Love, Death and the Maiden
Palestrina / Guerrero / Vaughan Williams
Saturday 5 November 2016, 7.30pm
Pre-concert talk 7:15pm
Sacred Heart Cathedral
Hill Street
Wellington
Directed by Michael Stewart
The concepts of love and loss will be explored The Tudor Consort's next programme, which the choir will perform following their appearance at Sing Aotearoa, New Zealand's national choral festival.
Love, Death and the Maiden will comprise a delectable assortment of choral music from the sacred and secular worlds, spanning the Renaissance through to the 20th Century.
"The turbulent emotions of love and crushing despair of losing that love are central to our existence as human beings", says Music Director Michael Stewart. "This programme presents the responses of composers ancient and modern to these universal feelings."
Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina's mystical setting of the Stabat Mater, the 13th Century hymn depicting the suffering of Mary at the foot of the Cross, will feature alongside works by Orlando Lassus, Francisco Guerrero, Jean Mouton, Antoine Brumel, and Jacobus Clemens non Papa. Ralph Vaughan Williams's ethereal The Lover's Ghost and Gerald Finzi's ebullient My spirit sang all day are sure to delight as well as a popular Beatles arrangement.
"It's been exciting to see the different approaches from former Music Directors", comments Stewart. "But I am particularly looking forward to 'returning home' to my choir and leading this beautiful programme. Truly, these are some of my favourite composers and I can't think of a better way to end our subscription season".
Programme
Giovanni Pierluigi de Palestrina | Stabat Mater Dolorosa
Cipriano de Rore | Se ben il duol
Orlando Lassus | Mon coeur se recommande à vous
Francisco Guerrero | Ave Virgo sanctissima
Jean Mouton | Quis dabit oculis?
Antoine Brumel | Sicut lilium
Jacobus Clemens non Papa | Ego flos campi
Ralph Vaughan Williams | The Lover's Ghost
Gerald Finzi | My spirit sang all day
Healey Willan | I beheld her; Fair in face; Rise up, my love
Robert Pearsall | Lay a garland
The Beatles (arr. King's Singers) | Michelle
This concert was part of the 2016 Performance Series.