The Ulster Consort: Season 2023

M U S I C D I R E

C T O R M A T T H E W O W E N S

t h eUlster c o n s o r t Season 2023

Music, when sof t voices die, Vibrates in the memor y

A warm welcome to the Ulster Consort’s 2023 season

It is a real pleasure for me to welcome you to the Ulster Consort’s first, full season of concerts and recitals. Creating a concert season is always an exciting task, and in this first season we have programmed a diverse mix of choral, solo vocal, chamber, and instrumental music, from Renaissance polyphony to Baroque oratorio (with period instruments), through to cutting edge contemporary music.

The Ulster Consort is a flexible group that can range from just a few performers to a group of 40 or more musicians There will almost always be a choral element to our programmes, but it is not a ‘choir’ in the traditional sense of the word, so you will often see new faces and performers depending on the forces required for the music that we are performing

The majority of the concerts are part of our 60 minutes at 6 initiative, which allows attendees to both come to a concert and go out for dinner afterwards, an attractive proposition, we hope!

The Ulster Consort and I are greatly looking forward to sharing these performances with you which, we hope, will “vibrate in the memory” and inspire you to join us on our journey

Matthew Owens Music Director

The joy that music brings to community life is beyond compare, and as a new UNESCO city of music, Belfast rightly celebrates its rich musical heritage and looks to the importance that music will play in the city’s future.

The Ulster Consort is a group of professional singers based in Northern Ireland who perform at the highest level under the direction of Conductor Matthew Owens

As its proud patron, I am excited to commend this ambitious and lovely programme for 2023, which will hear sacred and secular choral masterpieces performed in churches across the city and further afield. I am very much looking forward to the Stainer Crucifixion in March, Neil Hannon’s world première at the Ulster Hall in May, to be followed by the ravishing lyricism of Vaughan Williams and Stanford’s Bluebird in June

You will have your own favourites, but I can say with confidence that a night in the company of the Ulster Consort at whatever stage of year will be special, and it will celebrate the very special joy that is music in our lives.

Patron Dame Fionnuala Jay-O’Boyle DBE DStJ

Lord Lieutenant of the County Borough of Belfast

Sarah was 90 years old

T H E M U S I C O F A R V O P Ä R T

The Woman with the Alabaster Box 6‘ The Beatitudes 7‘ Spiegel im Spiegel 10‘ My Heart’s in the Highlands 9’ Sarah was 90 years old 26’

Friday 13 January, 6pm – 7pm St Molua’s Church, Stormont, Belfast BT4 3LR

Tickets: £10, available at the door or from www.eventbrite.co.uk

The transcendental music of the hugely successful Estonian composer, Arvo Pärt, sometimes referred to as a “holy minimalist” makes him the second most performed living composer in the world This introduction to his music includes his stunning work, Sarah was 90 years old, for three singers, organ, and percussion alongside one of his most popular instrumental works, Spiegel im Spiegel (violin and piano), the haunting setting of My Heart’s in the Highlands (organ and voice), and two choral works, The Woman with the Alabaster Box and his serene yet powerful setting of The Beatitudes.

THE ULSTER CONSORT AND PLAYERS MATTHEW OWENS conductor

Messiaen Meditation (I)

T H E M U S I C O F O L I V I E R M E S S I A E N

La Nativité du Seigneur (1936) 60‘

Thursday 2 February, 6pm – 7pm St Peter’s Cathedral, Belfast BT12 4BU

Tickets: £10, available at the door or from www.eventbrite.co.uk

DARRAGH narrator MATTHEW OWENS

organ

In the eyes of the church, the season of Christmas finishes on 2nd February, 40 days after the birth of Christ, with the Feast of Candlemas To mark the end of the festive season, and in the first of two Director Recitals, Matthew Owens performs one of the great works of the early 20th century, La Nativité du Seigneur (The Birth of our Lord) This is an opportunity to meditate on the deeply spiritual music of one of the finest composers for the organ, Olivier Messiaen The nine-movement work will be played on the mighty 57-stop Kenneth Jones Organ, in the atmospheric and beautiful space of St Peter’s Cathedral.

