Programme (PDF 1 MB) - Cambridge Philharmonic Society

Sunday 21 March 2010 – West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge
Cambridge
Philharmonic
Society
Bach Mass in B Minor
Frédérique Klooster
Soprano
Katie Bray
Soprano
Laura Kelly
Mezzo-soprano
Alexander Sprague
Tenor
Marcus Farnsworth
Baritone
Timothy Redmond
Conductor
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Steve Bingham
Leader
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Programme
BACH
Mass in B Minor
1
Missa (Kyrie and Gloria)
Interval
2
3
4
Symbolum Nicenum (Credo)
Sanctus
Osanna, Benedictus, Agnus Dei
and Dona nobis pacem
The Cambridge Philharmonic Society acknowledges the support given by
the Josephine Baker Trust to the soloists in tonight.’s concert
There will be a collection on behalf of the Alzheimers Society
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Mass in B Minor BWV 232
Johann Sebastian Bach
(1685-1750)
In the last years of his life, Bach composed a number of large-scale works which were in
effect a summation and perfection of specific musical genres. The B Minor Mass, widely
regarded as Bach’s greatest achievement, was one such work, and was seemingly
conceived as a perfect example of liturgical music, a monument both to Bach’s mastery
of technique and to the Lutheran faith that inspired so much of his musical output.
In compiling the Mass, Bach made extensive use of the baroque practice of parody,
revising previous works rather than composing entirely new music. This was not
however done as a shortcut, but as a way of preserving and enhancing the best of his
choral and orchestral works in a single composition. As a result the B Minor Mass
transcends the potential limitations of functional church music, and in that sense stands
on its own as a unique work.
ORIGINS OF THE B MINOR MASS
Bach only completed the Mass in 1749, the year before his death, compiling it from
earlier material to which he added some new music, much of it also derived from earlier
compositions. The oldest part of the Mass is the Sanctus, composed in 1724, and Bach
also drew on material from a Missa he had composed in 1733. However it seems that
Bach only finally decided to compile the work after a service held in Leipzig on Christmas
Day 1745.
The 1745 service that seems to have been the final inspiration for the Mass was held to
celebrate the end of the second Silesian War, and included Bach’s 1724 Sanctus and his
Cantata 191, which in turn used large sections of the 1773 Missa that Bach had originally
composed for Frederick Augustus II of Saxony. It is thought that the juxtaposition of the
Sanctus with these other elements of the Missa may have been the stimulus for Bach to
add the other sections of what was to become the completed work.
The B Minor Mass mirrors the layout of the Roman Catholic Mass Ordinary, and is set
out in four sections which Bach numbered from 1 - 4 as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Missa (consisting of the Kyrie and Gloria)
Symbolum Nicenum (or Credo)
Sanctus
Osanna, Benedictus, Agnus Dei and Dona nobis pacem
It is worth noting, however, that although Bach clearly intended the work to be seen as a
whole, he did not himself give it the title of ‘Mass’ and it is unlikely that he ever envisaged
it being used as part of the church service. It was also not until 1859 that the Mass as we
now know it was performed in its entirety.
The great miracle of the B Minor Mass is the way that it is not only presents a supremely
accomplished musical expression of the liturgy, but is also constructed so as to mirror
the theology behind the text. Bach also uses a variety of voices and instruments to
reinforce both the musical logic and the impact of the Mass as a statement of belief.
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This makes it difficult to give a full account of the work without resorting to a detailed
analysis of both the music and the theological context in which it is set. Suffice it to say
that the B Minor Mass is a unique work which is much more than the sum of its parts
and stands as one of the great artistic achievements of classical music.
THE WORK IN DETAIL
The sections of the B Minor Mass as they are performed are set out below. There are,
in all, twenty-seven separate movements within the four main subdivisions.
1. MISSA
KYRIE
1.
Kyrie eleison [5-part chorus in B minor, marked Adagio, Largo in 4/4 time]
Kyrie eleison
Lord, have mercy upon us
The opening Kyrie begins with the chorus declaiming the Kyrie eleison before the music
moves into a long, insistent fugue, introduced by the orchestra before being taken up
first by the tenors, and then the other parts in turn. Then, after a short orchestral
passage, the basses take the fugue forward until a final B minor chord brings the section
to a close.
2.
