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Jennifer France

Soprano

Angharad Lyddon

Alto

Bach Christmas Oratorio parts 1-3

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Cambridge Philharmonic Society 2011 – 2012 Season Programme

Saturday 21 January 2012 West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge

Family Concert

Ian Stephens We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, and

music from The Jungle Book, Peter and the Wolf and

Carnival of the Animals

With special guest Chris Jarvis

Sunday 11 March 2012 West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge

Bernstein Candide, including soloists Daniel

Norman, Kristy Swift, Beverly Klein, Elizabeth

Powell, Geof Dolton, Jonathan McGovern,

Philip Sheffield and narrator David Timson

Saturday 19 May 2012 West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge

Copland Fanfare for the Common Man

Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 with soloist

Cordelia Williams

Rachmaninov Symphony No. 2

Saturday 30 June 2012 King’s College Chapel, Cambridge

Parry I Was Glad, Blest Pair of Sirens

Elgar In the South

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Bonaventura Bottone and Dean Robinson

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Christopher Lemmings

Tenor

John-Owen Miley-Read

Bass

Timothy Redmond

Conductor

Steve Bingham

Leader

Saturday 10 December 2011 Emmanuel United Reformed Church, Cambridge

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Programme

Bach

Christmas Oratorio

Part 1 The Birth

Part 2 The Annunciation to the

Shepherds

Part 3 The Adoration of the

Shepherds

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The Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248) Johann Sebastian Bach

Parts 1-3 (1685 -1750)

Part 1 – The Birth

Part 2 – The Annunciation to the Shepherds

Part 3 – The Adoration of the Shepherds

Background

Bach’s Christmas Oratorio was written as six separate cantatas telling the story of

Christ’s birth and the subsequent events leading up to the Epiphany. These were

intended to be performed on the six relevant feast days of the Lutheran Church

calendar, and they were first performed in this way in Leipzig between Christmas Day

1734 and the Feast of the Epiphany on 6th January 1735.

Bach arranged the cantatas to follow the chronology of the story, the sequence being

Part1 - The Birth; Part 2 - The Annunciation to the Shepherds; Part 3 - The Adoration of the

Shepherds; Part 4 - The Circumcision and Naming of Jesus; Part 5 - The Journey of the Magi;

and Part 6 - The Adoration of the Magi. Parts 1-3 cover the Christmas period itself and

were intended to be performed on the 25th, 26th and 27th December, whilst Parts 4-6

cover the period from the Feast of the Circumcision on 1st January to the Epiphany on

6th January. Nowadays the oratorio is often performed in these two main subdivisions,

and tonight’s performance is of Parts 1-3.

The cantatas incorporate a mixture of recitatives, arias and chorales – essentially

contemporary hymn tunes – with the tenor soloist (the ‘Evangelist’) singing text taken

from St Luke’s Gospel. Much of the music was reworked by Bach from earlier

compositions, including in particular two secular cantatas composed the previous year.

This reworking of earlier material is sometimes referred to as ‘parody music’, though not

in any derogatory sense: it was standard practice at the time and was a way both of

saving time and of making use of material that might otherwise have been lost. Bach also

went to considerable lengths to work the words and music into a coherent whole, and

also clearly saw the oratorio as a unified work reflecting the Gospel story and the

accompanying musical logic.

Bach used existing texts where appropriate, but also used new texts for many of the

recitatives and arias. Although not specifically referenced, it is thought likely that the

new material was provided by Christian Friedrich Henrici, who worked under the

pseudonym Picander, and was a long-time collaborator of Bach.

The three parts are detailed as follows. As will be seen, the Gospel text runs

sequentially through the three cantatas, forming an underpinning thread through the

Christmas story. The English text for the Gospel extracts is taken from the King James

Bible.

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PART 1 – THE BIRTH: FOR CHRISTMAS DAY

1. Chorus: Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage

Jauchzet, frohlocket, auf, preiset die Tage,

Rühmet, was heute der Höchste getan!

Lasset das Zagen, verbannet die Klage,

Stimmet voll Jauchzen und Fröhlichkeit an!

Dienet dem Höchsten mit herrlichen

Chören,

Laßt uns den Namen des Herrschers

verehren!

Celebrate, rejoice, rise up and praise the

time,

glorify what the Highest has done today!

Abandon despair, banish laments,

sound forth full of delight and happiness!

Serve the Highest with glorious choruses,

let us honour the name of the Supreme

Ruler!

With its trumpets and drums, the opening chorus, set in D major, evokes the

celebratory mood of Christmas Day, and the rejoicing at Christ’s birth. It is a reworking

of part of a secular cantata Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten (Sound, you drums! Ring

forth, trumpets!), which Bach had composed in 1733 in honour of the birthday of Maria

Josepha, Queen of Poland and Electress of Saxony.

2. Recitative (Evangelist, Tenor): Es begab sich aber zu der Zeit (Luke 2:1-6)

Es begab sich aber zu der Zeit, dass ein

Gebot von dem Kaiser Augusto ausging,

dass alle Welt geschätzet würde. Und

jedermann ging, dass er sich schätzen

ließe, ein jeglicher in seine Stadt. Da

machte sich auch auf Joseph aus Galiläa,

aus der Stadt Nazareth, in das jüdische

Land zur Stadt David, die da heißet

Bethlehem; darum, dass er von dem

Hause und Geschlechte David war:auf

dass er sich schätzen ließe mit Maria,

seinem vertrauten Weibe, die war

schwanger. Und als sie daselbst waren,

kam die Zeit, dass sie gebären sollte.