ALI

Miserere

M U S I C F O R R E F L E C T I O N

Allegri Miserere mei 13‘

Tallis Lamentations of Jeremiah 22‘ Lotti Crucifixus 4‘ Byrd Mass for four voices 20‘

Thursday 2 March, 6pm – 7pm St Malachy’s Church, Belfast BT2 8EN

Tickets: £10, available at the door or from www.eventbrite.co.uk

The Ulster Consort presents a programme of Lenten music, performing some of the glories of the Italian and English Renaissance, including the famous Miserere mei by Gregorio Allegri; a formerly exclusive piece to the Sistine Chapel which – as the story goes –Mozart wrote down from memory after a visit there as a teenager

THE ULSTER CONSORT MATTHEW OWENS conductor

Stainer Crucifixion

M U S I C F O R P A S S I O N T I D E

Stainer The Crucifixion 60‘

Sunday 12 March, 6pm – 7pm Fisherwick Presbyterian Church, Belfast BT9 5DJ

Tickets: £10, available at the door or from www.eventbrite.co.uk

THE ULSTER CONSORT

OWEN LUCAS tenor BEN MCATEER bass TRISTAN RUSSCHER organ

The Crucifixion, subtitled, ‘A Meditation on the Sacred Passion of the Holy Redeemer’, is an oratorio by the distinguished Victorian composer, John Stainer, and is one of the most loved choral works in the English-speaking world. Alongside moments of great poignancy and drama, there are some of the finest hymns ever written, in which the audience is warmly invited to participate, in anticipation of Passion Sunday on 26th March

MATTHEW OWENS conductor

Liebeslieder Waltzes

Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes, Op. 52 27‘

Brahms Vier Gesänge, Op. 17 15‘ together with solo lieder 15‘

THE ULSTER CONSORT AND PLAYERS

JENNY BOURKE alto TRISTAN RUSSCHER piano/piano duet MATTHEW OWENS piano duet/conductor

Thursday 27 April, 6pm – 7pm

St Mark’s Church, Dundela, Belfast BT4 2DR

Tickets: £10, available at the door or from www.eventbrite.co.uk

In the Liebeslieder Waltzes, Johannes Brahms (1833– 97) sets poems by one of his favourite poets, George Friedrich Daumer (1800–75) to charming effect in this music written originally for domestic use The lesser known Vier Gesänge, Op. 17 (Four songs for female choir, two horns, and harp) contain some of the composer’s most ravishing music from his early compositional period.

T H E R O M A N T I C M U S I C O F B R A H M S

Dwellers All in Time and Space

Neil Hannon

To our fathers in distress 30‘ (Northern Ireland Première)

Neil Hannon New Work 40‘ (World Première)

THE ULSTER CONSORT THE ULSTER ORCHESTRA

NATALIE MURRAY BEALE conductor MATTHEW OWENS conductor

Friday 5 May, 7.45pm – 9.30pm

Ulster Hall, Belfast BT2 7FF

Tickets: £10–34, available at the door (subject to availability) and in advance via www.waterfront.co.uk/what-s-on/ dwellers-all-in-time-and-space

This concert marks the Ulster Consort’s debut performance with the Ulster Orchestra. It is an evening in collaboration with Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy, including the World Première of a new work commissioned by the Ulster Orchestra.

Neil’s creativity has always stretched beyond his 30-year pop career, and it is a huge pleasure to perform To Our Fathers In Distress, written to mark the completed renovation of the Royal Festival Hall organ and depicting a Hannon family Sunday. This is an evening that will explore place, family, and history with Neil’s trademark wry affection, through music that takes influences from such disparate sources as Steve Reich, Aaron Copland, and the Anglican Hymnal!

