GUILDFORD BOROUGH
COUNCIL CONCERTS
VanyaMilanova
Vanya Milanova was bornin Bulgarlain1954
1980/81
and began to learn the violin at the age of five.
CIVIC HALL, GUILDFORD
and her youthfulsuccesses include three first
SATURDAY 13 DECEMBER
at 7 45 p-m.
She gaveher first solo recital at the age of nine
prizes — in the Bulgarian National Youth
Competition open
to
all instrumentalists,
aged eleven; the Czech Radio Competition,
aged thirteen, and the International
Tht orchestm! of the South East
- Competition
at Kozian, aged fourteen.
Guildford
~ vatoire from where she graduated in 1976.
Philharmonic
Orchestra
Associate Leaders:
-
|
HUGH BEAN
Next followed her studies in Sofia ConserHer
successes
during
this period include
prizes at the Queen Elizabeth International
Competition
in
Belgium,
1971; Paganini
Competition, Genoa, 1973, and Tchalkovsky
Competition
in
Moscow,
1974.
David
Oistrach was so impressed with her playing
~that arrangements were made for her con-
tinued study with him p;ersonaflly in Moscow
e his untimely death prevented this.
1In 1976 she came to England on a British
Council scholarshlp, and in November 1977
made a fine impression at the Leeds National
JOHN LUDLOW
Musicians Platform, where she won the City
of Leeds Prize. The Times wrote of her perfor-
Vanya Milanova
Violin
| Helen Walker
Soprano
mance ‘She can make music of anything she
touches. She plays with a lyricism both warm
and refined’.
Helen Walker
Helen Walker was born in Tunbridge Wells,
~ Adrian Thompson
- Tenor
Kent. As a student at the Guildhall School of
Music from 1971, she took the opera course
directed by Vilem Tausky, and studied with
Noelle Barker.
In 1977, Miss Walker was the winner of the
Peter Knapp
Susan
Baritone
Longfield
Competition,
and
the
Ricordi prize for Opera. She was one of the
Choristers ofGuildford
winners of
Cathedral
resultedin many recital engagements. In 1978
she won the Mozart Memorial Prize and was
‘
Young
South
Artists
East
Arts
Competmon,
Association
which
has
Philharmonic Choir
offered a number of engagements with the
Vernon Handley
Conductor
she travels to Munich, continuing her studies
London Mozart Players. When time allows
with Hans Hotter, as well as with Peter
Harrisonin London.
She
made
her
debut
with
the
Engllsh
‘This concert is prométed Aby Gufl&ford Borough
National Opera North in “Nabucco” and at
the Aldeburgh Festival in “A Midsummer
Arts Assomatlon
Night’s Dream”’.
Council with financial support from the South East
Helen Walker sang with the Guildford
Philharmonic Orchestra and Philharmonic
Choir in a performance of Bach’s B minor
Mass in 1979.
youngest person ever to sing the role with the
English National Opera. More recently he
has sung The Count for the ENO in Jonathan
Miller’s production ‘The Marriage of Figaro’.
Peter Knapp now specialises in the major
Adrian Th‘ompson
Adrian Thompson was educated at
Wandsworth School, where he was a member
of the famous choir at Guildhall School of
Music. He studied with Duncan Robertson
and Celia Bizony, and then with Vilem
Verdi roles which he studied with Tito Gobbi,
in Florence.
In addition to his operatic career, Peter
Knapp is an accomplished recitalist and concert "si'nger, winning the 1977 Benson and
Hedges
International
Competition
at
‘Tausky on their Opera Course. He now continues his studies with [an Partridge.
Aldeburgh.
Important engagements have included ‘The
This will be Peter Knapp’s third appearance
with the Guildford Philharmonic Choir and
Dream of Gerontius’
in Southwark Cathedral,
concerts at the Queen ELizabeth Hall with
the
Handel
Opera
Society, concerts in
Manchester Cathedral, King’s College,
Cambridge, in the Aldeburgh Festival,
Tilford Bach Festival and St. John’s Smith
Square. In December 1979 he made
his debut
at the Royal Festival Hall.
