Noël! Noël! Program Notes & Lyrics

01.
Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
Prologo from L'Orfeo, SV 318

The Renaissance saw a revival of interest in ancient Greek and Roman culture, which had a huge influence on Italian architecture, art, music, and even gardening. Orfeo drew heavily on classical Greek tragedy, with five acts, a messenger delivering news about an off-stage event, and a chorus pointing out the moral at the end of each act, although Monteverdi and Striggio broadened the chorus’s role to make the part of the action as shepherds, nymphs and spirits. The opera’s setting came from the Greek pastoral idyll, a dramatic form which was extremely popular in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The pastoral was set in a mythical countryside, and was populated by shepherds and shepherdesses, nymphs, and gods interested only in love.

La Musica
Dal mio Permesso amato à voi ne vegno,
Incliti Eroi, sangue gentil de’ Regi,
Di cui narra la Fama eccelsi pregi,
Nè giunge al ver, perch’è tropp’ alto il segno.

Io la Musica son, ch’a i dolci accenti,
Sò far tranquillo ogni turbato core,
Ed hor di nobil ira, & hor d’amore
Posso infiammar le più gelate menti.

Io sù Cetera d’or cantando soglio
Mortal orecchio lusingar talhora,
E in questa guisa a l’armonia sonora
De la lira del Ciel più l’alme invoglio;

Quinci à dirvi d’ORFEO desio mi sprona,
D’ORFEO che trasse al suo cantar le fere,
E servo fè l’Inferno a sue preghiere,
Gloria immortal di Pindo e d’Elicona.

Hor mentre i canti alterno hor lieti, hor mesti,
Non si mova augellin fra queste piante,
Nè s’oda in queste rive onda sonante,
Ed ogni auretta in suo cammin s’arresti
. . .

Music
From my beloved Permessus I come to you,
Glorious Heroes, noble bloodline of Rulers,
Of whom Fame relates high praise
Without quite attaining the truth, as it is too high a mark.

I am Music, who in sweet accents,
Can make peaceful every troubled heart,
And so with noble anger, and so with love,
Can I inflame the coldest minds.

Singing with my golden Lyre, I like
To charm, now and then, mortal ears,
And in such a fashion that I make their souls aspire more
For the resounding harmony of the lyre of Heaven.

Hence desire spurs me to tell you of ORFEO:
Of ORFEO who tamed wild beasts with his song
And made Hades answer his prayers,
To the immortal glory of Pindus and Helicon.

While I vary my songs, now happy, now sad,
No small bird shall move among these bushes,
Nor on these banks a sounding wave be heard,
And every breeze shall stay its wanderings.

02.
Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
'Domine ad adiutorium meum intende' from Vespro della Beata Vergine (1610), SV 206

Monteverdi wrote and published the Vespro della Beata Vergine in September 1610 while serving as the maestro di cappella to the Duke of Mantua, Vincenzo Gonzaga. Just 6 months prior and only 120km away in the Venetian city of Padua, Galileo Galilei published his groundbreaking discoveries that included telescopic observations of Jupiter’s moons, the uneven surface of the Moon, and countless individual stars that coalesce to form the Milky Way. This incredible news sparked awe and intellectual curiosity throughout Europe, and would eventually lead Galileo himself down a path of increasing conflict with long-held geocentric beliefs. Whether Galileo’s discoveries had any influence on Monteverdi’s output in 1610 is impossible to know, but this powerful opening antiphon for two choirs and two orchestras displays the glory of God in similarly awe-inspiring and irrefutable fashion.

Deus, in adjutorium meum intende.
Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina.

Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto,
sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper
et in saecula saeculorum. Amen. Alleluia.
. . .

O Lord, make speed to save me:
O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost:
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,
World without end, Amen. Alleluia.

03.
Henry John Gauntlett (1805-1876)
Once in Royal David’s City

The tune of Once in Royal David’s City was composed in 1849 by the brilliant English organist, organ designer and music critic Henry John Gauntlett, who composed over a thousand hymn tunes and was a renowned player of JS Bach’s organ music. The words were written in 1848 by Mrs Cecil Frances Alexander, wife of the Anglican Primate of Ireland and a prolific author of children’s hymns, including All things bright and beautiful and There is a green hill far away.

Once in royal David's city
stood a lowly cattleshed,
where a mother laid her baby
in a manger for his bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven
Who is God and Lord af all,
And his shelter was a stable,
And his cradle was a stall.
With the poor and mean and lowly
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.