T H E M U S I C O F N E I L H A N N O N , O F T H E D I V I N E C O M E D Y

Messiaen Meditation (II)

Saturday 27 May, 4pm – 4.45pm

St Peter’s Cathedral, Belfast, BT12 4BU

Tickets: £5, available at the door or from www.eventbrite.co.uk

T H E M U S I C O F O L I V I E R M E S S I A E N A N D N A J I H A K I M

Naji Hakim

Missa Resurrectionis (1994) 14‘

Messiaen Messe de la Pentecôte (1949–50) 30‘

SUSAN SHEPHERD soprano MATTHEW OWENS organ

50 days after Easter Day is the Feast of Pentecost, as described in the Acts of the Apostles. This has inspired some of the greatest music over the last 500 years, not least in Olivier Messiaen’s Pentecost Mass for organ, which includes plainsong, birdsong, and an acutely dramatic use of the organ. It is performed on the Eve (or day before) of Pentecost Messiaen premiered the work in 1951 at the Parisian Church of La Trinité, where the composer was organist from 1931 until his death in 1992 It is linked back to Easter with a setting by Olivier Messiaen’s successor at La Trinité, the Lebanese composer, Naji Hakim, whose Resurrection Mass for unaccompanied solo soprano is a virtuosic tour de force for the voice.

Music, when soft voices die, Vibrates in the memory –Odours, when sweet violets sicken, Live within the sense they quicken.

Image: Last Light, Antrim Hills by Kenny McKendry

Rose leaves, when the rose is dead, Are heaped for the belovèd’s bed; And so thy thoughts, when thou art gone, Love itself shall slumber on.

Serenade to Music

A C E L E B R A T I O N O F B R I T I S H A N D I R I S H M U S I C

Parry I was glad 6‘

Stanford Three Motets 9‘

Stanford Two Preludes on Old Irish Church Melodies 6‘ Pearsall Lay a garland 3‘

Vaughan Williams Serenade to Music 14‘

Elgar The spirit of the Lord is upon me 7‘ Elgar Nimrod (from Enigma Variations) 5‘

Wood Music when soft voices die 3‘

Stanford The Bluebird 3‘

Vaughan Williams Five mystical songs 20‘

Saturday 3 June, 7.30pm – 9.15pm

Portico of Ards, Portaferry, County Down BT22 1LE

Tickets: £20 (£5 concessions), available at the door or in advance from www.porticoards.com/whats-on

In music fit for a summer’s evening, the Ulster Consort presents well-known works by some of the giants of the British and Irish music scene of the 19th and 20th centuries. These include Dublin-born Charles Villiers Stanford, and Armagh-born Charles Wood, both of whom taught Ralph Vaughan Williams, as did Hubert Parry In contrast, Edward Elgar was largely self-taught, but is now regarded as one of the finest composers of his generation Celebrate this rich musical legacy from these islands in this feast of choral and organ music.

THE ULSTER CONSORT TRISTAN RUSSCHER organ/piano MATTHEW OWENS conductor

O for the wings of a dove!

R T

Mendelssohn

Verleih’ uns Frieden, op posth (1831) 6‘

Mendelssohn I waited for the Lord 5‘ Schubert Psalm 23, D. 706 5‘ Schubert Sanctus (from the German Mass, D. 872) 3‘

Schubert Fantasia in F minor, for piano, four hands, D. 940 20‘

Mendelssohn Ave Maria, Op. 23, no. 2 7‘ Mendelssohn Hear my prayer (1845) 11‘

Thursday 21 September, 6pm – 7pm St Mark’s Church, Dundela, Belfast BT4 2DR

Tickets: £10, available at the door or from www.eventbrite.co.uk

The radiant music of two early Romantic Period composers, whose lives were cut tragically short, Felix Mendelssohn (1809–47) and Franz Schubert (1797–1828), is featured in this concert. The choral music of these leading lights of the early 19th century, from Germany and Austria respectively, are performed alongside one of the finest piano duets ever written, the Fantasia in F minor.

