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Many Happy Returns! | Walter Hall, Toronto
Bach and Handel's music through three centuries

date: November 3, 1985

One of our most diverse programmes drew its music, inevitably, from a wide range of sources. To celebrate the 300th anniversary of the birth of Bach and Handel we could not present their original music – that was outside our performing brief. Instead, we sought to illustrate some of their influence on later composers, beginning with the Broadway musical (Gershwin), continuing through German and French Romantic composers, some Edwardian revivals and ending with a few surprising, mostly humorous, 20th century reinventions. Spoken interpolations were taken mostly from 18th century sources and included a visit from Anna Magdalena Bach (in the person of Mary Lou Fallis), who was able to perform for us that most famous of reworkings, Gounod’s “Ave Maria”. As an encore, Derek Holman provided a typically brilliant “Happy birthday”, based on music of the birthday composers.

Song Artist Composer Poet
Aria (‘Goldberg’ Variations, BWV988) Ubukata, Bruce, piano Bach, Johann Sebastian n/a
I got rhythm (Girl Crazy) Fallis, Mary Lou, soprano; Swanston, Marcia, mezzo; Boutté, Tony, tenor; Barnes, Peter, baritone; Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, 2 pianos Gershwin, George Gershwin, Ira
Variations XXVI TO XXX (‘Goldberg’ Variations, BWV988) Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, 2 pianos Bach, Johann Sebastian, arr. Rheinberger, Josef n/a
Art thou troubled? (Rodelinda) Swanston, Marcia, mezzo; Ralls, Stephen, piano Handel, George Frideric Haym, Nicola, trans. Rothery, W.G.
Silent Worship (Tolomeo) Boutté, Tony, tenor; Ubukata, Bruce, piano Handel, George Frideric, arr. Somervell, Sir Arthur anon.
Fugue in C minor, K426 Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, 2 pianos Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus n/a
Aus den ‘Hebraischen Gesängen’, Op.25/15 (Myrthen) Swanston, Marcia, mezzo; Ubukata, Bruce, piano Schumann, Robert Byron, George Gordon, Lord, trans. Körner, Julius
Aufträge, Op.77/5 Fallis, Mary Lou, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano Schumann, Robert L’Egru, Christian
Im Rhein, im heiligen Strome, Op.48/6 (Dichterliebe) Barnes, Peter, baritone; Ubukata, Bruce, piano Schumann, Robert Heine, Heinrich
Abendlied, Op.92/3 Fallis, Mary Lou, soprano; Swanston, Marcia, mezzo; Boutté, Tony, tenor; Barnes, Peter, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano Brahms, Johannes Hebbel, Friedrich
Handel in the Strand Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, 2 pianos Grainger, Percy n/a
INTERMISSION
Ave Maria Fallis, Mary Lou, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano; Ubukata, Bruce, organ Bach, Johann Sebastian, arr. Gounod, Charles anon.
A Chloris Boutté, Tony, tenor; Ralls, Stephen, piano Hahn, Reynaldo Viau, Théophile de
Quand je fus pris au pavillon Boutté, Tony, tenor; Ralls, Stephen, piano Hahn, Reynaldo Charles d’Orléans
Madrigal, Op.35 Fallis, Mary Lou, soprano; Swanston, Marcia, mezzo; Boutté, Tony, tenor; Barnes, Peter, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano Fauré, Gabriel Silvestre, Armand
Bist du bei mir (Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach) Fallis, Mary Lou, soprano; Ubukata, Bruce, piano Stölzel, Gottfried Heinrich, attrib. Bach, Johann Sebastian, real. Britten, Benjamin anon.
Blithe Bells Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, 2 pianos Bach, Johann Sebastian, arr. Grainger, Percy n/a
Little Jack Horner Fallis, Mary Lou, soprano; Swanston, Marcia, mezzo; Ralls, Stephen, piano Diack, John Michael anon.
Humpty Dumpty Barnes, Peter, baritone; Ubukata, Bruce, piano Murrill, Herbert anon.
A frog he would a-wooing go (Eleven Parodies) Boutté, Tony, tenor; Ralls, Stephen, piano Hughes, Herbert anon.
Bach before the Mast Ralls, Stephen, piano Malcolm, George n/a
Old Mother Hubbard Fallis, Mary Lou, soprano; Swanston, Marcia, mezzo; Boutté, Tony, tenor; Barnes, Peter, baritone; Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, 2 pianos Hely-Hutchinson, Victor, arr. Diack, John Michael anon.
Happy Birthday! – ENCORE Fallis, Mary Lou, soprano; Swanston, Marcia, mezzo; Boutté, Tony, tenor; Barnes, Peter, baritone; Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, 2 pianos Bach, Johann Sebastian, arr. Holman, Derek anon.