The Ceremony of Birth and Death

8pm, SATURDAY 16th November 2013Sacred Heart Cathedral, Hill St, Wellington

Pepe Becker – sopranoJane McKinlay – sopranoAmanda Barclay - sopranoSabrina Malcolm – sopranoAndrea Cochrane – altoKatherine Hodge – alto

With special guest:

Helen Webby – harp

Welcome to our sixth Alleluia: a newë work! (AANW) concert: part of an ongoing series in which we celebrate ‘new work’ through the universal themes of birth/death, love/loss, union/separation, timelessness and transformation. In previous AANW concerts (given in 1995, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010) we have combined and juxtaposed Medieval European music and Contemporary New Zealand music for voices, and some pieces have included one or two instruments, such as hurdy-gurdy, recorder, flute or taonga puoro. Tonight’s concert places a not-so-old work which uses ancient (Middle English) text - Benjamin Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols” for high voices and harp - alongside seven new NZ works for the same combination. The idea of combining the well-known Britten work with a “companion suite” of NZ commissions was suggested to me by Helen Webby when we were on tour for Chamber Music NZ last year. Britten was one of England’s most extraordinary composers, and as 2013 is the 100th anniversary of his birth, it is fitting that we mark the occasion with one of his most popular works whilst also celebrating the extraordinary diversity of NZ composition. Inspired by timeless themes, in a variety of languages both old and new, some of them drawing on ancient myth or stories of old, all of these new works are connected with the universal cycles of birth, death and transformation. Together they form a companion suite (The Ceremony of Birth and Death) to go alongside the Britten work (which consists of several short movements) and can also be performed in future as short stand-alone works. Tonight we start and finish the concert with slices of Britten, containing a delicious filling of new works in the middle – what one might call a “New Zealand Music Sandwich”!Mixing the very old with the very new is a process we enjoy immensely, through presenting unusual and seldom-heard works from centuries ago alongside premieres of new works written for this ensemble. In addition to the AANW series, we have given several similarly-themed concerts, including: Close encounters of the Gothic Kind (1999) - works by Machaut and Liszt, with pianist Dan Poynton; O Ecclesia (1998) and How great is the pleasure (2001) – early to modern works for high voices; From the far point of the rising of the sun… (2005) – Medieval and Contemporary works, with saxophonist Colin Hemmingsen and oboist Robert Orr; Massive! (2006) – early and modern Mass movements for mixed voices, and Brother Sun, Sister Moon (2011) – works by sibling composers Mark Smythe and Pepe Becker, written since the turn of this century. Baroque Voices has, to date, commissioned well over 40 new works from NZ composers, including: John Psathas, Jack Body, Helen Bowater, Mark Smythe, Jason Kaminski, Ross Carey, Ivan Patterson, Carol Shortis, Pepe Becker, Richard Walley, Ross Harris, Jenny McLeod, Gillian Whitehead, Nick van Dijk, Anthony Ritchie, Glenda Keam and Gareth Farr.So far, 35 works have been commissioned specifically to be premiered in this AANW series, and to give vocal ensembles and choral groups around NZ future opportunities to explore and share new repertoire. I hope you enjoy this colourful and varied sound-world which emanates from both past and present… - Pepe

[As the concert is being recorded for future broadcast, please ensure ALL mobile devices are switched off. Thanks]

Programme order

♦ A Ceremony of Carols… Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)1. Procession, 2. WolcumYole!, 3. There is no Rose, 4a. That Yongë Child, 4b. Balulalow, 5. As Dew in Aprille♦ Songs of Thomas Moore** Carol Shortis, 20131. Ode LXIII, 2. The Origin of the Harp, 3. Child’s Song♦ Coverings* Anthony Ritchie, 2013♦ Uncertainty/Eternity (Demeter/Ursula/Buddha)* Glenda Keam, 2013♦ La Próxima Vez (Next Time Around)** Gareth Farr, 2013

♦ na jayate mriyate… ** Pepe Becker, 2013♦ in the east, to the right…** Helen Bowater, 2013♦ Persephone** Mark Smythe, 2013♦ A Ceremony of Carols… Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)6. This Little Babe, 7. Interlude, 8. In Freezing Winter Night,9. Spring Carol, 10. Deo Gracias, 11. Recession

(* = work commissioned by BV for this performance)(** = work commissioned by BV with funding from Creative NZ)_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Texts/translations & notes on works

