'Rutter Conducts Rutter' Day at Cadogan Hall
Immediately before departing for a third tour to the Middle East, the Choir of London and Orchestra joined world-famous composer and conductor John Rutter for a day of choral music at the Cadogan Hall, one of the UK’s most exciting classical music venues. A debut appearance at the Hall for both conductor and Choir, the day included two elements: an open Singing Day, at which over 300 singers of all ages and backgrounds worked with John Rutter on a variety of choral repertoire; and a ‘Rutter Conducts Rutter’ concert, featuring the composer’s much-loved Requiem setting.
Both events featured guest appearances by young Welsh soloist Elin Manahan Thomas, whose debut CD has just been released on the Universal Classics label.
Proceeds from the concert and singing day were earmarked for the Choir of London’s charitable work in the Middle East, including its recently-launched Bursary Scheme for young Palestinian musicians.
Programme notes from the concert follow.
RUTTER CONDUCTS RUTTER
CADOGAN HALL, SATURDAY 24TH MARCH 2007, 8PM
JOHN RUTTER / ELIN MANAHAN THOMAS / CHOIR OF LONDON AND ORCHESTRA
Programme
Komm, Jesu, komm! BWV 229 – Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)
Nulla in mundo pax sincera RV 630 – Antonio Vivaldi (1678 – 1741)
Ich habe genug BWV 82a – Johann Sebastian Bach
interval
Requiem – John Rutter (b. 1945)
Komm, Jesu, komm!
Komm, Jesu, komm! probably dates from Bach’s Leipzig years (from 1723), and the text is the first and final stanzas of a 17th-century funeral hymn by Paul Thymich. Unusually this motet does not use biblical or hymn texts, although Thymich’s paraphrasing of St John’s “Thou art the way, the truth and the life” is given great emphasis. The first verse is set as a double four-part chorus and the final stanza is treated more traditionally as a mainly homophonic four-part chorus.
Nulla in mundo pax sincera
Nulla in mundo pax sincera is famous recently for being featured in the film Shine, as a result of which many people will forever associate it with the sight of a middle-aged Australian man bouncing up and down on a trampoline wearing only a raincoat. The Siciliano opening movement evokes sacred peace; the temptations of the world are described in the recitative; this is followed by an elaborate da capo aria and a concluding Alleluia.
Ich habe genug
Ich habe genug is one of several of Bach’s cantatas which expresses contempt for worldly life and a yearning for death and the life beyond –wherein, paradoxically, some of the most life-denying texts have led to some of his most life-affirming music. Originally composed in 1727 for bass soloist with obbligato oboe, Bach revised the work four years later into this version for soprano soloist with flute obbligato.
Requiem
The Rutter Requiem celebrates its 21st anniversary in 2007, and in the short span of time since its composition it has become one of the most popular and widely-sung works of choral literature. Written in memory of the composer’s father, it was first recorded under the direction of John Rutter, with The Cambridge Singers. In more recent times the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, recorded the chamber version of the piece, which rapidly topped the classical charts. The soloist on that recording was Elin Manahan Thomas; tonight’s performance brings her and the work’s composer together to perform this piece in collaboration for the first time.
24th March, 2007