Not in that poor lowly stable,
with the oxen standing by,
we shall see him; but in heaven,
Set at God's right hand on high;
When like stars his children crowned
all in white shall wait around.

---

04.
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
reconstructed by Olivier Fourés
Concerto in C major for recorder (violin) and organ, RV 774
i Allegro
ii Adagio
iii Allegro

During Vivaldi’s tenure as a violin teacher and maestro di concerti at the Piéta, one of Venice’s orphanages for girls, Anna Maria (1695-1782) emerged as his most gifted and illustrious pupil. Vivaldi was first hired by the Pietà as a maestro di violino at age 25 in 1703, and Anna Maria joined the Pieta’s coro (band) at 10 in 1705, later starting personal violin lessons with Vivaldi in 1712, who had bought her an instrument. This concerto survives thanks to a solo violin part contained in the ‘Anna Maria Partbook’, a collection of 31 virtuoso violin concertos composed for her—25 of which are by Vivaldi. In this concert, the reconstructed parts from which Brandenburg will be playing were created by French dancer, violinist and musicologist Olivier Fourés, and the joyous solo violin part in the fast Allegro outer movements will be performed on recorder by Mikaela Oberg. 

05.
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
'Et Jesum benedictum' from Salve Regina, RV 617

Vivaldi composed three settings of the Salve Maria between 1715 and 1717, a Marian antiphon traditionally sung between Trinity Sunday and the first Sunday of Advent to express veneration for the Virgin Mary and seek her intercession. Unlike the other two settings for contralto, RV 617 was written for solo Soprano only accompanied by strings, continuo, and a solo violin. Interestingly, in no other sacred vocal composition by Vivaldi does a solo violin feature in more than one movement, but in this work the violin features in three out of four movments, including this sweet, tranquil and softly lilting conclusion in F major, ‘Et Jesum benedictum’. 

Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.

06.
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Excerpts from Gloria in D major, RV 589
i Gloria
xii Cum Sancto Spiritu

During the mid-1710s, Vivaldi wrote a significant amount of sacred vocal music for the Pietà including the previous Salve Regina and this setting of the Gloria, RV 589, one of two Vivaldian settings that have survived to this day. Despite its popularity, we know nothing about the circumstances of the Gloria’s composition. In the first performances given at the Pietà, all vocal and instrumental parts would have been performed by women only. It would have been thought scandalous to bring men in from outside to augment the choir, and the male teachers never performed with them. Nevertheless, the tenor and bass parts were probably sung at the notated pitch, which would have given the choral sound a very different tone colour to the one we are used to hearing. 

The opening bars of the Gloria contain a Vivaldi trademark — string instruments playing in unison and quickly alternating between an upper and lower octave. This simple device has an almost visceral effect, and the congregation hearing it at the Pietà for the first time would have found it thrilling and awe-inspiring. 

i
Chorus
Gloria in excelsis Deo 

xii 
Chorus
Cum Sancto Spiritu 
in gloria Dei Patris. 
Amen. 
. . .

i 
Chorus
Glory be to God on high 

xii
Chorus
With the Holy Spirit 
in the glory of God the Father. 
Amen.

---

07.
Dan Forrest (1978- )
Good Night, Dear Heart

American composer Dr. Dan Forrest’s work has quickly become established in choral repertoire throughout the United States and around the world, recorded by choirs including Seraphic Fire and VOCES8. Good Night, Dear Heart is one of Dan’s most beloved choral pieces, written as a response to the death of an infant girl in Ethiopia who was about to be adopted by the composer’s brother and sister-in-law:

For me, life circumstances (whether euphoric or tragic) don’t usually translate into musical inspiration; the two typically remain separate. The night [my brother and his wife] received this news, though, I found myself longing to pour out a musical elegy. My search for a suitable text led me to a picture from a cemetery in my hometown (Elmira, NY), where the great American author Mark Twain and his family are buried. My brother and I, from our youth, have known the poem that Twain placed on the tombstone of his beloved daughter Susy, when she died unexpectedly at age 24 and left him heartbroken. I was stunned by the bittersweet irony of this text being from our hometown, and in honor of a beloved daughter who died unexpectedly. I wrote this setting that night; it was quickly added to an upcoming concert and premiered only one week later, as an elegy for Etsegenet and a reminder of the orphans of Ethiopia.
Dan Forrest

Warm summer sun,
Shine kindly here.

