Scholars Ensemble
21 November 2023, 7pm

Running order

Belle qui tiens ma vie – Thoinot Arbeau (1520-1595)

Le reniement de St Pierre – Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704)

Jehova quam multi sunt hostes mei – Henry Purcell (1659-1695)

Hymn to St Cecilia – Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

INTERVAL

Hanacpachap – Ritual (1631)

Ave verum – William Byrd (1543-1623)

Sometime I sing – Alec Roth (b.1948)

Take him earth for cherishing – Herbert Howells (1892-1983)

Blake reimagined – Liz Dilnot Johnson (b.1964)
Saxophones – Naomi Sullivan

Anyone Who Had a Heart – Burt Bacharach (1928-2023) (arr. Skidmore) 

Jesu Joy of man’s desiring- J.S. Bach (1685-1750) (arr. Skidmore) 

Child of Son – Roth (b.1948)

Programme Note

This programme contains three processional ‘dances’.  A pavane – Belle qui tiens ma vie –  from 16th century France, a Quechua hymn – Hanac pachap cussicuinin – from 17th century Peru, ‘to be sung as the choir enter the church’, and an opening and closing song – Child of Son – from Vikram Seth’s collection of poems The Traveller, set to music by Alec Roth, and clearly inspired by Hanac pachap; French music, music from Latin America and music by a living composer exploring classical Indian culture.

Charpentier’s ‘oratorio’ Le reniement de St Pierre (The Denial of St Peter) continues the strand of French music, referencing the world-class research expertise at RBC (Graham Sadler and Shirley Thompson) and Ex Cathedra’s international reputation in this repertoire. Style is everything: French Latin, notes inégales, hierarchical phrasing and the sensual execution of an exquisitely expressive harmonic and melodic language.  The final lament following Peter’s recollection of the words of Jesus and the realisation of his betrayal is one of the great moments of the choral repertoire.

Purcell’s music is a unique fusion of English, Italian and French styles – all equally important in creating the sound world of one of England’s greatest composers. Jehova quam multi sunt hostes is rare Latin work and captures the essence of this dramatic psalm text.

Benjamin Britten’s music is often linked with Purcell and has many similar qualities of eclecticism and sensitivity to text.  He was aware of the English tradition of celebrating St Cecilia’s Day, and of course enjoying the co-incidence of his birthday, had for several years given some thought to writing a piece on this theme.  Unable to find a suitable text, his friend Wystan Hugh Auden wrote an original poem An Anthem for St Cecilia’s Day which typically exploresissues of innocence and corruption.  The poem concludes “O bless the freedom that you never chose …. O wear your tribulation like a rose.”  Britten began his work while in the USA and completed it ‘At sea … April 2nd 1942’ aboard the MS Axel Johnson which was bringing him back to England after a rather unhappy self-inflicted exile because of his beliefs and status as a conscientious objector.  Hymn to St Cecilia is in three sections following the form of the poem but Britten adapts the text and uses the final verse as a recurring refrain throughout: “Blessed Cecilia, appear in visions to all musicians, appear and inspire”.  The work is written for five voices (SSATB) including short solos for each voice.  As ever Britten’s distinctive style is everywhere apparent but there are references to Baroque techniques including ritornello and ground bass.  It was first performed by the BBC Singers on 22 November 1942 (Brittens’s 29th birthday) conducted by the distinguished choral conductor Leslie Woodgate and dedicated to Elizabeth Mayer. 

Byrd’s setting of the eucharistic hymn Ave verum corpus is one of his finest and most performed pieces and was written towards the end of the 16th century although not published until 1605 in the first book of Gradualia.  The magical chord change in the opening passage exquisitely highlights the doctrinally crucial word ‘verum’ (true) and the addition of ‘miserere mei’ adds to the personal significance of this gem-like masterpiece.

Alec Roth has been Ex Cathedra’s composer-in residence for over 15 years and Sometime I sing has become a favourite love song.  It is taken from his song-cycle My Lute and I (2011) written for tenor and guitar and released on CD performed by Mark Padmore and Morgan Szymanski.  In true Renaissance style Alec has especially arranged this ‘lute song’ for Ex Cathedra to perform unaccompanied.  It is a ravishingly beautiful love song, setting a poem by the Tudor poet Thomas Wyatt, who fell in love with Ann Boleyn and lived to tell the tale! Alec’s music is becoming increasingly well-known world-wide and has recently received performances in Germany, Holland and the USA. The RIAS Kammerchor in Berlin has recently appointed him as their composer-in-residence.

