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Sponsored by
BAKER TILLY
Maklng
Music
!
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Financially assisted by
GUILDFORD BOROUGH
The Rotary Club of Guildford
and the Vivace Chorus present
Conductor: Jeremy Backhouse
A MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR OF GUILDFORD
Councillor Angela Gunning
| am so pleased that the Rotary Club of
Guildford
and
the
Vivace
Chorus
continue to
support the
Mayor of
Guildford’'s Christmas and Local Distress
Fund
by
organising
this
evening's
traditional Christmas Concert.
The purpose of this evening’s wonderful
Concert (apart from enjoying yourselves
of course!) is to help the residents of
Guildford Borough, who are experiencing
hardship.
Guildford is a very lovely place in which
to
live
and
is
widely
accepted
as
a
wealthy Borough.
However, there are
many
are
people
who
not
fortunate
enough to enjoy it to the full, due to
either ill health or financial difficulties.
The Mayor's Distress Fund aims to help people through these times of
genuine crisis by providing small grants for items such as furniture, clothing
or essential white goods.
As a trustee of the Fund, | can assure you that we receive many applications
from
people who are genuinely suffering,
especially in the lead
Christmas, and therefore every donation is vital.
up to
Therefore, | hope that you
will feel able to spare a small amount at this very expensive time of year, to
ensure that the Fund continues to help local people, when they need it most.
| would like to take this opportunity to thank you for being here tonight and
supporting this evening’'s Concert and | wish you a very Merry Christmas and
a Happy, Peaceful 2007.
Avged,
.
o
Q%%
Councillor Angela Gunning
Mayor of Guildford
The Mayor of Guildford’s Christmas Concert — Page 2
About the Mavor’s Distress Fund
The Mayor of Guildford’s Christmas & Local Distress Fund was
formally established as a Trust in August 1971.
The Mayor’s Distress Fund (as it is more commonly known) is a
registered Charity with a clearly defined purpose:
“To provide financial assistance to the needy within Guildford
Borough, particularly at or around Christmas time”
Over the years, the fund has had requests from all sections of the
community and has been able to assist both individuals and groups
with a wide variety of needs.
Each request for assistance is
assessed individually against comprehensive guidelines before
funding is granted.
This helps to ensure that donations are spent
wisely and that assistance is given only to deserving cases.
In the
past, money has been provided from the Fund towards:
e Buying shoes and clothing for children in very poor families
e Installing a telephone for very elderly and/or very sick people
¢ Modest holidays for families, following a trauma in their
lives
e Playgroup Fees for needy children
e Basic equipment such as washing machines and cookers for
those who cannot afford such necessities.
With your help, we really can make a difference
Registered Charity No. 258388
The Mavor of Guildford’s Christmas Concert — Page 3
This Evening’s Programme
Audience Carol
Solo
(H.J. Gauntlett arr. David Willcocks)
Once in royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for his bed:
Mary was that mother mild
Jesus Christ her little child.
Choir
He came down to earth from heaven
Who is God and Lord of all,
And his shelter was a stable
And his cradle was a stall;
With the poor, and meek, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Savour Holy.
All
And our eyes at last shall see him,
Through his own redeeming love,
For that child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heaven above;
And he leads his children on
To the place where he is gone.
Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by
We shall see him; but in heaven,
Set at God’s right hand on high;
When like stars his children crowned
All in white shall wait around.
Choir & Organ
Hush my dear be still and slumber (arr. David Willcocks) [a cappella]
Ding dong! Merrily on high (arr. David Willcocks)
The Mavor of Guildford’s Christmas Concert — Page 4
Audience Carol
(English Trad. arr. David Willcocks)
God rest you merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay,
For Jesus Christ our Saviour
Was born on Christmas Day,
To save us all from Satan’s power,
When we were gone astray;
O tidings of comfort andjoy, comfort andjoy;
O tidings of comfort andjoy.
From God our Heavenly Father,
A Blessed angel came;
And unto certain Shepherds
Brought tidings of the same;
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by name.
O tidings of comfort... .....
The shepherds at these tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flock a feeding,
In tempest, storm and wind:
And went to Bethlehem straightway,
The blessed babe to find.
O tidings of comfort......
Choir only
But when they came to Bethlehem
Where our dear Saviour lay,
They found him in a manger,
Where oxen feed on hay;
His Mother Mary kneeling down,
Unto the Lord did pray.
O tidings of comfort......
The Mayor of Guildford’s Christmas Concert — Page 5
Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All others doth deface.
O tidings of comfort...
Choir
Lullaby (Karl Jenkins)
What cheer! (William Walton)
Audience Carol
[a cappella]
(J.F.Wade arr. Willcocks)
O come, all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord
God of God,
Light of Light,
Lo, He abhors not the Virgin’s Womb;
Very God,
Begotten, not created;
O come, let us adore him...