♦ A Ceremony of Carols - Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)This Christmas work, for ‘3-part treble chorus, solo voices and harp’ was written in 1942 when Britten was at sea, on his way back to England from the US. The Middle-English text is from The English Galaxy of Shorter Poems, edited by Gerald Bullett. The 11 short movements were originally conceived as a series of unrelated songs, and were later unified into one piece, framed by the ‘processional’ and ‘recession’ chants based on the Gregorian antiphon, Hodie Christus Natus Es. 1. ProcessionHodie Christus natus est: [Today Christ is born;]Hodie Salvator apparuit; [Today our Saviour appears;]Hodie in terra canunt angeli; [Today angels sing on Earth,]Laetantur archangeli; [and archangels rejoice,]Hodie exsultant justi dicentes; [and righteous exult, saying:]Gloria in excelsis Deo. Alleluia! [glory to God in the highest.Alleluia!]

2. Wolcum YoleWolcum, Wolcum,Wolcum be thou heavenè king,Wolcum, born in one morning,Wolcum, for whom we sall sing!Wolcum be ye, Stevene and Jon,Wolcum, Innocentes every one,Wolcum, Thomas marter one,Wolcum be ye, good New Yere,Wolcum Twelfth Day both in fere,Wolcum seintes lefe and dere.Candelmesse, Queene of Bliss,

Wolcum bothe to more and lesse.Wolcum be ye that are here,Wolcum alle and make good cheer.Wolcum alle another yere.

3. There is no roseThere is no rose of such vertuAs is the rose that bare Jesu.Alleluia, Alleluia.For in this rose conteinèd wasHeaven and earth in litel spaceRes Miranda, Res Miranda.By that rose we may well seeThere be one God in persons three,Pares forma,Pares forma.The aungels sungen the shepherds to:Gloria in excelsis Deo.Gaudeamus,Gaudeamus.Leave we all this werdly mirth,And follow we this joyful mirth.Transeamus, Transeamus.

4a. That Yongë Child (solo: Andrea Cochrane)That yongë child when it gan weepWith song she lulled him asleepThat was so sweet a melodyIt passéd alle minstrely.The nightingale sang also:Her song is hoarse and nought therto:Whoso attendeth to her songAnd leaveth the first then doth he wrong.

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4b. BalulalowO my deare hert, young Je su sweitPrepare thy creddil in my spreit,And I sall rock thee to my hert,And never mair from thee depart.But I sall praise thee evermoirWith sanges sweit unto thy gloir;The knees of my hert sall I bowAnd sing that richt Balulalow!

5. As dew in AprilleI sing of a maiden that is makelès:King of all kings to her son she ches.He came al so stille there his moder was,As dew in Aprille that falleth on the grass.He came also stille to his moder’s bour,As dew in Aprille that falleth on the flour.He came also stille there his moder layAs dew in Aprille that falleth on the spray.Moder and mayden was never none but she:Well such a lady Goddes moder be.

♦ Songs of Thomas Moore - Carol Shortis, 2013Songs of Thomas Moore was written for Baroque Voices, to be performed in this concert alongside Britten's Ceremony of Carols, hence the specific instrumentation of SSSSAA with harp, an instrument that I had very little previous experience of. I have long enjoyed reading the poetry of Thomas Moore, and took Britten's cue to set three of my favourites for this commission.Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852) was an Irish poet, singer, songwriter, and entertainer, now best remembered for the lyrics of The Minstrel Boy and The Last Rose of Summer. A friend of Byron and Shelley, Moore was responsible, with John Murray, for burning Lord Byron's memoirs after his death. Many composers have set the poems of Thomas Moore to music, including Benjamin Britten who published his Moore's Irish Melodies in 1960. Early in his career Moore published Odes of Anacreon (1800), translations of poetry by the Greek poet (B.C. 563–478) who wrote chiefly in praise of love and wine. Moore's poetry was greatly influenced by Anacreon's style, and he became known as Anacreon Moore. Ode LXIII is a fragment of poetry which appears to have been the opening of a hymn: "To Love"The Origin of the Harp was first published in the third number of Moore's Irish Melodies in 1810, in which he wrote lyrics to a series of Irish tunes. Irish Melodies were enormously popular and established Moore as a contemporary Irish lyricist. In this poem the harp is transformed from "a Siren of old, who sung under the sea", abandoned by her lover. Although primarily referencing Irish folklore, the harp nevertheless represents Ireland itself, and the poem was popular with Irish Nationalists. It

of Moore, to create a large-scale painting of the same name.Childs Song first appeared in The Poetical Works of Thomas Moore in 1841. It paints an idyllic scene, a dreamy paradise of a garden populated with bees and fauns. It is tempting to think of this as rather saccharine and sentimental, yet perhaps Moore imagined this paradise for three of his children who had already died; his two remaining children also predeceased him in later years. The child sings: "I have a garden of my own/Shining with flowers of every hue/I loved it dearly while alone/But I shall love it more with you."

