General John Reid (1721 – 1807)  Sonata No. 2 in G

Andante / Allegro / Moderato Cantabile / Giga Allegro

 

Reid was a general in the British army and spent many years in the colonial wars in America. He was also a keen musician and played the flute. This Sonata was intended for flute but could also be played on the violin, many publications of the time had alternative instrumentations to make them appeal to a wider audience. The style, known as the "Scots drawing room style",  is a blend of traditional Scottish music and the contemporary baroque and galant styles from Europe.

 

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Vauxhall songs:

Johann Christian Bach (1735 – 1782)  Smiling Venus

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Maria Barthélemon (1749 – 1799)  When Love First Takes Possession

 

The growth of the urban middle class in London gave rise to a demand for public entertainment. The most popular attractions were the pleasure gardens at Ranelagh and Vauxhall. There were sites for music, dancing, eating and drinking, art galleries, and the extensive formal gardens. There were also regular fireworks, operas, masquerades and illuminations.  Handel became a sort of composer in residence at Vauxhall in the 1730s and 40s, and it was the place for wealthy people to social climb and be seen in your best finery.

 

Vauxhall was established in 1729, and had a hefty entrance fee of one shilling, designed to keep undesirables out and avoid wealthy people having to mix with the lower classes. It however developed a reputation as a place of drunkenness and debauchery, with all sorts going in the wooded groves and dark alleyways! Vauxhall finally closed in 1859, but it’s heyday was in the mid to late 18th century.

 

Johann Christian Bach was the youngest son of Johann Sebastien, and 50 years his junior. J.C. Bach was born into quite a different era in musical style, and was a similar age to Haydn. He moved to London in 1762 and stayed there the rest of his life. When the 8 year old Wolfgang Mozart visited London a few years later, he received composition lessons from J.C. Bach for some time, so he was a strong influence on the young genius. Like most popular London composers, J.C. Bach wrote songs for Vauxhall pleasure gardens, the current song “Smiling Venus” is taken from a set published around 1770. It was sung by one of the most popular resided sopranos at Vauxhall, Frederika Weichsel, who had also been a pupil of J.C. Bach. A description of her singing from 1775:

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“Apollo’s most favourite child, sweet Weichsel who warbles her wood-notes so wild, that the birds are all hushed as they sit on each spray, and the trees nod applause as she charms the sweet lay”

 

The second song is from another popular soprano Maria Barthelemon, also known as Polly Young. She was born in London in 1749 into a family of musician, her 2 sisters and 3 aunts were famous singers, and other relatives included composers and instrumentalists. Maria started performing at a young age and had already appeared in operas by the age of 17 when she got married. Her husband was a composer, which inspired Maria to begin composing.

 

Despite the social stigma against female composers at the time, Maria composed a fair amount and had numerous pieces published. She also continued her career as a singer, often performing at Vauxhall which was near where she lived. The song “When Love First Takes Possession” is from a publication dating from 1786. It is very likely that Maria sang this herself at Vauxhall around this time.

 

 

Carl Friedrich Abel (1723 - 1787)  Sonata No. 6 in E minor

Moderato / Adagio / Tempo di Minuetto

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Carl Friedrich Abel was another German composer who lived for many years in London, arriving in 1759. He is known for being one of the last people to play and compose for the viola da gamba. Abel become good friends with J.C. Bach in London, and they began a series of famous subscription concerts together. The Bach-Abel concerts were the first subscription series in Britain and lasted for 17 years.

 

This sonata was written for the viola da gamba, but also published in different clefs so was intended to be adapted for other instruments. It is the only one in the set to be in a minor key, which was quite a rarity at the time but this gives it quite a different character which contrasts with some of the “nice but bland” music of this era.

