bernstein norman kristy swift beverly klein bach … philharmonic jennifer france soprano angharad...
TRANSCRIPT
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Jennifer France
Soprano
Angharad Lyddon
Alto
Bach Christmas Oratorio parts 1-3
Cambridge
Philharmonic
Society
Cambridge Philharmonic Society 2011 – 2012 Season Programme
Saturday 21 January 2012 West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge
Family Concert
Ian Stephens We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, and
music from The Jungle Book, Peter and the Wolf and
Carnival of the Animals
With special guest Chris Jarvis
Sunday 11 March 2012 West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge
Bernstein Candide, including soloists Daniel
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Powell, Geof Dolton, Jonathan McGovern,
Philip Sheffield and narrator David Timson
Saturday 19 May 2012 West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge
Copland Fanfare for the Common Man
Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 with soloist
Cordelia Williams
Rachmaninov Symphony No. 2
Saturday 30 June 2012 King’s College Chapel, Cambridge
Parry I Was Glad, Blest Pair of Sirens
Elgar In the South
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Christopher Lemmings
Tenor
John-Owen Miley-Read
Bass
Timothy Redmond
Conductor
Steve Bingham
Leader
Saturday 10 December 2011 Emmanuel United Reformed Church, Cambridge
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Programme
Bach
Christmas Oratorio
Part 1 The Birth
Part 2 The Annunciation to the
Shepherds
Part 3 The Adoration of the
Shepherds
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The Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) Johann Sebastian Bach
Parts 1-3 (1685 -1750)
Part 1 – The Birth
Part 2 – The Annunciation to the Shepherds
Part 3 – The Adoration of the Shepherds
Background
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio was written as six separate cantatas telling the story of
Christ’s birth and the subsequent events leading up to the Epiphany. These were
intended to be performed on the six relevant feast days of the Lutheran Church
calendar, and they were first performed in this way in Leipzig between Christmas Day
1734 and the Feast of the Epiphany on 6th January 1735.
Bach arranged the cantatas to follow the chronology of the story, the sequence being
Part1 - The Birth; Part 2 - The Annunciation to the Shepherds; Part 3 - The Adoration of the
Shepherds; Part 4 - The Circumcision and Naming of Jesus; Part 5 - The Journey of the Magi;
and Part 6 - The Adoration of the Magi. Parts 1-3 cover the Christmas period itself and
were intended to be performed on the 25th, 26th and 27th December, whilst Parts 4-6
cover the period from the Feast of the Circumcision on 1st January to the Epiphany on
6th January. Nowadays the oratorio is often performed in these two main subdivisions,
and tonight’s performance is of Parts 1-3.
The cantatas incorporate a mixture of recitatives, arias and chorales – essentially
contemporary hymn tunes – with the tenor soloist (the ‘Evangelist’) singing text taken
from St Luke’s Gospel. Much of the music was reworked by Bach from earlier
compositions, including in particular two secular cantatas composed the previous year.
This reworking of earlier material is sometimes referred to as ‘parody music’, though not
in any derogatory sense: it was standard practice at the time and was a way both of
saving time and of making use of material that might otherwise have been lost. Bach also
went to considerable lengths to work the words and music into a coherent whole, and
also clearly saw the oratorio as a unified work reflecting the Gospel story and the
accompanying musical logic.
Bach used existing texts where appropriate, but also used new texts for many of the
recitatives and arias. Although not specifically referenced, it is thought likely that the
new material was provided by Christian Friedrich Henrici, who worked under the
pseudonym Picander, and was a long-time collaborator of Bach.
The three parts are detailed as follows. As will be seen, the Gospel text runs
sequentially through the three cantatas, forming an underpinning thread through the
Christmas story. The English text for the Gospel extracts is taken from the King James
Bible.
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PART 1 – THE BIRTH: FOR CHRISTMAS DAY
1. Chorus: Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage
Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage,
Rühmet, was heute der Höchste getan!
Lasset das Zagen, verbannet die Klage,
Stimmet voll Jauchzen und Fröhlichkeit an!
Dienet dem Höchsten mit herrlichen
Chören,
Laßt uns den Namen des Herrschers
verehren!
Celebrate, rejoice, rise up and praise the
time,
glorify what the Highest has done today!
Abandon despair, banish laments,
sound forth full of delight and happiness!
Serve the Highest with glorious choruses,
let us honour the name of the Supreme
Ruler!
With its trumpets and drums, the opening chorus, set in D major, evokes the
celebratory mood of Christmas Day, and the rejoicing at Christ’s birth. It is a reworking
of part of a secular cantata Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten (Sound, you drums! Ring
forth, trumpets!), which Bach had composed in 1733 in honour of the birthday of Maria
Josepha, Queen of Poland and Electress of Saxony.
2. Recitative (Evangelist, Tenor): Es begab sich aber zu der Zeit (Luke 2:1-6)
Es begab sich aber zu der Zeit, dass ein
Gebot von dem Kaiser Augusto ausging,
dass alle Welt geschätzet würde. Und
jedermann ging, dass er sich schätzen
ließe, ein jeglicher in seine Stadt. Da
machte sich auch auf Joseph aus Galiläa,
aus der Stadt Nazareth, in das jüdische
Land zur Stadt David, die da heißet
Bethlehem; darum, dass er von dem
Hause und Geschlechte David war:auf
dass er sich schätzen ließe mit Maria,
seinem vertrauten Weibe, die war
schwanger. Und als sie daselbst waren,
kam die Zeit, dass sie gebären sollte.
