AAM - Messiah

A C A D E M Y O F A N C I E N T M U S I C , 2 0 0 9 - 2 01 0 S E A S O N 1

Handel Messiah1 December Concertgebouw, Brugge, Belgium4 December Vredenburg Leidsche Rijn, Utrecht, The Netherlands12 December Auditorium de Palma de Mallorca, Spain14 & 15 December Palau de la Música, Barcelona, Spain19 December Cadogan Hall, London, UK

Richard Egarr director & harpsichordElizabeth Watts sopranoMichael Chance counter- tenorAndrew Tortise tenorChristopher Purves bassChoir of the AAM

The annual pilgrimage to hear Handel’smasterpiece is a seasonal highlight for many ofus. It is remarkable to think that a work whichwas initially greeted so coldly by the authoritiesin Dublin and London should have attained aposition of such ubiquity over the ensuingcenturies.! Messiah’s steady rise to popularity isthe subject of Dr Stephen Rose’s fascinatingprogramme note (pages 3–5).

Tonight’s performance crowns a spectacularyear for the AAM. In the last twelve months, ourlive concerts have taken us from Macau to LosAngeles; we have celebrated the Purcell, Handeland Haydn anniversaries in concert, on theradio, in the cinema and on CD and DVD; andour recent recordings have won the MIDEM and Edison awards.

2010 promises to be equally exciting. InFebruary, Richard Egarr directs his first AAMperformance of a Beethoven piano concerto.March sees Carolyn Sampson and Daniel Taylorjoining forces for an intriguing programmecontrasting the Pergolesi and Vivaldi settings ofthe Stabat Mater; and in April the Choir of theAAM gives its first performance of Mozart’sRequiem.! Later in the summer we team up withthe Choir of King’s College, Cambridge toperform Monteverdi’s Vespers; and inSeptember we launch The Bach Dynasty — a series which will showcase the works ofhistory’s most important musical family.

We have an exciting vision for the years up toand beyond our 40th anniversary in 2013 — butin order to achieve and surpass our ambitionswe need your support. If you would like to findout how you can help us as we enrich the livesof music lovers around the world, please turn topage 16.

We hope you will enjoy this evening’s concert. It is our pleasure to wish you a very happy Christmas.

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Engraving entitled“Handel composing Sacred Music; the Genius of Harmonycrowning him, and a Seraph wafting his name to heaven’

Programme DEC 09 Q8_AAM programme Oct2009 09/12/2009 16:05 Page 1

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Monument to George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) at Westminster Abbey sculpted by!Louis FrancoisRoubiliac. To Handel’s left lies an open score of Messiah, with the musical score of ‘I know that myRedeemer liveth’ directly in front of him.


Stephen Rose traces Messiah’s enduring legacy


The circumstances of the premiere of Messiah, inDublin in April 1742, are well known. Handel wasat a crux in his career. Having spent the previousthirty years mainly dedicated to the composition,promotion and performance of Italian- textedoperas in London, he was increasinglypreoccupied with English- texted oratorios onreligious topics. Suffering from dwindlingaudiences for his music in London, he embarkedin November 1741 on a nine- month residence inDublin. Here he could present his music to newand enthusiastic audiences, as well ascontemplate the future direction of his career in England.

Handel’s concerts in Dublin mostly includedoratorios such as Esther and Alexander’s Feast, butalso a performance of his last Italian operaImeneo, and the premiere of Messiah. Inrecruiting a choir for these performances,Handel faced considerable opposition fromJonathan Swift, Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral,who disapproved of the members of hiscathedral choir participating in ‘a club of fiddlers’.In the case of Messiah, however, Swift withdrewhis opposition because of the charitable aims ofthe performance, to raise money for a host ofworthy causes in Dublin. In the end, the firstperformances received a warm reception. As TheDublin Journal reported: “Words are wanting toexpress the exquisite Delight it afforded to theadmiring crouded Audience. The Sublime, theGrand, and the Tender, adapted to the mostelevated, majestic and moving Words, conspiredto transport and charm the ravished Heart and Ear.”

The enthusiastic reception of Messiah in Dublinmust have encouraged Handel to change tack inhis London career, and thereafter compose andpromote oratorios rather than opera. Yet the firstLondon performance of Messiah (in March 1743,at Covent Garden theatre) was overshadowed bycontroversy about the performance of religiousworks in a theatre. As a writer to the UniversalSpectator complained: “An Oratorio either is an

Act of Religion, or it is not; if it is, I ask if thePlayhouse is a fit Temple to perform it in, or aCompany of Players fit Ministers of God’sWord...?” Slowly, however, the oratorio gainedrespectability, particularly after it was performedat the Foundling Hospital chapel in May 1750.The Foundling Hospital was dedicated to the‘Maintenance and Education of Exposed andDeserted Young Children’, and was acutely short of funds in the mid- eighteenth century. As with the Dublin premiere of Messiah, thecharitable aims of the Foundling Hospitalperformance dispelled concerns about thework’s combination of a religious text andtheatrical arias.

During the 1740s, Handel repeatedly modifiedMessiah to suit the singers and orchestrasavailable at different occasions. Ever thepragmatist, he would transpose arias or createnew movements to suit the range or techniqueof particular vocalists. Tonight’s performanceincorporates movements from the 1750 Londonperformances that featured the alto castratoGaetano Guadagni. Handel adapted two arias for Guadagni’s register, ‘But who may abide’ and‘Thou art gone up on high’.

