Laudate Dominum: "Praise the Lord"......Come and join us at an evening of some of the world's great sacred music at St Peter's in Ruddington

Laudate Dominum – "Praise the Lord" is the theme of Ruddington & District Choral Society's upcoming concert on Saturday, November 24th at St. Peter's Church in Ruddington.  The programme promises much - some of the greatest, most loved and exquisite examples  of sacred music; great choral works all of which, in their different ways, "praise the Lord". The concert covers a wide spread – from the Baroque repertoire through to the late nineteenth century and includes both the great names of the choral tradition: Bach, Mozart, Brahms, Schubert, as well as the lesser known Josef Rheinberger’s  magical, haunting and intensely reverent Stabat Mater. And to add to this cornucopia of profound and lovely sacred works there are much loved orchestral and organ works by Mozart, Bach and Handel from the Ruddington Chamber Ensemble and organist Michael Overbury which are sure to brighten and enrich a November  autumn night.

Although Saturday's programme is an evening of sacred music one should not forget that devotional music has long played a wider part in the development of all music. Today, we can easily listen to our favourite music by switching on our CD player, tuning in to Classic FM or maybe even streaming our music from a Spotify App. We can pop along to the Royal Centre to enjoy one of the world’s great orchestras or live life to the full rocking to the music of one of the world’s pop stars playing a gig at the Nottingham Arena. But it has not always been so. It was devotional music that so often provided the bedrock of musical performance before technology, theatres and opera houses became an established part of people’s lives, so the role of sacred music – choral, organ or any other – was crucial in the wider development of the western musical tradition. For all composers in the days before "instant music" - records, CDs, radio, theatres and the like - devotional music was not simply a recognition of their own religious beliefs and perspectives it was so often a money earner and, to use a modern phrase, part of their professional CV.

So come along to St. Peter's in Ruddington (7.30 pm Saturday November 24th), you'll not only be made very welcome but enjoy some of the world's most beautiful, inspiring and uplifting music such as: 

Laudate Dominum:  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791)

Mozart’s sacred music was the least important part of his output. His relations with the church were troubled, and unlike Bach, he lived in a milieu where the profoundest musical ideas of the time were not practiced in church. At the same time, however, Mozart composed remarkable, profound, never to be forgotten, sacred works.

While in the service of the  unpleasant and autocratic  Archbishop  Colloredo, Bishop of Salzburg, Mozart was required to compose devotional works and in doing so  wrote some of his most remarkable sacred pieces  - amongst them the Vesperae solennes de Confessore (Solemn Vespers) K. 339. This masterpiece foreshadows  the two great unfinished religious works of his Vienna period, the Mass in C Minor and the Requiem.

The work was intended for the celebration of an undisclosed saint's day and its six movements were interspersed with readings. The text consists of five Psalms and the Magnificat canticle that concludes every Vespers service. Just before the final dazzling Magnificat  is the exquisite and much loved Laudate Dominum  for soprano and chorus. Mozart’s love of the soaring soprano voice is amply displayed in long, luxurious lines over a simple accompaniment. One of the most lyrical soprano solos Mozart ever wrote it is a work beautiful enough for a place in any of his operas but at the same time has a inward spirituality perfectly appropriate for a church service. 

Ave Verum Corpus: Wolfgang Amadeus  Mozart (1756-1791)

The exquisite Ave Verum Corpus was written only six months before Mozart’s death at age 35. At a mere 46 bars, it reflects perfectly Mozart’s ability to say something profound in the simplest possible way; once heard, its otherworldly and sublime melody is never forgotten. Composed for his friend, choirmaster Anton Stoll, for the Feast of Corpus Christi, it is a radically pared down example of Mozart’s determination to create a new type of church music based on clarity and emotional directness rather than the often florid counterpoint of high Baroque.

Ave Verum Corpus (Hail True Body of Christ) dates from the 14th century and has been set to music by many composers. It is possible that Mozart composed his work mindful of the Imperial ban on elaborate sacred music, or it is equally likely that he was writing with the limitations of Stoll's choir in mind. Whatever, his setting is remarkable for its compact simplicity - an approach that would have suited the reform-minded Austrians where textual clarity and brevity were all-important in church music.  