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Franz Joseph Haydn (arr.) (1732 – 1809)  Welsh folksong arrangements:

The Despairing Bard / The Men of Harlech’s March

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Haydn, along with Mozart, was one of the key figures in the classical style of the later 18th century. He spent much of his career in a relative backwater of rural Austria working for the Esterhazy court. When his patron died in 1790, Haydn was finally free to travel and received an invitation to visit London, where he was very popular. Haydn lived in London for a total of 2 years, between 1791 and 1795. He visited a number of areas in the south, including the Isle of Wight, and Winchester.

 

Whilst in England, Haydn was friends with the Barthelemons and also accompanied Maria in concerts. Whilst in London, Haydn was commissioned to write arrangements of Scottish and Welsh folksongs and composed over 400 between 1791 and 1803. These traditional songs had become extremely popular by the late 18th century and there are a large number of publications from this time. Haydn’s arrangements are a wonderful fusion of folk melodies with his own classical style.

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Niel Gow (arr.) (1727 – 1807)  Medley:

Robie Donna Gorach / Gigg / Stumpey Strathspey / The Ranting Highland Man

 

Gow was born in Perthshire and lived much of his life there. He is an important figure in the history of Scottish fiddle music and his compositions and arrangements are still often played today at traditional music gatherings. Gow composed around 87 dance tunes, however he also collected and notated many hundreds more traditional tunes in the 18th century. In many cases thsi was the first time that this music had been written down accurately and published, and Gow is an important historical source for this reason.  The tunes played here come from one of Gow's most popular publications, Gow's Repository of the Dance Music of Scotland, dating from the end of the 18th century.

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Franz Joseph Haydn (arr.) (1732 – 1809)  Scottish folksong arrangements:

Pentland Hills / The White Cockade / The Shepherd Adonis / The Glancing of Her Apron

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See notes above about the Welsh folksong arrangements. These Scottish songs were published in large volumes with hundreds of songs in each. Due to the heavy dialect used in the song lyrics, a glossary was included to explain the many words that would have been unfamiliar to an English audience.  One wonders what comprehension Haydn had of some these texts, he was only in England for around 2 years so must have had a limited knowledge of standard English, never mind Scottish texts that English people needed a glossary to understand!

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INTERVAL

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Background information on the music in the 2nd half will be provided by the performers, the poems or texts used are below:​

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Snowbound (words from the longer poem by John Greenleaf Whittier, music by Chris Hirst)

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The sun that brief December day

Rose cheerless over hills of grey,

And, darkly circled, gave at noon

A sadder light than waning moon.

Slow tracing down the thickening sky

Its mute and ominous prophecy,

A portent seeming less than threat,

It sank from sight before it set.

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The wind blew east; we heard the roar

Of Ocean on his wintry shore,

And felt the strong pulse throbbing there

Beat with low rhythm our inland air.

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Unwarmed by any sunset light

The gray day darkened into night,

A night made hoary with the swarm

And whirl-dance of the blinding storm,

As zigzag, wavering to and fro,

Crossed and recrossed the wingëd snow:

And ere the early bedtime came

The white drift piled the window-frame,

And through the glass the clothes-line posts

Looked in like tall and sheeted ghosts.

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Video version of this song here:  https://youtu.be/moHvD38PFeY

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Triumph (words from the longer poem by John Greenleaf Whittier, music by Chris Hirst)

 

The autumn-time has come;

On woods that dream of bloom,

And over purpling vines,

The low sun fainter shines.

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And present gratitude

Insures the future’s good,

And for the things I see

I trust the things to be;

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Let the thick curtain fall;

I better know than all

How little I have gained,

How vast the unattained.

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Sweeter than any sung

My songs that found no tongue;

Nobler than any fact

My wish that failed of act.

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Others shall sing the song,

Others shall right the wrong,

Finish what I begin,

And all I fail of win.

 

What matter, I or they?

Mine or another’s day,

So the right word be said

And life the sweeter made?

 

​​​​​Fantasy Passacaglia on themes by Purcell  (Emma-Marie Kabanova)

 

Idyll (words from the poem by Siegfried Sassoon, music by Chris Hirst)​

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In the grey summer garden I shall find you
With day-break and the morning hills behind you.
There will be rain-wet roses; stir of wings;
And down the wood a thrush that wakes and sings.

