VOLUME 0 ISSUE SUNSHINE COAST CHORAL SOCIETY INC Resonance F E B R U A R Y 2 0 7 Pastures New: Adieu Jennifer and Andrew The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Ladies, unleash your inner Diva Jennifer Barry After 0 very successful years with the Sunshine Coast Choral Society, 9 of them as President, Jennifer and her husband Andrew have decided to return home to New Zealand, to be closer to their children and grandchildren. As well as her work behind the scenes, Jennifer has a beautiful soprano voice, and often helped Adrian out with conducting and rehearsing, as well as performing as soloist on various occasions. Indeed, her voice was heard at its best in our recent American Treasures recital in 206, where Jennifer performed a selection of classic songs from the Gershwins to Jerome Kearn to Rogers and Hammerstein. This selection was greeted with great acclamation, and her talents as a Soprano will be sorely missed, as will Andrew s assistance behind the scenes at our recitals. Many people may not have known that Jennifer and Andrew also were the extremely successful Managers of the Northwind Mooloolaba Holiday Apartments. They have plunged headlong into their new (old) lives in New Zealand, and have just bought a house which they will renovate. The Sunshine Coast Choral Society owes Jennifer and Andrew a huge debt for their attention to detail and professionalism. The Society could not have been the success that it has been without their tireless hard work and contributions on so many fronts. Jennifer is looking to join Choral groups in the Tauranga area. When she can spare time from her hectic schedule, she hopes to update us about what she has been doing, especially on the music front. Welcome to our new President: Jennifer Carr INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Pastures New New President -2 Mozart 2-3 Photos 3-4 Mozart Recital Information 5 Contact Information 6 Jennifer Carr settled in the Sunshine Coast after teaching music for nearly 36 years in Townsville schools from pre-school to year 2, tutoring at JCU and working with parents and governesses involved in outback home schooling. Born and educated in Scotland, Jenny graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, to commence her teaching career in 970. As well as conducting school and youth choirs, she was a member of The Dundee Madrigal Group. She arrived in Brisbane in 974 to experience the worst floods on record. She was highly involved in the musical life of Townsville, particularly in choral music and in the developing instrumental PAGE
V O L U M E 0 I S S U E programme in State Schools. She was a very active committee member of the Australian Concerto and Vocal Competition, Barrier Reef Orchestra, Townsville Youth Orchestra and organised and presented many music workshops for teachers. Over the years, she began to realise a long held desire to compose music, firstly jotting down some little tunes and songs as there was a shortage of resources in schools at that time and later for her own pleasure. This writing developed into compositions for young string orchestra and children s choirs. As well as completing many student works and arrangements, she also composed a duo for Violin and Cello which was premiered in Townsville in 2002. In 2008, she commenced work on her Choral Mass. This work in progress was completed in 203. She feels very fortunate that the SCCS agreed to premier her work in 205. In 206 she collaborated with the out-going president, Jennifer Barry, on a work, (yet to be performed) Seascapes, which depicts the sea, beach and sky pictures of the Sunshine Coast. She has been a member of the choir for several years and loves the sensitive sounds and warm tones it is able to produce. Jenny now resides in Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast where she enjoys the opportunities to experience musical events as well as visual and performing arts. She is looking forward to the challenge of exciting times ahead as president of SCCS this year. MOZART From Musical Director Adrian King His thoughts on our next Recital MOZART: REQUIEM and VESPERS on 30 April 207 Vesperae solennes de Confessore (K.339), or Solemn Vespers, was Mozart s final composition for the Salzburg Cathedral in 780, before departing his hometown in search of greater artistic opportunities in Vienna. One of two settings Mozart made of the Vesper service, K.339 was probably intended for the celebration of St. Rupert, (the "confessor" of the title and a patron Saint of Salzburg). The text consists of five Psalms and the Magnificat canticle. The first movement Dixit Dominus is a high energy exposition of the text by the