Notes from Geoffrey Whittington, choir member, relating to the pieces we’re performing on 20 October in Havant and 26 October 2024 in Petersfield:
This diverse and evocative selection of works explores themes of nature, reflection, and spirituality, traversing the centuries from the Renaissance through the Romantic period to contemporary compositions. Each piece offers its own unique sound world, capturing the beauty and complexity of both the human voice and the autumn season.
Lôbo : Missa pro Defunctis
Duarte Lôbo (1565-1646) was the pre-eminent Portuguese composer of the Renaissance. Starting at Evora, he became mestre de capela at Lisbon, which position he held for forty years. This Requiem mass for eight voices from 1621 demonstrates Lobo’s composing skill well. The first two movements are based on a three-note ascending or descending phrase. Most of the work is in the usual counterpoint style but at the starts of the Sanctus and Agnus Dei sections there is some homophony to emphasize the words. The listener will enjoy the power and complexity of the eight separate parts as well as the peace and smoothness of the piece. Read more about Lôbo.
Rheinberger: Four Motets, op. 133
Josef Rheinberger (1839-1901), born in Lichtenstein, was a German professional organist as well as a composer based at Munich who wrote in many forms. Strongly influenced by Bach, he came to be very influential in Catholic church music in Germany after being appointed the court composer to Ludwig II of Bavaria in 1877. Having sung his famous Abendlied many times, the choir is happy to explore more of his choral writing. These four motets are in six parts (2 sopranos, alto, 2 tenors, bass). The third motet in B major is technically challenging. The fourth (Angelus Domini) is for Easter. The listener will appreciate the rare combination of counterpoint and romantic dynamic range. Read more about Rheinberger.
Brahms: Motet Wo ist ein so herrlich Volk
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) wrote this piece following the unification of Germany in 1871. It’s part of Fest und Gedenkspruche, op 109 (“Festival and Commemoration Sentences”). It sets texts from the Bible and is for double choir which Brahms uses to represent arguments and unity. Wo ist ein so herrlich Volk (“Where is there such a pleasant people”) relates to the handing on of duty to God to the next generation. It is very much in the lovely rich harmonic style of Brahms’s Deutsches Requiem. Read more about Brahms.
Jackson: To Morning
Gabriel Jackson (b. 1962) is a contemporary British composer who won the British Composer Award in 2003 for liturgical music. His music has been commissioned and performed throughout Europe. This piece, setting words by William Blake, is fresh and effective, with some unexpected rhythms. The listener may particularly enjoy his sliding harmony for the middle section to the words ‘rise from the chambers of the east’.
Hill: Voices of Autumn
Jackson Hill (b. 1941) is an American composer who is professor of music at Bucknell University, Pennsylvania. Hill studied Buddhist chant in Japan in the 1970s and Japanese music has strongly influenced his work. This piece, well outside the choir’s normal orbit, has a deliberately static feel. Some of the sounds may remind the listener of bird calls, although apparently the text refers to the voice of a stag in the forest.
Bridge: Music, when soft voices die, Autumn
Frank Bridge (1879–1941) was a viola player as well as a composer and wrote a lot of chamber music. He is noted as the teacher of Benjamin Britten and the listener can hear some elements of style that Britten took from him. These two settings of Shelley show Bridge as thoughtful in the way he sets the music. The listener may particularly like the sense of slumber at the end of Music to the words ‘Love itself shall slumber on’. Autumn has a big dynamic range and bits of surprising harmony; listen out for the worm and the lizard! Read more about Bridge.
Pearsall: Lay a garland
Robert Lucas Pearsall (1795-1856) was an English composer specialising in short vocal works. This is one of the glories of English part writing, with the eight parts weaving long phrases in and out and creating a moving whole. The words come from a play ‘The Maid’s Tragedy’ (1608).