Tuesday 27 September 2022

First rehearsal: From A-Z and around the globe

 

This is part of a series of reflections as I take on the role of Musical Director for the Madrid International Choir, a non-religious English speaking choir in the heart of Madrid.


From A-Z and around the globe


After months of planning we finally had the answer to the questions which have been so much on our minds as the choir re-formed after a 2 year pause:

Where will we rehearse?

What music will we sing?

And, most importantly: who will join the choir?


Our rehearsal venue, St George’s church in the city centre, is not only a beautiful building with an attractive garden, we found it has a perfect acoustic for choral singing, and there were some moments of magic as we discovered what a beautiful sound we made.


Our opening repertoire features peace and hope, with Dona Nobis Pacem as a round and Curtis Mayfield’s People Get Ready. We have plenty of music for the rest of the season, and a short discussion among the singers showed that variety will be the key to our future programming.


We ended up being short of space on our “stage” area as singers kept arriving, both new members and those who were in the choir before the long pause. We are truly an international choir, with singers from Spain, Venezuela, Australia, Austria, USA, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Netherlands, Wales, Scotland and England. The age range was equally interesting, from university students to those enjoying retirement, and all ages in between.


Some singers were not able to attend our first rehearsal, due to work, holiday travels or family commitments. We look forward to welcome more new members at future rehearsals.


I hope you will join us.

Tuesday 20 September 2022

By the waters of Babylon, a timeless round

 


This is part of a series of reflections as I take on the role of Musical Director for the Madrid International Choir, a non-religious English speaking choir in the heart of Madrid.


What is this music?


By the waters of Babylon takes its text from Psalm 137, which connects it to Va, pensiero and, more distantly, to People get Ready, and I have written about both of these on recent posts.

You will find different accounts for the song’s origin: some editions describe is Traditional, others as a Jewish melody, while others credit Philip Hayes 1738-1797. 


By the waters of Babylon is a 3 part round. The minor key reflects the melancholy thoughts of the Hebrew slaves who were in captivity in Babylon:

“By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept for thee Zion. We remember thee, Zion.”

Bars 1 to 3 are set to a weeping falling musical figure with a strong emotional pull, and the sense of sadness is reinforced because the same figure is repeated in each bar starting a tone lower each time, a sequence. Bars 5 to 8 continue the falling phrase shape. The last phrase, bars 9 to 12 is another sequence, the melody in bar 9 repeated one note higher in the following two bars. The rising four-note figure seems at first hearing to be optimistic, but each repeat falls and falls in imitation of weeping and the final bar is a fall of a 5th, a very final sound, almost a death knell.


Why are we singing it?


It’s a beautiful melody line. Sung as a round the beauty of the line and the emotional power is amplified. As I have explained in an earlier post on Dona nobis pacem, a round is a simple but effective musical form, and there is a strong connection between the singers.  


This round is timeless: it can be harmonised in different ways, and the most simple way makes it sound modern rather than classical. 

You might recognise it from a version called Babylon on the 1971 American Pie album by Don Maclean, where it sound very much like contemporary folk songs by Pete Seeger. 



Is it relevant to us today?


The comments I made regarding the text of Va, pensiero apply very much also to By the waters of Babylon.


Connecting is a crucial part of singing in a choir: after all, if we simply want to sing we can just stay at home and sing in the shower/wardrobe/loft. The very act of joining a choir says that we want to connect with other human beings through singing.


As a round we connect with our fellow singers, but there is another dimension of connecting: this piece brings to mind far away friends and places. We are connecting with our memories.


Wednesday 31 August 2022

St George’s Anglican Church: our perfect rehearsal space

This is part of a series of reflections as I take on the role of Musical Director for the Madrid International Choir, the English speaking choir in Madrid.







The committee of the Madrid International Choir chose St George’s Anglican Church as our rehearsal space.


I think it is a perfect choice and it is a great decision. It’s important to point out that the Madrid International Choir has no affiliation with any church or religion: we are completely secular and welcome persons of any faith or none.


We are very grateful to the authorities of St George’s Anglican Church for allowing us to use this exquisite space for our rehearsals. Find out about the church here.*


Why is it such a perfect rehearsal space?


First, the location. St George’s Anglican Church is on the corner of Calle Nuñez de Balboa and Calle Hermosilla in the Barrio de Salamanca, in the heart of this wonderful and vibrant city.


Check here for the transport links, which are numerous.** The nearest Metro stop, Velázquez, is moments away.


This is important because we want our rehearsal space to be accessible and approachable for everyone.


