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Saturday 14 December 2019 at 7.30pm

Conductor: Colin StevensLeader: Janet Hicks

with

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O Come All Ye Faithful

1. Make We Joy Now in this Feast 2. How Far is it toBethlehem? 3. My Lord and my God 4. O Mortal Man 5. Out of

your Sleep

See Amid the Winter’s Snow

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

(The words for the audience carols will be found on page 11)

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JOSEPH HAYDN was born on 31 March1732 in Rohrau, Austria, and died on 31May 1809 in Vienna. He was one of themost famous composers in the Classicalmusic period and he is often called the"Father of the Symphony."

Haydn's father made wheels for a living,and had the skills of a blacksmith,stonemason, and carpenter. He used thatskill in his spare time to make musicalinstruments for his family to play. TheHaydn family would give informal weekendconcerts. One of Joseph's relatives thoughtthat Joseph had a great singing voice andshould go with him to a boarding schoolwhere he would start studying to become apriest.

Joseph did not like it very much at theboarding school, but his voice developed toa point where he was selected to be a partof the Boys’ Choir of the Vienna Cathedral,where he stayed until his voice changed.

He made a living teaching and playing inthe streets for handouts until he met NicolaiPorpora, who hired him as an accompanistand general servant. Eventually, he got ajob working for Nicholas Esterhazy, andworked for the Esterhazys for over thirtyyears, during which time he wrotesymphonies, string quartets, operas, pianosonatas, and other pieces.

After he was released from his duties withthe Esterhazys, Haydn travelled to London.Even at the age of 60 he was still activeand wrote some of his most famoussymphonies there.

While in London, he heard Handel'sMessiah, and was inspired to write twooratorios of his own, The Seasons and TheCreation.

While working on these oratorios inVienna, Haydn gave lessons to Beethoven,who had first wanted to study with Mozart,but by the time Beethoven was ready tostudy in Vienna, Mozart had died.

The house in Vienna where Haydn wrotehis oratorios has been turned into amuseum called 'Haydnhaus'.

Haydn was so well-respected in Viennathat he was known as "Papa Haydn" andhis influence on music was profound andgreat.

There was no one near to confuse me, so I was forced to become original (Joseph Haydn)

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CHRISTOPHER ROUSE was bornin  1949, in Baltimore, Maryland, andstudied with Richard Hoffmann at OberlinConservatory of Music, graduating in1971. He later completed graduatedegrees under  Karel Husa  at  CornellUniversity  in 1977. In between, Rousestudied privately with George Crumb.

Early recognition came from the  BMIFoundation's BMI Student ComposerAwards in 1972 and 1973. Rouse taught atthe  University of Michigan  from 1978 to1981, where he was also a Junior Fellowin the University's Society of Fellows andat the Eastman School of Music from 1981to 2002. From 1997, he taught atthe  Juilliard School. Rouse's  SymphonyNo. 1  was awarded the  Kennedy CenterFriedheim Award  in 1988,  andhis Trombone Concerto was awarded the1993 Pulitzer Prize for Music.

In 2002, Rouse was elected to theAmerican Academy of Arts and Letters.Also in that year, he won a Grammy Awardfor Best Classical ContemporaryComposition  for his Concert de Gaudí.  In2009, he was named Musical America'sComposer of the Year and the New YorkPhilharmonic's Composer-in-Residence in2012. Rouse also held the same positionwith the Baltimore SymphonyOrchestra  (1985–88), the TanglewoodMusic Tanglewood Music Festival (1997),the Helsinki Biennale (1997), the PacificMusic Festival  (1998), and the AspenMusic Festival (annually since 2000).

Christoper Rouse died on 21 Septemberthis year and his last Symphony, No. 6,received its posthumous world premiere byLouis Langrée and the CincinnatiSymphony Orchestra on 18 October 2019.

Rouse first conceived Karolju  in the early1980s as a collection of Christmas carolsin a form modelled after the  cantataCarmina Burana  by the Germancomposer  Carl Orff. Though the workwasn't commissioned until 1989, Rousehad already composed a number of thecarols to be included in the work.

