Choral at Cadogan 2010/11

Choral at Cadogan is once again fortunate in having such a rich variety of repertoire on display. The sacred polyphony of The Tallis Scholars is contrasted with the madrigals of I Fagiolini, while the expertise of Stile Antico in the 16th century English music is set beside the 20th century repertoire of the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir highlighting Arvo Pärt and Cyrillus Kreek.

There is joyful music by Tallis and Byrd, as well as the most melancholy music by Hassler and Tomkins. Whether you come to pay tribute to Tessa Bonner’s wonderful voice in the opening Tallis Scholars concert, or to the intriguingly diverse repertoire proposed by the world-famous Hilliard Ensemble, we look forward to seeing you there.

Peter Phillips, Artistic Director

Tuesday 12 October, 7.30pm

THE TALLIS SCHOLARS
EX EXULTAVIT
In support of St Christopher’s Hospice

Programme
PRAETORIUS Magnificat ii
SCHÜTZ Deutsches Magnificat
HASSLER Verbum caro factum est
HASSLER Ad dominum cum tribularer
BYRD Infelix ego
PRAETORIUS Cantate domino, Videns dominus
SCHÜTZ Es ist erschienen
SCHÜTZ Die mit Tränen säen
SCHÜTZ Ich bin eine rufende Stimme
SCHÜTZ Selig sind die Toten
BACH Komm, Jesu, Komm BWV229

Celebrating the life and work of soprano Tessa Bonner this programme includes Byrd’s Infelix ego alongside Hassler, Schütz, Praetorius and Bach’s glorious cantata Komm, Jesu, Komm.

Director PETER PHILLIPS

Saturday 16 October, 7.30pm

EX CATHEDRA CONSORT & BAROQUE ENSEMBLE
HIS MAJESTYS SAGBUTTS & CORNETTS

Programme
MONTEVERDI Vespers (1610)

Ex Cathedra makes its debut at Cadogan Hall with one of the greatest works in the history of music. Demanding instrumental and vocal acrobatics, Monteverdi’s Vespers collection from 1610 is ambitious in scale and almost operatic in mood. Performed by just 10 singers and some of the country’s finest period instrumentalists, it is also thrillingly immediate and 16 October is a resonant date on which to celebrate the 400th anniversary of this famous collection.

Conductor JEFFREY SKIDMORE

Saturday 30 October, 7.30pm

CITY OF LONDON SINFONIA AND HOLST SINGERS
BRITONS AND BALTICS
Pre-concert talk at 6.45pm

Programme
BRITTEN Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge
ESENVALDS Songs of Silence (Concerto for guitar and strings)
BRITTEN Hymn to the Virgin
PÄRT Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten
BRITTEN Chorale after an old French Carol
LAMBERT The Rio Grande

Stephen Layton’s first London concert as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of City of London Sinfonia combines the string and vocal music by Benjamin Britten with the atmospheric sound worlds of Baltic composers Arvo Pärt and Eriks Esenvalds. The programme ends with Constant Lambert’s most popular choral work, The Rio Grande – in its day a remarkable experiment in weaving jazz idioms into British concert music.

Conductor STEPHEN LAYTON
Guitar CRAIG OGDEN
Piano MARTIN ROSCOE

Wednesday 17 November, 7.30pm

I FAGIOLINI
DIAL ‘M’ FOR...MADRIGAL, MANNERIST, MONTEVERDI AND MISUNDERSTOOD!

Programme
Including English madrigals by WEELKES, TOMKINS and NICOLSON. German madrigals by SCHÜTZ and HASSLER, MONTEVERDI madrigals from books III and IV, DE WERT ‘Qual musico gentil’. The concert will also feature the world premiere of an exciting new commission for I Fagiolini’s 25th anniversary by ORLANDO GOUGH using words by renaissance poet TASSO.

Robert Hollingworth writes: “In the twenty-first century, there aren’t many of us still making a living from madrigals - which is odd if you consider the huge interest in Renaissance sacred music of the last 30 years. Is it because it requires some imagination to bring them to life? Or because the real madrigals, the powerfully emotional, bittersweet and melancholic pieces featured in this programme, don’t fit into the British ‘hey nonny whoops there go my hose’ bracket that people expect? Come and hear masterworks which parallel the great paintings or sculptures of the age. Monteverdi needs little introduction but his master, Giaches de Wert will surprise. As well as the very finest English and German works whose gorgeous dissonance will make your hair stand on end, we premiere a new work by Orlando Gough inspired by the Renaissance poet, Tasso.”