Christe eleison [Duet for sopranos in D major with obbligato violins, marked Andante
in 4/4 time]
Christe eleison
Christ, have mercy upon us
The Christe eleison then follows. The use of the two voices is thought to reflect a
reference to Christ as the second person of the Trinity. The way that the solo lines
move, sometimes in parallel, and sometimes in sequence, also reflects the concept of
Christ as being both one with God and also as sharing in the human predicament. This
use of two voices to reflect the duality of Christ is a device that Bach uses throughout
the Mass, as will be seen in subsequent sections.
3.
Kyrie eleison [4-part chorus in F# minor, marked Allegro moderato in 4/4 time,
alla breve]
Kyrie eleison
Lord, have mercy upon us
The basses then introduce another fugal setting of the Kyrie, this time set in a deliberately
antique style which gives the sense of a more assured plea, in contrast to the intensity of
the opening Kyrie.
GLORIA
The Gloria is split into nine sections, with the Domine Deus as the central movement,
flanked by two choral movements, the Gratias and the Qui tollis.
1.
Gloria in excelsis [5-part chorus in D major, marked Vivace, 3/8 time]
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Glory to God in the highest
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The opening Gloria is written in modern concerto style, with trumpets and drums, in
deliberate contrast to the more antiquated style of the preceding Kyrie. This sets the
tone for the section as a whole, with its focus on the theme of heavenly glory.
2.
Et in terra pax [5-part chorus in D major, marked Andante, 4/4 time]
Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis
And peace on earth to men of goodwill
The music eventually slows, moving directly into the Et in terra pax, with the music now
reflecting the theme of earthly peace. After the initial statement of the text, the music
moves into a fugal section which eventually carries the section through to a conclusion.
3.
Laudamus te [Aria for soprano II in A major with violin obbligato, marked Andante,
4/4 time]
Laudamus te, benedicimus te
Adoramus te, glorificamus te
We praise you, we bless you
We worship you, we glorify you
The Laudamus te which follows is a virtuoso piece cast as a duet between the soprano
soloist and a solo violin, and may well have been originally written as a duet for two
violins. The two soloists each provide their own ornamentations of the melodic line,
reflecting the different ways of praising and glorifying God.
4.
Gratias agimus tibi [4-part chorus in D major, marked Allegro moderato, 4/4 time
alla breve]
Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam
gloriam tuam
We give you thanks for your great glory.
The chorus then returns with the noble Gratias, which is a reworking of the opening
chorus of an earlier Cantata, No. 29, the German words of which (Wir danken dir, Gott)
are in effect a translation of the Latin of the Gratias. The music will later reappear at the
end of the Mass in the concluding Dona nobis pacem.
5.
Domine Deus [Duet for soprano I and tenor in G major, marked Andante, 4/4 time]
Domine Deus, Rex coelestis,
Deus Pater Omnipotens.
Domine Fili unigenite
Jesu Christe, Domine Deus,
Agnus Dei, Filius Patris,
O Lord God, heavenly King,
God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the only begotten son
Jesus Christ, Lord God,
Lamb of God, Son of the Father.
And so to the central section of the Gloria, the Domine Deus, which is written as
soprano/tenor duet, again, like the earlier duet in Christe eleison, symbolising the duality
of Christ, with the tenor singing the phrase addressed to God the Father whilst the
soprano sings the phrase addressed to Christ the Son. The dialogue continues into the
Agnus Dei section before modulating back into B minor with the start of the Qui tollis.
6.
Qui tollis peccata mundi [4-part chorus in B minor, marked Lento, 3/4 time]
Qui tollis peccata mundi,
miserere nobis.
Qui tollis peccata mundi,
suscipe deprecationem nostrum.
You who take away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
You who take away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer.
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The slow Qui tollis is a reworking of the opening chorus of another of Bach’s Cantatas,
No 46, Schauet doch und sehet (Behold and see). The emotional intensity of the prayer is
maintained by the voices singing long sustained lines interspersed with the miserere nobis
supplications and upward leaps, while the orchestra provides its own insistent
accompaniment.
7.
Qui sedes ad dextram Patris [Aria for mezzo-soprano in B minor with oboe
d'amore obbligato, marked Andante commodo, 6/8 time]
Qui sedes ad dextram Patris,
miserere nobis.
You who sit at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy upon us.
The beautiful Qui sedes then follows, with the oboe d’amore first echoing the mezzosoprano soloist and then joining her in unison, as if to symbolise the risen Christ now
sitting at the right hand of God.
