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Songs in Times of Distress

The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Singers offer haunting choral music from the Theresienstadt ghetto, with reflective interludes provided by students of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Singing gives comfort in dark times. Before the Nazis sanctioned Theresienstadt’s 'leisure activities', covert music persisted – composers drew their own manuscript paper and choirs met in secret. Hear works that would have been forbidden elsewhere in Nazi territory, including Hebrew and Yiddish songs by Viktor Ullmann. Baritone Simon Wallfisch – co-curator of the concert and grandson of an Auschwitz survivor – also sings Ullmann’s Songs of Comfort and reads first-hand accounts from the camp.

With most instruments needing to be smuggled in, Theresienstadt led composers to write for small groups, such as in the pieces for strings by Gideon Klein, Pavel Haas and František Domažlický which are presented here by Guildhall School Musicians. Post-war reflections from Silvie Bodorova and Dieter Gogg complete the programme, with reflective interludes provided by students of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Singers
Nicholas Chalmers conductor
Simon Wallfisch baritone/narrator
Iain Farrington piano
Guildhall School Musicians:
Hana Mizuta-Spencer violin
Melanie Gruwez violin
Kate de Campos viola
William Clark-Maxwell cello
Bogdan Skrypka percussion

Viktor Ullmann Two Hebrew Pieces for choir
Extracts from Diary of Dan by Gonda Redlich, 16 March - 6 October 1944
Words from Viktor Ullmann
Viktor Ullmann Songs of Comfort for low voice and string trio:
Extract from Goethe and Ghetto
Extract from a review by Viktor Ullmann
Gideon Klein String Trio
Words by Zeev Shek, extract from Music in Terezin by Joza Karas
Gideon Klein Folk Songs for male chorus
Silvie Bodorova 'Lacrimosa' from Terezín Ghetto Requiem for baritone and string quartet
Pavel Haas 'Wild Night' from String Quartet No 2
Extract from Terezin, a story of the Holocaust by Franklin Watts
Dieter Gogg/Leo Strauss Als Ob (As If) (arr Iain Farrington)
Dieter Gogg/Otto Beer Theresienstadt, der schönste Stadt der Welt (Theresienstadt, the most beautiful city in the world) (arr Iain Farrington)
František Domažlický Song Without Words for string quartet
Viktor Ullmann Yiddish Songs for choir
Viktor Ullmann ‘Komm Tod, du unser werter Gast‘ from Der Kaiser von Atlantis (arr Iain Farrington)

1 hour, 28 minutes

Last on

Sun 29 Jan 2023 19:30

Music Played

  • Viktor Ullmann

    Two Hebrew pieces for choir: Eliahu

    Choir: ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Singers. Conductor: Nicholas Chalmers.
  • Viktor Ullmann

    Two Hebrew pieces for choir: Anu Olim

    Choir: ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Singers. Conductor: Nicholas Chalmers.
  • Viktor Ullmann

    Lieder der Tröstung: 1.Tote wollen nicht verweilen

    Singer: Jessica Gillingwater. Ensemble: Members of Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
  • Viktor Ullmann

    Lieder der Tröstung: 2.Erwachen zu Weihnachten (Fragment)

    Singer: Jessica Gillingwater. Ensemble: Members of Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
  • Gideon Klein

    Trio for Violin, Viola and Cello

    Ensemble: Members of Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
  • Gideon Klein

    Sundenfall for Male Chorus

    Choir: ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Singers. Conductor: Nicholas Chalmers.
  • Sylvie Bodorová

    Requiem for Terezin for baritone solo & string quartet: first movement

    Singer: Simon Wallfisch. Ensemble: Members of Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
  • Gideon Klein

    Folksongs for Male Chorus

    Choir: ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Singers. Conductor: Nicholas Chalmers.
  • Pavel Haas

    String Quartet No. 2, Op.7: IV - Wild Night

    Ensemble: Members of Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
  • Dieter Gogg

    Theresienstadt, der schönste Stadt der Welt

    Performer: Iain Farrington. Singer: Katherine Nicholson.
  • Dieter Gogg

    Als Ob'

    Performer: Iain Farrington. Music Arranger: Iain Farrington. Singer: Simon Wallfisch.
  • FrantiÅ¡ek Domažlický

    Lied ohne Worte (Song without Words) for string quartet

    Ensemble: Members of Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
  • Viktor Ullmann

    Yiddish Songs for Male & Female Choir

    Choir: ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Singers.
  • Viktor Ullmann

    From Kaiser von Atlantis 'Komm Tod, du unser werter Gast'

    Performer: Iain Farrington. Music Arranger: Iain Farrington. Choir: ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Singers. Conductor: Nicholas Chalmers.
  • Edward Elgar

    Salut d'amour Op.12 vers. for violin and piano

    Performer: Nicola Benedetti. Performer: Peter Limonov.
    • Elgar Violin Concerto.
    • Decca Classics.
    • 5.

Broadcast

  • Sun 29 Jan 2023 19:30