T H E M U S I C O F M E N D E L S S O H N A N D S C H U B E

THE ULSTER CONSORT LYNDA BARRETT soprano TRISTAN RUSSCHER organ/piano/piano duet MATTHEW OWENS piano duet/conductor

Morality, Nature and Love

T H E I N T I M A T E M U S I C O F G E O R G E F R I D E R I C H A N D E L

Handel

Nine German Arias, HWV 202-10 45‘

Handel

Violin Sonata in F major, HWV 370 12‘

THE ULSTER CONSORT PLAYERS (ON PERIOD INSTRUMENTS)

ALI DARRAGH soprano

Thursday 12 October, 6pm – 7pm

Church of the Good Shepherd, Belfast BT7 3GR

Tickets: £10, available at the door or from www.eventbrite.co.uk

Handel composed very little music for his original native tongue of German. These nine arias were written in 1725, 16 years after the composer arrived in London, and hold a special place in the composer’s vocal output Handel sets texts by Barthold Heinrich Brockes, from his Irdisches Vergnugen in Gott (Earthly Comforts of God), published in 1721, which focus morality, nature, and love. They are intimate in scale, written for solo soprano, violin, and continuo (organ and cello)

May flights of angels

M U S I C F O R R E M E M B R A N C E

Tavener Song for Athene 7‘

Duruflé Prélude et Fugue sur le nom d’Alain, Op. 7 12‘

Duruflé Requiem, Op. 9 42‘

THE ULSTER CONSORT ROSALIE CURLETT cello TRISTAN RUSSCHER organ MATTHEW OWENS conductor

Friday 10 November, 6pm – 7pm

Parish Church of St Thomas, Belfast BT9 6DW

Tickets: £10, available at the door or from www.eventbrite.co.uk

A programme for the season of Remembrance (covering All Souls’ Day on 2nd November, through to Remembrance Sunday) begins with Song for Athene. This piece confirmed John Tavener’s status as the UK’s leading spiritualist composer when it was performed, to deeply powerful effect, in 1997 at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in Westminster Abbey. Alongside this are two works by one of the finest French composers of the 20th century, Maurice Duruflé (1902–86). The first (Prélude et Fugue) is a work in memory of fellow composer, Jehan Alain (1911–40), killed in action during the second world war. The final work is a truly sublime setting of the Requiem, the music being based on Gregorian Chant, lending it a timeless and luminous quality which is arguably unsurpassed

Messiah

H A N D E L ’ S G R E A T M A S T E R P I E C E

Handel Messiah 120‘

Friday 1 December, 7.30pm – 9.45pm Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Newcastle, County Down BT33 0SJ

Saturday 2 December, 7.30pm – 9.45pm St Malachy’s Church, Belfast BT2 8EN

Tickets: £10–£30, available in advance via eventbrite.co.uk, and on the evening at the door

THE ULSTER CONSORT AND PLAYERS (ON PERIOD INSTRUMENTS)

RACHAEL HEATER soprano

MARGARET BRIDGE mezzo soprano

THOMAS ELWIN tenor

MALACHY FRAME baritone

MATTHEW OWENS conductor

What better way to prepare for Christmas than with a performance of Handel’s most famous work, Messiah, first performed in Dublin in 1742. The Ulster Consort uses small forces and period instruments in an historically informed and exciting way. These performances follow the acclaimed December 2019 Messiah, which was the debut concert of Northern Ireland’s newest professional vocal ensemble, the Ulster Consort

These concerts are generously sponsored by Cathedral Eye Clinic

Christmas by Candlelight

THE ULSTER CONSORT TRISTAN RUSSCHER organ MATTHEW OWENS conductor

Saturday 16 December, 7.30pm – 9pm

St Mark’s, Dundela, Belfast BT4 2DR

Tickets: £15, available in advance via eventbrite.co.uk, and on the evening at the door

Early booking is advised for this concert when the Ulster Consort performs seasonal sacred music and lighter festive favourites, interspersed with readings, in the candlelit surroundings of C.S. Lewis’s childhood church, St Mark’s, Dundela

