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Easter Glory
Frances Finn with John Rutter conducting the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra and the Bach Choir in his new work The Gift of Life with Bible and poetry readings from actor Anton Lesser.
John Rutter conducts the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra and the Bach Choir, with tenor soloist Benedict Hymas in the complete broadcast premiere of his major new work: 'The Gift of Life'. John gives presenter Frances Finn insights into what inspired him to write this ground breaking musical celebration of Life and Creation, and choir and audience join together in well-known Easter hymns. Wolf Hall's 'Thomas More': actor Anton Lesser performs seasonal readings of poems and passages from the Bible. Producer: Rowan Morton-Gledhill.
Last on
Sun 27 Mar 2016
19:00
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2
Music list
TITLE: Ye choirs of New Jerusalem (St Fulbert)ARTIST: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra and the Bach Choir
TITLE: O all ye works of the Lord (John Rutter)ARTIST: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra and the Bach Choir
TITLE: The tree of life (John Rutter)ARTIST: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra and the Bach Choir with tenor soloist, Benedict Hymas Β
TITLE: Hymn to the Creator of Light (John Rutter) Β ARTIST: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra and the Bach Choir
TITLE:O Lord, how manifold are thy works (John Rutter) Β ARTIST: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra and the Bach Choir
TITLE: The gift of each day (John Rutter)ARTIST: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra and the Bach Choir
TITLE: Believe in Life (John Rutter)ARTIST: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra and the Bach Choir
TITLE: Jesus Christ is risen today (Lyra Davidica)ARTIST: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra and the Bach Choir
TITLE: O all ye works of the Lord (John Rutter)ARTIST: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra and the Bach Choir
TITLE: The tree of life (John Rutter)ARTIST: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra and the Bach Choir with tenor soloist, Benedict Hymas Β
TITLE: Hymn to the Creator of Light (John Rutter) Β ARTIST: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra and the Bach Choir
TITLE:O Lord, how manifold are thy works (John Rutter) Β ARTIST: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra and the Bach Choir
TITLE: The gift of each day (John Rutter)ARTIST: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra and the Bach Choir
TITLE: Believe in Life (John Rutter)ARTIST: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra and the Bach Choir
TITLE: Jesus Christ is risen today (Lyra Davidica)ARTIST: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra and the Bach Choir
John Rutter tells us about the Gift of Life:
βI wrote The Gift of Life early in 2015 as a result of a chance conversation at a US choral convention with an old friend who was planning to retire from his position as Minister of Music at a church in Dallas. His church wanted to give him an appropriate gift to mark his many years of service; I was already thinking I would like to write a new choral work with orchestra, and these two thoughts came together. The church immediately agreed that my new work would be the right gift, and a theme soon suggested itself: In 1985 I had written a Requiem β which, like any Requiem, inevitably reflects on death β why not write the opposite, a work celebrating life?
Unlike a Requiem, where a set form of words is laid down in Catholic liturgy, no framework exists for a celebration of life, and I had to choose (and in three cases, write) texts which were appropriate to a theme rarely expressed in music since Haydnβs wondrous oratorio The Creation in 1797.
The six movements of The Gift of Life reflect different facets of the miracles of creation and of life, and I was happy to be able to include as the third of them my Hymn to the Creator of Light, originally written in 1992 as an unaccompanied motet in memory of the composer Herbert Howells, for the dedication of his new memorial window in Gloucester Cathedral. I had always felt slightly wistful that this piece was somewhat of an orphan on its own, and here was an opportunity to give it a home as part of a larger work. I added a discreet orchestral accompaniment to enrich the texture and to make it more consistent with the other five movements.
I am particularly delighted that, alongside the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra, tonightβs choir is the Bach Choir, with whom I gave the first London performance in St Paulβs Cathedral last November.β
Unlike a Requiem, where a set form of words is laid down in Catholic liturgy, no framework exists for a celebration of life, and I had to choose (and in three cases, write) texts which were appropriate to a theme rarely expressed in music since Haydnβs wondrous oratorio The Creation in 1797.
The six movements of The Gift of Life reflect different facets of the miracles of creation and of life, and I was happy to be able to include as the third of them my Hymn to the Creator of Light, originally written in 1992 as an unaccompanied motet in memory of the composer Herbert Howells, for the dedication of his new memorial window in Gloucester Cathedral. I had always felt slightly wistful that this piece was somewhat of an orphan on its own, and here was an opportunity to give it a home as part of a larger work. I added a discreet orchestral accompaniment to enrich the texture and to make it more consistent with the other five movements.
I am particularly delighted that, alongside the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra, tonightβs choir is the Bach Choir, with whom I gave the first London performance in St Paulβs Cathedral last November.β
Credit
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Concert Orchestra |
Broadcast
- Sun 27 Mar 2016 19:00ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2