Note: This is an annotated form of the programme notes for this recital, exploiting web technologies to allow readers to delve deeper into the biographies of the composers and the meaning of musical and religious terms as they wish.

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My spirit sang all day

Choral songs of the world and the spirit

Programme

Please click on the composers’ names to find about more about them

Interval

during which refreshments will be served

My spirit sang all day	Gerald Finzi (1901-1956)
The Blue Bird	Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924)
The Turtle Dove	Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
My love dwelt in a Northern Land	Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
Lay a garland	Robert Pearsall (1795-1856)
Organ solo: The Prayer	David Foster (arr Lee Ward)
The Sound of Silence	Paul Simon (b 1941)
Medley from West Side Story	Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)

St Peter’s Singers

Lee Ward organ

Alexander Woodrow conductor

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Texts, translations and notes

We begin our programme appropriately with two wonderful works written for performance at Petertide. Both reference the text in St Matthew Ch 16:18-21, where Christ calls Peter his Rock, the foundation for his Church, and gives him the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Hymn to St Peter | Benjamin Britten (1913-76)

Thou shalt make them Princes over all the earth,
They shall remember thy name, O Lord,
Instead of thy fathers, Sons are born to thee.
Therefore shall the people praise thee, Alleluia.
Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam
Thou art Peter, and on this Rock I will build my church

From the Gradual of the Feast of St Peter and St Paul

This organ-accompanied anthem dates from 1955. The musical material of the imposing and stately opening ‘Thou shalt make them princes’ is based upon plainsong. A complete contrast ensues with the lively and skittish setting, in compound 6/8 time, of ‘instead of thy fathers, sons are born to thee’, before a return to the original stately theme, this time with the addition of a soprano soloist who sings the Latin ‘Tu es Petrus’ phrases, while the choir sings the English translation very quietly in response.

Soprano soloist:

Tu es Petrus | Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-94)

A masterful piece of Polyphony dating from the 16^th century. It was written to be sung a cappella in six parts, with each of the six voices having beautiful interweaving lines, all working together to produce some splendid harmonies. Several times, Palestrina breaks this seamless interweaving to make way for a unified, almost fanfare-like setting of the words ‘claves regni’ (the keys to the kingdom). These words are always presented in a very powerful way to lend them great prominence and to draw our attention to them.

Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam,	You are Peter, the Rock, and on this rock I will build my church,
Et portae inferi non praevalebunt adversus eam.	And the powers of death shall not prevail against it.
Et tibi dabo claves regni caelorum.	And I shall give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Quodcumque ligaveris super terram erit ligatum et in Coelis,	Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,
Et quodcumque solveris super terra erit solutum et in coelis,	And whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven
Et tibi dabo claves regni caelorum.	And I shall give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Text: Matthew 16: 18-21

Geistliches Lied (Sacred song) | Johannes Brahms (1833-97)

Two choral works by Brahms allow the choir to revel in warm, blended tone and luxurious Romantic lines. Geistliches Lied was written in 1856 and has its origins as a contrapuntal exercise based  upon a double Canon, the tenor answering the soprano a bar later and a ninth lower; and the bass answering the alto also a ninth lower. That the piece is a hallmark not only of technical skill but of great overall elegance in the choral lines; the organ accompaniment is an exceptional achievement, and the final Amens are sumptuously beautiful.

Lass dich nur nichts nicht dauren mit Trauren sei stille! Wie Gott es fügt, so sei vergnügt mein Wille	Let nothing afflict you With grief; Be calm! As God ordains, So be content my Will
Was willst du heute sorgen Auf Morgen? Der Eine Steht allem für, Der gibt auch dir Das Deine	Why worry today About tomorrow? The One Is in charge Who gives also to you What is yours
Sei nur in allem Handel Ohn Wandel, Steh feste! Was Gott beschleusst Das ist und heisst Das Beste, Amen	In all your doings be steadfast Stand firm! What God decrees Is, and is acknowledged The best, Amen

Text: Paul Flemming (1608-40)

Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen | Johannes Brahms (1833-97)

This is the fourth movement of Brahms’ German Requiem, setting text from Psalm 84, and it is by some margin the best-known stand-alone movement from that wonderful work, with its soaring melodies and elegant phrases, its refined triple-time flow, and the exciting fugato passage ‘die Loben dich immerdar’ which eventually yields to a peaceful ending.

Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen, Herr Zebaoth	How lovely are thy dwellings fair, O Lord of Hosts
Meine Seele verlanget and sehnet sich nach den Vorhöfen des Herrn	My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the courts of the Lord
Mein Leib und Seele freuen sich in dem lebendigen Gott	My heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God
Wohl denen, die in deinem Hause wohnen	Blessed are they who dwell in thy house
Dir loben dich immerdar	They will be always praising thee

Text: From Psalm 84

Organ solo: Sonata No 3 in A , 1st movement | Felix Mendelssohn (1809-47)

Mendelssohn’s debt to JS Bach is evident in his own organ music. He was himself a fine organist, noted for his mastery of Bach’s works, and as an improviser. This sonata includes a Chorale prelude based on Luther’s hymn “Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir” (From deep affliction I cry out to you).

Ave Maria | Simon Lindley (1948-2025)

Appropriately, we are performing the new commission Brides of Christ between two pieces of music focussed upon Mary, Mother of Jesus. This Ave Maria by the founder-director of St Peter’s Singers, Simon Lindley, has found a home in just about every parish and cathedral choir library in the land, on account of its beautiful tunefulness.

Ave Maria, gratia plena.	Hail Mary, full of grace.
Dominus tecum.	The Lord is with thee.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,	Blessed art thou among women,
et benedictus fructus ventris tuae, Jesu.	and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei	Holy Mary, Mother of God
Ora pro nobis peccatoribus	Pray for us sinners
Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae.	Now and at the hour of our death
Amen	Amen

Brides of Christ (world premiere)| Fiona Pacey & Hannah Stone

This is the first ever performance of this new work, created by two of our members.

Fiona Pacey writes:

Imagine two nuns in a 16th century convent. What brought them here? What sort of life do they have? In this collaboration between poet Hannah Stone and composer Fiona Pacey, we overhear a conversation in which two of them talk about their experience and how they came to be there.

The vocal lines are semi-aleatoric; they sound spontaneous, just as a conversation would. In the background the choir provides episodes of busyness which resolve into unity, as a convent community might come together at the end of a day to sing the divine office.

My father said “Child, you must go
And live with these holy women;
At home are too many daughters
And not enough bread to go around”.

My Father called me, and I heard
The still small voice above the clamour
Of my home. Mother said “Wait!”
But I was sure of my calling .

I said goodbye to my sweetheart,
Wept for the babies I did not bear.

Jesus says “Here are your sisters;
Those who do the will of God.”

And here, there is food for the belly,
A clean shift, a place to lie down;
Now I have so many mothers!
(Some are stern and some are cheerful).

They tell me how Mary said “yes”
When God had work for her to do,
That she, another simple girl,
Found beauty in obedience.

I submit to no earthly spouse,
Rejoice to be a bride of Christ,
Wear the breastplate of righteousness
Instead of fine robes and jewels.
My faith is buckled for a belt;
The words of your gospels my pearls.

They teach me – how I like to learn –
The many skills they share with me!

The seed of silent contemplation
Swelled within me, mothered to life
By prayer; birthing peace and mercy.
I go to the inner room
Of my soul, and there I am heard.

And most of all I love to sing,
To blend my voice in Thanksgiving
For this little heaven on earth
And God’s great favour shown to me.

My spirit swims in the silence,
And, when we gather, sings in chords,
Sweet harmony in praise of God.

Text: Hannah Stone

Soloists: Hannah Stone & Claire White-McKay

Ave Maris Stella | Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)

Ave maris stella, Dei Mater alma, Atque semper virgo Felix caeli porta	Hail bright star of heaven Loving mother of God And always a virgin Happy gate of Heaven
Solve vincla reis: Profer lumen caecis, Mala nostra pelle Bona cuncta posce	Break the chains of sinners Bring light to the blind Drive away our evils Ask for all good
Vitam praesta puram Iter para tutum Ut, videntes Jesum, Semper collaetemur	Keep life pure Make the journey safe So that, seeing Jesus We may for ever rejoice together
Sit laus Deo Patri, Summo Christo decus, Spiritui Sancto; Tribus honor unus, Amen	Praise be to God the Father, Glory to Christ in the highest, With the Holy Spirit One honour to the three, Amen

Text: From a Hymn for Vespers from the 9^th Century

Interval

My spirit sang all day | Gerald Finzi (1901-1956)

This ecstatic setting of Robert Bridges’ poem My Spirit sang all day is best explained perhaps by the key fact that the composer’s wife was called Joy!