Interesting though the series of earlyperformances of Messiah might be, it is alsofascinating to ask how the oratorio achieved itsfame and ubiquity after Handel’s death. Regularperformances at the Foundling Hospitalcontinued into the 1760s, directed by Handel’serstwhile assistant, John Christopher Smith theyounger. In addition, the oratorio soon became a favourite in the repertory of provincial musicsocieties as far afield as Derby, Liverpool andNewcastle, as well as in East Anglia and the WestMidlands. Messiah was performed not merely inconcerts, but in events that called themselvesfestivals, and which often had charitablepurposes and a strong sense of social ritual. For instance, in 1757 Messiah made its firstappearance at the Three Choirs’ Festival, theannual event that rotated between the


cathedrals of Gloucester, Worcester and Hereford.The Festival was partly intended to raise funds forthe families of clergy and cathedral singing- men;but it was also a key date in the social calendar oflocal gentry, and was attended by councillors,members of parliament and other local worthies.With its religious texts and stirring music, Messiahrapidly became a staple part of these importantlocal events.

Also significant were the two performances ofMessiah at the 1784 commemoration of Handelin Westminster Abbey. Celebrating what wasthen thought to be the centenary of Handel’sbirth, the commemoration showed howcompletely Messiah had been accepted by theEnglish political establishment. The concertswere attended by the royal family and werefinancially underwritten by members of bothpolitical parties (the Tories and Whigs). Usinglarge performing forces— a total of about 500 performers— the 1784 concerts paved the wayfor the large- scale performances of Messiahstaged in Victorian England.

By the middle of the nineteenth century, Messiahretained its popularity with the country’s elite,but was also being sung by the increasingnumbers of amateur choirs found in industrialcities. In 1857 an incredible number ofperformances of the oratorio took place acrossEngland, some of which were intended as dryruns for concerts planned for 1859 to celebratethe centenary of the composer’s death. Thehighlight of the 1857 performances was theGreat Handel Festival at the Crystal Palace,London, on 15th June. It included a choir ofabout 2,000 voices, drawn from amateur musicalsocieties across England, and an orchestra of 300strings and 90 wind and brass players. Theperformance was a celebration not simply ofHandel’s oratorio, but also of English industrialingenuity in bringing together such an immenseensemble. Newspaper reviews paid almost asmuch attention to the special trains organised tobring the performers to London, as to Handel’s

music or Charles Jennens’s libretto. As TheMusical World proudly commented in its reviewof the concert: “When Englishmen once make up their mind to do a thing— whether it be therepeal of the Corn Laws, the erection of a Menairailway bridge, the laying down of a transatlantictelegraph wire, or any other apparentlyimpracticable task— the chances are a million toone that the scheme will be triumphantly carriedout. Like Napoleon, Englishmen do not appear torecognize the right of the word “impossible” toappear in the dictionary of their language.”

Yet the huge appeal of Messiah cannot beexplained purely in terms of the political andsocial institutions with which it was associated.Nor can it be attributed solely to the patriotismseen in the 1857 Great Handel Festival. Equallyimportant factors in the success of the oratorioare its text and music. Charles Jennens’s librettonarrates the birth of Christ and his Passion, deathand resurrection by quoting and paraphrasingnumerous passages scattered throughout theBible. It is no simple description of Christ’s life,but an account rendered in large part throughthe allusions of Old Testament prophecies. Assuch the libretto incorporates such a wideselection of Biblical texts that it resonates withChristians from a variety of persuasions andhistorical periods. Moreover, unlike operas andmany other oratorios, there is no attempt torepresent actual characters. There is littledialogue or reported speech; instead, the textsare sung in the third person, avoiding any crudeattempt at literal portrayal of Biblical events, andthereby gaining a sense of universality.

Handel’s music for Messiah offers a synthesis ofstyles and textures that has appealed greatly toaudiences ever since its premiere. There arerelatively few recitatives, but instead numerous sharply- characterised choruses and arias.Handel’s experience as an opera composer isevident in the oratorio’s arias, which each evokean emotional state via carefully- selectedinstrumental and vocal gestures. Some arias draw



on the stereotyped forms of Italian opera, such asthe rage aria (‘Why do all the nations so furiouslyrage together’) or the bravura display piece(‘Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion’). As in hisoperas, Handel sometimes includes pictorialgestures that instantly convey a message to thelisteners, such as the angry dotted rhythms on thewords ‘He gave his back to the smiters’ in ‘He wasdespised’. Yet despite this use of operaticelements, the arias also have a tuneful appeal thatreflects Handel’s training in both Italian melodyand German counterpoint. The smooth andmelodious lines of ‘He was despised’ and ‘I knowthat my redeemer liveth’ partly draw on thelyricism of opera around 1700, but are alsosupported by a firm sense of harmonic structurethat Handel gained from his German upbringing.

Messiah is set apart from Handel’s operas by itsmany choral movements. Italianate opera mainlyconsisted of arias and recitatives, and rarely madeuse of a chorus. Handel’s oratorios, by contrast,drew on the English tradition of grand choralmovements in church anthems and secular odes.

Some of the choruses are exercises inhomophony, such as ‘Since by man came death’with its contrasts between minor- key Gravesections and major- key Allegro passages. Otherchoruses show Handel’s skill, again gained fromhis German upbringing, in writing fugues. Butmost characteristic are those choruses thatjuxtapose homophonic and fugal sections. Thus‘For unto us a child is born’ starts as a fugue— albeit with a transparent texture rarely heard inthe works of German composers— and culminatesin the chordal interjections on ‘WonderfulCounsellor’. Another powerful juxtaposition ofhomophony and fugue is found in the HallelujahChorus. Such choral writing is one of the mainreasons why Messiah has appealed to generationsof performers and listeners, from the eighteenthcentury right up to the present day.