In 1977 Adrian Thompson joined Kent Opera
and then
in
1978
he
worked
with
Glyndebourne Opera in the Festival and on
the Tour. In 1979 he appearedin the Camden
Festival in the Park Lane Group’s production
of ‘Fennimore and Gerda’, sang in the highlyacclaimed production of ‘Eugene Onegin’ at
the Aldeburgh Festival, conducted by
Rostropovich and recorded an opera for
television (The Rajah’s Diamond) with
Geraint Evans.
Adrian
Orchestra in the Civic Hall under Vernon
Handley, the previous occasions being performances of Vaughan Williams’s ‘Sea
Symphony’ (1976) and Elgar’s ‘The
Kingdom’ (1977).
Chornsters of Guildford Cathedral
The Cathedral choir was foundedin 1961 by
Barry Rose whois now Masterof the choir at
St. Paul’s Cathedral. Philip Moore has been
organist and master of the choristers at Guildford since 1974. There are eighteen choristers
and twelve men in the choir. The choristers
all attend Lanesborough Preparatory School
as day boys. The choir sings eight services a
week and rehearses every day. They frequently broadcast and will be broadcasting Choral
Evensong from
Gun]dford Cathedral on
December 10th and 17th. They also give con-
Thompson
appeared
with
Helen
Walker in the performance of Bach’s Mass in
B Minor in 1979 with the Guildford Philhar-
certs and they go on tour every summer — this
year they went to Germany. The choristers
have sung in operas and are due to take part
monic Orchestra and Choir.
in Bizet’s ‘Carmen’ next summer with the
Peter Knapp
second time the choristers have sung the boys’
part in a work by William Mathias. In 1975
they sang the boYs choir in St. Teilo with the
Basingstoke Choral Society.
Guildford Opera
From the outset of his career, Peter Knapp
has proved himself to be the most exciting
Baritone to emerge
in recent years.
His
early
success
led to his singing a
Company.
This
is
the
Philharmonic Choir
remarkable number of title roles, startmg
The
with ‘King Roger’, in the British premiere of
thanks the help he has received in training the
choir from Kenneth Lank and accompanists
Linden Knight and Patricia Wood. The Choir
made its first recording in 1973 with the
Szymanowski’s opera, conducted by Charles
Mackerras.
Peter
Knapp then
sang ‘Don
Giovanni’, ‘Orfeo’ (Monteverdi) and ‘Eugene
Onegin’ with the Kent Opera, of which
“Orfeo’ was shown
on BBC Television. He
was then invited to sing ‘Don Giovanni’ at the
London
Coliseum
thus
becoming
the
Musical
Director
acknowledges
with
Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra: ‘Intimations of Immortality’ by Gerald Finzi,
and in 1976 recorded Hadley’s ‘TheTrees So
High’ with the Philharmonia Orchestra.
|
Vernon Handley
in 1919 and it received its first performance in
Vernon Handley, Principal Conductor/Musical Director of the Guildford
Philharmonic Orchestra, was born in Enfield,
North London, and studied at Balliol College,
Oxford and the Guildhall School of Music
and
Drama.
Vernon Handley has
been
Musical Director of the Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra since 1962 and has
developed it into a fully professional body of
major importance which is now firmly established as “The Orchestra of the South
East’”
with concerts
throughout
the
South
in
many
East
towns
region
from
Canterbury to Salisbury. In 1974 the Composers’ Guild of Great Britain named Vernon
Handley
as “Conductor of the Year” for his
services to British music and now recognised
as one of the major champions of British
music, he is frequently entrusted with the
world premieres of new works. He is very
busy in the recording field and has an extensive list of recordings in the current catalogue
including
works
by
Dvorak,
Tchaikovsky,
Elgar, Tippett, Debussy, Vaughan Williams
and Faure. His recording of Elgar’s First
Symphony with the London Philharmonic
Orchestra has recently been released and his
recording of the Second Symphonyis due to
Chicago in 1921. He made the Symphonic
Suite shortly after this and from it the Marche
has become very popular. The story of the
opera runs like this: the King of Clubs is un-
happy because his son is a hypochondriac. He
is told that the boy can only be cured if he is
made to laugh. No-one can achieve this, until
at
a
masquerade,
the
court jester,
Truf-
faldino, attempts to eject the witch Morgana
from the festivities. She trips head over heels —
the Prince laughs and is cursed by the witch:
he will become enamoured of three oranges
and will have to travel far to find them. The
Prince and the Jester set out, and the rest of
the opera deals with their adventures and the
fate of the three princesses who are contained
in the oranges. Needless to say, it is only the
last princess to emerge from the fruit who
shares in the happy ending.
