Notes
Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of individual and organisational sponsors over the past two decades, FYC has an unmatched record in commissioning challenging and enjoyable choral works from some of the best composers working today. In recent years these have included Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Jonathan Dove, Augusta Read Thomas and Bob Chilcott, not forgetting FYC’s very own alumnus and fast-rising star, Graham Ross.
2011 has been a productive year for FYC in that respect. The Farnham Festival Committee honoured the choir by awarding it a new commission to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the festival, which has as its mandate 'New Music for Young People'. FYC chose to commission from James Whitbourn who, among other compositions, has written for the choirs of King’s College Cambridge and Westminster Abbey. The composer met the choir members before and after the world premiere of Festival Alleluia on 26th March and declared himself 'delighted' by their performance.
Festival Alleluia is firmly in FYC’s current repertoire, having been performed on several occasions, most recently at St. Andrew’s Church in Farnham in October.
We are delighted to announce the arrival of a new work commissioned for FYC by our Vice-President, Andreas Klatt, from the outstanding Scottish composer James MacMillan, believed by many to be the most exciting and successful composer of choral and orchestral music working in Britain today. The evocative piece is New-made for a king, a work with an Advent theme (setting words by Michael Symmons Roberts) and beautifully crafted piano accompaniment. The choir has begun work on the piece which will form part of the programme for the World Choir Games in Cincinnati in July.
Another new composition firmly established in the FYC repertoire is The oak and the Ash, an English folk song arranged by Philip Lawson of King’s Singers fame. The song was commissioned by FYC using funds from a legacy left to the choir by its former Chairman Chris Mansell. This song represents the first of The Mansell Collection of folk songs which we hope will provide a unique contribution to maintaining and developing the nation’s folk song heritage – and once again keeping FYC at the forefront of youth choral singing both in the UK and abroad. Ca’ the Yowes, a Scottish folk song arranged by Ken Johnston, was received in September 2011 and will be premiered in early 2012. It will also be part of the FYC repertoire for the World Choir Games. Four folk songs for a United Kingdom is a group of songs being arranged for us by ex-Swingle Singer Jonathan Rathbone which we hope to receive during 2012.
2011 has been a productive year for FYC in that respect. The Farnham Festival Committee honoured the choir by awarding it a new commission to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the festival, which has as its mandate 'New Music for Young People'. FYC chose to commission from James Whitbourn who, among other compositions, has written for the choirs of King’s College Cambridge and Westminster Abbey. The composer met the choir members before and after the world premiere of Festival Alleluia on 26th March and declared himself 'delighted' by their performance.
Festival Alleluia is firmly in FYC’s current repertoire, having been performed on several occasions, most recently at St. Andrew’s Church in Farnham in October.
We are delighted to announce the arrival of a new work commissioned for FYC by our Vice-President, Andreas Klatt, from the outstanding Scottish composer James MacMillan, believed by many to be the most exciting and successful composer of choral and orchestral music working in Britain today. The evocative piece is New-made for a king, a work with an Advent theme (setting words by Michael Symmons Roberts) and beautifully crafted piano accompaniment. The choir has begun work on the piece which will form part of the programme for the World Choir Games in Cincinnati in July.
Another new composition firmly established in the FYC repertoire is The oak and the Ash, an English folk song arranged by Philip Lawson of King’s Singers fame. The song was commissioned by FYC using funds from a legacy left to the choir by its former Chairman Chris Mansell. This song represents the first of The Mansell Collection of folk songs which we hope will provide a unique contribution to maintaining and developing the nation’s folk song heritage – and once again keeping FYC at the forefront of youth choral singing both in the UK and abroad. Ca’ the Yowes, a Scottish folk song arranged by Ken Johnston, was received in September 2011 and will be premiered in early 2012. It will also be part of the FYC repertoire for the World Choir Games. Four folk songs for a United Kingdom is a group of songs being arranged for us by ex-Swingle Singer Jonathan Rathbone which we hope to receive during 2012.
So what is Aglepta?
A brand of toothpaste? Vauxhall's latest hatchback? Just a confusing anagram? Aglepta is the piece that has startled and amazed audiences wherever Farnham Youth Choir has performed it. David Victor-Smith gets behind the name and the sound:
It was composed in 1969 by the Swede Arne Mellnäs as a set piece for the children's choir class of a prestigious choral competition. The Swedish conductors were horrified when they saw the score, banded together and threatened to withdraw from the competition unless the piece was changed. The organisers agreed, but one of the participants – the Tapiola Children's Choir from Helsinki – presented the work as their own choice piece. They won the competition, which gave them entry to the international rounds of Let the People Sing which they proceeded to win as the overall best choir. They established a world-wide reputation which has since placed them alongside the Vienna Boys' Choir.
The score is fascinating to unravel. There are fixed pitches and rhythms alongside free passages with directions such as tempo ad lib, each individual choose his own pitch. One of the most effective sections is where the sopranos enter in any order to sing three notes (DCE) to the word garia. The rhythm is free to each individual voice. Then the mezzos add another three notes (Bb, Gb, Ab) and finally the altos (Eb, F, Db). The parts are then removed one by one with the mezzos eventually settling on one note (Ab) which as it dies away is replaced by a scream from the altos. Choir members love to observe the audience reaction at this point.