1And it came to pass in those days, that
there went out a decree from Caesar
Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2(And this taxing was first made when
Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3And all
went to be taxed, every one into his own
city. 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee,
out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto
the city of David, which is called Bethlehem;
(because he was of the house and lineage of
David:) 5To be taxed with Mary his espoused
wife, being great with child. 6And so it was,
that, while they were there, the days were
accomplished that she should be delivered.
The Evangelist then begins the narrative of the birth story, taken from Chapter 2 of St
Luke’s Gospel.
3. Recitative (alto): Nun wird mein liebster Bräutigam/
4. Aria (alto): Bereite dich, Zion, mit zärtlichen Trieben
Nun wird mein liebster Bräutigam,Nun wird
der Held aus Davids Stamm Zum Trost,
zum Heil der Erden Einmal geboren werden.
Nun wird der Stern aus Jakob scheinen,Sein
Strahl bricht schon hervor. Auf, Zion, und
Now my dearest Bridegroom, now the hero
from David's branch, for the comfort, for the
salvation of the earth, will be born at last.
Now the Star out of Jacob will shine, its light
already breaks forth. Arise, Zion, and give up
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verlasse nun das Weinen, Dein Wohl steigt
hoch empor!
your weeping now, your happiness rises high
above you!
Bereite dich, Zion, mit zärtlichen Trieben,
Den Schönsten, den Liebsten bald bei dir zu
sehn!
Deine Wangen
Müssen heut viel schöner prangen,
Eile, den Bräutigam sehnlichst zu lieben!
Prepare yourself, Sion, with tender efforts, to
behold your lovely one, your beloved, near
you soon!
Your cheeks
must now glow much more radiantly,
hurry to love the Bridegroom longingly!
The alto sings thoughtfully of the implications of the birth, accompanied by strings and
woodwind in an aria reworked from another of Bach’s secular cantatas, Laßt uns sorgen,
laßt uns wachen (Let us take care, let us watch), also composed in 1733, this time for the
11th birthday of Prince Friedrich Christian.
5. Chorale (chorus) - Wie soll ich dich empfangen
Wie soll ich dich empfangen
Und wie begegn' ich dir?
O aller Welt Verlangen,
O meiner Seelen Zier!
O Jesu, Jesu, setze
Mir selbst die Fackel bei,
Damit, was dich ergötze,
Mir kund und wissend sei!
How shall I embrace You,
and how encounter You?
O desire of the whole world
O adornment of my soul!
O Jesus, Jesus, place
the torch near me Yourself,
so that what gives You pleasure
be known and familiar to me!
The chorus then sings the chorale Wie soll ich dich empfangen, with words by Paul
Gerhart.
6. Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) – Und sie gebar ihren ersten Sohn (Luke 2:7)
Und sie gebar ihren ersten Sohn und
wickelte
ihn in Windeln und legte ihn in eine Krippen,
den sie hatten sonst keinen Raum in der
Herberge.
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and
wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid
him in a manger; because there was no
room for them in the inn.
The Gospel story then continues with Christ’s birth.
7. Chorale (soprano) - Er ist auf Erden kommen arm and Recitative (bass) -
Wer will die Liebe recht erhöhn
Er ist auf Erden kommen arm
Daß er unser sich erbarm
Und in dem Himmel mache reich
Und seinen lieben Engeln gleich
Kyrieleis!
He came to earth poor,
So that He might have sympathy for us,
And to make us rich in heaven,
and like his dear angels
Kyrie eleison!
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Wer will die Liebe recht erhöhn,
Die unser Heiland vor uns hegt?
Ja, wer vermag es einzusehen
Wie ihn der Menschen Leid bewegt?
Des Höchsten Sohn kömmt in die Welt
Weil ihm ihr Heil so wohl gefällt
So will er selbst als Mensch geboren warden
Who can rightly exalt this love,
that our Saviour harbours for us?
Indeed, who could possibly have predicted
how the sorrow of humanity moved Him?
The Son of the Highest came into the world,
since its salvation pleased Him so much
thus He Himself will be born as man.
In this duet, the soprano sings the lines of the chorale Er ist auf Erden kommen arm (He
came to earth poor), taken from Martin Luther’s Christmas hymn Gelobet seist du, Jesu
Christ (Praised be you, Jesus Christ), while the bass soloist intersperses the lines with the
contemplative recitative Wer will die Liebe recht erhöhn (Who can rightly exalt this love).
8. Aria (bass) - Großer Herr und starker König
Großer Herr, o starker König, Liebster
Heiland,
o wie wenig Achtest du der Erden Pracht!
Der die ganze Welt erhäl Ihre Pracht und
Zier erschaffen, Muß in harten Krippen
schlafen.
Great Lord, o powerful King, dearest Saviour,
o how little you care about the riches of the
earth! He who sustains the entire world, who
created its magnificence and beauty, must
sleep in a harsh manger.
We are then back to the opening triumphal key of D major for the bass aria Großer Herr
und starker König, taken, like the opening chorus, from the 1733 cantata Tönet, ihr Pauken!
Erschallet, Trompeten!
9. Chorale (chorus) - Ach mein herzliebes Jesulein!
Ach mein herzliebes Jesulein,
Mach dir ein rein sanft Bettelein,
Zu ruhn in meines Herzens Schrein,
Daß ich nimmer vergesse dein!
