LIG VAN WAARHEID
A new Christmas Oratorio in Afrikaans
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AFRIKAANS FOLLOWS ENGLISH
NEW AFRIKAANS CHRISTMAS ORATORIO: LIG VAN WAARHEID
Following the very successful performance and recording of Kruis van Liefde, the first Afrikaans Easter Oratorio in March 2021, the overwhelming response of the public inspired the composer, Franco Prinsloo, to compose another Oratorio. In this new Christmas Oratorio, Lig van Waarheid, he depicts the birth of Jesus – The Christmas Story. The oratorio was specifically composed for the Vox Chamber Choir.
The libretto for this brand-new Oratorio was compiled by Prinsloo and the well-known baritone, Chris Vale, and repurposes lyrical Afrikaans song texts from the Halleluja-sangbundel and the Koraalboek of 1956, as well as some texts form the Sionsgesange of 1945. The libretto for the recitatives were taken from the 1953 and 1983 translation of the Gospel of Luke.
“After seeing the wonderful song texts of the Halleluja-sangbundel and
Koraalboek of 1956 anew, I again realised the incredible poetic value of these texts.
I deliberately started collecting song texts that were unfamiliar to me with the specific purpose of composing this Christmas Oratorio,” Prinsloo explains.
“The texts possess a particular rhythmical ingenuity because they were written to be sung. It is incredibly exciting to breathe new life into these sometimes forgotten texts by setting them to new music,” Prinsloo continues.
Prinsloo and Vale purposely never looked at the original melodies and worked only with the text to ensure the final libretto consists of only poetic powerful lyrics. The outcome is a captivating new Afrikaans Christmas Oratorio which gives new life to old texts using fresh contemporary musical settings.
The story is told through an unusual combination of instruments: choir, soloists, a string orchestra, two trumpets, celesta, percussion, and a solo bassoon. In the final movement the inclusion of the organ triumphantly announces the conclusion of the Oratorio and links thematically to the Easter Oratorio, Kruis van Liefde.
Kruis van Liefde, was composed by using a choir for both arias and recitatives. In Lig van Waarheid, however, three soloists are used for the roles of Maria, Joseph and the angel Gabriel.
Prinsloo’s ultimate goal is to compose a trilogy of oratorios: Kruis van Liefde,
Lig van Waarheid and Kroon van Wonders. The libretto of the last of the trilogy, Kroon van Wonders, has already been partly completed by the author and poet, Hans du Plessis, and planning for a premiere in 2025 is already underway. The recording of Kruis van Liefde was nominated for two SAMAs earlier in 2022.
The world premiere of Lig van Waarheid will be on Sunday 27 November 2022 at 16:00 in the Groote Kerk, Cape Town. Prinsloo’s own chamber choir, the Vox Chamber Choir from Pretoria, will join forces with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra to bring this brand-new Oratorio to life. The composer himself will be conducting the work. Three soloists from the Vox Chamber Choir will be singing the roles of Maria (Marilize Hattingh), The Angel (Chris Vale) and Joseph (Wouter van Wyk Jnr).
Tickets for the world premiere of Lig van Waarheid with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra are available at Computicket.
For audiences in Gauteng, a special pre-concert of Lig van Waarheid will be performed on Sunday, 20 November 2022 at 15:00 at the Universiteitsoord-kerk in Pretoria. The work will be presented on this occasion as a version where the string orchestra has been reduced for the organ. The organist is the famous Isabelle van Rensburg. The tympani will be played by Magdalena de Vries, trumpets by Richard Kingon and Alex Urban and bassoon solo will be played by Esther Watkinson Tickets for this event is available at www.tixsa.co.za or at this link: https://tickets.tixsa.co.za/event/lig-van-waarheid-pretoria
NUWE AFRIKAANSE KERSORATORIUM: LIG VAN WAARHEID
Na die suksesvolle uitvoering en opname van Kruis van Liefde, die eerste Afrikaanse Paasoratorium, in Maart 2021, het die publiek se oorweldigende positiewe reaksie die komponis, Franco Prinsloo, geïnspireer om nog ‘n Oratorium te komponeer. In sy nuwe Kersoratorium, Lig van Waarheid, beeld hy die verhaal van die geboorte van Jesus - die Kersverhaal uit. Die nuwe Oratorium is spesiaal vir die Vox Chamber Choirgekomponeer.