1And it came to pass in those days, that

there went out a decree from Caesar

Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2(And this taxing was first made when

Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3And all

went to be taxed, every one into his own

city. 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee,

out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto

the city of David, which is called Bethlehem;

(because he was of the house and lineage of

David:) 5To be taxed with Mary his espoused

wife, being great with child. 6And so it was,

that, while they were there, the days were

accomplished that she should be delivered.

The Evangelist then begins the narrative of the birth story, taken from Chapter 2 of St

Luke’s Gospel.

3. Recitative (alto): Nun wird mein liebster Bräutigam/

4. Aria (alto): Bereite dich, Zion, mit zärtlichen Trieben

Nun wird mein liebster Bräutigam,Nun wird

der Held aus Davids Stamm Zum Trost,

zum Heil der Erden Einmal geboren werden.

Nun wird der Stern aus Jakob scheinen,Sein

Strahl bricht schon hervor. Auf, Zion, und

Now my dearest Bridegroom, now the hero

from David's branch, for the comfort, for the

salvation of the earth, will be born at last.

Now the Star out of Jacob will shine, its light

already breaks forth. Arise, Zion, and give up

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verlasse nun das Weinen, Dein Wohl steigt

hoch empor!

your weeping now, your happiness rises high

above you!

Bereite dich, Zion, mit zärtlichen Trieben,

Den Schönsten, den Liebsten bald bei dir zu

sehn!

Deine Wangen

Müssen heut viel schöner prangen,

Eile, den Bräutigam sehnlichst zu lieben!

Prepare yourself, Sion, with tender efforts, to

behold your lovely one, your beloved, near

you soon!

Your cheeks

must now glow much more radiantly,

hurry to love the Bridegroom longingly!

The alto sings thoughtfully of the implications of the birth, accompanied by strings and

woodwind in an aria reworked from another of Bach’s secular cantatas, Laßt uns sorgen,

laßt uns wachen (Let us take care, let us watch), also composed in 1733, this time for the

11th birthday of Prince Friedrich Christian.

5. Chorale (chorus) - Wie soll ich dich empfangen

Wie soll ich dich empfangen

Und wie begegn' ich dir?

O aller Welt Verlangen,

O meiner Seelen Zier!

O Jesu, Jesu, setze

Mir selbst die Fackel bei,

Damit, was dich ergötze,

Mir kund und wissend sei!

How shall I embrace You,

and how encounter You?

O desire of the whole world

O adornment of my soul!

O Jesus, Jesus, place

the torch near me Yourself,

so that what gives You pleasure

be known and familiar to me!

The chorus then sings the chorale Wie soll ich dich empfangen, with words by Paul

Gerhart.

6. Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) – Und sie gebar ihren ersten Sohn (Luke 2:7)

Und sie gebar ihren ersten Sohn und

wickelte

ihn in Windeln und legte ihn in eine Krippen,

den sie hatten sonst keinen Raum in der

Herberge.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and

wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid

him in a manger; because there was no

room for them in the inn.

The Gospel story then continues with Christ’s birth.

7. Chorale (soprano) - Er ist auf Erden kommen arm and Recitative (bass) -

Wer will die Liebe recht erhöhn

Er ist auf Erden kommen arm

Daß er unser sich erbarm

Und in dem Himmel mache reich

Und seinen lieben Engeln gleich

Kyrieleis!

He came to earth poor,

So that He might have sympathy for us,

And to make us rich in heaven,

and like his dear angels

Kyrie eleison!

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Wer will die Liebe recht erhöhn,

Die unser Heiland vor uns hegt?

Ja, wer vermag es einzusehen

Wie ihn der Menschen Leid bewegt?

Des Höchsten Sohn kömmt in die Welt

Weil ihm ihr Heil so wohl gefällt

So will er selbst als Mensch geboren warden

Who can rightly exalt this love,

that our Saviour harbours for us?

Indeed, who could possibly have predicted

how the sorrow of humanity moved Him?

The Son of the Highest came into the world,

since its salvation pleased Him so much

thus He Himself will be born as man.

In this duet, the soprano sings the lines of the chorale Er ist auf Erden kommen arm (He

came to earth poor), taken from Martin Luther’s Christmas hymn Gelobet seist du, Jesu

Christ (Praised be you, Jesus Christ), while the bass soloist intersperses the lines with the

contemplative recitative Wer will die Liebe recht erhöhn (Who can rightly exalt this love).

8. Aria (bass) - Großer Herr und starker König

Großer Herr, o starker König, Liebster

Heiland,

o wie wenig Achtest du der Erden Pracht!

Der die ganze Welt erhäl Ihre Pracht und

Zier erschaffen, Muß in harten Krippen

schlafen.

Great Lord, o powerful King, dearest Saviour,

o how little you care about the riches of the

earth! He who sustains the entire world, who

created its magnificence and beauty, must

sleep in a harsh manger.

We are then back to the opening triumphal key of D major for the bass aria Großer Herr

und starker König, taken, like the opening chorus, from the 1733 cantata Tönet, ihr Pauken!

Erschallet, Trompeten!

9. Chorale (chorus) - Ach mein herzliebes Jesulein!

Ach mein herzliebes Jesulein,

Mach dir ein rein sanft Bettelein,

Zu ruhn in meines Herzens Schrein,

Daß ich nimmer vergesse dein!

