Claudio Monteverdi⁓⁓⁓

Vespers of 1610

Faye Newton Katharine Hawnt

soprano

Aaron Burchell alto

Mark DobellJeremy Budd

tenor

Niall HoskinPhil Brotheridge

bass

Paragon Singers

Bradford Baroque BandTheresa Caudle leader

Keith Bennettconductor

Monteverdi: Vespers of 1610

Background to the music and the performanceIn 1610 Ricciardo Amadino, one of the leading Venetian (and European) music printers, published an extensive collection of sacred music by Claudio Monteverdi, maestro di cappella to the Gonzaga court at Mantua. It comprised settings of the response, five psalms, hymn and Magnificat (two alternative settings, one with and one without instruments) required by the Roman Catholic office of Vespers for feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary, together with five sacred concerti (motets in the most modern style), an instrumental sonata with solo vocal cantus firmus and the Missa in illo tempore, a setting of the mass written in a deliberately old-fashioned style more appropriate to Rome than Venice, based on a motet by the early sixteenth-century composer Nicholas Gombert.

Quite why Monteverdi issued this particular collection of music, in this particular form, nobody knows. Although his first published work (in 1582, at the age of 15) was a collection of sacred music, he had become famous as a composer of audacious, forward-looking madrigals and operas, the latest thing in court entertainment. However, not only had he suffered personal tragedy in the early deaths of his daughter in 1603, his wife in 1607 and his favourite soprano in 1608; he was also extremely unhappy with the working conditions and irregularly paid income which was his lot at Mantua. It is possible, therefore, that Monteverdi assembled this apparently disparate collection of pieces as an advertisement, for the principal purpose of finding a secure, well-paid church appointment. Certainly not all of them were newly composed, and some at least may have been used for the inauguration in 1608 by Vincenzo Gonzaga, the Duke of Mantua, of a new order of chivalry in honour of Christ the Redeemer. The dedication to the Pope seems to support the notion of a compositional portfolio, as to a lesser extent does its publication in Venice, although Venice was home to both the nearest and most important music printers and the natural place to publish it. If it was such a portfolio, it was not immediately successful, for he remained at Mantua until peremptorily dismissed in 1612. In 1613, however, the maestro di cappella at St Mark’s, Venice died: Monteverdi applied, and was appointed to the post. Music from the 1610 collection may well have provided evidence of his qualifications for the job, and been performed at audition. The earliest evidence of a performance of any of the music outside Mantua is in St Mark’s for the Feast of the Assumption (15 August) 1613, and the Vespers has, of course, been indissolubly linked with St Mark’s ever since. The rich variety of the music seems perfectly to match the architectural, decorative and acoustical qualities of that extraordinary, wonderful building.

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Claudio Monteverdi1567–1643

Since the rediscovery of Monteverdi’s music in the 20th century there has been furious debate about both the nature and the performance of the 1610 collection. The five motets for one, two or three solo voices are interspersed between the psalms, but the texts bear no resemblance to the plainchant antiphons that would normally have been chanted before and after each psalm. Some scholars have argued that the motets have nothing to do with Vespers and should be omitted. However, recent confirmation that motets were often substituted for antiphons in St Mark’s indicates that the main elements of the collection, excluding the Mass, can be seen to hang together as a liturgical whole (the smaller six-voiced Magnificat substituting for the larger one in a performance with organ only) – even if Monteverdi originally envisaged his print as providing music for a variety of purposes, to be used in a variety of ways.

Performance of the Vespers, however, raises other issues apart from deciding which music to sing! Should you put the music into a quasi-liturgical context: if so, what elements of the liturgy do you add? Should the style of performance be devotional, madrigalian or theatrical – the music is all these things! Monteverdi does not specify division of the music between solo voices and choir: is it intended for solo voices throughout and, if not, how do you divide it up? Which instruments do you use? Although performance on historical instruments is now almost a sine qua non, instruments (other than continuo) are specified only in the response Deus in adjutorium, Dixit Dominus, the sonata, hymn and Magnificat: should you use them elsewhere? At what pitch should you perform it? Two of the movements (Lauda Jerusalem and the Magnificat) are written in high clefs, a code that implies the substantial downward transposition of a fourth from the written pitch – indeed, at the written pitch the Magnificat goes a third higher than the theoretical range of the cornett. Should you transpose them, thus preserving Monteverdi’s perceived pitch relationship between the movements – but making them rather low – or leave them uncomfortably (but often excitingly) high?

