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Welcome to the 2012 Three Choirs Festival at Hereford
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages …
For many people, 2012 will be remembered as Olympics year. In pondering how a classical music festival might reflect this major national sporting event – the two not being perhaps the most obvious of companions – it struck me that the Games are a form of modern secular pilgrimage, and this idea provided me with the starting point for this year’s festival.
We are an island nation and our Olympic (and Three Choirs) visitors will have to travel over or under the sea to reach us. Maritime themes have always been important inspirations for poets and composers and we present three settings of Whitman : Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony and Three Poems by Walt Whitman , and Delius’s Sea Drift.
Delius was born in 1862 and the orchestral concert combines his Cello Concerto with La mer by Debussy, who was born in the same year. Stravinsky’s The Firebird and Ravel’s Boléro complete this evening of musical fireworks.
The centrepiece of the programme is a rare performance of Sir George Dyson’s The Canterbury Pilgrims. Today, Dyson’s name may not be familiar to many outside the world of church music, but in the mid twentieth century he was a highly influential figure in the musical life of this country, and this work, full of exciting choral writing and orchestral colour, deserves to be far better known. I hope that this revival will encourage a new look at this unjustly neglected composer.
John Ireland died in 1962 and his London Overture will be a marvellous opener for a programme which includes Elgar’s The Music Makers, first performed in 1912. Elgar championed the works of the young Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and we mark the centenary of his tragically early death with a performance of his Clarinet Quintet and Petite Suite de Concert.
The Three Cathedral Choirs of Gloucester, Hereford and Worcester are right at the heart of the festival, combining for three joint Evensongs and a performance of Bach’s St John Passion
We are delighted to welcome the Philharmonia Orchestra once again. Read more about its new three-year residency at the festival on our web site (www.3choirs.org).
The festival’s vibrant tradition of commissioning and performing new music continues, with world premieres by Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, David Briggs, Joe Cutler, Patrick Doyle, Bernard Hughes, Francis Pott and Dobrinka Tabakova, and further performances of new works by Judith Bingham, Francis Grier and Joseph Phibbs.
We begin with Haydn’s ever-popular The Creation , and end – as the Olympics begin –with Berlioz’ dramatic Te Deum , complete with its original ‘March for the Presentation of Flags’.
These are some of the highlights of Hereford 2012, but there’s much, much more, including the exciting programme of Three Choirs Plus events on pages 16 & 17. However you’re planning to get here, we look forward to seeing you !
Geraint Bowen Artistic director & festival conductor
[1] Opening Service
11.30 am Hereford Cathedral
Entrance is by ticket only (free of charge)
Festival Chorus
Hereford Cathedral Choir
Philharmonia Brass
Geraint Bowen conductor
Parry I was glad
Britten Venite exultemus Domino
Howells Behold, O God our defender
Walton Coronation Te Deum
Willan O Lord our Governour
Walton March ‘Crown Imperial’
[2] Return coach travel
1.45 pm From Broad Street, Hereford to Holy Trinity Church
£4
[3] Recital by Dame Felicity Lott
2.30 pm Holy Trinity Church hr4 0dh
Supported by Mr Peter Ascroft
£22.50, £16
Dame Felicity Lott soprano
Graham Johnson piano
We are delighted to welcome Dame Felicity in her new role as Patron of the Three Choirs
Festival Society to perform a recital of wellknown English song by Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Bridge, Warlock, Quilter, Gurney and Britten.
[4] Wulstan Atkins Memorial Lecture
5 pm St John’s Methodist Church, Hereford
Supported by Ms Katharine O’Carroll and Mr Robert Atkins
£10 (unreserved)
The 1662 Legend
The Revd Stephen Williams examines the early history of the Three Choirs Festival. When did it really start and can this debate be resolved?
[5] Festival Reception
6 pm The Great Hall of the Bishop’s Palace
£9
Join the Friends of Hereford Three Choirs Festival for drinks and canapés before the evening concert.
[6] The Creation *
7.45 pm Hereford Cathedral
Supported by the Rowlands Trust in memory of Kevin Mason
£40, £35, £25, £20, £15, £7
Festival Chorus
Philharmonia Orchestra
Geraint Bowen conductor
Elizabeth Cragg soprano
James Oxley tenor
Giles Underwood bass
Haydn The Creation
[7] Festival Fireworks Reception
10 pm The Great Hall of the Bishop’s Palace
Hosted by Hereford Cathedral Perpetual Trust
£15
This reception with drinks and canapés will begin shortly after the end of the evening concert. www.3choirs.org
Festival Eucharist
10.30 am Hereford Cathedral
Hereford Cathedral Choir
Philharmonia Orchestra
Geraint Bowen conductor
Lucy Bowen soprano
Susanna Spicer mezzo-soprano
James Oxley tenor
Giles Underwood bass
Richard Rodney Bennett One Equal Music
Frank Clarke-Whitfeld Trust commission : world premiere
Haydn Nelson Mass
Taverner Dum transisset sabbatum
[8] Return coach travel
1.15 pm From Broad Street, Hereford to Wyastone Concert Hall
£8.50
[9] Brandenburg Concertos
2.30 pm Wyastone Concert Hall np25 3sx
£26, £22
Brecon Baroque
Rachel Podger violin, director
J S Bach Triple Concerto bwv 1044
J S Bach Brandenburg Concertos Nos 2, 4 & 5
Rachel Podger is one of the most creative talents in the field of period performance and has established herself as a leading interpreter of the music of the Baroque period. We are delighted to welcome her back to the festival.
