THE BIRMINGHAM ORCHESTRA
Conducted by JOSEPH LEWIS
WYNNE AJELLO (Soprano)
WALTER HEARD (Flute)
WELL known as a song, whose wistful melody is admirably wedded to the plaintive words, this forms also the last piece in the second Suite made from the music to Ibsen's Peer Gynt. At the end of his wanderings Peer Gynt comes home, to find the sweetheart of his youth still faithful to him, and in her lap the weary head of the traveller at last finds rest. Then she sings to him of her constancy and her belief that he would return.
Music for Shakespeare plays has been given us in recent years in such profusion, and in an order which suits the plays so aptly, that we are apt to take it for granted. Sullivan's incidental music for The Tempest was among his earliest work, composed in his student days, but it was never actually given along with the play until 1903, when it was heard at the Court Theatre. That was after Sullivan's death. The dances are typical of his music in its brightest and most wholesome vein, as wholeheartedly English as Shakespeare himself.
IN these days when youth is at the helm in music as in so many other directions, Sinigaglia is no doubt well content to count himself as among the older Italian composers, although he is still active. He has long been enthusiastic in the collection and propagation of the folk music of his native Piedmont; it may well have been Dvorak, whose pupil he was, who infected him with an enthusiasm like his own. There is a brightness and energy about these folk-tunes, embodied as they are in Sinigaglia's orchestral arrangements, which makes them as inevitably popular as all national songs and dances are when fittingly presented.
BIZET, known and loved the wide world over as the composer of Carmen, had, among his many great gifts, a particularly happy knack of lending his music what is called 'local colour.' The warm, sensuous Southern atmosphere which pervades Carmen unmistakably can be felt no less surely in the music which he wrote for Daudet's play L'Arlesienne, music which, in the form of two Suites, is now so much better known than the play itself.
The Second begins with a Pastorale, the Oboe having the tune to begin with, a real shepherd's pipe tune. Other instruments take it up, and there is a vigorous middle section throughout which the tambourine plays one rhythmic figure.
A short Intermezzo comes next, beginning with a sturdy tune in unison on strings and winds, and as third movement there is a very interesting Menuett. It begins, and finishes, as a duet for flute and harp, the rest of the orchestra joining forces to furnish a more boisterous middle section.
The last movement is a Farandole, in a vigorous march rhythm, built up on the same tune which was Hsod in the prelude of the first Suite; listeners who knew Carmen will here recognize another tune which appears in the opera.
(For 5.15-8.45 Programme see opposite page)
(From Birmingham)
'Pioneering in Madagascar,' by EDWARD H. LEU
THERE is a special atmosphere of real international service about the talk to be given by Mr. Leu, for he is a Swiss schoolmaster, now a naturalized British subject, working as a Quaker missionary among the primitive Sakalava tribe on the French island of Madagascar, Usually for thirty weeks out of the fifty-two Edward Leu leads a roaming life, on foot, by cycle, in outrigger and dugout canoe, among the Sakalava villages, ' always alone, and yet not alone,' serving his Malagasy fellows tind teaching them.
'Paul of Tarsus'—III
' Jupiter and Mercury,' Acts xiii,
44, to xiv, 28
(No. 78) BACH
From St. Ann's Church, Manchester
S.B. from Manchester
' JESU, DER DU MEINE SEELE '
(Jesu, Thou hast wrought salvation)
GLADYS SWEENEY (Soprano)
CONSTANCE FELPTS (Contralto)
ARTHUR WILKES (Tenor)
REGINALD WHITEHEAD (Bass)
THE ST. ANN'S CHURCH CHOIR
THE NORTHERN WIRELESS
ORCHESTRA
Conducted by T. H. MORRISON
GEORGE PRITCHARD at the Organ
Tills was one of the cantatas which Mendelssohn specially admired. He refers to it in a letter to Hauser which is not yet published, and all Bach enthusiasts are agreed that it is one of the most expressive and one in which detail is most richly worked out. The first chorus is a Chorale, with a chromatic ground bass, forming an impressive chaconne. It has something in common with the C'ruciflxus of the 11 Minor Mass. Bach sets forth, in a very effective contrast, the thought of our Lord's sorrows, and of mankind's rejoicing in salvation ; the motives expressing these two are opposed in a very beautiful way.
