Concerts
A melodious concert for the festive season
A Christmas choral concert featuring works by Benjamin Britten (Ceremony of Carols) and Leonard Bernstein (Chichester Psalms). Featuring Julia Hagenmüller (soprano) and conducted by Markus Maczewski.
The English musician Benjamin Britten studied piano and composition in London in the 1930s.
Already the recipient of numerous awards, the composer wrote his *Ceremony of Carols* in 1942 whilst travelling back to his homeland of England from exile in the USA. The work, which Britten composed specifically for Christmas and which was originally a series of individual songs, drew on poems in Middle English, Latin and early New English. The cohesive work we hear today moves the audience right from the start. As the choir enters the church, it intones the ‘Hodie Christus natus est’ – ‘Today Christ is born’. The harmonies, borrowed from Gregorian chant (antiphons), create a reverent and solemn atmosphere in the concert hall. The Christmas story is then recounted: ‘Wolcum Yole!’, ‘There Is no Rose’, ‘That youngë child’, ‘Balulalow’, ‘As Dew in Aprille’, ‘This Little Babe’, ‘In Freezing Winter Night’, ‘Spring Carol’, ‘Deo Gracias’. As the choir takes its leave, the ‘Hodie’ from the beginning is heard once more (‘Recession’).
Accompanied by gently plucked harp music, we hear the choir and the youth choir of the Kantorei.
The outstanding soprano Julia Hagenmüller sings her parts with a silvery lightness and weightlessness. In the duet ‘Spring Carol’, she is joined by Karlotta Maczewski as the other soprano.
The American musician Leonard Bernstein composed the *Chichester Psalms* in 1965 for the music festival in Chichester, Sussex. Bernstein, himself of Jewish descent, set the biblical psalms to music in their original language, Hebrew. He created three movements from six psalms which he personally selected.
The choir is accompanied by organ, harp and percussion. Julia Hagenmüller also shines as a soloist here.
The first movement, introduced by a large chorus singing ‘Awake, psaltery and harp’, has the character of a cheerful song and dance: ‘Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth’ In the second movement, a gentle melody – ‘The Lord is my shepherd’, sung by the soloist and the high voices of the choir – contrasts with the rhythmically driving low choral voices of ‘Why do the nations rage?’. In the third movement, an instrumental introduction is followed by a contemplative, flowing choral piece, ‘Lord, my heart is not proud’, which leads into the closing choir’s prayer for peace, ‘Behold, how good and lovely’.
The concert will be conducted by Markus Maczewski. A rich, resonant concert and a festive Christmas atmosphere are guaranteed! (Source: Stephanuskirche)
Already the recipient of numerous awards, the composer wrote his *Ceremony of Carols* in 1942 whilst travelling back to his homeland of England from exile in the USA. The work, which Britten composed specifically for Christmas and which was originally a series of individual songs, drew on poems in Middle English, Latin and early New English. The cohesive work we hear today moves the audience right from the start. As the choir enters the church, it intones the ‘Hodie Christus natus est’ – ‘Today Christ is born’. The harmonies, borrowed from Gregorian chant (antiphons), create a reverent and solemn atmosphere in the concert hall. The Christmas story is then recounted: ‘Wolcum Yole!’, ‘There Is no Rose’, ‘That youngë child’, ‘Balulalow’, ‘As Dew in Aprille’, ‘This Little Babe’, ‘In Freezing Winter Night’, ‘Spring Carol’, ‘Deo Gracias’. As the choir takes its leave, the ‘Hodie’ from the beginning is heard once more (‘Recession’).
Accompanied by gently plucked harp music, we hear the choir and the youth choir of the Kantorei.
The outstanding soprano Julia Hagenmüller sings her parts with a silvery lightness and weightlessness. In the duet ‘Spring Carol’, she is joined by Karlotta Maczewski as the other soprano.
The American musician Leonard Bernstein composed the *Chichester Psalms* in 1965 for the music festival in Chichester, Sussex. Bernstein, himself of Jewish descent, set the biblical psalms to music in their original language, Hebrew. He created three movements from six psalms which he personally selected.
The choir is accompanied by organ, harp and percussion. Julia Hagenmüller also shines as a soloist here.
The first movement, introduced by a large chorus singing ‘Awake, psaltery and harp’, has the character of a cheerful song and dance: ‘Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth’ In the second movement, a gentle melody – ‘The Lord is my shepherd’, sung by the soloist and the high voices of the choir – contrasts with the rhythmically driving low choral voices of ‘Why do the nations rage?’. In the third movement, an instrumental introduction is followed by a contemplative, flowing choral piece, ‘Lord, my heart is not proud’, which leads into the closing choir’s prayer for peace, ‘Behold, how good and lovely’.
The concert will be conducted by Markus Maczewski. A rich, resonant concert and a festive Christmas atmosphere are guaranteed! (Source: Stephanuskirche)
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