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Australian Chamber Choir > Inaugural concert St Cecilia’s Day, 2007

Inaugural concert St Cecilia’s Day, 2007

Directed by Douglas Lawrence

PROGRAM

Giovanni Battista Pierluigi da Palestrina  (1525-94): Missa Papae Marcelli

Kyrie, Gloria

Organ interlude

Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643):
Canzona III in G major from the Second Book of Toccatas

Credo

Organ interlude

Girolamo Frescobaldi:
Toccata per l'elevazione from Missa degli Apostoli

Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei

Giovanni Gabrieli (1557-1612): Jubilate Deo

INTERVAL 20 minutes

Jakob Handl (Gallus)  (1550-91): Pater Noster

Brenton Broadstock (born 1950): I had a dream

Olivier Messiaen (1908-82): O Sacrum Convivium

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied

THE CHOIR

Soprano: Felicity Bolitho, Madeleine Gardam, Deborah Kayser, Katherine Norman, Nicole Spicer, Lenore Stevens

Alto: Elizabeth Anderson, Amelia Ballard, Niki Ebacioni, Leonie Tonkin

Tenor: Thomas Kristof, Vaughan McAlley, Loclan Mackenzie-Spencer, Timothy Reynolds

Bass: Thomas Drent, Simon Gannon, Nicholas Howden, Grantley McDonald

The chamber organ was built by Hans Klop in 2003

PROGRAM NOTES

Tonight's program ranges over 500 years of choir and organ music. The ebullient homophony of Jakob Handl contrasts with the restrained but beautiful polyphony of Palestrina. Venetian sophistication is demonstrated in the works of Giovanni Gabrieli and Girolamo Frescobaldi. Bach the master, Messiaen the mystic and the profound introspection of Brenton Broadstock complete the tableau.

Giovanni Battista Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-94): Missa Papae Marcelli

"The whole plain of singing in musical modes shall be constituted not to give empty pleasure to the ear, but in such a way that the words may be clearly understood by all, and the hearts of the listeners be drawn to the desire of heavenly harmonies, in the contemplation of the joys of the blessed." Extract from a canon of the Coucil of Trent (1582)

Dedicated to Pope Marcellus II, who reigned for only three weeks in 1555, this mass holds a special place in Palestrina's vast output. Manuscripts survive in Rome in Palestrina's basilica, Santa Maria Maggiore and in the library of the Sistine Chapel. The work is often sung in both of these ancient edifices.

Missa Papae Marcelli is free composed, that is, it is not based on a recognisable Gregorian or popular melody. Some commentators find in it references to the fifteenth century folksong L'homme armé. If this melody is indeed used, Palestrina was being very cheeky, even perhaps living dangerously, as the directives of the Council of Trent expressly forbade the use of secular melody.

Giovanni Gabrieli (1557-1612): Jubilate Deo

Maestro di Capella at St Mark's, Venice and teacher of Heinrich Schütz, Gabrieli became famous throughout Europe.  He made wonderful use at St Mark's of several musicians' galleries and multiple organs, placing groups of singers and instrumentalists around the cathedral. His music is often polychoral and always polyrhythmic.  The work we hear this evening sees Gabrieli at his most exuberant.  Jubilate Deo is written for eight voice parts. As with much of the music of the period, this work may be performed with or without instrumental accompaniment.

Jakob Handl (Gallus) (1550-91): Pater Noster

Handl is a direct contemporary of Gabrieli and it is therefore fascinating to compare the music of these two masters. Both chose to write in eight voice parts but whilst the Gabrieli has some lightness and even a madrigal feel about it the Handl is solid, unrelenting, always pushing forward. The music of an optimist. This Pater Noster uses the same thematic material as a mass by Handl.  It is one of my personal favourites from the vast repertoire of Renaissance music.

Brenton Broadstock (born 1950): I had a dream

The composer dedicated this work to the memory of Melbourne composer, Michael Easton, who died far too young in 2003. The Australian Chamber Choir sang the work several times in Europe in July this year. One Danish critic wrote: "Thanks to the expressiveness of the music Brenton Broadstock's I had a dream was a most beautiful experience". The text is by the composer.

Olivier Messiaen (1908-82): O Sacrum Convivium

Mystic, organist, composer, collector of bird song and inspiration to countless composers, Messiaen sadly wrote little choral music. He said that the old masters had "done it all" Well, not quite all, as this short masterpiece demonstrates.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750): Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied

The quartet in Verse 2 is sung by Katherine Norman, Elizabeth Anderson, Loclan Mackenzie-Spencer and Grantley McDonald

If Bach had composed nothing more than his seven motets, his place in the history of music would have been assured. When these motets peep out from the enormous pile of Bach's music, we are reminded of the indefatigable energy and unequalled skill demonstrated by the greatest composer of them all.

I well remember a conversation with the late Manning Clark in which he declared with utter conviction that "the two greatest products of the human mind are Bach's Mass in B minor and his Passacaglia for organ." Bach fanatics amongst you may well agree, although you might also mention the St Matthew and John Passions, Christmas Oratorio, 300 or so cantatas, Goldberg Variations and so on and so on! Notes by Douglas Lawrence

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