PART ONE
THERE IS A MEETING HERE TONIGHT
Bob Gibson, Alex Hassilev and Glenn Yarbrough / arr. Cactus
We start our concert with a rousing call to worship in this arrangement of a gospel classic by US ensemble Cantus. This piece builds from the quiet anticipation of the opening to the full-throated welcome of the climax. We hope you find plenty of friendly faces at our meetin’ here tonight!
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SERENADE ITALIENNE
Ernest Chausson / arr. Mari Esabel Valverde
Our beginnings shift from church to sea, as we are invited to a rendezvous under the stars. 'Let’s go embark upon the sea', the pieces entreats us, where 'We can exchange souls, and no one will understand our voices, except the night, the sky, and the swells of the water'.
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DULAMAN
Traditional / arr. Michael McGlynn
This traditional Irish courting song is literally about seaweed (Dúlamán), but its lyrics have a figurative meaning: they represent men coming to court a woman. The woman is initially unimpressed, but by the end of the song is convinced to give the suitor a chance.
JUNE
Roger Quilter
Written by one of England’s greatest songsmiths, this song celebrates the beginning of summer, with its 'dark red roses', 'silk-soft hollyhock', and 'larks high overhead'.
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THE BLOWER'S DAUGHTER
Damien Rice
This song was only a moderate chart success when it first released, but has since become recognised as a classic folk ballad. Its lyrics are enigmatic, but there’s no mistaking the intensity of the refrain 'I can’t take my eyes off of you' – a feeling those beginning a new relationship will resonate with.
THE ONLY LIVING BOY IN NEW YORK
Paul Simon
In this classic song the narrator is left behind after their friend has begun a journey – they’ve gone to Mexico without him! Yet secretly the song refers to Simon’s sense of loneliness as he continued writing songs while Garfunkel was acting in the film Catch-22.
VALEDICTION
Basil Richmond
‘Memorare’ and ‘A Flower of the Fields’ form the centre section of a larger work completed in 2005. It is, in its way, both a requiem for, and remembrance of, those who have suffered and died from HIV/AIDS. Originally conceived for full choir, ‘A Flower of the Fields’ has been re-arranged, here, for male voices.
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VISIONS AND DREAMS
Richard Burchard
We end the first half of our concert with an intense vision of the end of all things. In these verses Peter quotes the prophet Joel: God will 'pour out [his] spirit upon all flesh', and all will begin to prophesy – a wondrous and exciting occurrence. But this is only a precursor to the 'blood and fire and billows of smoke' that will follow.​
PART TWO
FIRE
Katerina Gimon
Our second half opens with Fire. Fusing rhythmic elements with strange sounds and calls, it evokes both the creative and destructive potential of fire – its capacity to be both a beginning and an end.
DRILL YE TARRIERS DRILL
Traditional / arr. Brian Tate
We explore another type of beginning in this traditional American railway song – the beginning of a grinding workday, as railway workers drill their way through unyielding rock to make passage for the track.
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VOICE OF THE BARD
Jennifer Higdon
In this setting of Wiliam Blake’s words from the opening of Songs of Experience, we hear the voice of a 'bard' who can see present, past, and future. Blake calls upon a slumbering world to awake and begin a process of spiritual renewal.
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NOCTURNE
Benjamin Britten
'On This Island' was Britten's first published group of songs with piano. Nocturne is regarded as a lament for the death of Britten's close friend Peter Burr; the piece brings through the tension of grief, the true beginning of the composer's adulthood.
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FOR NO ONE
Paul McCartney
For No One is an exploration of one of life’s most challenging experiences: a relationship has ended, but the lover cannot accept its end. “She no longer needs you”, the singer cries, “yet you don’t believe her when she says her love is dead.”
TOXIC
Cathy Dennis and Christian Karlsson
This song is about a relationship which should be over but is not: Britney Spears wants to quit her lover, but their lips are 'a taste of poison paradise'!
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HOMEWARD BOUND​
Marta Keen / arr. Jay Althouse
This song conveys our yearning for home at the end of a long journey.
END OF THE WORLD
Matt Alber / arr. Basil Richmond
This song expresses the desire for the journey of a relationship to continue, even until the end of the world.
SEASIDE RENDEZVOUS
Freddy Mercury / arr. Steve Nobles
We close our concert with a piece perfect for a Brighton summer. This charming ditty captures those first moments at the start of a relationship, when we hope someone might just be our valentine!
Resound would like to dedicate
this concert to the memory of
David Nowicki-Stephen