Bel A Cappella Presents Puer Natus Est
After a sell-out performance in August, Bel a Cappella returns for its final concert for 2014, Puer Natus Est.
This concert features the music of French composer Francis Poulenc, English composers Thomas Tallis and Herbert Howells and a rather unknown Catalan composer Bernat Vivancos. To quote Norwegian composer Lasse Thoresen, “Vivancos’ music is like a city of angels: blissful sounds populated by saintly spirits hiding between the notes as birds in a tree”.
Thomas Tallis’ seven-voice Mass, Puer natus est nobis, dates from the Catholic reign of Mary I. The Mass is based on the festive plainchant Puer natus est, in a new edition prepared by early music specialist and soprano, Sally Dunkley. English conductor Andrew Carwood, Director of Music at St Paul’s Cathedral in London and of his own group, The Cardinall’s Musick, writes that this Mass is ‘something of a marriage between the English and Spanish Chapels, not only in its scoring but also in its sound world … the piece is sonorous and rich, a gorgeous background tapestry for a solemn celebration of the Mass, and has wonderful dramatic effects including the use of antiphony or dialogue between voices.’
As well, Musical Director, Anthony Pasquil, has programmed the Australian premiere of Messe aux sons des cloches by contemporary Catalan composer Bernat Vivancos. “Messe aux sons des cloches” was commissioned by Radio France for its “Alla breve” programme. For this programme, the composer had to write a ten-minute piece comprising five two-minute fragments, so that a fragment could be broadcast successively every day from Monday to Friday. It is written for mixed choir and five percussionists.
The programme also showcases some shorter works, including Francis Poulenc’s Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël, Herbert Howells’ Long, long ago, Ola Gjeilo’s Serenity (O Magnum Mysterium) and Est ist ein Ros entsprungen composed by Michael Praetorius, arranged by Jan Sandström.
Tickets: Adults: $35 for adults/ Seniors and pensioners: $30/ A discount of $5 per ticket is available for groups of 10 or more, if pre-booked through the website. Limited tickets will be available at the door for what is likely to be a sell-out concert.
Click here to book or call 02 9064 1729.