8.
Quoniam tu solus sanctus [Aria for baritone in D major with corno da caccia
obbligato, marked Andante lento, 3/4 time]
Quoniam tu solus sanctus,
tu solus Dominus.
tu solus altissimus Jesu Christe
For you alone are the holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the most high Jesus Christ
There then follows the wonderful bass aria of Quoniam, in which the soloist is
accompanied by low woodwind. It seems to have been a new piece written by Bach
specifically for the Mass, and it has been suggested that Bach may have written it partly
to make the contrast with the joyous Cum Sancto Spiritu which follows. But whether or
not this was the case, the movement stands on its own as a beautiful evocation of the
acknowledgement of Christ’s divinity.
9.
Cum Sancto Spiritu [5-part chorus in D major, marked Vivace, 3/4 time]
Cum Sancto Spiritu
in gloria Dei Patris.
Amen.
with the Holy Spirit
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
The section closes with the ebullient Cum Sancto Spiritu, written in the same concerto
style as the opening Gloria, this time with even more elaborate scoring. The chorus has a
fugal section in the middle of the movement before the section comes to its climax with
the final Amen.
2. SYMBOLUM NICENUM (CREDO)
Like the Gloria, the Symbolum Nicenum is subdivided into nine movements, of which four
are derived from earlier compositions. The writing shows Bach at his most creative,
with the music showing both Bach’s technical mastery and his ability to use the music to
enhance the text. Again, like the Gloria, the Symbolum Nicenum centres around the
middle movement, in this case the Et incarnatus est, one of the three choral movements
that together form the expressive centre of the Symbolum. By setting both the opening
and closing movements as five part choruses, Bach also emphasises the overall unity and
shape of the Symbolum, and makes the connection between the opening declaration of
faith and the hope for ultimate salvation expressed in the final Et Expecto.
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1.
Credo in unum Deum [5-part chorus in A mixolydian, marked Moderato cut time
alla breve]
Credo in unum Deum,
I believe in one God,
The opening Credo is based on a plainchant which then becomes a fugal motet set over a
marching bass line.
2.
Patrem omnipotentem [4-part chorus in D major, marked Allegro, 4/4 time ]
Patrem omnipotentem,
factorem coeli et terrae,
visibilium omnium et invisibilium.
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
of all things visible and invisible.
This then gives way to the Patrem omnipotentem, the basses singing the Patrem
omnipotentem phrase while the other parts continue repeating the opening words of the
Credo in unum Deum. The section is another that is based on an earlier Cantata, No. 171
(Gott, wie dein Name, so ist auch dein Ruhm – God, Your fame is as Your name). Bach
completes the movement with a five octave range of notes from a low D played by the
double basses to a high D on the trumpet, as if to reflect the infinite range of God’s
power as expressed by the words visibilium omnium et invisibilium.
3.
Et in unum Dominum [Duet for soprano I and mezzo-soprano in G major, marked
Andante, 4/4 time]
Et in unum Dominum Jesum Christum,
Filium Dei unigenitum
et ex Patre natum ante omnia secula.
Deum de Deo, Lumen de Lumine,
Deum verum de Deo vero,
genitum, non factum, consubstantialem Patri
per quem omnia facta sunt.
Qui propter nos homines
et propter nostram salutem
descendit de caelis
et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto
ex Maria Virgine et homo factus est.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only begotten Son of God
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, one in being with the
Father;
through whom all things were made.
Who for us men
and for our salvation
came down from heaven
and was made flesh by the Holy Spirit
from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.
Here again Bach uses a duet to represent the position of Christ as the second person of
the Trinity, also reflecting the mystery of the unity between Father and Son by having the
soloists follow each other in singing the text.
4.
Et incarnatus est [5-part chorus in B minor, marked Andante maestoso, 3/4 time]
Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto
ex Maria Virgine et homo factus est.
and was made flesh by the Holy Spirit
from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.
The Et incarnatus est is the first of the three central movements of the Symbolum which
together tell of the three fundamental tenets of the Christian faith, namely the
incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection. The Et incarnatus est is a slow, calm movement
which incorporates a falling figure, seemingly representing Christ’s coming down to
earth.
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5.
Crucifixus [4-part chorus in E minor, marked Grave, 3/2 time]
Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato,
Passus et sepultus est.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate,
suffered, and was buried.
