Bach to Christmas

Choir & audience Once in royal David’s city Henry Gauntlett hrmnsd. Mann Choir A child is born in Bethlehem Samuel Scheidt edit. Willcocks Still, still, still Austrian carol arr. Ledger A babe is born William Mathias Choir & audience In the bleak mid-winter Gustav Holst Choir Carol of the Bells Ukrainian carol arr. Leontovych Jesus Christ the apple tree Elizabeth Poston The three kings Peter Cornelius arr. Atkins Choir & audience Unto us is born a Son Piae Cantiones arr. Willcocks

INTERVAL Please join us for seasonal refreshments

Choir Choral excerpts from Johann Sebastian Bach Part I of Mass in B minor Choir & audience Silent night Franz Gruber arr. Cullen Choir Deck the hall Welsh traditional carol arr. Willcocks There is a flower John Rutter Ding dong! merrily on high 16th century French melody hrmnsd. Wood Choir & audience O come, all ye faithful John Wade arr. Willcocks

Nico de Villiers – piano and organ Conductor: Dan Ludford-Thomas

Once in royal David’s city Henry Gauntlett (1805-76) harmonised Arthur Mann (1850-1929) This carol has been a favourite around the world since the annual BBC UK & overseas broadcasts of the Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols from King’s College Chapel, Cambridge after World War II. But it was in fact in 1919 that it first took pride of place as the processional hymn in the Festival, in this arrangement by the

Chapel’s organist, Dr Arthur Mann. The tune was by another organist, Henry Gauntlett, who in 1849 had discovered the words in a poem by the Irish hymn writer and poet, Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-95). She had published these lines in her book Hymns for Little Children, which also included her hymns ‘All things bright and beautiful’ and ‘There is a green hill far away’. As for Gauntlett, he held the post of organist at several London churches, including St Olave’s near London Bridge and the Union Chapel, Islington. He was organist at the first performance of Mendelssohn’s great oratorio Elijah and was the first musician for more than 200 years to be awarded a Lambeth Doctorate by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Once in royal David’s city stood a lowly cattle shed, Where a mother laid her baby in a manger for his bed: Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little child. PLEASE NOW STAND AND JOIN US IN SINGING: He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all, And his shelter was a stable, and his cradle was a stall; With the poor, and mean, and lowly, lived on earth our Saviour holy. And through all his wondrous childhood he would honour and obey, Love, and watch the lowly maiden, in whose gentle arms he lay; Christian children all must be mild, obedient, good as he. For he is our childhood’s pattern, day by day like us he grew, He was little, weak and helpless, tears and smiles like us he knew; And he feeleth for our sadness, and he shareth in our gladness. And our eyes at last shall see him, through his own redeeming love, For that child so dear and gentle is our Lord in heaven above; And he leads his children on to the place where he is gone.

A child is born in Bethlehem Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654) edited by Sir David Willcocks (1919-2015) Now considered as one of the most important composers of the 17th century, Samuel Scheidt studied with Sweelinck in Amsterdam and then became organist and Kapellmeister to the Margrave of Brandenburg. His vocal music came to epitomise the new north German Protestant style. In 1620 he produced his Cantiones sacrae or Sacred songs, including his ‘Puer natus in Bethlehem’, the first two verses of which David Willcocks translated for this carol. For the third and fourth verses, Willcocks drew from the Cowley Carol Book, a collection compiled in the early 1900s by George Ratcliffe Woodward, the cleric who also wrote the lyrics to ‘Ding dong! merrily on high’. Still, still, still Austrian carol arranged by Sir Philip Ledger (1937-2012)

In 1962, when appointed to Chelmsford, Philip Ledger became the youngest cathedral organist in the country. He then worked closely with Benjamin Britten as an Artistic Director of the Aldeburgh Festival and later played the organ at Britten’s funeral. In 1974 he succeeded David Willcocks as Director of Music at King’s College, Cambridge, a post he held for 8 years before moving to Glasgow as Principal of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama. The music for this carol, later arranged by Ledger, was originally a folk tune from the Austrian state of Salzburg, which appeared for the first time in 1865 as part of a collection of folksongs

assembled by the founder of the Salzburg Museum. A babe is born William Mathias (1934-92) The words of this carol date from the early 15th century, with the Latin refrains being drawn from the Gregorian chants used in the various Offices of the Hours (Lauds, Vespers etc). By giving the instruction ‘Giocoso, alla danza’ (Joyous, in the style of a dance), Mathias echoes the bold rhythms and colourful textures of his piece. William Mathias was born in south west Wales and studied at Aberystwyth University and the Royal Academy of Music. ‘A babe was born’ was his Opus 55, written in 1971 to fulfil a commission from the Cardiff Polyphonic Choir and the Welsh Arts Council, when the composer was a professor and head of the music department at the University of Wales in Bangor.