Warm southern wind,
Blow softly here.

Warm southern wind,
Blow softly here.

Green sod above,
Lie light, lie light.

Good night, dear heart,
Good night, good night.

08.
Thomas Tallis (1505-1585)
'O nata lux' from Cantiones quae ab argumento sacrae vocantur (1575)

The early life of Thomas Tallis remains shrouded in mystery, and no portraits of the composer produced during his lifetime exist. It was certainly a tumultuous time; music-making of the period was inextricably tied to the monarchy and their desires, and Tallis worked under the reign of four English monarchs during his career. Almost every change in sovereign saw a drastic change in taste, which required deft musical and political skill to navigate.

Cantiones quae ab argumento sacrae vocantur was a groundbreaking collection of 34 Latin motets published in 1575 by Tallis and his student, William Byrd. This anthology was significant as it was the first collection of printed music in England and marked the beginning of Tallis and Byrd's joint publishing venture, made possible by a special royal patent granted by Queen Elizabeth I. The patent provided them with exclusive rights to print and publish music and music paper for 21 years. O nata lux is a brief yet beautiful motet, notable for its serene and expressive setting of the Latin hymn text, which translates to "O light born of light, Jesus, redeemer of the world," most suitable for sacred services focusing on themes of divine light and redemption.

O nata lux de lumine,
Jesu redemptor saeculi,
Dignare clemens supplicum
Laudes precesque sumere.

Qui carne quondam contegi
Dignatus es pro perditis,
Nos membra confer effici
Tui beati corporis.
. . .

O Light born of Light,
Jesus, redeemer of the world,
with loving-kindness deign to receive
suppliant praise and prayer.

Thou who once deigned to be clothed in flesh
for the sake of the lost,
grant us to be members
of thy blessed body.

09.
Michel Corrette (1707-1795)
Concerto de noëls 'Pastoralle' No. 2 in D major
i Allegro: ‘Où s'en vont ces gais bergers’

Michel Corrette was musical director of the theatres at the annual fairs held at St Germain and St Laurent in Paris. He was a prolific composer of various types of light music often integrating popular and traditional tunes into more formal structures.  Corrette also published many short treatises on performance practice, which included lively descriptions of contemporary performances. This Concerto de noëls is part of a set of six concertos composed for the Christmas season, drawing upon traditional French carols and folk melodies, evocative of the pastoral and celebratory atmosphere of the Nativity. Marked Allegro, the opening movement here in D major is based on the French Christmas carol ‘Où s'en vont ces gais bergers’ (“Where are these merry shepherds going?”). This popular 18th century carol tells the story of joyful shepherds making their way to see the newborn Christ.

10.
Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625)
'Magnificat' from the Short Service

One of the most iconic figures of English sacred and secular music during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, Orlando Gibbons was born in Oxford and became a chorister in his youth at King’s College, Cambridge. Like Tallis and Byrd before him, and Locke and Purcell after, Gibbons was appointed organist of the Chapel Royal, the highest position of music-making in England at the time. The Magnificat is part of Gibbons’ Short Service, a collection of settings for the Anglican liturgy that includes canticles such as the Magnificat (Song of Mary) and the Nunc Dimittis (Song of Simeon). Unlike many elaborate settings of the period, Gibbons’ Short Service is characterized by its simplicity, clarity, and elegance, suited for regular worship rather than grand ceremonial occasions. This understated approach aligns with the English choral tradition of providing music that could be performed by modest church choirs.

My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my sp'rit rejoiceth in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded: the lowliness of his handmaiden. For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me: and holy is His Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him: throughout all generations.
He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat: and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He rememb'ring his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel: as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

---

11.
Daniel Speer (1636-1707)
Sonata à 5, Recens Fabricatus Labor, No. 15

German composer, writer and musician Daniel Speer was born in Breslau (today Wrocław, Poland) and died in Göppingen, Germany. He was a prominent figure of the late 17th century known for his compositions and contributions to the development of music for brass instruments, as well as his writings on musical and social topics (although his novels had been lost until their rediscovery in the 1930s). This Sonata à 5 in A minor, here performed by two violins, three sacbutts and chamber organ, comes from a collection of 25 works published in 1685 intended for performance in social and domestic settings.