For the performer, these are necessary but stimulating questions to answer. For the audience, they probably seem arcane, but the answers will affect the music you hear, and the way in which you hear it. Our answers (like most people’s) have been pragmatic. The Wiltshire Music Centre, wonderful venue though it is, is unashamedly secular, and seems to require an unapologetically ‘concert-style’ performance. We shall be performing the traditional set of movements universally recognised as ‘Monteverdi’s Vespers’, in more or less the order in which they were published, without any quasi-liturgical additions. We will perform the whole piece a semitone higher than ‘concert’ pitch, which is roughly equivalent to contemporary North Italian pitch, and transpose Lauda Jerusalem down a tone and the Magnificat down a fourth. This preserves the excitement of the psalm and enhances the stately, more liturgical feel of the Magnificat. The instruments will be used more than is specified but well within Venetian tradition. Above all we have worked, as Monteverdi did, always from the words, from their rhythms and meaning.

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Palazzo Te, Mantua

The musicThe Vespers of 1610 represents a watershed between the musical styles of the Renaissance and the Baroque. The motets are written in the highly ornate ‘modern’ manner, yet the psalms, hymn and Magnificat are composed round that most traditional of devices, the chant cantus firmus. This can be heard plain or decorated in many places, in others profoundly influencing the shape of the musical material. Contemporary dance style and madrigalian idioms sit alongside Gabrieli-like music for separated choirs and traditional polyphony, though that, too, is often imbued with a dance-like feel, with imitations cascading over each other in rapid succession. All this leads to great textural variety and colour, admirably reflecting the pomp and splendour of 16th- and 17th-century Venice and of the Doge’s private chapel, St Mark’s, in particular.

No.1: Deus in adjutoriumSuch splendour was not, of course, confined to Venice, and the work immediately announces its Mantuan origins with this arrangement of the Gonzagas’ traditional fanfare. This short movement is a reworking of the instrumental toccata that opens Monteverdi’s opera Orfeo (1607), with added choral chanting of the opening respond of Vespers.

No.2: Dixit DominusIn this six-voiced setting of Psalm 109 (110 in the Anglican Psalter), dance rhythms predominate, even in the choral sections, which feature also the latest style of madrigalian choral chanting. Further variety of texture is provided by more ornate verses for solo trios and instrumental ritornellos.

No.3: Nigra sumThis lyrical motet setting of a text from the Song of Solomon, for solo tenor, is in the most modern expressive style.

No.4: Laudate pueriThough it carries the designation ‘for 8 solo voices and organ’, this setting of Psalm 112 (113), like the other psalms, is usually sung chorally. We have added instruments to provide colour and highlight the structure. Passages in dance rhythm sit alongside more solidly wrought polyphony and extensive interludes for solo voices. The movement ends with a long, fading close.

No.5: Pulchra esA wonderful duet for two sopranos, the motet Pulchra es is again in the most modern style typical of Monteverdi’s younger contemporaries, such as Alessandro Grandi. The text is again taken from the Song of Solomon.

No.6: Laetatus sumThe style of this setting of Psalm 121 (122), for six voices and organ, oscillates between delicate open textures over a madrigalian ‘walking bass’ and more solid polyphony. The changing mood of the text is reflected in constant variety, including virtuoso runs and delicate expressivity for the words ‘O pray for the peace of Jerusalem.’

No.7: Duo SeraphimCritics have seen similarities between this motet and the aria Possente spirto, one of the most moving yet virtuosic numbers in Orfeo: as the New Grove says, ‘Monteverdi represents the singing of the angels with his most ornate style.’ The text conflates passages from Isaiah and the first Epistle of St John. In true madrigalian fashion, two seraphim are represented by a tenor duet, with a third joining for ‘There are three that bear record in Heaven.’