Die libretto vir dié splinternuwe Oratorium is deur Prinsloo en die bekende bariton, Chris Vale, saamgestel. Hulle het liriese berymings uit die Halleluja-sangbundel en die Koraalboek van 1956, en enkele tekste uit dieSionsgesange van 1945 herbenut. Die teks vir die resitatiewe is uit die 1953- en 1983-vertaling van die Evangelie van Lukas geneem.
“Nadat ek opnuut weer die wonderlike liedtekste van die Halleluja-sangbundel en die ou Koraalboek van 1956 bestudeer het, het ek besef watter ongelooflike poëtiese waarde hierdie tekste bied. Ek het doelbewus liedtekste wat onbekend aan my is begin versamel, spesifiek met die doel om die Kersoratorium te komponeer”, vertel Prinsloo.
“Die tekste besit ‘n besondere ritmiese vernuf omdat dit juis geskep is om gesing te word. Dit is ongelooflik opwindend om nuwe lewe in hierdie soms vergete tekste te blaas met nuwe toonsettings,” vervolg Prinsloo.
Prinsloo en Vale het doelbewus nooit na die oorspronklike melodieë gekyk nie, en slegs met die berymings gewerk om te verseker dat die finale libretto uit poëtiese kragtige lirieke bestaan. Die gevolg is ‘n meesleurende, nuwe Afrikaanse Kersoratorium wat nuwe lewe in ou tekste blaas deur vars, kontemporêre toonsettings.
Die verhaal word deur ‘n ongewone kombinasie van instrumente vertel: koor, soliste, ‘n strykorkes, twee trompette, celesta, perkussie en ‘n solo-fagot. In die laaste beweging word ‘n orrel ingesluit wat op triomfantelike wyse die voltrekking van die Oratorium aankondig, en sluit dan ook tematies aan by die Paasoratorium, Kruis van Liefde.
Kruis van Liefde was spesifiek gekomponeer om ‘n koor vir beide arias en resitatiewe aan te wend. In Lig van Waarheid gebruik die komponis egter drie soliste om die rolle van die Maria, Josef en die engel Gabriël uit te beeld.
Prinsloo se uiteindelike doel is om ‘n trilogie van Oratoria te komponeer: Kruis van Liefde, Lig van Waarheid enKroon van Wonders. Laasgenoemde, Kroon van Wonders, se libretto is reeds gedeeltelik deur die skrywer en digter, Hans du Plessis, voltooi. Die beplanning vir die Oratorium première in 2025 het reeds afgeskop. Die opname van Kruis van Liefde is vroeër in 2022 vir twee SAMAs benoem.
Die wêreldpremière van Lig van Waarheid is op Sondag, 27 November 2022 om 16:00 in die Groote Kerk, Kaapstad. Prinsloo se eie kamerkoor, Vox Chamber Choir van Pretoria, snoer kragte met die Kaapstadse Filharmoniese Orkes saam om hierdie splinternuwe Kersfeesoratorium uit te voer. Die komponis self sal die orkes dirigeer. Drie soliste in Vox Chamber Choir, sal die rolle van Maria (Marilize Hattingh), Die Engel (Chris Vale) en Josef (Wouter van Wyk jr.) vertolk.
Kaartjies vir die wêreldpremière van Lig van Waarheid saam met die Kaapstadse Filharmoniese Orkes is by Computicket beskikbaar.
Vir Gautengse gehore word ‘n spesiale voorkonsert van Lig van Waarheid uitgevoer op Sondag, 20 November 2022 om 15:00 by die Universiteitsoord-kerk in Pretoria. Die werk sal by hierdie geleentheid as ‘n weergawe aangebied word waar die strykorkes verwerk is vir die orrel. Die orrelis is die bekende Isabelle van Rensburg. Magdalena de Vries sal die timpane bespeel, Richard Kingon en Alex Urban die twee trompette en Esther Watkinson op die fagot.
Kaartjies vir dié konsert is beskikbaar by www.tixsa.co.za of deur op hierdie skakel te klik: https://tickets.tixsa.co.za/event/lig-van-waarheid-pretoria
Klik hier vir ‘n klein voorsmakie van Lig van Waarheid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oxs6egBVNAs