Written in 1791, the same year as his Clarinet Concerto and the opera Die Zauberflöte – each pinnacles of Western music. American composer Aaron Copland said of these three works: “....they fill us with awe and wonder, not unmixed with despair. The wonder we share with everyone; the despair comes from the realization that only this one man at this one moment in musical history could have created works that seem so effortless and close to perfection.”  Pianist and musicologist Artur Schnabel famously described the work as “....too simple for children and too difficult for adults (after all, simple music like this exposes any lapses of rhythm, intonation, or ensemble)...... the music seems to encompass a universe of feelings in forty-six short bars”.

Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)

There can be few works from JS Bach’s vast musical output that are so easily recognisable to the man or woman in the street as Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring. The work derived from the 10th and last movement of the cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147 ("Heart and Mouth and Deed and Life").

Bach's duties as cantor at St Thomas's school, Leipzig required the performance of a cantata on Sundays and feast days. As the Thomaskirche had no repertoire of cantatas when Bach arrived in 1723, he had to compose a new work each week. Cantata No. 147  was first performed on 2 July 1723 and is known to be based on an earlier lost work from 1716. It is this work that includes the chorale Jesus Bleibet Meine Freude, also known as Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. Bach scored the work for voices with trumpet, oboes, strings, and continuo but in the intervening years the work has been arranged for countless combinations of instruments.

Today, it is as popular as ever and often performed at wedding ceremonies, as well as during Christian festivals like Christmas and Easter. One of the most famous transcriptions was that of the English pianist Dame Myra Hess (1890–1965).  In 1926 she published piano solo - and later a piano duet version of the work and when the Second World War broke out she raised the profile of the work to new heights when it became a firm favourite of her wartime concerts at the National Gallery in London.  The government had closed London's theatres to avoid mass casualties in the event of bombing raids and the National Gallery's position made it vulnerable to attack. Concert pianist Myra Hess had the idea of using the Gallery as a venue for lunchtime classical music concerts. She approached the Director of the Gallery, Kenneth Clark, and he gained the necessary permission from the government. Chairs were borrowed from any available source and the Gallery – empty of its thousands of art works which had been removed to a place of safety - was hastily converted into a concert venue. Myra Hess and friends from the world of music staged concerts at 1pm from Monday to Friday, every week of the year during the Blitz.  Her aim was to raise the morale of Londoners and make classical music available to all. The concerts were a roaring success – long queues formed outside the Gallery and were attended by a total of 750,000 people over six and a half years. Bach’s Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring played by Hess became the work most associated with the concerts and a wartime favourite. It has held a special place in the hearts and minds of English music lovers ever since.

v

How Lovely Are Thy Dwellings Fair: Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

This well known and beautiful melody, a working of Psalm 84, forms the central section of Brahms’s A German Requiem.  The Requiem is a large scale work for chorus and orchestra and soloists.  Although it sets scriptural words to music the work is non-liturgical.  Brahms assembled the libretto himself from the Lutheran Bible, focussing purposely on omitting Christian dogma. It is important to point out that it is not, as the title might suggest, a nationalist work of any kind, Brahms wrote that he would gladly have substituted the word ‘German’ with the word ‘Human’

The Requiem, composed in 1866 is considered to be Brahms’s greatest choral work. Although he was already an established composer, the piece established his international reputation. It is a work equally respected by scholars and beloved by performers and audiences, engaging listeners through its broad range of expressive styles - from sombre and tragic, tender and lyrical, to triumphant and sublime - and speaks to them through its spiritual approach to the inescapable human experience of grief, both with its acknowledgment of despair and provision for hope.    

After the death of his mother in 1865 Brahms wrote the Requiem and there is no doubt that he found some consolation in this.  By April 1865 he had sent two movements (‘Blessed are they that mourn’ and ‘How lovely are thy dwellings fair’) to the pianist Clara Schumann (widow of composer Richard Schumann) with whom Brahms had developed an intensely emotional relationship following her husband’s death.

