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Choral at Cadogan 2012/13

Choral at Cadogan is delighted once again to present some of the best names in British choral singing, from the well established to the newly founded. In the former category be sure not to miss Westminster Abbey’s Christmas concert, with its seasonal mixture of renaissance and modern. The in-vogue I Fagiolini appear this year with a fascinating mix of late 16th century gems, some of them staged, while Tenebrae offer perhaps the most intriguing selection of the series, concentrating on the music of Will Todd, alongside Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and a rare offering by Elgar. Alamire promise a well-chosen progression through the Tudor years, which will complement the first of the two Tallis Scholars concerts, dedicated to Fayrfax’s Missa Tecum principium - a rare treat to hear such a vast composition in one sitting. The second Tallis Scholars concert, in their 40th anniversary year, celebrates the unusual genius of Carlo Gesualdo – in his anniversary year. And it is a pleasure to introduce the choir of Merton College Oxford, founded in 2008, the youngest and brightest of our collegiate choirs, in a programme based around music written expressly for the college.

Peter Phillips, Artistic Director

Wednesday 24 October 2012, 7.30pm

The Tallis Scholars
The Day of Thy Power

Programme
FAYRFAX: Gloria from the Missa Tecum principium
TALLIS: Lamentations I
FAYRFAX: Credo from the Missa Tecum principium
FAYRFAX: Sanctus from the Missa Tecum principium
TALLIS: Lamentations II
FAYRFAX: Agnus Dei from the Missa Tecum principium

It is a very rare treat indeed to be able to hear the whole of Fayrfax’s Missa Tecum principium in one sitting. Newly edited for the Tallis Scholars by Tim Symons, this is one of the most substantial and virtuoso mass-settings of the entire period, rivalled only perhaps by Taverner’s Missa Gloria tibi Trinitas, which the Tallis Scholars will be featuring during 2013 - their 40th anniversary year. Written for Christmas, the Missa Tecum principium presents its chant twelve times, each with a different rhythm, culminating in the most perfectly beautiful Agnus Dei in the whole repertoire. In between these colossal movements of Fayrfax they sing something more compact, but just as intense, in the two Lamentations of Tallis.

Director PETER PHILLIPS

Tuesday 27 November 2012, 7.30pm

The Choir of Merton College, Oxford
An Oxford Advent

Programme
WEELKES: Hosanna to the Son of David
VICTORIA: Ave Maria
VICTORIA: Alma Redemptoris Mater
VICTORIA: Salve Regina
BRITTEN: Hymn to the Virgin
POULENC: Salve Regina
PÄRT: Bogoroditse Dyevo
GIBBONS: Hosanna to the Son of David
BRUCKNER: Locus Iste, Ave Maria
Seven Magnificat Antiphons (2012: commissioned for the Merton Choirbook)
HOWARD SKEMPTON: O Sapientia
JOHN TAVENER: O Adonai
RIHARDS DUBRA: O Radix Jesse
GABRIEL JACKSON: O Clavis David
CECILIA MCDOWALL: O Oriens
MATTHEW MARTIN: O Rex Gentium
ERIKS ESENVALDS: O Emmanuel
BRUCKNER: Christus factus est, Os justi

This exciting and varied programme from Merton College Choir includes music from the Golden Age of church music, three Marian Antiphons by Victoria and a performance of the Seven Magnificant Antiphons, commissioned by Merton College from seven different contemporary composers. Skempton, Tavener, Dubra, Jackson, McDowall, Martin and Esenvalds have each written a miniature which, when performed in a sequence, makes for a captivating and striking collection of music.

Conductors PETER PHILLIPS & BENJAMIN NICHOLAS

Thursday 13 December 2012, 7.30pm

The Choir of Westminster Abbey
A Ceremony of Carols

Programme includes:
BYRD: Rorate caeli desuper
VICTORIA: O magnum mysterium
PRAETORIUS: Magnificat quinti toni, Joseph lieber, Joseph mein, In dulci jubilo
BRITTEN: A Ceremony of Carols
WARLOCK: Bethlehem Down
WISHART: Alleluia! A new work is come on hand
DOVE: The Three Kings
CHILCOTT: What sweeter music

The Choir of Westminster Abbey is renowned as one of the finest choirs of its type. Famous throughout the world for its performances at the great State and Royal occasions which take place in the Abbey (most recently the wedding of Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge), the Choir also undertakes an extensive programme of concerts, broadcasts and recordings, in addition to singing the daily choral services. In this rare London performance away from the Abbey, the Choir presents a delightfully varied selection of Christmas music, from Renaissance masterpieces by Byrd and Victoria to lesser known contemporary gems by Bob Chilcott and Jonathan Dove. The centrepiece of the programme is Britten’s magical A Ceremony of Carols, sung by the Abbey Choristers.

