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Posted: Friday 11 February 2011

'Shall brothers be ...' at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

Shall Brothers Be

Singer and broadcaster Jamie MacDougall joined the pupils of Hutchesons' Grammar School and a choir from the Hans-Sachs-Gymnasium, Nürnberg, in a musical celebration of internationalism and brotherhood at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Wednesday 9 February.

Shall Brothers BeThe long-awaited concert, originally scheduled for 6 December in City Halls and abandoned due to heavy snow, reflected the School's close links with Nürnberg in Germany and Radomsko in Poland in a programme that opened with Wagner's overture 'Die Meistersinger' and included the gorgeous Larghetto from Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2, played by S4 pupil Hebba Benyaghla.

There was celebratory music too, by John Rutter and jazz-inspired numbers from the Jazz and Concert Bands, and a rousing Burns-inspired finale, arranged especially for the occasion by Director of Music Performance Ken Walton, which brought together Hutchesons' massed choirs, orchestra, pipes and drums.

Concert Programme

Overture Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
by Richard Wagner, arranged by K W Rokos
Sinfonia, directed by Ken Walton
Wagner's opera "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" tells the story of a guild of singers in 16th century Nürnberg and the singing competitions they held. The lead character is Hans Sachs, a shoemaker, who is cast as a model of virtue and sacrifice. The overture, with its grandiose opening theme, reflects the pomp and nobility of these events.

Reading Ode to Joy (Schiller)
German reader: Eva Keller [Hans Sachs Gymnasium]
English Reader: Max Lough [S6]

Hungriges Herz by Scala & The Kolacny Brothers, arr. by Annette Eisenman
Hans Sachs Gymnasium Choir, directed by Annette Eisenmann
Originally sung by the Berlin band MIA, "Hungriges Herz" (Hungry Heart) is a love song, later popularised by the Belgian choir Scala in a cover version by the Kolacny Brothers.

Banaha Congolese Folk Song
Si njay njay njay Zulu traditional, arranged by Alexander l'Estrange
Skye Boat Song trad, Scots
Ae fond kiss and Scots Wha Ha'e trad., words by Burns.
Junior Choir, directed by Caroline Stevenson and Leslie MacLeod
Simple words, simple music, contrasting cultures; but combined to reflect the common depth of emotion in songs from Southern Africa and Scotland.

Highland Fantasy by Bruce Fraser
Highlights from Mamma Mia arranged by Longfield
Intermediate Wind band, directed by Rachel Forbes
More from Scotland, and a passing nod to the Scandinavian sounds of ABBA

Kyrie & Gloria from Mass of the Children by John Rutter
Senior Choir, Intermediate Choir, Staff Ensemble
Soloists: Morven Bremner [S6] and Jamie MacDougall
Directed by Ken Walton
John Rutter's music speaks to an international audience through its tunefulness, effervescence and accessibility. The Mass of the Children combines the lustre of a children's choir with the fuller bodied sound of an adult choir, accompanied in this version by small chamber ensemble. We perform two movements - the Kyrie and the lively Gloria.

INTERVAL

Magnificent Seven by Elmer Bernstein, arr. Roy Phillippe
Intermediate Orchestra, directed by Sarah Stuart
Hollywood's tough guys come to the rescue of the oppressed.

A Little Salsa by Adam Gorb
Jazz it up! arr V Lopez
Night Train by Elmer Washington, Lewis Simpkins & Jimmy Forrest, arr. Jerry Sheppard
Concert Band and Jazz Band, directed by Joanne Freeland
Celebrating the lighter side of life ...

An die Musik by Schubert
Vois sur ton chemin & Cerf-volant from Les Choristes by Barratier
Bolera Sevillanas by Neaum
Intermediate Choir
directed by Rosemary Housley & Edgar Trotter
Starting with Schubert - surely the greatest German song writer - this medley of songs takes us on a tour of different European countries (France and Spain) and styles

Reading: Chopin in Glasgow
Reader: Catriona Herbert [S6]

Larghetto from Piano Concerto No 2 in F minor by Frederic Chopin
Soloist: Hebba Benyaghla [S4]
Sinfonia, directed by Ken Walton
Chopin gave the premiere of this piano concerto in the very first public concert he gave of his own music in Warsaw in 1830. Liszt and Schumann were among those who admired it, particularly the slow movement, a quietly stunning nocturne with an embellished piano melody that sounds almost improvised. "The whole of the piece is of a perfection almost ideal," Liszt wrote, "its expression, now radiant with light, now full of tender pathos."

Reading: A Man's a Man (Robert Burns)
Reader: Sam Holloway [P5]

Finale - Shall Brothers Be (first performance) arranged by Ken Walton
Senior Choir, Intermediate Choir, Junior Choir, Pipe Band and Orchestra
Soloist: Jamie MacDougall
directed by Ken Walton
The reason for writing this finale was twofold. Firstly, I felt the evening ought to finish with as many of the performers on stage as possible, which the sizeable scoring for massed choirs, orchestra, pipe band and tenor soloist sets out to achieve. Secondly, it had to sum up the core theme of the concert, which is to celebrate the tripartite Comenius partnership involving our friends in Germany and Poland.
Consequently, there are three elements to the work which will become obvious as it unfolds. The opening theme is based on Burns' song "A man's a man", which is quickly picked up by the soloist, then by the choirs themselves. But midstream, the tone changes as the orchestra breaks into the familiar military march from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, soon to be joined by the massed voices in Schiller's "Ode to Joy".
Once again, the mood changes, this time rather whimsically preparing the way for a setting of the Polish Carol "Przybieżeli do Betlejem", which borrows its musical language from the Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski.
Soon, the opening theme returns, and the final two verses of Burns' song take us through to a rousing climax that includes the pipes and drums, and sleekit instrumental references to the fact that all three song themes conveniently fit together. (KW)

 

 

Tags: Hutchesons Events, Music

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