mass in b minor programme print file

Mass in B minor

19142014

J.S. Bach

A commemoration of the Centenary of The Great War

Ensemble Polymnia and The Aorangi Singers present

7.30pm Saturday 29 November St.Mary's-in-Holy-Trinity Parnell, Auckland

Sarah Bisley | ConductorwithSoprano | Emma Roxburgh Alto | Sarah Harris Tenor | John Murray Bass | Benson Wilson and Raymond Hawthorne | Narrator

To preserve the solemn dignity of this occasion, please refrain from applauding until the conclusion of each half of the Mass, thank you.

Mass in B minor programme.indd 1 26/11/2014 3:46:54 p.m.

The Mass in B minor, BWV 232The Mass in B minor (BWV 232) by Johann Sebastian Bach is a musical setting of the complete Ordinary of the Latin Mass. The work was one of Bach's last compositions, not completed until 1749, the year before his death. Much of the Mass gave new form to vocal music that Bach had composed throughout his career, dating back to 1714 - but extensively revised. To complete the work, in the late 1740s Bach composed new sections of the Credo such as "Et incarnatus est".It was unusual for composers working in the Lutheran tradition to compose a Missa tota. The Mass was never

performed in its entirety during Bach's lifetime; the first documented complete performance took place in 1859. Since the nineteenth century it has been widely hailed as one of the greatest compositions in musical history, and today it is frequently performed and recorded. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach archived this work as the Great Catholic Mass. Extracts from Wikipedia


ProgrammeAnthem for Doomed Youth by Wilfred Owen (1893-1918)

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?Only the monstrous anger of the guns.Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattleCan patter out their hasty orisons.No mockeries now for them; no prayers nor bells;Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs,The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

What candles may be held to speed them all?Not in the hands of boys but in their eyesShall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.

~

Bugle: The Last Post

~

The Mass in B minor by Johann Sebastian Bach

I. MISSA Kyrie eleison (chorus)Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christe eleison (Duet, soprano I,II) Christ, have mercy upon us.

Kyrie eleison (chorus) Lord, have mercy upon us.

Gloria in excelsis Deo (chorus) . Glory be to God on high.


Et in terra pax (chorus) Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. And on earth peace to men of good will.

Laudamus te (Aria, soprano) Laudamus te, benedicimus te, adoramus te, glorificamus te. We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee.

Gratias agimus tibi (chorus) Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam. We thank thee for thy great glory.

Domine Deus (Duet, soprano, tenor) Domine Deus, rex coelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens. Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe, Altissime, Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris. Lord God, heavenly King, Father Almighty. O Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ Highest, Lord God, Lamb of God, son of the Father.

Qui tollis peccata mundi (chorus) Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.

Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris (Aria, alto) Qui sedes ad dextram Patris, miserere nobis. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.

Quoniam tu solus sanctus (Aria, bass) Quoniam tu solus sanctus, tu solus Dominus, tu solus Altissimus, Jesu Christe.For thou only art holy, thou only art the Lord, thou only, Christ, art most high.

Cum sancto spiritu (chorus) Cum Sancto Spiritu in gloria Dei Patris. Amen. With the Holy Ghost in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

~Interval (10 minutes)~


The Dug-Out by Siegfried Sassoon (1886–1967)

Why do you lie with your legs ungainly huddled,And one arm bent across your sullen, cold,Exhausted face? It hurts my heart to watch you,Deep-shadow’d from the candle’s guttering gold;And you wonder why I shake you by the shoulder;Drowsy, you mumble and sigh and turn your head...You are too young to fall asleep for ever;And when you sleep you remind me of the dead.

~

SYMBOLUM NICENUM Credo in unum Deum (chorus) I believe in one God.

Patrem omnipotentem (chorus) (Credo in unum Deum) Patrem omnipotentem, factorem coeli et terrae, visibilium omnium et invisibilium. (I believe in one God) The Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

Et in unum Dominum (Duet, soprano I, alto) Et in unum Dominum, Jesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum, et ex Patre na-tum ante omnia saecula, Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero, genitum, non factum, consubstantialem Patri, per quem omnia facta sunt, qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de coelis. And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, light of light, true God of true God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by who all things were made: who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven.

Et incarnatus est (chorus) Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria virgine, et homo factus est. And was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

~


Futility by Wilfred Owen

Move him into the sunGently its touch awoke him once,At home, whispering of fields unsown.Always it awoke him, even in France,Until this morning and this snow.If anything might rouse him nowThe kind old sun will know.

Think how it wakes the seedsWoke, once, the clays of a cold star.Are limbs so dear-achieved, are sidesFull-nerved, still warm, too hard to stir?Was it for this the clay grew tall?O what made fatuous sunbeams toilTo break earth’s sleep at all?

~

Crucifixus (chorus) Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato, passus et sepultus est. And was crucified also under Pontius Pilate, suffered, and was buried.