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No.8: Nisi DominusA setting for two five-part choirs of Psalm 126 (127). The movement takes the Gabrielian polychoral style to new heights of virtuosity, yet remains throughout firmly anchored to the chant cantus firmus in two of the four tenor parts.

No.9: Audi coelumHere an anonymous 16th-century text in praise of the Virgin Mary is set for two solo tenors, one acting as an echo (a fashionable poetic and musical device). At Omnes hanc ergo sequamur the full choir enters to invoke the blessing of God and his mother, the texture broken twice more, first to illustrate the text ‘to follow’, and later to plead for comfort for the distressed.

No.10: Lauda JerusalemThe final psalm is an exhilarating setting of Psalm 147 (the second half of Psalm 147 in the Anglican Psalter). After the tenor’s initial call to praise, the tenors (and sackbutt) combine to provide a central girder of chant while around it two three-voiced choirs disport in lively antiphony. The psalm ends with a resounding setting of the doxology.

INTERVAL

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Santa Maria della Salute, Venice

No.11: Ave maris stellaIn this setting of the Vespers hymn, the original chant is treated in sonorous, expressive eight-part polyphony, in simpler four-part polyphony for each of the two choirs, and as a moving song for soprano and tenor soloists. Between verses, Monteverdi interpolates an instrumental ritornello. In this performance, the instruments double the glorious eight-part polyphony both in verse one and when it returns for the doxology.

No.12: Sonata sopra ‘Sancta Maria’This wonderful instrumental sonata may have been intended as a substitute Magnificat antiphon. The published order places it before the hymn but we have moved it to precede the Magnificat. It is a piece in Monteverdi’s most up-to-date instrumental style, one of the largest and most impressive instrumental pieces of the period. It forms a large ternary structure, with constantly varying figuration and meter. Superb as an instrumental piece, it is made even more effective by the addition of eleven statements by the solo soprano of a simple plainchant invocation, ‘Holy Mary, pray for us’.

No.13: MagnificatIn the Magnificat, Monteverdi employs all his resources to provide the utmost variety, albeit retaining the chant cantus firmus throughout, except for the final Amen. Each verse is set independently, with textures ranging between solo voice and continuo, solo trios, instrumental duets, trios and ritornellos with and without cantus firmus, six-part choir (divided into two three-part choirs), and seven-part choir with doubling instruments. As a job application it couldn’t have presented a better case for his genius: as music it provides a gloriously summative conclusion to this wonderful work.

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Palazzo Ducale, Mantua

1. Deus in adjutorium Deus, in adjutorium meum intende, Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina. Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen. Allelujah. 2. Dixit Dominus Dixit Dominus Domino meo: Sede a dextris meis: donec ponam inimicos tuos scabellum pedum tuorum. Virgam virtutis tuae emittet Dominus ex Sion: dominare in medio inimicorum tuorum. Tecum principium in die virtutis tuae in splendoribus sanctorum: ex utero ante luciferum genui te. Juravit Dominus, et non poenitebit eum: tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech. Dominus a dextris tuis, confregit in die irae suae reges. Judicabit in nationibus, implebit ruinas: conquassabit capita in terra multorum. De torrente in via bibet: propterea exaltabit caput. Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen. 3. Nigra sum Nigra sum, sed formosa, filiae Jerusalem. Ideo dilexit me rex et introduxit me in cubiculum suum et dixit mihi: Surge, amica mea, et veni. Jam hiems transiit, imber abiit, et recessit. Flores apparuerunt in terra nostra, tempus putationis advenit. 4. Laudate pueri Laudate pueri, Dominum: laudate nomen Domini. Sit nomen Domini benedictum, ex hoc nunc, et usque in saeculum. A solis ortu usque ad occasum, laudabile nomen Domini. Excelsus super omnes gentes Dominus, et super coelos gloria ejus. Quis sicut Dominus Deus noster, qui in altis habitat, Et humilia respicit in coelo et in terra?

Make haste, O God, to deliver me: make haste, O Lord, to help me. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, without end. Amen. Allelujah.

The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send out the rod of thy strength from Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. At thy beginning in thy day of glory in the splendour of the holy places, before the first light I begat thee. The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent: thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech. The Lord at thy right hand shall destroy kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the nations, fill them with the dead, and smash heads in many lands. He shall drink of the brook in the way: thus shall he raise his head. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, without end. Amen.