As a twelve year-old schoolboy in 1963 I can clearly remember the fear that the world would come to an end in atomic annihilation through the conflict between Russia and the USA.  The shocking assassination of John F Kennedy, the charismatic American President, the hope of the western world, on November 22, St Cecilia’s Day, 60 years ago is engrained in many memories, including mine.  For many years I was not aware of Herbert Howells’ American commission to write a commemorative unaccompanied work for the anniversary in 1964.  It is a wonderful piece and a suitable tribute to the death of a great leader and pays homage to all loss of life.  Prudentius’ magnificent text translated by Helen Wadell is captured in Howells’ sinuous and sensual melodic shapes and agonisingly shifting harmonies held together by a strong structure.

In 1916 Parry was commissioned to set Blake’s idealistic, visionary poem And did those feet in ancient time. Now widely used and familiar as the patriotic hymn Jerusalem, this is an opportunity for us to reclaim it as a stirring piece of music set to a text by one of our greatest metaphysical poets.  A hundred years later Blake Reimagined is a rallying call to action to rebuild a better world.  It was commissioned in the middle of the pandemic from Malvern-based composer Liz Dilnot Johnson, who is Ex Cathedra’s current composer-in-residence. This inspirational piece with its fusion of English and jazz improvisation, makes use of Parry’s hymn Jerusalem, with its stirring, romantic harmonies, full of longing, and with snatches of the famously uplifting melody never far away.  It was written in the summer of 2020 by Liz Dilnot Johnson for our anniversary virtual video – Ex Cathedra: Our first 50 years – partly in response to the challenge that it was not possible for a composer to set Blake’s visionary words And did those feet because Parry’s setting was so definitive.  Liz responded with this new piece which many have referred to as a work of genius reimagining Parry’s harmonies and Blake’s words for two contrasting choirs.  One choir improvises short supplicatory phrases – ‘bring me’, ‘I will’, ‘till we have built ….’ while the other choir responds with gospel-like chords but following Parry’s harmonies.  Both choirs sing together, still with the freedom of aleatoric improvisation, the phrase ‘till we have built … in England’s green and pleasant land’ ending with a solo tenor calling twice the words ‘bring me…’.

The 1960s was a culturally significant part of my life tainted by three tragic assassinations – JFK, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King.  Musically it was a rich period, chorally and particularly in the field of popular music – the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Swingles and Jacques Loussier.  The Kings Singers, the Clerkes of Oxenford and the Monteverdi Choir were all formed at this time, along with Ex Cathedra.   As a small tribute to the great song writer Burt Bacharach who died earlier this year, I have arranged Anyone who had a heart, one of his many great hits and a number one for Cilla Black in 1963.  It is followed by a ‘Swingle’ arrangement of one of Bach’s most popular Chorale Preludes – Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring.

Texts and Translations

Belle, qui tiens ma vie

Belle, qui tiens ma vie captive dan tes yeux,
Beautiful one who holds my life captive in your eyes,
qui m’as l’âme ravie d’un souriz gracieux,
who has ravished my soul with a gracious smile
viens tôt me se courir, ou me faudra mourir.
Come to my aid or I must die.

Pourquoi fuis-tu, mignarde, si je suis près de toy,
Why do you flee, dainty one, if I am near you?
quand tes yeux je regard je me perds dedans moy,
When I behold your eyes I am lost inside myself
car tes perfections changent mes actions.
Because your perfection betters my actions.

Approche donc ma belle, approche toy mon bien,
Come near, my lovely one, come near, my dear one,
ne me sois plus rebelle puisque mon coeur est tien,
Do not resist me further for my heart is yours,
pour mon mal appaiser, donne moy un baiser.
To relieve my ills, give me a kiss.

Le Reniement de St Pierre

Soloists:
Jesus – James Wells
Petrus – Daniel Marles
Historicus – John Johnston
Ostaria – Beth Taylor
Ancilla – Sarah Colgan
Cognatus Malchi – Thomas Hawkey-Soar

Chorus
Cum caenasset Jesus et dedisset discipulis
At supper Jesus gave his disciples
suis corpus suum ad manducandum
his body to eat
et sanguinem suum ad bibendum,
and his blood to drink. 
exierunt simul in montem Oliveti. 
Then they went out together into the mount of Olives.
Tunc dixit illis Jesus:
Then saith Jesus unto them:  

Jesus
Onmes vos scandalum patiemini in me, in
All ye shall be offended because of me this night: 
ista nocte.  Scriptum est enim:  Percutiam pastorem,
for it is written, I will smite the shepherd,
et dispergentur oves gregis.
and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.