12.
William Byrd (1540-1623)
Ave verum corpus, T 92

40 years older than Orlando Gibbons, William Byrd was himself roughly 40 years younger than Thomas Tallis, but these two musical giants of the English Renaissance were close friends. As Tallis’ successor as organist at the Chapel Royal, Byrd dangerously refused to conform to Elizabeth’s reinstatement of Anglicanism and composed music for Catholic services which were held secretly in private residences. These occasions were mostly conducted in Latin, and were forbidden on penalty of fines, torture or death.

Ave verum corpus is a 14th-century Eucharistic hymn attributed to Pope Innocent VI. It meditates on the sacrifice of Jesus and his presence in the sacrament. This setting remains one of Byrd’s most enduring works, often performed and revered for its profound spiritual and musical qualities. It represents a high point in English Renaissance polyphony and continues to be a staple in sacred choral repertoires.

Ave, verum corpus natum de Maria Virgine:
vere passum, immolatum in cruce pro homine:
cuius latus perforatum
fluxit aqua et sanguine:
esto nobis praegustatum, in mortis examine.
O Jesu dulcis, O Jesu pie,
O Jesu Fili Mariae.
Miserere mei.
O dulcis! O pie!
O Jesu Fili Mariae.
Miserere mei. Amen.
. . .

Hail the true body, born of the Virgin Mary:
You who truly suffered and were sacrificed on the cross for the sake of man.
From whose pierced flank
flowed water and blood.
Be a foretaste for us, in the trial of death.
O sweet, O merciful,
O Jesu, Son of Mary.
Have mercy on me.
O sweet! O merciful!
O Jesu, son of Mary,
Have mercy on me. Amen.

13.
Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber (1644-1704)
Sonata a 5 in C major from Sonatae tam aris quam aulis servientes, No. 7, C 120

Bohemian-Austrian composer and violinist Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber was largely responsible for setting the standard of excellence for violin playing and writing during his career, including his extraordinary Mystery Sonatas, still considered landmarks in violin music. Published in 1676, Biber’s Sonatae tam aris quam aulis servientes (translated as "Sonatas Serving Both the Altar and the Court") was composed in a time when the Baroque sonata was evolving. The collection features both sacred and secular music written for a variety of instruments, typically including violin, organ, and basso continuo, and sometimes other instruments such as winds or brass.  This Sonata in C major involves multiple calls and responses between a pair of trumpets and a pair of violins, remiscent of a pastoral stroll.

---

14.
Ed Newton-Rex (1987- )
arr. Ed Newton-Rex & Alex Palmer
O Little Town of Bethlehem

Contemporary British composer, arranger, and orchestrator Ed Newton-Rex is known for his work across various genres and interest in computer-generated music content. He is the founder of Fairly Trained, a non-profit that certifies generative AI companies for training data practices that respect creators’ rights. Ed’s instrumental setting in perpetuum mobile (Latin for "perpetual motion") of the traditional Christmas carol O Little Town of Bethlehem was composed for his daughter, and has been arranged here for the Brandenburg by London-based Australian composer Alex Palmer.

15.
Traditional
arr. Alex Palmer
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

Groups of wassailers, going from door to door singing in return for something to drink to the good health of those they visited, have long regaled in this secular English carol — here amusingly arranged for members of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra — dated to the 16th century (or earlier).  Clearly they were not always well-received, as noted by Charles Dickens in his 1843 work, A Christmas Carol: “…at the first sound of ‘God bless you, merry gentlemen! May nothing you dismay!’ Scrooge seized the ruler with such energy of action that the singer fled in terror, leaving the keyhole to the fog and even more congenial frost”.

16.
Traditional
arr. Alex Palmer
Angels We Have Heard on High

This well-known carol was written in the 18th century and has French origins, originally called "Les Anges dans nos campagnes" (The Angels in Our Countryside). The English version of the carol was translated by James Chadwick, an English bishop, in the mid-19th century. Chadwick adapted the French text to fit the English language while maintaining the celebratory and devotional spirit of the original, which has been arranged this year by Alex Palmer for the Brandenburg.

Angels we have heard on high
sweetly singing o'er the plains,
and the mountains in reply
echoing their joyous strains.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

17.
Dan Forrest (1978- )
The Work of Christmas

Another lush and expressive choral work by Dr. Dan Forrest, this composition is a setting of a poem by Howard Thurman, a prominent African American theologian, philosopher, and civil rights leader. The poem challenges listeners to consider the lasting impact of Christmas beyond the holiday season, urging them to act on the message of peace, love, and goodwill that the birth of Christ represents.

