Wed 9 December

Sat 12 December

CHILDHOOD OF CHRIST

The final rehearsals for this fantastic piece of music

are to be supported by Dominic, soloists and/or

orchestra under the baton of our fabulous Musical

Director, Burhan Güner.

Here is some more information about the music,

abbreviated from the program notes.

oratorio, but a narrator telling us about conditions in the

land at the time of Jesus’ birth. Next is an evocatively

dark and complex Nocturnal March, a fugue, interrupted

by the bass aria “Who comes?” and then resumed, before

Herod’s famous aria telling of his disturbing dream of a

child who will destroy his future. The soothsayers’ arrival

is the precursor to a wild dance in fluctuating time‐

signatures, which must have been quite disturbing to the

audiences of the time. Egged on by the soothsayers,

Herod gives orders for the Massacre of the Innocents.

Joseph and Mary, warned by a chorus of “off‐stage”

angels, escape and flee into Egypt.

The second section does begin with an overture, another

fugue, which leads into the piece that began it all, “The

Shepherd’s Farewell”. Berlioz’ use of his much‐beloved

double reeds, to suggest shepherd’s pipes, is so beautiful

that one never questions whether shepherds really sound

like this. The gentle movement “The Repose of the Holy

Family” rounds off this restful scene.

The third section begins with the narrator describing the

journey into Egypt. Arriving at the town of Saïs, the family

are first rejected because they are Hebrews, and then

accepted by a family of Ishmaelites (in biblical terms, non‐

believers). Multiple time signatures suggest everyone

busily working to find all the things needed to make the

visiting family comfortable, but the music conveys an

amazing sense that this is a joyful service, not a heavy

obligation. The father of the Ishmaelite family (played

tonight by our baritone, Robert Hofmann, who also gives

us the Herod role), finding that Joseph is a carpenter too,

offers him work, and finally orders soothing music to be

played, on two flutes and a harp (rather than the more

traditional florid flute solo common in Berlioz’ time). The

father then urges Mary to weep no more, and the work

concludes with an Epilogue by the narrator, telling how

Jesus grew up in Egypt.

The final chorus, with tenor, “O My Soul”, is gentle,

serene and largely unaccompanied. Angels join in the

final few “Amens”, which fade gently into the distance.

School of Music

7:30pm

Tenors and Basses

workshop

Uniting Church,

Princess Rd, Nedlands

2-4pm

Winthrop Hall

Mon 14 December

7-10pm (Choir and

Soloists)

Winthrop Hall

Wed 16 December

7-10pm (Orchestral

Rehearsal)

Winthrop Hall

Sat 19 December

10am-1pm (Dress

Rehearsal)

5:30pm - Warm up

Sun 20 December

2009

Please note that the venues are correct at the time of

printing. The venue may change and you will be

notified by email if time permits. You will be advised

of any changes at rehearsals. The website

Please contact your choral steward if you are unable

to attend a rehearsal, so that space is left for you on

stage for the performance!

Programme Order

Part 1: Herod’s Dream

(~ 50 min)

Interval

(~ 20 min)

Part 2: The Flight into Egypt

Part 3: The Arrival at Saïs (~ 50 min for entire 2nd

half)

Concert Dress

Black, black and black, neck to toe (black socks or

stockings), with a splash of red for the women,

please.

Please DO NOT wear perfumes or after shave lotions

for rehearsals or the performance. Many of these

have adverse effects on asthmatic choristers.

Angels: Please wear soft-soled and/or flat-heeled

shoes. For safety on stairs, no medium/high heels,

please. Also, preferably, nothing that clip-clops,

Tips for a good performance:

professional manner.

facing the audience. Leave the folder closed until

the Conductor is on stage.

stage.

including lollies or water. Lozenges are

acceptable, but unwrapping lollies in paper

is not. Do not take bottles of water on to the

stage.

members of the audience.

sounds.

parts of the music. Burhan has asked for us not to

turn pages at all in some places. Check you know

where!

focused and attentive.

Committee Members

The current committee members are:

Marie Martin

President

Susan Margaret

Vice-President

Irena Dillon

Secretary

Adrian Momber

Treasurer

Irene Batini

Registrar

John Ward

Librarian

General Members:

Meredith Lane

Janet Mitchell

Donald Wilson

Charmaine de Witt

Marjan van Gulik

James Devenish

into the hall.

All sops and altos will be seated in the Gallery at the

start of concert until required to sing, with scores

only, no bags or water bottles (i.e. just as if we were

on stage). Seating will be in order, so that we can file

down the stairs and straight into place. No Brown’s

Cows, to minimise the chance of accidents on the

steps. Women will start moving downstairs at the

start of soothsayers’ cabalistic dance (page 30 in

scores).

Black folders

Please cover your books or put them in a black folder.

Archival recording

An archival recording (video and audio) is being

made of this concert. Copies will not be available for

individual use or distribution.

Promoting the concert

Please keep talking about this concert. It will be a

very different experience for us and for the audience,

with off stage singing and rarely heard music. It will

be a great culmination to a musically productive year

and a tribute to Burhan’s skills as Musical Director

for UWACS and Conductor for this performance.

Tickets

Please return your unsold tickets and money for

ticket you have sold to Janet by Wednesday 17

December.

Post-concert dinner

Please give your $35/person to Meredith Lane by

Wednesday 17 December and join us for dinner at

TQR, 27 Stirling Highway, Nedlands. Family and

friends are welcome to join us. The restaurant is BYO

(corkage is included).

Drinks after rehearsals

After each rehearsal, a group of people go to the new

Steve’s on The Avenue and Broadway in Nedlands.

Coffee and hot chocolate are available as well as other

beverages!