Second, health and safety. The church is a large open space with numerous doors and windows which provide ventilation. In these times I think we are all aware of the need for space between us and for ventilation, and the church meets these needs perfectly.


Finally, it’s a beautiful space, with a tremendous history of quality musical experiences, a tiny number of which I am really happy to have been part of, and the architecture gives a wonderful acoustic for the kind of quality singing we aspire to. Get ready to hear your voice soar into the high roof and rebound between the arches.


So, thanks again to the church authorities for your welcome. 


To the reader, please come and join us at our rehearsals, 19.30 - 21.00 starting on 22 September 2022.



** https://www.stgeorgesmadrid.org/about-us/how-to-find-us/

Monday 29 August 2022

There is silence in my heart tonight by Ali Burns

This is part of a series of reflections on current or future repertoire as I take on the role of Musical Director for the Madrid International Choir, the English speaking choir in Madrid.


What is this music?


There is silence in my heart tonight is a recent composition by Edinburgh based songwriter Ali Burns, and this is how she describes her work”:


“I’m still completely in love with the creative process of song-writing. The careful binding of text, melody and harmony constantly fascinates me and I’m drawn to elegantly sparse lyrics that leave the work with the listener. But I also write because I have to – it’s how I stay sane in this bonkers world and how I process the inner landscape of my life. “ *


This is a partner-style song: when we sing a round we all sing the same melody and text at different times, whereas in a partner song we sing different melodies and texts at the same time. The composer’s skill is in making the different independent parts fit together. There is scope for us to arrange the song as we wish, and space is given for improvising.



Why are we singing it?


It’s a beautiful piece of music. 


Ali Burns is constantly leading singing workshops with serious amateur singers like ourselves, and as we sing her song we are connecting with those singers, albeit anonymously and out of sight. As I said regarding Pages, it’s right that we should recognise the quality of living writers and composers and celebrate their achievements in the best possible way, which is to perform their work.


From a musical point of view the sense of peace is carefully crafted by having a descending bass line which moves in steps for almost a whole octave. There is a total absence of the tension and release which usually gives music its interest, and in this case the sound of our voices float seamlessly and peacefully, letting the repeat of “silence” assure us that “all is well tonight”. 



Is it relevant to us today?


We can see this song as a secular mirror image of Dona nobis pacem. The language is different, as is the formal structure, but the longing for peace and calm is present in both pieces.


Even in our privileged situation here in Madrid, we have experienced turmoil and loss in a way none of us would have predicted at the start of 2020. It’s a pleasure to take some time to get back to rehearsals, to re-connect with each other and to sing music which is simple, calm, peaceful and reassuring: 


“Silence will be cradled in my heart”.


*https://aliburns.co.uk/

Pages by Steve Milloy & John Moysen

This is part of a series of reflections on current or future repertoire as I take on the role of Musical Director for the Madrid International Choir, the English speaking choir in Madrid.




Photo of Steve Milloy: OCGMC


What is this music?

Pages is a contemporary song written for secular choirs, words by John Moysen and music by Steve Milloy* b1965. 


When you look at the music score you might be surprised by the 6/4 time signature. You might think this is a bit complicated, and why not just use 3/4 with twice as many bars? One bar of 6/4 is not the same as two bars of 3/4, and it’s all to do with the accents. Since the first beat of the bar is given the strong accent, a 6/4 time signature means we wait a longer time from one strong beat to the next, and the musical impact of this is to make the music flow more which gives a more lyrical feel.


Why are we singing it?


It’s a beautiful song. 


The lyrics are open enough to make this not necessarily a love song, they also serve as a thank you to a special friend, partner or family member: 


“You’re the one who keeps turning the pages/You’re the one that I keep turning to”


That's a charming couplet, as is:


“Every word is a whisper/ each sentence a sigh”.


If you take a moment to read about the composer Steve Milloy you will not be surprised at the quality of the songwriting, given his vast experience as a musical director and choir trainer and composer for choirs. 


The vocal lines match the lyrics perfectly, bringing out every nuance in the text. The piano part is so well written, I find myself playing it through regularly, not only to keep up with the more intricate moments, also just to enjoy playing it. There is a constant 2 against 3 interplay which gives the music at first movement, then energy, then at the approach to the chorus, absolute dynamism. 



Is it relevant to us today?


It’s never not the time to say thank you and there is always someone who deserves our appreciation, so just on this level it is appropriate for us to sing this lovely song.


It’s also right that we should recognise the quality of living writers and composers and celebrate their achievements in the best possible way, which is to perform their work. Maybe the question is not so much, is this classical or pop music, as is this high quality music? 


