haunts the room of Virginia Woolf’s fallen soldier. Some music is rendered complete but, as we are all capable of sometimes playing up to different parts of our personality for effect, we hope that when Each piece explores the terrible human compulsion we have extracted a movement from its larger musical form it might too to engage in war. And yet, as Thomas Hardy behave slightly differently, but no less vibrantly. celebrates, ultimate redemption may be found in simple acts of goodness; it is, perhaps, through the You might even be encouraged to discover more about the larger work whence beauty of kindness and poetry that peace may be a piece came, which would be brilliant. thought into existence. BFS 2 The British Art Music Ensemble Elinor Rolfe Johnson | soprano Matthew Sandy | tenor studies with Wilma Macdougall and Audrey Hyland. She has taken part has recently commenced postgraduate studies in singing at the Guildhall in sessions and masterclasses with Dame Felicity Lott, Barbara Bonney after graduating from King’s College, Cambridge, where he held a choral and Joan Rodgers. She performed at the Wigmore Hall as a finalist in scholarship. In 2010, Matthew won the Sir Anthony Lewis Memorial the 2009 Great Elm competition and was a finalist in the 2010 London Prize Singing Competition, and was particularly honoured in September Handel Festival singing competition. Having graduated from Cambridge of that year to sing for the beatification of John Henry Newman, presided University she is now studying for a Masters in Opera at the Royal over by Pope Benedict XVI. Matthew has studied singing with Steven Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Russell and currently studies with Susan Waters. Augusta Hebbert | soprano Ben Fleetwood Smyth | tenor is a student at the Guildhall where she is supported by the Stanley trained at the Royal Academy of Music after graduating from Oxford Picker Scholarship. She is an alumnae of the Britten Pears Young Artist University. While at Oxford, he was a choral scholar at Christ Church and Programme, where she appeared in Handel’s Saul with Richard Egarr also sang with the University’s Schola Cantorum. He is now a lay clerk and Bach’s St Matthew Passion with Masaaki Suzuki. Forthcoming with the London Oratory Schola, a clerk in the choir of this church, and engagements include her Barbican Hall debut and Handel’s Dixit is a member of Metro Voices, a session choir booked to work with major Dominus with La Nuova Musica on Harmonia Mundi label. record labels and to record film and TV soundtracks. He is the founder and Director of the British Art Music Series. Raffaele Pé | countertenor studied singing and organ as a chorister in Lodi Cathedral, Milan, later Tom Oldham | bass with Romanian male soprano Cezar Florin Ouatu, and currently with trained at the Royal Northern College of Music and on the opera course Colin Baldy. At the moment he is working with Sir John Eliot Gardiner on at the Guildhall. In opera, he has performed with Glyndebourne Festival the Monteverdi Choir Apprenticeship Scheme. In September he appeared Opera and Grange Park Opera, among many others. He sings regularly as a soloist in the Monteverdi Vespers for the BBC Proms. Future with the BBC Singers, Polyphony, Exaudi, Philharmonia Voices and engagements will include the role of alto soloist in a tour of Handel’s London Voices. Tom also works as a set and costume designer for theatre Israel in Egypt for Cappella Savaria directed by Nicholas McGegan. and opera. Recent designs include: Rinaldo for Trinity College of Music and Eugene Onegin for Blackheath Community Opera. Oliver Gerrish | countertenor Oliver Gerrish (Countertenor) studied with David Pollard and Andrew Tom Bennett | bass Watts at the Guildhall. His first operatic lead role was in Hasse’s began his musical education as a chorister at Christ Church Cathedral Artaserse for Opera Serse in 2010. He runs the Chelsea Concerts series before going on to Abingdon School as a music scholar. He has recently with Soprano Alexandra Kennedy and Ravishyn with Soprano Meeta graduated from Christ Church, Oxford, where he was also a choral Raval. Chelsea Concerts’ Christmas concert will be in this church on scholar. He is now a stipendiary clerk in Magdalen College Choir. He has Friday 16th December. Oliver sings regularly as a deputy lay vicar choral sung for numerous other ensembles including: the Armonico Consort, at Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral, and is a lay clerk in the the Oxford Clerks, Sonory and Ensemble 45. London Oratory Schola. He also runs his own musicians’ www.oliversagency.com 3 The British Art Music Consort Daniel Pioro | first violin Rebecca Herman | ’cello is a pupil of Maurice Hasson with whom he studied at the Royal Academy studied at the Eastman School of Music (Rochester, NY) with Steven of Music. He leads the London Contemporary Orchestra and collaborates Doane. She is currently studying with Josephine Knight at the Royal regularly with the London Sinfonietta. He performs as part of a classical Academy of Music, where she is pursuing a Masters Degree, generously duo, with tonight’s other violinist, Charlotte Bonneton, as a soloist with supported by the Musicians Benevolent Fund, the Countess of Munster the LCO, and most recently with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Musical Trust and the Royal Academy’s Ian Alexander Award. She is a member of the London Contemporary Orchestra, and is currently on Charlotte Bonneton | second violin trial with the BBC Concert Orchestra. is a violinist, violist and pupil of Gyorgy Pauk and Jean Lenert. She studied viola with Matthew Souter at the Royal Academy of Music from Marissa Pueschel | oboe where she recently graduated with distinction. She plays with the read Music at St Peter’s College, Oxford, and has just graduated from Castalian String Quartet (Leverhulme Chamber Music Fellows at the the Royal College of Music, studying under distinguished oboist David RAM) which will give its Wigmore Hall debut in January 2012.