Stephen Rose © 2009

Dr Stephen Rose is Lecturer in Music at RoyalHolloway, University of London


AAM Messiah recordings

Edward HigginbottomChoir of New College, Oxford1751 VERSION

“beautifully played, brightly sung,sweetly satisfying andunashamedly English in itssentimental roots”GRAMOPHONE, DECEMBER 2006

Stephen CleoburyChoir of King’s College, Cambridge

“a very engaging performance,bursting with style andcharacter”EARLY MUSIC TODAY, SEPTEMBER 2009

Christopher HogwoodChoir of Christ ChurchCathedral, OxfordFOUNDLING HOSPITAL VERSION

WINNER OF THE EDISON AWARD,

GRAND PRIX DES DISCOPHILES- R TB

BELGIUM AND THE

CAECIL IA PRIZE- BELGIUM

DECCA 1980 £ 20

EMI2009

£ 15

NAXOS2006£ 10


PART ONE

Symphony

Accompagnato (tenor)Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith yourGod. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, andcry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished,that her iniquity is pardoned.The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness:prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight inthe desert a highway for our God.

ISAIAH 40.1- 3

Air (tenor)Ev’ry valley shall be exalted, and everymountain and hill made low, the crookedstraight, and the rough places plain.

ISAIAH 40 .4

Chorus And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.And all flesh shall see it together, for the mouthof the Lord hath spoken it.

ISAIAH 40 .5

Accompagnato (bass)Thus saith the Lord of Hosts: Yet once, a littlewhile, and I will shake the heavens and theearth, the sea and the dry land, and I will shakeall nations, and the desire of all nations shallcome.

HAGGAI 2 .6- 7

The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly cometo his temple, even the messenger of theCovenant, whom ye delight in; behold, he shallcome, saith the Lord of Hosts.

MALACHI 3 .1

Air (counter- tenor)But who may abide the day of his coming, andwho shall stand when he appeareth? For he islike a refiner’s fire.

MALACHI 3 .2

Chorus And he shall purify the sons of Levi, that theymay offer unto the Lord an offering inrighteousness.

MALACHI 3 .3

Recitative (counter- tenor)Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,and shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us.

ISAIAH 7 .14 ; MAT THE W 1 .23

Air (counter- tenor) and ChorusO thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, getthee up into the high mountain, O thou thattellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thyvoice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid, sayunto the cities of Judah: Behold your God!O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, arise,shine for thy light is come, and the glory of theLord is risen upon thee.

ISAIAH 40.9 , 60 .1

Accompagnato (bass)For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, andgross darkness the people: but the Lord shallarise upon thee, and his glory shall be seenupon thee. And the gentiles shall come to thylight, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

ISAIAH 60.2- 3

Air (bass)The people that walked in darkness have seen agreat light. And they that dwell in the land ofthe shadow of death, upon them hath the lightshined.

ISAIAH 9 .2

Chorus For unto us a Child is born, unto us, a Son isgiven, and the government shall be upon hisshoulder, and his Name shall be called:Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, TheEverlasting Father, The Prince of Peace!

ISAIAH 9 .6

Pifa Larghetto e mezzo piano

Messiah HWV56



Recitative (soprano)There were shepherds abiding in the field,keeping watch over their flock by night.

Accompagnato (soprano)And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon themand the glory of the Lord shone round aboutthem and they were sore afraid.

Recitative (soprano)And the angel said unto them: Fear not; forbehold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,which shall be to all people. For unto you isborn this day in the city of David, a Saviour,which is Christ the Lord.

Accompagnato (soprano)And suddenly there was with the angel amultitude of the heavenly host, praising God,and saying:

LUKE 2 .8- 13

Chorus Glory to God in the highest, and peace onearth, good will towards men!

LUKE 2 .14

Air (soprano)Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, Odaughter of Jerusalem, behold, thy Kingcometh unto thee. He is the righteous Saviour,and he shall speak peace unto the heathen.

ZECHARIAH 9 .9- 10

Recitative (counter- tenor)Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, andthe ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall thelame man leap as an hart, and the tongue ofthe dumb shall sing.

ISAIAH 35.5- 6

Duet (counter- tenor / soprano)He shall feed his flock like a shepherd, and heshall gather the lambs with his arm; and carrythem in his bosom, and gently lead those thatare with young.

ISAIAH 40- 11

Come unto him, all ye that labour, come untohim that are heavy laden, and he will give yourest. Take his yoke upon you, and learn of him,for he is meek and lowly of heart, and ye shallfind rest unto your souls.

MAT THE W 11.28- 9

Chorus His yoke is easy, his burthen is light.

MAT THE W 11 .30

Interval of 20 minutes

PART TWO

Chorus Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away thesin of the world.

JOHN 1 .29

Air (counter- tenor)He was despised and rejected of men, a man ofsorrows, and acquainted with grief.

ISAIAH 53 .3

He gave his back to the smiters, and his cheeksto them that plucked off the hair: he hid not hisface from shame and spitting.

ISAIAH 50 .6

Chorus Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried oursorrows; he was wounded for ourtransgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities;the chastisement of our peace was upon him.

ISAIAH 53.4- 5

ChorusAnd with his stripes we are healed.

ISAIAH 53 .5

ChorusAll we like sheep have gone astray, we haveturned every one to his own way; and the Lordhath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

ISAIAH 53 .6



Accompagnato (tenor)All they that see him, laugh him to scorn: theyshoot out their lips, and shake their heads,saying:

PSALM 22 .8

Chorus He trusted in God that he would deliver him: lethim deliver him, if he delight in him.

PSALM 22 .7

Accompagnato (tenor)Thy rebuke hath broken his heart; he is full ofheaviness; he looked for some to have pity onhim, but there was no man, neither found heany to comfort him.

PSALM 69 .21

Arioso (tenor)Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like untohis sorrow!

LAMENTATIONS 1 .12

Accompagnato (tenor)He was cut off out of the land of the living; forthe transgression of thy people was he stricken.

ISAIAH 53 .8

Air (tenor)But thou didst not leave his soul in hell; nordidst thou suffer thy Holy One to seecorruption.

PSALM 16 .10

ChorusLift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up,ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shallcome in!Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong andmighty, the Lord mighty in battle.Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up,ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shallcome in!Who is this King of Glory? The Lord of Hosts, heis the King of Glory.