Ah, my heart's beloved little Jesus,
make Yourself a pure, soft little bed
within my heart's chamber in which to rest,
so that I never forget You!
The first part of the oratorio then closes with a final chorale, taken from Bach’s setting
of the Christmas hymn Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her (From Heaven above to earth I
come), with words by Martin Luther.
____________________
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PART 2 – THE ANNUNCIATION TO THE SHEPHERDS: FOR 26th
DECEMBER
10. Sinfonia
The second part of the oratorio opens with a pastoral orchestral interlude. Bach wrote
this as a new composition for the oratorio, doubtless in order to set the tone for Part 2.
It is referred to again in the final chorale.
11. Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) - Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend
(Luke 2:8-9)
Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend
auf dem Felde bei den Hürden, die hüteten
des Nachts ihre Herde. Und siehe, des
Herren Engel trat zu ihnen, und die Klarheit
des Herren leuchtet um sie, und sie furchten
sich sehr
8And there were in the same country
shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch
over their flock by night. 9And, lo, the angel of
the Lord came upon them, and the glory of
the Lord shone round about them: and they
were sore afraid.
The Evangelist then quotes the famous biblical passage relating how the angel of the Lord
appears to the shepherds.
12. Chorale (chorus) - Brich an, o schönes Morgenlicht
Brich an, o schönes Morgenlicht,
Und laß den Himmel tagen!
Du Hirtenvolk, erschrecke nicht,
Weil dir die Engel sagen,
Daß dieses schwache Knäbelein
Soll unser Trost und Freude sein,
Dazu den Satan zwingen
Und letztlich Friede bringen!
Break forth, o lovely light of morning,
and let heaven dawn!
You shepherd-folk, do not fear,
for the angel tells you
that this weak little boy
shall be our comfort and joy,
compelling Satan as well
and bringing peace at last!
Bach then inserts a chorale taken from the hymn Ermuntre dich, mein schwacher Geist
(Take courage, my weak spirit), with words by Johann von Rist, which further fills out the
story of the annunciation.
13. Recitative (Evangelist, tenor; Angel, soprano) - Und der Engel sprach zu
ihnen: Fürchtet euch nicht (Luke 2:10-11)
Und der Engel sprach zu ihnen: Fürchtet
euch nicht, siehe, ich verkündige euch große
Freude, die allem Volke widerfahren wird.
Denn euch ist heute der Heiland geboren,
welcher ist Christus, der Herr, in der Stadt
David.
10And the angel said unto them, Fear not:
for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great
joy, which shall be to all people. 11For unto
you is born this day in the city of David a
Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
The Evangelist then begins the next part of the Gospel story, but this time with the
soprano singing the words of the angel as she tells the shepherds of the Good News.
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14. Recitative (bass) - Was Gott dem Abraham verheißen
Was Gott dem Abraham verheißen,
Das läßt er nun dem Hirtenchor
Erfüllt erweisen.
Ein Hirt hat alles das zuvor
Von Gott erfahren müssen.
Und nun muß auch ein Hirt die Tat,
Was er damals versprochen hat,
Zuerst erfüllet wissen.
What God promised to Abraham,
now, fulfilled, He has had announced
to the group of shepherds.
A shepherd, then, first of all,
had experience of God.
And now, also, a shepherd is first of all
to know the fulfillment
of what once was promised.
The bass soloist sings a recitative recalling the promise made to Abraham.
15. Aria (tenor) - Frohe Hirten, eilt, ach eilet
Frohe Hirten, eilt, ach eilet,
Eh ihr euch zu lang verweilet,
Eilt, das holde Kind zu sehn!
Geht, die Freude heißt zu schön,
Sucht die Anmut zu gewinnen,
Geht und labet Herz und Sinnen!.
Happy shepherds, hurry, ah hurry,
before you delay too long,
hurry to see the lovely Child!
Go, this joy is so exquisite,
seek to achieve this loveliness,
go and delight heart and senses!
The recitative is followed by the tenor singing the aria Frohe Hirten, eilt, ach eilet, with
flute obbligato accompaniment, telling the shepherds to make haste to see the infant
Christ. The aria is a reworking of another of the arias from the 1733 cantata Tönet, ihr
Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten!,
16. Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) - Und das habt zum Zeichen (Luke 2:12)
17. Chorale (chorus) - Schaut hin! dort liegt im finstern Stall
Und da habt zum Zeichen: Ihr werdet finden
das Kind in Windeln gewickelt und un einer
Krippe liegen.
12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall
find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,
lying in a manger.
Schaut hin, dort liegt im finstern Stall,
Des Herrschaft gehet überall!
Da Speise vormals sucht ein Rind,
Da ruhet itzt der Jungfrau'n Kind.
Look there, there He lies in a dark stall,
whose majesty encompasses everything!
Where once an ox searched for food,
now the Child of the Virgin rests.
The Evangelist then quotes the next verse of the Gospel, followed by the chorus singing
a chorale, taken from a Christmas hymn, describing Christ resting in the manger. The
words are by Paul Gerhardt.
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18. Recitative (bass) - So geht denn hin!
So geht denn hin, ihr Hirten, geht,
Daß ihr das Wunder seht:
Und findet ihr des Höchsten Sohn
Un einer harten Krippe liegen,
So singet ihm bei seiner Wiegen
Aus einem süßen Ton
Und mit gesamtem Chor
Dies Lied zur Ruhe vor!
