Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Elijah (1846) Ex Cathedra XL Anniversary Choir Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Town Hall, Birmingham Saturday 18 October 2008 6.30pm The concert this evening is being recorded by BBC Radio 3 for broadcast in 2009 Welcome It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the disappointment at the lack of melody on first hearing William Bartholomew. Faith in the City begins our imagined at the outset. Derek’s passion, intellect, first concert of Ex Cathedra’s 39th Season. This the work. Elijah is full of beautiful tunes, thrilling exploration of Jewish, Muslim and Christian music in musical intelligence, tenacity, thoroughness, performance of Mendelssohn’s great oratorio Elijah drama, and exciting orchestrations. January 2009, and the start of my short sabbatical stamina, emotional resilience, and experience are celebrates a collaboration between Ex Cathedra, (interesting word) exploring the Mediterranean basin truly inspiring. The edition is a remarkable Town Hall and the Orchestra of the Age of Mendelssohn wrote an intriguing sequence of three – Spain, Morocco, Egypt, Israel, Turkey and Italy. achievement and Derek has made a significant Enlightenment whom we welcome back for the oratorios – St Paul, Elijah and the unfinished One final thought about Elijah, the Old Testament contribution to Mendelssohn scholarship. second concert of Ex Cathedra’s 40th Anniversary Christus. He was accused of ‘oratorio-mongering’ prophet common to Judaism, Islam and Christianity, - Project. Elijah was commissioned by the city and yet Elijah is the high point of religious he was a lone voice standing up against greed, I am confident the Ex Cathedra XL Anniversary forefathers and received its first performance in this expression between Beethoven’s Mount of Olives immorality and poverty. What form would a Choir, with its fresh and unique collection of voices, very hall in 1846. The Birmingham Triennial Festival and Wagner’s Parsifal. And it is part of a wider contemporary version of this story take? coupled with a world-class period instrument chorus was probably the best choir in the world and heritage extending from Handel and Haydn to Elgar, orchestra and an outstanding group of soloists, they certainly gave their all for the darling of Vaughan Williams and Britten. Ex Cathedra It is totally appropriate that Ex Cathedra is recreating will do it justice and say something new about Victorian England. There was an ecstatic response continues the tradition with 21st century that marvellous 1846 first performance using a new Mendelssohn. If you are a Mendelssohn ‘aficionado’ from all present at the premiere (eight encores) and commissions from John Joubert, James MacMillan, edition based on the manuscript ‘recaptured’ by the you may find your favourite bit is missing. With the performance was given rave reviews. We’ll do Eric Whitacre and Fyfe Hutchins. Birmingham Central Library just over ten years ago in suitable encouragement at the end, it may be our best! We also have a team of soloists of whose 1996. Making a new edition of a well-known ‘classic’ possible to rectify this! voices Mendelssohn would certainly have approved! There are many other interesting strands running is an act of love and many people have made this through this season. On Good Friday in Symphony possible. I want to thank and acknowledge one Mendelssohn has not always been received so Hall we perform Bach’s St Matthew Passion in a new person in particular – Derek Acock – who has again favourably. He was savaged by Wagner, and suffered English translation by Nick Fisher. Mendelssohn was been the driving force behind the creation of outrageous anti-Semitic racial abuse. The 20th only 20 years old when he famously revived this tonight’s performing material. There is a mass of century reaction against Victorian achievements and great work (he was criticised for historicism!) and of primary source-material and the task of recreating a values also perhaps explains his rejection in some course Elijah was conceived in German and new score involved a far greater effort than any of us Jeffrey Skidmore, October 2008 quarters. Even John Henry Newman expressed translated, in collaboration with the composer, by 2 3 RECITATIVE – Mr Rutherford, “O Thou who makest.” ELIJAH CHORUS [No 22] – “The fire descends from heaven.” RECITATIVE – Mr Rutherford, “Take all the priests of Baal.” A SACRED ORATORIO AIR – Mr Rutherford, “Is not His word like a fire?” AIR [No 23] – Miss Moore, “Woe unto them who forsake Him!” Dr Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847) RECITATIVE [No 24] – Miss Doyle and Mr Rutherford , with Chorus, “O Lord, Thou hast overthrown Thine enemies.” English text by W Bartholomew Esq RECITATIVE – Mr Rutherford and