The Crucifixus continues the same measured pace, the voices finally falling to the lower
part of their range as the music shifts from E minor to end on G major. The Crucifixus is
another of the movements derived from an earlier Cantata, this time No. 12 (Weinen,
klagen, sorgen, zagen - literally Weeping, lamenting, worrying, fearing) which Bach adapted to
fit the Crucifixus text.
6.
Et resurrexit [5-part chorus in D major, marked Allegro, 3/4 time]
Et resurrexit tertia die secundum scripturas
Et ascendit in coelum,
Sedet ad dextram Dei Patris.
et iterum venturus est cum gloria
judicare vivos et mortuos
cujus regni non erit finis.
On the third day He rose again according to
the scriptures;
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and of His kingdom there shall be no end.
The music then shifts dramatically into the joyful Et resurrexit as the chorus proclaims the
good news of the resurrection and ascent.
7.
Et in Spiritum Sanctum Dominum [Aria for baritone in A major with oboi d'amore
obbligati, marked Andantino, 6/8 time]
Et in Spiritum sanctum,
Dominum et vivicantem
qui ex Patre Filoque procedit;
qui cum Patre et Filio
simul adoratur et conglorificatur;
qui locutus est per Prophetas.
Et unam sanctam catholicam
et apostolicam Ecclesiam
And in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life
who proceeds from the Father and the Son:
who, with the Father and the Son
is worshipped and glorified:
Who has spoken through the Prophets.
And I believe in one holy, catholic
and apostolic Church.
The Et in Spiritum Sanctum takes the form of a bass aria which in both tempo and style
recalls the Et in unum Dominum, as if to emphasise the overall symmetry of the Symbolum.
8.
Confiteor [5-part chorus in F# minor, marked Moderato, 2/2 time]
Confiteor unum baptisma
In remissionem peccatorum
I acknowledge one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins
The chorus then sings the fugal Confiteor which, like the opening Credo, recalls an older
musical style reflecting the strong belief represented in the text. Eventually the music
slows to an Adagio as the Et expecto begins, following straight on from the Confiteor.
9.
Et expecto [5-part chorus in D major, marked Adagio, Vivace e allegro, 2/2 time]
Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum
et vitam venturi seculi. Amen
And I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the age to come. Amen
The Et expecto then continues with a slow Adagio passage before breaking into the final
Vivace e allegro passage which ends the Symbolum on a joyous, confident note as it
reaffirms the hope of the resurrection.
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3. SANCTUS
Sanctus [6-part chorus in D major, marked Largo, 4/4 time, Vivace, 3/8 time]
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus
Domine Deus Sabaoth
Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria eius.
Holy, Holy, Holy
Lord God of Hosts
Heaven and earth are full of your glory
The Sanctus is the oldest part of the B Minor Mass, having been originally performed by
Bach at a Christmas service in 1724. The Sanctus retains the 6-part chorus of the
original work, with both the sopranos and altos dividing. It begins with a long slow
passage in which the words Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus are declaimed by the full chorus with
the basses repeating a series of octave descents underneath the other parts. Eventually
the music changes into 3/8 time as the tenors announce the joyful fugue of the Pleni sunt
caeli with its semiquaver runs, until the fugue finally runs its course with the final et terra
gloria eius.
4. OSANNA, BENEDICTUS, AGNUS DEI AND DONA NOBIS PACEM
1.
Osanna in excelsis [8-part double chorus in D major, marked Allegro, 3/8 time]
Osanna in excelsis!
Hosanna in the highest!
The Osanna is a reworking of a secular Cantata entitled Preise dein Glücke, gesegnetes
Sachsen - Praise your good fortune, blessed Saxony. It is the only part of the Mass to be set
as a double chorus, and is a lively section in which the two choruses carry the music
through to a final climax, followed by an orchestral ritornello leading into the contrasting
Benedictus.
2.
Benedictus [Aria for tenor in B minor with violin obbligato, marked Andante, 3/4 time]
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the
Lord
The Benedictus provides a quiet, reflective passage set between the two Osannas, the
long, graceful vocal line giving the sense of love and longing. It is thought to have been
derived from an earlier tenor aria which is now lost.
3.
Osanna in excelsis [8-part double chorus in D major, marked Allegro, 3/8 time]
Osanna in excelsis!
