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Carols and Canticles – November 20, 1994 | Walter Hall, Toronto
Carols and Canticles – November 20, 1994 | Walter Hall, Toronto
Seasonal music by English composers
date: November 20, 1994
The occurrence of St. Cecilia’s Day shortly after our concert encouraged us to begin the programme with a celebration of the patron saint of music. We then continued, in the second half, with Christmas music for choir and solo singers. The concert was significant as another stage in the gradual build-up of our repertoire of the Britten Canticles, leading to our complete recording with the same soloists in 1996. Brief narrative fragments were taken from memoirs or letters of Benjamin Britten, together with a few other English sources. The concert was also presented the previous evening at Wilfrid Laurier University, where Noel Edison (conductor of the Elora Festival Singers) was a faculty member.
| Song | Artist | Composer | Poet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beauty, thou scene of love (Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day, 1683) | Butterfield, Benjamin, tenor; Elora Festival Singers; Edison, Noel, conductor; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Purcell, Henry | Fishburn, Christopher |
| Canticle I: My Beloved is Mine, Op.40 | Butterfield, Benjamin, tenor; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Quarles, Francis |
| Hymn to St. Cecilia, Op.27 | Elora Festival Singers; Edison, Noel, conductor | Britten, Benjamin | Auden, Wystan Hugh |
| Evening Hymn (Three Divine Hymns) | Taylor, Daniel, counter-tenor; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Purcell, Henry, real. Britten, Benjamin | Fuller, William |
| A Shepherd’s Carol | Elora Festival Singers; Edison, Noel, conductor | Britten, Benjamin | Auden, Wystan Hugh |
| Rosa Mystica (A.M.D.G.) | Elora Festival Singers; Edison, Noel, conductor | Britten, Benjamin | Hopkins, Gerard Manley |
| Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac, Op.51 | Taylor, Daniel, countertenor; Butterfield, Benjamin, tenor; Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Chester Miracle Play |
| Benedicamus domino | Elora Festival Singers; Edison, Noel, conductor | Warlock, Peter | anon. |
| A spotless rose | Polegato, Brett, baritone; Elora Festival Singers; Edison, Noel, conductor | Howells, Herbert | anon. |
| Balulalow | Kramer, Stephanie, soprano; Elora Festival Singers; Edison, Noel, conductor; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Warlock, Peter | Wedderburn, James, John and Robert, after Luther, Martin |
| Tyrley, tyrlow | Elora Festival Singers; Edison, Noel, conductor; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Warlock, Peter | anon. |
| Bethlehem Down | Elora Festival Singers; Edison, Noel, conductor | Warlock, Peter | Blunt, Bruce |
| Canticle IV: Journey of the Magi, Op.86 | Taylor, Daniel, countertenor; Butterfield, Benjamin, tenor; Polegato, Brett, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano | Britten, Benjamin | Eliot, Thomas Stearns |
| The Sycamore Tree | Taylor, Daniel, counter-tenor; Polegato, Brett, baritone; Elora Festival Singers; Edison, Noel, conductor; Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano | Warlock, Peter | anon. |
| We wish you a merry Christmas – ENCORE | Taylor, Daniel, counter-tenor; Butterfield, Benjamin, tenor; Polegato, Brett, baritone; Elora Festival Singers; Edison, Noel, conductor; Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano | English folksong, arr. Warrell, Arthur | anon. |