He wrote in the score program notes: ‘As Iwished to compose the music first, theproblem of texts presented itself. Findingappropriate existing texts to fit alreadycomposed music would have been virtuallyimpossible, and as I did not trust my ownability to devise a poetically satisfying text,I decided to compose my own texts in avariety of languages (Latin, Swedish,

French, Spanish, Russian, Czech,German, and Italian) which, althoughmaking reference to words and phrasesappropriate to the Christmas season,would not be intelligibly translatable ascomplete entities. It was rather my intent tomatch the sound of the language to themusical style of the carol to which it wasapplied. I resultantly selected words oftenmore for the quality of their sound and theextent to which such sound typified thelanguage of their origin than for theircognitive "meaning" per se.’

Rouse wrote the music in a manner thatwas "direct and simple in its tonalorientation," despite the trends oflate  twentieth-century classical music.

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Addressing the work's anachronisticqualities, he wrote, "Those who know otherof my works may be surprised — someeven distressed — by Karolju. While I canassert with assurance that this score doesnot represent a wholesale 'change ofdirection' for me and thus constitutes anisolated example among mycompositions,  Karolju  is nevertheless apiece which I mean with the most profoundsincerity, one which I hope will help instil inlisteners the same special joy which I feelfor the season it celebrates."

Though the music of Karolju is original, thefirst and tenth movements of the workparaphrase the coda of "O Fortuna"from Carmina Burana. The third movementalso quotes a four-measure phrasefrom The Nutcracker  by Tchaikowsky,which itself dates back to an eighteenth-century minuet.

Karolju  has a duration of roughly 27minutes and consists of eleven originalcarols.

By the way, to save you looking it up whenyou get home, Karolju is a made-up word!

As mentioned earlier, Christopher Rouse, sadly, died in September, and thisis a final artistic statement from him, which he intended to be released afterhis death:

"Without music my life would have had no meaning. It has not onlyinformed my life or enriched my life; it has given me life and a reasonfor living. I'll never be able to explain why these vibrating frequencieshave the power to transport us to levels of consciousness that defywords - I simply accept the fact that music has this miraculous powerfor me and for myriad other people I have known.

"My hope has been to do for my listeners what Beethoven and Berliozand Bruckner and Ibert, and all of those others who worked—and stilldo—for me. I've wished to "pay it forward" by inviting listeners to callon me to enter their hearts and their lives and to allow me the honor ofaccompanying them on their road through life. If summoned I will try tobe of use: to sing you a song, to paint you a picture, to tell you a story.Perhaps we can take a journey together. A caveat: I may sometimestake you to a places you'll find it difficult to go, but my goal will alwaysbe at journey's end to provide you with solace and strength."

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GEOFFREY HANSON has pursued acareer as composer, conductor,organist and teacher. Founder andConductor of the London RipienoSociety, he has overseen many yearsof successful concert giving and hascomposed many works, both choraland orchestral, a number of which theSociety has premiered.  In 1997 hefounded the East Finchley ArtsFestival and began an association withthe London Mozart Players. They toohave given the first performances ofseveral of his works. His compositionsrange from unaccompanied choralpieces to large-scale choral andorchestral works together with severalconcertos. He was a Professor ofOrgan at Trinity College of Music for

many years and organist successivelyat London churches.

His career has taken him to the USA,France and Italy. International criticalacclaim has come his way, especiallyfor the CD Odyssey which features theLondon Ripieno Singers and theLondon Mozart Players.

'This is a disc that I recommendwithout hesitation...Performances aresuperb and everyone is a standout.Bravo!' Geoff Pearce, Music andVision Daily, Australia.

'A beautiful release' Colin Clarke,Fanfare Magazine USA

Te Deum laudamus, Te Dominumconfitemur. Te aeternum Patrem omnisterra veneratur. Tibi omnes angeli, tibiCherubim et Seraphim, Incessabile voceproclamant.Sanctus,sanctus,sanctus, Domine DeusSabaoth. Pleni sunt coeli et terramajestatis gloriae tuae.Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus, teMartyrum. Candidatus laudat exercitus.Te per orbem terrarium sancta confiteturEcclesia. Patrem immensae majestatis.Venerandum tuum, verum et unicumFilium. Sanctum quoque ParacletumSpiritum.