Conductor JAMES O’DONNELL

Friday 8 February 2013, 7.30pm

I Fagiolini
Insalata I Fagiolini

Amuse-bouche
LUDWIG SENFL: Das G’laut zu Speyer

Entrée
CLÉMENT JANEQUIN: Or vien ca, Au verd boys
DOMINIQUE PHINOT: Pleurez mes yeux
GUILLAUME COSTELEY: Arrete un peu
CLÉMENT JANEQUIN: Le chant des oiseaux

Tapas y ensalada
ANON: Claros y frescos rios
JUAN VASQUEZ: Serrana, donde dormistes?
MATEO DA FLECHA: Teresica Hermana, El Fuego

Primo piatto
ADRIAN WILLAERT: Qual dolcezza giamai
ALESSANDRO STRIGGIO: D’Ogni gratia et d’amor
ORLANDUS LASSUS: S’io esca vivo
GIACHES DE WERT: Ascendete Iesu in naviculam

Carne
CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI: Four madrigals from Il quarto libro de madrigali (1603)
Sfogava con le stelle
Volgea l’anima mia
Longe da te, cor mio
Anima mia, perdona

Thursday 4 April 2013, 7.30pm

Tenebrae
Among Angels

Programme
BERNSTEIN: Chichester Psalms
TODD: Vidi speciosam
TODD: Among angels
ELGAR: There is sweet music
TODD: The Lord is my shepherd
TODD: That we may love again
TODD: Vidi speciosam
TODD: Man unkind
TODD: Stay with me

The chamber choir, Tenebrae, conducted by Nigel Short, joins forces with the English Chamber Orchestra to perform music by Bernstein and Elgar alongside the melodically beautiful and harmonically rich music of celebrated Jubilee composer Will Todd. Will Todd introduces works that have inspired him including Bernstein’s rarely heard but profound Chichester Psalms.

Director NIGEL SHORT
ENGLISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
Countertenor DAVID ALLSOPP

Wednesday 24 April 2013, 7.30pm

Alamire
The Tudor Dynasty: For every syllable a note

Programme
LAMBE: O Christe Jesu, pastor bone
SHEPPARD: Filiae Jesusalem
TAVERNER: Quemadmodum
SHEPPARD: Verbum caro
TAVERNER & TYE: O spendor gloriae
TALLIS: If ye love me
TALLIS: Tunes for Archbishop Parker’s Psalter
BYRD: Peccantem me quotidie
TALLIS: Honor virtus et potestas
TALLIS: In ieiunio et fletu
TALLIS: Dum transisset sabbatum
BYRD: Emendemus in melius
BYRD: Tribue Domine

The evolution of Early Tudor polyphony, through the Reformation to Tallis and Byrd. A selection to chart the development of English composition from the great pre-Reformation works from the time of Henry VIII to music for the first English prayer-book of 1549 to the restored Catholic Church under Mary Tudor. The programme culminates with masterworks from Tallis and Byrd’s Cantiones Sacrae of 1575, marking the birth of England’s musical Renaissance.

Director DAVID SKINNER

Wednesday 29 May 2013, 7.30pm

The Tallis Scholars
Tallis at 40: Gesualdo at 400

Programme
GESUALDO: Tenebrae Responsories For Holy Saturday
LASSUS: Timor et tremor
GALLUS: Mirabile Mysterium
DE WERT: Ascendente Jesu in naviculam
APPENZELLER: Musae Jovis
DE RORE: Calami sonum ferentes
HASSLER: Ad Dominum cum tribularer
ZIELENSKI: Vox in rama
MONTEVERDI: Adoramus te

“In this anniversary year of Carlo Gesualdo’s death, it is a pleasure to perform again his astonishing Responsories for Holy Saturday. When our recording of this set first came out in the late ’80s the Gramophone critic wrote: ‘Is this great music or merely weird?’ After many more performances I can say quite clearly that it is both. Gesualdo was unique; and whatever one thinks of his behaviour in life, I am convinced he knew exactly what he was doing with his music. To compliment Gesualdo’s chromatic style we have put together a second half of music which has similar features - experimental, chromatic, ahead of its time - ending with that much loved arch-revolutionary, Monteverdi.”

Director PETER PHILLIPS