ODE LXIIITo Love, the soft and blooming child,I touch the harp in descant wild;To Love, the babe of Cyprian bowers,The boy, who breathes and blushes flowers;To Love, for heaven and earth adore him,And gods and mortals bow before him!

THE ORIGIN OF THE HARP'Tis believed that this Harp, which I wake now for thee,Was a Siren of old, who sung under the sea;And who often, at eve, thro' the bright waters roved,To meet, on the green shore, a youth whom she loved.But she loved him in vain, for he left her to weep,And in tears, all the night, her gold tresses to steep;Till heaven looked with pity on true-love so warm,And changed to this soft Harp the sea-maiden's form.Still her bosom rose fair—still her cheeks smiled the same—While her sea-beauties gracefully formed the light frame;And her hair, as, let loose, o'er her white arm it fell,Was changed to bright chords uttering melody's spell.Hence it came, that this soft Harp so long hath been knownTo mingle love's language with sorrow's sad tone;Till thou didst divide them, and teach the fond layTo speak love when I'm near thee, and grief when away. 

CHILD'S SONGFROM A MASQUEI have a garden of my own,Shining with flowers of every hue;I loved it dearly while alone,But I shall love it more with you:And there the golden bees shall come,In summer-time at break of morn,And wake us with their busy humAround the Siha's fragrant thorn.I have a fawn from Aden's land,On leafy buds and berries nurst;And you shall feed him from your hand,Though he may start with fear at first.And I will lead you where he liesFor shelter in the noontide heat;And you may touch his sleeping eyes,

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subsequently inspired the painter Daniel Maclise, a friend ♦ Coverings - Anthony Ritchie, 2013Coverings was commissioned by Baroque Voices for this concert. This song was designed to be performed alongside Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, and explores the theme of renewal. The text is a poem by Elena Poletti, specially written for this song, and uses the image of a little blue penguin moulting and renewing itself for future survival. The poet writes: “Each of the verses looks at the idea of renewal in a different way, moving from a very consumerist search for a new image to the inner psychological or spiritual renewal of the last verse.  For me, the penguin is a reminder of just how vulnerable renewal can make us, and how costly it can be. The trees suggest that renewal is both cyclical and something that can happen even when there seems to be no possibility of it. The trees look dead, without their leaves, and without the sun's warmth, there would be no new leaves.

Coverings - by Elena Poletti, 2013

A whole body’s worth of coverings,shed many times over,spreads out over shelves and racks,cast off  to make way for something new. Old feathers clumped at its feet,The tiny penguin stands still as stillIn the safe darkness of its burrow,As this year’s coat comes sleekly into place. Trees stand stark against the storm,Autumn richness drifted at their feet,Waiting, enduring, until the great sunDraws out anew a delicate green haze. The painful peeling back of many layers,The cracking through of encasing husks,Might, just might allow tender new skin,New skin of truth, to come into the light.

♦ Uncertainty/Eternity (Demeter, Ursula, Buddha) – Glenda Keam, 2013“Uncertainty/Eternity (Demeter, Ursula, Buddha)” brings together texts in English, French and German, including poems by the Christchurch-based poet (Mary) Ursula Bethell, and by Rainer Maria Rilke. This combination of texts considers the interfaces between man and gods; the position of the earth’s surface poised between the underworld and space; cyclic activities such as those of satellites, the earth, and birth-death; and contrasts finity (endings, irrevocable change) with infinity (eternity).DEMETER (Detection of Electro-Magnetic Emissions Transmitted from Earthquake Regions) is a French microsatellite mission investigating ionospheric

And feel his little silvery feet.of les ondes electromagnetiques while in orbite circulaire sit alongside references to the Greek goddess Demeter, who scoured the earth in many guises searching for her daughter Persephone. Demeter’s partial success in retrieving Persephone gave rise to the cycle of the seasons.The notion of disturbances from earthquakes runs as a thread through both of these Demeter/DEMETER stories, as it does through Ursula Bethell’s 1940s poem ‘Pause’ which considers the temporary nature of human cultivation (and indeed her own existence) on the surface of the earth – in her case the slopes of the Cashmere hills. Alongside Bethell’s contemplation of the finite, Rilke’s 1908 Buddha in der Glorie faces the eternal, reminding us that the peace of Buddha will endure beyond the end of the stars.

