VIVALDI'S GLORIA
(Symphonic Version)

Saturday 12 September 2020
All Saints Church, Inmans Row,
Woodford IG8 0NH


A concert for All Saints,
Woodford Wells Organ Fund


SING WITH ALL SAINTS FESTIVAL CHORUS
AND OTHER SINGERS

No Charge for Participation




Vivaldi wrote this Gloria for pupils of Ospedale della Pietà, a refuge for orphaned and abandoned girls, famous for its all-female choirs and orchestras. These were so popular that their concerts became a must-see-and-hear event for young gentleman during their Grand Tour of Europe. [The young ladies performed behind a grill so that the young gentlemen's attention wasn't diverted from the music.] Like so much of Vivaldi's music, this work pretty well vanished from sight until it was revived by Alfredo Casella in 1939. Since then, its unashamed exhuberance and relatively simple vocal lines have made it a popular programme choice for choirs.

Like so many Baroque composers, Vivaldi furnished us with the basic choral and orchestral parts [just strings, one oboe and one trumpet] and relied upon an organist to fill in the harmony, extemporising from a cello part with occasional numbers defining the actual chords. [This is rather like Handel's original scoring of Messiah, but even less so.]

For the purposes of this Viva Vivaldi performance of the Gloria, the original, sketchy orchestration is going to be expanded for a full symphony orchestra of two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two french horns, two trumpets, kettle-drums and strings (hence the sub-title: Symphonic Version). As in the Mozart Messiah project of last year, Woodford Symphony Orchestra will be providing the accompaniment, with Philip Norman conducting.

There are a number of different editions of this work, and there are considerable differences. HERE is the reference edition which we will be using. If you are bringing your own copy, please check for differences. For instance, in some editions, bars 36 - 40 of Et in Terra Pax are omitted.

All interested singers are invited to participate in this performance. Here are details fof the rehearsal and performance schedule:

Optional rehearsal with piano:
Friday 11 Septeber 7.30 pm.

Rehearsal with orchestra:
Saturday 12 September 5.30  - 7.30 pm.

Performance:
Saturday 12 September 8.00 pm.

For further information,
feel free to contact


Philip Norman
07939 064 247
pkn@pnms.co.uk

You can download rehearsal tracks
HERE



To register for this project, please fill in the form below:

Name:


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I will be able to attend the piano
rehearsal on 11 September:

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Copy of the music:


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Opening chorus of the Gloria, scored for 1 oboe, 1 Trumpet, strings, organ and choir.
The organist played from a cello part (the lowest stave). The occasional figures defined the harmony. The actual notes played were extemporised during the performance.

score image