Singchronizers Concert 2015 – Faith. Hope. Love. Praise. – Love

“And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is Love. ”
– 1 Cor 13:13.
如今常存的有信、有望、有愛這三樣，其中最大的是愛。
—哥林多前書13章13節

– Love

音樂會的下半場以一雙短篇作品開展「愛」的主題：Bogoróditse Djévo（Mother of God and Virgin）和Mother of God, Here I Stand，兩篇作品藉著聖母瑪利亞述說對神的愛。Bogoróditse Djévo由愛沙尼亞作曲家Arvo Pärt (生1935)在1990年為劍橋大學英皇書院合唱團所作，歌曲以活躍的節奏和混合拍子唱出古教會斯拉夫語的歌詞。

Robert Campin, The Mérode Altarpiece, 1425-1428

Bogoróditse Djévo (Mother of God and Virgin)

Bogoróditse Djévo, rádujssja,
Blagodátnaja Maríje,
Gosspód ss Tobóju;
Blagosslovjéna Ty v zhenákh i
blagosslovjén plod chrjéva Tvojegó,
jáko Sspássa rodilá jeessí dush
náshikh.

Rejoice, O virgin Mary, full of
grace, the Lord is with thee:
blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy
womb,
for thou hast borne the Saviour of
our souls.

Murillo, Annunciation, 1655

緊接着的是英國作曲家約翰 • 塔文納爵士（1944-2013）的Mothzer of God, here I stand。此曲目取自作曲家的大作The Veil of the Temple──一首超過7小時，並由四個合唱團、數個樂團，再加上獨唱一同參與的大型作品。帶着「安靜﹑極度溫柔」的標示，樂曲在氣氛上和上一首曲目喜樂的宣告形成強烈對比。

Mother of God, Here I Stand

Mother of God, here I stand now praying,
Before this ikon of your radiant brightness,
Not praying to be saved from a battlefield;
Not giving thanks, nor seeking forgiveness
for the sins of my soul, nor for all the souls.
Numb, joyless and desolate on earth;
But for her alone, whom I wholly give you.

Leonardo da Vinci, Last Supper

葛利果聖歌Ubi Caritas本身在四至十世紀期間寫成，二十世紀作曲家Maurice Duruflé（1902 –1986）使用原本葛利果聖歌的旋律為副歌和第一節歌詞，編上給混聲合唱的音樂。傳統上，這詞是在濯足節為紀念耶穌為門徒洗腳和最後晚餐所唱，故此是引向基督被釘十架的前奏，最能彰顯神的愛。

Ubi Caritas

Ubi caritas et amor,
Deus ibi est.
Congregavit nos in unum
Christi amor.
Exsultemus,
et in ipso jucundemur.
Timeamus,
et amemus Deum vivum.
Et ex corde diligamus
nos sincero.

Ubi caritas et amor,
Deus ibi est.
Amen.

Where charity and love are,
God is there.
Christ’s love has gathered
us into one.
Let us rejoice,
and be pleased in Him.
Let us fear,
and let us love the living God.
And may we love each other
with a sincere heart.

Where charity and love are,
God is there.
Amen.

除了對神的愛，音樂會亦加上了人與人之間的愛。美國作曲家Eric Whitacre的Five Hebrew Love Songs就是關於人間的愛。歌詞是作曲家的妻子所寫，流露着兩夫婦之間的情懷與生活點滴。例如Kala Kalla（即light bride的意思）是作曲家跟妻子學習希伯來文時想起的雙關語；Eyze Sheleg開頭鐘聲的音調，正好和他們在德國時聽到附近教堂的鐘聲一樣。這些歌最初是為女高音獨唱、小提琴和鋼琴而寫，後來改編為合唱的歌曲。

Jan van Eyck, Arnolfini Portrait, 1434

Five Hebrew Love Songs

I. Temuná
Temuná belibí charutá;
Nodédet beyn ór uveyn ófel:
Min dmamá shekazó et guféch kach otá,
Usaréch al paná’ich kach nófel.

II. Kalá kallá
Kalá kallá
Kulá shelí.
U’vekalút
Tishák hí lí!

III. Laróv
“Laróv,” amár gag la’shama’im,
“Hamerchák shebeynéynu hu ad;
Ach lifnéy zman alu lechán shna’im,
Uveynéynu nishár sentiméter echád.”

IV. Éyze shéleg!
Éyze shéleg!
Kmo chalamót ktaním
Noflím mehashamá’im;

V. Rakút
Hu hayá malé rakút
Hi haytá kashá
Vechól káma shenistá lehishaér kach,
Pashút, uvlí sibá tová,
Lakach otá el toch atzmó,
Veheníach
Bamakóm hachí, hachí rach.

I. A picture
A picture is engraved in my heart;
Moving between light and darkness:
A sort of silence envelopes your body,
And your hair falls upon your face just so.

II. Light bride
Light bride
She is all mine,
And lightly
She will kiss me!

III. Mostly
“Mostly,” said the roof to the sky,
“the distance between you and I is endlessness;
But a while ago two came up here,
and only one centimeter was left between us.”

IV. What snow!
What snow!
Like little dreams
Falling from the sky.

V. Tenderness
He was full of tenderness;
She was very hard.
And as much as she tried to stay thus,
Simply, and with no good reason,
He took her into himself,
And set her down
in the softest, softest place.

日期：二零一五年八月廿一日（星期五）
時間：下午八時正
地點：循道衛理聯合教會香港堂: 香港灣仔軒尼詩道36號
票價：HK$150 不設劃位
網上售票: https://goo.gl/fsMbSf
查詢：singchronizers@gmail.com

Date: Friday, 21^st August, 2015
Time: 8:00 p.m.
Venue: Chinese Methodist Church, 36 Hennessy Road, Hong Kong
Price: HK$ 150 free seating
Book now at https://goo.gl/fsMbSf
Enquiries: singchronizers@gmail.com

About Singchronizers

Singchronizers由一群熱愛音樂的聖保羅男女中學畢業生組成，現時有超過40位富經驗和熱誠的年輕合唱團員。團員在母校的時光接受合唱的訓練和培養出對音樂的濃厚興趣。Singchronizers自2006年成立以來，一直致力維持優秀的音樂演出，和增進團員間的聯繫，以向大眾分享對音樂的愛，盼望和夢想。

樂團在2006年參加香港國際青少年合唱節並在比賽中取得佳績，隨後在2007年開始舉辦自己的音樂會。此外樂團亦曾在香港電台第四台的節目《弦外之音》（Belle Nuit）和《聖誕園林音樂會》（Seasons Greetings in the Park）中演出。

Singchronizers會接觸不用類型的音樂，除經典的古典和現代合唱曲目外，也有民謠、爵士樂、劇場音樂、黑人靈歌等。樂團曾演出或參演的作品包括韋華第的《榮耀頌》、布拉姆斯的《德意志安魂曲》、Bob Chilcott的《小爵士彌撒曲》(A Little Jazz Mass)、佛瑞的《安魂曲》和馬勒的《千人交響曲》。

Based on programme notes written by Sanders Lau

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