Of the other numbers it must suffice to point specially to the fine recitative for the bass and the expressive arioso into which it leads; the aria given to the bass voice is also a very splendid example of Bach's art.
English text by D. Millar Craig.
Copyright B.B.C., 1920.
I.—Chorus :
Jesu, Thou hast wrought salvation,
On that Cross where Thou didst bleed, Thou from Satan and damnation.
And from woe, mankind hast freed, Hightily Thou hast prevailed, Other help had nought availed,
Save the pow'r that Thou canst wield : Be Thou now, 0 God, my Shield I
II.—Chorus (Soprano, Alto) :
With eager, tho' faltering steps we are faring 0 Jesus, 0 Master, for succour to Thee,
Thou seekest Thy lost ones, the wan'd'rer
Thou leadest,
Oh, hear us, we cry to Thee. of all helpers but Thee, Lord, despairing;
Thou healest the sick, and the hungry Thou feedest
III.—Recitative (Tenor) :
Lo, in evil ways I wander'd,
Yea ! from Thy way far I stray'd.
Kot Thy Commandments, nor Thy Word I ponder'd,
My way I chose unsham'd and unafraid. My heart inclin'd to worldly pleasure.
The Spirit cries : 'Man 1 seek thy heav'nly . treasure 1 '
Alway flesh and blood o'ercamc me When my evil ways did shame me,
Nor all my strength might e'er prevail.
Yea, tho' my cry to neav'n hath mounted Unceasingly, yet were my sins uncounted. Therefore I come, in all humility. On Thy dear word believing
And all my load of sin and grieving
Thou takest it In mercy, Lord, to Thee. Tho' my sin offendeth Thee, My Saviour, 0 pardon me I
IV.-Aria (Tenor) :
Thy blood hath wash'd my sin away, Hath led my spirit to the day, And set me free.
Yea, tho' the prince of hell assail me,
Thy right hand, Jesu, shall not fail me; I know no fear, and bid him flee.
V.—Recitative (Bass):
The sorrows, torment, crown, the grave. reviling. these the Saviour bore for man ; lo, crown'd, victorious now
He liveth, to all mankind victorious strength
He giveth.
Before the Throne how may we stand, When God shall raise His awful Hand, But if Thou grant Thy blessing ?
Then all my sin, mine unbelief confessing. My Lord, I cry to Thee.
Thy life, Thy heart's blood Thou didst give for me,
I lay mine own before Thee,
For mercy, Lord, implore Thee.
So my heart with grief oppressed, By Thy precious Blood be blessed ; Thou, 0 Lord, my Saviour art, Take and bless a contrite heart.
VI.—Aria (Bass):
Lo, Thou shalt calm my spirit's grieving For all my sins, my contrite heart,
On Thee and on Thy word believing : My Saviour Thou, my Hope Thou art. Whose faith hath falter'd never
Not Satan's guile from Thee shall part; He is Thine own for ever.
-*•
VII.—Chorale:
Lord, in Thee I trust, oh, take me As I am, on Thee I call 1
Thou canst shield me, ne'er forsake me When my foes upon me fall.
Saviour shed Thy mercy o'er me ; Still Thy Cross shall go before me, Till, my J.ord, I come to Thee In Thy blest Eternity.
Cantatas for the next four Sundays are
September 8. No. 100—
Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan.'
(' What God doth, that is wise and right.'
September 15. No. 95—
Cliristus der ist mein Leben."
(' 0 Christ, my all.')
September 22. No. 114-
Ach lieben Christen, seid getrost.'
(' Ye Christian people, weep no more.')
September 29. No. 19—
Es erhub sich eln Strcit.'
(' A tumult arose.')
