Royalty (week 5)
This week we will present you with a King of the Fairies, an English King who wrote songs, a Queen from an island in the Pacific Ocean, a group of Kings from Cambridge, and the most recent British monarch to be born on mainland Europe.
Monday May 16
Overture to Oberon
(previously appeared in Jukebox week 63)
Written by Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (1786–1826), here is the overture to Weber's 1826 opera Oberon. In medieval and Renaissance literature, Oberon is a king of the fairies. Despite being by a German composer, the opera was first performed in English at Covent Garden. Against his doctor's advice, Weber undertook the project commissioned by the actor-impresario Charles Kemble for financial reasons. Having been offered the choice of Faust or Oberon as subject matter, he travelled to London to complete the music, learning English to be better able to follow the libretto. However, the pressure of rehearsals, social engagements and composing extra numbers destroyed his health, and Weber died in London on 5 June 1826, less than two months after the premiere.
Performance - (Running time 11 mins)
Tuesday May 17
Pastime with Good Company
Pastime with Good Company is an English folk song most probably written by King Henry VIII at the beginning of the 16th century, shortly after his coronation. Some Tonic Choir members may remember this as one of the pieces we sang for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2012 as well as in our usual choir sessions.
Recording
Wednesday May 18
Aloha 'Oe
Aloha ʻOe (Farewell to Thee) is a Hawaiian folk song written about 1878 by Liliʻuokalani, who was then Princess and later Queen of the Hawaiian Kingdom. It is her most famous song and sung many times at Tonic Choir but sadly I cannot find a recording of our efforts.
Recording (traditional)
Andy Williams version
Thursday May 19
King's Singers
(previously appeared in Jukebox week 8, but with a different song)
The King's Singers are a British a cappella vocal ensemble founded in 1968. They are named after King's College in Cambridge, England, where the group was formed by six choral scholars. In the United Kingdom, their popularity peaked in the 1970s and early 1980s. The King's Singers consist of two countertenors, a tenor, a bass and two baritones. One of the founder members, Brian Kay, led a Tonic rehearsal in 2019 for about 40 of us as part of our preparation for the Really Big Chorus’ Carmina Burana.
William Tell Overture
Home is a special kind of feeling
(I know we had this in Jukebox week 73, but I rather like it)
Friday May 20
Music for the Royal Fireworks
The Music for the Royal Fireworks is a suite composed by George Frideric Handel in 1749 for George II. It was written to accompany a fireworks display in London's Green Park on 27 April 1749. You have a choice of two recordings. The first is a performance by Le Concert Spirituel on period instruments. I love the way the conductor starts the piece. The second uses modern instruments. Both last about 16 minutes.
Recording 1
Recording 2
Overture to Oberon
(previously appeared in Jukebox week 63)
Written by Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (1786–1826), here is the overture to Weber's 1826 opera Oberon. In medieval and Renaissance literature, Oberon is a king of the fairies. Despite being by a German composer, the opera was first performed in English at Covent Garden. Against his doctor's advice, Weber undertook the project commissioned by the actor-impresario Charles Kemble for financial reasons. Having been offered the choice of Faust or Oberon as subject matter, he travelled to London to complete the music, learning English to be better able to follow the libretto. However, the pressure of rehearsals, social engagements and composing extra numbers destroyed his health, and Weber died in London on 5 June 1826, less than two months after the premiere.
Performance - (Running time 11 mins)
Tuesday May 17
Pastime with Good Company
Pastime with Good Company is an English folk song most probably written by King Henry VIII at the beginning of the 16th century, shortly after his coronation. Some Tonic Choir members may remember this as one of the pieces we sang for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2012 as well as in our usual choir sessions.
Recording
Wednesday May 18
Aloha 'Oe
Aloha ʻOe (Farewell to Thee) is a Hawaiian folk song written about 1878 by Liliʻuokalani, who was then Princess and later Queen of the Hawaiian Kingdom. It is her most famous song and sung many times at Tonic Choir but sadly I cannot find a recording of our efforts.
Recording (traditional)
Andy Williams version
Thursday May 19
King's Singers
(previously appeared in Jukebox week 8, but with a different song)
The King's Singers are a British a cappella vocal ensemble founded in 1968. They are named after King's College in Cambridge, England, where the group was formed by six choral scholars. In the United Kingdom, their popularity peaked in the 1970s and early 1980s. The King's Singers consist of two countertenors, a tenor, a bass and two baritones. One of the founder members, Brian Kay, led a Tonic rehearsal in 2019 for about 40 of us as part of our preparation for the Really Big Chorus’ Carmina Burana.
William Tell Overture
Home is a special kind of feeling
(I know we had this in Jukebox week 73, but I rather like it)
Friday May 20
Music for the Royal Fireworks
The Music for the Royal Fireworks is a suite composed by George Frideric Handel in 1749 for George II. It was written to accompany a fireworks display in London's Green Park on 27 April 1749. You have a choice of two recordings. The first is a performance by Le Concert Spirituel on period instruments. I love the way the conductor starts the piece. The second uses modern instruments. Both last about 16 minutes.
Recording 1
Recording 2