 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
N.B. Bella Oct 29, 2002
Gala Recital
Where: Saturday, November 9 2002 at 7pm at the Crowden
School (1475 Rose Street, Berkeley)
What: This promises to be a spectacular event featuring
Matthew Edwards (piano), Marcelle Dronkers
(soprano), Clarence Douglas Wright (tenor),
Richard Mix (bass), Asher Davison (clarinet),
Jerry Kuderna (piano), and Thad Taylor (piano) in
a concert of Mozart, Schumann, Wolf, Shubert,
Brahms, Pasatieri, and more!
The concert will be followed immediately by a
food and wine reception. This is an event not to
be missed!
Tickets are $35. (Get them today!)
STUFF: Practice Tapes are in ($8.75 ea),
If you ordered a folder, they have arrived: $20.08 for folder with ring-binder, $19.08 without.
A Ceremony....
Reminders, The processional will be done off book. Prepare!
'a ben' (p54, m42) should sound like 'a (string) bean', 'sal' (p4m19) is not 'shall', Jesu (p11,m6) is 'yea-zoo'
More About the Music: A Ceremony of Carols Op. 28 (1942)
A Ceremony of Carols Op. 28 (1942)
After three very successful years in America, Benjamin Britten and his life-long partner, Peter Pears boarded a Swedish cargo vessel, the Axel Johnson, on the 16th March 1942 for their return to Britain. It was a long and boring journey that took nearly a month. U-boat activity was at its height so it was probably rather frightening too. At this time Britten had started 'Hymn to St. Cecilia' and a piece for Benny Goodman. He intended to finish these on board but customs officials confiscated the manuscripts on the doubtful proposition that they could be a secret code. (Britten managed to restart and finish 'Hymn' but as far as I know the Goodman Piece was lost forever). During the voyage they berthed at Halifax, Nova Scotia, where Britten came across a book of medieval poems and some of these he set during the voyage as the 'Ceremony of Carols'. It is an unusual setting for boys choir and harp. Britten had intended to write a harp concerto and so had been studying the instrument.
The work opens and ends with the choir processing to plainsong. Britten may have got this idea from Holst's 'Hymn to Jesus', written about 20 years earlier, where, after a short orchesral opening, alternating boys and adult choirs enter to 'Vexilla Regis prodeunt' (The banners of the King advance on their way) and 'Pange lingua gloriosi' (Tell, my tongue, the glorious battle of the struggle). Britten was to use the processional idea again in 'Saint Nicholas', 'Noyes Fludde' and 'Curlew River'.
Written originally for a chorus of treble voices (boys) in 1942, it was later recast for SATB chorus by Julius Harrison, a friend and associate of the composer. In this form, the work gains color and richness of sonority without sacrificing one iota of poignancy. In fact, there are several differences between the two versions beside the obvious ones necessitated by the expansion of the vocal range. Certain vocal doublings are altered, voice leadings strengthened, and harmonies more solidly fixed -- all changes which enrich the overall impression of the work. While some listeners may prefer the cool and chaste sound inherent in treble voices, the SATB setting we are performing surely allows a broader range of expression and sonority.
SOURCES: http://www.spectrumsingers.org/archives/1996-97/dec96_notes.html
http://www.musicweb.uk.net/britten.htm