Choral Evensong
5.30 pm Hereford Cathedral
Hereford Cathedral Voluntary Choir
Peter Dyke conductor
Douglas Tang organ
Tunnard Responses
Bairstow Evening Service in G
Francis Pott The Love of God is in Eternity
world premiere
Howells Rhapsody No 3
Hot Supper
6 pm Dining Room, Hereford Cathedral School
£15
Please see page 22 for further details.
[10] Orchestral Concert *
7.45 pm Hereford Cathedral
Supported by the Delius Trust and Mr & Mrs S N Allen
Julian Lloyd Webber is supported by Joanna Brickell
£40, £35, £25, £20, £15, £7
Philharmonia Orchestra
Diego Matheuz conductor
Julian Lloyd Webber cello
Stravinsky Firebird Suite
Delius Cello Concerto
Debussy La mer
Ravel Boléro
[11] Home Brewed with the Lay Clerks
10.15 pm All Saints’ Church, Hereford
£10 (unreserved)
Let the Lay Clerks of Hereford Cathedral brew you a frothy mixture of songs – some mild and light, others dark but not bitter. All served at room temperature, straight from The Barrels. Ticket Office 0845 652 1823 (from Monday 16 April)
[12] Kentchurch Court
9.30 am From Broad Street, Hereford
£27.50
Kentchurch Court dates from the 14th century and is set in beautiful gardens. The price includes coach transport, a tour of the house, mid-morning refreshments and a short harp recital by Bronwen Wilkins, a student at the Royal College of Music.
This Three Choirs Festival Society excursion is restricted to a single coach. If places are still available after the priority booking period, these will be available to the general public.
Return to Hereford by 1 pm.
[13] Return coach travel
10.15 am From Broad Street, Hereford to Belmont Abbey
£4
[14] Recital by Thomas Trotter
11 am Belmont Abbey hr2 9rz
Supported by the Friends of Herefordshire
Museums & Arts and Mr & Mrs J M Renshall
£15, £12 (unreserved)
Thomas Trotter organ
Handel Organ Concerto Op. 4 No 2
Widor Allegro (Symphony No 5)
Francis Grier Meditation (2012)
Michael Nyman Fourths, Mostly
Elgar Vesper Voluntaries
Rossini Overture to William Tell (arr. Lemare)
[15] Talk by Robert Rogers
11 am The Green Dragon Hotel, Hereford
Promoted by Hereford Cathedral Perpetual Trust
£12.50 (unreserved)
Order! Order!
The Clerk of the House of Commons recounts some of the drama, invective and hilarity that is the stuff of Parliamentary politics. There will be an opportunity for questions.
[16] Talk by Michael Tavinor
1 pm Festival Marquee (No 1 Castle Street)
£10 (unreserved)
Saints and Sinners of the Marches
‘Saints and sinners are not that far apart’, maintains the Dean of Hereford in this new anthology, which introduces us to some of the many different characters who have influenced this part of the world. In this Three Choirs week, the author selects mainly musicians from the book and tells their extraordinary stories.
[17] Period String Masterclass
2 pm Council Chamber, Hereford Town Hall
£5 (unreserved)
This three-hour masterclass has been awarded the ‘Inspire’ mark by the Cultural Olympiad. It is led by period string specialist Rachel Podger and will feature five soloists from top music colleges.
[18] Three Choirs Festival Youth Choir *
2.30 pm Hereford Cathedral
Supported by the Fidelio Charitable Trust
£30, £26, £18, £14, £10, £5
Three Choirs Festival Youth Choir
Orchestra of the Swan
David Hill conductor
Katie Trethewey soprano
Marcus Farnsworth baritone
Debussy Danse sacrée et danse profane
Dobrinka Tabakova Centuries of Meditations festival commission : world premiere
Fauré Requiem
As well as Gabriel Fauré’s timeless Requiem , this concert features a new work by Dobrinka Tabakova which has been inspired by the Traherne windows in Hereford Cathedral.
We are delighted to announce that the youth choir has been awarded the ‘Inspire’ mark by the Cultural Olympiad for the second time.