Although their relationship probably never developed beyond intense friendship Brahms relied upon her judgement and advice on all musical matters.  In the accompanying letter with the two movements he wrote, “It’s probably the least offensive part of some kind of German Requiem. But since it may have vanished into thin air before you come to Baden, at least have a look at the beautiful words it begins with.”

He could not have been more wrong. Clara was lavish in her praise for the two pieces and they became central to the whole Requiem. “How Lovely Are Thy Dwellings is a simple, gently lyrical and serene contemplation of heaven and has been described as “...an oasis of seemingly-uncomplicated melodies that turn the work toward life after death.”   Both the Requiem and this beautiful movement quickly became established and much loved parts of the choral tradition.

Stabat Mater: Josef Rheinberger (1839 – 1901)

Josef Gabriel Rheinberger born in Liechtenstein and resident for most of his life in Germany, was an organist and composer. His father initially opposed his pursuing a musical career, but was finally persuaded to allow his prodigiously talented son – he performed publically at age seven and was declared a “child prodigy” - to study in Munich. He was involved in the rehearsals for the first performance of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde which took place in Munich in 1865. In 1867, he was appointed professor of organ and composition at the Munich Conservatory, where he remained for the rest of his career.  Rheinberger was influenced by a range contemporaries such as Brahms and by composers from earlier times, such as Mendelssohn, Schumann, Schubert, and, above all, Bach. He was a prolific composer composing many works in different genres. They include twelve Mass settings, a Requiem, tonight’s Stabat Mater, several operas and symphonies and many works of chamber music. Today he is remembered mainly for his many organ compositions, which include two concertos. His organ sonatas have been called the most valuable addition to organ music since the time of Mendelssohn.

A young contemporary of Anton Bruckner, Rheinberger held several important posts including conductor of the Royal Choir in addition to his Chair at the Munich Conservatory. He was a composer who often turned his back on popular styles of the day, relying largely on well established musical craft and technique to create some of the most masterful pieces of the late nineteenth century. A distinguished teacher Rheinberger counted amongst his pupils the composers Englebert Humperdink and Richard Strauss and the German conductor Wilhelm Furtwangler – widely regarded as perhaps the greatest interpreter and conductor of the 20^th century symphonic and operatic music.

The Stabat Mater is a 13th-century hymn to Mary portraying her suffering as Christ's mother during his crucifixion. The title comes from its first line, Stabat Mater dolorosa, which means "the sorrowful mother was standing". Rheinberger’s Stabat Mater was composed in 1890 and is a follow-up to his concert version of the same text that was composed in 1864. Its size and restraint  shows that it was intended for use within the liturgy and is representative of how Rheinberger approached his sacred works.

The work originated in somewhat strange circumstances and as the result of the generally poor health that Rheinberger suffered throughout most of his adult life. For many years, he suffered a disability of his right hand, making composition increasingly difficult. In the first half of 1884, however, the hand became badly ulcerated making writing virtually impossible. In desperation he sought therapy at the health spa town of Wildbad Kreuth. The treatment was largely successful and greatly eased the pain and  when he returned home Rheinberger told to his wife that he had made a vow to the Mother of God that if his health improved, he would compose a Stabat Mater in thanks to build upon the one originally composed in 1864. The result was tonight’s work.

Eschewing the flamboyant church music of the day Rheinberger sought to create works that reflected, in part the sixteenth century polyphonic ideals as seen, for example, in the works of Palestrina. In his day, Rheinberger was a strong advocate of the movement to simplify and purify liturgical music. The Stabat Mater is scored for strings, organ and chorus; there are no sections for soloists. Despite the simplicity and purity of the score the work is emotionally powerful both in its music and in the poetic text. It coveys a wealth of emotional styles – from its dramatic opening theme sounded by the men of the choir and lower strings to the beautiful duet sections of the Eja mater, to the majestic fugue that ends the work.  The work is a brief, but brilliant foray into this deeply moving text. A contemporary review of the first performance declared the work to be: “One of the most beautiful works which the present time has to offer. Its breadth of conception and its noble tonal effect, combined with its rich polyphony reaches the masterpieces of the old Italian school.” 