Chorus, “Thanks be to God for all His mercies.” The author of this English version of the Oratorio of Elijah has endeavoured to render it as nearly CHORUS [No 25] – “Thanks be to God! He laveth the thirsty land.” in accordance with the scriptural texts as the music to which it is adapted will admit. AN INTERVAL OF THIRTY MINUTES Part First Part Second PROLOGUE [No 1] – Mr Rutherford, “As God the Lord of Israel liveth.” RECITATIVE [No 26] – Mr Mulroy, “Elijah is come already.” OVERTURE AIR – Miss Doyle, “Hear ye, Israel!” CHORUS [No 2] – “Help, Lord!” CHORUS [No 27] – “Be not afraid.” RECITATIVE CHORUS [No 3] – “The deeps afford no water.” RECITATIVE [No 28] – Miss Moore, “Dost thou now govern?” DUET [No 4] – Miss Doyle and Miss Davidson, “Zion spreadeth her hands.” CHORUS – “Do unto him as he hath done.” CHORUS – “Lord, bow thine ear.” RECITATIVE AND AIR [No 29] – Mr Rutherford, “Though stricken, they have not grieved.” RECITATIVE [No 5] – Mr Padmore, “Ye people, rend your hearts.” RECITATIVE [No 30] – Mr Mulroy, “Under a juniper tree.” AIR [No 6] – Mr Padmore, “If with all your hearts ye truly seek me.” DUET – Miss Davidson and Miss Ballard, “Lift thine eyes.” CHORUS [No 7] – “Yet doth the Lord see it not.” CHORUS [No 31] – “He, watching over Israel.” RECITATIVE [No 8] – Miss Moore, “Elijah! Get thee hence.” RECITATIVE [No 32] – “Miss Davidson and Mr Rutherford, “Arise, Elijah.” DOUBLE QUARTET [No 9] – Misses Doyle, Davidson, Ballard, Moore, Messrs Padmore, Mulroy, AIR – Miss Moore, “O rest in the Lord.” Farnsworth and Mustard, “For He shall give His angels charge.” CHORUS [No 33] – “He that shall endure to the end.” RECITATIVE [No 10] – Miss Moore, “Elijah! Now Cherith’s brook is dried up.” RECITATIVE – Miss Doyle and Mr Rutherford, “Hear me speedily, O Lord.” AIR [No 11] – Miss Doyle, “Help me, man of God.” CHORUS [No 34] – “And behold the Lord passed by.” RECITATIVE – Miss Doyle and Mr Rutherford, “Give me thy son.” QUARTET WITH CHORUS [No 35] – Misses Doyle, Davidson, Ballard, and Moore, “Holy, holy!” CHORUS [No 12] – “Blessed are the men who fear Him.” RECITATIVE [No 36] – Mr Rutherford, “O Lord, I have heard of Thee!” RECITATIVE [No 13] – Mr Mulroy, Mr Rutherford, and Chorus, “As God the Lord of the Sabaoth.” AIR [No 37] – Mr Rutherford, “For the mountains shall depart.” CHORUS [Nos 14 & 15] – “Baal, we cry to thee!” CHORUS [No 38] – “Then did Elijah the prophet.” RECITATIVE [No 16] – Mr Rutherford, “Call him louder for he is a god!” AIR [No 39] – Mr Padmore, “Then shall the righteous shine forth.” CHORUS [No 17] – “Hear our cry, O Baal!” RECITATIVE [No 40] – Miss Ballard, “Elijah walked with God.” RECITATIVE [No 18] – Mr Rutherford, “Call him louder, he heareth not!” RECITATIVE – Miss Davidson, “Behold! The Lord will send.” CHORUS [No 19] – “Hear and answer, Baal!” CHORUS [No 41] – “But thus saith the Lord.” 4 RECITATIVE AND AIR [No 20] – Mr Rutherford, “Draw near, all ye people.” QUARTET [No 42] – Miss Doyle, Miss Davidson, Messrs. Mulroy and Mustard, “O! every one that thirsteth.” 5 QUARTET [No 21] – Miss Doyle, Miss Moore, Mr Mulroy and Mr Mustard, “Regard thy servant’s prayer.” CHORUS [No 43] – “Unto Him that is abundantly able.” Performers Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment 1st Violin Viola Oboe Trombone Jeffrey Skidmore Conductor Alison Bury Leader Nicholas Logie Anthony Robson Susan Addison Ken Aiso Jan Schlapp Cherry Forbes Peter Thorley James Rutherford Elijah Richard Blayden Martin Kelly Mark Radcliffe Andrew Harwood-White Julia Doyle Soprano I (The Widow, A Youth and An Angel) Catherine Mackintosh Annette Isserlis Joel Raymond Grace Davidson Soprano II Jill Samuel Katharine Hart Ophicleide Diana Moore Alto I (An Angel, The Queen) Claire Sansom Kate Heller Clarinet James Anderson Lucy Ballard Alto II Jayne Spencer Marina Ascherson Antony Pay Mark Padmore Tenor I (Obadiah) James Ellis Maria Ramirez* Jane Booth Contra Bass Ophicleide Nicholas Mulroy Tenor II (Ahab) Catherine Ford Katherine Spencer Anthony George James Mustard Bass II Kirsten Klingels Cello Claire Hawkes* Marcus Farnsworth Bass III Kirra Thomas Andrew Skidmore Timpani Helen Kruger* Helen Verney Bassoon Charles Fullbrook Ex Cathedra XL Anniversary Choir Ruth Alford Andrew Watts Sarah Stuart* 2nd Violin Jennifer Bullock Sally Jackson Soprano Laura Munslow Russell Martin Sam Boden Marcus Farnsworth Roy Mowatt Tomasz Pokryzwinski Zoe Matthews Organ Helen Arthur Emily O’hare Sarah Price James Clulee Jonathan Gibbs Claire Holden Ania Katynska* Inga Klaucke* Julian Perkins Hannah Atherton Alison Perrier- Laura Rakotonirina Stephen Davis Richard Green Catherine Weiss Maia Ayling Burgess Matthew Reeve Julian Forbes Philip Lancaster Debbie Diamond Double bass Horn Marianne Ayling Helena Raeburn Lucy Reid Robert Jenkins Chi Hoe Mak Stephen Rouse Chi-chi Nwanoku Philip