BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY OF NORTHERN IRELAND 1960 1961 FOURTH RECITAL under the auspices of THE QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY OF BELFAST * Richard Lewis Tenor Geoffrey Parsons Pianoforte SIR WILLIAM WHITLA HALL Queen's University, Belfast FRIDAY, 13th JANUARY, 1961 at 7.45 p.m.

A SHEPHERD IN A SHADE John Dowland (1563-1626) arr. Dorumsgaard (From the Second Book of Airs, 1600. Author of words unknown) THE QUEEN'S EPICEDIUM Henry Purcell (1659-1695) arr. Britten (An epicedium is a funeral ode. This is an elegy on the death of Queen Mary, consort of William III, in 1695). II WHILE KEDRON'S BROOK George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) (From the oratorio Joshua, first performed at Covent Garden Theatre in 1748. Librettist Thomas Morell). The children of Israel are celebrating their miraculous crossing of the river Jordan under Joshua's leadership. In this aria Joshua sings that, as long as the brook Kedron shall flow into Jordan's stream, so long shall the memory of this great event endure. SEE WHAT HIS LOVE WILL DO Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). (From Cantata No. 85, Ich bin ein guter Hirt, written for Easter, 1735. Librettist not definitely known, but may have been Marianne von Ziegler). WAFT HER, ANGELS Handel (From the oratorio Jephtha, first performed at Covent Garden Theatre in 1752. Librettist Thomas Morell). Jephtha, before lead- ing the Israelites forth to war, had sworn to dedicate to God what- ever should first meet him on his return. In spite of all his wife's precautions it is his daughter Iphis who does so. Jephtha, before proceeding to sacrifice her, arranges in this aria for her transport to the skies. It is satisfactory to learn that, through divine inter- vention and with some violence to scriptural texts, she is not sacri- ficed, but is to live a dedicated life of celibacy, a course of which even her bethrothed approves.

III SONGS Nell, Op. 18, No. 1 Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) (1880. Words by Leconte de Lisle). Your purple rose, June, sparkles intoxicated in your bright sunlight. Lean your gilded cup towards me, my heart resembles your rose. A sigh of pleasure rises under the shady leaves. More than one branch sings its love- sick lay, oh my heart. How sweet is the pearl in the inflamed sky, star of the pensive night. How much sweeter is the brightness that shines in my heart, in my enchanted heart. The singing sea along its beaches will silence its everlasting murmur before your image ceases to flourish in my heart, Nell. Lydia, Op. 4, No. 2 (1865. Leconte de Lisle). Lydia, on your cheek and neck floats the gold that you exhale. In the daylight let us forget the eternal tomb and let love-like kisses flutter on your flower-like lips. A hidden lily ever spreads its perfume from your breast. Beauties like a swarm fly from you, young goddess. I love you and swoon, beloved. My soul is dragged forth in kisses. Oh Lydia, restore to me life that I may die for you always. Sylvie, Op. 6, No. 3 (1865. Paul de Choudens). Do you wish to know, beloved, whither the bird that sang on the elm has fled? I shall tell you. He flies to the one who calls and will love him. Do you wish to know, my fair haired one, why the night quivers and comes together over land and sea? There is an hour in the world when, far from the daylight, love is awake. Do you wish to know, Sylvie, why I madly love your bright and languorous eyes? It is because without you there is nought in my heart but pain. Prison, Op. 83, No. 1 (1900. Paul Verlaine). Over the roof the sky is so blue, so calm; a tree rocks its branches; in the sky a bell softly rings, a bird on a branch sings its lament. Oh God, life is simple and quiet there; that subdued noise comes from the town. What have you done, you that are there, weeping ceaselessly, what have you done with your youth?

Toujours, Op. 21, No. 2 (1881. Charles Grandmougin). You ask me to be silent, to flee from you forever and to depart in solitude. Without realizing that I was in love, I loved. Rather ask the stars to fall in the void, the night to lose its mists, the day to lose its light, the sea to dry its waves and the winds in fury to soothe their gloomy sobs. But think not that my heart should cease its bitter grief and rid itself of its flame as the spring does of its flowers. INTERVAL IV Song Cycle: Five poems of Elizabeth Barrett Browning Franz Reizenstein (1911-) The soul's expression Our two souls I love thee I think of thee Perplexed music (First public performance in Northern Ireland) V THE WATER MILL Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) THE NEW GHOST REST SWEET NYMPHS Peter Warlock (1894-1930) IS MY TEAM PLOUGHING? George Butterworth (1885-1916) Folk Songs: Buy broom buzzems I will give my love an apple The ploughboy arr. Banks arr. Dorumsgaard arr. Britten

NEXT CONCERTS: Saturday, 21st January CARMIRELLI STRING QUARTET Quartet in D major, Op. 76, No. 5 Haydn Quartet No. 2 in C major, Op. 36 Britten Quartet in C sharp minor, Op. 131 Beethoven Saturday 11th February QUARTETTO DI ROMA Quartet in C minor, Op. 60 Brahms Quartet (1957) Viozzi Quartet in C minor, Op. 15 Fauré Friday 10th March ALLEGRI STRING QUARTET Quartet in D minor, K. 173 Quartet in E flat, Op. 51 Quartet in B flat, Op. 130 Friday 24th March Mozart Dvorak Beethoven CLIFFORD CURZON (Pianoforte) Programme not yet to hand. NOTE: The compiler of these programmes wishes to draw the attention of Members of the Society to the Music Library of the Central Public Library in Royal Avenue. Its impressive and rapidly growing resources in books, scores of all kinds, works of reference and periodicals make it capable of covering a very wide variety of needs. To this must be added the friendly and helpful co-operation of its staff. The entrance is temporarily while repairs are being carried out, by Kent St. then by the lift to the second floor.