Ah, my heart's beloved little Jesus,

make Yourself a pure, soft little bed

within my heart's chamber in which to rest,

so that I never forget You!

The first part of the oratorio then closes with a final chorale, taken from Bach’s setting

of the Christmas hymn Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her (From Heaven above to earth I

come), with words by Martin Luther.

____________________

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PART 2 – THE ANNUNCIATION TO THE SHEPHERDS: FOR 26th

DECEMBER

10. Sinfonia

The second part of the oratorio opens with a pastoral orchestral interlude. Bach wrote

this as a new composition for the oratorio, doubtless in order to set the tone for Part 2.

It is referred to again in the final chorale.

11. Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) - Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend

(Luke 2:8-9)

Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegend

auf dem Felde bei den Hürden, die hüteten

des Nachts ihre Herde. Und siehe, des

Herren Engel trat zu ihnen, und die Klarheit

des Herren leuchtet um sie, und sie furchten

sich sehr

8And there were in the same country

shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch

over their flock by night. 9And, lo, the angel of

the Lord came upon them, and the glory of

the Lord shone round about them: and they

were sore afraid.

The Evangelist then quotes the famous biblical passage relating how the angel of the Lord

appears to the shepherds.

12. Chorale (chorus) - Brich an, o schönes Morgenlicht

Brich an, o schönes Morgenlicht,

Und laß den Himmel tagen!

Du Hirtenvolk, erschrecke nicht,

Weil dir die Engel sagen,

Daß dieses schwache Knäbelein

Soll unser Trost und Freude sein,

Dazu den Satan zwingen

Und letztlich Friede bringen!

Break forth, o lovely light of morning,

and let heaven dawn!

You shepherd-folk, do not fear,

for the angel tells you

that this weak little boy

shall be our comfort and joy,

compelling Satan as well

and bringing peace at last!

Bach then inserts a chorale taken from the hymn Ermuntre dich, mein schwacher Geist

(Take courage, my weak spirit), with words by Johann von Rist, which further fills out the

story of the annunciation.

13. Recitative (Evangelist, tenor; Angel, soprano) - Und der Engel sprach zu

ihnen: Fürchtet euch nicht (Luke 2:10-11)

Und der Engel sprach zu ihnen: Fürchtet

euch nicht, siehe, ich verkündige euch große

Freude, die allem Volke widerfahren wird.

Denn euch ist heute der Heiland geboren,

welcher ist Christus, der Herr, in der Stadt

David.

10And the angel said unto them, Fear not:

for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great

joy, which shall be to all people. 11For unto

you is born this day in the city of David a

Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

The Evangelist then begins the next part of the Gospel story, but this time with the

soprano singing the words of the angel as she tells the shepherds of the Good News.

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14. Recitative (bass) - Was Gott dem Abraham verheißen

Was Gott dem Abraham verheißen,

Das läßt er nun dem Hirtenchor

Erfüllt erweisen.

Ein Hirt hat alles das zuvor

Von Gott erfahren müssen.

Und nun muß auch ein Hirt die Tat,

Was er damals versprochen hat,

Zuerst erfüllet wissen.

What God promised to Abraham,

now, fulfilled, He has had announced

to the group of shepherds.

A shepherd, then, first of all,

had experience of God.

And now, also, a shepherd is first of all

to know the fulfillment

of what once was promised.

The bass soloist sings a recitative recalling the promise made to Abraham.

15. Aria (tenor) - Frohe Hirten, eilt, ach eilet

Frohe Hirten, eilt, ach eilet,

Eh ihr euch zu lang verweilet,

Eilt, das holde Kind zu sehn!

Geht, die Freude heißt zu schön,

Sucht die Anmut zu gewinnen,

Geht und labet Herz und Sinnen!.

Happy shepherds, hurry, ah hurry,

before you delay too long,

hurry to see the lovely Child!

Go, this joy is so exquisite,

seek to achieve this loveliness,

go and delight heart and senses!

The recitative is followed by the tenor singing the aria Frohe Hirten, eilt, ach eilet, with

flute obbligato accompaniment, telling the shepherds to make haste to see the infant

Christ. The aria is a reworking of another of the arias from the 1733 cantata Tönet, ihr

Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten!,

16. Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) - Und das habt zum Zeichen (Luke 2:12)

17. Chorale (chorus) - Schaut hin! dort liegt im finstern Stall

Und da habt zum Zeichen: Ihr werdet finden

das Kind in Windeln gewickelt und un einer

Krippe liegen.

12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall

find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes,

lying in a manger.

Schaut hin, dort liegt im finstern Stall,

Des Herrschaft gehet überall!

Da Speise vormals sucht ein Rind,

Da ruhet itzt der Jungfrau'n Kind.

Look there, there He lies in a dark stall,

whose majesty encompasses everything!

Where once an ox searched for food,

now the Child of the Virgin rests.

The Evangelist then quotes the next verse of the Gospel, followed by the chorus singing

a chorale, taken from a Christmas hymn, describing Christ resting in the manger. The

words are by Paul Gerhardt.

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18. Recitative (bass) - So geht denn hin!

So geht denn hin, ihr Hirten, geht,

Daß ihr das Wunder seht:

Und findet ihr des Höchsten Sohn

Un einer harten Krippe liegen,

So singet ihm bei seiner Wiegen

Aus einem süßen Ton

Und mit gesamtem Chor

Dies Lied zur Ruhe vor!