Hosanna in the highest!
The Osanna then returns in a repeat of the opening movement.
4.
Agnus Dei [Aria for mezzo-soprano in G minor with violin obbligato, marked Adagio,
4/4 time]
Agnus Dei
Qui tollis peccata mundi
miserere nobis
Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world
have mercy upon us
The Agnus Dei would normally consist of three statements ending with a final ‘Agnus Dei /
Dona nobis pacem’, but instead Bach splits the section into two parts, with the mezzosoprano expressing the plea for mercy, leaving the chorus to sing the final Dona nobis
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pacem. The mezzo-soprano solo is derived from an earlier Cantata, No. 11 (Ach bleibe
doch, mein liebstes Leben - Oh, stay with me, my dearest life) and in tone is reminiscent of
the opening Kyrie. The use of the G minor key also makes the contrast with the final
Dona nobis pacem all the more poignant.
5.
Dona nobis pacem [4-part chorus in D major, marked Moderato cut time alla breve]
Dona nobis pacem
Grant us thy peace.
The Dona nobis pacem uses the same melody as in the earlier Gratias, and brings the Mass
to a peaceful close.
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FRÉDÉRIQUE KLOOSTER
Soprano
The Dutch soprano Frédérique Klooster completed her
Bachelor’s Degree at the Rotterdam Conservatory and is
currently a MA Vocal Performance student at the Royal
Academy of Music, studying with Elizabeth Ritchie.
Frédérique has gained experience in the field of opera and
operetta while working in The Netherlands and the UK.
She was a member of the chorus for productions of Dido and Aeneas, Alzheimer and
Semele. Roles include Spirit in Dido and Aeneas, Hildegard in Bingen, Hildegard von,
Moeder in De Gelukkige Werknemer, Timor Dei/Patientia in Ordo Virtutum, Saffi in Der
Zigeunerbaron and Jonge Maarten/Jantje in De Waterman.
She has appeared as a soloist in numerous oratorios, including Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater,
Vivaldi’s Gloria and Magnificat, Biber’s Vesperae Longiores, excerpts from Bach’s Christmas
Oratorio, Haydn’s Nelson Mass, Brahms’s Ein Deutsches Requiem, Handel’s The Messiah and
Dixit Dominus, Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang and Hear my Prayer / O for the Wings of a Dove,
Gounod’s Ave Maria, Beethoven’s Mass in C and Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols. Upcoming
performances include Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, Berlioz’s The Childhood of Christ, Handel’s
O Come, Let Us Sing, Bach’s Mass in G, St. John Passion and Mass in B Minor.
Frédérique’s career has taken her from The Netherlands to Belgium, France, Italy, the
UK, Switzerland and Germany. Venues include Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam - Grote
Zaal (NL), Utrechtse Schouwburg, De Doelen, Bridgewater Hall, St. Martin-in-the-Fields,
Guildford Cathedral and the Barbican. Festivals include Internationaal Kamermuziek
Festival Schiermonnikoog, Yo! Opera Festival, Kamer Opera Festival Zwolle, Springdance
Festival, Operadagen Rotterdam, Rencontres Musicales d’Enghien, Ardingly International
Music School, Dartington International Summer School, Brighton Early Music Festival and
Lake District Festival.
She has worked with many renowned musicians, including Stephen Cleobury, Sir Colin
Davis, Robert Dean, Steven Devine, Richard Egarr, Michael Fields, John Hancorn, Jurjen
Hempel, Edward Higginbottom, Maarten Hillenius, Cilia Hogerzeil, Robert Hollingworth,
Neil Jenkins, Reinbert de Leeuw, Huub Kerstens, Maarten Koningsberger, Sir Charles
Mackerras, Hein Meens, John Ramster, Daniel Reuss, Anthony Rooley, Evelyn Tubb,
David Selig, Stephen Varcoe and Carolyn Watkinson.
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KATIE BRAY
Soprano
Katie Bray is an active solo performer throughout the
country, and has performed solos in many prestigious
venues including the Wigmore Hall, the Royal Albert
Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields, and the cathedrals of Ely,
Wells and Exeter. She was born in Devon and in 2008
completed a music degree at the University of
Manchester, for which she was awarded First Class
Honours and the Proctor-Gregg Recital Prize. She is now studying for a Masters in
Vocal Studies with Elizabeth Ritchie and Iain Ledingham at the Royal Academy of Music,
and was recently awarded the 2009 Major van Someren-Godfrey prize for English Song
and the Alfred Alexander Scholarship. Katie will be starting the Royal Academy Opera
course in September 2010.