Sing, choirs of Angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above,
Glory to God
In the highest:
O come, let us adore him...
The Mavor of Guildford’s Christmas Concert — Page 6
Yea, Lord, we greet thee,
Born this happy morning,
Jesu, to Thee be glory given:
Word of the Father,
Now in flesh appearing:
O come, let us adore him...
Choir & Organ
The Messiah (extracts)
(Handel)
~ For unto us a Child is born ~ Pastoral Symphony ~
~ There were shepherds ~ Glory to God ~ Hallelujah!
INTERVAL OF 20 MINUTES
(Wine, Fruit Juice and Mince Pies will be available)
Audience Carol
(arr. David Willcocks)
It came upon a midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From Angels bending near the earth
To touch their hearts of gold;
Peace on the earth, goodwill to men,
From heaven’s all-gracious King!
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the Angels sing.
Still through the cloven skies they come,
With peaceful wings unfurled;
And still their heavenly music floats
O’er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lonely plains
They bend on hovering wing;
And ever o’er its Babel sounds
The blessed Angels sing.
The Mayvor of Guildford’s Christmas Concert — Page 7
Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the Angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring:
Oh hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the Angels sing!
For lo! The days are hastening on,
By prophet-bards foretold,
When, with the ever-circling years,
Comes round the age of gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendours fling,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the Angels sing.
Choir & Organ
Away in a manger (arr. Nigel Short)
Sans Day Carol
Audience Carol
(Cornish trad. arr. John Rutter)
(English traditional arr.Vaughan Williams)
O Little Town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight
The Mavor of Guildford’s Christmas Concert — Page 8
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth,
All praises sing to God the King,
All peace to men on earth;
For Christ is born of Mary
And, gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love.
Choir only
How silently, how silently,
The wonderous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heaven,
No ear may hear his coming;
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still
The dear Christ enters in.
O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend on us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in,
Be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas Angels,
The great glad tidings tell:
O come with us, abide with us,
Our Lord Emmanuel.
Choir & Organ
The Christ-child (Will Todd)
Every stone shall cry (Will Todd)
Address by the Mayor of Guildford
Councillor Angela Gunning
Introduced by Jane Read
President of the Rotary Club of Guildford
The Mavyor of Guildford’s Christmas Concert — Page 9
Audience Carol
(Charles Wesley arr.Mendelssohn)
Hark! the herald-angels sing
Glory to the new-born King;
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled:
Joyful all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies,
With the angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem.
Hark! the herald-angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Christ by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold him come
Offspring of a virgin’s womb:
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the incarnate deity!
Pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald-angels sing... ...
Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings;
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald-angels sing......
Encore
We wish you a Merry Christmas !
[a cappella]
The Mavor of Guildford’s Christmas Concert — Page 10
THE VIVACE CHORUS
First Tenors
First Sopranos
First Altos
Joanna Andrews
Marian Adderley
Bob Cowell
Noreen Ayton
Penny Baxter
Tim Hardyment
Helen Beevers
Monika Boothby
Chris Robinson
Mary Broughton
Jane Brooks
John Trigg
Miranda Champion
Jane Crane
Elaine Chapman
Liz Durning
Sara Dann
Celia Embleton
Second Tenors
Rachel Edmondson
Ingrid Hardiman
John Bawden
Calli Hayes
Kay McManus
Bob Bromham
Mo Kfouri
Christine Medlow
Rosalind Milton
Stephen Linton
Lorna Mann
Susan Norton
Mary Moon
Rachel Owen
Jacqueline Norman
Margaret Perkins
Penny Overton
Tony Chantler
First Basses
John Britten
Genevieve Potts
Marjory Rollo
Emma Purvis
I[sobel Rooth
Michael Dudley
Gillian Rix
Catherine Shacklady
Geoffrey Forster
Judy Smith
Jane Sweaney
Michael Golden
Carol Terry
Hilary Trigg
Keith Hester
Nikki Vale
Pamela Woodroffe
Chris Newbery
Second Sopranos
Second Altos
Robin Privett
Jacqueline_Alderton
Valerie Adam
Philip Stanford
Kieron Walsh
Chris Peters
David Ross
Anna Arthur
Marion Arbuckle
Josephine Field
Sally Bailey
Second Basses
Mandy Freeman
Deborah Bayliss
Judith Lewy
Evelyn Beastall
Krystyna Marsden
Mary Clayton
Roger Barrett
Catherine McAulay
Andrea Dombrowe
Alan Batterbury
Lois McCabe
Carolyn Edis
Norman Carpenter
Alison Newbery
Valerie Edwards
James Garrow
Alison Palmer
Corinne Eriksson
Lucy Percy
Valerie Garrow
Michael Jeffery
Maxwell New
Kate Peters
Barbara Hilder
Roger Penny
Rosalind Plowright
Carol Hobbs
Michael Taylor
Susannah Priede
Sheila Hodson
Daniel Adderley
Vivien Rieden
Yvonne Hungerford
Maggie Smith
Brenda Moore
Paula Sutton
Beryl Northam
Christine Wilks
Rosey Storey
Elizabeth Yates
The Mayor’s of Guildford’s Christmas Concert — Page 11
The Guildford Philharmonic Choir was founded by the then Guildford
Corporation in 1947, to perform major choral works with the Guildford
Philharmonic Orchestra.
