Saturday 9 May, Portsmouth Guildhall
A large group of local singers and instrumentalists will be celebrating Portsmouth’s centenary as a city with a gala concert at the Guildhall.
Many of the pieces being performed have a special link to the city.
Of special note will be the performance of three pieces by Freda Swain, Portsmouth’s greatest 20th-century composer. George Burrows (Professor of Music and Theatre at the University of Portsmouth) says, “She was born on Fawcett Road, Southsea, and toured the world as a pianist, composed more than 600 musical works and organised concerts that championed women musicians. I’m excited to bring her to greater prominence.” He’s organised a free public lecture-recital on Swain on at 5.30pm on Thursday 7 May in the Eldon Building Lecture Theatre.
A new piece will receive its premiere. Portsmouth: Stone, Sand and Song has been written specially for this anniversary by Paul Saggers of the Royal Marines Band Service. One of the co-commissioners, David Price (Organist of Portsmouth Cathedral) says, “We are delighted with this imaginative work by Paul which explores the history of key parts of Portsmouth’s story and includes a movement setting the Simon Armitage poem that is carved on the new sea wall in Southsea”.
Many of the other pieces will be familiar to many listeners, including Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, Parry’s Blest Pair of Sirens, Walton’s Portsmouth Point and Parry’s Jerusalem.
Further info about the Gala Concert on the Portsmouth 100 website.
The organisers and performers are grateful to Portsmouth City Council for supporting this event.
The concert is part of a three-day festival which celebrates classical and light music as part of the Portsmouth100 commemorative year, demonstrating that the city is home to a huge array of professional and amateur groups. Further information about the other Portsmouth 100 Sing events.
The composers and works
National Anthem arr. Freda Swain
Swain wrote this in 1977. It’s a fanfare leading to a setting of the National Anthem.
Copland – Fanfare for the Common Man
Composed in 1942, this was part of a sequence of fanfares inspired by American Vice President, Henry A Wallace, to rouse and celebrate the ‘century of the common man’. The orchestration has been reconstructed for this performance by George Burrows from Swain’s manuscript sketches. Swain’s version of the National Anthem features harmony that is a little different from the famous settings by Elgar and Gordon Jacob but is nonetheless a suitably rousing setting for the full orchestra and organ.
Saint-Saëns – Symphony No. 3 (2nd movement)
An organ symphony composed in 1886. The piece draws attention to the new Compton organ which replaced the one destroyed in WW2.
Swain – Breathe on me breath of God
This is a setting, written in 1968, of a hymn with words by Edwin Hatch. Swain composed a version for choir and organ but later she decided that the hymn would work well with an orchestral accompaniment. The fact that the piece was included in the funeral service for Swain’s husband in 1969 shows that it was deeply meaningful to her. It was also one of the most performed of Swain’s pieces during her lifetime and she notes numerous performances in the UK and in Ireland and the US on the cover of her manuscript score.
MacDowall – Ave Maris Stella
Composed in 2001 and commissioned by Portsmouth Grammar School for an Armistice Day concert, this work is constructed to last 11mins and 11 seconds thereby mirroring musically the 11 November ceasefire.
Saggers – Portsmouth 100 Commission: “Portsmouth: Stone, Sand and Song”
An 8-minute piece with a secular text from Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate, who has Portsmouth connections.
Swain – Fanfare for a Queen
The piece uses the same combination of trumpets, trombones and percussion as the fanfare that opens this concert and it was, therefore, probably written at the same time in 1977. Swain was a lifelong royalist and exchanged letters with Buckingham Palace about this and other works. This fanfare was most likely written for an occasion attended by Queen Elizabeth II and was probably first performed by musicians from the Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall.
Parry – Blest Pair of Sirens
Parry’s setting of John Milton’s words was first performed almost exactly 139 years ago in St James Hall, London. It has since become a favourite anthem of Cathedral choirs across the land and is regularly performed by Portsmouth Cathedral Choir at services.
Walton – Portsmouth Point
First performed in 1926, Walton was inspired to write this work whilst riding the number 22 bus in London! Portsmouth Point depicts in musical form, the rumbustious life of British 18th Century sailors – and perhaps today’s too?
Rutter – Gloria
Rutter’s setting includes the exhortation of the angels to the shepherds ‘Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on Earth.’ It has become a firm favourite with choral societies across the globe.
Parry – Jerusalem
Is this a melody to unite us all? Based on texts by Blake, this hymn has been sung at party political conferences, during election campaigns and at the end of every gathering of The Women’s Institute. It also featured as the opening of the 2012 London Olympics, as well as in Calendar Girls, Monty Python, Dr Who, Star Trek, Chariots of Fire and many other films.
