As it is nearly thirty years since I last sang Carmina Burana, I thought it might be instructive to refresh my memory about the origins and history of both the words and the music, and then to share that with anyone else who might be interested.  With the wonderful resources of Google and Wikipedia to hand, it should be easy, or so I imagined, to find out much more than was readily available thirty years ago.

 That was the theory.  In practice, all the many websites devoted to Carmina Burana tell the same tale.  And they all leave one telling question unanswered.  So my research turned into more of a guessing game – a surmise of how things might have happened.

 But let’s begin with the facts.  In 1803, a portfolio of around one thousand poems was discovered at a Benedictine abbey in southern Germany.  They were written in Mediaeval Latin and Old High German, with smatterings of other languages.  The language enabled them to be dated to the 11^th and 12^th centuries.  About eight hundred of the poems form six religious plays, with the remaining two hundred or so having secular themes.  The latter are earthy, boisterous, bawdy and irreverent, although by most judgements they would not be considered profane.  These poems captured the imagination of a number of scholars, one of whom translated them into English.  In the 1930’s, the composer Carl Orff, noted for his musical education methods, came across the translations and decided to set a representative selection of the secular poems to music.

 Originally, the work was to be performed with dramatic tableaux adding to the sense of theatre.  This version was, after some hesitation, approved by the Nazi authorities, and played to full houses.  Orff disowned all the music he had written previously, and composed two further similar works, which did not receive the same popular acclaim.

 The music really came into its own as a concert piece in the 1960’s.  It is now performed frequently all over the world, both in the orchestral version such as Sydney Philharmonia Choirs gave recently, and in the version accompanied by two pianos and percussion, which Manly Warringah Choir will be presenting in August.

 Now for the unanswered question……Why were the poems written?  There is a huge contrast in the subject matter of the poems, from reverent depictions of Bible stories to a cursing of Fate and the celebration of wine, women and song.  It does not make a lot of sense.  All the websites say is that the poems were written by Goliards, students of theology who were probably itinerant.  But why would they write material in two such totally different genres?  It seems we can only surmise. 

 It seems that, at the time, the Church was becoming rather authoritarian, with Church officials wielding a great deal of political power.  Noble and wealthy families typically sent at least one of their sons to become priests, willingly or unwillingly.  As priests in training, these largely intelligent and gifted young men faced a lifetime of living under the Church’s authority, which involved strict codes of conduct and not being married.  So I wonder if the secular poems in Carmina Burana are the last fling of young men about to submit to a lifetime of obedience, moral rectitude and chastity.  Perhaps that made them the angry young men of their day, or perhaps the graffiti artists of their time.  Perhaps they were imagining what was not to be, or giving voice to their dreams.

 Maybe it does not matter why the songs were written.  Taken at face value, they are one of many possible commentaries on some of life’s basic facets.  And they are great fun to sing.  If early rehearsals are any indication, Carlos will once again bring out the best in the Choir, particularly in terms of tone and expression, which should make for a great afternoon on August 7^th.

I think we all knew that this concert was going to be a bit special.  For one thing, we seemed to learn the notes of the Mozart Requiem early on in the rehearsal programme, enabling Carlos to spend a lot of time adding expression and meaning to the music.  For another, hearing Alexandra rehearsing the Prokoviev Violin Concerto on Thursday evening showed that the audience was in for a double treat.

And on the night itself, the very first declamatory chords of The Magic Flute Overture showed that the orchestra was more than its usual confident and competent self, equally at home playing on its own or accompanying Alexandra or the Choir.

 What followed was arguably one of the best concerts we have ever produced.  Alexandra’s playing of the Prokoviev was by turns masterful and playful, squeezing the last drop of expression out of every note, phrase and episode.  Even those members of the audience who perhaps were not so keen on the music itself commented on her consummate technical skill.  Standing at the back of the Chapel with the notes wafting through the screen was a delight – I sometimes wonder whether the acoustics there are better than those in the main body of the Chapel.

 As for the Mozart Requiem – despite a couple of untidy entries, we can be confident that Mozart himself would have been proud of our performance.  All that work on the expression paid off, and we were able to communicate the music fully to the audience.  The soloists sang beautifully both individually and as a quartet.  I think that Carlos’ favourite section, the Lacrymosa, which he believes embodies Mozart’s personal credo, might have been the highlight for many people both in the Choir and in the audience.  And that would be very fitting.

 What next?  Carmina Burana, on Sunday afternoon, August 8^th.  Rehearsals start on Thursday April 28^th.

It has been a great year for Manly Warringah Choir.  Our 2010 had three fabulous concerts, not just on our own judgement but on that of capacity audiences.  Everyone will have their own special memories of the year, but my three top ones will be Chris Pidcock’s stirring performance of the Dvorak Cello Concerto, the Choir’s masterful performance of the very difficult Poulenc Gloria, and the exhilaration of singing the finale of Beethoven’s Ninth followed by the spontaneous standing ovation.

What’s in store for 2011? Three choral favourites, for a start.  In April, Mozart’s exquisite Requiem; in August, Orff’s boisterous Carmina Burana; and in December, Handel’s  incomparable Messiah.  And in the first concert, we will have the treat of hearing Alexandra playing Prokoviev’s tuneful first Violin Concerto.

So it promises to be another fantastic year of music-making under Carlos’ inspirational direction.  I look forward to seeing everyone at the first rehearsal on January 27^th.