During this time, the Choir grew both in stature and reputation to become
one of the
foremost Choruses
in the country.
The Choir grew to
prominence under the batons of such eminent British musicians as Sir
Charles Groves, Vernon Handley and Sir David Willcocks, the current
President.
For some time, the Choir had been independent from the Borough of
Guildford, and to reflect its independent status and ever-increasing and
varied undertakings, decided to 'rebrand' itself — the change of name, to
Vivace Chorus, was announced in May 2005, during our last concert of
the 2004/05 season.
Vivace
Chorus
enjoys
a
challenging
and
varied concert
repertoire,
performing works spanning the last five centuries — some well-known, but
also many rarities deserving to be heard by a wider audience.
By way of demonstration: the 2002/03 season included Dvorak’s beautiful
but rarely heard Requiem, and the climax of the season was undoubtedly
Mahler’s
Symphony
No.8,
where
the
choir
combined
forces
with
Lewisham Choral Society, the South West Essex Choir and the Grey Coat
Hospital Girls Choir.
The Mavor of Guildford’s Christmas Carol Concert — Page 12
The season also included a concert of American music, featuring works
by Barber, Bernstein, Copland and Stravinsky. The season concluded with
Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances and Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky (both
sung in Russian), together with
Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3,
performed by the choir’s outstanding accompanist, Jeremy Filsell.
The 2004/05 season began with a glowing performance of Elgar's The
Dream of Gerontius, followed by the unusual and much-appreciated
Italian Inspirations — non-operatic works by famous composers of Italian
opera. This was followed by the first in our Contemporary Choral
Classics Cycle, a projected 4-year innovative series of choral works from
the late 20th and 21st century — classics of the future paired with
established masterpieces. The chosen pairing was Vaughan Williams’
Dona nobis pacem (1936) and Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man (2000).
During the summer break, we were invited to sing (under our new name
for the first time) a 'Last Night of the Proms' charity concert for CHASE
at a packed Fairfield Halls, Croydon. This was a big success as well as
great fun, and we were delighted to be invited back last month for this
year's concert!
The 2005/6 season began with another piece rarely heard in its entirely in
the UK — Mendelssohn’s epic choral Symphony No. 2 (Lobgesang),
together with smaller choral items by Parry, Elgar, Mendelssohn and
Holst. As a complete contrast, our next concert was devoted entirely to
works of Bach and Handel.
Vivace Chorus is always searching for new members to maintain its high
standard. For further details about joining, please contact Jane Sweaney,
Tel. 07788 410342.
Rehearsals are held on Monday evenings throughout term time in central
Guildford and prospective members are most welcome to attend
rehearsals on an informal basis before committing to an audition. For
more information, see our website at......
The Mayor of Guildford’s Christmas Concert — Page 13
JEREMY BACKHOUSE
Jeremy Backhouse began his musical career
in Canterbury Cathedral, where he was
Head Chorister, and later studied music at
Liverpool University. He spent 5 years as
Music Editor at the Royal National Institute
for the Blind, where he was responsible for
the transcription of print music into Braille.
In 1986 he joined EMI Records as a
Literary Editor and from April 1990 he
combined his work as a Consultant Editor
for
EMI
Classics
with
his
career
as
a
freelance conductor.
In January 1995, Jeremy was appointed Chorus Master and subsequen
tly
Music Director of the Guildford Philharmonic Choir (now Vivace Chorus).
Major works performed in Guildford Cathedral include Mahler’s Symphony
No. 2 and Symphony No. 8, (the monumental Symphony of a Thousand)
,
Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky, Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius,
Karl
Jenkins’ The Armed Man and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2 (Lobgesan
g).
Jeremy is also the conductor of the Vasari Singers, widely acknowledged
as
one of the finest chamber choirs in the country, performing choral
music
from the Renaissance right up to contemporary commissions. In 2005,
the
choir and Jeremy celebrated their 25th anniversary together with a highly
regarded project including ten new commissions, a recording of these
and
other 21st century anthems, and a world premiere concert at St John's, Smith
Square.