I am black but comely, ye daughters of Jerusalem. Therefore the king hath delighted in me and brought me to his chamber and said to me: Arise, my love, and come. For the winter is passed, the rain is over and gone; Flowers have appeared in our land, the time of pruning is at hand.

Praise the Lord, ye servants: praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord, from this time forth for evermore. From the rising to the setting of the sun, the Lord’s name be praised. The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, Yet respecteth humbly what is in heaven and earth?

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Suscitans a terra inopem, et de stercore erigens pauperem: Ut collocet eum cum principibus, cum principibus populi sui. Qui habitare facit sterilem in domo, matrem filiorum laetantem. Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen. 5. Pulchra es Pulchra es, amica mea, suavis et decora filia Jerusalem. Pulchra es, amica mea, suavis et decora sicut Jerusalem, terribilis ut castrorum acies ordinata. Averte oculos tuos a me, quia me avolare fecerunt. 6. Laetatus sum Laetatus sum in his, quae dicta sunt mihi: in domum Domini ibimus. Stantes erant pedes nostri, in atriis tuis, Jerusalem. Jerusalem, quae aedificatur ut civitas: cujus participatio ejus in idipsum. Illuc enim ascenderunt tribus, tribus Domini testimonium Israel ad confitendum nomini Domini. Quia illic sederunt sedes in judicio, sedes super domum David. Rogate quae ad pacem sunt Jerusalem: et abundantia diligentibus te. Fiat pax in virtute tua: et abundantia in turribus tuis. Propter fratres meos, et proximos meos, loquebar pacem de te: Propter domum Domini Dei nostri, quaesivi bona tibi. Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen. 7. Duo SeraphimDuo Seraphim clamabant alter ad alterum: Sanctus Dominus Deus Saboath. Plena est omnis terra gloria ejus. Tres sunt, qui testimonium dant in coelo: Pater, Verbum et Spiritus Sanctus: et hi tres unum sunt. Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Plena est omnis terra gloria ejus.

He raiseth the simple from the dust, and lifteth the poor from the mire. That he may set him with princes, even the princes of his people. Who maketh the barren woman to keep house, a joyful mother of children.Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, without end. Amen.

Thou art beautiful, my love, sweet and comely daughter of Jerusalem. Thou art beautiful, my love, sweet and comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army arrayed for battle. Turn thine eyes from me, for they make me flee away.

I was glad when they said to me: we will go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand in thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem, that is built as a city that is at one with itself. For thither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, to the testimony of Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. For there are the seats of judgement, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and plenty within thy palaces. For my brethren, and my companions, I will seek peace for thee. For the house of the Lord our God, I will seek to do thee good. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, without end. Amen.

Two seraphim cried to one another: Holy is the Lord God of Sabaoth. The whole earth is full of his glory. There are three who bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit: and these three are one. Holy is the Lord God of Sabaoth. The whole earth is full of his glory.

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8. Nisi Dominus Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum, in vanum laboraverunt qui aedificant eum. Nisi Dominus custodierit civitatem, frustra vigilat qui custodit eam. Vanum est vobis ante lucem surgere: surgite postquam sederitis, qui manducatis panem doloris. Cum dederit dilectis suis somnum: ecce, haereditas Domini filii: merces, fructus ventris. Sicut sagittae in manu potentis: ita filii excussorum. Beatus vir qui implevit desiderium suum ex ipsis: non confundetur cum loquetur inimicis suis in porta. Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen. 9. Audi coelum Audi, coelum, audi verba mea plena desiderio et perfusa gaudio. AudioDic, quaeso, mihi: Quae est ista quae consurgens ut aurora rutilat, ut benedicam? DicamDic nam ista pulchra ut luna, electa ut sol, replet laetitia terras, coelos, maria. MariaMaria virgo illa dulcis praedicta de propheta Ezekiel, porta orientalis? TalisIlla sacra et felix porta per quam mors fuit expulsa introduxit autem vita? ItaQuae semper tutum est medium inter homines et Deum pro culpis remedium? MediumOmnes hanc ergo sequamur qua cum gratia mereamur vitam aeternam. Consequamur. SequamurPraestet nobis Deus, Pater hoc et Filius et Mater cujus nomen invocamus dulce miseris solamen. AmenBenedicta es, virgo Maria, in saeculorum saecula.

