The Birch Tree
With this concert and launch of our latest CD The Birch Tree, we are proud to present the world premiere of two new Australian works – Suite for Diana by Ann Carr-Boyd and The Birch Tree by Elena Kats-Chernin, both of which start with Folksong as a springboard. Many composers throughout the centuries have been inspired by folksong and in this concert we demonstrate this magical process, for just as the birch tree grows from sapling to maturity, expanding in size and complexity, so too does the familiar melody in the hands of the composer. Included in the program are selections of Bartok’s For Children arranged for harpsichord and cello, and Mary Margeau’s beautiful variations on Scarborough Fair. Our players are Lucy Cormack (cello), Shaun Ng (gamba), Joanne Arnott (recorder) and Diana Weston (harpsichord).
St Luke’s Anglican Church, Ourimbah Rd, Mosman
Sunday November 8 2015 at 3 pm
The Rose Room, 51F Sunninghill Ave, Burradoo
Saturday November 21 at 4pm
Reviews
CD: http://musictrust.com.au/loudmouth/the-birch-tree-music-based-on-folktunes/
Concert: ClassikON:https://www.classikon.com/review/surprises-under-the-birch-tree-as-thoroughbass-is-inspired-by-folk-songs/
Soundslikesydney:http://soundslikesydney.com.au/reviews/concert-review-the-birch-treethoroughbass/19806.html
Sydney Arts Guide:
A very satisfying aspect of any Thoroughbass concert is artistic director Diana Weston’s adherence to a clear and cohesive concept or theme. It is very apparent that each concert is preceded by considerable preparation, arrangement-writing and pertains, as in the case with this concert, to this very fine ensemble’s release of a new CD.’
Notes
The theme for our concert and CD is music inspired by folkmusic. Folk melody and rhythm can be found permeating works from all centuries and genres up to the present. For the French of the 17th and 18th centuries, it formed the backbone of a national style, albeit one with a sophisticated overlay (the dance suite). For some composers, like Bartok and Piazzolla, folkmusic became the stuff of their compositional voice. For others like Ann Carr-Boyd, adaptation of folksong was a way of approaching a wide variety of audiences of different ethnic backgrounds. Her new composition, Suite for Diana, follows this trend, as does Elena Kats-Chernin’s The Birch Tree, both composed for Thoroughbass in 2014 and now recorded as The Birch Tree under the Wirripang label.
Variations on Scarborough Fair by Australian composer Mary Mageau was composed in 1982 for Mary’s own ensemble The Brisbane Baroque Trio as part of its concert series and recording.
Many people have a vague idea of the lyrics with the recurring phrase ‘parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme’. What is not generally appreciated about this ancient but well-known folksong is that the lyrics have a submerged meaning. Fascinating studies on the methods of contraception used in medieval times – both herbal and mechanical – reveal that the parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme may not be just culinary flavours, nor a sleeveless shirt impossible to make!
Bartok’s ‘For Children’ forms two volumes, one based on Hungarian Folk Tunes, the other on Slovakian Folk Tunes, 79 pieces in total, many less than one minute in duration. Myriads of impressions can be got from them – mimicry, sadness, merriment, squabbles, wistfulness, running around, falling over, chasing – everything that happens to children in their physical and emotional worlds is all there. Many of the pieces are titled (though not all), giving a clue as to character – ‘Pillow Dance’, ‘Jest’, ‘Drunkard’s Song’, ‘Revelry’, ‘Teasing Song’, ‘Dirge’. Others are less helpful – ‘Study for the Left Hand’, ‘Song’, ‘Winter Solstice Song’, ‘Swineherd’s Dance’. Best to ignore the titles and make up your own!