Although the accent in the Symphonic Suite
is on the brilliant and fantastic aided, of
course,
by
Prokofiev’s
wonderful
orchestration, the lyricism ofsome of the com-
poser’s later work is anticipated in the fifth
movement.
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D.
Major, Opus 6.
be releasedin February 1981.
Paganini 1780-1840
Vernon Handley is now one of Britain’s
busiest conductors. As well as a full season of
2. Adagio
concerts with all the major Britishorchestras,
3. Rondo: Allegro Spiritoso
heis also taking on a number of engagements
The French conductor, Carl Juhr, undertook
with
foreign
Stockholm
orchestras
Philharmonic,
including the
the
NOS
Radio
Philharmonic Orchestra, Hilversum and the
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra.
In spite of his busy_s‘che_‘dule, Vernon Handley
still manages to follow his keen interest in ornithology.
Symphonic
1. Allegro Maestoso
a study of Paganini’s playing during 1829. He
described the principal details of the master’s
style: “the special tuning of his instrument,
the personal style of bowing, the left hand pizzicato combined with bowed playing, frequent use of harmonics both single and in two
parts, playing on a single string, imitation
of
several instruments playing together”. Cer-
Suite
‘The
Love
of Three
tainly up to his time there had been no greater
Oranges’
virtuoso of the violin than Paganini and most
Prokofiev 1891-1953
1. Les ridicules
of the above characteristics can be found in
2. Le
most of his works although there are dis-
magicien Tchelio et Fata Morgana
jouent aux cartes (Scéne Infernale).
'
agreements as to what constituted his “personal style of bowing”. With this exception,
3. Marche
Maestro Juhr’s observations can be noted in
4. Scherzo
the first concerto. The other side of Pag‘anini s
5. Le Prince et la Princesse
character,
6. La Fuite
presenting
Prokofiev wrote ‘The Love of Three Oranges’
documented.
his
his
cxtraordmary
performances
Many
people
is
way
of
very well
found
his
appearance while playing to be sinister;
‘descrlptlons of his ‘‘diabolical’” and
“devilish” air occurring frequentlyand the attitude to his playing was often that it contained witchcraft. He was undoubtedly a man
whose platform personality mesmerised his
audience and this, allied to his appearance,
made people talk in terms which suggested
that he was evil.
7
composer. FqlloWing a first broadcast performance in March, 1975, by the same vocal
forces but with the BBC Welsh Symphony
Orchestra, the first London performance was
given in the Royal Festival Hall at a Bach
Choir concert on 21 May, 1975, by the same
performers under the direction of Sir David
Willcocks, and subsequently recorded.
The poems range in time from the early
Modern listeners would find this hard to
medieval to the sixteenth century and most
“diabolically” difficult, it sings of a charming
and uncomplicated world with well known or
at least easily remembered tunes occurring in
into the work’s fabric in such a way as to
create a four-part musical and dramatic
believe if they only had access to a work like
the first violin concerto. Although
the first and last movements. That Paganini
loved his pyrotechnics is shown by the fact
that the middle movement, although
beautiful, is not very long, as if he could not
wait to get back to another Allegroin order to
have been transcribed into modern English
for easier comprehension. They are woven
structure. The four sections carry no separate
titles in the score, but are designed to reflect
both the seasons of the year and the span of
human life:
:
I Spring (Youth); II Summer (Maturity);
III Autumn (Decline); IV Winter (Death),
show off. The last movement is often con-
leading to a transfigured Spring and re-
sidered too long by even the most courageous
soloist and cuts are quite often made in it.