Chorus
Respondens autem Petrus, ait illi:
Peter answered and said to him:

Petrus – Peter
Et si omnes scandalizati fuerint in te,
Though all men shall be offended because of thee,
numquam ego scandalizabor.
yet will I never be offended.

Jesus
Amen dico tibi, Petre, quia in hac nocte
Verily, I say unto thee, Peter, that this night,
antequam gallus cantet, tu me negabis.
before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me.

Petrus
Ah, Domine! 
Ah Lord,
Etiam si oportuerit me in mori tecum, non te negabo.
though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.

Chorus
Similiter et omnes discipuli dixerunt: 
Likewise also said all the disciples:
Non te negabimus.  Etiam si oportuerit nos
We shall not deny thee. Though we should die with thee,
mori tecum, non te negabimus.
yet will we not deny thee.

Historicus – Narrator
Ecce Judas unus de duodecim venit,
Lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came,
et cum eo turba multa cum gladiis et fustibus. 
and with him a great multitude with swords and staves.
Irruent in Jesum et tenuereunt,
Then they laid hands on Jesus and took him. 
quod videntes discipuli ejus fugerunt. 
Then all the disciples forsook him and fled. 
Et Petrus extendens manum, exemit gladium suum,
And Peter stretched out his hand, and drew his sword,
et percutiens servum Pontificis auriculam ejus
and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote
amputavit.  Cui dixit Jesus:
off his ear.  And Jesus said unto him:

Jesus
Converte, Petre, converte gladium tuum in
Put up again thy sword, Peter, into its place. 
locum suum.  Calicem, quem dedit mihi Pater,
Wouldst thou not that I drink this cup,
non vis ut bibam illum?
which my Father hath given me?

Historicus – Narrator
Ministri ergo Judaeorum comprehenderunt
Then the band and the captain and officers
et ligaverunt Jesum, et cum duceretur ad
of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him, and led him away
principem sacerdotum, sequebatur cum Petrus
to the high priest.  But Peter followed him
a longe, usque in atrium Pontificis. 
afar off unto the high priest’s palace. 
Quem cum vidisset ostiaria dixit ei:
She who kept the door saw him and said unto him:

Ostaria – Doorkeeper
Numquid et tu ex discipulis hominis istius es?
Art thou not also one of this man’s disciples?

Petrus
O mulier, non sum, non novi hominem
O woman, I am not, I do not know the man.

Chorus
Et introductus est Petrus in domum,
They took Peter into the house, and he sat with
cumque sederet ad ignem cum servis et ministris,
the servants and the soldiers by the fire and
ut calefaceret se, alia serva sic ait illi:
warmed himself.  Another maid said unto him:

Ancilla – Maid
Et tu cum Jesu Nazareno eras?
Thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.

Petrus
O mulier, non eram, non novi hominem.
O woman, I was not, I do not know this man.

Historicus – Narrator
Tunc interrogavit eum cognatus ejus
Then a kinsman of him
cujus abscidit auriculam, dicens:
whose ear Peter cut off, saith:

Ostaria/Ancilla (Doorkeeper/Maid) – Quartet
Nonne tu Galileus es?  Nonne te vidi in horto
Art thou not a Galilean?  Did not I see thee in the garden
cum eo?  Vere tu es, tu eras.
with him?  Yes, thou art, and it was thee.
Nam et loquela tua manifestum te facit. 
Thy speech betrayeth thee.
Tu ex discipulis hominis istius es.   
Verily, thou art one of this man’s disciples.

Cognatus Malchi – Kinsman of Malchus – Quartet
Nonne te vidi in horto cum eo? 
Did not I see thee in the garden with him? 
Nonne tu percussisti Malchum? 
Wert thou not he who smote Malchus? 
Vere tu eras, tu eras:  nonne tu Galileus es
Verily, it was thee, it was thee.  Art thou not a Galilean? 
Nam et loquela tua manifestum te facit. 
Thy speech betrayeth thee. 
Tu ex discipulis hominis istius es.
Verily, thou art one of this man’s disciples.

Petrus
Non, non sum, vere non eram. 
No, I am not, and I was not.
Nescio quid dicitis;  non novi hominem.  
I know not what thou sayest, I do not know the man.

Historicus – Narrator
Et continuo gallus cantavit.
And immediately the cock crew.

Chorus
Tunc respexit Jesus Petrum. 
Then Jesus looked at Peter.
Et recordatus est Petrus verbi Jesu,
And Peter remembered the words of Jesus. 
et egressus foras, flevit amare.
And he went out and wept bitterly.