BUDDHA IN DER GLORIE – by Rainer Maria Rilke

Mitte aller Mitten, Kern der Kerne,Mandel, die sich einschließt und versüßt, -dieses Alles bis an alle Sterneist dein Fruchtfleisch: Sei gegrüßt.Sieh, du fühlst, wie nichts mehr an dir hängt;Im Unendlichen ist deine Schale,und dort steht der starke Saft und drängt.Und von außen hilft ihm ein Gestrahle,denn ganz oben werden deine Sonnenvoll und glühend umgedreht.Doch in dir ist schon begonnen,was die Sonnen übersteht.

BUDDHA IN GLORY [translation]

Centre of all centres, core of cores,almond that encloses and sweetens itself –everything, reaching to all the starsis your fruit’s flesh: Hail.Look, you feel how nothing clings to you;now your shell surrounds the infiniteand there the strong sap dwells and rises.And from without a radiance assists himfor high above your suns are turned,whole and glowing, in their orbits.Yet in you has already begunwhat endures beyond the suns.

Pause – by (Mary) Ursula Bethell

When I am very earnestly diggingI lift my head sometimes, and look at the mountains,And muse upon them, muscles relaxing

I think how freely the wild grasses flower there,How grandly the storm-shaped trees are massed in their gorges,And the rain-worn rocks strewn in magnificent heaps,

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disturbances from seismic and volcanic activity. The texts relating to this particular DEMETER and her detection No vigorous growth, there, is an evil weed:All weathers are salutary.

It is only a little while since this hillsideLay untrammelled likewise,Unceasingly swept by transmarine winds.

In a very little while, it may be,When our impulsive limbs and our superior skullsHave to the soil restored several ounces of fertiliser,

The Mother of all will take charge again, And soon wipe away with her elementsOur small fond human enclosures.

[other words:]D-E-M-E-T-E-Rorbite circulaire [circular orbit]les ondes electromagnetiques [electro-magnetic waves]D-E-M-E-T-E-Rl'acquisition des informations [the acquisition of information…]sur l'environment electromagnetique de la Terre.[…on Earth’s electro-magnetic environment.]

Consumed by absence,Demeter scoured the earth;She searched in vain;Such a loss as hersbrought the winter / cast a giant shadow…

♦ La Próxima Vez (Next Time Around)– Gareth Farr, 2013Commissioned by Baroque Voices, La Próxima Vez is a setting of a poem by NZ/Venezuelan poet Desirée Gezentsvey. When she gave me a book of her beautiful poetry a couple of years ago, I was determined to set some of it - the opportunity finally arose when Pepe Becker approached me with this commission - I knew it was perfect. The poems are in English with Spanish translations - I chose the Spanish version for this setting as it's such musical language, and I felt it suited the atmospheric yet emotional tone of the music.

Next time around La Próxima Vez

Burning in Ardiendothe autumn fire en el fuego del otoño

the truth remains la verdad permaneceas truth will do como lo tiende a hacer

that when I leave que cuando yo deje

Pioneer plants on those uplands find their own footingsI do not ya no deseowish to return. regresar.

Next time I die La próxima vez que mueraI stay beyond me quedo en el más allá

released from finalmente liberadashape & form -  de forma y condición ~

should you transcend si tú trasciendesbefore I'm free antes que gane mi libertad

promise you  prométemewill wait for me que por mí esperarás.

__________INTERVAL

A minute of silence, in memory of Felicity Smith, who sang with BV in 2010 and who died this year, aged 33…

♦ na jayate mriyate… – Pepe Becker, August 2013In this work, I have used ancient words from Bhagavad Gita - two verses taken from Swami Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada’s English translation of the original Sanskrit, and then translated by Ajay Chouhan into the living language of Hindi - as a symbol of the eternity of the soul manifesting beyond the ages of human-measured time. I have added two Māori words, which appear throughout the piece: “atua” (which I interpret to mean an individual soul – interestingly similar in sound to the Hindi word “aatma”) and “wairua” (which I interpret as the universal spirit within each living being), and the Sanskrit title, “na jayate mriyate” (“is never born and never dies”), is also sung. As I was writing the work, the universal phrase “aum namah Shivaya” (in celebration of life and of the Hindu god Shiva) kept coming to mind, and this is integrated into the music, its recurring meditative presence eventually culminating in positive outbursts of joy. Binā śarta pyāra

English translation of texts from Bhagavad Gita:From Ch.2, vs.20: The soul never takes birth and never dies at any time…

From Ch.2, vs.23: Weapons cannot harm the soul, Fire cannot burn the soul, Water cannot wet and Air cannot dry up the soul.