Although formally the two outer movements
are not balanced by the second, such is the
birth.
display of virtuosity in them that one can
readily forgive this fault, and the concerto
retains its place in the repertoire. When Carl
Juhr instances “the special tuning of his in-
strument” he was referring to Paganini’s
habit of making the tone of his violin as
brilliant as possible in works with orchestra
by writing the orchestral parts in “dull” keys
while tuning his instrument a minor second
higher. Originally in this first concerto the
orchestral parts were in E flat while the solo
part was written in D major. Nowadays,
however,
the concerto is played ‘“‘conven-
tionally” in D major.
the other to convey the range of mood and
meaning inherent in the words. The large
Mixed Chorus is mostly used to express the
predominant atmosphere of a given section,
within which the three soloists delineate and
characterise the more personal aspects of the
text somewhat in the manner of unnamed
operatic characters. The Boys’ Choir (with
chamber organ) comment on a different level
almost exclusively in poems of an
“archetypal” or paradoxical significance. The
orchestra is everywhere
of vital importance in
conveying the colour and variety inherent in
the overall scheme. The tonal structure is a
good deal more complex than might at first
appear — the E of the opening, for example,
never fully revealing itself as the dominant of
A until the final pages of the work. Listeners
interestedin analysis (thatis, those who find
INTERVAL
This Worldes
Joie Opus 67
Mathias b.1934
This work was commissioned (in association
with the Welsh Arts Council) by the
Fishguard Music Festival, where it was first
performed on
The various musical forces interact one with
17
August,
1974,
by Janet
Price, Kenneth Bowen, Michael Rippon, the
Fishguard School Choir, the Dyfed Choir
(Director, John Davies) and the Welsh
Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by the
the music communicative and movmg) will
find a good deal to engage their interest; it
was nevertheless my intention
— as in all of my
work
— to compose as clearly and directly as
possible.
“This Worlde’s Joie’ is ultimately meant to be
enjoyed by both listeners and performers, and
it is a work which makes no clear separation
between the secular and the sacred. It is,
throughout, an Act of Celebration.
Copyright William Mathias, 1980.
The C'omp'ose?rr
William Mathias was born on 1 November, |
1934, at Whitland, Dyfed. Having begun to
compose at a very early age he studied first at
the
University
College
of
Wales,
Aberystwyth, and subsequently on an Open
Scholarship at the R.A.M. where his main
studies were in Composition (with Sir Lennox
Berkeley) and Piano (with Peter Katin). He
was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of
Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra
The Guildford Philharmonic Choir will be
singing again tomorrow afternoon (December
14th at 3 p.m.) at the Annual Rotary Club
Carol Concert here at the Civic Hall con-
ducted by Vernon Handley and Kenneth
Lank with accompanist Linden Knight. The
readings will be given by Laurier Lister and
the choir of Worplesdon County First and
Middle School will be provndmg some of their
Musicin 1965, and awarded the D. Mus. of
the University of Walesin the following year.
own carols. Admissionis free with, as usual,
In 1968 he was awarded the Bax Society Prize
under the Harriet Cohen International Music
Christmas and Local Distress Fund.
Awards. Since 1970 he has been Professor and
Head of the Department of Music at the
Umvers1ty College of North Wales, Bangor.
a
collection for the Mayor of Guildford’s
The next concert by the Guildford Philhar-
monic Orchestra at the Civic Hall will be the
“Family Concert” on Sunday January 18th at
William Mathiasis frequently active
as a con-
3 p.m. when the programme is to include
music by Offenbach (““Orpheus in the
number of first
Underworld”’), Grieg (The Norwegian
Dances), Tchaikovsky (Nutcracker Suite),
ductor and pianist (having given
or directed a
performances of his own
works), and he is the Artistic Director of the
North Wales Music Festival held annually at
St. Asaph Cathedral.
His
compositions cover a wide range of
media, and a rapidly increasing number are
available on disc, including Symphony No.1,
Piano
Concerto No.3, Sinfonietta, Celtic
Dances, Divertimento for String Orchestra,
Prelude Aria and Finale, Sonata for violin and
piano, Wind Quintet, String Quartet Dance
Overture,
Harp
Concerto,
various Organ
works, etc. Heis one of the comparatively few
British composers to have taken a consistent
interest in vocal, choral, and church music —
regarding the latter as in no way peripheral
to
his output as a whole. Works such as the
“Wassail Carol” (first introduced at the
Christmas Service of Nine Lessons and Carols
at King’s College, Cambridge), Magnificat
and Nunc Dimittis, Three Medieval Lyrics,
and the Carol Sequencc‘ “Ave Rex” are well
known to choirsin this country and abroad.
