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Bach, Brahms, Reger - a moving tribute
24 November 2019
Early on Saturday morning we heard the tragic news
that our former Musical Director, Sir Stephen Cleobury CBE, had died
late on Friday night. Sir Stephen was our Musical Director fo 1971
until 1974, and his scrupulous and fastidious working methodology
even seems to have extended to his birth and death. He was a
musician so closely associated with Christmas Carols, who was born
in Christmastide 1948, and who died on the Feast Day of St Cecilia,
Patron Saint of Music, 2019.
Reger in Rehearsal
Our concert was, of course, dedicated to his memory, and the
programme couldn’t have been more fitting. One of J. S. Bach’s most
celebrated organ works, the Passacaglia and Fugue, arranged
for piano duet by Max Reger, and two Requiem settings - one
by Reger himself, and the culmination of the concert, Brahms’s
Ein deutsches Requiem. Of course, neither of these two Requiem
settings sets the traditional Latin Requiem, but one is a poem
entitled Requiem, and the other is a set of seven movements setting
verses from the Bible, on death and consolation.
Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit
Indeed, Lee’s directive from our first rehearsal of the Brahms
was to emphasise consolation, redemption, and hope, and to downplay
the fire and brimstone. The chosen tempi were relaxed, never rushed,
and always taking care to ensure there was hope - a ray of light
.
Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit
We were delighted to be accompanied on piano duet by our
répétiteur Ivan Linford and our good friend William Thallon, and we
were joined by soloists Rebecca Bottone and Gwion Thomas. Rebecca’s
movement Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit, was a particular highlight
- not accompanied by piano duet, but piano solo, as a simple song,
with a small semichorus singing with her, all unconnected, with the
choir sat down. A sudden moment of total intimacy in what was a
truly memorable and moving evening.
Our pianists rehearsing Bach's
Passacaglia
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