Tu Rex gloriae Christe. Tu Patrissempiternus es Filius. Tu ad liberandumsuscepturus hominem non horruistiVirginis uterum. Tu devicto mortis aculeoaperisti, Credentibus regna coelorum.Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes gloria Patris.Judex crederisEs se venturus.Te ergo quaesumus, famulis tuis subvani,Quos pretioso redemisti.Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in Glorianumerrari.Salvum fac populum tuum, Domine, etbenedictHaereditati tuae. Et rege eos, et extolleillos,

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Usque in aeternum. Per singulos diesbenedicimus Te.Et laudamus nomen tuum in saeculum, etin saeculum Saeculi. Dignare, domine, dieisto.Sine peccato, nos custodire. Misererenostri, Domine, Miserere nostri. Fiatmisericordia tua Domine, super nos,Quemadmodum speravimus in te. In teDomine, speravi,Non confundar in aeternum.(We praise Thee, O God, we acknowledgeThee to be the Lord.All the earth doth worship Thee, the Fathereverlasting.To Thee all angels cry aloud.To Thee Cherubim and Seraphim docontinually cry.Holy, holy, holy lord god of Sabaoth.Heaven and earthAre full of the majesty of Thy glory.The glorious company of the Apostlespraise Thee.The Holy church throughout all the worlddoth acknowledge Thee.The Father of an infinite majesty. Thinehonourable, true and only Son.Also the Holy Ghost, the comforter. Thouart the King of Glory,

O Christ, Thou art the everlasting son of theFather.When Thou tookest upon Thee to deliverman, Thou didst not abhor theVirgin’s womb. When Thou hadstovercome the sharpness of deathThou didst open the Kingdom of heaven toall believers.Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in theglory of the Father.We believe that Thou shalt come to be ourJudge. We therefore pray Thee,help Thy servants whom Thou hadstredeemed with Thy precious blood.Make them to be numbered with ThySaints, in glory everlasting.O Lord, save Thy people, and bless, Thineheritage, govern themAnd lift them up for ever. Day by day wemagnify Thee and weWorship Thy name ever world without end.Vouchsafe, O Lord To keep us this daywithout sin. O Lord have mercy upon us,O Lord let Thy mercy lighten upon us, asour trust is in Thee.O Lord in Thee have I trusted, let me neverbe confounded.)

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1. Ob vix abdurat (Latin)My faith and my strength are renewed thisChristmas Day,Sent from on high from God above,Who gives to mankind His only begottensonAs a sign of his holy love.

Praise Him! Praise the Lord, my people:Praise Him to the skies!It is through His grace and His sacred giftThat our salvation lies.Lord God! Lord, we give thanksFor we shall be redeemedBy this child born of MaryOf whom Elijah dreamed!

2. An kannas i pa (Swedish)High up in a tree, the Christmas birdsings,Calling far and wide the Christmas morn,Trumpeting his song, he spreads hiswings,Proclaims –“Christ is born!”

He spreads his wingsAnd sings his song,Proclaims the tidingsAll day long.When the sun setsAnd the deep night falls,The Christmas birdStill calls, and he calls, and he calls-“Kikiyu!”

3. Je son de la feuli que l’aime (French)I love little Christ in the manger.The horses watch o’er while He sleeps.Mother Mary keeps Him from dangerAs He’s cuddled and warmed by sheep.

O, He is the Lamb of God,Come here to save all mankind.What miracle it is to seeThis Jesus so gentle and kind!Nativity! Nativity! Nativity!

4. Siempre los mascara (Spanish)Shepherds watched o’er their sheepIn their dark night of the soul.When suddenly, a dazzling light appearedThe shepherds their fear they could notcontrol,But an angel spoke from the radiance,Saying, “Shepherds, get thee awayTo Bethlehem,where thou shalt seeThe King of Kings this day”.

5. Procession of the Three Kings(orchestra only)

6. Ob vix abdurat (reprise)

8. Nemam dobra se stale znova (Czech)The Christmas bells are chiming gaily,Ringing out their gladsome strainWhile men of cheer proclaim that ChristWill cast out Satan’s stain.Sing the hymns with joy undimmedAnd proudly hail the holy birth.Rejoice that through our Lord and SaviourGod is here on earth!

9. O die zimmer dank (German)O, this little childSo innocent, meek, and mild,Was borne here on angels’ wings.See how he smiles and how beguilesAll gathered round this holy ground,Damp and cold, hours old. But behold

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His face filled with heav’nly joy; this littleboyGives charity and clarity to life.Should others e’en feel my joy by half,From delight they’d surely laugh.Yes, yes! They would surely laugh.Ha, ha, ha! They would surely laugh.Should another feel my joy by half,Then surely he would laugh.