“This Worlde’s Joie” is Mathias’s largest
choral/orchestral
work
to
date,
and
the
‘dramatic qualities it shares with other recent-
ly completed works have for some time been
clear pointers towards the Opera “The Ser-
vants” written in collaboration with Iris Mur-
doch
and first performed to great public
acclaim by the W.N.O. on September 2 this
‘year.
Malcolm Arnold (Three Shanties) and the
first Guitar Concerto by CastelnuovoTedesco. The soloist will be Michael Conn, a
pupil of Gordon Crosskey and John Williams
and a winner of the 1980 South East Arts
Young Musicians platform.
Members of the Orchestra also feature as
soloists in Malcolm Arnold’s Three Sea Shanties for Wind Quintet and it is hoped that this
work and ensemble will form the basis of a
proposed series of workshops in local schools
in the area.
The next concert that. the Orchestra will be
giving outside Guildford will be at Dorking
Halls, Dorking on Saturday, January 31st,
1981. As part of the celebrations for the 50th
Anniversary of the Halls the programme will
include
two works by Vaughan Williams
(Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis and
The Lark Ascending) in tribute to the com-
poser’s longlasting connections with Dorking.
Saturday 10 January 1981
at 7.30 p.m.
Guildford Philharmonic Socxety
Members’ Evening
Guildford Methodist Church Hall
Lecture/ Recital
Jack Brymer, clarinet
David L‘loyd piano
Sunday18 Januaryat 3.00 p.m.
CIVIC CONCERT
Civic Hall, Guildford
Overture ‘“Orpheus in the Underworld’’Offenbach
Norwegian Dances — Grieg
Sea Shanties for wind quintetMalcolm Arnold
‘Guitar Concerto No.1in D majorCastelnuovo-Tedesco
Nutcracker Suite— Tchaikovsky
Michael Conn, Guitar
Vernon Handley, Conductor
Thursday 5 February
Civic Hall. 1.30 p.m. and 3 p.m.
TWO CONCERTS FOR SCHOOLS
Saturday 7 February at 7.45 p.m.
ENTERPRISING CONCERT
Symphony No.2 — Robert Spearing
Piano Concerto No.2 -Bartok
Symphony No.10 in E minor - Shostakovich
Peter Frankl, P:i‘,an‘o'fprte
Vernon Handley, Conductor
Rehearsal Seminar at 2.00 p.m. with Vernon
Handley and Robert Spearing, Civic Hall -
Concert ticket holders welcome.
Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra
Director of Music/Conductor
Vernon Handley
First Violins
Basses
Trombones
Associate Leaders:
Thomas Martin
Alfred Flaszynski
Hugh Bean
Michael Lea
Ian White
John Ludlow
Michael Welsby
John Allen
Judith Edwards
John Gralak
Robert Lewcock
Linda McLaren
Barbara Moore
Peter Newman
Richard Springate
Ronald Bryans
Dugald Lees
Catharine Hill
Christopher Nicholls
Piccolo
Mark Thomas
Timpani
Roger Blair
Percussion
Charles Fullbrook
David Hockings
Stephen Coltrini
- Oboes
Jackie Kendle
Second Violins
Nicholas Maxted Jones
James Brown
Adrian Millett
Rosemary Roberts
Marie Louise Amberg
Cor Anglais
Helen Tunstall
Janice Knight
Alison Martin
Ruth Dawson
Peter Fields
Martin Gill
Andrew Laing
Ronald Tendler
Susan Thomas
Mark Walton
Violas
Stephen Shingles
Levine Andrade
Jeremy White
Frederick Campbell
Jean Burt
John Harries
Leonard Lock
Cellos
Eldon Fox
John Stilwell
Tina Macrae
Pauline Sadgrove
John Hursey
John Franca
Harps
Clarinets
Celesta/Piano
Tony Lamb
John Forster
Victor Slaymark
Bass Clarinet
David Groves
Stephen Wick
-
David Towse
George Caird
Kathleen Atkins
Concerts Assistant
Tuba
Flutes
Henry Messent
Concerts Manager
Organ
Philip Moore
Paul Allen
Bassoons
‘David Miles
Anna Meadows
Contra Bassoon
David Chatterton
Horns
Peter Clack
Patric Strevens
David Clack
Christopher Horton
Peter Kane
Trumpets
Clifford Haines
Edgar Riches
Peter Goy
The audience may be interested to know that
the violin sections are listed in alphabetical
order after the first desk because a system of
rotation of desks is adopted in this orchestra
so that all players have the opportunity of
playing
in all positions in the section.
