Sleepers, Wake!

Sleepers, Wake!

Bach’s famous cantata concludes an hour-long concert by the CBS Orchestra and Chorale in the Catholic Pro-Cathedral at 2 pm on Sunday, 12 March. Natalia M. Lomeiko leads the orchestra, and musical director is Don Whelan. Programme admission prices will be $20 and $15.

Autumn, from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons celebrates the end of harvest with a lively dance and wild party, led by an inebriated violinist, played for each of this year’s Seasons by Henry Nicholson, a young UC masters graduate in conducting and violin. After a dreamy second movement, he takes the CBS strings on an Italian hunting expedition, where they are transformed into horns, guns, and dogs.

In contrast, will be the well-known Adagio, for organ and strings, ascribed to Albinoni, a friend and contemporary of Vivaldi, and much esteemed by J.S. Bach, who arranged two of his works for organ. The celebrated Adagio stemmed from a trio sonata, expanded from only six bars and two themes by the Italian musicologist Giazotto. It balances moody melancholy from the organ and elegant string writing and will sound at its best in the Pro-Cathedral’s warm acoustic.

That same enveloping resonance supports the elegant choral music of Maurice Duruflé, based on the modalities and rhythms of chant. His Quatre Motets are four beautiful short works with modal harmonies and contrapuntal texture founded on the original plainsong for each text, and the concert begins with excerpts from his Messe “Cum Jubilo” for male voices and organ, played by Michael Lawrence.

The concert concludes with a rousing call to wakefulness: Bach’s Cantata no. 140, Wachet Auf, written for a Sunday just preceding Advent, for which the Gospel was the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. The Lutheran chorale is outlined clearly in the first movement, which paints a dramatic picture of the city of Jerusalem waiting at midnight with watchers posted for the arrival of the "bridegroom". It returns sung by the voices of the watchmen, accompanied by one of Bach's best-known melodies. An intervening dialogue between soloists Margot Holcroft and Matthew Harris, representing the Christian Soul and the Saviour, uses texts from the Song of Songs, creating a mood of passionate intensity.

CBS Music continues its popular Lunch Plus Wednesday At One recital series, the annual Bach St John Passion on Good Friday, and a Christmas Messiah at 1.30 pm on Sunday, 11 December. An orchestral concert on 12 November will include another Bach Cantata: No.137 “Lobe den Herren”, centred on the familiar hymn Praise To The Lord!

The Cathedral Feast Day of Corpus Christi will be commemorated on 11 June, at 2 pm, by a festival concert of mainly Mozart music, including his “Linz” Symphony No. 36, in C Major. Another Christchurch Choral Festival is planned for August 13, at 3 pm. The customary Haydn concert on 10 September will couple Symphony 95 with his glorious Nelson Mass and the CBS musical year will conclude with Dvorak’s Mass in D at the Christmas Midnight Mass.

The cathedral musicians maintain an extensive repertoire of masses and motets, sung each Sunday at the 11 a.m. Solemn Choral Mass. New members are welcome to the 7.30 pm Wednesday evening rehearsal at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral. Sight reading ability is expected. Those interested are invited to contact the CBS Musical Director, Don Whelan, phone 358-5873.