Christmas Concert 2023 at St Mellitus
Sun, 10 Dec 2023
London Medical Orchestra are joined by Tottenham Community Choir and cellist Josh Salter for a spectacular concert Choral classics by Karl Jenkins and John Rutter are performed alongside orchestral favourites including Dvorak's cello concerto and the Overture to The Barber of Seville by Rossini, made famous by Bugs Bunny in Looney Tunes. |
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In support of:
Word for WeaponsRegistered Charity no. 1174262www.word4weapons.co.uk |
Programme Notes
Sir Karl William Pamp Jenkins (b. 1944) - Adiemus
The song Adiemus uses a mixture of Africal-tribal and Celtic-style melodies with lyrics in an invented language. The intention is to use the voice as an instrument to make music, not to convey a message. The text is written phonetically but not in any language.Adiemus was premiered in a 1994 Delta Airlines T.V. advertisement with vocalists Miriam Stockley and Mary Carewe. It was recorded by the Adiemus project and released on the 1995 'Songs of Sanctuary' album.
Antonin Dvorak (1841 - 1904) - Cello Concert in b minor Op 104
Dvorak was a Czech composer whose musical style was heavily influenced by the folk traditions of his native Bohemia. He wrote a substantial body of music for chamber groups, keyboards, singers, and for orchestra with early public performances in Prague. A successful performance of his 'Stabat Mater' in London in 1883 launched an international career. In 1892 he moved to the U.S. to become director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York city and it was here that he wrote his two most successful works, the symphony 'From the New World' and the 'Cello Concerto'.Dvorak wrote the Cello Concerto in 1894 at the request of cellist Hanus Wihan. The third movement was a tribute to his sister-in-law Josefina Kaunitzova who was seriously ill; the slow wistful section before the triumphant ending quotes his song 'Leave Me Alone' (Opus 82 B157, no 1), a favourite of hers. Wihan made various suggestions for improvement, including two cadenzas, but Dvorak insisted there should be no alterations. The cello concerto was premiered in London in 1896 with Dvorak conductiing but with Leo Stern as soloist.
Gioachino Rossini (1792 - 1863) - Barber of Seville Overture
Rossini, an italian composer, wrote some 39 operas as well as sacred music, songs, chamber music and piano pieces. The 'Barber of Seville' is a comic opera, considered to be one of the greatest masterpieces of comedy within music. It is based on the first of three plays by Pierre Beumarchais and revolved around the enterprising character of Figaro, the eponymous barber.The overture is actually recycled from two earlier Rossini operas and contains none of the thematic material from the opera itself! Its purpose is simply to entertain, lift the spirits , and introduce a musical 'sparkle'.
Traditional (arr. Nicki Williamson) - Shenandoah
This song appears to have originated with American and Canadian voyagers or fur traders travelling down the Missouri River in canoes, who were known to be great singers. 'Shenandoah' may be translated as 'Beautiful Daughter of the Stars'; legend has it that Shenandoah was once a great lake in the mountains of Virginia.John Milford Rutter (b. 1945) - Angel's Carol
Rutter first composed 'Angels' Carol' in the 1980s, to be performed by the winners of a competition, Choirboy and Choirgirl in London. He later arranged it for mixed-voice choir with harp or piano and orchestra. Rutter wrote the text himself begininning 'Have you heard the sound of the angel voices', with the Latin refrain 'Gloria in excelisis Deo' from the angel's song mentioned in the Gospel of Luke.Angels Carol was recorded in 2001 as part of 'The John Rutter Christmas Album', sung by the Cambridge Singers with the City of London Sinfonia, conducted by the composer.
Leroy Anderson (1908 - 1975) - Sleigh Ride
Anderson composed 'Sleigh Ride' as a light orchestral piece. It was first performed in June 1948 by the Boston Pops Orchestra with Arthur Fiedler conducting, who then made an instrumental recording in 1949. The lyrics, about riding in a sleigh and fun wintertime activities, were written in 1950 by American lyricist Mitchell Parish (1900 - 1993), and are believed to be insprired by a 19th centrury lithograph by Currier and Ives 'American Homestead, Winter'. The first vocal recording was made by the Andrews Sisters in 1950. Since then Sleigh Ride has been performed and recorded by a wide array of musical artists.The Concert Charity
W4W - Word 4 Weapons
'Collecting Knives, Saving Lives - Let Your Words Be Your Weapon'Word 4 Weapons' mission is twofold and simple: to empower safer communities through knife amnesty bins, reduce harm, and empower individuals to make better choices.
"Our mission statement is clear and simple, yet powerful. We are dedicated to minimising harm and empowering individuals in communities with the resources through our amnesty knife bins to prevent violence and cultivate change when it comes to carrying weapons. Word 4 Weapons is committed to assisting partner agencies in creating safer communities by providing a compassionate and positive pathway for individuals to surrender weapons, We will accomplish this through various methods, such as education and training, outreach programmes, community engagements, and collaboration with relevant partner agencies. We aim to be a conduit for decreasing violence associated with weapons while assisting individuals in finding other means of conflict resolution. We envision a world where each surrendered weapon signifies another step towards a more secure future for all".
The Concert Players
Conductor: Oliver TillFirst Violins
- Tina Bowles (Leader)
- Eva Babjak-Garai
- Rachel Barbanel
- Mary Dentschuk
- Steve Dobson
- Holly Garvey
- Lucy Howie
- Katina Laoutaris
- Catherine Menon
- Lucinda Platt
- Stephen Rowlinson
- Nichola Blakey (Principal)
- Ursula Antolik
- Lucy Atherton
- Poppy Boyd-Taylor
- Mark Bullard
- Susan Grayeff
- Aytaç Mevlit
- Eve Naftalin
- Jak Poore
- Catherine Sides
- Eleanor Sherlock
- Gerry Shortall
- Nicola Smith
- Jan Toporowski
- Geoffrey Irwin (Principal)
- Berry Beaumont
- Tom Boswell
- Talia Boylan
- Nigel Franklin
- Rachel Gibson
- Josh Salter (Principal)
- Fiona Dunn
- Hilary Evans
- Tekij Fernandez
- Libby Fogg
- Xin He
- Sopika Toumazi
- Charlotte Youngs
- Darren Edwards
- Francois Moreau
- Tom Skrinar
- Graeme Scott
- Natalie Ryan
- Sumitra Lahiri
- Adrian Hall
- Lindsey Glen
- Ian Merryweather
- Ros Hedley-Miller
- Louise Johnston
- Julie Rooke
- Simon Ashdown
- Tom Brett
- Grace Watkinson
- Glyn Jones
- Charlotte Webb
- Chris Dicken
- Peter Gough
- Rob Heath
- Dominic McGonigal
- Sturat Delve
- Sharon Maloney
- Jak Poore