PSALM 24.7- 10

Recitative (tenor)Unto which of the angels said he at any time:thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee?

HEBRE WS 1 .5

Chorus (chorus)Let all the angels of God worship him.

HEBRE WS 1 .6

Air (counter- tenor)Thou art gone up on high, thou hast ledcaptivity captive, and received gifts for men,yea, even for thine enemies, that the Lord Godmight dwell among them.

PSALM 68 .18

Chorus The Lord gave the word: Great was thecompany of the preachers.

PSALM 68 .11

Air (soprano)How beautiful are the feet of them that preachthe gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings ofgood things.

ROMANS 10 .15

Their sound is gone out into all lands, and theirwords unto the end of the world.

ROMANS 10 .18

Air (bass)Why do the nations so furiously rage together,and why do the people imagine a vain thing;the kings of the earth rise up, and the rulerstake counsel together against the Lord andagainst his anointed.

PSALM 2 .1- 2

Chorus Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast awaytheir yokes from us.

PSALM 2 .3

Recitative (tenor)He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them toscorn; the Lord shall have them in derision.

PSALM 2 .4



Air (tenor)Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thoushalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

PSALM 2 .9

Chorus Hallelujah, for the Lord God Omnipotentreigneth, Hallelujah!The Kingdom of this world is become theKingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and heshall reign for ever and ever, Hallelujah!King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and he shallreign for ever and ever, Hallelujah!

RE VELATION 19.6 , 11 .5 , 19 .6

PART THREE

Air (soprano)I know that my redeemer liveth, and that heshall stand at the latter day upon the earth.And though worms destroy this body, yet in myflesh shall I see God.

JOB 19 .25- 6

For now is Christ risen from the dead, the firstfruits of them that sleep.

1 CORINTHIANS 15 .20

Chorus Since by man came death, by man came alsothe resurrection of the dead.For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall allbe made alive.

1 CORINTHIANS 15.21- 2

Accompagnato (bass)Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not allsleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment,in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.


Air (bass)The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall beraised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.For this corruptible must put on incorruption,and this mortal must put on immortality.

CORINTHIANS 15 .52- 3

Recitative (counter- tenor)Then shall be brought to pass the saying that iswritten, Death is swallowed up in victory.


Duet (counter- tenor / tenor)O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where isthy victory? The sting of death is sin, and thestrength of sin is the law.


Chorus But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victorythrough our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 CORINTHIANS 15 .57

Air (soprano)If God is for us, who can be against us? Whoshall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risenagain, who is at the right hand of God, whomakes intercession for us.

ROMANS 8 .31 , 33- 4

Chorus Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hathredeemed us to God by his blood, to receivepower, and riches, and wisdom, and strength,and honour, and glory, and blessing.Blessing and honour, glory and power be untoHim that sitteth upon the throne, and unto theLamb, for ever and ever.Amen.

RE VELATION 5 .12- 14



Choir of the AAM


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Richard Egarr, acclaimed Music Director of theAcademy of Ancient Music, is one of the mostversatile musicians performing today. He hasworked with all types of keyboards, performingrepertoire ranging from 15th-century organmusic to Berg and Maxwell Davies on modernpiano. He is in great demand as a soloist and achamber musician as well as a conductor.

Richard enjoyed his musical training as achoirboy at York Minster, at Chetham’s School ofMusic in Manchester, and as organ scholar atClare College, Cambridge. His studies withGustav and Marie Leonhardt further inspired hiswork in the field of historically- informed performance.

As a conductor, Richard has directed repertoireranging from JS Bach’s St Matthew Passion toJohn Tavener’s Ikon of Light. Numerous opera,oratorio and orchestral performances havetaken him to venues ranging from

Glyndebourne to the Beijing Concert Hall toCarnegie Hall. On top of a busy schedule ofconcerts worldwide with the Academy ofAncient Music, he has recently collaboratedwith the Residentie Orchestra of the Hague, theBrabant Orchestra, the Flemish Radio Orchestraand Choir, the Netherlands Bach Society andthe Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

Richard has given innumerable soloperformances around Europe, Japan and theUSA. Recent USA tours have included JS Bach’s Well- Tempered Clavier and Goldberg Variations.As an orchestral soloist he has appeared withthe AAM, The English Concert, the Orchestra ofthe Age of Enlightenment, the Orchestra of the18th Century, the Dutch Radio ChamberOrchestra and the Netherlands Wind Ensemble.

In chamber music, Richard forms an “unequalledduo for violin and keyboard” (Gramophone) withviolinist Andrew Manze, performing music fromthe Stylus Phantasticus to Mozart and Schubert.They have toured extensively throughoutEurope, North America and the Far East.

Richard records exclusively for Harmonia MundiUSA. His solo output includes works byFrescobaldi, Couperin, Purcell, Froberger, Mozartand JS Bach. His award- winning recordings withManze include sonatas by JS Bach, Biber, Rebel,Pandolfi, Corelli, Handel, Mozart and Schubert.With the Academy of Ancient Music he hasrecorded JS Bach’s harpsichord concertos, JSBach’s complete Brandenburg Concertos, and aset of Handel discs including the ConcertiGrossi Op.3, the Organ Concertos Op.4 and 7and the Sonatas Opp.1, 2 and 5.

Richard Egarr director & harpsichord

“It wouldn't be a stretch to call Egarr the 'Bernstein of Early Music”USA NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO



Born in 1979, Elizabeth Wattswas a chorister at NorwichCathedral, and studiedarchaeology at SheffieldUniversity before attendingthe Royal College of Music.