In the bleak midwinter Gustav Holst (1874-1934)

This carol has gone through a slow gestation period before becoming one of the most popular in the repertory. Christina Rossetti (1830-1894), the English poet and sister of the pre-Raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti, wrote the words around 1872, in response to a magazine’s request for a Christmas poem. But they were not published amongst her works until ten years after her death. Only two years later however Gustav Holst set the words to music and this setting and a later one by Harold Darke have vied for top popularity ever since. Holst’s setting is a hymn which he named Cranham, after a village in his native Gloucestershire where his mother had been brought up. The hymn was

written for publication in the 1906 English Hymnal, of which friend and fellow composer Ralph Vaughan Williams was co-editor. PLEASE STAND AND JOIN US IN SINGING: In the bleak midwinter frosty wind made moan, Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow, In the bleak midwinter long ago. Our God, Heav’n cannot hold him nor earth sustain; Heav’n and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign: In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed The Lord God Almighty Jesus Christ. Enough for him, whom cherubim worship night and day, A breastful of milk and a mangerful of hay; Enough for him, whom angels fall down before, The ox and ass and camel which adore. What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb, If I were a Wise Man I would do my part, Yet what I can I give him, give my heart.

Carol of the bells Ukrainian carol arranged by Mykola Leontovych (1877-1921) This carol was originally written for performance on New Year’s Eve and known as ‘bountiful evening’ in Ukraine. It recounted the folktale of a swallow flying into a house to sing of the wealth which would come to the household’s family the following spring. The composer and music teacher Mykola Leontovych wrote his arrangement in 1916 after receiving a commission from the director of the Ukrainian National Chorus. In January 1921 Leontovych, a supporter of Ukrainian independence, was assassinated by a Soviet agent, so sadly did not live to hear of his arrangement’s success when it was sung by the same Chorus in October that year to a sold-out Carnegie Hall in New York. The Ukrainian-American choral director and music teacher Peter Wilhousky (1902-78) did hear it however and 15 years later wrote the English lyrics we shall sing tonight. Wilhousky based these not on the original Ukrainian story but rather on the association he made of between the tune and the sound of hand bells. Jesus Christ the apple tree Elizabeth Poston (1905-87)

Elizabeth Poston was born and brought up in Hertfordshire. The writer E.M. Forster became a friend after Elizabeth and her mother moved into what had been Forster’s childhood home, Rook’s Nest House in Stevenage, which had been the inspiration for Forster’s novel Howards End. Poston studied at the Royal Academy of Music and then studied architecture and collected folksongs abroad. She worked as Director of the BBC’s European Service and was instrumental in creating what was to become BBC Radio 3. She was a friend of fellow composers Warlock and Vaughan Williams and collaborated in her musical settings with C.S. Lewis and Dylan Thomas. For this carol, which has surely become her

most popular work, Poston took the words from Baptist minister Joshua Smith’s compilation ‘Divine Hymns or Spiritual Songs’, published in New Hampshire in 1784. The words were however not of American but of English origin, as they first appeared in print in London in 1761. The link between Christ and an apple tree has been variously ascribed to several different Biblical allusions and also to the old tradition of wassailing by wishing health to apple trees on Christmas Eve.

Three kings Peter Cornelius (1824-74) arranged by Sir Ivor Atkins (1869-1953) Bass soloist: Joshua Ransome-Kuti Despite some having some very famous acquaintances and friends, including the Brothers Grimm, Mendelssohn, Wagner and Liszt, composer Peter Cornelius is today almost only known for this carol, for which he himself wrote the words, adding the tune and text of the chorale ’Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern’ by the Lutheran pastor Philipp Nicolai (1556-1608) as the background refrain to the bass solo. This tune had earlier also inspired Bach to write a cantata with the same name. The arrangement sung tonight is by Sir Ivor Atkins, choirmaster and organist at Worcester Cathedral for over 50 years. The English translation of the lyrics is by Herbert Newell Bate (1871-1941), onetime Dean of York Minster.