Ticket Office 0845 652 1823 (from Monday 16 April)
[19] Talk by Rolf Jordan &
guests
5 pm Festival Marquee (No 1 Castle Street)
Promoted by the RVW Society
£10 (unreserved)
A Bigger Splash : Ralph Vaughan Williams and his Sea Symphony
Rolf Jordan is an artist and designer whose work includes an exhibition entitled ‘Inspired by English Music’. He edited the Finzi anthology
The Clock of the Years and is currently editor of the Finzi Journal.
Refreshments will be served.
[20] Composer Symposium
5 pm St John’s Methodist Church, Hereford
£10 (unreserved)
Judith Bingham, Joseph Phibbs & Dobrinka Tabakova
Three composers whose new works are being performed during the festival appear in a symposium on composition, chaired by Stephen Johnson.
[21] Period String Masterclass Showcase
5.15 pm Council Chamber, Hereford Town Hall
£2 (unreserved), free to those who attended the earlier masterclass.
A competitive showcase of the work covered in the masterclass. The winner will be invited to perform at the Gloucester festival in 2013.
Choral Evensong
5.30 pm Hereford Cathedral
Three Cathedral Choirs
Peter Nardone conductor
Peter Dyke organ
Radcliffe Responses
Gray Evening Service in F minor
Jonathan Dove Vast Ocean of Light
Cecilia McDowall Sounding Heaven and Earth
Hot Supper
6 pm Dining Room, Hereford Cathedral School
£15
Please see page 22 for further details.
[22] A Sea Symphony *
7.45 pm Hereford Cathedral
Supported by Mr Bernard Day
Owen Gilhooly is supported by Mrs Pamela White
£40, £35, £25, £20, £15, £7
Festival Chorus
Philharmonia Orchestra
Adrian Partington conductor
Ailish Tynan soprano
Owen Gilhooly baritone
Mendelssohn ‘Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage’ Overture
Joseph Phibbs Rivers to the Sea Philharmonia Orchestra & Anvil Arts commission
Vaughan Williams A Sea Symphony
[23] Kit and Kaboodle
10.15 pm Shirehall, Hereford
£12 (unreserved)
Kit Hesketh-Harvey
James McConnel piano
Kit Hesketh-Harvey, a doyen of the cabaret circuit, transports his public to the very terminus of Western art.
tuesday 24 july
[24] Recital by Emma Johnson 11 am Shirehall, Hereford
£19, £15
Emma Johnson clarinet
John Lenehan piano
Mendelssohn Sonata in E flat
Schumann Fantasiestücke
Ireland Fantasy Sonata
Poulenc Sonata
Stravinsky Three Pieces
Bliss Pastoral
Horovitz Majorcan Pieces
Do you know a choral music lover?
Are you looking for the ideal birthday or Christmas present?
Why not try the Three Choirs Festival gift voucher, and contribute to a magical musical experience that will never be forgotten!
Vouchers are available from the Ticket Office during our advertised opening hours.
Please call us on 0845 652 1823 and we will be more than happy to help.
We look forward to hearing from you soon. www.3choirs.org
[25] Three Choirs Festival Society
Lunch
12.30 pm Festival Marquee (No 1 Castle Street)
£25
Open to members of the Festival Society only. With guest speakers Dame Felicity Lott and David Hill.
[26] Lunchtime Organ Recital
1 pm Holy Trinity Church hr4 0dh
£5 (unreserved)
The first in a series of four recitals given by prizewinning young players selected by the Royal College of Organists.
[27] The King’s Singers *
2.30 pm Hereford Cathedral
£30, £26, £15, £6
Royal Rhymes and Rounds
To mark the Diamond Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II, we will hear a lively programme of secular music from the reigns of some of her more colourful forebears, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Victoria.
[28] Friends’ Garden Party
4 pm Bishop’s Palace Garden
£8
[29] Recital by Hannah Roper
5 pm Shirehall, Hereford
Supported by Mrs Clare Wichbold
£10 (unreserved)
Hannah Roper violin
Joanne Sealey piano
Programme to include Elgar Sonata in E minor
Hannah holds an award from the Martin Musical Scholarship Fund, administered by the Philharmonia Orchestra, for the encouragement and support of gifted young musicians.
Three Choirs Festival Society AGM
6 pm Festival Marquee (No 1 Castle Street)
Hot Supper
This event, hosted by the Friends of Hereford Three Choirs Festival, is open to all. www.3choirs.org (online
6 pm Dining Room, Hereford Cathedral School
£15
Please see page 22 for further details.
[30] St John Passion *
7.45 pm Hereford Cathedral
Supported by the Friends of Hereford Three Choirs Festival
The choristers are sponsored by Lee Bolton Monier Williams
£40, £35, £25, £20, £15, £7
Three Cathedral Choirs
Music for Awhile Orchestra
Geraint Bowen conductor
John Mark Ainsley Evangelist
Alex Ashworth Christus
Natalie Clifton-Griffith soprano
Iestyn Davies countertenor
Simon Wall tenor
Matthew Brook bass
J S Bach St John Passion
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