Then go there, you shepherds, go,
so that you see the miracle:
and when you find the Son of the Highest
lying in a harsh manger,
then sing to Him by His cradle
in a sweet tone
and with full chorus
this lullaby!
The bass then sings a recitative inviting the shepherds to go to see the infant Christ.
19. Aria (alto) Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße der Ruh'
Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße der Ruh,
Wach nach diesem vor aller Gedeihen!
Labe die Brust,
Empfinde die Lust,
Wo wir unser Herz erfreuen!
Sleep, my beloved, enjoy Your rest,
and awaken after it for all the fortunate!
Let your heart delight,
experience the joy
that rejoices our hearts!
This is then followed by the alto singing the beautiful lullaby Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße
der Ruh', with flute, oboe and strings providing a peaceful accompaniment.
20. Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) - Und alsobald war da bei dem Engel
(Luke 2:13)
21. Chorus - Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe (Luke 2:14)
Und alsobald war da bei dem Engel die
Menge
der himmlischen Heerscharen, die lobten Gott
und sprachen
13And suddenly there was with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly host praising God,
and saying,
Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe und Friede auf
Erden und den Menschen ein Wohlgefallen
14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace, good will toward men
The Evangelist then announces the appearance of the heavenly host, with the chorus
taking up the Gospel text in Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe.
22. Recitative (bass) - So recht, ihr Engel, jauchzt und singet
23. Chorale (chorus) - Wir singen dir in deinem Heer
So recht, ihr Engel, jauchzt und singet,
Daß es uns heut so schön gelinget!
Auf denn! Wir stimmen mit euch ein,
Uns kann es so wie euch erfreun.
Thus rightly, you angels, rejoice and sing,
that it works out so beautifully for us
today!
Up then! We play along with you;
we can celebrate just as you do.
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Wir singen dir in deinem Heer
Aus aller Kraft Lob, Preis und Ehr,
Daß du, o lang gewünschter Gast,
Dich nunmehr eingestellet hast.
We sing to You in Your host
with all our might praise, glory and
honor,
since You, o long-awaited guest,
from now on have become present.
The second Part of the oratorio then closes with a bass recitative leading to a final
chorale singing praises to the infant child, with references back to the opening pastoral
sinfonia.
____________________
PART 3 – THE ADORATION OF THE SHEPHERDS: FOR 27th DECEMBER
24. Chorus - Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen
Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen,
Laß dir die matten Gesänge gefallen,
Wenn dich dein Zion mit Psalmen erhöht!
Höre der Herzen frohlockendes Preisen,
Wenn wir dir itzo die Ehrfurcht erweisen,
Weil unsre Wohlfahrt befestiget steht!
Ruler of Heaven, hear the murmur,
let the dull songs be pleasing to You,
when Your Zion exalts You with psalms!
Hear the delightful praises of our hearts,
when we acknowledge our present awe of
You, since our pilgrimage has been confirmed!
The trumpets and drums return for the opening chorus of Part 3, in a reworking of
Blühet, ihr Linden in Sachsen, wie Zedern! (Bloom, linden trees in Saxony, like cedars!), taken
from Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten!
25. Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) - Und da die Engel von ihnen gen Himmel
fuhren
26. Chorus - Lasset uns nun gehen gen Bethlehem (Luke 2:15)
Und da die Engel von ihnen gen Himmel
fuhren, sprachen die Hirten untereinander
15And it came to pass, as the angels were gone
away from them into heaven, the shepherds
said one to another
Lasset uns nun gehen gen Bethlehem und die
Geschichte sehen, die da geschehen ist, die
uns der Herr kundgetan hat
Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see
this thing which is come to pass, which the
Lord hath made known unto us.
The Evangelist takes up the story again, with the chorus singing the part of the shepherds
as they resolve to travel to Bethlehem.
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27. Recitative (bass) - Er hat sein Volk getröst'
Er hat sein Volk getröst',
Er hat sein Israel erlöst,
Die Hülf aus Zion hergesendet
Und unser Leid geendet.
Seht, Hirten, dies hat er getan;
Geht, dieses trefft ihr an!
He has comforted His people,
He has rescued His Israel,
sending help out of Zion
and ending our sorrow.
Look, shepherds, He has done this;
go, this is what awaits you!
The bass soloist then sings a short recitative.
28. Chorale (chorus) - Dies hat er alles uns getan
Dies hat er alles uns getan,
Sein groß Lieb zu zeigen an;
Des freu sich alle Christenheit
Und dank ihm des in Ewigkeit.
Kyrieleis!
All this He has done for us,
to indicate His great love;
for this all Christianity rejoices
and thanks Him for it in eternity.
Kyrie eleison!
This is followed by the chorale Dies hat er alled uns getan, taken from Martin Luther’s
Christmas hymn Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ which also featured in Section 7 of Part 1.
29. Duet (soprano, bass) - Herr, dein Mitleid, dein Erbarmen
Herr, dein Mittleid, dein Erbarmen
Tröstet uns und macht uns frei.
Deine holde Gunst und Liebe,
Deine wundersamen Treibe
Machen deine Vatertreu
Wieder neu.
Lord, your compassion, your mercy
comforts us and makes us free.
Your gracious favour and love,
Your miraculous doings
make Your fatherly loyalty
new again.
There then follows a duet, reworked from the cantata Laßt uns sorgen, laßt uns wachen,
describing God’s compassion.
30. Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) - Und sie kamen eilend (Luke 2:16-19)
Und sie kamen eilend und funden beide,
Mariam und Joseph, dazu das Kind in der
Krippe liegen. Da sie es aber gesehen
hatten, breiteten sie das Wort aus, welches
zu ihnen von diesem Kind gesaget war. Und
alle, für die es kam, wunderten sich der
Rede, die ihnen dir Hirten gesaget hatten.
Maria aber behielt alle diese Worte und
bewegte sie in ihrem Herzen.
16And they came with haste, and found
Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a
manger. 17And when they had seen it, they
made known abroad the saying which was
told them concerning this child. 18And all
they that heard it wondered at those things
which were told them by the shepherds. 19But Mary kept all these things, and
pondered them in her heart.
The Evangelist then continues the story, with the shepherds arriving in Bethlehem and
finding the Christ child lying in the manger.
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31. Aria (alto) - Schließe, mein Herze, dies selige Wunder
Schließe, mein Herze, dies selige Wunder
Fest in deinem Glauben ein!
Lasse dies Wunder, die göttlichen Werke,
Immer zur Stärke
Deines schwachen Glaubens sein!
Enclose, my heart, these blessed miracles
fast within your faith!
Let these wonders, these divine works,
forever be the reinforcement
of your weak faith!
The alto then sings the beautiful aria Schließe, mein Herze, dies selige Wunder,
accompanied by violin solo. The aria is thought to have been specially composed by
Bach for the cantata, and provides a change of mood as we reflect on the miracle of the
birth.
32. Recitative (alto) - Ja, ja! mein Herz soll es bewahren
33. Chorale (chorus) - Ich will dich mit Fleiß bewahren
Ja, ja, mein Herz soll es bewahren,
Was es an dieser holden Zeit
Zu seiner Seligkeit
Für sicheren Beweis erfahren.
Yes, yes, my heart shall cherish this,
what it has experienced
at this glorious time for its blessedness
as a sure revelation.
Ich will dich mit Fleiß bewahren,
Ich will dir Leben hier,
Dir will ich abfahren,
Mit dir will ich endlich schweben
Voller Freud
Ohne Zeit
Dort im andern Leben.
I will cherish You assiduously,
I will live for You here,
to You will I depart,
with You, at last, I will float
full of joy,
endlessly,
there in the other life.
The alto continues with a recitative in the same contemplative vein, the chorus then
joining in with the chorale Ich will dich mit Fleiß bewahren, taken from the hymn Fröhlich soll
mein Herze springen (All my heart with joy is springing), with words by Paul Gerhardt.
34. Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) - Und die Hirten kehren wieder um (Luke 2:20)
Und die Hirten kehrten wieder um,
preiseten und lobten Gott um alles, das
sie gesehen und gehöret hatten, wie
denn zu ihnen gesaget war.
20And the shepherds returned, glorifying
and praising God for all the things that
they had heard and seen, as it was told
unto them.
The Evangelist then continues with the Gospel text, the shepherds now returning to
their flocks, praising God for what they have witnessed.
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35. Chorale (chorus) - Seid froh, dieweil
Sei froh dieweil,
Das euer Heil
Ist hie ein Gott und auch ein Mensch
geboren,
Der, welcher ist
Der Herr und Christ
In Davids Stadt, von vielen auserkoren
Meanwhile, be happy,
for your salvation
is born here a God and also a person,
He, who is
the Lord and Christ
in David's city, chosen out of many.
There is then a chorale urging joy at the salvation resulting from God coming to earth in
human form. The words are by Christoph Runge and are taken from the hymn Laßt
Furcht und Pein weit von uns sein (Let fear and pain be far from us).
Repeat of Item 24 - Chorus - Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen
Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen,
Laß dir die matten Gesänge gefallen,
Wenn dich dein Zion mit Psalmen erhöht!
Höre der Herzen frohlockendes Preisen,
Wenn wir dir itzo die Ehrfurcht erweisen,
Weil unsre Wohlfahrt befestiget steht!
Ruler of Heaven, hear the murmur,
let the dull songs be pleasing to You,
when Your Zion exalts You with psalms!
Hear the delightful praises of our hearts,
when we acknowledge our present awe of
You, since our pilgrimage has been confirmed!
The chorus then repeats the section that opened Part 3 in a final hymn of praise. Set in
D major, and taken from Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten!, like the opening chorus
of Part 1, this serves not only to complete Part 3, but to emphasise the completion of
the Christmas story in Parts 1-3.
Chris Fisher
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JENNIFER FRANCE Soprano
Jennifer is currently on the Opera Course at Royal
Academy of Music and is studying with Lillian Watson
and Iain Ledingham with a major award from The
Countess of Munster Music Trust. Since joining RAM,
Jennifer has won the Isabel Jay Opera Prize, the Michael
Head prize, is a member of the Song Circle and is a
soloist for the Bach Cantata series. Jennifer is also a
recent Samling Scholar.
Before coming to RAM, Jennifer studied at the Royal
Northern College of Music with Sandra Dugdale, where she won many prizes, including
the Cronshaw Song cycle competition and 2nd Prize in the Elizabeth Harwood Award for
leavers. Roles at the RNCM include Sandrina in L’infedelta delusa, Adele in Die
Fledermaus, Leonie in La belle Helene and La Pastourella in L’enfant et les sortileges.
