Cloudburst  Music  by  Eric  Whitacre  /  Words  by  Octavio  Paz  (1914-­‐1988)  

Soloists:  Chris  Arnold,  Aaron  Juritz  and  Stephanie  Pulker    

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This  Marriage  Music  by  Eric  Whitacre  /  Words  by  Jalāl  ad-­‐Dīn  Rūmī  (1207-­‐1273)  

 

A  Boy  And  A  Girl  Music  by  Eric  Whitacre  /  Words  by  Octavio  Paz  

 

The  Seal  Lullaby  Music  by  Eric  Whitacre  /  Words  by  Rudyard  Kipling  (1865-­‐1936)  

Piano:  Bronwyn  van  Wieringen    

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When  David  Heard  Music  by  Eric  Whitacre  /  Words  from  the  Bible  (II  Samuel  18:33)  

Soloist:  Michael  Marchant    

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To  Build  A  Home  Written  by  The  Cinematic  Orchestra  

Vocals:  Richard  Brokensha  /  Piano:  Bronwyn  van  Wieringen    

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Only  In  Sleep  Music  by  Ēriks  Ešenvalds  (b.  1977)  /  Words  by  Sara  Teasdale  (1884-­‐1933)  

Soloists:  Stephanie  Pulker  and  Jenni  van  Doesburgh    

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Sleep  Music  by  Eric  Whitacre  /  Words  by  Charles  Anthony  Silvestri  

 

Water  Night  Music  by  Eric  Whitacre  /  Words  by  Octavio  Paz  

 

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Exit  Music  (For  A  Film)  Written  by  Radiohead  (from  “OK  Computer”,  1997)  

Guitar:  Owen  Rogers  /  Vocals:  Richard  Brokensha  /  Percussion:  Cherilee  Adams,  Dylan  Tabisher      

Fly  To  Paradise  Written  by  Eric  Whitacre  (from  “Paradise  Lost:  Shadows  and  Wings”,  2007)  

Organ:  Johan  van  der  Walt  /  Vocals:  Richard  Brokensha  /  Percussion:  Cherilee  Adams,  Dylan  Tabisher      

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You  are  welcome  to  record  aspects  of  the  performance  but  kindly  ensure  that  your  device  is  silent.  We  encourage  you  to  “trust  the  silences”  by  applauding  only  where  the  dark  stars  appear  in  the  programme.  Do  join  us  after  the  performance  for  a  complimentary  glass  of  wine  outside.  

 The  “Trust  the  Silences”  Journey  

 elcome  to  tonight’s  performance:  the  sequel  to  the  second  instalment  of  VOX’s  “New  Soundscapes”  series.  Last  year,  as  part  of  VOX’s  aim  to  expose  audiences  to  fresh  choral  sounds,  we  presented  our  first  performance  entitled  A  Tale  of  

Two  Tave(r)ners  in  which  the  Renaissance  polyphony  and  contemporary  minimalism  of  two  composers  separated  by  500  years  were  juxtaposed.  In  contrast,  our  second  major  performance,   comprising   music   written   within   the   last   three   decades,   was   planned  around  a  quotation  in  a  musical  score  by  Eric  Whitacre  –  “Above  all,  trust  the  silences.”    Tonight’s   performance   has   come   about   after   the   overwhelmingly   positive   response   to   this  second   programme,   entitled  Trust   the  Silences,   presented   in  November   last   year.  While   still  headed  by  the  unleashed  kinetic  energy  of  Cloudburst,  Trust  the  Silences  (Once  More)  features  several  new  works  by  Eric  Whitacre  (b.  1970,  United  States),  Ēriks  Ešenvalds  (b.  1977,  Latvia),  Radiohead  (formed  in  1985)  and  The  Cinematic  Orchestra  (formed  in  1999).      These  new  pieces   include  A  Boy  And  A  Girl  and  Water  Night,  both  settings  of  poems  by  1990  Nobel   laureate   Octavio   Paz  who   also   crafted   the   text   for  Cloudburst.   To   provide   a  mood   of  introspection   after   the   devastation   of  When   David   Heard   is   a   deeply   moving   song   by  The  Cinematic  Orchestra,  To  Build  A  Home.  Ēriks  Ešenvalds’s  Only  in  Sleep  is  a  nostalgic  reflection  on  childhood  while  Radiohead’s  Exit  Music  (For  A  Film)  was  recently  featured  in  the  climactic  season  finale  of  the  series  Westworld.    VOX   is   thrilled   to   welcome   several   top-­‐class   young   guest   artists   to   tonight’s   performance  including   Bronwyn   van   Wieringen  (piano),  Richard   Brokensha  (vocals),   Cherilee   Adams  (percussion),  Dylan  Tabisher  (percussion)  and  Tara  Notcutt  (lighting).  Special  preparation  for  this   concert   included   a   technical   masterclass   with   soprano   Antoinette   Blythe   and   an  expression   workshop   with   Megan   Furniss   to   encourage   emotional   engagement   with   the  music.  The  colours  of  the  original  Trust  the  Silences  artwork  have  been  inverted  to  represent  light,  hope  and  the  fresh  beginnings  embodied  by  our  revised  programme.    We  are  excited  to  announce  that,   just  last  week,  VOX  Cape  Town  signed  a  digital  distribution  agreement  with  local  record  label  WooWi.  Although  our  unique,  immersive  performances  will  remain  our   top  priority,  professional   recordings  allow  us   to   strengthen  our  aim  of  exposing  new  audiences   to  choral  music  by  extending  our  reach  across   the  globe.   Importantly,  as  our  music  will  be  marketed  through  50  digital  stores  such  as  iTunes  and  Spotify,  this  will  ensure  that   South   African   music   is   well-­‐represented   on   the   global   market.   In   addition,   we   will  produce  a  limited  run  of  physical  CDs  of  each  album.  Our  first  recording  session,  part  of  which  will  also  be  filmed,  will  take  place  tomorrow  afternoon  in  the  Memorial  Chapel.      

We  are  grateful  to  Father  Terry  Wilke  for  allowing  us  to  re-­‐imagine  this  sacred  space.    Proceeds  from  tonight’s  performance  will  be  donated  to  the  Bishops  Chapel  Improvement  Fund  for  the  preservation  and  maintenance  of  this  acoustic  jewel.  We  acknowledge  Andre  Bergh,    Mark  Mitchell  and  the  Bishops  Music  Department  for  the  generous  loan  of  the  instruments.  

Finally,  VOX  Cape  Town  is  very  grateful  to  you  for  joining  us  tonight  for  the  closing  chapter  of  this  journey  of  sound  and  silence.  

 

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