10. Lauda JerusalemLauda, Jerusalem, Dominum: lauda Deum tuum, Sion. Quoniam confortavit seras portarum tuarum: benedixit filiis tuis in te.

Unless the Lord build the house, they labour in vain who build it.Except the Lord keep the city, he watcheth in vain who keepeth it. It is vain for you to rise before dawn: rise later, ye who have eaten the bread of sorrows; When he will give sleep to his chosen. Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord; a reward, the fruit of the womb. As arrows in the hands of the mighty, thus are the children of outcasts. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them: they shall not be ashamed when they confront their enemies in the way. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, without end. Amen.

Hear, O heaven, hear my words full of longing and pervaded by joy. I hearTell me, I pray, who is she that shines like the dawn in her rising, that I might bless her? I will tellTell me, for she, beauteous as the moon, radiant as the sun, fills with joy the earth, heavens and seas. MaryMary, that sweet virgin foretold by the prophet Ezekiel, the portal of the East? Even sheThat sacred and happy portal through which death was driven out and life brought in? Even soShe who is always a sure intermediary between men and God, the cure for our sins? The MediatorLet us all therefore follow her through whose grace we may be granted eternal life. Let us go with her. Let us followMay God help us, God the Father, and the Son, and the Mother on whose sweet name we call as a comfort to the wretched. AmenThou art blessed, virgin Mary, for ever and ever. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion. For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee.

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Qui posuit fines tuos pacem: et adipe frumenti satiat te. Qui emittet eloquium suum terrae: velociter currit sermo ejus. Qui dat nivem sicut lanam: nebulam sicut cinerem spargit. Mittit crystallum suam sicut buccellas: ante faciem frigoris ejus quis sustinebit? Emittet verbum suum, et liquefaciet ea: flabit spiritus ejus, et fluent aquae. Qui annunciat verbum suum Jacob: justitias et judicia sua Israel. Non fecit taliter omni nationi: et judicia sua non manifestavit eis. Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

11. Ave Maris Stella Ave maris stella, Dei Mater alma Atque semper Virgo Felix coeli porta. Sumens illud Ave Gabrielis ore, Funda nos in pace, Mutans Evae nomen. Solve vincla reis, Profer lumen caecis, Mala nostra pelle, Bona cuncta posce. Monstra te esse matrem, Sumat per te preces, Qui pro nobis natus, Tulit esse tuus. Virgo singularis, Inter omnes mitis, Nos culpis solutos, Mites fac et castos. Vitam praesta puram, Iter para tutum, Ut videntes Jesum Semper collaetemur. Sit laus Deo Patri, Summo Christo decus, Spiritui Sancto Tribus honor unus. Amen.

12. Sonata Sopra ‘Sancta Maria’ Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis.

He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest wheat. He sendeth his commandment to the earth; his word runneth swiftly.He giveth snow like wool; he scattereth hoar frost like ashes. He casteth forth his ice like morsels; before his cold who can stand? He sendeth out his word, and melteth them; his spirit blows, and the waters flow. He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and judgements to Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation; and his judgments he hath not made manifest. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, without end. Amen. Hail, star of the sea, bountiful mother of God and ever Virgin, happy gate of heaven.Taking that Ave from the mouth of Gabriel, preserve us in peace, giving Eve a new name.Loose the chains of the bound, bring light to the blind, drive out our ills, invoke all things good. Show thyself to be a mother, may he who was born for us receive our prayers through thee. Singular virgin, more gentle than all, absolve us from sin and make us gentle and pure. Grant us a pure life, prepare a safe way, that in seeing Jesus we may rejoice for ever. Praise be to God the Father, glory to Christ on high, and with the Holy Spirit honour to the three in one. Amen.

Holy Mary, pray for us.