Et resurrexit (chorus) Et resurrexit tertia die secundum scripturas, et ascendit in coelum, sedet ad dexteram Patris, et iterum venturus est cum gloria judicare vivos et mortuos, cujus regni non erit finis. And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father: and he shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

Et in spiritum sanctum (Aria, bass) Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et vivificantem, qui ex Patre Filioque procedit, qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur, qui locutus est per prophetas. Et unam sanctam catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life, who prodeedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spake by the Prophets. And I believe in one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.


Confiteor (chorus) Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum. Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum et vitam venturi saeculi. Amen. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Sanctus (chorus) Sanctus, sanctus, Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts. Benedictus (Aria, tenor) Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Blessed is he, who cometh in the name of the Lord.

Agnus Dei (Aria, alto) Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis. O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Dona nobis pacem (chorus) Grant us thy peace.

~End~


Emma Roxburgh | Soprano

Emma began her singing training at the University of Otago, graduating from there with a BA and Bmus (hons) in Voice. She went on to complete a Professional Performance Diploma at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK (PPRNCM) Emma performs regularly as a concert soloist, is a member of the Chapmann Tripp Opera Chorus and is also one of NZ Opera’s current Resident Artists and Freemasons Scholars. Roles include Lucia in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia (RNCM), Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro (Wellington City Opera), Susanna in Figaro (Opera Factory, Cover NZ Opera), Second Lady in Mozart’s The Magic Flute (Cover

NZ Opera), Ramiro in La Finta Giardiniera (Opera Unleashed), Jano in Jenufa (NZ Opera), Siebel in Gounod’s Faust (Cover NZ Opera), Hortense in The Opera Ball (NZ Opera), Dido in Dido and Aeneas (Viva Voce), and Settler in Jenny Mcleod’s opera Hohepa (NZ Opera). Concert work has included Mozart’s C Minor Mass with Auckland Choral and Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite with the APO. Emma is also an experienced singing teacher and has been an Opera Idol competition adjudicator for Opera Factory in Auckland.

Sarah Harris | Alto

Originally from Wales, Sarah began singing in the Chester Cathedral Choir with whom she performed on BBC Radio 3’s Daily Service and BBC Songs of Praise, as well as attending up to seven choral services per week. She also sang with the Chester Nave Choir and the Chester Bach Singers. Sarah then relocated to York and was there accepted into the York Minster Chapter House Choir, The Ebor Singers, and the York Musical Society. She also appeared as a soloist in various venues across the North. Sarah now lives in Auckland and since her arrival has sung with Viva Voce, Auckland University Chamber Choir, The Graduate Choir of NZ, and Auckland Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Choir. She also performs as an oratorio soloist in Auckland, notably with Ensemble Polymnia for Mozart’s Requiem and now Bach’s Mass in B minor, and with her 8-part vocal ensemble, Laudamus who can be seen around NZ.


John Murray | Tenor

Born in Mount Maunganui, John studied voice at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England following which he enjoyed a successful career as a freelance soloist before returing to NZ 10 years ago with his family. John’s stage roles include Alfredo (La traviata), Cavaradossi (Tosca), Rodolfo (La Bohème), Faust (both Gounod’s Faust and Boito’s Mefistofele), Ferrando (Così fan tutte), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Macduff (Macbeth), Male Chorus (Rape of Lucretia), Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia ) and Tom Rakewell (The Rake’s Progress). John also had his debut with the New Zealand Opera as Acis in Handel’s Acis and Galatea and has been a principal cover on

a number of NZ Opera productions. On the concert platform, John has performed throughout Britain & Europe as well as the Middle East and he is well known to NZ audiences particularly on the recital platform and in the high baroque repertoire of Bach and Handel. John’s interest in contemporary music and theatre has also led to him performing and directing a number of new works here and abroad.

Benson Wilson | Bass-baritone

A New Zealand born Samoan baritone, Benson is currently a music student at the University of Auckland, working on his final year for a Bachelor of Music degree with Honours in Vocal Performance. In 2014 he was the runner-up in New Zealand’s premiere competition for classical singing, the Lexus Song Quest, and was most recently the 3rd place winner of the prestigious NZ Aria competition held annually in Rotorua. Upon completion of his degree Benson plans to study another year in Auckland before travelling abroad for postgraduate qualifications in Europe, the UK or the USA. In the long term he would like to start an NZ secondary boarding school to act as a South Pacific Music Academy, where young secondary students are nurtured by top world class instructors.