Then go there, you shepherds, go,

so that you see the miracle:

and when you find the Son of the Highest

lying in a harsh manger,

then sing to Him by His cradle

in a sweet tone

and with full chorus

this lullaby!

The bass then sings a recitative inviting the shepherds to go to see the infant Christ.

19. Aria (alto) Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße der Ruh'

Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße der Ruh,

Wach nach diesem vor aller Gedeihen!

Labe die Brust,

Empfinde die Lust,

Wo wir unser Herz erfreuen!

Sleep, my beloved, enjoy Your rest,

and awaken after it for all the fortunate!

Let your heart delight,

experience the joy

that rejoices our hearts!

This is then followed by the alto singing the beautiful lullaby Schlafe, mein Liebster, genieße

der Ruh', with flute, oboe and strings providing a peaceful accompaniment.

20. Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) - Und alsobald war da bei dem Engel

(Luke 2:13)

21. Chorus - Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe (Luke 2:14)

Und alsobald war da bei dem Engel die

Menge

der himmlischen Heerscharen, die lobten Gott

und sprachen

13And suddenly there was with the angel a

multitude of the heavenly host praising God,

and saying,

Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe und Friede auf

Erden und den Menschen ein Wohlgefallen

14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth

peace, good will toward men

The Evangelist then announces the appearance of the heavenly host, with the chorus

taking up the Gospel text in Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe.

22. Recitative (bass) - So recht, ihr Engel, jauchzt und singet

23. Chorale (chorus) - Wir singen dir in deinem Heer

So recht, ihr Engel, jauchzt und singet,

Daß es uns heut so schön gelinget!

Auf denn! Wir stimmen mit euch ein,

Uns kann es so wie euch erfreun.

Thus rightly, you angels, rejoice and sing,

that it works out so beautifully for us

today!

Up then! We play along with you;

we can celebrate just as you do.

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Wir singen dir in deinem Heer

Aus aller Kraft Lob, Preis und Ehr,

Daß du, o lang gewünschter Gast,

Dich nunmehr eingestellet hast.

We sing to You in Your host

with all our might praise, glory and

honor,

since You, o long-awaited guest,

from now on have become present.

The second Part of the oratorio then closes with a bass recitative leading to a final

chorale singing praises to the infant child, with references back to the opening pastoral

sinfonia.

____________________

PART 3 – THE ADORATION OF THE SHEPHERDS: FOR 27th DECEMBER

24. Chorus - Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen

Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen,

Laß dir die matten Gesänge gefallen,

Wenn dich dein Zion mit Psalmen erhöht!

Höre der Herzen frohlockendes Preisen,

Wenn wir dir itzo die Ehrfurcht erweisen,

Weil unsre Wohlfahrt befestiget steht!

Ruler of Heaven, hear the murmur,

let the dull songs be pleasing to You,

when Your Zion exalts You with psalms!

Hear the delightful praises of our hearts,

when we acknowledge our present awe of

You, since our pilgrimage has been confirmed!

The trumpets and drums return for the opening chorus of Part 3, in a reworking of

Blühet, ihr Linden in Sachsen, wie Zedern! (Bloom, linden trees in Saxony, like cedars!), taken

from Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten!

25. Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) - Und da die Engel von ihnen gen Himmel

fuhren

26. Chorus - Lasset uns nun gehen gen Bethlehem (Luke 2:15)

Und da die Engel von ihnen gen Himmel

fuhren, sprachen die Hirten untereinander

15And it came to pass, as the angels were gone

away from them into heaven, the shepherds

said one to another

Lasset uns nun gehen gen Bethlehem und die

Geschichte sehen, die da geschehen ist, die

uns der Herr kundgetan hat

Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see

this thing which is come to pass, which the

Lord hath made known unto us.

The Evangelist takes up the story again, with the chorus singing the part of the shepherds

as they resolve to travel to Bethlehem.

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27. Recitative (bass) - Er hat sein Volk getröst'

Er hat sein Volk getröst',

Er hat sein Israel erlöst,

Die Hülf aus Zion hergesendet

Und unser Leid geendet.

Seht, Hirten, dies hat er getan;

Geht, dieses trefft ihr an!

He has comforted His people,

He has rescued His Israel,

sending help out of Zion

and ending our sorrow.

Look, shepherds, He has done this;

go, this is what awaits you!

The bass soloist then sings a short recitative.

28. Chorale (chorus) - Dies hat er alles uns getan

Dies hat er alles uns getan,

Sein groß Lieb zu zeigen an;

Des freu sich alle Christenheit

Und dank ihm des in Ewigkeit.

Kyrieleis!

All this He has done for us,

to indicate His great love;

for this all Christianity rejoices

and thanks Him for it in eternity.

Kyrie eleison!

This is followed by the chorale Dies hat er alled uns getan, taken from Martin Luther’s

Christmas hymn Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ which also featured in Section 7 of Part 1.

29. Duet (soprano, bass) - Herr, dein Mitleid, dein Erbarmen

Herr, dein Mittleid, dein Erbarmen

Tröstet uns und macht uns frei.

Deine holde Gunst und Liebe,

Deine wundersamen Treibe

Machen deine Vatertreu

Wieder neu.

Lord, your compassion, your mercy

comforts us and makes us free.

Your gracious favour and love,

Your miraculous doings

make Your fatherly loyalty

new again.

There then follows a duet, reworked from the cantata Laßt uns sorgen, laßt uns wachen,

describing God’s compassion.

30. Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) - Und sie kamen eilend (Luke 2:16-19)

Und sie kamen eilend und funden beide,

Mariam und Joseph, dazu das Kind in der

Krippe liegen. Da sie es aber gesehen

hatten, breiteten sie das Wort aus, welches

zu ihnen von diesem Kind gesaget war. Und

alle, für die es kam, wunderten sich der

Rede, die ihnen dir Hirten gesaget hatten.

Maria aber behielt alle diese Worte und

bewegte sie in ihrem Herzen.

16And they came with haste, and found

Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a

manger. 17And when they had seen it, they

made known abroad the saying which was

told them concerning this child. 18And all

they that heard it wondered at those things

which were told them by the shepherds. 19But Mary kept all these things, and

pondered them in her heart.

The Evangelist then continues the story, with the shepherds arriving in Bethlehem and

finding the Christ child lying in the manger.

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31. Aria (alto) - Schließe, mein Herze, dies selige Wunder

Schließe, mein Herze, dies selige Wunder

Fest in deinem Glauben ein!

Lasse dies Wunder, die göttlichen Werke,

Immer zur Stärke

Deines schwachen Glaubens sein!

Enclose, my heart, these blessed miracles

fast within your faith!

Let these wonders, these divine works,

forever be the reinforcement

of your weak faith!

The alto then sings the beautiful aria Schließe, mein Herze, dies selige Wunder,

accompanied by violin solo. The aria is thought to have been specially composed by

Bach for the cantata, and provides a change of mood as we reflect on the miracle of the

birth.

32. Recitative (alto) - Ja, ja! mein Herz soll es bewahren

33. Chorale (chorus) - Ich will dich mit Fleiß bewahren

Ja, ja, mein Herz soll es bewahren,

Was es an dieser holden Zeit

Zu seiner Seligkeit

Für sicheren Beweis erfahren.

Yes, yes, my heart shall cherish this,

what it has experienced

at this glorious time for its blessedness

as a sure revelation.

Ich will dich mit Fleiß bewahren,

Ich will dir Leben hier,

Dir will ich abfahren,

Mit dir will ich endlich schweben

Voller Freud

Ohne Zeit

Dort im andern Leben.

I will cherish You assiduously,

I will live for You here,

to You will I depart,

with You, at last, I will float

full of joy,

endlessly,

there in the other life.

The alto continues with a recitative in the same contemplative vein, the chorus then

joining in with the chorale Ich will dich mit Fleiß bewahren, taken from the hymn Fröhlich soll

mein Herze springen (All my heart with joy is springing), with words by Paul Gerhardt.

34. Recitative (Evangelist, tenor) - Und die Hirten kehren wieder um (Luke 2:20)

Und die Hirten kehrten wieder um,

preiseten und lobten Gott um alles, das

sie gesehen und gehöret hatten, wie

denn zu ihnen gesaget war.

20And the shepherds returned, glorifying

and praising God for all the things that

they had heard and seen, as it was told

unto them.

The Evangelist then continues with the Gospel text, the shepherds now returning to

their flocks, praising God for what they have witnessed.

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35. Chorale (chorus) - Seid froh, dieweil

Sei froh dieweil,

Das euer Heil

Ist hie ein Gott und auch ein Mensch

geboren,

Der, welcher ist

Der Herr und Christ

In Davids Stadt, von vielen auserkoren

Meanwhile, be happy,

for your salvation

is born here a God and also a person,

He, who is

the Lord and Christ

in David's city, chosen out of many.

There is then a chorale urging joy at the salvation resulting from God coming to earth in

human form. The words are by Christoph Runge and are taken from the hymn Laßt

Furcht und Pein weit von uns sein (Let fear and pain be far from us).

Repeat of Item 24 - Chorus - Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen

Herrscher des Himmels, erhöre das Lallen,

Laß dir die matten Gesänge gefallen,

Wenn dich dein Zion mit Psalmen erhöht!

Höre der Herzen frohlockendes Preisen,

Wenn wir dir itzo die Ehrfurcht erweisen,

Weil unsre Wohlfahrt befestiget steht!

Ruler of Heaven, hear the murmur,

let the dull songs be pleasing to You,

when Your Zion exalts You with psalms!

Hear the delightful praises of our hearts,

when we acknowledge our present awe of

You, since our pilgrimage has been confirmed!

The chorus then repeats the section that opened Part 3 in a final hymn of praise. Set in

D major, and taken from Tönet, ihr Pauken! Erschallet, Trompeten!, like the opening chorus

of Part 1, this serves not only to complete Part 3, but to emphasise the completion of

the Christmas story in Parts 1-3.

Chris Fisher

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JENNIFER FRANCE Soprano

Jennifer is currently on the Opera Course at Royal

Academy of Music and is studying with Lillian Watson

and Iain Ledingham with a major award from The

Countess of Munster Music Trust. Since joining RAM,

Jennifer has won the Isabel Jay Opera Prize, the Michael

Head prize, is a member of the Song Circle and is a

soloist for the Bach Cantata series. Jennifer is also a

recent Samling Scholar.

Before coming to RAM, Jennifer studied at the Royal

Northern College of Music with Sandra Dugdale, where she won many prizes, including

the Cronshaw Song cycle competition and 2nd Prize in the Elizabeth Harwood Award for

leavers. Roles at the RNCM include Sandrina in L’infedelta delusa, Adele in Die

Fledermaus, Leonie in La belle Helene and La Pastourella in L’enfant et les sortileges.