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13. Magnificat Magnificat anima mea Dominum: et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo. Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae: ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes. Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est: et sanctum nomen ejus. Et misericordia ejus a progenie in progenies timentibus eum. Fecit potentiam in brachio suo: dispersit superbos mente cordis sui. Deposuit potentes de sede, et exaltavit humiles. Esurientes implevit bonis: et divites dimisit inanes. Suscepit Israel puerum suum, recordatus misericordiae suae. Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros, Abraham et semini ejus in saecula. Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my saviour. For he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden: for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done great things to me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of his heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the lowly. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath sustained Israel his servant, remembering his mercy. As he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, without end. Amen.

Ponte de Rialto, Venice

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Faye Newton has a diverse repertoire, ranging from the 12th century to the 18th century. She has given regular performances as a soloist with Philip Pickett’s New London Consort, most notably at the BBC Proms and in a world tour of Monteverdi’s Orfeo directed by Jonathan Miller. She has a particular love for the music of Monteverdi and his contemporaries, which she performs regularly with The Gonzaga Band. She has sung with Ton Koopman and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, making her solo debut in Handel’s Ode for St Cecilia’s Day at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. She teaches singing at Durham and Newcastle universities, and at her home in Northumberland.

Katharine Hawnt was a choral scholar at King’s College, London and then trained at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland. Her main teacher there was Evelyn Tubb and she has studied with Andreas Scholl and Emma Kirkby among others. She performs throughout Europe as a soloist and with groups including Collegium Vocale Ghent, Musica Secreta, Trinity Baroque, Nuove Musiche and Ensemble Plus Ultra. She co-directs the ensembles Le Basile and A Garden of Eloquence (with whom she has just released her first solo CD). She teaches singing at Sherborne School for Girls.

Aaron Burchell was a chorister at Salisbury Cathedral and a music scholar at Marlborough College. He won choral scholarships to Wells Cathedral and St John’s College, Cambridge, where he read Archaeology, Anthropology and History, and toured Europe, Japan and America with the choir. Since graduating, Aaron has lived and worked in London and sings with the choir of the Temple Church and also with Polyphony, The Sixteen and the Choir of the Enlightenment.

Mark Dobell was a choral scholar at Clare College, Cambridge, where he read Classics. He later studied at the Royal Academy of Music and was awarded the Clifton Prize for the best final recital. He has worked as a soloist throughout Europe and North America. Equally established as a consort singer, Mark is proud to be a member of The Sixteen, The Tallis Scholars, The Orlando Consort and the choir of Westminster Abbey. In 2013 he is looking forward to performing Mozart’s Requiem in Santiago de Compostela and Bach’s St John Passion in Derby Cathedral and St Albans Abbey.

Jeremy Budd is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music where he studied with David Lowe. He is a full-time member of The Sixteen and performs regularly with the Monteverdi Choir, Gabrieli Consort, King’s Consort, European Voices, The Academy of Ancient Music, the Choir of the Enlightenment, Cardinals Musick, Ex Cathedra and Tenebrae.

Niall Hoskin sang in Clare College Choir, Cambridge and read Modern Languages. Opera has included title roles in Orfeo, Don Giovanni, Gianni Schicchi, Macbeth, The Flying Dutchman, The Mikado, Falstaff, and soon Nabucco. Concert work has covered Monteverdi to Britten and song recitals in English, French, German and Russian. In 2012 Niall has sung in York Minster (Ellington’s Sacred Concerts) and the Victoria Rooms, Bristol (Elgar’s Caractacus), and in Tchaikovsky’s Queen of Spades. He is now a freelance translator: his version of the Mozart-Strauss Idomeneo was performed at the Buxton Festival. Details are on www.niallhoskin.co.uk.

Phil Brotheridge has enjoyed singing for as long as he can remember. Starting his musical career as a chorister in Ashford Parish Church choir when he was 11, he hasn’t stopped since. He has sung with Bath Camerata and Paragon Singers for many years and belongs to several other choirs and groups near his home town of Nailsworth. Singing highlights include concerts in St. Mark’s Venice, St. Francis of Assisi and the Royal Albert Hall. Living in the Cotswolds, his hobbies include gardening, walking and tinkering with an old Triumph Bonneville.