(13th-14th Century)
Chorus
Lenten Is come with love to town,
With blossom and with blrds' song,
That all this blissé bringeth,
Daisles In these dales,
Notes sweet of nightingales;
Each blrd song singeth,
That all the wood ringeth.
Of love true:
He changes anew.
If | may, It shall him rue,
By this dayl’
Baritone and Soprano Soll
(Medleval)
| pray you, come and kiss me,
My little pretty mopsy,
Tenor Solo
And If that ye wlll not kiss me,
| pray you, let me kiss you.
When the nightingale sings,
Alas, good man, must you be kissed?
You shall not now, you may me trust;
Wherefore go where as ye best lust,
For, iwls, you shall not kiss me.
The woods waxen green:
Leaf and grass and blossom springs,
In April, | ween.
And love Is to mine heart gone
With one spear so keen:
Iwls, swestheart, If that ye
Had asked a greater thing of me,
Night and day my blood it drinks;
Mine heart doth me paln.
So unkind to you | would not have been;
Wherefore, | pray you, come kiss me.
f
| have'loved all this year
That | may love no more,
| think very well that ye are kind
Whereas ye love and set your mind,
But all your words be but as wind
Wherefore now ye shall not kiss me.
| have sighed many a sigh,
Leman, for thy sake.
Love Is ever far from me,
And that me rueth sore.
Sweet leman, think on me:
| have loved thee yore.
Now | see well that kisses are dear,
And if | should labour all the whole year,
| think | should be never the near;
Wherefore, | pray you, come kiss me.
Sweet leman, | pray you
Of love one word.
Well, for a kiss | wlill be kind,
Now | see well that ye know my mind,
And ever your own you shall me find
At all times ready to klss youl
While | live, In world so wide
No other shall | seek.
With thy love, m?' sweet dear,
My bliss thou mightés ease:
A sweet kiss of thy mouth
Might be my balm.
Chorus
Chorus
Now springs the spray!
Now springs the spray!
All for love | am so sick
That sleepen | ne may.
Lenten is come with love to town,
With blossom and with birds’ song,
That all this blissé bringeth....
(William Cornlsh,
Children's Cholr
early 16th Century)
The deer In the dale,
The sheep In the vale,
The corn springing.
The sliver Is white, red Is the gold;
The robes they lay in fold,
God’s purveyance
:
Then we always
To him glve pralse
And thank him then,
The maldens came
When | was in my mother’s bower;
| had all that | would.
The baileK beareth the bell away;
The lily, the rose, the rose Ilay.
Pleasure It is
To hear, Iwis,
The blirds sing;
For sustenance
It Is for man:
(Medieval)
Chlldren's Cholr
B
:
:
*
The balley
(c. 1300)
Now springs the spray!
Now springs the spray!
All for love | am so sick
That sleepen | ne may.
e
How shall | love, and | so Young?
sun.
beareth the bell away;
The lily, the rose, the rose | lay.
And thank him then.
Chorus
The balley beareth the bell away;
The lily, the rose, the rose | lay.
And through the glass window shines the
Chorhs
Lenten Is come with love to town,
With blossom and with birds’ song,
That all this blissé bringeth . ...
Baritone and Soprano Soll
As | rode the other day
In my playing,
Saw | where a little mald
Began to sing.
-
‘The grave him take!
Woe Is me, in love longing
Must | live ayel!’
Soon | heard that merry note,
Thither | drew;
| found her in an arbour sweet
With joy enough.
Soon | asked, ‘Thou merry mald,
Why singest thou aye?’
Then answered that malden sweet
With wordés few,
‘My lover made me promises
~ (Chaucer, 1340-1400)
Chorus
Now welcome Summer, with thy sunné soft,
That has this Winter’s weather overthrown,
And driven away the long nights blackl!
Saint Valentine, thou art full high on loft,
Thus sing small birds for thy sake:
‘Now welcome Summer, with thy sunné soft, That has thls Winter's weather overthrown.’”
Well have they cause for to gladden oft,
Since each of them recovered hath his
'
mate;
Full blissful may they singen, when tney
wake,
:
‘Now welcome Summer, with thy sunné soft,
That has this Winter's weather overthrown,
And driven away the long nights blackl’
Tenor Solo
(John Skelton, b. 1460)
Mistress Anne, | am your man,
As you may well espy.
