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“Rule, Britannia!” Classical music began to sound unusually lively (photo and video)
23 October 2010
On Friday 22nd October the fifth concert of the series “Three centuries of British music” took place in “Master Klass”. This concert was entitled “Introduction to the Orchestra”, and featured “Collegium Kiev” conducted by Paul Henry. On this occasion the programme included the work of Henry Purcell, Benjamin Britten, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Henry Wood, most of the music being performed in Ukraine for the first time.
The performance had a format unusual for classical music concerts. The concert began with a theme from Purcell’s “Abdelazar”, with dancer Yulia Vash providing her own vivid and dramatic interpretation of the piece on stage. This theme, which was played by a smaller, chamber version of “Collegium Kiev” and without a conductor (providing a distinct 17th century feel to the piece) Britten later incorporated into his famous “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra”. Following “Abdelazar” the orchestra (now full sized and with conductor) played the Britten composition with narrator Varvara Semenchuk guiding the audience through the intricacies of the modern symphony orchestra. The main theme was first played by the full orchestra, then by different sections – woodwind, brass, strings, percussion - and then by individual instruments. Finally we heard the dramatic Fugue, providing a fitting conclusion to what is surely one of the most remarkable works in all music.
The final piece in the concert – “Fantasia on British Sea Songs” by Henry Wood – was particularly notable. After six introductory naval bugle calls, we heard a medley of sea songs by the famous founder of the London “Promenade Concerts”. This music is known to every Briton as it is performed annually during the last night of the Promenade” concerts (“The Proms”). These have been held in the Albert Hall in London for more than one hundred years. The Fantasia ends with Thomas Arne’s “Rule, Britannia!”, the rendition of which is traditionally accompanied by the entire audience, who sing, blow on whistles etc, hum and generally add to the party atmosphere that prevails whenever this boisterous piece is played. Such was the unorthodox (for Ukraine) atmosphere at this concert, and this aspect was particularly appreciated by the Kiev audience. Finally soprano Lyubov Sagat sang the stirring “Rule, Britannia! Britannia Rules the waves: Britons never, never, never shall be slaves”, which not surprisingly precipitated loud demands for an encore.