From Wesley's Chapel, City Road (Minister-The Rev. GEORGE H
McNEAL, M.A.)
Organ Recital by Mr. CHARLES WARNER Order of Service : Hymn: 'Jesu, Lover of mv Soul' A. & M. 193, M.H.B. 106 (Tune— Aberystwith)Address by the Rev. W. F. Lorr-HOUSE, M.A., D.D. (President of the Wesieyan Conference) Hymn: 'Tho day Thou gavect, Lord, is ended.' A. & M. 477. M.H.B. 515 (Tune—St. Clement) Coneluding Prayer and Benediction
Appeal on behalf of the Educational Settlements
Association, by Mr. HORACE FLEMING , M.A.
THE Educational Settlements Association now promotes adult education through thirteen Educational Settlements and six Residential Colleges. Tho Settlements touch annually thousands of students from every walk of life-manual and agricultural workers, shop assistants, clerks, teachers, artisans, miners, railway workers, housewives, unskilled workers, professional men and women, civil servants, factory hands. These are of all ages, from eighteen to seventy. Last year forty-two classes in the Settlements were recognized by the Board of Education and earned grants. Settlements and Colleges affiliated to the Association, whilst endeavouring to maintain standards such as those contemplated in the Board of Education Regulations, keep constantly before them the importance of pioneer and experimental work. It is for the purpose of obtaining means to encourage individual teachers and students by travel bursaries, to supplement personal sacrifices to achieve educational advantages, and to increase the opportunities for social and educational community life, that tonight's appeal is made.
Contributions should be addressed to
[address removed]
WEATHER FORECAST, GENERAL NEWS BULLETIN ; Local Announcements; (Daventry only) Shipping Forecast
THE WIRELESS MILITARY BAND
Conducted by B. WALTON O'DONNEL
MARGARET BALFOUR (Contralto)
HEDDLE NASH (Tenor)
WITH the same order of enthusiasm with which
Bra'ims and Dvorak collected and gave to the concert world the Hungarian and Slavonic Dances which are now so universally popular, Granados edited four volumes of national Spanish dances, arranging them in the first instance for pianoforte. The three to be played this evening, arranged by Sir Henry Wood for orchestra, are called Oriental, Andaluza, and Rondalla. In all of them rhythm, that typically Spanish feature, seems to matter almost more than the tunes themselves.
There are places where the tunes even disappear, leaving the rhythm alone to carry on. In that way, aa indeed in many ways, Granados* music is truly Spanish, strongly national in character. Ho was, like his older compatriot Albeniz, a native of Catalonia, a part of Spain where national feeling is inherent in the very bone and fibre of its people.
THOMAS AUGUSTINE ARNE was the son of an upholsterer and coffin-maker of Covent Garden, London; in his own day he was recognized as the foremost English musician, and, indeed, from the production of his music to Milton's Comus in 1738, until about the middle of last century, there was nono to challenge that position with him. Since then his music has been somewhat unaccountably neglected, and we owe it largely to the enthusiasm of some of our young musicians today that the best of it is being revived and presented in accordance with the modern canons of taste. Best known to the world at large by an inaccurate version of ' Rule, Britannia !' and by several Shakespeare songs which he set to music, he composed much in larger forms, and his masques contain some of the most beautiful music ever produced in this country. MARGARET BALFOUR
BAND Overture, ' Der Freischutz ' (' The Marksman ') - Weber
HEDDLE NASH To the Queen of my Heart - Delius
Love's Philosophy - Delius
BAND Three Spanish Dances - Granados, arr. Gerrard Williams
MARGARET BALFOUR. Verdi Prati (Verdant Meadows - Handel
Cangio d'aspetto (I turn from the sight) - Handel
HEDDLE NASH Mary of Allendalo ' - Hook, arr. Lane Wilson
Come, let's be merry - Dr. Arne, arr. Lane Wilson
BAND Selection, ' Madame Butterfly - Puccini
BAND Polonaise Militaire - Chopin
Adagio, Sursum Corda - Elgar
'MAN'S STRENGTH'