Raymond Hawthorne| Narrator

Raymond Hawthorne is one of New Zealand’s most senior practitioners in the performing arts arena. His impressive CV (now spanning 59 years) commenced in 1955 when he became a member of the New Zealand Players under the direction of Richard Campion.In 1957 he was granted a New Zealand Government bursary to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). He then pursued a career in the United Kingdom as an actor, director, singer and teacher, later returning to RADA as a tutor/director.He returned to New Zealand in 1971 and, since that time, has worked in opera and theatre and has taught acting and

directing. He was Head of Major in Directing and Writing for Theatre and Screen at the School of Performing & Screen Arts (SPASA) at Unitec, from the beginning of 1997.Raymond now freelances as an actor, director and tutor.Recently, he directed Fallen Angels by Noel Coward for ATC, two operas for Opera Factory – La Serva Padrona and Menotti’s The Medium – and last month a successful and much acclaimed production of Lucia di Lammermoor at the Mercury Theatre for Opera Studio and the A.C.O.In 2000 Raymond was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (O.N.Z.M.) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Sarah Bisley | Conductor, writes:

No doubt every family has a story of their own from both the First and Second World Wars; not only tales of heroism but those of complete and utter sacrifice, and the terrible sense of loss that loved ones had to live through.One of our stories concerns the children of my great-grandfather, the Rev. Isaac Richards (the vicar of St. Mark’s Remuera in the 1890s, later Bishop of Dunedin) and his wife Gertrude. Of their six New Zealand–born children, three died directly or indirectly as a result of the Great War. My two great-uncles, Hugh Liddon and Robert Richards both fell in Gallipoli in 1915, just before and after Anzac Day. Then to add to the tragedy of losing these fine young men, one of their sisters died of tuberculosis, while looking after her grief-stricken parents.Three descendants of their siblings feel privileged to be performing this evening. Myself, alto Ursula Bisley, and our soprano soloist, Emma Roxburgh.


The Aorangi Singers

Soprano I Milla Dickens (Leader)Katharine WattsInga FriedrichLesley Salkeld Karen StanilandSusan Evans

Alto I Dylis FongHeather RidgeThérèse Turnock Rodnie WhitlockMarguerite Rogers

Tenor Richard PhillipsBryan WhitlockBenjamin Tan

Ensemble Polymnia

Violin I Amalia Hall (Concertmaster)Angela KongRosana FeaCharles FerrallAshley Ayton

Viola Judith Gust (Leader)Sharyn PalmerRobyn StrangeIona McDonald

Organ Continuo Myles Hartley

Soprano II Susan Elliott Carole KenealyElizabeth BauldPhilippa GravattAnnie Tatton

Alto II Ursula BisleyElizabeth Hessell Caroline Mumford Hilary Nobes

Bass Peter JanssenPhilip HawkinsRobert DysonAnthony Blaschke

Violin II Kirsten McCrae (Leader)Michael HunterRussell Finnemore Christine ChongMary Salisbury

Violoncello Continuo Margaret Cooketutti Maria RenhartGraham Falla

Contrabass Continuo Ted Malan tutti Andrew Kincaid


Flute Adrianna Lis (solo)Mary-Kate Thomson

Oboe, Oboe d’Amore Nicola Popplewell (solo)Mike Merry

Oboe Noah Rudd

Bassoon Carole WangDavid Nation

French Horn James Morton (solo)

Trumpet in D Matthew Verrill (solo)Michael Plunkett Peter Mumby

Timpani Sam Rich


Production Team

Artistic Director | Sarah BisleyStage Manager | Charles FerrallStage Crew |Anthony Blaschke & Warren Cook Publicity & Programme design | Sarah Harris

Acknowledgements

Our grateful thanks are due to our sponsors Tasteful Tours, the Auckland Council Creative Communites Scheme and the Waitemata Local District Board. For the loan of instruments, we wish to acknowledge the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and Bach Musica New Zealand.

Ensemble Polymnia is an Incorporated Charitable Trust. If you would like to make a donation or offer any other form of assistance, please contact us on (09) 521 0087 or email us at [email protected]. All donations are tax deductible.

Please visit our website at www.ensemblepolymnia.co.nz for updates on our programmes forecast in 2015.


White Night in St. PetersburgSunday September 27 at 5 pmQ Theatre, 305 Queen St, AucklandRecalling our conductor’s European performances, a delicious evening with Debussy’s “Prélude à l’Après-midi d’un faune”, Chopin’s “Piano Concerto No.2 in F minor” and the celebrated “Symphony No.5 in E minor” of Tchaikovsky.With soloist Rosemary Barnes, one of New Zealand’s leading pianists.

Forthcoming concerts in 2015:

Psalmus HungaricusSunday June 7th at 5pmQ Theatre305 Queen St, Auckland

An all-Hungarian programme, featuring "Concerto per organo e orchestra" byErzsébet Szőnyi , and the monumental "Psalmus Hungaricus" for tenor, chorus and orchestra by Zoltán Kodály seldom performed outside of Hungary.


Proudly sponsored by...

You don’t need to be able to speak the language to enjoy the amazing and unique sights of stunning Europe! At Tasteful Tours we are here to assist you every step of the way; from showing you exclusive places, to wining and dining you at the top restaurants in Europe. If you’re going to start your European adventure do it in style and do it with Tasteful Tours.


mass in b minor programme print file

Documents