She is a tremendous advocate for contemporary music and has performed in world
premieres of a number of new works, including James Stephenson’s Apollinaire’s Dream at
Manchester University in Autumn 2006 and Brendan Ashe’s The Earth and The Light in
2005 and 2007.
Recent solo performances include a song recital at the Wigmore Hall with Song Circle
from R.A.M., Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro with Somerset-based chamber group
Bacchanale, Mrs Noye in Noye’s Fludde with Rugby School, Schumann’s Myrten at the
Oxford Lieder Festival, and Ravel’s Chansons Madecasses at the Royal Academy of Music.
Katie also toured with the Birmingham Royal Ballet, singing the alto solo in David
Bintley’s Penguin Cafe in 2009. Forthcoming appearances include the same role in The
Royal Ballet’s 2011 production of this ballet at Covent Garden and Bach’s St John Passion
with the Rare Theatricall. Katie is generously supported by the Josephine Baker Trust.
LAURA KELLY
Mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano Laura Kelly studied singing at the Royal
Scottish Academy of Music and Drama graduating with a
first class BMus Hons degree before moving to the Royal
Academy of Music where she currently studies with
Jennifer Dakin and Audrey Hyland. Whilst studying at
the RSAMD she was winner of the Hugh Robertson and
George McVicar Memorial competitions and is currently
a Dewar Arts Award and a Musician’s Benevolent Fund
recipient.
Her solo oratorio engagements include Bach’s B Minor
Mass with the City of Glasgow Chorus, Haydn's Nelson Mass and Vivaldi’s Gloria
performed in Cyprus and in St Martin’s in The Fields. Performances of Handel’s Dixit
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Dominus for the Classical Opera Company at Kings Place. She has performed operatic
and song repertoire at the Barakura Flower Show in Japan and took the part of a nun in
Les dialogues des Carmelites at the Edinburgh Festival with Royal Scottish National
Orchestra under Stéphane Deneve. She has performed the role of Hansel in Hansel und
Gretel, Hermia from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Meg from Falstaff in the Royal
Academy Opera scenes. She performed the role of Nancy in Co-opera-co’s production
of Albert Herring conducted by Nicholas Cleobury and directed by Ashley Dean. She has
also taken part in Master classes with Anne Murray, Sarah Walker, Gerald Finley and
with Sally Burgess hosted by Vernon Ellis at Queen’s Gate Terrace.
Laura most recent engagements include the role of Juno in Handel’s Semele performed at
The Royal Academy of Music conducted by Sir Charles Makerras and directed by Anna
Sweeney. She will be returning to the role of Nancy in the Royal Academy’s production
of Albert Herring conducted by Nicholas Kok and directed by John Copley.
ALEXANDER SPRAGUE
Tenor
Alexander is currently studying with Ryland Davies and Iain
Ledingham on the Opera Course at The Royal Academy of
Music where he is supported by the Josephine Baker Trust.
As a member of Royal Academy Opera, Alexander has
performed the roles Don Eusebio in L’Occassione fa il Ladro
and Apollo in Semele, and worked with conductors
including Sir Colin Davis and Sir Charles Mackerras. For
vocal faculty scenes productions, he has created a wide
range of roles including Nemorino in L’Elisir d’Amore, Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s
Dream, Count Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Des Grieux in Manon, Peter Quint in The
Turn of the Screw.
Alexander has made numerous solo appearances across the country on the oratorio
stage, his most recent roles include Mozart’s Requiem in St Martin in the Fields, London,
and with the Northern Sinfonia in Durham Cathedral, Evangelist St. John Passion in Bristol
Cathedral, Jenkins’ The Armed Man with Guernsey Symphony Orchestra, a tour of
Handel’s Messiah with the Bath Philharmonia and extracts from Handel’s Alexander’s Feast
at The London Handel Festival directed by Laurence Cummings.
Also a consort singer, Alexander regularly appears with The Monteverdi Choir, for
which he has also performed as a soloist, under Sir John Eliot Gardiner, touring across
the UK, Europe and USA, at venues including Carnegie Hall, New York and Opera
Comique, Paris.