If you will be content with me,
| am your man.
But it you will kecp company still
swain?
Chorus
With every knave that comes by,
Then you will be forsaken of me,
That am your man. .
But if you fain, 1 tell you plain,
If 1 presently shall die,
I will not such
Now welcome Summer with thy sunné soft,
That has this Winter's weather overthrown,
And driven away the long nights black!
Well have they
Since each of
As loves 100 much,
That am your man.
For If you can love every man
That can flatter and lle,
Then are ye no match for me
That am your man.
For | will not take
No such kind of mate
(May all full well it try!)
But off will cast
Children’s Cholr
(Robert Greene, 1560-1592)
Ah, what Is love? It Is a pretty thing,
As sweet unto a shepherd as a King;
And sweeter too,
crown,
And cares can make the sweetest love to
frown.
Ah then, ah then,
'
If country loves such sweet desires do gain,
What lady would not love a shephe
rd
swain?
His flocks are folded, he comes home at
As merry as a King In his delight;
And merrier too,
For Kings bethink them what the state
night,
;
require, .
When shepherds careless carol by the
fire.
He kisseth first, then sits as blithe to
eat
His cream and curds as doth the King
his meat;
And blither too,
:
For Kings have often fears when they
do
Where shepherds dread no polson In
their
sup,
cup.
Ah then, ah then,
If country loves such sweet desires
do galn,
What lady would not love a sheph
erd
:
swalin?
To bed he goes, as wanton then, i ween,
As is a King in dalliance with a
Queen;
More wanton too,
e
For Kings have many griefs affects to
move
Where shepherds have no greater grief
;
than love,
Upon his couch of straw he sleeps as
:
(16th Century)
While that the sun with his beamés hot,
Scorched the fruits In vale and mountaln,
Philon the shepherd late forgot,
Sitting beside a crystal fountain,
In shadow of a green oak tree,
Upon his pipe this song played he:
‘Adieu love, adleu love, untrue love,
untrue love,
Your mind is light, soon lost for new
o,
love....
Baritone Solo
For Kings have cares that wait upon a
:
causé for to gladden oft,
them recovered hath
his mate ....
At any blast,
That am your man.
Soprano Solo
Ah then, ah then,
If country loves such sweet desires do gain,
What lady would not love a shepherd
(16th Century)
In & time of a Summer’s day,
The sun shone full merrily that tide,
| took m{ hawk me for to play,
My spaniel running by my side.
A pheasant hen then did | see;
My hounds put her soon to flight,
| let my hawk unto her flee;
To me it was a dainty sight.
My falcon tlew fast unto her prey;
My hound did run with glad cheer;
But soon | spurnéd in my way;
My leg was caught all in a briar.
This briar forsooth It did me grieve,
Iwis it made me to think anew,
For It bore writing in every feaf,
This Latin word, ‘Revertere’.
| hauled and pulled the briar me from,
And read this word full merrily,
My heart fell down unto my
toe,
That was before full IlkingK/.
| let my hawk and pheasant go;
My spaniel fell down unto my knee;
It took me with a sighing fare,
This new lesson ‘Revertere’. -
Pleasure Is mother of sinnés all,
And nurse to every wicked deed;
- To much mischlef she maketh men fall,
And ot sorrow the dance she doth lead.
The hawk of youth Is high of pride,
And wildness maketh him wide to roam,
And oft to fall In wicked ways;
And then is best ‘Revenrtere.’
sound,
As doth the King upon his bed of
down;
And sounder too,
For cares cause Kings full oft thelr
sleep
Where weary shepherds lle and
to splill,
snort
their fill.
Ah then, ah then,
If country loves such sweet desire
s do gain,
What lady would not love a sheph
erd
swain?
Thus with his wife he spends the
year,
as blithe,
As doth the King at every tide
or sithe;
And blither too,
For Kings have wars and broils to
take
In hand,
Where shepherds laugh and love
upon
the land.
Chorus
(13th-14th Century)
Now shrinketh rose and lily-flower,
That once bore that sweet savour,
In Summer, that sweet tide.