Jehova, quam multi sunt hostes mei

Jehova, quam multi sunt hostes mei!
Lord,how are they increased that trouble me!
Quam multi insurgunt contra me.
Many are they that rise up against me.
Quam multi dicunt de anima mea;
Many there be which say of my soul,
Non est ulla salus isti in Deo plane.
There is no help for him in God.
At tu, Jehova, clypeus es circa me;
But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me;
Gloria mea, et extollens caput meum.
My glory and the lifter up of my head.
Voce mea ad Jehovam clamanti,
I cried unto the Lord with my voice,
respondit mihi e monte sanctitatis suae maxime.
and he heard me out of his holy hill.

Ego cubui et dormivi;
I laid me down and slept;
Ego expergefeci me; quia Jehova sustentat me
I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.
Non timebo a myriadibus populi,
I shall not be afraid of ten thousands of people,
quas circumdisposuerint metatores contra me.
that have set themselves against me round about.
Surge, Jehova, fac salvum me Deus mi;
Arise O Lord; save me, O my God:
qui percussisti omnes inimicos meos maxilliam,
for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheekbone;  
dentes improborum confregisti.
thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
Jehova est salus;
Salvation belongeth to the Lord;
super populum tuum sit benedictio tua maxime.
thy blessing is upon thy people.

Hymn to St. Cecilia

I

In a garden shady this holy lady
With reverent cadence and subtle psalm
Like a black swan as death came on
Poured forth her song in perfect calm:
And by ocean’s margin this innocent virgin
Constructed an organ to enlarge her prayer,
And notes tremendous from her great engine
Thundered out on the Roman air.

Blonde Aphrodite rose up excited,
Moved to delight by the melody,
White as an orchid she rode quite naked
In an oyster shell on top of the sea;
At sounds so entrancing the angels dancing
Came out of their trance into time again,
And around the wicked in Hell’s abysses
The huge flame flickered and eased their pain.

Blessed Cecilia, appear in visions
To all musicians, appear and inspire:
Translated Daughter, come down and startle
Composing mortals with immortal fire.

II

I cannot grow;
I have no shadow
Tom run away from,
I only play.

I cannot err;
There is no creature
Whom I belong to,
Whom I could wrong.

I am defeat
When it knows it
Can now do nothing
By suffering.

All you lived through,
Dancing because you
No longer need it
For any deed.

I shall never be
Different. Love me.

Blessed Cecilia, appear in visions
To all musicians, appear and inspire:
Translated Daughter, come down and startle
Composing mortals with immortal fire.

III

O ear whose creatures cannot wish to fall,
O calm of spaces unafraid of weight,
Where Sorrow is herself, forgetting all
The gaucheness of her adolescent state,
Where Hope within the altogether strange
From every outworn image is released,
And Dread born whole and normal like a beast
Into a world of truths that never change:
Restore our fallen day; O re-arrange.

O dear white children casual as birds,
Playing among the ruined languages,
So small beside their large confusing words,
So gay against the greater silences
Of dreadful things you did: O hang the head,
Impetuous child with the tremendous brain,
O weep, child, weep, O weep away the stain,
Lost innocence who wished your lover dead,
Weep for the lives your wishes never led.

O cry created as the bow of sin
Is drawn across our trembling violin.

O weep, child, weep, O weep away the stain.

O law drummed out by hearts against the still
Long winter of our intellectual will

That what has been may never be again.

O flute that throbs with the thanksgiving breath
Of convalescence on the shores of death.

O bless the freedom that you never chose.

O trumpets that unguarded children blow
About the fortress of their inner foe.

O wear your tribulation like a rose.

Blessed Cecilia, appear in visions
To all musicians, appear and inspire:
Translated Daughter, come down and startle
Composing mortals with immortal fire.

W.H. Auden

INTERVAL

Hanacpachap

Hanac pachap cussicuinin,
The bliss of heaven
huarã cacta muchascaiqui.
I will worship you a thousandfold
Yupairuru pucocmallqui,
Revered fruit of a mature tree
runa cunap suiacuinin.
Long awaited by your people
Callpannacpa quemicuinin,
Protection of spiritual strength
Huaciascaita.
Heed my call.