Transliteration of Hindi (sung) texts, by Ajay Chouhan:Aatma kabhi bhi janam nahi(n) leti hai(m), or naa hee kabhi bhi marti hai(m)…

Hathiyaar aatma ko nuksaan nahi(n) kar saktey hai(m),

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this station esta estación

♦ in the east, to the right…- Helen Bowater, 2013humpty dumpty - a modern ecstasy (poem written for the occasion by Andrew Caldwell)

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.In the history of falls, this fall was appalling,for Humpty kept falling and falling and falling."I had no idea," he exclaimed on his tumble,"This wall was so tall—it makes me feel humble.To create such a wall takes a giant brick surplus...Just how did it get here? And what is its purpose?"Days soon ticked by as Humpty descended,his thoughts grew profound just as nature intended.He solved first the riddle of Humpty eggs-istence,intuited gravity without assistance.He came up with many exotic equations.He worked out a system for hyper-inflations.He wrote a great novel then made orchestrations.He solved all the problems of egg-egg relations.From years of this falling his mind was enlightened.In darkness and space-time, he brightened and brightened.With a map or an app you can see him by night,he's that bright twinkling star in the east, to the right...

♦ Persephone - Mark Smythe, 2013In Greek mythology, Persephone was the goddess of the underworld, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, goddess of the harvest. Her beauty was coveted by Hades, god of the underworld. Legend has it that Persephone was gathering flowers on the plain of Enna when the earth suddenly opened and Hades rose up from the gap and abducted her. Demeter was so angry that she withdrew herself in loneliness, and the earth ceased to be fertile. Eventually Zeus demanded Persephone's release, but not before Hades slipped her a pomegranate as a parting gift. When she later ate it, she was bound to the underworld for a third of every year. When Persephone was with Hades, Demeter refused to let anything grow and winter began. This myth is a symbol of the budding and dying of nature. One translation of her name is 'she who destroys the light'.This piece is a bit of a departure from previous works for Baroque Voices; more dissonant and nebulous in keeping with this tale of the seasons. The lyrics below have direct links to songs by R.E.M. and Radiohead, who may make an appearance by way of encore arrangement.

Persephone – by Mark SmytheThe maiden MonetSublime wanderer in shimmering fields

Aag aatma ko nahi(n) jalaa sakti hai(m), Paanie aatma ko geelaa nahi(n) kar saktaa hai(m), or Hawaa aatma ko sukha nahi(n) sakti hai(m).Coveted by a shade beneath the earthChariot of pine formed a circleStreaked up from the abyssPetal down to metal heartHer underworld lover

So came the ice of EnnaSubterranean homesick queenTo Hades, the unseenPomegranate crush got her spineGifted seeds washed down the chicaneStill-life...no moreFade outZeus force thawSpring back to nympheasFor rebirth seasonAll these things into nature's position

Persephone [Latin translation, sung]Monet puellaeVibrante in campos vagus sublimeViditque per impressionem, ortusFixi acclivis Kora, flos ab evelloMessis filiamSub umbra super terram adfectareCurrus pinus fundaverunt circuliStriata ascendit de abyssoPetalorum usque ad cor metallicAmatorem sum interorumIta egressa est glacies hennensesSubterraneus domigra reginamAd Hades, turpisPunicum conterat spina obtinuit eamPraeditos semina proluit flectereAdhuc non vitam…Decidet de (iterum)Vi Iovis liquorVer reducit nympheasNam regeneratio temporeHaec omnia natura locum

A Ceremony of Carols - Benjamin Britten (cont’d)6. This little BabeThis little Babe so few days oldIs come to rifle Satan’s fold.All hell doth at his presence quake,Though he himself for cold do shake;For in this weak unarmèd wiseThe gates of hell he will surprise.With tears he fights and wins the field,His naked breast stands for a shield;His battering shot are babish cries,

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Looked over by an impression, sunrisePinup Kora, unplucked flowerHarvest daughterHis bulwark but a broken wall;The crib his trench, haystalks his stakes,Of shepherds he his muster makes;And thus, as sure his foe to wound,The angels’ trumps alarum sound.My soul, with Christ join thou in fight,Stick to the tents that he hath pight;Within his crib is surest ward,This little Babe will be thy guard;If thou wilt foil thy foes with joy,Then flit not from this heavenly boy.

