UK première of Jonathan Harvey’s Messages
Dated: 03/03/2011
Huddersfield Choral Society, one of the country’s leading and best-loved choirs, will continue its 175th anniversary celebrations in a special concert premiering Messages by British composer Jonathan Harvey. In what is probably its first subscription concert in its history without any vocal soloists, the choir and the Orchestra of Opera North will be led by conductor Martyn Brabbins at Huddersfield Town Hall on 1st April.
Well-known for its performances of Handel’s Messiah, which it will next present at the Barbican on 22nd April, the programme for the 1st of April may well come as a surprise to those who think they know the choir. Alongside Messages, the choir will also perform for this anniversary concert Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms and Bruckner’s Mass in E minor.
Composed in 2007 for SATB chorus and orchestra, the text of Messages consists entirely of the names of Judaic and Persian angels, conveying the idea of the choir itself as angels, bringing their spiritual messages to mankind. The composer draws parallels with Renaissance and Baroque imagery of angel choirs, many of whom play instruments as well as sing, reflected in Messages’ early Baroque-style opening 'continuo' flourish. Harvey comments, “The nine hierarchies of angels are situated in the seven heavens, and the music moves through the seven heavens in order. In the second heaven, St. Paul's comment in the Letter to the Hebrews (1:7) "He maketh the winds his angels" is allowed to suggest a musical closeness to this force of nature, and to the invisible mobility of angelic beings. In the fifth heaven distant brass call to each other from 'outer space', mirroring the role of several angels who 'announce' with trumpets.”
Co-commissioned by the Rundfunkchor Berlin and its Chief Conductor, Simon Halsey, the first performance of Messages took place in Berlin with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Reinbert de Leeuw.
Comments conductor Martyn Brabbins, “I have huge admiration for the music of Jonathan Harvey. He has a unique and powerful musical voice and Jonathan's music is extraordinarily beautiful. It is a privilege to present the UK premiere of Messages with the Huddersfield Choral Society who have approached the work with open and alert minds - I anticipate a memorable performance.”
Founded in 1836, Huddersfield Choral Society produces the unique ‘Huddersfield Sound’ comprised of over 200 voices and with repertoire ranging from oratorio and religious music, to contemporary and commissioned works. The choir is also in demand from other major concert halls in the UK and abroad, regularly broadcasts for BBC radio and television, and has now appeared on over fifty releases.
The 1st April concert forms part of the series of fundraising and social events over the 175th season to herald the choir’s major anniversary, culminating in a special performance of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius on 18th June 2011, as near to the original founding date of the Society as possible.