chorus, with limited involvement by the solo quartet. As the opening part of the Vespers, it resembles an operatic overture in atmosphere. The Confitebor increases the involvement of the soloists, with brief opportunities for vocal display. The Beatus vir uses both homophonic and contrapuntal styles with juxtaposed chorus and soloists. In the Laudate Pueri, Mozart demonstrates his developing mastery of the counterpoint, writing an antique style movement that presages his later fugal masterpieces in the Requiem. The Laudate Dominum is one of Mozart s masterpieces - his love of the soprano voice is amply displayed in long, luxurious lines over a simple, guitar - like accompaniment. The final movement Magnificat displays all the genius of Mozart in its construction of the homophonic and polyphonic styles reaching a climax of syncopated musical figures in the last Gloria. The unique circumstances surrounding the composition of Mozart s Requiem however, are remarkable for their almost Dickensian melodrama. Just a few weeks before his own death in 79 at the age of only thirty-five, Mozart was approached by a gentleman acting on behalf of an anonymous patron who wished to commission from him a Requiem Mass. By the time he started work on the Requiem Mozart was already terminally ill, and parts of the composition were actually written whilst on his death-bed and unfortunately Mozart died before he could complete it. Constanze, Mozart s widow, approached Franz Süssmayr and asked him to complete the work. There were many advantages to this arrangement; Süssmayr was one of Mozart s more able pupils and had been with him a good deal during the final year of his life. He had several times played through the completed parts and discussed the instrumentation with Mozart and had been the composer s closest musical confidante and knew what his intentions were in respect of the Requiem. P A G E 2
V O L U M E 0 I S S U E Of the work s twelve movements, Mozart had only managed to complete the opening Kyrie in its entirety. For most of the others he had written the vocal parts and a figured bass line (a kind of harmonic shorthand), leaving just the orchestration, for which he had clearly indicated his intentions. These movements may therefore be regarded as essentially the work of Mozart. For reasons unknown, Mozart postponed writing the seventh movement, the Lacrymosa, until after writing movements eight and nine, but managed only the first eight bars before death at last overtook him. He left a number of other fragments, such as the trombone solo at the opening of the Tuba Mirum. Süssmayr completed the Lacrymosa, and composed the whole of the last three movements, Mozart having passed away before he could even begin these sections. Süssmayr used substantial parts of the Christmas Recital, 206 orchestration and for the closing passages, he repeated Mozart s own music from the opening movement, an idea which according to Constanze, Mozart himself had suggested. Much more daunting, however, was the task of writing the entire Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei himself, Süssmayr however, by the end of 792 had finished the task. Opinions differ as to the quality of the Süssmayr movements, though it is generally agreed that the Agnus Dei is the most successful. Since Mozart is known to have played through and discussed the music with Süssmayr, it seems more than likely that he would have passed on ideas that he carried in his head but had not yet written down, and for this reason we can never be entirely sure of precisely what is Mozart s and what Süssmayr s. But all this conjecture is of little consequence as we listen to the music. It is Mozart s genius that shines through. Adrian King - Director and Conductor Jennifer and Linda Jacqueline Tom Keenan, Natasha and Adrian Jennifer conducting I ll be Home for Christmas P A G E 3
VOLUME 0 ISSUE Christmas Party: 206 A great time was had by all Maryann s Significant Birthday PAGE 4
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V O L U M E 0 I S S U E Concerts, 207 Sunshine Coast Choral Society Inc. P.O. Box 496 Buderim QLD 4556 www.suncoastchoral.org.au Phone: 07 5456 2667 e-mail: maryannk27@live.com.au Mozart Requiem and Vespers 30th April, 2.00pm Lake Kawana Community Centre TBA 0 October 207, 2.00pm Music Matters Handel s Messiah 0th December, 2.00pm New members are most welcome. Come along and sing with us while we are rehearsing. Rehearsals are held at the Lakeshore Community Church of Christ (which is air conditioned) on Wednesday evenings between 6.45 and 9.30 pm (with a tea break). Contact Maryann on phone (07) 5456 2667 if you are interested in attending. P A G E 6