There Is no queen so strong nor prouqd,
Nor no lady so bright In bower,
That Death shall not pass by . . ..
Tenor Solo
The other day
| heard a mald
Right piteously complain.
s
The life of this world is ruled with wind,
She said alway
Without deny,
Weeping, darkness and pain;
She said, alas!
With wecplng we comen, with weeping we
Her dear heart was full of pain.
With pain we beginnen, with paln we enden,
With dread we dwellen, with dread we
Forsaken me for a new.’
Worldés Bliss ne last no throwe,
With wind we bloomen, with wind we
Her heart was full of pain.
depart,
pass,
Without trespass
‘In every place
| vow he has
It went and wit away anew.
‘Since he, untrue,
.
(Early 15th Century)
Children's Cholr
Has chosen a new,
And thinks with her to rest
wenden.
| sing of a maiden that is makéless,
King of all Kings to her son she ches.
He came all so still to his mother’s bower,
As dew In April that falleth on the flower.
And will not rue
And | so true,
Wherefore my heart will burst.’
‘Adieu, full sweet,
Adieu, right meet
He came all so still where his mother lay,
To be a lady's heir.’
As dew in April that falleth on the spray.
With tears wet
Mother and }na!den was never none but she:
And eyes replete
She sald, 'Adieu, my dear—Adieu,
Adieu....
Soprano Solo
Out of your sleep arise and wake
For God mankind now hath itake
All of a maid without any make;
Of all women she beareth the bell .. ..
That he is far.
He said to me he would be true,
And change me for none other new;
Soprano Solo
Now | sigh and am pale of hue,
Ave Maris Stella,
The Star on the Sea,
For he is far.
Del Mater Alma,
He sald his word he would fulfil,
Therefore | let him have all his will;
Now | sigh and sorrow still,
Blessed must she be....
Chorus
For he Is far.
(14th Century)
In the moor lay;
e
(Dunbar, b. 1465)
3
- :
Done Is a battle on the dragon black!
Our champion, Christ, confounded has his
force,
The gates of hell are broken with a crack,
The sign triumghal ralsed Is of the Cross;
4aiden in the moor lay,
Seven night full,
Malden in the moor lay,
Tenor Solo
Noel, Noel!
| loved a childé of this country,
And so | thought he had loved me;
Now myself the truth | see,
Children’s Cholr
Well may such a lady God’s mother be.
“The devil trem les with hideous voice,
T
e
e T
e
Souls are redeeméd and to bliss can go.
d does
our ransom
‘his bioo
)
:
The primérose and the violet.
What was her drink?
The cold water of the well-spring.
What was her bower?
The red rose and the lily-flower.
He came alt so still to his mother’s bower,
- As dew In April that falleth on the flower.
. He came all so still where his mother lay,
As dew In April that falleth on the spray . ...
Now shrinketh rose and lily-flower,
In Summer, that sweet tide.
endorse.
Children’s Cholr
Chorus
That once bore that sweet savour,
'
‘
Surrexit Dominus de Sepulchrol
What was her food?
Charyg
;
There Is no queen so strong nor proud,
Nor no lady so bright in bower,
That Death shall not pass by....
1V
Baritone Solo and Chorus (Early Medieval)
Winter wakeneth all my care,
Now these leaves waxeth bare,
:
Oft | sigh and sorrow sore
When it cometh into my thought
Of this Worlde's Jole, how It cometh all
to naught.
'
-
Now springs the spray! .. ..
Surrexit Dominus
Deo Graclas.
Soll and Children’s Cholr, with Chorus
(Early 15th Century)
:
Sy
Adam lay i-bounden,
Bounden in a bond,
Four thousand winters
Thought he not too long.
And all was for an apple,
An apple that he took,
As clerkés finden
Written In thelr book.
Ne had the apple taken been,
Now It is, and now it fades,
Also no man holds It near,
It Is as many truly say,
All passeth but God's will,
The apple taken been
- Ne had never our Lady
We all shall die though we like it ill.
Have been Heaven's Queen.
" Blessed bethe time
That apple taken wasl
All that grows falls into dust
Therefore we must sing,
Now It faileth all at once.
Jesu, let thy power be shown,
And shield us from hell,
‘Deo Graclas!’
For | know not whither | go, nor how long
| here dwell.
"~
Reprinted by permission of
Oxford University Press