She won the 2006 Kathleen Ferrier Prize, the2007 Outstanding Young Artist Award at theCannes MIDEM Classical Awards and gainedinternational recognition at the 2007 BBCCardiff Singer of the World Competition,winning the Rosenblatt Recital Song Prize andthereby selection for BBC Radio 3’s NewGeneration Artists Scheme. The critical successof Elizabeth’s first recording of Schubert liederhas now established her as "one of thebrightest new talents" (The Independent) — therecording was Gramophone Magazine’s ‘Editor'sChoice’ in February 2009.

Her operatic work has included Susanna andBarbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro for Santa FeOpera and Welsh National Opera, Papagena inDie Zauberflöte, Music and Hope in Orfeo forEnglish National Opera, and the title role inHandel’s Semele.

Elizabeth has given recitals throughout the UKwith pianists such as Roger Vignoles, JuliusDrake, and Gary Matthewman. She hasperformed in concert with, among others, allthe BBC orchestras, The English Concert, theOrquesta de Radio Televisión Española inMadrid and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic orchestra.

This season Elizabeth won universal praise forher portrayal of Mandane in Thomas Arnes’Artaxerxes at the Royal Opera House, with The Times’ Richard Morrison declaring her “thepick of the bunch”. She will reprise this role atthe Buxton Festival in 2010. Other future plansinclude the role of Marzelline in Beethoven’sFidelio with the Royal Opera House in Spring 2011.

Michael’s vocal training withRupert Bruce Lockhartfollowed an English degreeat King's College, Cambridge,where he was also a choralscholar. Subsequently, he hasperformed across the world

from Sydney Opera House to Teatro Colon inBuenos Aires, from La Scala in Milan to NewYork, from Amsterdam to Lisbon. He hasperformed the title roles in Orfeo, Giasone,Giustino, Rinaldo and Ascanio in Albai, as well as roles in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Semele,Tamerlano, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, GiulioCesare and Death in Venice.

Michael has had opera roles written especiallyfor him by Sir Harrison Birtwistle (Orpheus inThe Second Mrs Kong) and Judith Weir (A MilitaryGovernor in A Night at the Chinese Opera).Furthermore, his interest in expanding the counter- tenor repertoire has prompted newconcert work to be composed for him by,among others, Richard Rodney Bennett,Alexander Goehr, Tan Dun, Anthony Powers,John Tavener and Elvis Costello.

Michael’s recordings focus on the baroquerepertoire. He received a Grammy award for hissinging in Handel's Semele for DeutscheGrammophon with John Nelson and KathleenBattle. He has recorded frequently with JohnEliot Gardiner, including JS Bach’s Passions andCantatas and B Minor Mass, and hascollaborated with Trevor Pinnock, FranzBruggen, Ton Koopman and Nicholas McGegan.He has recently released a disc of Vivaldi’s soloalto cantatas with Trevor Pinnock and TheEnglish Concert.

Michael’s television appearances include A Nightat the Chinese Opera, Death in Venice, The FairyQueen, the three Monteverdi operas withNetherlands Opera and Messiah in Dublin withSir Neville Marriner. He was awarded the CBE inthe 2009 New Year’s Honours List.

Elizabeth Watts soprano Michael Chance counter- tenor



Andrew Tortise was a choralscholar at Wells Cathedralbefore graduating fromTrinity College, Cambridge in2002. Whilst at Cambridge hewas active as both tenorsoloist and piano

accompanist. Andrew currently studies withAshley Stafford.

Andrew made his opera debut in 2004,performing as Apollo in Semele in Paris at theThéâtre des Champs- Élysée. He has since sungunder conductors including Rinaldo Alessandrini,William Christie and Marc Minkowski, in operasranging from Mozart’s Mitridate and Cosi fan Tutteto Monteverdi’s Poppea and Il Ritorno d’Ulisse. Hehas recently performed the tenor arias in JSBach’s St Matthew Passion, in a staged version byKatie Mitchell for Glyndebourne Festival Opera;and Robert in Richard Jones’ production of DavidSawyer’s new opera Skin Deep for Opera Northand Bregenz Festival.

On the concert platform, Andrew has performedMessiah with Richard Egarr and the Orchestra ofthe Age of Enlightenment, and with the NationalSymphony Orchestra in Washington, and hastoured with Sir John Eliot Gardiner singing Purcelland Monteverdi. Other highlights include Mozart’sRequiem with Sir Colin Davis and with thePhilharmonia Orchestra, and Squeak in Britten’sBilly Budd with Daniel Harding and the LSO.

Recordings include Le Jardin des Voix on VirginClassics; Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle onHyperion; and Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu Nostri forNetherlands Bach Society on Channel Classics,which was Gramophone magazine Editor’sChoice and was awarded the Diapason d’Or.

Future concert engagements include Andrew’sdebut with The English Concert and Harry Bicketsinging Handel; and recitals at the AldeburghFestival with Malcolm Martineau and in Brugeswith Richard Egarr.

Christopher Purves studiedEnglish at King’s College,Cambridge, beforeperforming and recordingwith the highly innovativevocal rock & roll group Harveyand the Wallbangers.

Christopher’s musical history does have a moreconventional side. He has performed Handel’sMessiah on numerous occasions, and hasrecorded the work with Harry Christophers andThe Sixteen. Other classical and baroqueperformances include Mozart’s Mass in C Minor at Aix- en- Provence, Monteverdi’s Vespers 1610 withRichard Hickox, JS Bach’s St John Passion with PaulGoodwin in Madrid and B Minor Mass at theChaise Dieu Festival, and performances of Handel’sJudas Maccabeus, La Resurrezione and Alexander’sFeast. Christopher also revels in more recent work,highlights of which include: Stravinsky’s Les Noceswith Philippe Herreweghe in Brussels, JohnTavener’s Apocalypse at the Proms, Honneger’sJeanne d’Arc au Bûcher with the RLPO under LiborPesek, Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias with theLondon Sinfonietta under Sir Simon Rattle, andBritten’s War Requiem.

