Vaughan Williams: Sea Symphony
Elgar: Enigma Variations
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Peter King – Organ 6.25 pm Pre-concert talk with Adrian Partington |
Saturday 24th November 2007, 7.30 pm
Colston Hall, Bristol
We open our first concert of the season with Vaughan Williams’ choral Sea Symphony. Standing alongside Elgar and Britten as one of the most popular 20th century English composers, his nine symphonies form the finest cycle ever produced in England.
The symphony begins with a great fanfare and is followed by the proclamation “Behold, the sea itself!” which was sung with such energy and excitement at its premiere, Vaughan Williams himself exclaimed that he felt he was about to be …’blown off the rostrum!’. Based on texts by Walt Whitman, Sea Symphony remains firmly in the tradition of English choral symphonies of the time. Originally called ‘The Ocean’ the text deals with the mysterious uncertainties of life and the music clearly depicts the restlessness and might of the sea with occasional dashes of typical sea shanties.
To further complement this uplifting evening, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra will perform Elgar’s Enigma Variations. Of the fourteen variations, twelve are headed by the initials of some of Elgar’s closest friends. The first however, was composed for his beloved wife, Alice (C.A.E) and the last is of himself. Nimrod (variation 9) is the most famous and truly poignant of all the movements.