7. Interlude (Harp Solo)

8. In freezing winter nightBehold, a silly tender babe, in freezing winter night,In homely manger trembling lies. Alas, a piteous sight!The inns are full; no man will yield This little pilgrim bed.But forced he is with silly beasts in crib to shroud his head.This stable is a Prince's court, this crib his chair of State;The beasts are parcel of his pomp, the wooden dish his plate.The persons in that poor attire His royal liveries wear;The Prince himself is come from heaven; This pomp is prized there.With joy approach, O Christian wight, Do homage to thy King, And highly praise his humble pomp, wich he from Heaven doth bring.

9. Spring carol (duet: Pepe Becker, Jane McKinlay)Pleasure it is to hear iwis, the birdès sing.The deer in the dale, the sheep in the vale,The corn springing.Gods purvayance for sustenance,It is for man, it is for man.Then we always to give him praise,And thank him than.

10. Deo GraciasDeo Gracias! Deo Gracias!Adam lay ibounden, bound in a bond,For thousand winter thought he not too long.And all was for an appil,An appil that he tok,As clerkès finden written in their book.Ne had the appil takè been,The appil takè been,Ne haddè never our ladyA ben hevenè queen.Blessed be the timeThat appil takè was.Therefore we moun singen,

His arrows looks of weeping eyes;His martial ensigns Cold and Need,And feeble Flesh his warrior’s steed.His camp is pitchèd in a stall,11. RecessionHodie Christus natus est: [Today Christ is born;]Hodie Salvator apparuit; [Today our Saviour appears;]Hodie in terra canunt angeli; [Today angels sing on Earth,]Laetantur archangeli; [and archangels rejoice,]Hodie exsultant justi dicentes; [and righteous exult, saying:]Gloria in excelsis Deo. Alleluia! [glory to God in the highest.Alleluia!]

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Deo Gracias! Deo Gracias!

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Composer Biographies (in order of works performed)

Carol Shortis grew up in Essex, UK. She moved to New Zealand in 1990 and lived on Waiheke Island, where she raised a family as well as running several successful businesses. She has been involved with community singing for many years, but only recently pursued a more formal musical education, studying at the New Zealand School of Music in Wellington. Although a latecomer to composition, she quickly made up for lost time, winning a number of scholarships and awards. In 2006 she won the national Philip Neill Memorial Prize in Music for The Riddle of her Flight. She completed her MMus studies at Victoria University in 2010. Her compositional output tends towards choral and vocal music, and she has written and arranged works for a number of ensembles and choirs in Wellington, including Baroque Voices, Nota Bene, the Festival Singers, and the Wellington Community Choir. She has had work performed internationally in festivals in Sweden (ISCM) and Japan (ACL). In 2008 she was elected as a committee member of the Composers Association of New Zealand and is currently the treasurer for that organization. She was a co-convener of the CANZ Nelson Composers Workshop in 2009-10. She currently works as a freelance composer and arranger, administrator and choral director, and curates the ‘Colours of Futuna’ concert series at Futuna Chapel in Karori, Wellington.

Anthony Ritchie studied composition at The University of Canterbury, and the Liszt Academy in Hungary, completing a Ph.D on the music of Bartok. He was Mozart Fellow in composition at Otago University 1988-9, and later was Composer-in-Residence with the Dunedin Sinfonia completing his Symphony No. 1 "Boum". In 2000 his Symphony No.2 was premiered at the International Festival of the Arts, while his Symphony No.2 was premiered at the Otago Festival in 2011. In the last five years he has had six CDs of his composition released, including his album NZ Poets in Song and his latest CD, Octopus, featuring chamber works performed by members of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. His latest CD A Bugle Will Do, recorded by the NZSO, was awarded classical album of the year by The Listener, and was a finalist at the NZ Music Awards. He has composed over 170 compositions, and many have been performed overseas. He is currently an Associate Professor in composition at The University of Otago in Dunedin.  For further information: www.anthonyritchie.co.nz