10. Ob vix abdurat (reprise)

11. Spera dolci (Italian)Sweet hope, Redeemer, Saviour,These shalt Thou be when Thy day doescome.Rest for now, little baby Jesus,Safe in your mother’s arms,Protected from all harm,Angels will keep you warm,This day is done.

O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL

O come all ye faithful joyful andtriumphantO come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem.Come and adore Him, born The Kingof Angels.O come let us adore him, O come letus adore him,O come let us adore him, Christ theLord.

God of God, Light of LightLo! He abhors not the Virgin’s womb;Very God, begotten, not created.O come let us adore him, O come letus adore him,O come let us adore him, Christ theLord.

See how the shepherds,Summoned to his cradle,Leaving their flocks, draw nigh withlowly fear.We too will thither

Bend our joyful footsteps.O come let us adore him, O come letus adore him,O come let us adore him, Christ theLord.

Child, for us sinnersPoor and in the manger,Fain we embrace thee, with awe andlove.Who would not love thee,Loving us so dearly.O come let us adore him, O come letus adore him,O come let us adore him, Christ theLord.

Sing choirs of angels, sing inexultation,Sing all ye citizens of heaven above.Glory to God in the highest.O come let us adore him, O come letus adore him,O come let us adore him, Christ theLord.

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SEE AMID THE WINTER’S SNOW

See amid the winter’s snow, born forus on earth below.See the tender lamb appears,promised from eternal years.Hail, thou ever blessed morn, hailredemption’s happy dawn.Sing through all Jerusalem, Christ isborn in Bethlehem.

Lo, within a manger lies He who builtthe starry skies.He who, throned in height sublime, sitsamid the cherubim.Hail, thou ever blessed morn, hailredemption’s happy dawn.Sing through all Jerusalem, Christ isborn in Bethlehem.

Ladies only

Say, ye holy shepherds, say what yourjoyful news today.Wherefore have ye left your sheep onthe lonely mountain steep?Hail, thou ever blessed morn, hailredemption’s happy dawn.Sing through all Jerusalem, Christ isborn in Bethlehem.

Men only

As we watched at dead of night, lo, wesaw a wond’rous light.Angels singing “Peace on earth”,singing of the saviour’s birth.Hail, thou ever blessed morn, hailredemption’s happy dawn.Sing through all Jerusalem, Christ isborn in Bethlehem.

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Sacred infant, all divine, what a tenderlove was thine,Thus to come from highest bliss, downto such a world as this.Hail, thou ever blessed morn, hailredemption’s happy dawn.Sing through all Jerusalem, Christ isborn in Bethlehem.

Teach, O teach us, Holy child, by thyface so meek and mild.Teach us to resemble thee, in thysweet humility.Hail, thou ever blessed morn, hailredemption’s happy dawn.Sing through all Jerusalem, Christ isborn in Bethlehem.

HARK! THE HERALD ANGELSSING

Hark! The herald angels singGlory to the new born King.Peace on earth and mercy mildGod and sinners reconciled.Joyful all ye nations riseJoin the triumph of the skies,With th’angelic host proclaim,Christ is born in Bethlehem.

Christ, by highest heav’n adoredChrist the everlasting LordLate in time behold him comeOffspring of a virgin’s wombVeiled in flesh the Godhead seeHail th’incarnate DeityPleased as man with man to dwellJesus, our Emmanuel.Hark! The herald angels singGlory to the new born King.

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Hail the heav’n born Prince of PeaceHail the Sun of Righteousness!Light and life to all he bringsRisen with healing in his wings.Mild he lays his glory by

Born that man no more may dieBorn to raise the sons of earthBorn to give them second birth.Hark! The herald angels singGlory to the new born King.

To all our audiences over the season, our Patrons,our choristers (and anyone else

with an interest in Tring Choral Society!)- may we wish you all

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Violins; Frances Bigg, Ian Brown,Akiko Coulter, Darrell Dunning,Marion Garrett, David Glenister, EdHewitt, Fiona Jacob, David Moore,Roger Neighbour, Lesley Pearce

Violas; Katie Hayes, Steffi Cook,John Saunders

Cellos; Helen Godbolt, Mary Harris

Bass; Sudhir Singh

Flute; Caroline Welsh

Oboe; Victoria Parkins, Frances Slack

Clarinet; Esther Moore, TheresaWhiffen

Bassoon; Thomas Dryer-Beers

Horn; Herrick Hayes, John Lavelle

Trumpet; Jeremy Loukes, LeahLoukes

Trombones; Simon Astridge, AlDimond, David Taine

Tympani; Richard Baron-Tait

Percussion; Marco Lam, AnnaStevens, John Stevens

Harp; Ruth Holden

Organ; Jon Lee

Leader; Janet Hicks

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSTring Choral Society thanks Beechwood Fine Foods,

Tring, for support as our ticket agents.

