Audio Files for Ancient & Celtic Concert
Below are four selections from the first half of the concert, the Medieval and Renaissance portion.
The Immanuel Singers - 2007
Gloria Patri (Palestrina, 1526-1594): The chorale sounds powerful on this double choir motet. The early instruments take the part of the second choir, with recorders, krummhorn, serpent, and viols.
Hosanna to the Son of David (Michael Pratorius, 1571 - 1621): Also an anthiphonal motet, a consort of recorders begins, with the choir and organ second. On the third pass, all instruments and voices combine.
Let All the Peoples Praise the Lord (Gallus Dressler, 1533 - c.1580-90): A complex and rousing canonic motet, it ends with a intricate contrapuntal "alleluia," led by the tenors. Listen for Mac Cowden's alto sackbut doubling the tenor line.
Arise, Arise, This Day Rejoice! (Johann Walther, 1496 - 1570): This short, but pleasing early Renaissance polyphonic motet is in English and has the sackbut, recorders and viols doubling the choral parts.
Fair Phyllis (John Farmer; pub. 1599): The Immanuel madrigal group sings the well-known and oft-performed Eng. madrigal about Phyllis being apparently lost on the mountainside, and when found by her lover, Amyntas, "then they fell a-kissing." Singers are sopranos, Beverley Murdock and Claudia Springer; alto, Jan; tenors, John Flynt and Chris Moore; bass, Michael Roy.
Reintanze (16th c. anon.) - MR tells the standing-room-only crowd about "open" and "closed" consorts. This German dance tune has both, starting with all recorders, then to buzzies and serpent. In the first two
consorts MR plays bass recorder and ext. bass krummhorn. The last consort, well, you'll have to hear it to believe it: not for the faint of heart. Diane Maltby supplies the organ interludes that allow the players to change instruments.
The following selections are from the second half of the concert: the Celtic program. This music (exc. "When I Return") is arranged by MR.
Come In! MR got this old Gaelic drinking song from the Irish Rovers and arranged it for chorale, guitar, piano, fiddle and penny whistle. Alison Northup does the fiddling and Mac Cowden plies the whistle. The chorus says: "Come in, come in, we'll do the best we ca-an!/ Come in, come in, br-rring your whole bloody cla-an!" Tremendous fun here.
Mary Mac: Michael Roy invited the the audience to sing along on this Scottish ditty but the trouble is, the words are fast-paced and a tongue-twister to boot. MR gave a short tutorial before the fun began, which didn't promise much help. MR got this one from Scottish folk singer, Alex Beaton during one of his So. Florida Scottish Fair appearances. Alison fiddles away, and MR sings the ballad and plays guitar. The audience was disbelieving.
Danny Boy: You will not hear the Londonderry Air sung any better than by John Flynt, our surpassing tenor. John was with both the RCC and Immanuel choirs for 20 years as principal soloist and section leader. He is without peer as a multi-idiomatic performer. Hear him sing other styles on the RCC Choir pages, including Messiah arias. He then sits at the piano and accompanies himself on his own contemporary Christian compositions. In this rendition of "Danny Boy," Ed Powers joins in with the soulful uilleann pipes.
Celtic Trilogy: The three songs are: "Sheebeg Sheemore" (Irish); "Killiecrankie" (Scottish); and "The Grenadier and the Lady" (English). The instrumentation is provocative: Alison on fiddle, MR on Renaissance tenor recorder, and Jone Vaughn on bass viola da gamba. Diane M. plays organ.
When I Return (Marta Keen): The words to this Irish song come from the traveler, perhaps even the prodigal, but the thought is that the one returning has been forced away by unavoidable circumstances and promises to return some day. Debbie Hale sings the solos. Ed Powers sounds the haunting uilleann pipes, and MR plays guitar. Diane is at the organ.
Wild Mountain Thyme: This Celtic folk song has many ancient roots, both Irish and Scottish. Francis McPeake of Belfast is loosely credited with the version heard here in MR's arrangement. The lyrics are based on a song, "The Braes of Balquhither" by Robert Tannahill (1774-1810), a contemporary of Bobert Burns. Ted Grab sings the bass-baritone solo. Ted, who is also an organist, is the sole professional bass that Michael Roy brought in to sing with him in all the concerts. John Flynt sings the tenor solo. Alison's fiddle and MR's guitar are heard throughout. Diane, as always, is at the keyboard.
The concert finale was the baroque segment: two selections from Handel's Messiah.
Lift Up Your Heads (Messiah, G.F. Handel): The finale of the concert was oratorio, the baroque period being the last of the aniecnt era, and with Handel's death in 1759, the modern age ensued. This chorus and "Worthy Is the Lamb," below, were accompanied by a mixture of early and modern instruments: the ancients being recorders, viols, sackbut, and organ. The moderns: violins and cello. Joining 1st violinist, Alison, and playing 2nd violin was Anubis de Lama Li. On cello was Sarah Lodico. Mac Cowden played alto sackbut and Diane M. was the organist.
Worthy Is the Lamb (Messiah, G. F. Handel): MR says: There are two other performances of this great oratorio chorus by the RCC Choir. Neither choir cedes a step in quality, but the performances are all different and worth a listen. That both choirs were this competent is a great blessing. That I shared in this double blessing during my career, is my gift from God.
1. Chris Moore 6. Ted Grab 10. Will Beers 15. Dirk Postmus
2. Cindy Dean 7. Sally Baron 11. Bill Solms 16. Jan R.
3. Diane Maltby 8. Peter Thompson 12. Clyde Hudson 17. Walter Dobson
4. Mac Cowden 9. Claudia Springer 13. Robert Hale 18. Alex Diaz
5. Anna Beers 14. Elaine Brockhouse 19. John Flynt
20. Beverley Murdock 21. Michael Roy 22. Jeline Hinkson 23. Debbie Hale 24. Lydia Hudson