Glenda Keam (1960 -) is a composer-analyst and strong advocate for New Zealand music. Based in Auckland, she was awarded a PhD in Music by the University of Auckland in 2006 for her analytical thesis “Exploring Notions of National Style: New Zealand Orchestral Music in the Late Twentieth Century”, has been President of the Composers Association of NZ since 2007, and co-edited the 2011 publication “Home, Land and Sea: Situating Music in Aotearoa New Zealand”. Earlier achievements include an MMus(Hons) in Composition from the University of Auckland where she studied composition with John Rimmer and John Elmsly and analysis with Fiona McAlpine. Glenda has also lived in Manchester, where she studied composition with Anthony Gilbert. Her compositions have been performed in New Zealand, the USA, England and Scotland. She has a background in choral singing with the National Youth Choir of NZ, the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, and the Britten Singers (formerly BBC Northern Singers), and also enjoys performing as a piano improviser. Glenda lectured for twelve years at the School of Music at the University of Auckland, and was for seven years Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for Music at Unitec. She will be Head of Music at the University of Canterbury from December.

Gareth Farr is one of New Zealand's best known composers. He studied composition and percussion in New Zealand and New York, where he graduated Master of Music. Since 1990 his works have been commissioned and performed by the NZSO, the Auckland Philharmonia, the NZ String Quartet, and a variety of other professional musicians in NZ and overseas. He has been commissioned to write music for many high-profile events including the 50th anniversary of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the opening of Te Papa, and the Olympic Games in Sydney  2000, and Beijing 2008. In 2006 Gareth was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit and was the recipient of an Arts Foundation Laureate award in 2010. He has composed music for over 30 theatre productions in New Zealand, and has been awarded three Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards for Outstanding Composer of Original Music. Gareth was commissioned to write music for the 2011 Rugby World Cup opening ceremony and games, and is currently working on a Piano Concerto for the NZSO.

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Pepe Becker studied Composition 1985-87 under Jack Body, David Farquhar and Ross Harris, at Wellington’s Victoria University, and graduated with a BMus. During those years she was also active as an oboist and singer; one of her first-year compositions won third prize in the 1985 VUW Composers Competition; and one of her third-year choral compositions, Wind and Rain, was performed by the VUW Chamber Choir at the 1988 Sonic Circus organised by Jack Body, and by Cantoris in 1990. Pepe then travelled to Britain and Holland, 1991-1993, to further her studies of early music singing. Whilst overseas, she wrote In Queen Beatrix’s Garden (performed in Nelson in 1993), and since then has written numerous other works: for choir (including a commission for Wellington Cathedral Choir, performed in Britain & Ireland); organ; piano; harp and chamber ensembles. Two previous BV commissions, Hoquetus Sanctus (2008) and O ignis spiritus (2009), were funded by CNZ, the former work chosen for performance at the 2009 ISCM World Music Days contemporary music festival in Sweden. Pepe’s harp work, Capricorn 1: Pluto in terra (and also her singing) features on Helen Webby’s CD, “Pluck”, which is a finalist in the 2013 NZ Music Awards. Pepe also sings as a soloist, is a member of Voices NZ Chamber Choir, has lectured in Musicianship at the NZSM, teaches piano and singing, and is a practising astrologer at the Wgtn Astrology Centre.www.pepebecker.webweka.com , www.baroquevoices.co.nz/pepe

Helen Bowater graduated B.Mus (Hons) in music history and ethnomusicology from Victoria University of Wellington in 1982. She later studied composition with Jack Body and electroacoustic music with Ross Harris. She has been active in various choirs and ensembles as singer, pianist and violinist, also in the Victoria University Gamelan Padhang Moncar and in rock bands pHonk and the Extra Virgin Orchestra. Following residencies in New Zealand at the Nelson School of Music in 1992 and at Otago University as Mozart Fellow in 1993, she was appointed Composer-in-Residence with the Auckland Philharmonia in 1994. In 2008-2009 she was Creative NZ/Jack C. Richards Composer in Residence at the New Zealand School of Music, Victoria University of Wellington. Many of Helen’s solo, ensemble and orchestral works have been performed in New Zealand and abroad, recorded to CD, broadcast on radio and published.