I am often asked how we go about learning a piece like this. A long time before the choir saw the written music I introduced exercises based on the skills needed in the piece – such as choosing a note and holding it, singing patterns of three notes in preparation for the garia passage mentioned above. Then each section needed careful work, and indeed still does from time to time – none more so than the six bars of conventional notation setting the word glaria. The final problem is to connect all the sections to produce a unified whole with suitable gradations of tension and volume. Much of this has to be controlled by the conductor at each performance since the score states: "The points of entrance, durations and repeats are to be created ad lib by the conductor." No two performances are ever anywhere near alike which makes it a difficult piece for competitions with tight time limits.
Our 1997 recording of Aglepta is available on Sing You Now and on Celebration.
It was composed in 1969 by the Swede Arne Mellnäs as a set piece for the children's choir class of a prestigious choral competition. The Swedish conductors were horrified when they saw the score, banded together and threatened to withdraw from the competition unless the piece was changed. The organisers agreed, but one of the participants – the Tapiola Children's Choir from Helsinki – presented the work as their own choice piece. They won the competition, which gave them entry to the international rounds of Let the People Sing which they proceeded to win as the overall best choir. They established a world-wide reputation which has since placed them alongside the Vienna Boys' Choir.
The score is fascinating to unravel. There are fixed pitches and rhythms alongside free passages with directions such as tempo ad lib, each individual choose his own pitch. One of the most effective sections is where the sopranos enter in any order to sing three notes (DCE) to the word garia. The rhythm is free to each individual voice. Then the mezzos add another three notes (Bb, Gb, Ab) and finally the altos (Eb, F, Db). The parts are then removed one by one with the mezzos eventually settling on one note (Ab) which as it dies away is replaced by a scream from the altos. Choir members love to observe the audience reaction at this point.
I am often asked how we go about learning a piece like this. A long time before the choir saw the written music I introduced exercises based on the skills needed in the piece – such as choosing a note and holding it, singing patterns of three notes in preparation for the garia passage mentioned above. Then each section needed careful work, and indeed still does from time to time – none more so than the six bars of conventional notation setting the word glaria. The final problem is to connect all the sections to produce a unified whole with suitable gradations of tension and volume. Much of this has to be controlled by the conductor at each performance since the score states: "The points of entrance, durations and repeats are to be created ad lib by the conductor." No two performances are ever anywhere near alike which makes it a difficult piece for competitions with tight time limits.
Our 1997 recording of Aglepta is available on Sing You Now and on Celebration.
Hosanna
The latest FYC Christmas recording, Hosanna, is now available.
Any collection of songs appropriate to the Christian festivals of Advent and Christmas is likely to contain a mix of contemporary arrangements, modern compositions and traditional favourites – and this collection is no exception. Recorded in St. Thomas-on-The Bourne Church by award-winning sound recordist Ken Blair over a period of several years, the CD represents the annual Christmas repertoire of several ‘vintages’ of the choir, with a diverse mix of styles and moods. Order details can be found here.
Performance workshop for Juniors
Lin Marsh, composer, choral trainer and expert in the field of music theatre, held a morning workshop for the FYC Junior choirs.
The children were encouraged to use three focus points in the hall to free them from only looking at the conductor (not appropriate for this style of mainly unison singing) and to use their faces and bodies to bring alive the text. “An opera singer who is acting a part can’t watch the conductor all the time”, Lin reminded the singers, “but does use all his or her peripheral vision to keep an eye on the conductor’s beat”.
During the session, the youngsters were taught three contrasting songs composed by Lin, with all the dramatic presentation that would go with the performance.
The well-trained singers soon picked up the melodies, but the skill of uniting the music with the movement proved more of a challenge! Nevertheless, the morning workshop was greatly enjoyed by the boys and girls who were complimented by Lin Marsh on their concentration and beautiful sound.
Parents who attended the final 15 minutes were impressed with what they saw, and David Victor-Smith in thanking Lin, hoped to see her back in Farnham in the near future.
The children were encouraged to use three focus points in the hall to free them from only looking at the conductor (not appropriate for this style of mainly unison singing) and to use their faces and bodies to bring alive the text. “An opera singer who is acting a part can’t watch the conductor all the time”, Lin reminded the singers, “but does use all his or her peripheral vision to keep an eye on the conductor’s beat”.
During the session, the youngsters were taught three contrasting songs composed by Lin, with all the dramatic presentation that would go with the performance.
The well-trained singers soon picked up the melodies, but the skill of uniting the music with the movement proved more of a challenge! Nevertheless, the morning workshop was greatly enjoyed by the boys and girls who were complimented by Lin Marsh on their concentration and beautiful sound.
Parents who attended the final 15 minutes were impressed with what they saw, and David Victor-Smith in thanking Lin, hoped to see her back in Farnham in the near future.