Keith Bennett studied music at Oxford, where he was organ scholar at Brasenose College, and at Trinity College of Music. He was awarded a doctorate from Oxford in 1978 for his study of the Italian madrigalist Luca Marenzio. From 1979–2004 he was a principal lecturer at Bath Spa University, including 18 years as Course Director of the BA Music degree. As well as conducting Paragon Singers, he has performed widely as an accompanist, continuo player and singer.

Paragon SingersParagon Singers was formed in 1976. In recent years the choir has come increasingly to specialise in Renaissance, Baroque and 20th-century music and is now considered a leading chamber choir in the area in these fields. Paragon Singers performs several times a year in Bath and its environs as well as making frequent appearances elsewhere. The choir has made concert tours to Kenya, Ireland, France and Holland and, earlier this year, combined forces with a choir from Berlin in performances of Striggio’s 40-part mass in Bath and Berlin.

Sopranos Hazel Baker, Pamela Bennett, Charlotte de Grey, Julia Draper, Mary Henderson, Josephine Herrlinger, Jane Hunt, Stephanie Lockhart

Altos Louise Best, Gill Clarke, Annie de Grey, Margaret Graham, Adele Reynolds, Catherine Richards, Mandy Shaw

Tenors Rupert Bevan, Mike Gumbley, James Henderson, Neil Moore, Christopher Rogers, Gareth Somerset

Basses Phil Brotheridge, Jonathan Dawes, Marc Horobin, Paul Maine, Tony Shield, Nicholas Stuart, Martin Warren

Bradford Baroque BandBradford Baroque Band was formed in 1996 to perform chamber music on period instruments and has a repertoire ranging from Baroque sonatas, arias and concertos to Schubert songs. Based in Bradford on Avon, the group has performed in many venues, including Longleat House, the Holburne Museum and Bath Abbey. The band has often expanded to accompany large choral works such as Bach’s Mass in B minor and Mozart’s Requiem.

Cornetts Jamie Savan, Gawain Glenton, Daniel WeitzSackbutts Emily White, Donal Bannister, Adrian FranceViolins Theresa Caudle, Jean PatersonViolas Liz Fowler, Jane NormanViola da gamba Caroline RitchieChittarone Eligio QuinteiroOrgan Steven Hollas

Our grateful thanks to:Alan F. Carter for his wonderful line drawings and The Paragon Concert Society for its generous financial support.

Programme printed by AM Print & Copy, Trowbridge 01225 776678

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Are you a singer? Paragon is always interested in high quality singers who have an interest in our repertoire. If you would like to sing with Paragon, then please contact Keith Bennett on 01225 723090.

Paragon Singers

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

2013

Saturday 16 March – St Alphege, Bath Scarlatti Stabat Mater

Lassus Lagrime di San Pietro 1–7Bach Jesu meine Freude

Saturday 19 October – St Alphege, Bath

Taverner Missa Mater Christiworks by Dove, Mealor, Hawes

Saturday 14 December – Wiltshire Music Centre with Bradford Baroque Band

Britten A Boy was Born Purcell Oberon’s Birthday Masque from The Fairy Queen

Bach Cantata 30: Freue dich, erlöste Schar

www.paragonsingers.co.uk

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For over 25 years Great Western Wine has sought out distinctive, hand-crafted wines direct from independent and very individual winemakers at ‘boutique’ estates right across the world, to provide a unique wine drinking experience.

Park for free at our shop just outside central Bath, and our knowledgeable, friendly staff will be happy to listen and guide you to the wines that you will enjoy. No minimum order, but discounts and free delivery on orders of 12+ bottles.

We offer:

• Over 700 wines and spirits

• Advice on drinks for events, sale or return service

• FREE wine tasting

• FREE glass loan (glasses can be returned dirty)

• Ice and chiller bins Great Western Wine Co. Ltd. www.greatwesternwine.co.uk Unit 3-4, Wells Road 01225 322810 Bath, BA2 3AP

Gift Vouchers

You can buy Great Western Wine gift vouchers for friends, relatives, colleagues and clients to spend in our Bath shop. They make great Christmas presents and are the ideal gift for anyone you know who loves wine!

Please call us for more information or to arrange for us to send vouchers with your personal message and gift card on 01225 322810.