All posts by Catherine Bass

BARTHOLOMEW CONSORT IN sUMMERTOWN, oXFORD 16 fEBRUARY 2020

Church of St Michael & All Angels, Summertown OX2 7ES at 8.00 pm. Please note NO entry to the church before 7.30 pm

PROGRAMME
J Pachelbel: Singet dem Herrn
Gott ist unser Zuversicht
J S Bach: Komm, Jesu, komm BWV 229
J L Krebs: Erforsche mich Gott
J P Kirnberger: Wende dich zu mir
G A Homilius: So gehst du nun
J S Bach: Fürchte dich nicht BWV228
Singet dem Herrn BWV225

Tickets at TicketsOxford from early September, full price £15, students, unwaged, jobseekers, disabled £9. Children under 12 free

Information for participants

Bartholomew Consort in Oxford November 3 at 4 PM

Martin/ Pizzetti Nov 2019

St Barnabas Church, Jericho OX2 6BG Sunday November 3 at 4 pm

Tickets at TicketsOxford from early September, full price £15, students, unwaged, jobseekers, disabled £9. Children under 12 free

Programme

Frank Martin (1890 -1974) Mass for Double Choir

Ildebrando Pizzetti  (1880-1968)  Missa di Requiem

James MacMillan (b.1959)  Lux Aeterna

Musical Director JanJoost van Elburg

In this programme for unaccompanied voices , the two larger works, share some points of details:  both were composed in 1922 and both were the only unaccompanied choral works of their composers on liturgical texts.

For Martin, his Mass for Double Choir was a deeply felt and personal work, which he did not release for performance for forty years. His background was in the Calvinist church, his father being a minister, and this coloured his entire life and the characteristic of his creative work. The Mass was written and put away, protected for decades by Martin’s fervently held belief was that it was almost a blasphemy to perform such an intimate and private dialogue between God and himself.  His work is entirely his own, embracing the innovative ideas of the early twentieth century.

Pizzetti’s Requiem, on the other hand, is soundly based on the ideas of Gregorian chant and the fifteenth and sixteenth century Italian masters of polyphony. He introduces some vernacular flourishes by frequently changing the number of voice parts within a section, echoing the improvised folk-singing of his native north Italy.  It is not certain that Pizzetti held as strong a faith as that of Martin, but the spiritual intensity is just as strong.

The third, shorter, work in this programme is a communion motet by the prolific and hugely admired James MacMillan, published just ten years ago, Lux Aeterna.

FRIDAY 1st – SUNDAY 3rd November 2019, Oxford

The weekend will be based in Oxford, with rehearsals at St. Michael’s, Summertown, and the concert at St. Barnabas, Jericho.

We shall start rehearsing at 15h00 on Friday 1st, continuing through until 21h00, with an evening break when you will hve time to buy and eat sandwiches from the local shops. There will be a short AGM at some time in the evening.

Saturday rehearsals will start at 09h30 and go through until 18h00, with a break for lunch. A dinner will be arranged for the evening.

The Sunday morning rehearsal will start at 10h00 in the church hall of St. Michael’s. We shall restart after lunch at 13h30 in St. Barnabas, continuing through until the concert, which will start at 16h00. There will be a place to change in the church.

The programme will include:

  • Frank Martin – Mass for Double Choir
  • Ildebrando Pizzetti – Missa di Requiem
  • James MacMillan – Lux Aeterna

Using this Dropbox link

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/vf6d935vpl5ogr1/AAC71ffIix9OOISM8EosYt3ka?dl=0

you will find the Voice Distribution. Scores of the music will be provided at the weekend itself, unless you have advised the Librarian that you have your own copies. Meanwhile the folder includes working copies of the music for your personal use in advance.

JJ has provided the following notes as clarification of the Pizzetti voice distribution:

Where SATB divide I suggest we use the 1st and 2nd distribution as in the div of Martin. (e.g. S2 is all sopranos that sing 2 in both choirs) Example: Tilman sings II-1 in Martin, so he’s a 1st bass in Pizzetti when the basses split. When only the tenors split he and David Till can join T2 (see Dies irae)
Pizzetti:1. Requiem:SATBarB
2. Dies irae:figure 11-18: S2AT2(+ Tilman + David Till)Bfigure 18-end (Martin distribution S1st S2nd A1st A2nd T1st T2nd B1st B2nd)
3. Sanctus: as indicated in the voice distribution. example: Tilman sings in B2 in Choir 2.
4. Agnus Dei:SATB undivided 
5. Libera me:as part 1. Requiem SATBarB

The subscription for the weekend has yet to be determined. The cost of hiring venues in Oxford has increased in the last couple of years, and it may be necessary to reflect this in the cost of participation.

Further details of the weekend will be added as they are determined.

Komm Heiliger Geist Sunday 9th June wellington school chapel

Blackdowns Early Music Project’s Spring Festival.

The programme – entitled Komm, Heiliger Geist – will include the following works:

  • Johann Walter: Veni Sancte Spritus & Nun bitten wir
  • Melchior Frank: Unser Leben währet siebzig Jahr
  • Johann Ludwig Bach ~ Gedenke meiner, mein Gott
  • Johann Bach: Unser Leben ist ein Schatten
  • Johann Sebastien Bach: Komm, Jesu, komm & Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit & Ich lasse dich nicht

Songs of Saints

St Giles’ Church OX2 6HT

3 March at 8pm

Tickets available from TicketsOxford from February 1

£12 full price,£8 students and under 12s free

Come and hear this stunning collection of choral music drawn principally from the C16 and C20 performed by the Bartholomew Consort under distinguished Director JanJoost van Elburg.

Music by Crequillon, Palestrina, Guerrero, Lassus, Britten, Part, Moore and Miskinis