Cantorum Choir and Orchestra Music Director - Oliver Gooch THE CREATION Joseph Haydn Saturday 19th October, 7.30pm ALL SAINTS CHURCH, MARLOW Registered Charity no:1136210 Creation Programme.indd 1 15/10/2019 10:30 Patron: Ralph Allwood MBE Music Director: Oliver Gooch Associate Music Director: Robert Jones Cantorum Choir is a dedicated and talented choir of approximately forty voices, based in Cookham, Berkshire. The ensemble boasts a wide-ranging repertoire and performs professional-quality concerts throughout the year. Under the directorship of Oliver Gooch, it has continued to earn itself a reputation as one of the leading chamber choirs in the area. SOPRANOS ALTOS TENORS BASSES Clare Dolan Angela Plant John Timewell Ben Styles Daphne Rowbottom Anne Glover Jonny Manktelow David Hazeldine Deborah Templing Chiu Sung Malcolm Stork Ed Millard Jenny Knight Elspeth Scott Peter Roe Gordon Donkin Joy Strzelecki Gill Tucker Philip Martineau James Simpson Kate Cromar Jill Burton Richard Palfrey John Buck Kirsty Janusz Lorna Sykes Paul Reid Louise Evans Sarah Evans Paul Seddon Pippa Wallace Sandy Johnstone Eve – Kirsty Janusz, Adam – Ed Millard, Alto solo – Jill Burton and Sarah Evans ORCHESTRA Leader Caroline Balding Flute 1 Hannah Grayson Horn 1 Jon Hassan Violin 2 Simon Kodurand Flute 2 Renate Sokolovska Horn 2 Jane Hanna Viola Vanessa McNaught Oboe Katie Bennington Trumpet Alex Caldon Cello Joseph Spooner Clarinet Karen Hobbs Trombone Jim Alexander Bass Sean Law Bassoon Jo Turner Timpani Daniel Floyd Creation Programme.indd 2 15/10/2019 10:30 Cantorum Choir and Orchestra Music Director - Oliver Gooch THE CREATION Joseph Haydn Saturday 19th October, 7.30pm ALL SAINTS CHURCH, MARLOW Creation Programme.indd 3 15/10/2019 10:30 THE CREATION PART ONE (The First Day) 1 The Representation of Chaos 2 Recitative (Raphael, Uriel) and Chorus: In the beginning God created the heav’n and earth/And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters 3 Aria (Uriel) and Chorus: Now vanish before the holy beams/Despairing, cursing rage (The Second Day) 4 Accompanied recitative (Raphael): And God made the firmament 5 Solo (Gabriel) with Chorus: The marv’lous work beholds amaz’d/And to th’ethereal vaults resound (The Third Day) 6 Recitative (Raphael): And God said: Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together 7 Aria (Raphael): Rolling in foaming billows 8 Recitative (Gabriel): And God said: Let the earth bring forth grass 9 Aria (Gabriel): With verdure clad 10 Recitative (Uriel): And the heavenly host proclaimed 11 Chorus: Awake the harp (The Fourth Day) 12 Recitative (Uriel): And God said: Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven 13 Accompanied recitative (Uriel): In splendour bright is rising now 14 Trio and Chorus (Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael): The heavens are telling the glory of God INTERVAL Creation Programme.indd 4 15/10/2019 10:30 JOSEPH HAYDN PART TWO (The Fifth Day) 15 Recitative (Gabriel): And God said: Let the waters bring forth abundantly 16 Aria (Gabriel): On mighty pens uplifted soars the eagle aloft 17 Accompanied recitative (Raphael): And God created great whales 18 Recitative (Raphael): And the Angels struck their immortal harps 19 Trio (Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael) and Chorus: Most beautiful appear/The Lord is great and great is his might (The Sixth Day) 20 Recitative (Raphael): And God said: Let the earth bring forth the living creature 21 Accompanied recitative (Raphael): Strait opening her fertile womb 22 Aria (Raphael): Now heav’n in fullest glory shone 23 Recitative (Uriel): And God created man in his own image 24 Aria (Uriel): In native worth and honour clad 25 Recitative (Raphael): And God saw ev’rything that he had made 26 Chorus and Trio (Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael): Achieved is the glorious work/On thee each living soul awaits PART THREE 27 Accompanied recitative (Uriel): In rosy mantle appears 28 Duet (Eve, Adam) with Chorus: By thee with bliss O bounteous Lord/For ever blessed be his pow’r 29 Recitative (Adam, Eve): Our duty have we now perform’d 30 Recitative (Uriel): O happy pair, and always happy yet 31 Chorus: Sing the Lord ye voices all Creation Programme.indd 5 15/10/2019 10:30 PROGRAMME NOTES By 1790, when he left the full-time employ of the Esterhaza court after thirty years, Franz Joseph Haydn was one of the most successful and famous composers in Europe. He was invited to England, enjoying two separate visits during the 1790s. In London, his music was performed, and he was wined and dined, becoming the darling of English aristocratic society. At one point, Haydn attended a festival of music by G. F. Handel, the late, great Baroque master who had been based in London decades earlier. Although he was already familiar with Handel’s music, Haydn’s admiration writer, poet, translator, composer, and respect for Handel’s craft were and devoted patron of the arts. Haydn renewed, especially for the oratorios asked van Swieten to shorten the text, and their high drama and inspirational translate it from English into German, music. Before