Director ROBERT HOLLINGWORTH

I Fagiolini's Gough commission is sponsored by PRS for Music Foundation and the National Centre for Early Music.  Commissioned by the National Centre for Early Music on the occasion of their 10th birthday-  for I Fagiolini – in celebration of their 25th anniversary.  National Centre for Early Music gratefully acknowledges financial support from the PRS for Music Foundation.

Wednesday 8 December, 7.30pm

STILE ANTICO
PUER NATUS EST

Programme
PLAINCHANT Veni Emmanuel
TAVERNER Audivi vocem de caelo
WHITE Magnificat
BYRD Rorate caeli
TALLIS Gloria from Missa Puer natus est
BYRD Tollite portas
TALLIS Sanctus & Benedictus from Missa Puer natus est
BYRD Ave Maria
TALLIS Agnus Dei from Missa Puer natus est
BYRD Ecce Virgo Concipiet
TALLIS Videte miraculum
PLAINCHANT Puer natus est
SHEPPARD Verbum caro

This programme is centred around Thomas Tallis’s magnificent seven-part mass, written for the combined choirs of the Spanish and English Chapels Royal and first performed in December 1554. Based on the Christmas plainsong ‘Puer natus’ - ‘a boy is born’ - it celebrated not only the Advent season, but also the apparent pregnancy of Queen Mary. The mass is interspersed with contemporary liturgical settings for Advent and Christmas, from the perfect miniatures of William Byrd’s propers for the fourth Sunday of Advent to Robert White’s extended Magnificat and John Sheppard’s extraordinary Verbum Caro.

Tuesday 8 February, 7.30pm

ESTONIAN PHILHARMONIC CHAMBER CHOIR
PSALMS

Programme
MENDELSSOHN Three Psalms
Op.78: Warum toben die Heiden (Ps 2, op 78/1)
Richte mich, Gott (Ps 43, op 78/2)
Mein Gott, warum hast du... (Ps 22, op 78/3)
SIBELIUS Rakastava (The Lover) Op.14
PÄRT Magnificat
KREEK Psalms of David
Psalm 22, Psalm 104, Psalm 141, Õnnis on inimene
KREEK Estonian religious folk songs
Armas Jeesus, Sind ma palun, Jeesus kõige ülem hää, Kui suur on meie vaesus
PÄRT Ode VI- Kondakion- Ikos, Ode IX, Prayer after Kanon from ‘Kanon pokajanen’

Works by Arvo Pärt, one of the most-loved living composers of our time, are central in the choir’s programme alongside classical and contemporary highlights including romantic colours in Mendelssohn’s Psalm settings, Nordic influences in the beautiful cycle of love songs Rakastava by Sibelius, and works by the famed Estonian composer Cyrillus Kreek.

Conductor DANIEL REUSS

Tuesday 15 March, 7.30pm

THE HILLIARD ENSEMBLE
A HILLIARD SONGBOOK

Programme
HELLAWELL The Hilliard Songbook
FAYRFAX Most clere of colour
ANON Madame d’amours
CORNYSH Ah Robin
ANON Remember me my dear
ARCADELT Il bianco e dolce cigno
ANON Passacalli della vita
VERDELOT Divini occhi
DE RORE O sonno
BRYARS Selections from the First Book of Madrigals
MOODY Arkhangelos
SHERYNGHAM Ah! Gentle Jesu
PÄRT And one of the Pharisees
Trad. Armenian arr. KOMITAS VARDAPET Sharakans
PÄRT Most Holy Mother of God
DE MACHAUT Gloria from Messe de Notre Dame

A Hilliard Songbook presents some of the ensemble’s favourite pieces, old and new, sacred and secular. Ranging from the ‘Gloria’ of Machaut’s famous Messe de Notre Dame, via traditional Armenian Sharakans, through to Arvo Pärt’s recently composed Most Holy Mother of God.

Tuesday 10 May, 7.30pm

THE TALLIS SCHOLARS
LAMENTATION

Programme
VICTORIA Dum complerentur
PALESTRINA Dum complerentur
PALESTRINA Peccantem me quotidie
VICTORIA Lamentations for Holy Thursday
VICTORIA Lamentations for Holy Saturday
PALESTRINA Tribulationes civitatum
PALESTRINA Tu es Petrus
VICTORIA Vidi speciosam

In celebration of renaissance master Tomás Luis de Victoria in the 400th anniversary of his death, this programme pairs Victoria’s famous Lamentations and the Pentecost motet Dum complerentur with Palestrina’s motet of the same title along with his Tribulationes civitatum and Tu es Petrus.

Director PETER PHILLIPS