Tapas
Saturday 19 November 2011
Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Fortitude Valley
A musical journey of fiery passion, abounding joy and intimate beauty with choral music from Spain & Latin America
This afternoon's programme features music of Spain & Latin America, a genre which is seldom performed by Australian choirs. While wanting to represent the enormous diversity of choral music from the region, with such a wealth of repertoire to choose from it became clear that in a short concert we could only hope to offer a tiny taste of any single composer, country or period. So today we present to you Tapas, a musical 'tasting plate' that we hope will take you on a journey of fiery passion, abounding joy and intimate beauty.
We begin our programme in the Old World, a distinction marked by the European colonisation of South America at the end of the 15th century. The first half of the concert features music by composers who were all born in Spain or Portugal, two of whom moved during their lifetimes to write music in the New World. Gaspar Fernandes, born in Portugal, is thought to be the same Fernández who emerges thirty years later in the cathedrals of Guatemala and what is present-day Mexico. Padilla was born in Spain but moved to Puebla, Mexico in 1620. Most of these composers would have been well known in their time but most, with the possible exception of Guerrero and Padilla, have now largely faded into obscurity in choral circles.
We then jump forward a few hundred years to bring you music by the Cuban composer Gavilán, whose Mi Cancion sets text by a 20th century Bengali poet. Argentinian-Australian composer Gerardo Dirié has also drawn on myriad sources of inspiration for his triptych Pomegranate Friends. The text, while Dirié's own, is inspired by the writings of a 16th century Italian Jesuit scholar who spent almost thirty years in China, and translated a series of aphorisms from the original Mandarin about the values and virtues of
friendship. While the first two movements have been performed by Fusion before, today is the premiere performance of the third movement Stratagem, and the work in its entirety. We conclude with music by Carlos Guastavino and Atahualpa Yupanqui, two of the most prominent musical names in 20th century South America.
Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Fortitude Valley
A musical journey of fiery passion, abounding joy and intimate beauty with choral music from Spain & Latin America
This afternoon's programme features music of Spain & Latin America, a genre which is seldom performed by Australian choirs. While wanting to represent the enormous diversity of choral music from the region, with such a wealth of repertoire to choose from it became clear that in a short concert we could only hope to offer a tiny taste of any single composer, country or period. So today we present to you Tapas, a musical 'tasting plate' that we hope will take you on a journey of fiery passion, abounding joy and intimate beauty.
We begin our programme in the Old World, a distinction marked by the European colonisation of South America at the end of the 15th century. The first half of the concert features music by composers who were all born in Spain or Portugal, two of whom moved during their lifetimes to write music in the New World. Gaspar Fernandes, born in Portugal, is thought to be the same Fernández who emerges thirty years later in the cathedrals of Guatemala and what is present-day Mexico. Padilla was born in Spain but moved to Puebla, Mexico in 1620. Most of these composers would have been well known in their time but most, with the possible exception of Guerrero and Padilla, have now largely faded into obscurity in choral circles.
We then jump forward a few hundred years to bring you music by the Cuban composer Gavilán, whose Mi Cancion sets text by a 20th century Bengali poet. Argentinian-Australian composer Gerardo Dirié has also drawn on myriad sources of inspiration for his triptych Pomegranate Friends. The text, while Dirié's own, is inspired by the writings of a 16th century Italian Jesuit scholar who spent almost thirty years in China, and translated a series of aphorisms from the original Mandarin about the values and virtues of
friendship. While the first two movements have been performed by Fusion before, today is the premiere performance of the third movement Stratagem, and the work in its entirety. We conclude with music by Carlos Guastavino and Atahualpa Yupanqui, two of the most prominent musical names in 20th century South America.
- Xicochi xicochi conetzintle – Gaspar Fernandes
- Tristis est anima mea – Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla
- Versa est in luctum – Alonso Lobo
- Hoy comamos y bebamos – Juan del Encina
- Ave, virgo sanctissima – Francisco Guerrero
- Deus in adiutorium – Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla
- Salga el torillo hosquillo – Diego José de Salazar
- Mi Cancion – Guido López Gavilán
- Pomegranate Friends – Gerardo Dirié
- Viento Norte – Carols Guastavino
- Se equivocó la paloma – Carlos Guastavino
- Cancion de Navidad – Carlos Guastavino
- Duerme Negrito – Atahualpa Yupanqui arr. Emile Solé
Singers
Soprano: Katherine Chan, Cathy Green, Lisa Mason, Bronwyn Mitchell, Bonnie Pearce, Louise Sadler, Rebecca Thomas
Alto: Stephanie Eaton, Celia Fitz-Walter, Nicki Jenkins, Alisen McLeod
Tenor: Chris Bradley, Tom Marshall, Sam Mitchell, Tim Smetham, Angus Veitch
Bass: Paul Bonetti, Tim Grantham, Robin Maurer
Instrumentalists
Gerardo Dirié, electronics
Eduarda van Klinken, organ and piano
Tricia Pezet, guitar
John Stefulj, saxophone
View programme
Soprano: Katherine Chan, Cathy Green, Lisa Mason, Bronwyn Mitchell, Bonnie Pearce, Louise Sadler, Rebecca Thomas
Alto: Stephanie Eaton, Celia Fitz-Walter, Nicki Jenkins, Alisen McLeod
Tenor: Chris Bradley, Tom Marshall, Sam Mitchell, Tim Smetham, Angus Veitch
Bass: Paul Bonetti, Tim Grantham, Robin Maurer
Instrumentalists
Gerardo Dirié, electronics
Eduarda van Klinken, organ and piano
Tricia Pezet, guitar
John Stefulj, saxophone
View programme