Forthcoming coming engagements include the role of Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni for
the Longborough Festival Opera, The Mayor in Albert Herring with the RAO and several
appearances on the concert platform which include Handel’s Messiah in Austria and
Monteverdi Vespers alongside Emma Kirkby.
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MARCUS FARNSWORTH
Baritone
Marcus Farnsworth was awarded first prize in the 2009
Wigmore Hall International Song Competition. He is
currently studying with Glenville Hargreaves and Audrey
Hyland on the opera course at the Royal Academy of
Music where he has performed excerpts including Il
Conte Le nozze di Figaro, Fritz Die Tote Stadt, Frédéric
Lakmé, Le Baron Chérubin, Ford Falstaff and the title role
Owen Wingrave.
Current and future plans include Sid in Albert Herring,
Oreste in Giasone both for RAO, Dandini La Cenerentola
for Clonter Opera, and recitals at the Wigmore Hall,
Holywell Music Room, Aldeburgh Festival, National Portrait Gallery, and at Temple
Church with pianist Julius Drake. Concerts include Bach Cantatas with the RAM,
Monteverdi’s Vespers with the St George’s Singers, and Bach’s B Minor Mass in Salisbury
Cathedral.
He has appeared in recital at St John’s Smith Square as part of Graham Johnson’s Young
Songmakers Almanac; a joint recital with Sarah Connolly at the Oxford Lieder Festival; as
a soloist with Matthew Halls and The King’s Consort at the Wigmore Hall, and Messiah
in the Royal Albert Hall with Sir David Willcocks. Other concert repertoire includes
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Magnificat, Mass in B Minor and St John Passion, Handel’s Saul,
Fauré and Mozart’s Requiems; Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle, Finzi’s In Terra Pax, and
Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem and Five Mystical Songs.
On the opera stage Marcus has performed Adonis in Blow’s Venus and Adonis, Aeneas in
Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Guglielmo in Cosi fan Tutte, the Narrator in Britten’s Paul
Bunyan and the title role in a semi-staged performance of Handel’s Saul.
Other awards include first prize in the Chelsea Schubert Competition 2009, the Sir
Thomas Armstrong Prize, the Elena Gerhardt Lieder Prize, and the Major van SomerenGodferey Prize for English Song. Marcus is generously supported by the Josephine Baker
Trust, the Countess of Munster Musical Trust and the Musician’s Benevolent Fund.
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TIMOTHY REDMOND
Conductor
Timothy Redmond has been principal conductor
of the Cambridge Philharmonic since 2006. He
conducts concerts with many of the UK's leading
orchestras, including the London Symphony
Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
Orchestra, the Ulster and BBC Philharmonic
Orchestras, Northern Sinfonia and the
Orchestra of Opera North.
His 2009/10 season includes the world premiere
of Peter Ash and Donald Sturrock’s The Golden
Ticket with Opera Theatre St Louis, concerts in Finland with the Oulu Symphony
Orchestra and Slovenia with the Maribor Symphony Orchestra as well as regular
appearances in this country with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Manchester
Camerata. He returns to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden for the revival of
Thomas Adès' Powder Her Face and releases three new recordings with the Philharmonia,
RPO and Northern Sinfonia.
Recently he made his debut at St Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre, conducting the Russian
premiere of Powder Her Face, and was immediately invited back to conduct at Gergiev’s
Stars of the White Nights festival. Other recent operatic engagements include Kurt Weill's
Der Silbersee in Wexford, Richard Ayres' The Cricket Recovers in Bregenz and the world
premiere of Raymond Yiu’s The Original Chinese Conjuror for Almeida Opera and the
Aldeburgh Festival. He has also conducted opera for Opera North, English Touring
Opera, Tenerife Opera, Glyndebourne, Strasbourg and in New York.
In 2010/11 he returns to Wexford for the European premiere of The Golden Ticket.
STEVE BINGHAM
Orchestra 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
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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.
LEO TOMITA
Chorus Master
Leo Tomita joins the Cambridge Philharmonic this
season as Chorus Master. He was Organ Scholar at
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where in
addition to conducting and running the choir and
playing the organ for services, he conducted the
college orchestra. He is now a counter-tenor Lay
Clerk at St John’s College, Cambridge, where he
sings in the choir in their daily services including
their weekly webcast services, Radio 3 broadcasts,
concerts and tours.