My spirit sang all day
O my joy
Nothing my tongue could say,
Only My joy!

My heart an echo caught
O my joy
And spake, tell me thy thought,
Hide not thy joy.

My eyes gan peer around,
O my joy
What beauty hast thou found?
Shew us thy joy.

My jealous ears grew whist;
O my joy
Music from heaven is’t,
Sent for our joy?

She also came and heard;
O my joy,
What, said she, is this word?
What is thy joy?

And I replied,
O see, O my joy,
‘Tis thee, I cried, ’tis thee:
Thou art my joy.

Text: Robert Bridges (1844-1930)

The Blue Bird | Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924)

Charles Stanford’s motionless, almost hallucinatory setting of Mary Coleridge’s poem provides a complete contrast to the Finzi. It is one of the most popular secular choral pieces from the Edwardian period with its soaring soprano solo, and exquisite image of perfect beauty.

The lake lay blue below the hill.
O’er it, as I looked, there flew
Across the waters, cold and still,
A bird whose wings were palest blue.

The sky above was blue at last,
The sky beneath me blue in blue.
A moment, ere the bird had passed,
It caught his image as he flew.

Text: Mary E Coleridge (1861-1907)

Soloist: Debbie Trigg

The Turtle Dove | Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

Ralph Vaughan Williams is well known for collecting English folksongs in an attempt to preserve this important part of our culture. His gift for arranging them without losing their essential character is beautifully demonstrated by this charming love song.

Fare you well my dear I must be gone
and leave you for a while
If I roam away I’ll come back again
Though I roam ten thousand miles, my dear
Though I roam ten thousand miles

So fair though art my bonney lass
So deep in love as I
But I never will prove false to the bonney lass I love
Till the stars fall from the sky my dear
Till the stars fall from the sky

The sea will never run dry my dear
Nor the rocks never melt with the sun
But I never will prove false to the bonney lass I love
Till all these things be done my dear
Till all these things be done

O yonder doth sit that little turtle dove
He doth sit on yonder high tree
A making a moan for the loss of his love
As I will do for thee my dear
As I will do for thee

Text: Traditional

Soloist: David Hawkin

My love dwelt in a Northern land | Edward Elgar (1857-1934)

Edward Elgar’s emotive setting of Scottish poet Andrew Lang’s  Romance does full justice to the eerie, dream-like text, complete with the final twist. Listen out for how the staccato rhythms in the middle parts, set against the long tune sung by sopranos and tenors, create that strange, dream-like quality.

My love dwelt in a northern land
A dim tower in a forest green
Was his, and far away the sand,
And gray wash of the waves were seen,
The woven forest boughs between.

And through the northern summer night
The sunset slowly died away,
And herds of strange deer, silver white,
Came gleaming through the forest gray,
And fled like ghosts before the day.

And oft, that month, we watch’d the moon
Wax great and white o’er wood and lawn,
And wane, with waning of the June,
Till, like a brand for battle drawn,
She fell, and flamed in a wild dawn.

I know not if the forest green
Still girdles round that castle gray,
I know not if, the boughs between,
The white deer vanish ere the day.
The grass above my love is green,
His heart is colder than the clay.

Text: Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

Lay a garland | Robert Pearsall (1795-1856)

Robert de Pearsall’s mournful but lush 8-part setting of words by Beaumont and Fletcher titled Lay a Garland is the earliest of these part-songs. Enjoy the sumptuous harmonies!

Lay a garland on her hearse
Of the dismal yew
Maidens, willow branches bear
Say she died true
Her love was false, but she was firm
From her hour of birth;
Upon her buried body lie
Lightly, thou gentle earth.

Text: adapted by the composer from words by Beaumont and Fletcher

Organ solo: The Prayer | David Foster (arr Lee Ward)

Enjoy Lee’s arrangement of David Foster’s song, made famous by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli.

The Sound of Silence | Paul Simon (b 1941)

This classic needs no introduction!

Medley from West Side Story | Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990)

This medley of hit songs from Bernstein’s hit from the 1950s (words by Stephen Sondheim) provides some pizazz with which to finish.