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The Importance of Fun in Classical Music
The ESOC Chorus has developed a reputation, deserved or not, as a
performer of Serious music. Yes, we sing the very best of the Classical
choral repertoire at Christmas, Lent and other times, and we’re very
serious about it, but we also believe that there comes a time when we all
need to have some serious fun.
That’s what we’ve prepared for our audience in our
"Sommerwonne" concert tonight. The word "Wonne" in
English means "delight", and we are delighted to be able on
this concert to present some of the most entertaining, diverting, fun and
downright silly pieces in the choral repertoire.
Classical music audiences are used to sitting quietly, facing front
and refraining from excess movement during performances (for which we
performers are profoundly grateful), and we often take delight in a piece
especially beautifully performed. How often do we, audience and
performers alike, smile during a piece because we just can’t help it?
Don’t you think we should have that experience more often? We do, too.
We want to have fun (not just enjoy – we always enjoy)
performing – and beautifully performing – these pieces, which, while
light, are by no means trivial. You are invited to join in our delight.
Relax and have fun. And smile – we’ll be watching!
In the late 15th century manuscripts, "Dit
le Bourguinion" has no text that can be found by
scholars, indicating that it is either an instrumental piece, or one that
has simply become separated from its text somehow. Therefore we have
given it a kind of a text, bringing out the instrumental nature of the
voices, while allowing performance by singing, and also adding to the
nonsensical nature of the piece. The title, "Dit le
Bourguinion" is meaningless in French.
Another of the themes running through this concert tonight is that
of taking pieces with texts that come from odd or unusual sources. Two of
our English songs are modern settings of 16th century texts.
"Full fathom five" is Ariel’s
song from Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Ariel is a magical being
who has caused a shipwreck and the composer, Charles Wood, is obviously
fascinated by the sound of the tolling of the passing bell ("Sea
nymphs hourly ring his knell") at the bottom of the sea. "Come
live with me and be my love" is a jazzy setting by John
Rutter and simply such fun to sing.
"I bought me a cat"
is from a set of "Old American Songs" by Aaron Copland, who
first heard the folksong from a friend who had learned it as a child in
Oklahoma. It’s more complicated to sing that one would first imagine
and some of the difficulty comes in convincing the choristers to really
try to sound like the animals they’re singing about!
The ESOC Chorus likes to sing in many languages and tonight we have
our first Czech song, ”Až
já pojedu"
chosen for its rhythmic interest. We’re grateful to our member from
Slovakia for help with the text.
And of course, "Die Beredsamkeit"
is on the program purely to inspire the audience to visit the bar during
the Intermission.
What could be more fun than a big scene from a Gilbert and Sullivan
operetta? Tonight we have part of Scene Nr. 18 from H.M.S. Pinafore, "Hold!"
The plot is a silly satire on the English Class System and the theme of
love between members of the different classes. Captain Corcoran of the
Pinafore has arranged for his daughter to marry the First Lord of the
Admiralty, Sir Joseph Porter, but she has fallen in love with a common
sailor, Ralph. (Sir Joseph himself has risen from humble beginnings to
gain his office by political acumen, despite having never gone to sea!)
Captain Corcoran is so amazed and taken aback by this revelation that he
commits an (awfully low class) impropriety. He swears. (He says
"Damme", a word that wasn’t so bad even in 1878, the year of
the first performance.) Everyone on shipboard is so horrified by this
that the Captain is disgraced and lowly Ralph is praised in a famous
chorus, because, after all, "he is an Englishman!"
The finale of our concert tonight, "Forèt
paisible", was chosen for its character as just a big bit
of fun. In the original opera, Les Indes
Galantes, the main theme is about the conflict between War and
Love. Love wins, of course. The last of the "Sauvages"
to illustrate this basic fact are American "Indians", who dance
about their "peaceful forest", stating, in the words of Ira
Gershwin, who has nothing whatever to do with this concert tonight:
"Who could ask for anything more!"
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