Jennifer has performed at Buxton Opera Festival and the International Gilbert and
Sullivan Festival for the last two years where roles include Geraldine in A Hand of Bridge,
Philline (Cover – Mignon) and Kate in The Yeomen of the Guard.
Forthcoming roles for RAO include Héro in Beatrice et Benedict and Papagena in Die
Zauberflöte.
Jennifer is kindly supported by The Countess of Munster and Josephine Baker Trust.
ANGHARAD LYDDON Alto
Angharad Lyddon is from Wrexham North Wales and had
her first singing lesson at the age of 6. Since then she has
performed regularly; first with the Stagecoach Theatre
Arts Programme and then at the Royal Northern College
of Music Junior School where she studied with Diana
Palmerston.
As a member of the National Youth Choir of Great
Britain, Angharad has toured Eastern Europe and
performed at prestigious music venues such as the Albert
Hall, the Thomaskirche in Leipzig and various Cathedrals
around the UK including concerts with the Sixteen, the King Singers and at Westminster
Hall as part of the commemoration for the Abolition of Slavery.
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Competitively, Angharad is twice winner of the Anna Markland Award for Outstanding
Performance, recipient of the Lakewood People to People Award, the Junior RNCM
Singers’ prize, the AESS Courtney Kenny Award and several trophies at last year’s
Chester Competitive Music Festival.
Angharad has a First Class Honours degree from the Royal Academy of Music and is now
in her first year of their MA degree programme. At the Academy Angharad has found
much success as a soloist and ensemble singer. She is a member of the Academy Song
Circle and an Academy/Kohn foundation Bach Cantata soloist and regular chorus
member. Her solo performance highlights include Handel’s Messiah at Wakefield
Cathedral; Mozart’s Requiem at St-Martin-in-the-Fields; Mendelssohn’s Elijah as well as
concerts at Westminster Abbey; the Austrian Cultural forum and The Paul Hamlyn Hall,
Royal Opera House; the world premiere of Greenhouses by Tansy Davis. Operatically
Angharad has sung Lady Mary in Sir Nigel of Tilford for Tilford Bach Society; Third Lady in
The Magic Flute for Jackdaws and Lucretia Rape of Lucretia for RAM Vocal Faculty Opera
Scenes.
She studies with Glenville Hargreaves and Audrey Hyland and is generously supported by
the Academy and the Josephine Baker Foundation.
CHRISTOPHER LEMMINGS Tenor
Christopher studied at the Guildhall School of Music and
Drama under Johanna Peters and Margaret Lensky, and
currently studies with Michelle Wegwart.
Roles include: for Covent Garden include Stingo in
Nicholas Maw’s Sophie’s Choice under Sir Simon Rattle,
Caliban in Thomas Adès’ The Tempest (also for BBC
television and in Strasbourg) and Scaramuccio in Ariadne
auf Naxos; for Glyndebourne Tour: Tito in La Clemenza
di Tito, Belmonte in Die Entführung aus dem Serail,
Lechmere in Owen Wingrave, for Glyndebourne Festival:
Il Maestro di Ballo in Manon Lescaut, and Bartholomew, a role he created, in Sir Harrison
Birtwistle’s The Last Supper, premièred at the Staatsoper, Berlin under Daniel Barenboim;
Don Ottavio Don Giovanni in Cologne and Verona; Albert in Albert Herring for ETO; both
L’abate di Chazeuil in Adriana Lecouvreur and Ferrando in Cosi Fan Tutte for Holland Park
Opera, Bob Boles in Peter Grimes and Der Bucklige in Die Frau ohne Schatten for Vlaamse
Opera.
With a strong reputation for his work in Twentieth Century and Contemporary music,
Christopher has collaborated with composers such as Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Thomas
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Adès and Nicholas Maw, he has also sung such roles as Edmund in Toshio Hosokawa’s
King Lear at the Linbury Theatre, ROH; Beauty in Gerald Barry’s Triumph of Beauty and
Deceit with the BCMG, Ades with Almeida in London and Berlin, Sid Thatcher in Paul
Frehner’s Sirius on Earth, also with Almeida; Neoptolemus in Edward Rushton’s Birds,
Barks, Bones at the Linbury Theatre, Covent Garden; Molqi in The Death of Klinghoffer
with the Finnish National Opera; Perelà in Pascal Dusapin’s Perelà L’uomo di Fumo at
Bastille and Montpelier; Sellem in The Rake’s Progress with Opera Nantes/Angers and the
Nihilist in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk for ENO. With Music Theatre Wales he created the
role of Robin Fingest in Michael Berkeley and Ian McEwan’s opera For You, and sang Dov
in Sir Michael Tippett’s Knot Garden in a joint production with the Royal Opera House to
mark the centenary of the composer’s birth.
Opera in concert includes: Gerald Barry’s Triumph of Beauty and Deceit with the Los
Angeles Philharmonic and with Radio France, Hotel Porter in Death in Venice, Lechmere
in Owen Wingrave and Molqi in The Death of Klinghoffer at the Concertgebouw
Amsterdam under Edo de Waart; Itulbo Il Pirata and L’abate/Un incredibile in Andrea
Chénier with Chelsea Opera Group, Queen Elizabeth Hall. Other concert appearances:
Finzi’s Intimations of Immortality Royal Liverpool Philharmonic; Stravinsky’s Pulcinella with
the Northern Sinfonia at the Sage, Gateshead, and Aldeburgh Festival; Rossini’s Stabat
Mater RTE Concert Orchestra, National Concert Hall, Dublin; Haydn’s Stabat Mater
Norwegian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Messiah in London and Madrid with the English
Chamber Orchestra, Janacek’s Glagolitic Mass with the Brighton Festival and Orff's
Carmina Burana at the Royal Festival Hall.