In opera, Christopher has established himself as aleading exponent of canonical work whilstsimultaneously featuring in new andgroundbreaking compositions and performances.He performed in a controversial production of JSBach’s St Matthew Passion at the GlyndebourneFestival, had the role of Executioner in JamesMacmillan’s Ines de Castro written for him, and hassung in Macmillan’s Parthenogenesis. He has alsogiven a critically- acclaimed portrayal of the titlerole in Wozzeck for Welsh National Opera, and ofSharpless in Anthony Minghella’s new productionof Madame Butterfly for English National Opera.Classical and baroque operatic engagementsinclude Figaro and the Count in Le Nozze di Figaro;Papageno in Die Zauberflöte and Faninal in DerRosenkavalier; Zebul in Jephtha, Germont in LaTraviata, and the title role in Don Giovanni.

Andrew Tortise tenor Christopher Purves bass


Recently hailed as “a superb period instrumentband” by the New York Times, the Academy ofAncient Music is a household name renownedworldwide for its energized, passionateperformances of baroque and classical music on period instruments. Since it was founded byChristopher Hogwood in 1973, the AAM hasreached music lovers worldwide with over 250recordings and live performances on everycontinent except Antarctica.

The AAM specialises in performing oninstruments and in styles dating from the timewhen the music was composed. UnderHogwood’s leadership it established itself as aleading authority on how music was originallyperformed. This pioneering work had atransformative impact on the world of classicalmusic, and lies at the heart of the AAM’sreputation for musical excellence.

In 2006, Hogwood passed leadership of the AAMon to Richard Egarr. In his first three years asMusic Director, Egarr has led tours to fourcontinents and released CDs which have alreadywon Gramophone, MIDEM and Edison awards.

In 2007, Egarr founded the Choir of the AAM tocomplement the orchestra. The choir has alreadyestablished itself as a major force, earning criticalacclaim for its performances worldwide —including the title of "Chorus of the Year" in theprestigious Classical Elites Beijing awards, for itsperformance of Handel's Messiah at the BeijingMusic Festival in October 2008.

Concerts with Egarr in 2009–10 see the AAMperforming music from Castello and Monteverdito Finzi and Britten around the world. Highlightsinclude a tour of music by anniversary composersPurcell and Haydn to Africa and the Far East, aChristmas tour of Handel’s Messiah aroundEurope, and a fascinating programme showcasingthe music of Monteverdi’s little- knowncontemporary Dario Castello.

The vitality of the AAM’s music making continuesto be fostered by a range of guest directors. Thisseason the orchestra works with Pavlo Beznosiuk,who directs a programme contrasting thePergolesi and Vivaldi settings of the Stabat Mater;violinist Giuliano Carmignola, who directs earlymasterpieces by Mendelssohn and Schubert;Stephen Cleobury, who conducts a majorEuropean tour of Monteverdi’s Vespers will theChoir of King’s College, Cambridge; Paul Goodwin,who conducts Haydn symphonies at EsterházaPalace, the historic seat of the composer’spatrons; and Stephen Layton, who conducts theAAM’s traditional Good Friday performance of JS Bach’s St John Passion with Polyphony.

The AAM’s pioneering recordings underHogwood for Decca’s L’Oiseau- Lyre label covermuch of the baroque and classical orchestralcanon. They include the first recordings onperiod instruments of Mozart’s completesymphonies and Beethoven’s piano concertos,and prize- winning opera recordings starringCecilia Bartoli, Emma Kirkby and Joan Sutherland.Further projects have resulted in recordings forEMI, Chandos, Erato and Harmonia Mundi, andthe orchestra has released award- winningrecordings with the choirs of King’s College,Cambridge, Trinity College, Cambridge and New College, Oxford.

With Richard Egarr, the orchestra has recentlycompleted a landmark new cycle of Handel’scomplete instrumental music published asOpp.1–7. Other recent releases include JS Bach’scomplete Brandenburg Concertos with Egarr,Purcell and Handel discs with Stephen Laytonand the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge onHyperion, and, for EMI, Handel’s Messiah withStephen Cleobury and the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge.

The AAM is Orchestra- in- Residence at theUniversity of Cambridge.

Academy of Ancient Music


“No praise can be too high” THE INDEPENDENT




Violin 1 Rebecca Livermore*Persephone GibbsLiz MacCarthyJoanna LawrenceStephen Jones

Violin 2William ThorpPauline SmithMarianna SzücsLara James

ViolaJane RogersTrevor Jones *

CelloCatherine Jones*Cassandra Luckhardt*

Double BassJudith Evans

BassoonAlastair Mitchell

TrumpetDavid BlackadderPhillip Bainbridge

TimpaniBen Hoffnung

HarpsichordRichard Egarr

OrganAlastair Ross

SopranoCharmian BedfordDonna DeamAlison HillLeah JacksonKatie ThomasAnna Whyte

AltoJeanette AgerJacqueline ConnellFrances JellardKate MappSusanna Spicer

TenorJulian ForbesJames GeerEdmund HastingsSean KerrBen Thapa

BassNeil BellinghamRichard LathamJulian PerkinsCharles PottMichael Wallace

*Sponsored chairs

Leader Mr and Mrs George Magan

Principal cello Dr Christopher and Lady Juliet Tadgell

Principal fluteChristopher and Phillida Purvis

Sub- principal violaSir Nicholas and Lady Goodison

Sub- principal celloNewby Trust Ltd

Board of DirectorsAdam BroadbentKay Brock LVO DLJohn EverettMatthew FerreyJohn GrievesChristopher Hogwood CBEHeather JarmanChristopher Purvis CBE(Chairman)Dr Christopher TadgellSarah Miles Williams

