by special arrangement 1 How do I love thee? after Étude in E major Op 10 No 3 Fryderyk Chopin arr. Leo Hussain [3.34] 2 Pro peccatis suæ gentis Prelude in C minor (from 24 preludes Op 28) Fryderyk Chopin arr. Ralph Allwood [2.06] 3 Solveigs Sang from ‘Peer Gynt’ Op 23 No 9 Edvard Grieg arr. Alex Milner/Lora Sansun [4.06] 4 Ave, verum corpus Adapted from the motet K 618 W. A. Mozart arr. Ben Parry [3.04] 5 An die Musik Adapted from the solo song D 547 Franz Schubert arr. Lydia Smallwood [2.44] 6 Danse de la Fée-dragée from the ‘Nutcracker Suite’ P. I. Tchaikovsky arr. Leo Hussain [1.42] 7 On hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring Orchestral tone poem (1912) Frederick Delius arr. Robert Quinney [6.31] 8 Ave Maria String Quartet No.1 in D ‘Andante cantabile’ P.I.Tchaikovsky[5.06] arr. Ralph Allwood 9 Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen Orchestral song from ‘Rückert-Lieder’ Gustav Mahler arr. Clytus Gottwald [6.52] 0 Litanei (auf das Fest aller Seelen) Adapted from the solo song D 343 Franz Schubert arr. Ralph Allwood [4.48] q Die mit Tränen säen Prelude in B flat minor (‘48’ Book I) J. S. Bach arr. Ralph Allwood [2.53] w Christo smarrito String Quartet ‘Crisantemi’ (1890) Giacomo Puccini [5.55] arr. Ralph Allwood/Lora Sansun e Agnus Dei Adagio for Strings Op 11 Samuel Barber Transcribed by the composer [6.49] r Requiem æternam ‘Air on the G string’ from Suite No 3 in D J. S. Bach arr. Jonathan Rathbone [4.46] t Sing! C.-M. Widor [6.07] Finale (Toccata) from Symphonie V for organ arr. David Willcocks Total timings[67.03] THE RODOLFUS CHOIR RALPH ALLWOOD & BEN PARRY DIRECTORS www.signumrecords.com FAMILIAR TUNES IN FRESH GUISES realisation by the performer, whose limited interpretational freedom certainly did not extend to rearranging the piece for non-prescribed forces. Why a CD of instrumental music sung by a choir? Well, why not? The easy traffic between instrumental and vocal music that exists in this recording is not as new as it might seem. In 1725, faced with the task of setting the psalm paraphrase Unser Mund sei voll Lachens (‘Our mouth shall be filled with laughter’) for Christmas Day, JS Bach reached into his bottom drawer and produced the first movement of an early version of the Orchestral Suite in D major, BWV 1069. Two centuries earlier, even less of a distinction was felt between music played and music sung. Vocal pieces crop up frequently in keyboard collections such as the Fitzwilliam and Mulliner Books; Robert Parsons’ Ave Maria, one of the accepted classics of the Renaissance choral repertoire, most likely started life as a Fancy for viols – there is no source in which the music actually sets a text. Fortunately, the situation has relaxed rather in recent years – evidence of which is amply provided by this recording. A broad range of musical styles is represented, from Bach to Mahler. Many of the pieces are reflective, even introspective in nature: The Prelude in B flat minor from Book One of the Well-Tempered Clavier lends itself naturally to the text from Psalm 126, ‘They that sow in tears shall reap in joy’. The two songs by Franz Schubert included are both of a devotional nature: The Litanei evokes the eternal peace of souls at rest, and the other is, quite simply, a hymn to music. In the case of the two Schubert songs, and Mahler’s Rückert-Lied ‘Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen’, the original was not entirely instrumental: In these pieces, the skill of the arranger perhaps lies in making the choral writing develop as it were organically from the composer’s solo vocal line. Different challenges arise in the orchestral numbers, in particular the selection of a text. What would the composer have chosen if his piece were a song? In many of the works in this collection, the arranger is helped by regular phrase lengths and, in some cases, by It was only in the late eighteenth century, with the ascendancy of the ‘Work Concept’, that the practice of vocal-instrumental cross-fertilisation became ideologically suspect. The Work, conceived by the composer for his (rarely her) particular selection of instruments, deserved faithful -4- the appearance of a refrain. In Delius’ tone poem, another reason for arrangement suggests itself: The onomatopoeic name of the bird cries out for vocal setting, and it is therefore appropriate that the surrounding music should set Wordsworth’s ‘Ode to the Cuckoo’. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints, I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life! And, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death. None of these arrangements attempts to recreate the exact nuances of the original conception – but who can say what those nuances were, anyway? The business of composers’ intentions and performers’ responsibilities is full of uncertainty, and, ultimately, we are left with the unanswerable question: Why not? Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1891) 2 Pro peccatis suae gentis Pro peccatis suae gentis vidit Iesum in tormentis, et flagellis subditum. © 2000 Robert Quinney Vidit suum dulcem Natum moriendo desolatum, dum emisit spiritum. TEXTS & TRANSLATIONS 1 How do I love thee? For the sins of his people she saw Jesus in torment and subjected to the scourge. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. She saw her sweet offspring dying, forsaken, while He gave up his spirit. I love thee to the level of everyday’s Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right; I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. Attributed to Jacopone da Todi (1230-1306) -5- 3 Solveigs Sang 4 Ave, verum corpus 5 An die Musik 7 On Hearing the first Cuckoo in Spring Kanske vil der gå både Vinter og Vår, og næste Sommer med, og det hele År, men engang vil du komme, det ved jeg vist, og jeg skal nok vente, for det lovte jeg sidst. Ave verum Corpus, natum de Maria Virgine, Vere passum, immolatum in cruce pro homine, Cujus latus perforatum unda fluxit et sanguine; Esto nobis praegustatum, in mortis examine. O Jesu dulcis! O Jesu pie! O Jesu Fili Mariae. Du holde Kunst, in wieviel grauen Stunden, Wo mich des Lebens wilder Kreis umstrickt, Hast du mein Herz zu warmer Lieb’ entzunden, Hast mich in eine beßre Welt entrückt! O Blithe New-comer! I have heard, I hear thee and rejoice. O Cuckoo! shall I call thee Bird, Or but a wandering Voice? Oft hat ein Seufzer, deiner Harf’ entflossen, Ein süßer, heiliger Accord von dir, Den Himmel beßrer Zeiten mir erschlossen, Du holde Kunst, ich danke dir dafür! Though babbling only to the Vale, Of sunshine and of flowers, Thou bringest unto me a tale Of visionary hours. O sacred art, in how many gloomy hours, When life’s mad whirl ensnares me, Have you inflamed my heart into a warmer love, Have you moved me into a better world! While I am lying on the grass Thy twofold shout I hear, From hill to hill it seems to pass, At once far off, and near. Often a sigh from your harp has drifted, From you a sweet, holy chord, A glimpse of better times from Heaven; Oh sacred art, for this I thank you. Thrice welcome, darling of the Spring! Even yet thou art to me No bird, but an invisible thing, A voice, a mystery; Franz von Schober And I can listen to thee yet; Can lie upon the plain And listen, till I do beget That golden time again. Gud styrke dig, hvor du i Verden går, Gud glæde dig, hvis du for hans Fodskammel star, Her skal jeg vente til du kommer igjen; og venter du histoppe, vi træffes der, min Ven! The winter may go and the spring disappear, And next summer too, and then the whole year, But one day you’ll come, I know this for sure, And I will be waiting, as I promised at last. Hail, true body of Christ, born of Virgin Mary, Verily suffered, sacrificed upon the Cross for mankind. From whose pierced side flow water and blood, That we may have a foretaste of our death. O sweet Jesus! O gentle Jesus! O Jesus, Son of Mary. God grant you his strength as the world you do roam, God give you his joy if you come to his throne, Here I shall stay until you come again; And if you wait in heaven, we’ll meet there, my friend. Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) 6 Danse de la Fée-dragée Nonesense words by Lydia Smallwood O blessed Bird! the earth we pace Again appears to be -6- -7- An unsubstantial, faery place; That is fit home for Thee! 9 Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen, Mit der ich sonst viele Zeit verdorben; Sie hat so lange nichts von mir vernommen, Sie mag wohl glauben, ich sei gestorben! From ‘Ode to the Cuckoo’ William Wordsworth (1770-1850) 8 Ave Maria Es ist mir auch gar nichts daran gelegen, Ob sie mich für gestorben halt. Ich kann auch gar nichts sagen dagegen, Denn wirklich bin ich gestorben der Welt. Ave Maria Gratia plena Dominus tecum Benedicta tu in mulieribus Et benedictus fructus ventris Tui, Jesus. Sancta Maria Mater Dei Ora pro nobis peccatoribus Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen. Ich bin gestorben dem Weltgetümmel, Und ruh’ in einem stillen Gebiet! Ich leb’ allein in meinem Himmel, In meinem Lieben, in meinem Lied! I have become lost to the world, where I used to waste so much time; It has heard nothing of me for so long, That it may well think that I have died! Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. It is of no matter to me, whether it believes me to be dead. I cannot even deny it, for really, I am dead to the world. I am dead the worlds turmoil, And am at rest in a quiet place. -8- 0 Litanei (auf das Fest aller Seelen) Rest in peace all souls, those who are done with anxious torment, who are done with sweet dreams, sated with life, hardly born, and have departed from this world: All souls rest in peace! Ruh’n in Frieden alle Seelen, Die vollbracht ein banges Quälen, Die vollendet süßen Traum, Lebenssatt, geboren kaum, Aus der Welt hinüberschieden: Alle Seelen ruh’n in Frieden! Maiden souls, full of love, whose tears are countless, whom a false friend has abandoned, and the blind world has disowned: All who have departed from here, all souls rest in peace! Liebevoller Mädchen Seelen, Deren Thränen nicht zu zählen, Die ein falscher Freund verließ, Und die blinde Welt verstieß: Alle, die von hinnen schieden, Alle Seelen ruh’n in Frieden! And those who never laughed at the sun, who kept watch for thorns under the moon, to see God’s face in the pure light of Heaven: All who have departed from here, all souls rest in peace! Und die nie der Sonne lachten, Unterm Mond auf Dornen wachten, Gott, in reinen Himmelslicht, Einst zu sehn von Angesicht: Alle die von hinnen schieden, Alle Seelen ruh’n in Frieden! Johann Georg Jacobi (1740-1814) I live alone in my heaven, in my love, in my song! Frederick Rückert (1788-1866) q Die mit Tranen säen Die mit Tränen säen, werden mit Freuden ernten. Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. -9- w Christo smarrito She sighed, shedding a wide river of tears, the true goddess, mother of the true divinity, searching for her heart, her lost and fugitive love. (She said) 0 Lord, who hides from me him for whom I sigh? I call him, and he does not respond, I search and cannot find him. Alas, my heart is tom between suspicion and hope, my spirit flees from me, fled is all that I love, vanished is my joy, I have lost, alas, my divine boy. Guard over him. O, Almighty Father, thou the eternal defender. e Agnus Dei Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world: Have mercy upon us. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world: Grant us peace. r Requiem Aeternam Eternal rest grant them, 0 Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May light eternal shine upon them, 0 Lord, with thy Saints for ever, for thou art merciful. - 10 - BIOGRAPHIES THE RODOLFUS CHOIR The Rodolfus Choir is made up of singers aged from 16 to 25 who have been chosen from past and present members of the Eton Choral Courses for prospective choral scholars. Many members of the Choir are choral scholars, some are at music college, and most hope to make a career in music. The Rodolfus Choir and Ralph Allwood are well known for imaginative programming, and for presenting new music. The Rodolfus Choir’s recent CD recordings include music as diverse as Monteverdi, Grier, Tallis and the German Romantics. Since its foundation by Ralph Allwood in 1984, the Choir has appeared throughout the United Kingdom at venues great and small, including St John’s, Smith Square and some of the country’s most glorious cathedrals. The Choir is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 3’s Choral Evensong, and has featured on Classic FM, as well as appearing on BBC TV’s Songs of Praise and in the documentary Alex: A Passion for Life which followed preparations for the choir’s performance at Cadogan Hall earlier this year and aired on Channel 4 on October 2009 with a further hour of concert highlights featured on MoreFour. In 2009 the choir performed a cappella repertoire from Tallis to Gottwald in Bath, Eton, and Richmond, and performed Bach’s B Minor Mass to sell out audiences in London’s Cadogan Hall, and in Tewkesbury Abbey as part of the summer’s Three Choirs Festival. Details of forthcoming events and an online CD shop, as well as information about how you can support the choir can be found at www.rodolfuschoir.co.uk. The choir has also toured extensively in Europe, performing to an audience of thousands at the international Night of the Choirs festival in Belgium in 2008. - 11 - RALPH ALLWOOD DIRECTOR BEN PARRY DIRECTOR of Choral Music at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music in Glasgow. Ralph Allwood is Precentor and Director of Music at Eton College. He was a pupil at Tiffin School and graduated from Durham University in 1972 with the Eve Myra Kysh prize for music, conducting the University Chamber Choir from 1970-1972. He was later a member of the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge under Sir David Willcocks and then became Director of Music at Pangbourne College. Ben Parry studied Music and History of Art at Cambridge University, where he sang with King’s College Choir. Early in his musical career he was a singer and musical director with The Swingle Singers, visiting over twenty countries and singing with some of the world’s greatest musicians, including Pierre Boulez, Dizzy Gillespie, Luciano Berio and Stephane Grappelli. He composed and arranged over fifty pieces for the group and coproduced their recordings for Virgin Classics and EMI. As an orchestral conductor he has worked the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla, Vancouver Youth Symphony, Wolsey Orchestra, Cumbria Youth Orchestra and The Scottish Ensemble. As Music Director of Haddo House Opera in Scotland he conducted five productions of