Mark Smythe is a Nelson-born composer whose formative decades involved heavy amounts of choral, classical and rock music. He studied composition with Jack Body in the mid-90s, briefly worked as Musical Director/Performer for Auckland's Theatre At Large then moved to Melbourne in 1998. There he released independent albums with his bands 'Autofocus' and 'Mute' before studying film music at the Australian Film, Television & Radio School (AFTRS). Graduating with Distinction in 2008, Mark has since written music for many films, documentaries and media projects, most notably Briar March's multi-award winning eco-feature 'There Once Was An Island' and Chris Sun's harrowing Australian thriller 'Daddy's Little Girl'. He received the Australian Screen Industry Network's Best Composer Award in 2012 for his score to this film. In early 2013 Mark relocated to Los Angeles to undertake an Australia Council-funded mentorship with screen composer Jeff Cardoni (CSI: Miami, Wilfred). The scene in Hollywood was so positive that he decided to stay, and in October he became a US permanent resident as an 'Artist of Extraordinary Ability'. In today's global era, this won't stop Mark's ongoing collaborations with Baroque Voices and Helen Webby. www.marksmythe.com

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Performer Biographies

Helen Webby is one of New Zealand's most accomplished harpists on both Concert harp and Celtic harp. She studied with Dorothea Franchi (Auckland), Rebecca Harris (Auckland), Edward Witsenburg (Holland) and Maria Graf (Germany) and in 1996 completed a Masters degree in Harp and Music Teaching from the Hochschule for Music in Hamburg.Principal Harp with Christchurch Symphony since 2000, she also plays with Scottish guitarist Davy Stuart, tours for Chamber Music NZ and Arts On Tour NZ, has performed at festivals and conferences in Australia and USA and toured Brunei. In 2012 Helen performed the Australasian premier of Rautavaara’s  Harp Concertowith Christchurch Symphony. Helen’s latest CD Pluck(ODE) has been nominated for this year’s Best Classical Album in the NZ Music Awards. The production of Pluck has been made into a DVD film ‘Harps Make Fine Companions’, to be screened by TVNZ.Helen performs on a concert harp built of NZ Red Beech by her brother Kim Webby.www.harp.co.nz

Baroque Voices (founded in June 1994 by Wellington-based soprano Pepe Becker) is a vocal consort which specialises in pre-Classical music written for ensembles with one voice to a part. Its size varies according to the particular demands of the repertoire for each concert or project. The group has a core of singers with considerable experience in both choral and solo performance, especially in the field of early music. Several of its members have studied, are currently studying, or are about to study, in Europe – the director, Pepe Becker, studied singing with Jessica Cash in London and then Baroque Singing with Marius van Altena at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, 1991-93. These singers are all committed to using appropriate vocal techniques, ornaments and styles, based on what is known about the performance practices, resources and musical ideals of the era in which music was written. These principles are applied equally to the performance of contemporary music, for which the group also has a growing reputation.

AcknowledgementsBaroque Voices would like to say “alleluia” and “thank you” to: Radio NZ Concert, for recording this concert; Chris Watson from SOUNZ Centre for NZ Music, for videoing the concert; Anthony Donovan, for recording us for YouTube exposure (watch this space); Creative NZ, for their support in providing funding for five commissioning fees; Jilly Marshall, for her generous contribution towards the cost of harp freight; NZCF Wellington Region, for funding towards Helen Webby's fee; the composers, for their unique music; and of course you, our audience, for listening and appreciating!

Donations welcomeAs you can imagine, a concert like this does not just ‘put itself on’ without substantial efforts, not the least of which are financial. As a professional group, we do pay fees to the performers as well as paying for venue hire, travel costs and publicity, and often the ticket sales do not cover our expenses. If you would like to make a donation to Baroque Voices, to assist us with general or specific project costs, do get in touch with Pepe by email or through the website. baroquevoicesdirector@gmail.com www.baroquevoices.co.nz

Next BV concerts 2014 is BV’s 20th anniversary year (our first concert was in this very building on 25 th June 1994), and we are planning to celebrate with a variety of events, including: ♦ a concert of the “best of” music we performed in 1994; ♦ a special Alleluia: a newë work! concert, including old and new commissioned works, ♦ and the continuation of our Monteverdi madrigals series, “The Full Monte”…Please visit: www.fullmonte.webweka.com for updates on “The Full Monte”, and/or sign up on the BV website (www.baroquevoices.co.nz) to receive notifications about future concerts - note that we no longer send advertising by post, so being on our emailing list, and/or “liking” our Baroque Voices facebook page are the best ways keep up to date with our news.

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