C H R I S T M A S W I T H T H E U L S T E R C O N S O R T

Biographies

The Ulster Consort, which made its debut with a stellar, critically acclaimed performance of Handel’s Messiah in December 2019, is Northern Ireland’s newest professional music ensemble and one of the very few professional vocal ensembles in the country Founded by the internationally renowned and now Belfast-based conductor, Matthew Owens, the large core of the Consort’s performers consists of Northern Irish singers, and singers based in Northern Ireland

Its energies are focused on concert performances of the finest works of the Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical periods – working with period instruments and in an historically informed manner – through to the glorious smaller-scaled works of the Romantic era and the 20th century It will also collaborate with some of Europe’s finest contemporary composers in concert and recording projects. It has recorded for the BBC and has a number of CD recording projects planned with Resonus Classics (resonusclassics.com).

The Ulster Consort’s ‘home’ is Belfast, but it will also perform throughout the six Ulster counties of Northern Ireland, the three Ulster counties of the Republic of Ireland, and further afield ulsterconsort.org @ulsterconsort

Matthew Owens is Founder and Music

Director of The Ulster Consort, Northern Ireland’s newest professional vocal and instrumental ensemble; Conductor of the Belfast City Chorus; and Associate Director of the Grand Rapids Choir of Men and Boys

in Michigan, USA Previously, he was the director of music at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Edinburgh, and Wells Cathedral Under his leadership, Wells Cathedral Choir was named by an international jury for Gramophone as the best choir in the world with children, and the sixth greatest overall. From 2019–2022, he was Director of Music of Belfast Cathedral, where he re-established the choir as a professional adult ensemble, winning international acclaim for its work: “it could well be the finest all-adult standing choir of its kind anywhere, with near-perfect vowel harmony, blend, enunciation, nuanced awareness of phrase and an exceptional, bright and pure soprano group.” (Gramophone).

He has guest conducted, among others, the London Mozart Players, English Symphony Orchestra, Southern Sinfonia, Scottish Ensemble, Nash Ensemble, Brook Street Band, and the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra. As a conductor he has made over 30 CDs with major labels, and now records exclusively for the award-winning label, Resonus Classics. He has directed choral workshops and summer schools throughout the UK and abroad – including Australia, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Kenya, Luxembourg, New Zealand, and the USA.

Matthew has championed new music, particularly of British composers, conducting over 200 world premieres, including works by leading composers ranging from John Rutter to Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, and Jools Holland to Sir James MacMillan. matthewowens.org.uk @MatthewOwensUK

t h eUlster c o n s o r t

J O I N O U R F R I E N D S P R O G R A M M E

Everyone needs friends, and for this new, exciting vocal ensemble to grow and flourish we really need your help. Our Friends Programme will help to build a new community and create opportunities, ensuring that Northern Ireland can experience performances of the highest possible standard

Becoming a Friend is the best way to hear about the Ulster Consort’s news and events In addition to receiving benefits such as advance information about concerts, special invitations, and events, those giving at the higher levels will also have the opportunity to forge a real relationship with the Consort and its internationally renowned conductor, Matthew Owens

C AT E G O R I E S O F G I V I N G

Bronze level (£60 pa or £5 per month)

Advanced notice of events, plus acknowledgment in publicity material, and an annual Friends reception

Silver level (£120 pa or £10 per month)

All the above benefits of Bronze, plus reserved seating, and a free programme at all concerts

Gold level (£240 pa or £20 per month)

All the above benefits of Silver, plus an invitation to meet the conductor and attend a private rehearsal

Platinum level (£360 pa or £30 per month)

All the above benefits of Gold, plus unlimited access to private rehearsals and an invitation to an annual Friends Dinner with the conductor

SIGN UP TODAY TO BECOME A FRIEND BY EMAILING hello@ulsterconsort.org

B E C O M E A B E N E FA C T O R O R C O R P O R AT E S P O N S O R

If you would like to support us at a higher level, please get in touch by emailing us via hello@ulsterconsort.org – we have tailor made packages for Benefactors and Corporatre Sponsors; details are available upon request.

“The better part of one’s life consists of friendships”(Abraham Lincoln)

Front and back cover image: Big Sky Over Blackhead by Kenny McKendry