Sunderland Symphony

Geoffrey Álvarez: A Sunderland Symphony

Instrumentation

Piccolo, 2 Flutes, Alto Flute, 2 Oboes, Cor Anglais, Clarinet in Eb,
2 Clarinets in Bb, Bass Clarinet in Bb, Bassoons,Contrabassoon,
4 Horns in F, Piccolo Trumpet in Eb, 2 Trumpets in Bb, 2 Tenor Trombones, Bass Trombone, Tuba

Timpani (two players) Bass Drum, Cymbals, Crotales, Tam-tam, Triangle, Sand Block, Tambourine,Tubular bells, Xylophone Harp, Organ (optional),
Piano, 8 church bells tuned to the diatonic octave of G major (optional)
An alternative version for F major bells is also available.

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Bass, SSAATTBB Chorus

Strings

Full Score of complete work version ending in D - Orchestral Material Full Score of complete work version ending in G - Orchestral Material
Full Score of complete work version ending in F - Orchestral Material

Vocal Score with pianoforte duet reduction - version in D, G & F

1: Nil desperandum auspice Deo

“Don’t despair, trust in God.” – a celebration of Sunderland’s city motto accompanied by a stylised boom redolent of the foghorn of the Souter light house, the strident call of the great herring gulls
and the sea herself.

This is both the first movement of A Sunderland Symphony and an overture for choir and orchestra which can be performed independently of the complete work, as may all the other movements.

video realisation of vocal parts

Score of overture

2: The brassic Fish Lass

For Mezzo-soprano, Soprano and orchestra

A fish lass (or wife) haggles with a hinny (lady) over her produce on a brassic (freezing cold) day.

Fish Lass: Will yer baaee? Will yer baaee ma fresh fish? Will yer baaee?
Nice crab hinny? Can a sell ya a nice crab now?
Hinny: How much is the crab?
Fish Lass: That big one’s two shillin
Hinny: Two shillin
Fish Lass: Yes and the lobster's five schilin. Now these are just from out the sea this morning.
They're fresh fish yer.
Hinny: Yer sure they’re fresh?
Fish Lass: Quite shooer. Yes.
Hinny: I'll give you one and nine.
Fish Lass: Noer. It’s very sweet yer know. Got to have coppers this week, last week.
It’s very sweet yer know. Bag of willicks are three-pence and six-pence.
Hinny: I'll have a six penny bag.
Fish Lass: I’ll gi yer a six penny one la giv yer a pin ter poke them yer know.
Hinny: All-right.
Fish Lass: Yes I’ll giz a pinnin free of charge.

video realisation of vocal and string parts

Score

3: Jabberwocky: an uffish Fugue

for Bass, Chorus and Orchestra

The first verse of Jabberwocky was printed in Mischmasch,
a publication Lewis Carroll wrote for his family.
The rest of the poem was written in Whitburn,
based on two serpentine stories from the North-east:
the Lambton and Sockburn worms.

video realisation of vocal and string part

score

4: Marra.

for Alto, Bass, Chorus and Orchestra.

The text of Marra is from the Ryhope Little plaque
detailing with the life of the wife and mother of pitmen, Sarah Seed.

video realisation of vocal parts

score

5: Bede’s Death Song

For Bass, Chorus, Organ, Church Bells and Orchestra

The Venerable Bede died on Thursday, 26 May 735, Ascension Day, on the floor of his cell in Jarrow singing Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. That night he dictated a final sentence to the scribe, a boy named Wilberht, and died soon afterwards. Bede’s disciple, Cuthbert composed a letter to Cuthwin on Bede’s death, alluding to a five-line poem in the vernacular that Bede possibly composed on his deathbed, known as Bede’s Death Song. Whilst the poem is not definitely attributed to Bede, this orchestral song imagines that Bede is indeed composing this poem on his deathbed, taking three attempts to delivery the work in a continuous coherent stream as he slips away, being beset, as Cuthbert notes, by “frequent attacks of breathlessness” the final version the most confident, this last burst of strength, a phenomenon common to those at the liminal position between life and death. His disciple notes that his last words were the Gloria Patri. I develop this by imagining that he was inspired to deliver this text hearing the Nunc dimittis sung by the monks at the monastery where he issued his last breath. In one version, there is an ending for bells in G major proclaim the joy of Bede’s ascension in the Plain Bob Major peal, suitable for Sunderland Minster's bells. There is an alternative ending for bells in F major, suitable for Holy Trinity Church, Old Sunderland.

Contact Geoffrey Álvarez for performance materials.

Northumbrian version

Fore thaem neidfaerae ‖ naenig uuiurthit
thoncsnotturra, ‖ than him tharf sie
to ymbhycggannae ‖ aer his hiniongae
huaet his gastae ‖ godaes aeththa yflaes
aefter deothdaege ‖ doemid uueorthae.

Modern English translation

Before the unavoidable journey ‖ nothing can be
More wise-thinking, ‖ than he who
Recalls with mindfulness ‖ before his going-away
On whether his soul ‖ good or ill
After death’s day ‖ will be judged.

video realisation of vocal parts of G version

video realisation of vocal parts of F version

score of G version

score of F version

Multiple copies of full scores and parts are available here. Further enquiries: Geoffrey Álvarez

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