Text

If you wish to receive e-mail notifications of future concerts, please send a request to iomearlymusic@icloud.com

The Tallis Consort’s 2014 Spring Recitals took place at Ballaugh Church on 2nd May and at

St Mary’s Church, Douglas on 5th May. The theme of the concerts was “Jubilate” and the programme included various interpretations by different composers. The full programme is set out below.

Jubilate Deo

Laetentur Coeli

Rejoice, Rejoice

O Nata Lux

Totus Tuus

Una Hora

Hear my Prayer, O Lord

Jauchzet dem Herren

Jubilate

All Creatures Now

Now is the Month of Maying

The Blue Bird

A little 3-part fugue

Orlando di Lasso

William Byrd

Thomas Tallis

Henryk Gorecki

Tomas Luis de Victoria

Henry Purcell

Heinrich Schütz

Bob Chilcott

John Bennet

Thomas Morley

CV Stanford

JS Bach arr P Litman

Jubilate – O, be Joyful – was the central theme for the Tallis Consort’s 2104 Spring Concerts, which featured early sacred and secular music mingled with a touch of modernism to give something joyous to everyone.

We opened with three songs of joy featuring music by Lasso (c1532-1594) and Byrd (c1543-1623) before the more reserved music of Tallis (1505-1585). The pace and mood of Totus Tuus, by Gorecki (1933-2010) provided a stark contrast to the complex polyphony of the preceding renaissance era music. Totus Tuus was first performed in 1987 in Warsaw at a High Mass held by Pope John Paul II during a visit to his native land. Returning to music of an earlier time we moved on to a contemplative piece for lower voices by Victoria (c1548- 1611) before the cry from the heart that is Hear my prayer, O Lord, by Purcell (1659-1695). The first half ended as it started, with music of great joy, this time from Schütz (1585-1672). It reflects the Venetian style but with German text and is set for double choir, one large and one small, in which the small choir acts as an answering echo from the back of the church.

Our Jubilate theme opened the second half with the appropriately entitled ‘Jubilate’ by the prolific and in-demand contemporary composer, Bob Chilcott. The text is a combination of Psalm 100 and the poem, Prayer by Gerald Manley Hopkins. Unusually for the Tallis Consort, though not without precedent, the piece is accompanied on the piano. We headed back to more familiar territory with two well known madrigals of the Elizabethan period, with Bennet (1575-1614) affording the highest praise to fair Oriana, Elizabeth I thinly disguised. Peace and tranquility was brought to bear with The Bluebird by Stanford (1852-1924). We rounded off the evening with a transcription of Fugue 21 from Bach’s (1685-1750) Well Tempered Clavier collection of Preludes and Fugues. This arrangement was made by Peter Litman during his ‘A’ Level years at school and his ability to transform a 3 part fugue into 4 voices is to be admired. Whatever you make of it, it is a joy to sing!