Development BoardAdam BroadbentKay Brock LVO DLDelia BrokeJohn EverettMatthew FerreyJohn GrievesMadelaine GundersElizabeth Hartley- BrewerAnnie NortonChristopher Purvis CBEDr Christopher TadgellMadeleine TattersallSarah Miles Williams

Music DirectorRichard Egarr

Emeritus DirectorChristopher Hogwood CBE

Chief ExecutivePeter Ansell

Orchestra ManagerAndrew Moore

Marketing &Development ManagerSimon Fairclough

Concerts & Tours ManagerKate Caro

Assistant Marketing &Development ManagerToby Chadd

Finance ManagerElaine Hendrie

InternSamantha Fryer



The AAM SocietyThe Academy of Ancient Music has been abyword for musical excellence for over 30 years.The orchestra has enriched the lives of millionsof music lovers with its ground- breakingperformances and recordings of baroque andclassical music on period instruments; and it hasattained an important position as one ofBritain’s most active cultural institutions on theglobal stage.! Today over 50,000 people attendAAM performances annually; and the orchestrareaches hundreds of thousands more throughits recordings and broadcasts.

As its 40th anniversary approaches, the AAM isseeking to build upon and develop itsdistinctive traditions of excellence andinnovation for the music lovers of the future —but year by year the cost of sustaining thesetraditions is increasing.! Only a modestproportion of the cost of staging concerts liketonight’s is covered by ticket income, and theAAM receives no regular public funding.!!Thisyear, the AAM needs to raise £250,000 to makeits plans possible.

One way in which you can help the Academy ofAncient Music to transform its ambitious visioninto reality is to join the AAM Society. !TheSociety is the orchestra’s closest group ofregular supporters.!!It!was established ten yearsago by a committed group of foundermembers who appreciated the orchestra’s

superb artistry and wanted to secure its future.Membership ranges from £250 to £10,000+ perannum, and members’ annual contributionsprovide the vital core funding required if theorchestra is to continue to perform.

Society members enjoy a very closeinvolvement with the life of the AAM.! Afterperformances in London, members dine withthe conductor, soloists and AAM musicians.Members have the chance to become a part oforchestral life behind the scenes by sitting in onrehearsals for concerts and recordings, and fromtime to time by accompanying the orchestra oninternational tours.

Those at the Principal Benefactor level andabove receive invitations to special events inLondon; those at the Principal Patron level andabove have the opportunity to sponsor aspecific position in the orchestra; and those atthe Hogwood Circle level have the opportunityto support a specific concert each season.

If you want to get closer to the AAM’s musicmaking while helping to secure the orchestra’sfuture, do be in touch with me.

Simon Fairclough Development Manager01223 [email protected]



The AAM is indebted to the following trusts, companies, public bodies and individuals for theirsupport of the orchestra’s work during the 2009–2010 season:

AAM Business ClubKleinwort BensonRBC Wealth ManagementSVG Capital

John Ellerman FoundationThe Idlewild TrustGoldsmiths’ Company CharityMichael Marks Charitable Trust

Arts Council England through the Sustain programmeOrchestras LiveCambridge City Council

AAM Funders & Supporters

The Hogwood Circle (Donations £10,000 and above per annum)Sir Nicholas and Lady Goodison *Mr and Mrs George MaganChristopher and Phillida Purvis *Mrs Julia RosierDr Christopher and Lady Juliet Tadgelland other anonymous Hogwood Circlemembers

Principal Patrons (Donations £5,000 – £9,999 per annum)Christopher Hogwood CBE *Newby Trust Ltd *and other anonymous Principal Patrons

Patrons (Donations £2,500 – £4,999 per annum)Adam and Sara BroadbentMr and Mrs JE EverettJohn and Ann GrievesChristopher Rocker and Alison WisbeachSarah and Andrew WilliamsSVG Capitaland other anonymous Patrons

Principal Benefactors (Donations £1,000 – £2,499 per annum)Lady Alexander of WeedonRichard Bridges and Elena VorotkoGeorge and Kay BrockMrs D BrokeMr and Mrs Graham BrownClive and Helena ButlerSir Charles Chadwyck- Healey BtKate DonaghyElizabeth Hartley- BrewerElma Hawkins and Charles RichterLord HindlipDonald and Libby InsallJohn McFadden and Lisa Kabnick *Mark and Liza LovedayMr and Mrs C NortonLionel and Lynn PerseyNigel and Hilary Pye *

Mr and Mrs Charles RawlinsonJoyce and John ReeveMichael and Sophia RobinsonSir Konrad and Lady Schiemann *Sir David and Lady ScholeyJG StanfordMarcellus and Katharine Taylor- JonesMrs R Wilson Stephensand other anonymous Principal Benefactors

Benefactors (Donations £500 – £999)Dr Aileen Adams CBEBill and Sue BlythClaire Brisby and John Brisby QC *Jo and Keren ButlerMr and Mrs Edward Davies- GilbertCharles DumasThe Hon Simon EcclesMr and Mrs Jean- Marie EveillardMarshall FieldAndrew and Wendy GairdnerWilliam GibsonThe Hon Mr and Mrs Philip HaversProfessor Sean HiltonHeather Jarman *Michael and Nicola KeaneSusan LathamTessa MayhewMrs Sheila MitchellMr and Mrs Hideto NakaharaRodney and Kusum Nelson- JonesNick and Margaret ParkerTimothy and Maren RobinsonBruno Schroder and FamilyJohn and Madeleine TattersallPeter ThomsonCharles WoodwardPeter & Margaret Wynnand other anonymous Benefactors

Donors (Donations £250 – £499)Maureen Acland OBE *Angela and Roderick Ashby- Johnson

