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Dr Rowan Williams introduces Auden's Horae Canonicae as part of Easter
programming on Radio 3
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The Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Rev and Rt Hon Rowan Williams,
introduces each part of W.H. Auden's Horae Canonicae, broadcast on 91Èȱ¬ Radio 3 on Good Friday.
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While far from being a direct account of the hours
before Christ's death, the poem is Auden's personal reflection on the events
and significance of Good Friday.
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This is part of seasonal programming across
the station throughout the week which also includes highlights from King's
College Chapel's festival of services and concerts for Holy Week and Easter
and Sir Simon Rattle directing the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in a
performance of Bach's St John Passion.
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Horae Canonicae comprises seven poems, each corresponding to one of the
offices of the monastic day, and each will be broadcast around these points
during Good Friday (6 April 2007) on Radio 3.
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Dr Williams will introduce each
poem which is subsequently read by the actor Tom Durham.
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This concludes the
station's celebration of the Auden centenary, broadcasting the work in which
his faith finds its most mature expression.
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Dr Williams also talks about
Auden's poem and his response to it as a practising poet himself in an
interview featured on The Verb (6 April, 9.45pm).
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Dr Williams says: "Auden always judges me as a poet. He makes me feel lazy
becaase of the sheer attention and complexity at work in the wording of this
poem [Horae Canonicae], it is immensely impressive...
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"You don't notice until you
look hard just how much precision there is, so, simply on a technical level,
this sequence is one of the most accomplished and most interesting." Ìý
Easter concerts from King's College Chapel are broadcast on the Radio 3
beginning on Good Friday with a live broadcast of Arvo Pärt's setting of the
St John Passion performed by the Hillard Ensemble and King's College Choir
which depicts the last hours of Christ's life.
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This work is coupled with
the world premiere of British composer Michael Zev Gordon's work for choir and
solo cello This Night.
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Choral Evensong on Easter Day (Sunday 8 April) is broadcast
live from King's College Chapel at 4pm.
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Easter Monday includes an organ
recital from King's in which David Goode performs Liszt's magnificent
treatment of the Crucifixus theme from Bach's Mass in B minor, and Michael
Williamson's major organ fantasy Vision of Christ-Phoenix which celebrates
Easter alongside further seasonal works.
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Elgar's oratorio The Light Of Life
performed by the Philharmonia Chorus and 91Èȱ¬ Concert Orchestra is broadcast in
Performance On 3.
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Other seasonal programming on Radio 3 includes Catherine Bott hosting a
round-table discussion with tenor Roger Covey-Crump, renowned for his role as
the Evangelist, counter-tenor Michael Chance and soprano Mhairi Lawson in
which the conversation focuses upon various issues in the performance of the
Passions (Early Music Show, 31 March).
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Michael Chance can be heard later in
the week in Bach's St John Passion alongside soloists Susan Gritton, Mark
Padmore, Toby Spence and Thomas Quasthoff with Sir Simon Rattle and the
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra broadcast in Afternoon On 3 (Good Friday, 2-5pm).
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James MacMillan and the Britten Sinfonia perform music for Holy Week by
the 16th-century composer Victoria and his own Seven Last Words From The Cross
(Performance On 3, Wednesday 4 April).
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Programme Information
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Saturday 31 March
Ìý The Early Music Show, 1.00pm
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Catherine Bott hosts a round-table discussion with tenor Rogers Covey-Crump,
renowned for his role as the Evangelist; counter-tenor Michael Chance; and
soprano Mhairi Lawson. They discuss various issues in the performance of the
St Matthew and St John Passions of J.S. Bach.
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Wednesday 4 April
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Performance On 3, 7.00pm
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Britten - Prelude and Fugue for 18-part strings
Victoria - Tenebrae Responsories for Good Friday, second nocturne:
Tamquam ad latronem,
Tenebrae factae sunt,
Animam meam dilectam
Britten - Hymn to the Virgin
Tippett - Dance, Clarion Air
Tippett - Fantasia Concertante on a theme of Corelli
MacMillan - The Seven Last Words from the Cross
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Britten Sinfonia
91Èȱ¬ Singers
Magnus Johnston (violin)
Jacqueline Shave (violin)
Caroline Dearnley (cello)
James MacMillan (conductor)
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Thursday 5 April
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Afternoon On 3, 2.00pm
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Wagner: Parsifal: Prelude and Good Friday Music
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91Èȱ¬ Philharmonic
Gianandrea Noseda (conductor)
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Good Friday, 6 April
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Horae Canonicae
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The Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Rev and Rt Hon Rowan Williams,
introduces each part of Horae Canonicae, W.H. Auden's great poem that
contemplates Good Friday through the seven offices of the monastic day. Each
part is interspersed throughout the day's schedule at the corresponding point.
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Afternoon On 3, 2.00pm
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The afternoon programme includes:
James MacMillan - The World's Ransoming for cor anglais and
orchestra
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91Èȱ¬ Scottish Symphony Orchestra
James Horan (cor anglais)
Christoph König (conductor)
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J.S. Bach - St John Passion, BWV 245
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Susan Gritton (soprano)
Michael Chance (altus)
Mark Padmore (tenor)
Toby Spence (tenor)
Thomas Quasthoff (baritone)
RIAS Chamber Choir
Director: Daniel Reuss
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle
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Performance On 3, 7.00pm
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Michael Zev Gordon - This Night
Arvo Pärt - St John Passion
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Anton Lukoszevieze (cello)
Stephen Cleobury (conductor)
The Choir of King's College/ The Hilliard Ensemble,
David James (director)
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The Verb, 9.45pm
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The Good Friday edition of The Verb includes an interview with Rowan Williams
in which he talks about Auden's Horae Canonicae, and responds to it as a
practising poet himself.
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Easter Sunday, 8 April
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Choral Evensong, 4.00pm
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Broadcast live from King's College Chapel
Festal Evensong includes:
Joubert - Magnificat and Nunc dimittis
S.S. Wesley - Anthem 266 Blessed be the God and Father
Elgar - Te Deum
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Monday 9 April
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Afternoon on 3, 2.00-5.00pm
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Includes organ recital by David Goode Liszt - Variations on Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen
Buxtehude - Jesus Christus, unser Heiland BUXWV 198
Tunder - Partita Jesus Christus unser Heiland
Williamson - Vision of Christ-Phoenix (1961)
Widor - Symphonie Romane Op 73 (Choral)
Tournemire (trans.Duruflè) - Choral-Improvisation on Victimae-Paschali
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Performance on 3, 7.00-8.45pm
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Elgar - Sursum Corda
Vaughan Williams - Five Mystical Songs
Elgar - The Light of Life
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Majella Cullagh (soprano)
Louise Crane (mezzo soprano)
Justin Lavender (tenor)
Russell Smythe (bass)
91Èȱ¬ Concert Orchestra/ Philharmonia Chorus
Stephen Cleobury (conductor) Ìý
Radio 3 Publicity
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