The piano accompanist for Tring Choral Society rehearsals is Anna LeHair.

Our thanks go to Roy Mathers for writing and compiling this programme.

We are grateful for the presence of St John Ambulance representatives atthis concert.

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SOPRANOSCelestria BellGillie BlighJane BrownCorinna ChuteHilary ColbertMargaret CollierSophie DowsonSally DussekElaine FlorsheimAngela HaleAnne HattonMary HaywoodZoe HillKathryn HeathKatie HughesCathy IrvingSue JonesChristine KeenLucy KibbleCharlotte MackinderHattie MackinderVictoria MarkeyBrigid MathersHeather NashEileen PattersonBarbara PearceElina RantanenPam RushRosie SouthworthHelen StokesElizabeth ThompsonJenny WatkinsJenny Watt

ALTOSKaren BaldwinRachel BaldwinChristine BassJanet BriantBeth BrimmicombeNicky BullJean BygateKathy ChantlerSue CollinsKate DaviesAnn DenwoodKatherine DouglasMargaret FlaniganJane GloverJanet GravesJenny HoareLorna LangJane LeggGill LerigoRhian NichollsElizabeth NorrisMichelle PraterChris SiversAnne WalesBethan WhittleHeather WignallKate Winterbottom

TENORSJenny Brannock JonesCliff BrownRichard BrownJohn DeaneBrian EdwardsPhilip HayesBrian MarstonJon ReynoldsChris SmithDavid WildeDavid Williamson

BASSESRobert AllnuttDavid ChaseyDave ClarkeAdrian CollinBob DaviesPaul DoughtyRichard GryllsGeoff HarrisonTony MackinderRichard OnslowJohn Wignall

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Mr and Mrs M BaxterMr G E BullMr J BurchellMrs A CaloiaMs A CaloiaMr R FlaniganMr and Mrs R FranklinMr and Mrs C GarrettMrs G GlasserMr and Mrs J HawkesMr M HerbautMr C W HoareMr and Mrs R Judd

Mr N LewisMrs E MarchantMr I MartinMrs M F MerlierMr R O’ReillyMr C B J PearceMr and Mrs G PulferMr I SlatcherMr and Mrs J StackMr J StanhopeMrs J StevensMr W StringerMr and Mrs E Tapson

Mrs J ThallonMr and Mrs W ThomasDr and Mrs K ToddMr and Mrs M WatsonMr A Winterbottom

Life MembersMr and Mrs D BanyardMr R GryllsMr J RenalsMrs R Southworth

Why not become a Patron of Tring Choral Society?

For a minimum donation of £35, you too could become a Patron of Tring Choral Society,this annual donation entitling you to two free tickets (in any one season). You will alsoreceive an annual newsletter giving concert details in advance, and an invitation to join oursocial events.

To become a Patron, simply fill in the form below and send, with your donation, toMrs B S Mathers, 8 Old Mill Gardens, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire HP4 2NZ

Telephone; 01442 872727

I would like to become a Patron of Tring Choral Society and enclose

a cheque for £.......................

Name....................................................................................................

Address.................................................................................................

Post Code………………………….. Tel No.....…................................

Email address.....................................................................................

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Our next concertMore great musicfor you to enjoy!

Chopin never intended his so-called ‘Minute Waltz’ to beplayed in sixty seconds. Itsnickname was intended tomean ‘small’ as in the senseof a ‘miniature’ waltz.

So - all you aspiring concertpianists practising like mad athome can relax!

Did you know?

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If you like what you hear (and see) tonight, andwould like to be involved - or simply would liketo learn more about Tring Choral Society, itshistory and present situation, we have a web

site that will provide a mine of information.

Our web site contains details of future concerts,rehearsal dates and many other details that are

sure to interest friends of our choir.You can visit us at

www.tringchoral.org.uk

And, of course, new members are alwayswelcome -

please ring the Membership Secretary,Margaret Collier, on 01296 660406