Leo is Assistant Conductor of the Cambridge University Chamber Choir and has been
Assistant Conductor for several operas including the Yorke Trust’s production of
Rameau’s Castor et Pollux. Future projects include the Cambridge Festival’s production of
Britten’s Noye’s Fludde in November.
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ORCHESTRA
First Violins
Steve Bingham (leader)
Kate Clow(co leader)
Graham Bush
Naomi Hilton
Jeanette Langford
John Richards
Pat Welch
Merial Rhodes
Sean Rock
Nichola Roe
Sarah Ridley
Viktoria Stelzhammer
Gerry Wimpenny
Second Violins
Emma Lawrence
Jenny Barna
Joanna Baxter
Vincent Bourret
Leila Coupe
Rebecca Forster
Araine Leroy
Anne McCleer
Katrin Ottersbach
Maydo Pitt
Clare Simmons
Theresa Traynor
Violas
Ruth Donnelly
Liz Andrews
Dominic de Cogan
Alex Cook
Jeremy Harmer
Robert Heap
Jo Holland
Emma McCaughan
Janet O’Boyle
Maureen Magnay
Robyn Sorenson
Cellos
Vivian Williams
Sarah Bendall
Angela Bennett
Helen Davies
Melissa Fu
Clare Gilmour
Helen Hills
Richard Merriam
Lucy O’Brien
Amy Shipley
Sarah Warren
Double Bass
Sarah Sharrock
Stephen Beaumont
Elspeth Cape
Joel Humann
Susan Sparrow
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Flute
Cynthia Lalli
Alison Townend
Oboe & Oboe
d’amore
Jenny Sewell
Rachel Dunlop
Gareth Stainer
Bassoon
Neil Greenham
Jenny Warburton
Horn
Carole Lewis
Trumpet
Andrew Powlson
Mike Ball
Naomi Wrycroft
Timpani
Dave Ellis
Chamber Organ
Mark Packwood
CHORUS
First Sopranos
Jeanine Billinghurst
Erica Bowler
Jane Cook
Sal Farquharson
Caroline Lamaison
Kennedy Luton
Ros Mitchell
Jan Moore
Ruth Peggington
Caroline Potter
Amanda Price
Mary Richards
Anne Sales
Pat Satori
Paddy Smith
Ruth Tricker
Alison Vinnicombe
Rebecca Wood
Second Sopranos
Cathy Ashbee
Eleanor Bell
Susannah Cameron
Joanne Clark
Hannah Curtis
Jennifer Day
Susan Earnshaw
Christine Halstead
Maggie Hook
Diana Lindsey
Ursula Lyons
Binnie Macellari
Valerie Mahy
Liz Popescu
Ann Read
Sheila Rushton
Caroline Sivasundaram
Pip Smith
Clara Todd
First Altos
Nicola Bown
Margaret Cook
Caroline Courtney
Alison Dudbridge
Jane Grey
Leonie Isaacson
Ruth Jordan
Janet Littlewood
Janet Mills
Julia Napier
Alice Parr
Caroline Shepherd
Sarah Upjohn
Helen Wheatley
Patricia Wyman
Second Altos
Elisabeth Crowe
Alison Deary
Tabitha Driver
Jane Fenton
Jane Fleming
Hilary Jackson
Sue Purseglove
Chris Strachan
Leo Tomita
Amanda Van de Poel
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Tenors
Aidan Baker
Colin Dewar
Geoff Forster
David Griffiths
Ian MacMillan
Alistair Morfey
David Reed
Martin Scutt
Artha Sessions
Margaret Thwaites
Graham Wickens
Basses
Richard Birkett
Magnus Borgh
Neil Caplan
Chris Coffin
Brian Dawson
Dan Ellis
Chris Fisher
Lewis Jones
Patrick Hall
Martin Pennell
Harrison Sherwood
James Stewart
Herve Van de Poel
Mike Warren
David Watson
David White
Patrick Woodburn
Cambridge Philharmonic Society
2009 – 2010 Season Programme
9 May 2010
West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge
Brahms Violin Concerto, with soloist Ruth Palmer, Elgar
Symphony No.1 and a new work by Tom Curran
10 July 2010
Ely Cathedral
Verdi I Vespri Siciliani (Sicilian Vespers): Overture, Te Deum and
Stabat Mater, Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas
Tallis and Dona Nobis Pacem; with soprano Joan Rodgers and
baritone Roderick Williams
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