Gloria

SPECIAL EVENTS

Wednesday 27 March 2024, 7.30pm Perth Concert Hall

Perth Concert Hall

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West Australian Symphony Orchestra respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and Elders of Country throughout Western Australia, and the Whadjuk Noongar people on whose lands we work and share music.

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Dr Joseph Nolan | Artistic Director, St George’s Cathedral Concert Series

Welcome

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Thank you so much for attending tonight’s concert. Whilst the annual collaboration between WASO and St George’s Cathedral has always been a delight to conduct, tonight’s repertoire fits the Consort sound like a made-to-measure glove.

Tonight’s concert opens with the exquisite sacred madrigal, When David Heard, written by Thomas Weelkes. It is designed for a six-part choir without accompaniment. The choral writing is pure Lenten fare, with King David’s anguish at the loss of his son being depicted through yearning rising phrases and a plethora of false relations (clashing, dissonant notes).

Vivaldi’s Gloria could not be more of a contrast to the Weelkes composition and, of course, is an evergreen favourite with classical music audiences. A singular challenge for the musicians tonight is to present a performance that sounds utterly fresh but doesn’t lose its Baroque roots in the process.

However, it is Handel’s virtuosic Dixit Dominus which forms the centre of tonight’s concert. Indeed, Handel was known to be proud of Dixit Dominus, regarding it as one of his most inspired compositions. Dixit Dominus is compact, perfectly formed, and sees Handel at his best in terms of musical word painting. It is worth bearing in mind that Handel was only 22 years of age when he composed Dixit Dominus.

Handel enjoyed considerable patronage throughout his career, and such patronage continues to this day. The Consort and I are indebted to Julian and Alexandra Burt for their patronage, without which the St George’s Cathedral Concert Series would not be possible.

Dr Joseph Nolan
Artistic Director, St George’s Cathedral Concert Series

Gloria

Thomas WEELKES When David Heard (4 mins)

Antonio VIVALDI Gloria (29 mins)

Gloria in excelsis Deo
Et in terra pax
Laudamus te (*Lucinda Nicholls and
Bonnie de la Hunty)
Gratias agimus tibi
Propter magnam gloriam
Domine Deus (*Lucinda Nicholls)
Domine, Fili unigenite
Domine Deus, Agnus Dei (*Amber Lister)
Qui tollis peccata mundi
Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris (*Anita Saxby)
Quoniam tu solus sanctus
Cum Sancto Spiritu


Interval (25 mins)

George Frideric HANDEL Dixit Dominus (30 mins)

Dixit Dominus
(*Sabra Poole-Johnson,
Anita Saxby, Jason Kroll and Lachlann Lawton)
Virgam virtutis (*Bonnie de la Hunty)
Tecum principium (*Sabra Poole-Johnson)
Juravit Dominus
Tu es sacerdos
Dominus a dextris (*Anne-Marie Duce,
Sabra Poole Johnson, Bonnie de la Hunty,
Lucinda Nicholls, Perry Joyce, Jason Kroll
and Lachlann Lawton)
Judicabit –
Conquassabit
De torrente in via (*Lucinda Nicholls and
Bonnie de la Hunty)
Gloria Patri

Joseph Nolan conductor
West Australian Symphony Orchestra

St George’s Cathedral Consort

* featured soloist

Wesfarmers Arts Pre-concert Talk
Find out more about the music in the concert with this week’s speaker, Marilyn Phillips. The Pre-concert Talk will take place at 6.45pm in the Terrace Level Foyer.

Listen to WASO
This performance is recorded for broadcast Thursday 25 April at 1.00pm on ABC Classic. Date and time subject to change. For further details visit abc.net.au/classic

Did you know?

The musical compositions of Vivaldi total 500 concertos, 90 sonatas, 46 operas and a large body of sacred choral works and chamber music.

Vivaldi's crop of curly red hair, inherited from his father, prompted friends to nickname the composer 'il Prete Rosso' - the red priest.

Some of Handel's biggest and best works were composed in the latter stages of his life. That might not sound too impressive, but then again he did suffer from a stroke in 1737, was involved in a coach crash in 1750 and had cataracts and eventually went blind after a botched eye operation 1751.

Praise doesn't come much higher than from Ludwig Van Beethoven, who said of Handel's works: "Go to him to learn how to achieve great effects, by such simple means."

WASO On Stage

St George’s Cathedral Consort On Stage

Soprano
Sarah Cranfield
Anne-Marie Duce
Bonnie de la Hunty
Sabra Poole-Johnson
Kate McNamara
Lucinda Nicholls
Abbie Radford
Philippa Roy

Alto
Elsie Gangemi Smith
Amber Lister
Jen Moriarty
Julia Nicholls
Laura Pitts
Anita Saxby
Wini Taylor Williams
Charley Vukojevich

Tenor
Andrew Hislop
Ben Jobson
Perry Joyce
Jason Kroll
Ciaran McChord
Nicholas Matthews
Harry Playford

Bass
Liam Auhl
Jake Bigwood
James Chapman
Ruben Davies
Lachlann Lawton
Patrick Watson
David Woods

About the Artists

About the Artists

About the Music

Antonio VIVALDI Gloria

Text & Translation

English

George Frideric HANDEL Dixit Dominus | King James Version (1769)

Text & Translation

English

No.1
Dixit Dominus Domino meo: sede a
dextris meis, donec ponam inimicos tuos
scabellum pedum tuorum.

No.2
Virgam virtutis tuae emittet Dominus
ex Sion: dominare in medio inimicorum
tuorum.

No.3
Tecum principium in die virtutis tuae in
splendoribus sanctorum: ex utero, ante
luciferum, genui te.

No.4
Juravit Dominus et non poenitebit eum:
tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum
ordinem Melchisedech.

No.5
Dominus a dextris tuis: confregit in die irae
suae reges.

No.6
Judicabit in nationibus, implebit ruinas:
conquassabit capita in terra multorum.

No.7
De torrente in via bibet: propterea exaltabit
caput.

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