Jennifer has performed at Buxton Opera Festival and the International Gilbert and

Sullivan Festival for the last two years where roles include Geraldine in A Hand of Bridge,

Philline (Cover – Mignon) and Kate in The Yeomen of the Guard.

Forthcoming roles for RAO include Héro in Beatrice et Benedict and Papagena in Die

Zauberflöte.

Jennifer is kindly supported by The Countess of Munster and Josephine Baker Trust.

ANGHARAD LYDDON Alto

Angharad Lyddon is from Wrexham North Wales and had

her first singing lesson at the age of 6. Since then she has

performed regularly; first with the Stagecoach Theatre

Arts Programme and then at the Royal Northern College

of Music Junior School where she studied with Diana

Palmerston.

As a member of the National Youth Choir of Great

Britain, Angharad has toured Eastern Europe and

performed at prestigious music venues such as the Albert

Hall, the Thomaskirche in Leipzig and various Cathedrals

around the UK including concerts with the Sixteen, the King Singers and at Westminster

Hall as part of the commemoration for the Abolition of Slavery.

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Competitively, Angharad is twice winner of the Anna Markland Award for Outstanding

Performance, recipient of the Lakewood People to People Award, the Junior RNCM

Singers’ prize, the AESS Courtney Kenny Award and several trophies at last year’s

Chester Competitive Music Festival.

Angharad has a First Class Honours degree from the Royal Academy of Music and is now

in her first year of their MA degree programme. At the Academy Angharad has found

much success as a soloist and ensemble singer. She is a member of the Academy Song

Circle and an Academy/Kohn foundation Bach Cantata soloist and regular chorus

member. Her solo performance highlights include Handel’s Messiah at Wakefield

Cathedral; Mozart’s Requiem at St-Martin-in-the-Fields; Mendelssohn’s Elijah as well as

concerts at Westminster Abbey; the Austrian Cultural forum and The Paul Hamlyn Hall,

Royal Opera House; the world premiere of Greenhouses by Tansy Davis. Operatically

Angharad has sung Lady Mary in Sir Nigel of Tilford for Tilford Bach Society; Third Lady in

The Magic Flute for Jackdaws and Lucretia Rape of Lucretia for RAM Vocal Faculty Opera

Scenes.

She studies with Glenville Hargreaves and Audrey Hyland and is generously supported by

the Academy and the Josephine Baker Foundation.

CHRISTOPHER LEMMINGS Tenor

Christopher studied at the Guildhall School of Music and

Drama under Johanna Peters and Margaret Lensky, and

currently studies with Michelle Wegwart.

Roles include: for Covent Garden include Stingo in

Nicholas Maw’s Sophie’s Choice under Sir Simon Rattle,

Caliban in Thomas Adès’ The Tempest (also for BBC

television and in Strasbourg) and Scaramuccio in Ariadne

auf Naxos; for Glyndebourne Tour: Tito in La Clemenza

di Tito, Belmonte in Die Entführung aus dem Serail,

Lechmere in Owen Wingrave, for Glyndebourne Festival:

Il Maestro di Ballo in Manon Lescaut, and Bartholomew, a role he created, in Sir Harrison

Birtwistle’s The Last Supper, premièred at the Staatsoper, Berlin under Daniel Barenboim;

Don Ottavio Don Giovanni in Cologne and Verona; Albert in Albert Herring for ETO; both

L’abate di Chazeuil in Adriana Lecouvreur and Ferrando in Cosi Fan Tutte for Holland Park

Opera, Bob Boles in Peter Grimes and Der Bucklige in Die Frau ohne Schatten for Vlaamse

Opera.

With a strong reputation for his work in Twentieth Century and Contemporary music,

Christopher has collaborated with composers such as Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Thomas

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Adès and Nicholas Maw, he has also sung such roles as Edmund in Toshio Hosokawa’s

King Lear at the Linbury Theatre, ROH; Beauty in Gerald Barry’s Triumph of Beauty and

Deceit with the BCMG, Ades with Almeida in London and Berlin, Sid Thatcher in Paul

Frehner’s Sirius on Earth, also with Almeida; Neoptolemus in Edward Rushton’s Birds,

Barks, Bones at the Linbury Theatre, Covent Garden; Molqi in The Death of Klinghoffer

with the Finnish National Opera; Perelà in Pascal Dusapin’s Perelà L’uomo di Fumo at

Bastille and Montpelier; Sellem in The Rake’s Progress with Opera Nantes/Angers and the

Nihilist in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk for ENO. With Music Theatre Wales he created the

role of Robin Fingest in Michael Berkeley and Ian McEwan’s opera For You, and sang Dov

in Sir Michael Tippett’s Knot Garden in a joint production with the Royal Opera House to

mark the centenary of the composer’s birth.

Opera in concert includes: Gerald Barry’s Triumph of Beauty and Deceit with the Los

Angeles Philharmonic and with Radio France, Hotel Porter in Death in Venice, Lechmere

in Owen Wingrave and Molqi in The Death of Klinghoffer at the Concertgebouw

Amsterdam under Edo de Waart; Itulbo Il Pirata and L’abate/Un incredibile in Andrea

Chénier with Chelsea Opera Group, Queen Elizabeth Hall. Other concert appearances:

Finzi’s Intimations of Immortality Royal Liverpool Philharmonic; Stravinsky’s Pulcinella with

the Northern Sinfonia at the Sage, Gateshead, and Aldeburgh Festival; Rossini’s Stabat

Mater RTE Concert Orchestra, National Concert Hall, Dublin; Haydn’s Stabat Mater

Norwegian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Messiah in London and Madrid with the English

Chamber Orchestra, Janacek’s Glagolitic Mass with the Brighton Festival and Orff's

Carmina Burana at the Royal Festival Hall.

