2nd December 2018 Advent 1

O Thou The Central Orb  Charles Wood

This is one of Wood's many fine anthems. It is suitable for Advent.


Charles Wood (1866-1926) was born in Ireland. He was a treble chorister in the nearby St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh. He received his early education in the cathedral choir school and also studied the organ under Robert Turle and Dr Thomas Marks. In 1883, he was one of the inaugural students of the Royal College of Music, studying composition under Charles Villiers Stanford and CHH Parry. After four years he continued his studies at Selwyn College, Cambridge. In 1889 he was appointed as organ scholar in Gonville and Caius college, Cambridge, becoming a fellow in 1994 and Director of Music and organist. Following the death of Stanford in 1924 Wood took over the role of Professor of Music in Cambridge.

He is remembered for his Anglican Church music.

From Wikipedia

25th November 2018 Christ The King

Above All Praise And Majesty   Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847)

Above All Praise And Majesty is a joyful,majestic piece suitable for Christ The King, Ascension and Easter.

Felix Mendelssohn is a German born composer, organist, conductor and pianist. He was a grandson of the philosopher, Moses Mendelssohn and so born into a prominent Jewish family.  However he was brought up without religion until the age of seven when he was baptised as a Reformed Christian. he was recognised early as a musical prodigy, but his family did not seek to capitalise on his talent. Mendelssohn revived interest in the music of J S Bach. He had quite conservative tastes in his composition which set him apart from his contemporaries, such as Liszt, Wagner and Berlioz. He founded the Leipzig Conservatoire.

From Wikipedia

11th November 2018 Remembrance Sunday

My Soul, There is a Country,  from Songs of Farewell by C H H Parry

This is the first of Parry's "Songs of Farewell" written about the needless suffering in war. It changes tempo from slow and somber to a more lilting, uplifting, dance like quality, back and forth during the piece. The choir sang it accompanied by our Director and conducted by James Roriston.

C H H Parry was born in Bournemouth in 1848 into a rich family and was educated at Eton where he also gained his music degree.  He went to study further at Oxford.  His music influenced other great English composers such as Elgar and Vaughan Williams.  He wrote his best music in his later years and this include his Songs of Farewell.  He died in Rustington in 1918, just before the end of the Great War.

Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry
From Wikipedia

14th October 2018 Trinity 20

Ave Verum Corpus   Edward Elgar

Ave verum corpus  is traditionally a communion hymn written by Pope Innocent VI, set to music by many composers over the years.

Edward Elgar (1857-1937) was born in a village close to Worcester.  His father had a music shop in Worcester and tuned pianos. Elgar was mostly self taught.  His influence grew in the 1880's and 1890's  despite his being a Roman Catholic in a largely Anglican community. In 1889 he married one of his pupils, Caroline Alice Roberts, against opposition from her family. She played a major part in his career development.

Elgar is one of the great English composers, who has left a legacy of great orchestral and choral works.

from Wikipedia

7th October 2018 Harvest Thanksgiving

The anthem was "The Lord Hath Been Mindful Of Us" from "ascribe Unto The Lord" by Samuel Wesley

This is the final part of Ascribe unto the Lord which is a setting of Psalm 96, verses 7-10, 2, 3 and 5 and Psalm 115, verses 4-8, 3,and 12-15.

The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.
He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.
The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children.
Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth.

Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810 - 1876) was the illegitimate son of Samuel Wesley and Sarah Souter, and grandchild of Charles Wesley. He was a choirboy in the Chapel Royal and then embarked on a musical career.  He was appointed organist at Hereford Cathedral in 1832 and then married the Dean's sister.  He moved to Exeter Cathedral in 1835 and 1842, Leeds Parish Church, 1849 - Winchester Cathedral, 1865 - Gloucester Cathedral.  In 1839 he achieved his Bachelor of Music and Doctorate of Music from Oxford.  He became Professor of Organ in the Royal Academy of Music in 1850.

His work was almost exclusively for the Anglican church.  With Father Willis he is jointly credited with the invention of the concave and radiating pedal board for organ which has now become the standard internationally.

Saturday 6th October 2018 Chichester Cathedral, Holy Communion according to the Book of Common Prayer

The choir were asked to sing at his annual service to celebrate the Book of Common Prayer by William Tyndale, translator, martyr, 1536.

The choir sang parts of the Communion Service in F major by Herbert Sumsion, the Benedictus, Sanctus, Agneus Dei and the Gloria.

Herbert Sumsion (14.1.1899 - 11.8.1995) was an English musician and organist at Gloucester Cathedral from 1928 -1967. As a major figure is the Three Choirs festival he had links with the major 20th century composers.  Although known primarily as a cathedral organist, his work was far ranging.