Undoubtedly, this is music of the highest quality and we will enjoy singing it and our performance will give enjoyment to our audience. 



*https://ocgmc.org/blog/2022/8/2/world-renowned-conductor-steve-milloy-joins-menalive-as-the-new-artistic-director

Dona nobis pacem: Grant us peace

This is part of a series of reflections on current or future repertoire as I take on the role of Musical Director for the Madrid International Choir, the English speaking choir in Madrid.






What is this music?


Dona nobis pacem is a Latin text, in this version is it sung as a round. The words, which mean "Grant us peace", come from a portion of the Agnus Dei which is part of the mass or Eucharist:

“It is the invocation to the Lamb of God to have mercy and grant peace to the worshipers. 


It is said to have been introduced into the Mass by Pope Sergius I in 687, and is the last phrase of the Latin form:

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.”*


Here’s a translation, courtesy of St George’s Anglican Church, no, not in Madrid, in Ontario, Canada:

“O Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us. O Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us. O Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us your peace.”**


The origins of this round are unclear. In most hymn books it is listed as Traditional, code for unknown composer. 


Trinity College of Music in London have some interesting notes on the round, which are worth looking at, and they credit two possible composers:


It is often attributed to the composer Palestrina, but some argue that it was written by Mozart.” ***


The first two bars have a down-up shape: in bar one down a 4th and up a 6th, in bar two even more exaggerated, down a 5th and up a flattened 7th. The rest of the first phrase, all of the second phrase and the beginning of the third phrase are made up of repeated notes or gently falling scale passages. 


Finally, in bars three and four and seven and eight of the third phrase there is a rising pattern followed by an octave dive downwards, only at the end returning inwards up a 4th. 


A fanciful analysis might see the early and final bars as active and the rest as passive: perhaps the active bars are aspirational, hoping for, claiming a right to peace, before subduing in the gently falling passages into a passive acceptance, perhaps waiting for peace to be passed down, or accepting that peace is elusive.



Why are we singing it?

It’s a beautiful piece of music. Even though the authorship is unclear, we know this piece has been sung for hundreds of years, so as we sing it we are connecting with innumerable human beings around the world in so many different circumstances. 


Since it is a round we are connecting with the rest of the choir in a special way: in strict four part harmony each voice line, typically SATB, is independent and keeps out of the way of the others. On the other hand, in a round we all sing all three lines, perhaps starting individually and then together, so we are connecting closely with our fellow singers. 


Connecting is a crucial part of singing in a choir: after all, if we simply want to sing we can just stay at home and sing in the shower/wardrobe/loft. The very act of joining a choir says that we want to connect with other human beings through singing: Dona nobis pacem gives us the perfect opportunity to do just that.



Is it relevant to us today?


We can approach this text in a number of ways. We can sing it, as intended, as a prayer to the Lamb of God to grant us peace, as in the peace that comes from having sins forgiven. 


We can sing this as a call to those in power, calling on them to be peacemakers, not bringers of war: the number of armed conflicts active around the world is numbing and those of us fortunate enough to be at a safe distance can often lose track of the dreadful suffering these conflicts cause as they drag on year after year, slipping further and further down in our news feed, whatever media we follow. 


We can sing this phrase as a personal reflection, using it to help find peace and calm with ourselves, within ourselves: some would say that if we want peace in our hearts, we as individuals hold the key to our own inner peace. For some, to want it is to sing it is to find it. 


*https://secondhandsongs.com/work/226202


**https://stgeorgesanglican.ca/what-is-the-agnus-dei-why-is-it-not-part-of-every-worship-service-we-do-at-st-georges/


*** https://resources.trinitycollege.com/learners/music/rounds-canons-dona


People Get Ready by Curtis Mayfield

This is part of a series of reflections on current or future repertoire as I take on the role of Musical Director for the Madrid International Choir, the English speaking choir in Madrid.



What is this music?


People get ready was composed by Curtis Mayfield 1942 - 1999 and recorded by The Impressions, of which he was a member, in 1965*. Mayfield was born in Chicago and the church and its music were an important part of his early life. When he refers to travelling to Jordan, he does not have to spell out the links to Hebrew slaves and hopes of freedom: his listeners had also been steeped in biblical themes and could fill in the dots. 


Mayfield brings the song into a contemporary setting with references to the diesel train: he was fully involved in the civil rights movement in Chicago and he used his music to send a message:


“I’m an entertainer first”, he often stated. Through my way of writing I was capable of being able to say these things and yet not make a person feel as though they’re being preached at.”**


This gentle song is not a full reflection of Mayfield’s output. In the following years he played a major role in composing and producing for other soul artists and in the emergence of funk music as a style, he wrote music for numerous films and from the early 70’s was one of the first musicians to establish his own publishing company to control the rights to his work.