Unto us is born a Son Melody from Piae Cantiones arranged by Sir David Willcocks (1919-2015)

The original melody of this medieval carol is found in 14th & 15th century manuscripts but may date from considerably earlier. It first appeared in print among the ‘Piae Cantiones’ (Pious songs) of 1582, compiled by Jaako Suomalainen, the Rector of the cathedral school in Turku, Finland. It then had to wait until the early 20th century for an English translation, written by the Anglican priest George Ratcliffe Woodward and then later still for this musical arrangement by David Willcocks.

PLEASE STAND AND JOIN US IN SINGING: Unto us is born a son, King of quires supernal: See on earth his life begun, Of lords the Lord eternal, of lords the Lord eternal.

Christ, from heav'n descending low, Comes on earth a stranger; Ox and ass their Owner know, Be cradled in the manger, be cradled in the manger. This did Herod sore affray, And grievously bewilder, So he gave the word to slay, And slew the little childer, and slew the little childer. Of his love and mercy mild This the Christmas story; And O that Mary’s gentle Child Might lead us up to glory, might lead us up to glory! O and A, and A and O, Cum cantibus in choro, Let our merry organ go, Benedicamus Domino, benedicamus Domino.

INTERVAL Please join us for seasonal refreshments

Choral excerpts from Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Part I of Mass in B minor Gloria in excelsis Deo Et in terra pax Gratias agimus tibi Qui tollis Cum Sancto Spiritu In 1733, Johann Sebastian Bach used 5 months of mourning for the late Elector of Saxony, when public performance was not allowed, to set to music a Kyrie and a Gloria (the excerpts we sing tonight are the choral parts of that Gloria) in an attempt to become court composer to the new Elector. The choice of these parts of the liturgy, common to both the Lutheran and the Roman Catholic rites, suited not only the Lutheran composer but also his prospective employer, a Catholic. Bach eventually got the job. In 1745 he re-used part of the Gloria in a cantata performed on Christmas Day. And by 1749, after a total of 35 years, he had finally assembled a musical setting of the whole of the Mass, although he never gave it a composite title and was never to hear a full performance. Nevertheless the ‘Mass in B minor’ was eventually recognised as a choral masterpiece.

Silent night Franz Gruber (1787-1863) arranged by John Cullen

Many legends have built up over the years as to the origin of this carol but it is thought that the likeliest story is that on Christmas Eve 1818 Josef Mohr (1792-1848), an assistant priest in a village near Salzburg, Austria, was desperate for a carol which could be sung at Midnight Mass that evening, as was the tradition. So he set off to walk three kilometres to the home of his friend the schoolteacher and organist Franz Gruber, armed with a poem which Mohr had written two years previously. The carol was written and sung by the two

friends with Mohr playing his guitar as accompaniment and the choir singing the refrain. The rest is history…and the work has become a national treasure in Austria, where the tradition is maintained that it may not be performed before Christmas Eve. From humble beginnings in a small Austrian village, Silent Night has become a favourite throughout the world in many and varied arrangements. This particular one is by John Cullen, former Director of Music at Tonbridge School and conductor of the Tonbridge Philharmonic Society. PLEASE STAND AND JOIN US IN SINGING: Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright Round yon virgin mother & child. Holy infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace. Silent night, holy night, Shepherds first saw the sight: Glories stream from heaven afar, Heav'nly hosts sing Alleluia: Christ, the Saviour is born, Christ, the Saviour is born! Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love's pure light; Radiance beams from thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

Deck the hall Welsh traditional carol arranged by Sir David Willcocks (1919-2015) The melody of ‘Deck the hall’ is from a Welsh winter carol ‘Nos Galan’ (the title means New Year’s Eve) dating back to the sixteenth century although not published until 1794. Both Haydn and Mozart adapted the Welsh tune in their works. The new English lyrics were however not written until 1862, by the Scottish musician, lyricist and artist Thomas Oliphant (1799-1873). Oliphant’s lyrics were not a translation of the Welsh but an original work, although he did retain the Welsh ‘Fa la la…’ refrain which may originate from medieval ballads. Oliphant also wrote words for a chorale by Prince Albert which was sung at the wedding of the then Prince of Wales in 1863. There is a flower John Rutter (1945-)

