The Christmas concert given by the Bollington Festival Choir this year offered an interesting programme of music entirely English, making it quite different from the usual resources. Much of the first half presented the ‘Missa Brevis’ of the contemporary composer Cecilia McDowall: in the second half, a new work by the composer/conductor of the choir Donald Judge was premiered, its title ‘Some say …’ pointed to the introduction of a dramatic piece based on the first scenes of Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’. With this, of course, there was the customary choice for choir and audience of well-loved carols, but even so, there were included two organ solos from the twentieth century and two works of Rutter. The audience was thus alerted to the old and the new in Christian thought in England, an atmosphere of the usual quiet peace and calm interrupted by an element of dramatic unease which was a surprise for the listener.
The programme notes offered copious information on the composers and their works in this twenty-first century as well as that of Ralph Vaughn Williams in the twentieth century whose ‘Fantasia’ came towards the end of the concert. These notes are excellent, giving the reader much to think about. The inspiration and ideas of McDowall and Mr Judge are given by the composers themselves. They are not merely ‘programmes notes’ but they reveal the composers’ mind in the creation of their music. This writer encourages the reader to peruse these short dissertations because they are invaluable for the understanding of the new works.
As the concert unfolded, the lovely quiet atmosphere of interior peace and meditation as the audience listened and took part in the first items, gave way to an element of disturbance. The Missa Brevis of Cecelia McDowall gave way to a ‘Linguae Ignis’ episode instead of the Credo. The elegance and cool grace of the Kyrie with its interesting harmonious and attractive rhythms, the chorus sustaining high, beautiful notes with ethereal effect both there and in the Agnus Dei later changed to dramatic rhythms and unusual harmonies as the fire of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost swept down with turbulent impact. The choir sang this well. It is tonal but unmistakably modern. The whole work is attractive.
After a series of tradition song with the choir in lovely tone, the programme came to the ‘Some say …’ of Donald Judge. Anyone familiar with his composed works for the choir will recognise an imaginative and individual musical intellect at work, modern but tonal, and within reach of those unused to the twentieth century rejection and break with inherited form in music. He reached for the opening scene in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and selected individual lines and passages with which he created an almost operatic ‘scena’ – his own word for the form of it. Everyone acquainted with the opening of Hamlet will know the quick alarmed exchanges on the battlements of Elsinore and the dread of a ghostly apparition from the dark underworld, which gives way to the lovely reference of Marcellus to the holy, innocent peace surrounding the birth of Christ our Saviour. The contrast in the juxta-position of the dark menace and horror of the ghost world, here with its violent story of murder and betrayal, and the innocence of the Holy Child was brought out in this scena composed by Mr Judge. The effect of his music did justice to the written words, however, he introduces the chorus into the opening exchanges- and here is pause for thought. Some may wonder, as does the writer, whether the chorus should have a place on those battlements. Those three or four men who mount the guard are alone there. They are cold, full of terrifying dread, until they think of the Holy Child. When the ghost returns, even Horatio trembles: when Hamlet himself hears of this apparition, he swears them to secrecy. Even so, an artistic link can be found in this presence that night and in what follows. They witness the apparition and echo the dread and then they think with Marcellus of the Holy Child and finally inform the shepherds as Angels of the good news before the ‘Fear Not’. All this is an artistic design of Mr Judge, and this artistry can be found in all his works. It was stimulating to hear it all. It is all there in his programme notes, as he describes how he deals with its problems. He dealt with the chorus by transforming it – but not completely.
The concert ended with Vaughan Williams Fantasia, so well-loved and into ‘I saw three ships’ by John Rutter. The charm, the lightness of heart, the cheerful whistling was a lovely end to a very interesting evening.
JH