Elisabeth and Bob Boas *Mrs Nicky BrownDr and Mrs S ChallahDavid and Elizabeth ChallenThe Cottisford TrustDerek and Mary DraperCharles GoldieSteven and Madelaine GundersMr David GyeGemma and Lewis Morris HallMrs Helen HiggsMr and Mrs G and W HoffmanLord and Lady Jenkin of RodingRichard LockwoodRobin and Jane RawAnnabel and Martin RandallArthur L Rebell and Susan B CohenMichael and Giustina RyanMiss E M SchlossmannTom Siebens and Mimi ParsonsRt Hon Sir Murray Stuart- Smith *Robin VousdenPaul F. Wilkinson and Associates Inc.and other anonymous Donors* denotes founder member

Members of the AAM Recording ClubJo and Keren ButlerJohn S Cohen FoundationSir Nicholas and Lady GoodisonAnne and Phillip GreenwoodMike and Jan HewinsHeather JarmanDavid and Linda LakhdhirLowell and Rowena LibsonMichael Marks Charitable TrustChristopher and Phillida PurvisNigel and Hilary PyeStephen ThomasMrs R Wilson StephensJack and Margaret VousdenCharles WoodwardPeter and Margaret Wynn

The AAM Society



Join the AAM SocietyI would like to help secure the Academy of Ancient Music’s futureby joining the AAM Society.

Personal details

Name .............................................................................................................................................

Address .........................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................................

Tel .....................................................................................................................................................

email ...............................................................................................................................................

Membership level

I would like to join the Society at the following level:

The Hogwood Circle £10,000 or more per annum

£ ............................................. (amount)

Principal Patron £5,000 – £9,999 per annum

£ ............................................. (amount)

Patron £2,500 – £4,999 per annum

£ ............................................. (amount)

Principal Benefactor £1,000 – £2,499 per annum

£ ............................................. (amount)

Benefactor £500 – £999 per annum

£ ............................................. (amount)

Donor £250 – £499 per annum

£ ............................................. (amount)

Please indicate below how you would like to be acknowledged inAAM programmes. If you would prefer to remain anonymous,please write ‘anonymous’.

............................................................................................................................................................

Payment details

I would like to make my donation by

CAF cheque (please enclose a CAF cheque made payable to ‘AAM’)

Cheque (please enclose a cheque made payable to ‘AAM’)

Standing Order (please complete the Standing Order form below)

Shares (please contact AAM office)

Giftaid declaration

Please complete this section only if you pay Income Tax and/orCapital Gains Tax at least equal to the tax that the AAM will reclaimon your donations in the appropriate tax year.

Please treat this donation and all donations that I make from thedate of this declaration until I notify you otherwise as Gift Aiddonations.

Signed ...........................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................(date)

Donations by standing order

Please complete this section if you would like to make yourdonation to the Academy of Ancient Music by standing order.

Bank Name ...............................................................................................................................

Address of Bank ...................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................................

Account No. ................................................................

Sort Code ................... - ................... - ...................

Please pay: Academy of Ancient Music, Lloyds TSB, Gonville Place Branch,CambridgeSort Code 30-13-55, Account No. 2768172 the sum of

£ ..............................

(Print amount .......................................................................................................................)

per

month

quarter

year

starting on ................................................................. (date)

Signed ..........................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................(date)

Name.................................................................................................................... (full name)

Address .....................................................................................................................................

............................................................................................................................................................

Please return your completed form to Simon Fairclough,Development Manager, Academy of Ancient Music, 32 Newnham Road, Cambridge, CB3 9EY



Wigmore Hall and West Road Concert Hall2009–2010 Season


WEST ROAD CONCERT HALL, CAMBRIDGE

Ways to book• General booking is now open through the

Arts Theatre box office on 01223 503333.

WEST ROAD CONCERT WIGMORE HALL,

HALL, CAMBRIDGE LONDON

Baroque in high definition 24 September 25 SeptemberConcertos used in film

The virtuoso voice 21 November 22 NovemberCarolyn Sampson sings arias by Handel and Purcell

Prodigious minds 21 February 22 FebruaryGiuliano Carmignola directs early masterpieces by Schubert and Mendelssohn

‘In Stil Moderno’ 26 April 28 AprilMusic by composers from seventeenth- century Venice

The English school 17 June 18 JuneFour centuries of music by English composers

Booking informationWIGMORE HALL, LONDON

Ways to book• In person: 7 days a week; 10am – 8.30pm. Days without an evening

concert, 10am –5pm. No advance booking in the half hour prior to a concert.

• Telephone: 020 7935 2141, 7 days a week; 10am – 5pm. Days withoutan evening concert, 10am 5pm.

• Online: www. wigmore- hall.org.uk, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.

Booking is now open for the concert in February. Tickets for the concerts inApril and June go on sale on 2 January.



Friday 9 July 2010 7.30pm

MonteverdiVespers 1610King’s College Chapel

Catherine Bott sopranoNicki Kennedy sopranoJohn McMunn tenorBen Alden tenor

King’s College ChoirAcademy of Ancient Music

Stephen Cleobury conductorTickets: £40, £30, £22 (unsighted seats £7, student standby £5)

Wednesday 31 March 2010 6.30pm

BachSt Matthew PassionKing’s College Chapel

Simon Wall EvangelistMark Rowlinson ChristRichard Lloyd Morgan PilateKatharine Fuge sopranoClare McCaldin mezzo sopranoThomas Hobbs tenorJonathan Sells bass

King’s College ChoirChoristers of Jesus and St Catharine’s College ChoirsAcademy of Ancient Music

Stephen Cleobury conductorTickets: £60, £48, £35, £25 (unsighted seats £10)

Tickets from the Cambridge Corn Exchange Box Office: 01223 357851For a full list of concerts at King’s visit www.kings.cam.ac.uk/events

AAM Concerts

King’s

SIMON WALL (Donald Beltvelsen) NICKI KENNEDY (Hanya Chlala)CHOIR OF KING’S COLLEGE (Gerald Place) KING’S COLLEGE

at


Documents

AAM - Messiah