Current season and future plans include Batistelli's Richard III in Geneva, Spoletta in Tosca

and Wirt in Der Rosenkavalier with Vlaamse Opera, Caliban in The Tempest at Lübeck,

Rossini's Stabat Mater with the Israel Sinfonietta, Il Primo Sacerdote in Il Prigioniero in

Limoges, The Prince in Luke Bedford's new opera Seven Angels with the BCMG and The

Opera Group, Die Zweiter Junge Offizier in Die Soldaten with the Bochum Ruhrtriennale,

in New York's Lincoln Centre Festival, and Beauty in Gerald Barry’s Triumph of Beauty

and Deceit with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group at Carnegie Hall New York.

Recordings include the critically acclaimed Rorem Auden Songs with Chamber Domaine

and a disc of lesser known music by the Italian born film composer Nino Rota. He

appears in the role he created of Robin Fingest on a new recording of Michael Berkeley

and Ian McEwan's opera For You, which was released on the Signum label in September

2010.

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JOHN-OWEN MILEY-READ Bass

John-Owen is currently studying Voice at the Royal

Academy of Music for his Masters, under Mark Wildman

on a full scholarship. His previous teachers include

Robert Alderson at the Dublin Institute of Technology

and Angela Giblin at the Australian National University.

His recent roles include The Prime Minister in Cendrillon

at the Royal Opera House, 2nd Mate in Billy Budd and

The Goat in Renard at Glyndebourne; Giordano in

Romeo and Juliet with Opera Ireland, Sarastro in The

Magic Flute, Salieri in the Irish Premiere of Mozart and

Salieri, Valens in Theodora, Schaunard in La Boheme, Don Alfonso in Cosi fan Tutte,

Masetto in Don Giovanni; Strephon in Iolanthe, the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance as

part of the Annual International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Buxton, a role which won

him the Best Male Performer of the Festival award; Simone in Gianni Schicchi, Un Arbre

in L'enfant et les Sortileges, Bluff in The Impresario, the Lion in Pyramis and Thisbe and Frank

in Die Fledermaus. He was awarded the Yorke Trust Scholarship three times (in 2003,

2007 and 2008) and was the winner of the Royal Overseas League Christchurch

Scholarship for performances in New Zealand in 2005. In 2008 he became the first non

Irish Young Artist with the Opera Theatre Company in Ireland.

John-Owen has performed concerts, oratorios and operas in Australia, New Zealand,

Belgium, England and Ireland, with such singers as Joyce DiDonato, Alice Coote,

Matthew Best, Natalie Manfrino, Imelda Drumm and John Elwes. Future work includes

Don Pedro in Beatrice and Benedict conducted by Sir Colin Davis, directed by John

Copley, and Sarastro in The Magic Flute conducted by Jane Glover. He has performed

many of the Oratorios in the repertoire including Mozart’s Requiem with the

Glyndebourne Festival Chorus, Carlow Choral Society and DIT Choral Society, Handel's

Messiah, Bach’s Easter and Ascension Oratorios, his B minor Mass, St Matthews Passion and St

Johns Passion all with the Dublin Bach Singers.

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TIMOTHY REDMOND

Conductor

Timothy Redmond conducts and presents

concerts throughout Europe. He is a regular

guest conductor with the Royal Philharmonic

Orchestra, both in the recording studio and

the concert hall, and conducts many of the

UK's leading orchestras.

He has given concerts with the London

Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool

Philharmonic, the Ulster and BBC Philharmonic

Orchestras, the Orchestra of Opera North

and the BBC Concert Orchestra. He works regularly with the Hallé and Northern

Sinfonia, has a long-standing association with the Manchester Camerata, and in 2006 was

appointed principal conductor of the Cambridge Philharmonic. He has recently guest-

conducted orchestras in Bosnia, Estonia, Finland, Italy, Macedonia, Slovenia and the US

and broadcasts regularly on TV and radio.

Timothy Redmond is well-known as a conductor of contemporary music. Since working

closely with Thomas Adès on the premiere of The Tempest at Covent Garden, he has

conducted critically-acclaimed productions of Powder Her Face for the Royal Opera

House and St Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre. In 2010 he conducted the world premiere

of The Golden Ticket, Peter Ash and Donald Sturrock’s new opera based on Charlie and

the Chocolate Factory, for Opera Theatre of St Louis. Last season he conducted the

work’s European premiere at the Wexford Festival and gave the first performance of a

new oratorio by Edward Rushton with the London Symphony Orchestra.

In the opera house he has conducted productions for Opera North, English National

Opera, English Touring Opera, Almeida Opera, at the Bregenz, Tenerife and Aldeburgh

Festivals and for New York’s American Lyric Theater. Recordings include Dreams with

the French cellist Ophélie Gaillard and the RPO (Harmonia Mundi), discs with Natasha

Marsh and Mara Carlyle for EMI, and CDs with the Northern Sinfonia and Philharmonia.