Again a carol with words written in the 15th century, in this case by the priest and poet John Audelay, who is recognised as a significant figure in the history of the English carol, despite being thought by some sources to have been both deaf and blind. The score of this setting, written in 1986 by John Rutter, bears the dedication ‘For Dr George Guest and the choir of St John’s, Cambridge’. Rutter himself had studied at Cambridge and was a chorister at Clare College there, where he was to become director of music and, with performances & recordings, bring the choir to international renown. Rutter’s standing with the Clare choir thus somewhat mirrored that of the Welsh organist and choral George Guest (1924-2002) who built an almost unparalleled reputation with his choir at St John’s. Ding dong! merrily on high 16th century French melody harmonised by Charles Wood (1866-1926)

The tune of this carol first appeared as a secular dance entitled ‘Branle de l'Officiel’ (Dance of the servant) in Orchésographie, a study of French Renaissance dances written in 1588 by the cleric Jehan Tabourot (1519–1595) under his pen name Thoinot Arbeau. This dance was in the Ionian mode, associated with licentiousness & ribaldry. But all this was forgotten by the time the Irish composer Charles Wood harmonised the ancient tune, setting the English lyrics written by the Anglican priest and lover of archaic poetry George Ratcliffe Woodward (1848–1934). Woodward’s interest in bell ringing no doubt influenced his choice of

words, which were first published with Wood’s harmonisation in 1924 in ‘The Cambridge Carol-Book: Being Fifty-two Songs for Christmas, Easter, And Other Seasons’. At the time Wood was professor of music at Cambridge University, having taken over the post from his erstwhile teacher and fellow composer Charles Villiers

Stanford. And like Stanford, he is now mainly remembered for his Anglican church music.

O come, all ye faithful John Wade (c1711-1786) arranged by Sir David Willcocks (1919-2015) Another carol of which the authorship is unclear, even having been attributed to a 17th century Portuguese king! Our book of carols however appears to be in no doubt that the tune and words were written by the English Roman Catholic hymn writer John Wade, under the title ’Adeste Fideles’. After the failure of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Jacobite rebellion in 1745, Wade fled to France and ended his days in exile there. But his hymn lived on in his native land as a Christmas carol. The verses we sing tonight were translated from the Latin by Frederick Oakeley (1802-1880), an Anglican priest who converted to Roman Catholicism. PLEASE STAND AND JOIN US IN SINGING: O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold him born the King of Angels; O come let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord, God of God, Light of Light, Lo! He abhors not the Virgin’s womb; Very God, begotten, not created: O come let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord, See how the shepherds, summoned to his cradle, Leaving their flocks, draw nigh with lowly fear; We too will thither bend our joyful footsteps: O come let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord, Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation, Sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above; Glory to God in the highest O come let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord,

TONIGHT'S PERFORMERS Nico de Villiers – Piano and Organ South Africa-born pianist Nico de Villiers is based in London and in demand as soloist, accompanist and coach in the UK as well as abroad. He holds degrees from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, University of Michigan and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Recent débuts include performances at the Barbican in London, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Birmingham Symphony Hall, the Mozarteum Grosser Saal in Salzburg and the Beethoven-Haus Kammermusiksaal in Bonn. Future concert engagements include recitals across the UK, the Netherlands, South Africa and China. Nico is currently undertaking his doctoral research at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, focusing on the songs of Dutch-born American composer Richard Hageman. He is grateful for the generous support of the Guildhall School and the International Opera Awards. He has recently co-written and published the first ever biography on Hageman, who conducted at the Metropolitan Opera and scored some of the best known westerns of John Ford. Dan Ludford-Thomas – Conductor