Not from the past you’ll come, but from that deep
Where beauty murmurs to the soul asleep:
And I shall know the sense of life re-born
From dreams into the mystery of morn
Where gloom and brightness meet. And standing there
Till that calm song is done, at last we’ll share
The league-spread, quiring symphonies that are
Joy in the world, and peace, and dawn’s one star.​

 

The Road (words and music by Chris Hirst)

 

The road stretches before me, into the mist

A whispered invitation to go further than before

The journey begins here

Where the road leads is still unclear.

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How far the road takes me is yet to be seen

Ahead lies the future, forever pristine

Leaving behind me everything past

A glance in the mirror, I'm leaving at last.

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The road welcomes all who long to travel it

No matter where they start

On the way there may be hills and unexpected turns

But they all play their part

The road takes us ever on.

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I see far in the distance

The vague outline of cliffs

Like timeless monumental sculptures

Rising up from the endless sea.

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How far the road takes me is yet to be seen

Ahead lies the future, forever pristine

Leaving behind me everything past

A glance in the mirror, I'm leaving at last.

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The road welcomes all who long to travel it

No matter where they start

On the way there may be hills and unexpected turns

But they all play their part

The road takes us ever on.

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Journey on, forever on...

 

The road welcomes all who long to travel it

No matter where they start

On the way there may be hills and unexpected turns

But they all play their part

The road takes us ever on.

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MacBeth Fantasy  (Emma-Marie Kabanova)

 

Video version of this piece here:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdxxOmBZ3UM

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Waves (words from the poem by Louise Townsend Nicholl, music by Chris Hirst) 

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One by one upon my shore
   The little waves are laid,
Each one a new and perfect thing
   Which the sea has made.
 
From that which is forever old
   They come, forever young,
The latest, faintest echoes
   Of the song the sea has sung.
 
They echo it in whispers.
   I listen ceaselessly,
For fear the echoes die away
   And I should hear the sea.
 

Video version of this song here:  https://youtu.be/hNeOu00VlxA

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The Spider and the Fly  (words from the longer poem by Mary Howitt, music by Chris Hirst)

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"Will you walk into my parlour?" said the Spider to the Fly,
"'Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy;
The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,
And I have many curious things to show when you are there."
"Oh no, no," said the little Fly, "to ask me is in vain,
For who goes up your winding stair can ne'er come down again."

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"I'm sure you must be weary, dear, with soaring up so high;
Will you rest upon my little bed?" said the Spider to the Fly.
"There are pretty curtains drawn around; the sheets are fine and thin,
And if you like to rest awhile, I'll snugly tuck you in!"
"Oh no, no," said the little Fly, "for I've often heard it said,
They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed!"

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Said the cunning Spider to the Fly, "Dear friend what can I do,
To prove the warm affection I've always felt for you?
I have within my pantry, good store of all that's nice;
I'm sure you're very welcome–will you please to take a slice?"
"Oh no, no," said the little Fly, "kind sir, that cannot be,
I've heard what's in your pantry, and I do not wish to see!"

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The Spider turned him round about, and went into his den,
For well he knew the silly Fly would soon come back again:
So he wove a subtle web, in a little corner sly,
And set his table ready, to dine upon the Fly.
Then he came out to his door again, and merrily did sing,
"Come hither, hither, pretty Fly, with the pearl and silver wing;
Your robes are green and purple – there's a crest upon your head;
Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are dull as lead!"

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Alas, alas! how very soon this silly little Fly,
Hearing his wily, flattering words, came slowly flitting by;
With buzzing wings she hung aloft, then near and nearer drew,
Thinking only of her brilliant eyes, and green and purple hue –
Thinking only of her crested head–poor foolish thing! At last,
Up jumped the cunning Spider, and fiercely held her fast.
He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal den,
Within his little parlour–but she ne'er came out again!​​​

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