His 2011/12 season includes concerts with the Hallé, Manchester Camerata, Sinfonia Viva

and Northern Sinfonia, several engagements with the Macedonian Philharmonic in Skopje

and his debut with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. In May 2012 he will collaborate with

Valery Gergiev on The Rite of Spring and Oedipus Rex before conducting a concert of jazz-

inspired works to conclude the LSO’s Stravinsky Festival.

Timothy Redmond read music at Manchester University and studied oboe and

conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music, where he held the RNCM’s Junior

Fellowship in Conducting. He furthered his studies in masterclasses with George Hurst,

Ilya Musin, Yan Pascal Tortelier and Pierre Boulez.

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STEVE BINGHAM

Leader

Steve Bingham studied violin with Emmanuel

Hurwitz, Sidney Griller and the Amadeus Quartet

at the Royal Academy of Music from 1981 to

1985, where he won prizes for orchestral leading

and string quartet playing. In 1985 he formed the

Bingham String Quartet, an ensemble which has

become one of the foremost in the UK, with an

enviable reputation for both classical and

contemporary repertoire. The Quartet has

recorded numerous CDs and has worked for

radio and television both in the UK and as far

afield as Australia. The Quartet has worked with distinguished musicians such as Jack

Brymer, Raphael Wallfisch, Michael Collins and David Campbell.

Steve has appeared as guest leader with many orchestras including the BBC Scottish

Symphony Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, English National Ballet and

English Sinfonia. He has given solo recitals both in the UK and America and his concerto

performances include works by Bach, Vivaldi, Bruch, Prokofiev, Mendelssohn and

Sibelius, given in venues as prestigious as St John’s, Smith Square and the Royal Albert

Hall. Steve is also Artistic Director of Ely Sinfonia.

In recent years Steve has developed his interest in improvisation, electronics and World

music, collaborating with several notable musicians including guitarist Jason Carter and

players such as Sanju Vishnu Sahai (tabla), Baluji Shivastrav (sitar) and Abdullah Ibrahim

(piano). Steve’s debut solo CD Duplicity was released in November 2005, and has been

played on several radio stations including BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM. The Independent

gave it a 4-star review. Steve released his second solo CD, Ascension, in November

2008. You can find out more about Steve on his web site at www.stevebingham.co.uk.

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PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

1st Violins

Steve Bingham (leader)

Kate Clow (co leader)

Vikki Atkinson

Graham Bush

Hilary Crooks

Naomi Hilton

Adele Martin

Sean Rock

Victoria Stelzhammer

Pat Welch

Gerry Wimpenny

2nd Violins

Emma Lawrence

Paul Anderson

Jenny Barna

Joanna Baxter

Leila Coupe

Fiona Cunningham

Anne McAleer

John Richards

Sarah Ridley

Ariane Stoop

Katrin Ottersbach

Violas

Ruth Donnelly

Liz Andrews

Alex Cook

Jeremy Harmer

Robert Heap

Samara Humbert-

Hughes

Cellos

Vivian Williams

Sarah Bendall

Helen Davies

Anna Edwards

Melissa Fu

Clare Gilmour

Helen Hills

Mercedesz Milner

Lucy Mitchell

Double Bass

Stephen Beaumont

Elspeth Coult

Susan Sparrow

Flute

Cynthia Lalli

Adrienne Jackson

Oboe /oboe d'amore

Jenny Sewell

Rachael Dunlop

Cor Anglais

Gareth Stainer

Camilla Haggett

Bassoon

Neil Greenham

Trumpet

Andy Powlson

Kate Goatman

Naomi Wrycroft

Timpani

Dave Ellis

Organ continuo

Mark Packwood

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PHILHARMONIC CHORUS

Soprano 1

Helen Bache

Helena Barton

Abi Brown

Jane Cook

Olivia Downs

Katie Karnezos

Christina Klasse

Ros Mitchell

Charlotte Orrock

Caroline Potter

Amanda Price

Brenda Reckelberg

Mary Richards

Josephine Roberts

Anne Sales

Pat Sartori

Ruth Tricker

Alison Vinnicombe

Soprano 2

Cathy Ashbee

Eleanor Bell

Susannah Cameron

Jennifer Day

Susan Earnshaw

Christine Halstead

Maggie Hook

Diana Lindsay

Ursula Lyons

Binnie Macellari

Valerie Mahy

Liz Popescu

Vicky Pottruff

Anne Read

Sheila Rushton

Lindsey Shaw-Miller

Pip Smith

Alto 1

Helen Black

Margaret Cook

Caroline Courtney

Alison Dudbridge

Kin Mei Leung

Sarah Johnson

Ruth Jordan

Jan Littlewood

Janet Mills

Julia Napier

Alice Parr

Caroline Shepherd

Sarah Upjohn

Helen Wheatley

Alto 2

Kate Baker

Jane Bower

Elizabeth Crow

Alison Deary

Tabitha Driver

Jane Fenton

Jane Fleming

Stephanie Gray

Hilary Jackson

Sue Purseglove

Gill Rogers

Oda Stoevesandt

Chris Strachan

Claudia West

Tenor

Johan Alsiö

Aiden Baker

Jeremy Baumberg

David Bowler

Geoff Forster

Bernardo Foth

David Griffiths

Ian McMillan

Jim Potter

Chris Price

David Reed

Stephen Roberts

Martin Scutt

Graham Wickens

John Williams

Bass

Richard Birkett

Neil Caplan

Chris Coffin

Paul Crosfield

Brain Dawson

Dan Ellis

Chris Fisher

Patrick Hall

Lewis Jones

Harrison Sherwood

David White

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