Dan enjoys a busy schedule as a conductor, chorus master and singing teacher in London. He directs a wide variety of choirs from professional ensembles, church choirs, chamber choirs and large symphonic choruses. He performs regularly in major concert venues across the country including Birmingham Symphony Hall and The Royal Albert Hall. In 2012 he conducted over 300 singers and the Forest Philharmonic in a performance of Handel's Messiah in the Royal Festival Hall. In 2014

he conducted over 200 singers in a performance of Verdi's Requiem in the Fairfield Halls returning with the same forces to put on Mendelssohn's Elijah in 2016. Dan was the Chorus Master for the Choir of the Enlightenment, preparing them to sing Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, conducted by Marin Alsop at the 2013 BBC Proms. He returned as Chorus Master for Marin, preparing the Choir of the Enlightenment to perform Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody and Triumphlied at the 2015 BBC Proms. In 2012 Dan worked as a choirmaster on BBC2’s The Choir: Sing While You Work and then became the Artistic Director of the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir enjoying success as the co-producer and musical director for the Choir's 2015 Christmas Number One 'Bridge Over You'. He returned in 2013 to work

on BBC2’s The Choir: Sing While You Work series 2 as choirmaster to Citibank Choir with whom he has continued as the Musical Director; highlights include performing at the Hammersmith Apollo and a series of concerts in New York. In 2015 Dan worked behind the scenes as choirmaster for The Choir: Gareth Malone's Great Choir Reunion. He is currently Head of Vocal Studies at Dulwich College, conductor of the Senior Choir of the National Children's Choir of Great Britain, Musical Director of Concordia Chamber Choir, Musical Director of The Hackney Singers and Director of Music of Lewisham Choral Society. Lewisham Choral Society

Lewisham Choral Society is one of London’s most popular community choirs, performing at local venues and major concert halls such as Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, the Cadogan Hall and the Fairfield Halls. It has provided the chorus for two shows at the Young Vic and was honoured to take part in the opening ceremony for the Paralympic Games in 2012. It is a large, lively community-based choir, with almost two hundred singers. Founded in 1950 by a group based at Lewisham’s parish church, it grew in size and ambition, marking its transformation by a change of name to Lewisham Choral Society in the early 1980s. The Society is a member of Making Music - the National Federation of Music Societies. It is a performing choir, staging four concerts a year and taking part in other choral singing events when opportunities arise. Under the professional direction of Dan Ludford-Thomas and his deputy Nico de Villiers, the choir’s repertoire ranges from the sixteenth century to the twenty-first - Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 through to contemporary works by Will Todd and Eric Whitacre.

Lewisham Choral Society acknowledges the support of the

London Borough of Lewisham and is affiliated to Making Music

Lewisham Choral Society, Registered Charity Number 1040570

WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN LEWISHAM CHORAL SOCIETY AS A SINGER?

Lewisham Choral Society offers a warm welcome to new joiners. We are open to singers in all voice parts, but given the need to maintain a good balance across the choir we are targeting our recruitment at tenors and basses. Although we do not audition, the choir performs to a high standard and tackles some complex pieces which require a level of experience and musical ability. Rehearsals are relatively fast-paced, so may not suit complete beginners. We rehearse on Monday evenings from 8 to 10 at St Laurence's Church, 37 Bromley Road, Catford, SE6 2TS: five minutes' walk from Catford and Catford Bridge stations; buses 47, 54, 136, 171, 199 and 208 stop outside. Parking is relatively easy on nearby residential streets and there is limited parking within the church grounds. Rehearsals of Bach’s Mass in B minor for the Spring 2017 term start on Monday 9 January and continue until the concert on 27 March next year. We shall schedule additional rehearsals as and when necessary. Singers are welcome to join as new members on 9 or 16 January.

Introduction and programme notes by Martin Bull Design of concert posters and flyers by Ben Leslie

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Lewisham Choral Society is happy to support the charity Embrace the Middle East

with a retiring collection. Please give generously! Embrace supports transformational projects in the Middle East which help vulnerable and marginalised people to achieve their potential. Through Embrace, St Andrew’s Catford is

supporting a teenager in the area

Embrace the Middle East registered charity number 1076329

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Lewisham Choral Society – Future performances

Please visit our website for updates www.lewishamchoralsociety.org.uk Ticket enquiries to 020 8309 0439 or website

Monday 27 March 2017 at 7.30 pm Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX

With the Hackney Singers and the London Mozart Players

Bach – Mass in B minor,

BWV 232

Saturday 8 July 2017 at 7.30 pm Venue to be announced

Summer Concert including

Zoltán Kodály – Missa Brevis, Pange lingua & Evening Song Arvo Pärt – Alleluia-Tropus