The Anthem was "Lead me Lord" from "Praise the Lord, O my soul" by Samuel Sebastian Wesley

"Praise the Lord, O my Soul" was written in 1861 and contains the short anthem "Lead me Lord". It was composed when Wesley was organist at Winchester College and Cathedral. "Lead me Lord " is the final section of the work, and has a wondrous simplicity with 2 short solo parts which lend themselves beautifully for young choristers starting on solo work.

Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810 - 1876) was the illegitimate son of Samuel Wesley and Sarah Souter, and grandchild of Charles Wesley. He was a choirboy in the Chapel Royal and then embarked on a musical career.  He was appointed organist at Hereford Cathedral in 1832 and then married the Dean's sister.  He moved to Exeter Cathedral in 1835 and 1842, Leeds Parish Church, 1849 - Winchester Cathedral, 1865 - Gloucester Cathedral.  In 1839 he achieved his Bachelor of Music and Doctorate of Music from Oxford.  He became Professor of Organ in the Royal Academy of Music in 1850.

His work was almost exclusively for the Anglican church.  With Father Willis he is jointly credited with the invention of the concave and radiating pedal board for organ which has now become the standard internationally.

A Concert Of Piano Music Marking The Centenary Of Claude Debussy 30th September 2018

Tom Cooper presented us with a wonderful concert of piano music by Debussy and the composers who influenced in style.  "Lecture notes" were taken by me and James Roriston which are below.

J S Bach (1685-1750)  Toccata in D major BWV 912 (?Weimar c.1708)
Bach was an immense influence on the romantic composers of the nineteenth century.  The music was flamboyant and operatic.  The form was very sectional with alternating fast and slow tempi. The Romantics loved this.  This piece is not often heard in concerts now.  It was the work of a young Bach and shows youthful exuberance.

Claude Debussy (1862-1918) "Prelude" from Suite pour le piano (Paris 1901)
This is a sort of response to the previous Bach. You can hear how much he responded to the fast note writing.  This texture is repeated throughout his career.  Debussy was often quite prickly about other composers, but not Bach.  He said Bach was the only composer before whom he would tremble if called upon to play.

Fryderyck Chopin (1810-1849) Berceuse Op.57 (Nohant 1844)
Debussy "Claire de lune" from Suite bergamasque (Paris 1890)
Chopin was adopted by the French spending most of his time in Paris apart from a brief stay in Scotland when he was accompanied by James Stirling.  Whilst in Scotland Chopin said he used to watch them talking and listen to them eating!  Chopin's style and harmony was much admired by Debussy and Chopin influenced his piano "sound".  These pieces are played as a pair to show the similarity in style.

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Two dances from Swan Lake Op.20 (Moscow 1876)
There is strange connection between Debussy and Tchaikovsky as Debussy worked for the latter's patron.  She was a "bit nuts".  It was written in their contract that she and Tchaikovsky should never meet.  There was a profound misunderstanding on her part of being a patron.  She showed Tchaikovsky  an early composition of Debussy's and Tchaikovsky was a bit "sniffy" about it. Debussy took this amiss.  He was hard to please and refused to acknowledge any influence by Tchaikovsky on his music.  However the humour and lightness of the two dances would have been widely enjoyed.  The repetition of small cells of music has possibly been taken by Debussy, but was also used by other composers of the time.

Debussy Estampes (Paris 1903)
Debussy delighted in the exotic.  He was influenced by the music he heard in the  Indonesia tent of the Paris Exhibition of 1888. The exhibition was designed to show off the French Empire, what they already had, and what they had in their sight!  Debussy heard Gamalan music and "westernised"  it. Unusually the French have heavily influenced our idea of what Spanish music should sound like.

Franz Liszt (1811-1886) Etude D'execution Transcendante No 11, "Harmonies du soir" (Weimar 1851)
Debussy Prelude No4 Bk 1 ("Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir") (Paris 1910)
Their is a marked difference to the previous Debussy heard. There is a clarity to the sound.  The athletic nature and harmony was a great influence on Debussy.  This is boisterous music. Also post impressionist and shows "modernism".

 Liszt "Waldesrauschen" from Two Concert Studies (Rome 1862)
This is a piece about the forest and the sunset and the voices within it.  Rather than something quiet and reflective though, this piece is busy and at times noisy and active.

Debussy "Reflets dans l'eau" from Images 1 (Paris 1905)
There is more modernism in this piece with fast runs and an over-arching melody that just flows through the piece.

Wagner arr. Liszt "Liebestod" from Tristan and Isolde (1857-9, arr. Rome 1867)
Liszt transcribed many pieces.  This is a good example. Debussy really liked the music of Wagner.

Debussy "Golliwog's Cake Walk" from Children's Corner (Paris 1908)
This piece was written for his daughter - it has a quote from the earlier Wagner piece. It is playful and has a lot of character. Golliwog refers to the dog who shakes his head on hearing the music and the composer increasingly depicts this playfully, re-imagining the music through to the conclusion of the piece.

Tom Cooper has a relaxed style on playing which was so well received he played us an encore, The Girl With The Flaxen Hair.