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music from the heart.

18.
Alex Palmer (1992- )
The Twelve Carols of Christmas

The Twelve Days of Christmas is an English Christmas carol whose words were first published in the late 18th century with a tune based on a traditional folk melody. It is an example of a cumulative song, in which the lyrics list an increasingly long list of gifts. However, in place ofthe traditional gifts, this new arrangement interpolates a total of 12 different Christmas tunes from across the centuries. The oldest, such as Good King Wenceslas, Gaudete and O Christmas Tree, have their origins in the 16th century; others date from the 19th century, including Jingle Bells, O Little Town of Bethlehem and Once in Royal David’s City; and others were penned in the 20th century, including Carol of the Bells by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych. You may also notice afew brief and playful references to one of the best-selling songs of all time, with a decidedly contemporary flair. 

19.
Traditional
arr. Paul Dyer & Alex Palmer
Ciaccona

The ciaccona (or chaconne in French) is a Baroque musical form and dance believed to have originated in Spain, possibly from the southern regions, such as Andalusia, with its roots tracing back to the early 17th century. Its evolution and use in music during this time reflect its transformation from a folk dance into a more complex and sophisticated compositional structure. One of the hallmark features of the ciaccona in its more formal Baroque usage is its use of a repeating bass pattern, known as a basso ostinato (persistent bass), which provides a foundation over which the upper parts (melodies and harmonies) can vary. This contemporary arrangement by Paul Dyer and Alex Palmer has was commissioned by Brandenburg earlier this year.

20.
Franz Xaver Gruber (1787-1863)
words Fr. Joseph Mohr
Stille Nacht (Silent Night)

A true Christmas favourite, this carol was first performed on Christmas Eve in 1818. At the time of its composition, Franz Xaver Gruber was the organist and choirmaster at St Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, Austria, where he had met local priest Father Joseph Mohr and had become his good friend. Mohr, having written the words to Stille Nacht sometime earlier in 1816, needed a carol for his midnight mass and Gruber spent just a fewhours composing the melody.  As they say, ‘the rest is history’. 

Upon hearing it 1834, it was an immediate favourite of King Frederick William IV of Prussia, and by 1939 it had been performed as far as New York City. The current English version dates to 1859, and today the church where it was first performed is now known as the Stille-Nacht-Kapelle (Silent Night Chapel). 

Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht! 
Alles schläft; einsam wacht 
Nur das traute hoch heilige Paar. 
Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar, 
Schlafe in himmlischer Ruh! 

Douce nuit! Sainte nuit! 
Dans les cieux, l’astre luit. 
Le mystère annoncé s’accomplit. 
Cet enfant sur la paille endormi, 
C’est l’amour infini! 

Silent night! Holy night! 
Son of God, love’s pure light. 
Radiant beams from Thy holy face, 
With the dawn of redeeming grace. 
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth!
. . .

Silent night! Holy night! 
Everything sleeps, only awake is. 
The holy betrothed couple. 
Lovely boy with curly hair, 
Sleep in heavenly peace! 

Silent night! Holy night! 
In the heavens, the star shines. 
The foretold mystery is coming to pass. 
This child asleep on the straw, 
Is infinite love! 

21.
Traditional
arr. David Willcocks
O Come, All Ye Faithful

Since its first performance in the original Latin as Adeste fideles in 1999, O Come, All Ye Faithful has been a regular part of the Brandenburg festive tradition. 

The hymn has been attributed to various composers, and while the earliest surviving manuscript of the work bears the name of King John IV of Portugal (1604-1656), it is likely the tune is even older.  The text has been translated countless times, the version you will hear is the most famous English translation by the English priest Frederick Oakeley in 1852. 

O come, all ye faithful, 
joyful and triumphant, 
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem! 
Come and behold him, 
born the King of Angels! 
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord! 

God of God, 
Light of Light, 
Lo! He abhors not the Virgin’s womb: 
very God, begotten, not created. 
Sing, choirs of angels! 
Sing in exultation! 
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above: 
“Glory to God in the highest.” 

Program notes and translations: Dr Alan Maddox, Lynne Murray & Hugh Ronzani