Puccini, Handel, Bellini, Verdi and Donizetti. He is co-Director London Voices, and worked closely with Sir Paul McCartney on his classic choral work, Ecce Cor Meum, as well as conducting and singing on the soundtracks of major films such as Shrek, The Golden Compass, Kung Fu Panda, Inkheart and Iron Man. While Director of Music at Uppingham he founded the annual Choral Courses for prospective choral scholars. There are now seven Eton Choral Courses attended each year by four hundred singers aged between 16 and 20, and 100 have now been held. Next summer is the 30th Anniversary of the courses. He is a judge for the Llangollen International Eisteddfod and is a regular visitor to several Welsh choirs, including the National Youth Choir of Wales. Most recent choral travels have taken him to Nantes, Philadelphia, Canberra, Beijing and Minneapolis. - 12 - For eight years he lived in Scotland, where he co-founded the Dunedin Consort, directing performances of music as diverse as Machaut’s Messe de Notre Dame and Bach’s St Matthew Passion to Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors and Stockhausen’s Stimmung, which was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 from the 2002 Edinburgh International Festival. The Consort has performed at prestigious Music Festivals in Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Spain and the UK. The group is often heard on BBC Radio and TV, and has recorded a number of critically acclaimed CDs. Ben was also Director the Scottish Chamber Orchestra Chorus and Director Director of Music at St Paul’s School in London, succeeding Jonathan Willcocks as Director of Junior Royal Academy of Music in 2009. As a singer, he has appeared as a soloist with many vocal ensembles, including the Taverner Consort, Cambridge Singers, Gabrieli Consort and Tenebrae. He is also an experienced performer of avant-garde repertoire, working with groups such as Electric Phoenix and Singcircle. In 1993 Ben took to the West End stage in the original London production of Cy Coleman’s City of Angels. Ben works extensively with young musicians as a Director of the Eton Choral Courses, conductor of the National Youth Choir of Wales and as former - 13 - Ben has made over 40 recordings on CD (EMI, Virgin, Sony, Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Signum, Linn) as singer, chorusmaster, producer and conductor. His compositions and arrangements are published by Peters Edition and Faber Music, including the popular Faber Carol Book and Music for Special Occasions. He is presently writing a new original musical with actor and lyricist Garth Bardsley. ALSO AVAILABLE from The Rodlofus Choir Recorded in Eton College Chapel and School Hall in December 1995, December 1997, and in April and July 1999, by kind permission of the Provost and Fellows Producers - Lydia Smallwood, Christopher Whitton (April 1999) Recording engineers - Brian Johnson, David Wright, Alistair Warwick (1995) Recording assistants - Richard Earl, Emma-Louise Tinniswood (both 1995) Digital editing and mastering - David Wright Design and Artwork - Woven Design www.wovendesign.co.uk p 2010 Herald AV Publications and the Rodolfus Choir Ltd. © 2010 The copyright in this CD booklet, notes and design is owned by Signum Records Ltd. Choral Arrangements by Clytus Gottwald Monteverdi Vespers of 1610 SIGCD102 SIGCD109 “unspeakably beautiful ... truly memorable performance ... exemplary in every respect” Gramophone Any unauthorised broadcasting, public performance, copying or re-recording of Signum Compact Discs constitutes an infringement of copyright and will render the infringer liable to an action by law. Licences for public performances or broadcasting may be obtained from Phonographic Performance Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this booklet may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Signum Records Ltd. SignumClassics, Signum Records Ltd., Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Middx UB6 7JD, UK. +44 (0) 20 8997 4000 E-mail: info@signumrecords.com www.signumrecords.com “one of Britain’s very finest young choirs” BBC Music Magazine “a bright exciting sound... terrific... crystal diction... real spring in their tone” The Times Choral Music by Herbert Howells SIGCD190 - 14 - - 15 - ALSO AVAILABLE on signumclassics Choral Arrangements by Clytus Gottwald The Rodolfus Choir Ralph Allwood, Director SIGCD102 “Gottwald’s awesome technical demands put much of this music way beyond the scope of most choirs, and it is greatly to Ralph Allwood’s credit that the Rodolfus Choir, most of whom are students and all of whom are under 25, have not only tackled this music at all but have done so with considerable distinction ... there is a collective enthusiasm for the music and for art of choral singing“ Gramophone, Awards 2007 Available through most record stores and at www.signumrecords.com For more information call +44 (0) 20 8997 4000