Current season and future plans include Batistelli's Richard III in Geneva, Spoletta in Tosca
and Wirt in Der Rosenkavalier with Vlaamse Opera, Caliban in The Tempest at Lübeck,
Rossini's Stabat Mater with the Israel Sinfonietta, Il Primo Sacerdote in Il Prigioniero in
Limoges, The Prince in Luke Bedford's new opera Seven Angels with the BCMG and The
Opera Group, Die Zweiter Junge Offizier in Die Soldaten with the Bochum Ruhrtriennale,
in New York's Lincoln Centre Festival, and Beauty in Gerald Barry’s Triumph of Beauty
and Deceit with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group at Carnegie Hall New York.
Recordings include the critically acclaimed Rorem Auden Songs with Chamber Domaine
and a disc of lesser known music by the Italian born film composer Nino Rota. He
appears in the role he created of Robin Fingest on a new recording of Michael Berkeley
and Ian McEwan's opera For You, which was released on the Signum label in September
2010.
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JOHN-OWEN MILEY-READ Bass
John-Owen is currently studying Voice at the Royal
Academy of Music for his Masters, under Mark Wildman
on a full scholarship. His previous teachers include
Robert Alderson at the Dublin Institute of Technology
and Angela Giblin at the Australian National University.
His recent roles include The Prime Minister in Cendrillon
at the Royal Opera House, 2nd Mate in Billy Budd and
The Goat in Renard at Glyndebourne; Giordano in
Romeo and Juliet with Opera Ireland, Sarastro in The
Magic Flute, Salieri in the Irish Premiere of Mozart and
Salieri, Valens in Theodora, Schaunard in La Boheme, Don Alfonso in Cosi fan Tutte,
Masetto in Don Giovanni; Strephon in Iolanthe, the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance as
part of the Annual International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Buxton, a role which won
him the Best Male Performer of the Festival award; Simone in Gianni Schicchi, Un Arbre
in L'enfant et les Sortileges, Bluff in The Impresario, the Lion in Pyramis and Thisbe and Frank
in Die Fledermaus. He was awarded the Yorke Trust Scholarship three times (in 2003,
2007 and 2008) and was the winner of the Royal Overseas League Christchurch
Scholarship for performances in New Zealand in 2005. In 2008 he became the first non
Irish Young Artist with the Opera Theatre Company in Ireland.
John-Owen has performed concerts, oratorios and operas in Australia, New Zealand,
Belgium, England and Ireland, with such singers as Joyce DiDonato, Alice Coote,
Matthew Best, Natalie Manfrino, Imelda Drumm and John Elwes. Future work includes
Don Pedro in Beatrice and Benedict conducted by Sir Colin Davis, directed by John
Copley, and Sarastro in The Magic Flute conducted by Jane Glover. He has performed
many of the Oratorios in the repertoire including Mozart’s Requiem with the
Glyndebourne Festival Chorus, Carlow Choral Society and DIT Choral Society, Handel's
Messiah, Bach’s Easter and Ascension Oratorios, his B minor Mass, St Matthews Passion and St
Johns Passion all with the Dublin Bach Singers.
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TIMOTHY REDMOND
Conductor
Timothy Redmond conducts and presents
concerts throughout Europe. He is a regular
guest conductor with the Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra, both in the recording studio and
the concert hall, and conducts many of the
UK's leading orchestras.
He has given concerts with the London
Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool
Philharmonic, the Ulster and BBC Philharmonic
Orchestras, the Orchestra of Opera North
and the BBC Concert Orchestra. He works regularly with the Hallé and Northern
Sinfonia, has a long-standing association with the Manchester Camerata, and in 2006 was
appointed principal conductor of the Cambridge Philharmonic. He has recently guest-
conducted orchestras in Bosnia, Estonia, Finland, Italy, Macedonia, Slovenia and the US
and broadcasts regularly on TV and radio.
Timothy Redmond is well-known as a conductor of contemporary music. Since working
closely with Thomas Adès on the premiere of The Tempest at Covent Garden, he has
conducted critically-acclaimed productions of Powder Her Face for the Royal Opera
House and St Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre. In 2010 he conducted the world premiere
of The Golden Ticket, Peter Ash and Donald Sturrock’s new opera based on Charlie and
the Chocolate Factory, for Opera Theatre of St Louis. Last season he conducted the
work’s European premiere at the Wexford Festival and gave the first performance of a
new oratorio by Edward Rushton with the London Symphony Orchestra.
In the opera house he has conducted productions for Opera North, English National
Opera, English Touring Opera, Almeida Opera, at the Bregenz, Tenerife and Aldeburgh
Festivals and for New York’s American Lyric Theater. Recordings include Dreams with
the French cellist Ophélie Gaillard and the RPO (Harmonia Mundi), discs with Natasha
Marsh and Mara Carlyle for EMI, and CDs with the Northern Sinfonia and Philharmonia.
His 2011/12 season includes concerts with the Hallé, Manchester Camerata, Sinfonia Viva
and Northern Sinfonia, several engagements with the Macedonian Philharmonic in Skopje
and his debut with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. In May 2012 he will collaborate with
Valery Gergiev on The Rite of Spring and Oedipus Rex before conducting a concert of jazz-
inspired works to conclude the LSO’s Stravinsky Festival.