Jeremy has also worked with a number of the leading choirs in the country,
including the Philharmonia Chorus (preparing for Sir Colin Davis),
the
London Choral Society (for Ronald Corp) and the Brighton Festival Chorus
(for Carl Davies).
From September 1998 to the end of 2004, Jeremy was
the Music Director of the Wooburn Singers, only the third conductor in the
distinguished history of the choir, following Sir Richard Hickox (who
founded the choir in 1967) and most recently, Stephen Jackson.
The Mavor of Guildford’s Christmas Concert — Page 14
THE ROTARY CLUB OF GUILDFORD
The Rotary Club of Guildford was formed in
1921 and was only one of six such Clubs that
existed in Britain at that time.
Today, there
are 1500 Rotary Clubs with one million
Besides the
members in the UK alone.
original 1921 Rotary Club, there are two other
Rotary Clubs in the town — the Guildford
District Club and the Guildford Chantries Club.
One of the Club’s earliest fund-raising projects
in the 1920s was the ‘Big Brother’ scheme, which was launched to help
youngsters who had lost their fathers during the First World War.
In 1927, the Club embarked on another scheme to raise enough money to
install several of the new-fangled wireless sets of the time in local
hospitals.
During the Second World War, one of the Club’s most memorable
humanitarian events was dealing with the reception of the survivors from
the beaches of Dunkirk, as the exhausted troops arrived back on British soil
at Guildford Station in June 1940.
In the 1960s, significant contributions were made by the Rotary Club of
Guildford to establish Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and the
University of Surrey.
“a
fmaa
A tente VIIIaof temporary homes sent to hélp Asia’s Tsunami victims
The Mayor of Guildford’s Christmas Concert — Page 15
In 2005, Guildford’s three Rotary Clubs swept into action following the
horrific tsunami in the Indian Ocean and raised £4,758 in a day-long street
collection.
With these funds, it was possible to send tents to provide
temporary homes for the disaster’s victims.
The Rotary Club of Guildford continues to raise money to support the
Rotary Club of Calcutta’s Eye Hospital with the necessary sight-saving
equipment. Two years ago, the Club helped to establish another eye
hospital in nearby Hooghly, which now treats 14,000 cataract patients a
year.
Last year, the Club donated £2,000 to the ‘Send a Cow’ campaign, which
works with Community Groups in Africa to provide training for local
farmers in animal husbandry with the gift of a cow, goat or sheep.
This
project provides the means by which communities can generate sufficient
food and income for their family needs, with surplus produce sold to
generate income to purchase other household needs like salt, soap or
paraffin.
Every year, the Rotary Club of Guildford adopts a special charity and this
year, it 1s supporting youth work in the Park Barn area of Guildford.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Rotary Club of Guildford would like to the following for their help in staging
tonight’s concert:Jeremy Backhouse; Members of the Vivace Chorus;
The Surrey Advertiser; The Inner Wheel Club of Guildford;
Kendall’s Van Hire, Ash; Rev. Robert Cotton,
The Staff of the Parish of Holy Trinity and St.Marys Guildford.
BBC Southern Counties Radio; County Sound Radio, Eagle 96.4
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GUILDFORD
FORTHCOMING
CONCERTS
Vivace
Chorus»>
from
THE MUSIC MAKERS
Vaughan Williams ~ ‘Serenade to Music’
Hubert Parry ~ ‘Blest Pair of Sirens’
Edward Elgar ~ ‘The Music Makers’
‘Sea Pictures’ ~ ‘The Lark Ascending’
The songs ‘The Lark Ascending’ and the evocative ‘Sea Pictures’ join a
musical celebration of Music that features the work of three of Britain’s
greatest composers.
Parry’s magnificently noble ‘Blest Pair of Sirens’;
Vaughan Williams choral version of ‘A Serenade to Music and Elgar’s
‘The Music Makers’, which was first performed in 1912.
....AND ALL THAT JAZZ
The Vivace Chorus : The Will Todd Jazz Band
Saturday, May 19" 2007 : Guildford Cathedral : 7.30pm
Conductor : Jeremy Backhouse
Bob Chilcott ~ ‘A Little Jazz Mass’, John Rutter ~ ‘Gloria’
Will Todd
~ ‘A Jazz Set’; ‘Mass in Blue’; ‘Three Anthems’;
Jazz meets the choral tradition in this scintillating mixture of styles.
Both Bob Chilcott and Will Todd (now a local Guildford composer) have
created fantastically innovative Masses for both choir and jazz band.
Also in this musical mix is John Rutter’s ever-popular ‘Gloria’.
The programme also includes some of Will Todd’s highly appealing church
anthems plus his special set for jazz trio. It should be a superb evening!