Mass in G: Franz Schubert (1797 – 1828)

The Mass in G Major was written early in 1815 when Franz Schubert was just 18 years old and first performed in the same year in the small Viennese parish church of Lichtental. Astonishingly it was composed in less than a week (March 2 - 7). The year 1815 was an astonishing one; it saw the completion of Schubert’s second and third symphonies, two full-scale masses, several chamber works, and an astonishing one hundred forty-four songs. At a time when much of the world was celebrating Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo, Schubert was quietly producing dozens of compositions, many of which would become staples of the classical repertoire. His works from that time demonstrate a remarkable depth of expression and level of compositional maturity and in a musical culture that centred almost exclusively in Vienna, Schubert stands out as a rarity. Unlike Mozart, Beethoven, and a handful of other successful composers whom the Viennese gladly claimed as their own, Schubert was native to that city, and remained there until his brief life was cut short by typhoid fever in 1828.

Small in stature (he stood less than 5’2”) and prone to bouts of illness, Schubert never married, devoting himself instead to composition, teaching, and salon performances. His widespread fame and respect largely arrived posthumously; during his lifetime he laboured under the shadow of Beethoven and the fanatical popularity of Rossini.

With a small but committed circle of friends and fellow artists, he supported himself through teaching and publication, living in relative obscurity. A gifted composer with an exquisite sense of melody and drama he was the consummate creator of Lieder – or art song - tone poems, and artistic works in almost every musical genre. His music ultimately came to embody a unique Classical-Romantic style, steeped in the formal traditions of the eighteenth century but deeply imbued with the harmonic and expressive spontaneity of the nineteenth.

The score of the Mass in G Major, for string orchestra and organ in addition to soprano, tenor and bass soloists and choir was not published until decades after Schubert’s death. The soprano solo line was undoubtedly written for Therese Grob who Schubert adored. It is the shortest and simplest of Schubert’s seven masses and perfect for the small church at Lichtental where it was first performed. It is an exquisite, lyrical Mass that exudes an overall devotional mood.  Schubert was not an orthodox catholic but was a deeply religious man. He wrote to his father, “People have wondered at the piety I express in a hymn to the Virgin Mary, which seems to move every soul and to dispose the listener to prayer. I think that is because I never force myself to pray and, except when devotion involuntarily overpowers me, I never compose that kind of hymn or prayer -- when I do, then the piety I give voice to is genuine and deeply felt.”

This gentlest of masses illustrates that Schubert was familiar with and accomplished in the latest  musical developments of the age. The intimate character of the Mass is heightened by its chamber scoring, the marked absence of lengthy polyphonic passages, the absence of long instrumental interludes and the lack of textual repetitions that are common in larger works. In many ways the piece challenges many of the accepted religious aspects of the mass in being deliberately understated. The soloist passages are lyrical and unpretentious, the texture is largely homophonic, and the harmonies are smooth and restrained. But Schubert’s Mass is no pedantic exercise: passages of soaring lyricism abound and the piece ends not on an energetic finale but on a warm and tender Agnus Dei. Its melancholy and mournful melodies enriched with profound harmonies underscoring the young composer's maturity. Dennis Shrock the internationally acclaimed teacher, scholar, and performer of choral music has commented that “....within this gentle, understated work there are periods of driving intensity interwoven with the most profound soft, reflective moods. There is majesty and inner joyousness and through it all runs an overriding serenity...”. 

Eine kleine Nachtmusik:  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791)

Composed in 1787  Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Night Music) can claim, with some justification, to be Mozart’s most popular work. Despite this, however, little is known about its origins. We do not know for whom he composed it or whether he intended it to be played by an orchestra or by single players. There is no record of a performance during Mozart’s lifetime and musicologist Alfred Einstein has suggested that Mozart might have composed it purely for his own enjoyment.