Timothy Redmond read music at Manchester University and studied oboe and
conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music, where he held the RNCM’s Junior
Fellowship in Conducting. He furthered his studies in masterclasses with George Hurst,
Ilya Musin, Yan Pascal Tortelier and Pierre Boulez.
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STEVE BINGHAM
Leader
Steve Bingham studied violin with Emmanuel
Hurwitz, Sidney Griller and the Amadeus Quartet
at the Royal Academy of Music from 1981 to
1985, where he won prizes for orchestral leading
and string quartet playing. In 1985 he formed the
Bingham String Quartet, an ensemble which has
become one of the foremost in the UK, with an
enviable reputation for both classical and
contemporary repertoire. The Quartet has
recorded numerous CDs and has worked for
radio and television both in the UK and as far
afield as Australia. The Quartet has worked with distinguished musicians such as Jack
Brymer, Raphael Wallfisch, Michael Collins and David Campbell.
Steve has appeared as guest leader with many orchestras including the BBC Scottish
Symphony Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, English National Ballet and
English Sinfonia. He has given solo recitals both in the UK and America and his concerto
performances include works by Bach, Vivaldi, Bruch, Prokofiev, Mendelssohn and
Sibelius, given in venues as prestigious as St John’s, Smith Square and the Royal Albert
Hall. Steve is also Artistic Director of Ely Sinfonia.
In recent years Steve has developed his interest in improvisation, electronics and World
music, collaborating with several notable musicians including guitarist Jason Carter and
players such as Sanju Vishnu Sahai (tabla), Baluji Shivastrav (sitar) and Abdullah Ibrahim
(piano). Steve’s debut solo CD Duplicity was released in November 2005, and has been
played on several radio stations including BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM. The Independent
gave it a 4-star review. Steve released his second solo CD, Ascension, in November
2008. You can find out more about Steve on his web site at www.stevebingham.co.uk.
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PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
1st Violins
Steve Bingham (leader)
Kate Clow (co leader)
Vikki Atkinson
Graham Bush
Hilary Crooks
Naomi Hilton
Adele Martin
Sean Rock
Victoria Stelzhammer
Pat Welch
Gerry Wimpenny
2nd Violins
Emma Lawrence
Paul Anderson
Jenny Barna
Joanna Baxter
Leila Coupe
Fiona Cunningham
Anne McAleer
John Richards
Sarah Ridley
Ariane Stoop
Katrin Ottersbach
Violas
Ruth Donnelly
Liz Andrews
Alex Cook
Jeremy Harmer
Robert Heap
Samara Humbert-
Hughes
Cellos
Vivian Williams
Sarah Bendall
Helen Davies
Anna Edwards
Melissa Fu
Clare Gilmour
Helen Hills
Mercedesz Milner
Lucy Mitchell
Double Bass
Stephen Beaumont
Elspeth Coult
Susan Sparrow
Flute
Cynthia Lalli
Adrienne Jackson
Oboe /oboe d'amore
Jenny Sewell
Rachael Dunlop
Cor Anglais
Gareth Stainer
Camilla Haggett
Bassoon
Neil Greenham
Trumpet
Andy Powlson
Kate Goatman
Naomi Wrycroft
Timpani
Dave Ellis
Organ continuo
Mark Packwood
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PHILHARMONIC CHORUS
Soprano 1
Helen Bache
Helena Barton
Abi Brown
Jane Cook
Olivia Downs
Katie Karnezos
Christina Klasse
Ros Mitchell
Charlotte Orrock
Caroline Potter
Amanda Price
Brenda Reckelberg
Mary Richards
Josephine Roberts
Anne Sales
Pat Sartori
Ruth Tricker
Alison Vinnicombe
Soprano 2
Cathy Ashbee
Eleanor Bell
Susannah Cameron
Jennifer Day
Susan Earnshaw
Christine Halstead
Maggie Hook
Diana Lindsay
Ursula Lyons
Binnie Macellari
Valerie Mahy
Liz Popescu
Vicky Pottruff
Anne Read
Sheila Rushton
Lindsey Shaw-Miller
Pip Smith
Alto 1
Helen Black
Margaret Cook
Caroline Courtney
Alison Dudbridge
Kin Mei Leung
Sarah Johnson
Ruth Jordan
Jan Littlewood
Janet Mills
Julia Napier
Alice Parr
Caroline Shepherd
Sarah Upjohn
Helen Wheatley
Alto 2
Kate Baker
Jane Bower
Elizabeth Crow
Alison Deary
Tabitha Driver
Jane Fenton
Jane Fleming
Stephanie Gray
Hilary Jackson
Sue Purseglove
Gill Rogers
Oda Stoevesandt
Chris Strachan
Claudia West
Tenor
Johan Alsiö
Aiden Baker
Jeremy Baumberg
David Bowler
Geoff Forster
Bernardo Foth
David Griffiths
Ian McMillan
Jim Potter
Chris Price
David Reed
Stephen Roberts
Martin Scutt
Graham Wickens
John Williams
Bass
Richard Birkett
Neil Caplan
Chris Coffin
Paul Crosfield
Brain Dawson
Dan Ellis
Chris Fisher
Patrick Hall
Lewis Jones
Harrison Sherwood
David White