GCU News October 2024
Hello everyone …
Welcome to the latest edition of GCU News. We have had a wonderful term so far and are looking forward to our concert on 7th November.
I have included articles on Buxtehude and Caroline Shaw in this newsletter. Hopefully, you will enjoy reading more about two of the composers whose music we’ve been rehearsing.
As I said last time, content for future newsletters is always welcome. Variety is the spice of life and I will consider anything that you send my way!
Ian Stephenson
Buxtehude - Ad manus
Dieterich Buxtehude (1637 - 1707) spent much of his working life as organist and kapellmeister at the Marienkirche in Lübeck, northern Germany.
Who would have thought that in order to take up a position as organist you would be required to marry the daughter of the incumbent! But this is what was necessary at the Marienkirche when Buxtehude hoped to get his fingers on the organ stops. Franz Tunder had an unmarried daughter, Anna Margarete, and she was part of the bargain. However, it can’t have been all bad, as the marriage produced seven daughters and Buxtehude’s job lasted forty years until his death. He thought it such a good idea, that he offered the hand of his eldest daughter, also called Anna Margarete, to anyone who wanted to replace him, but neither Bach, Handel or his friend Johann Mattheson were tempted, although they all travelled to Lübeck to inspect the goods … or maybe just to listen to the ex-tempore organ-playing of the brilliant Buxtehude.
Ad manus (to the hands), which we are performing this term is part of a larger work called Membra Jesu nostri. The cycle, composed in 1680, contains seven cantatas each dedicated to a different part of Christ’s crucified body. The texts are based on the concept of an observer contemplating Christ’s body on the cross starting with his feet and moving up to his knees, hands, side, breast, heart and finally his head. Buxtehude plays cleverly with musical colours and textures and changes the mixture of voices and instruments to dramatic effect as the work develops.
The original manuscript is written in tablature notation. Tablature, of a sort, will be familiar to the guitar players among us. All I can say is thank goodness we don’t have to read the original score at rehearsals!
Caroline Shaw
This American composer, violinist and singer was born in 1982.
She is best known for the a cappella piece Partita for 8 Voices, for which she won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Music.
At two years old, Shaw began playing the violin, being initially taught the Suzuki method by her mother Jon, also a violinist and singer. Early influences included the choir of her local Episcopal church and the organist there who frequently played Bach.
To the Hands is a six movement piece which was premiered on June 24, 2016, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The piece is intended as a ‘reply’ to the third cantata, Ad Manus, of Membra Jesu Nostri. The name of the piece is a translation of the said cantata.
The piece is written for SATB choir with accompaniment by a string quintet of 2 violins, viola, cello, and double bass. It contains uses of string harmonics and extended technique, as well as polyrhythms. Its choral writing has also been compared to Gregorian chant, and portions of the piece have been paraphrased from Membra Jesu Nostri, whereas movement 5 specifically discusses refugee crises. This fifth movement uses the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre's data from 2015 on displaced persons by country and in ascending order, with the smallest number being 224 and largest at 7.6 million from Syria.
Just One Thing!
As Sharon said in her summer letter, we need everyone to think about the skills they have and how they might be able to help in the running of GCU.
At the moment we are particularly looking for members with skills/knowledge around the area of making recordings. We need recordings for our social media posts and for use on our website.
If you could help please speak to Sharon or anyone who is on the Committee.
Thank you in anticipation!
Sponsor Us
We are in an incredibly good position compared with many choirs who are losing members, but it is expensive to put on classical music concerts and we need sponsorship of around £25,000 a year, or to sell a lot more tickets.
If anyone is able to introduce us to the board members of any top companies, or indeed is a board member, please get in touch. All companies need to demonstrate Corporate Responsibility these days, and we are hoping to forge some mutually beneficial relationships which will enable us to flourish for many, many years to come!
Dates for your diary…
Thursday 07 November 2024,
7.30pm, Cadogan Hall:
Handel Coronation Anthems
Buxtehude Ad manus (from Membra Jesu nostri)
Shaw To the Hands
Vivaldi Gloria
Wednesday 13 November 2024, 6.30pm, Queen’s Gate House:
First rehearsal for our Christmas concert
Friday 13 December 2024,
7.30pm, Holy Trinity Sloane Square:
Carols for Choir and Audience
Saturday 28 December 2024,
7.30pm, Barbican Hall:
Beethoven Ninth Symphony
Wednesday 08 January 2025, 6.30pm, Queen’s Gate House:
Spring Term begins
Friday 28 December 2025,
7.30pm, Smith Square Hall:
Howells Hymnus Paradisi
Brahms Geistliches Lied
Haydn Little Organ Mass
Dyson Hierusalem