Why are we singing it?


It’s a beautiful song. It uses a repeating chord sequence of three chords, one repeated. The melody has a sense of calm because of this and because the vocal range is limited to an octave plus one tone, a ninth, and because there is so much repetition: in a total of eight bars, bar 1 is repeated in bar 3, bar 2 is repeated in bar 6, and bar 4 in bar 8. 


The highest note at the start of bar 7 if followed by a lovely falling figure to end the song. Three short verses of lyrics pack plenty of theological punch: freedom is not to be paid for, it’s God’s gift; there is room for all God’s children: don’t we all want to feel we are “among those loved the most”? There is also hope for social justice: for the hopeless sinner who would hurt all mankind there is “no hiding place against the kingdom’s throne”.


Is it relevant to us today?


For some of us this song has been a part of our musical memory dating from then we first started listening to music. From a strictly musical point of view, soul music is a comfort zone to which we keep returning, it soothes our aching heart. 


Seen as a form of social commentary, tragically the song has not lost its relevance. Although the song tells us that those who “would hurt all mankind just to save his own” will some day receive judgement at the kingdom’s throne, for the moment those who harm others and spread false information to promote their own interests seem to be doing very nicely. 


We are taking as our starting point an arrangement from an Oxford University Press choir series, which gives scope for our own creativity and improvisation, by Charlie Beale b1964: 

“A passionate campaigner for stylistic diversity within choral singing.”***


**https://www.curtismayfield.com/welcome.html


***https://www.charliebeale.com/

Va, pensiero from Nabucco by Guiseppe Verdi

This is part of a series of reflections on current or future repertoire as I take on the role of Musical Director for the Madrid International Choir, the English speaking choir in Madrid.









What is this music?


Va, Pensiero, also known as the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves, is one of the most well loved opera highlights. Guiseppe Verdi 1813 -1901 composed the music for the opera Nabucco to a libretto by Temistocle Solera 1815 - 1878 and it was first performed at La Scala in Milan in 1842. 


The text is inspired by Psalm 137: 

“By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept: when we remembered thee, O Sion.”*


 Va, pensiero became the unofficial anthem of the Italian independence movement in opposition to the numerous foreign powers who controlled different parts of the Italian peninsula. The opera uses the imagery of the Hebrews enslaved by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar to reflect the Italians as captives in their own land. 


The NY Met Opera guide explores the work’s historical background and artistic significance in full:

“Nabucco and the story of the Babylonian captivity are remarkable examples of the power of art as political allegory.”**  


Why are we singing it?


It’s a beautiful piece of music, it’s extremely satisfying to sing and to listen to, and performing it connects us with choirs far and near who have sung Va, pensiero over nearly 200 years, be they full time professionals or serious amateurs. 


Members of the Madrid International Choir will certainly have been a part of previous performances as singers or audience at some time and in some country or countries.


Victor DeRenzi gives a detailed description of the music as well as an analysis of the text, which is included in full in Italian and English in his essay for the Sarasota Opera. 


As he says:

“Like all great music, it functions on many levels - some of them easily accessible and some requiring a deeper look. 

Often with vocal music, that deeper look is as much about the text as it is about the music itself.”***


Is it relevant to us today?


Musically, this piece is as powerful now as the day it was first heard in 1842: the arch-shaped melodic lines, the outer unison/octave sections contrasting with a centre section in harmony, the dynamic rhythmic interplay between sextuplet accompaniment and dotted eighth notes and the counter-intuitive major key all combine to give the piece expressive energy and emotional power.


Thematically, the idea of homeland could not be more relevant, both as a matter for humanity at large, and for ourselves in the choir. 


Around the world the scale of migration is unprecedented. Human beings are leaving their homeland, many for tragic reasons, some because of a threat to their safety due to foreign aggression or persecution, others who face desperate lack of basic provisions for survival. 


By contrast, in relatively tiny numbers, the more fortunate ones like many of us in the Madrid International Choir, left our homelands by choice looking for a better job, chasing a place in the sun, or following a partner who stole our hearts.


*Church of England 1662 Book of Common Prayer


** https://www.metopera.org/globalassets/discover/education/educator-guides/nabucco/nabucco.16-17.guide.pdf


*** https://www.sarasotaopera.org/va-pensiero-chorus-all-time


NB: Babylon is located in modern-day Iraq