long, Haydn began to and suggest musical treatments. Van hatch ideas of composing an oratorio Swieten obliged on all requests and himself – a musical field to which Haydn began to compose in 1796. The he had not yet contributed. He was Creation was premiered successfully in presented with a libretto compiled Vienna in 1798, and was quickly taken from the story of the creation of the up across Europe. world as described in the epic poem Always an astute businessman, Paradise Lost by the 17th century Haydn made two versions of the English poet John Milton, and the oratorio – one in German, one in Book of Genesis from the Bible. English – and he created slightly Haydn returned to Vienna in 1795 and different melodic lines to fit the gave the text to Baron Gottfried van different inflections, stresses, syntax Swieten, the Imperial court librarian and rhythms of the two languages. and a prominent figure in Vienna Today, both versions are performed. at the end of the 18th century – a When sung in German, the work is Creation Programme.indd 6 15/10/2019 10:30 known as Die Schöpfung. In English, it’s presented in a chamber reduction. The Creation. The oratorio is grouped into three The opening orchestral introduction, parts: in Parts 1 and 2, soprano, tenor called ‘The Representation of Chaos’ and bass soloists take the roles of the is famous. Haydn paints the dark, archangels Gabriel, Uriel and Raphael, frightening void just prior to creation respectively, who act as narrators. by using snippets of melody, vague Part 1 deals with the first four days of rhythms, strange harmonies, awkward the earth’s creation. Part 2 represents dissonances and sudden outbursts. the fifth and sixth days, with the “There is nothing else quite like it”, appearance of plants and animals. claims Noel Edison. “It’s the Big Bang In Part 3, the seventh day, Adam and expressed in music, and was way Eve arrive as a bass and a soprano, ahead of its time!” but Haydn only deals with the early, Then later, at the creation of light, blissful existence of the first couple. Haydn literally creates a blaze of Noel explains, “…before eating the music, immediately breaking the forbidden fruit.” darkness with the musical equivalent The Creation was composed at a time of blinding sunlight. Noel likens it to when most people were creationists, ‘God striking the match’. Encouraged before advances in science had by Baron van Swieten, Haydn used presented a credible alternative to the quite a bit of word-painting in The biblical explanation of our roots. As Creation, a compositional technique a result, the oratorio is occasionally where the meaning of the words is criticized today for its dated, naïve enhanced by their musical depiction. and simplistic view of the world. But An example would be the use of a Haydn’s genius emerges in how he harsh dissonance on the word ‘pain.’ depicts in music the simple, awestruck Noel advises, “Listen for this technique wonders of God and Nature. Noel throughout, especially in the creation believes, “Haydn’s music is the sorbet of the animals in Part 2. Haydn had a of life. It’s fresh, not over-played, not wonderful wit, and in The Creation he over-worked.” Haydn had a great combines deep spirituality with his theatrical sense, with the ability to tongue sometimes firmly planted in colour and animate subjects in music, cheek.” and in no work is this more evident Originally scored for full orchestra than in The Creation. and chorus, tonight’s performance is Rick Phillips Creation Programme.indd 7 15/10/2019 10:30 CHARLOTTE SHAW PETER AUTY BRITISH SOPRANO CHARLOTTE Harmoniemesse, Mozart’s Requiem, SHAW (nee Beament) is a first class Exsultate Jubilate and Solemnes de honours graduate of the Guildhall Confessore, Handel’s Messiah, Israel in School of Music and a ‘Rising Star of the Egypt and Saul, Bach’s B minor Mass and Enlightenment’ for the Orchestra of the Christmas Oratorio, Villa Lobos’ Bachianas Age of Enlightenment. Brasilieras, Vivaldi’s Nulla in mundo pax Charlotte Shaw is a regular soloist sincera, Mahler’s Fourth Symphony for English National Opera and and Strauss’ Vier Letzte Liede in venues Glyndebourne Festival Opera and has including Queen Elizabeth Hall, Cadogan also sung for Glyndebourne Jerwood Hall, Kings Place and Snape Maltings Artists, Garsington Festival, Brighton and on tours of Europe and Asia with Festival, London Handel Festival and Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Barber Opera. Her operatic repertoire Gabrieli Consort and London Chamber includes Tytania A Midsummer Night’s Arts Orchestra. Dream, Lucia The Rape of Lucretia, Title Engagements for the 2018/19 season role Semele, Serpetta La finta giardiniera, included Glass’ Akhnaten and Birtwhistle’s Michal Saul, Title role Berenice, Zerlina Mask of Orpheus for ENO, Handel’s Don Giovanni, Barbarina Le nozze di Susanna, Bach’s St Matthew Passion, a Figaro, Belinda Dido and Aeneas, Mabel solo concert tour of Asia for the OAE and Pirates of Penzance, Une Pastourelle a staged Bach St John Passion with Sir L’enfant et les sortiléges, Priestess Simon Rattle and Peter Sellers.