We do know that Mozart composed  the piece while working on the second act of Don Giovanni and we also know that in Mozart’s own catalogue he indicated that he had written five movements although now we now only have four. It’s a matter of conjecture as to whether it was Mozart or someone else who discarded the missing movement. The four remaining movements, however, are sufficient; the Eine Kleine Nachtmusik is considered a supreme example of Mozart’s mastery of balance and economy. Some experts think Mozart cut out the movement himself to preserve this balance. There is no doubt that the tunes themselves and the sound Mozart creates have a unique “rightness” which immediately appeals to the listener and ensures the piece’s perennial popularity.

At first hearing, as well as for the one-thousandth time, no music sounds simpler than Eine kleine Nachtmusik. But this is a sophisticated simplicity, which Mozart could achieve only after completing some of his most complex works, such as the operas The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni, the great piano concertos and the string quartets. With such experiences behind him, Mozart knew how to limit himself to the bare essentials and to say the most with the fewest possible notes. For anyone quite new to Classical music, there is no better place to start to explore the world of the classics. The music student, trying to grasp the elements of classical forms  such as sonata, minuet, or rondo, could hardly find clearer examples. And even the seasoned music lover and the professional musician must marvel again and again at a musical perfection that almost defies description. Such is the Eine kleine Nachtmusik.

Air from the Water Music Suite in F: George Frederic Handel (1685-1759)

On July 19, 1717, two days after the event, the London Daily Courant carried the following report: “On Wednesday Evening, the King [George I] took Water at Whitehall ... and went up the River towards Chelsea. Many other Barges with Persons of Quality attended, and so great a Number of Boats, that the whole River in a manner was cover’d; a City Company’s Barge was employ’d for the Musick, wherein were 50 Instruments of all sorts, who play’d all the Way from Lambeth ... the finest Symphonies, compos’d express for the Occasion, by Mr. Handel; which his Majesty liked so well, that he caus’d it to be plaid over three times going and returning.”

Handel based his Water Music on similar compositions that had become popular for the al fresco suppers and barge excursions at Louis XIV’s Versailles. The Water Music, like those French works, is simple in texture, dance-like in rhythm, graceful and majestic in spirit; many of the movements recall the dance forms that are the basis of all Baroque suites. The slow sections – of which the Air is arguably the most well known – reflects perfectly the limpid, flowing operatic arias of which Handel was the undisputed master. Of this much loved music, American musicologist Martin Bookspan wrote, “It need only be said that for sheer entertainment and joy, the music that Handel composed for the King’s on that summer’s evening has few rivals in the whole repertoire.” Few would disagree.

Fugue on the Magnificat: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750)      
       
In the autumn of 1705, the young Bach requested four weeks’ leave from his employer in Arnstadt to travel to Lübeck and learn from Dietrich Buxtehude, the greatest organist of the age. He made the 280-mile journey on foot not returning until late  February, by which time he was severely rebuked by the Arnstadt Consistory for his prolonged absence. What Bach learned in Lübeck changed him forever. Contemporary accounts tell that his organ playing changed dramatically; his employers complained bitterly, referring to his “improper playing” by making “curious variations in the chorale” so that the congregation was “much confused” by it!

The Fugue on the Magnificat (BWV733) dates from this period. It has been suggested that the work might be that of Bach's student, Johann Krebs but whatever the pedigree the work is a fine, and brilliant, composition requiring consummate skill both for the composer and the player. In musical terminology a fugue is a contrapuntal composition in which a short melody or phrase is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others and developed by interweaving the parts into a complex whole. Bach is the undisputed master of this form.

The Magnificat is a canticle (a hymn or chant forming a regular part of a church service) also known as the Song of Mary.  Bach’s Fugue on the Magnificat is based upon Martin Luther’s German translation of the Magnificat and would have served as a prelude to congregational singing, an adornment to the choral melody, or perhaps more likely it would have preceded a singing of the Magnificat.

Now, if all that doesn't whet your musical appetite and set the musical taste buds tingling then there is really no hope for you! So, come along, support your local choir, listen to and enjoy live music and enjoy a musical feast at St Peter's as Ruddington & District Choral Society praise the Lord - Laudate Dominum!