Ave Verum Corpus

Ave verum corpus, natum de Maria Virgine, vere
Hail true body, born of the Virgin Mary, who suffered 
passum immolatum in cruce pro homine:
on the cross for mankind.
cuius latus perforatum unda fluxit sanguine.
from whose side when pierced by a spear flowed water and blood.
Esto nobis praegustatum in mortis examine.
Be to us at our last hour a the source of consolation.
O dulcis, O pie, O Jesu, Fili Mariae, miserere mei. Amen.
O loving, O holy, O  Jesu, Son of Mary, have mercy upon me. Amen.

Sometime I Sing

Sometime I sigh, sometime I sing,
Sometime I laugh, sometime mourning,
As one in doubt this is my saying:
Have I displeased you in anything?

When you are merry, then I am glad;
When you are sorry, then I am sad;
I will you love; I will not spare
Into your presence as far as I dare

All my poor heart and my love true
While life doth last I give to you;
And you to serve with service due,
And never to change you for now new.

Thomas Wyatt (1503-1542)

Take him, earth, for cherishing

Take him, earth, for cherishing,
to thy tender breast receive him.
Body of a man I bring thee,
noble even in its ruin. 

Once was this a spirit’s dwelling,
by the breath of God created.
High the heart that here was beating,
Christ the prince of all its living. 

Guard him well, the dead I give thee,
not unmindful of his creature
shall he ask it: he who made it
symbol of his mystery. 

Comes the hour God hath appointed
to fulfil the hope of men,
then must thou, in very fashion,
what I give, return again. 

Not though ancient time decaying
wear away these bones to sand,
ashes that a man might measure
in the hollow of his hand: 

Not though wandering winds and idle,
drifting through the empty sky,
scatter dust was nerve and sinew,
is it given to man to die. 

Once again the shining road
leads to ample Paradise;
open are the woods again,
that the serpent lost for men 

Take, O take him, mighty leader,
take again thy servant’s soul.
Grave his name, and pour the fragrant
balm upon the icy stone.

Blake Reimagined

Bring me my bow of burning gold:
Bring me my arrows of desire:
Bring me my spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!

I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England’s green and pleasant land.

Anyone Who Had a Heart

Anyone who ever loved could look at me
And know that I love you
Anyone who ever dreamed could look at me
And know I dream of you
Knowing I love you so

Anyone who had a heart
Would take me in his arms and love me, too
You couldn’t really have a heart and hurt me
Like you hurt me and be so untrue
What am I to do?

Every time you go away, I always say
This time it’s goodbye, dear
Loving you the way I do
I take you back, without you I’d die dear
Knowing I love you so

Anyone who had a heart
Would take me in his arms and love me, too
You couldn’t really have a heart and hurt me
Like you hurt me and be so untrue
What am I to do?

Knowing I love you so

Anyone who had a heart
Would take me in his arms and love me, too
You couldn’t really have a heart and hurt me
Like you hurt me and be so untrue
Anyone who had a heart would love me too
Anyone who had a heart would take me
In his arms and always love me too
Why won’t you?

Anyone who had a heart would love me too, yeah
Anyone who had a heart
Would surely take me in his arms and always love me
Why won’t you? Yes

Anyone who had a heart would love me too
Anyone who had a heart
Would surely take me in his arms and always love me

Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring

Jesus bleibet meine Freude
Jesus, joy of our desiring,
Meines Herzens Trost und Saft
holy wisdom, love most bright;
Jesus wehret allem Leide
drawn by thee, our souls aspiring
Er ist meines Lebens Kraft
soar to uncreated light.
Meiner Augen Lust und Sonne
Word of God, our flesh that fashioned,
Meiner Seele Schatz und Wonne
with the fire of life impassioned,
Darum lass’ ich Jesum nicht
striving still to truth unknown,
As dem Herzen und Gesicht
soaring, dying round thy throne.

Child of Son

Child of son, of daughter,
tombed and wombed in water,
flesh to bind and bound me,
darkness all around me,
neither seen nor seeing,
being and not being,
in my world’s cessation
lies my recreation, lies my recreation.

Performers

EX CATHEDRA Scholars Ensemble
Jeffrey Skidmore conductor

Soprano: Alexandra Burstow, Sarah Colgan, Sophie Henderson*, Ciará Preston Myakicheff, Beth Taylor, Maria Willsher

Alto: Ellen Smith, Elena Stamp**, Laura Toomey*

Tenor: Tom Hawkey-Soar*, Daniel Marles^, James Wells**

Bass: Oliver Barker^, John Johnston**, Matthew Pandya*
 
Organ: Isaac R. Boulter
 
**denotes 2023-24 Graduate Scholar
* denotes 2023-24 RBC Student Scholar
^ denotes 2023-24 Enhanced Scholar

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