Composer's notes:The Fool is a time-honoured Orthodox religious figure: a Saint the highest of all who discards everything for Christ's sake. He discards all convention all decency all wealth actual and spiritual and turns himself into a figure of fun - defying all acceptable behaviour - and all religious decency. He stands in the square and lets down his trousers - he stuffs himself with food on Good Friday - he gets drunk - he 'appears'to fornicate wildly. There is a faint possibility (in not the highest of 'Fools') of gaining worldly popularity by such flagrant denial of all moral behaviour. Can such behaviour be too interesting? The true fool however embraces all of this and also (unseen) shrinks before the face of his God. By his behaviour he plucks out all hypocrisy false piety and corruption. He is a figure much needed in our times!!! The way I have tried to tacklethis extraordinary subject is to show him in seven stages from an obscene huge fat traditional clown who is drunk fornicating etc. through a stumbling frail agonized figure to a sallow-faced gaunt business man in a formalsuit staring at an empty glass. Having first revered him then mocked him the 'people' while they get drunk and jabber away at 'Christmas' and at the Feast of Feasts 'Easter' are no longer aware of him. But the audience seeshim - a tiny ragged scrap of mortality lying in a corner and faintly so faintly the voice of the Fool the true Fool for Christ's sake sings above the ribald crowd. 'He has given His life'. The Gogmagogs are the 'people' 'priests' 'singers' etc. and one male singer who can 'create' or 'uncreate' this vast role (singing and acting miming etc.) John Tavener Arranged for SSATBB chorus. Date of composition 2000. Chorus part only.

Aus: Vierzehn Choralbearbeitungen. Par REGER MAX / DECIUS NIKOLAUS. with alternative text 'O Lamm Gottes unschuldig' [text: Nikolaus Decius]/ Répertoire / Choeur SSATB

Chandons Te Deum HWV 281. Par HAENDEL GEORG FRIEDRICH. Handel composed the 'Te Deum? in B-flat major HWV 281 in 1718 for the future Duke of Chandos, hence its nickname 'Chandos Te Deum?. Here it is called 'Te Deum for Cannons? after the Duke's stately home named Cannons where the first performance took place. The unusual scoring for flute, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, two violins and basso continuo plus a choir (one soprano, three tenors and a bass) probably reflects the musicians which were available at Cannons, bearing in mind that three tenors were used also in 'Acis and Galatea?, the masque which was composed at almost the same time. Though in many respects this 'Te Deum? is reminiscent of the 'Utrecht Te Deum?, its smaller forces tend to give it more the character of chamber music. This edition is based on the Urtext from the 'Halle Handel Edition? (BA 10708), which offers the first complete scholarly text of the music for the 'Te Deum?./ Répertoire / SSATB et Orchestre

Guerra Di Baci. Aus: Italienische Madrigale. Par SCHUTZ HEINRICH. Tonalité : F-Dur - SWV 9 (op. 1 #9)/ Répertoire / Choeur SSATB