Vespers with BBC Singers and Abel Selaocoe
Welcome to this evening’s performance by the BBC Singers, with Chief Conductor Sofi Jeannin and Artist in Association Abel Selaocoe.
At the heart of the concert is Rachmaninov’s a cappella All-Night Vigil – in itself a choral gem, written when Orthodox sacred music was experiencing a significant renaissance, and premiered in 1915 against the bleak backdrop of the First World War. The performance is tailored to work alongside the versatile and brilliant sound-world created with voice, cello and percussion by Abel Selaocoe: alongside Rachmaninov’s rich and demanding choral writing are pieces from Africa – some folk songs, some improvisations – which offer a different perspective on the nocturnal liturgical journey of the Vespers, whilst working hand-in-hand to create a fresh interpretation on one of the greatest pieces in the 20th-century choral canon.
Co-produced by the Barbican and BBC Singers
This concert will be livestreamed via the Barbican website and broadcast on Radio 3 in Concert on Tuesday. It will be available for 30 days after broadcast via BBC Sounds, where you can also find podcasts and music mixes.
Please ensure all mobile phones and watch-alarms are switched off.
Details
Programme and performers
Sergei Rachmaninov All-Night Vigil (Vespers)
Interspersed with:
Trad/Abel Selaocoe Music of African twilight
Abel Selaocoe cello
Sofi Jeannin conductor
BBC Singers
Translations
Priidite, poklonimsya
Amin.
Priidite, poklonimsya Tsarevi nashemu Bogu.
Priidite, poklonimsya i pripadem
Khristu Tsarevi nashemu Bogu.
Priidite, poklonimsya i pripadem
Samomu Khristu Tsarevi i Bogu nashemu.
Priidite, poklonimsya i pripadem Yemu.
Come, let us worship
Amen.
Come, let us worship God, our King.
Come, let us worship and kneel
before Christ, our King and our God.
Come, let us worship and kneel
before Christ himself, our King and our God.
Come, let us worship and kneel before Him.
Blazhen muzh
Blazhen muzh,
Izhe ne ide na sovyet nechestivikh.
Alliluiya, alliluiya, alliluiya.
Yako vest Gospod put pravednikh,
I put nechestivikh pogibnet.
Alliluiya, alliluiya, alliluiya.
Rabotaite Gospodevi so strakhom,
I raduitesya Yemu s trepetom.
Alliluiya, alliluiya, alliluiya.
Blazheni vsi nadeyushchisya Nan.
Alliluiya, alliluiya, alliluiya.
Voskresni, Gospodi, spasi mya, Bozhe moy.
Alliluiya, alliuiya, alliluiya.
Gospodne yest spaseniye,
I na Iyudekh Tvoikh blagosloveniye Tvoye.
Alliluiya, alliluiya, alliluiya.
Slava Otsu i Sinu i Svyatomu Dukhu,
I nine i prisno i vo veki vekov. Amin.
Alliluiya, alliluiya, alliluiya.
Slava Tebe, Bozhe.
Blessed is the man
Blessed is the man
that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly.
Halleluja, halleluja, halleluja.
For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous,
and the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Halleluja, halleluja, halleluja.
Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice in Him with trembling.
Halleluja, halleluja, halleluja.
Blessed are they that put their trust in Him.
Halleluja, halleluja, halleluja.
Arise, O Lord, save me, O my God.
Halleluja, halleluja, halleluja.
In Thee, Lord, is salvation
and Thy blessing is upon Thy people.
Halleluja, halleluja, halleluja.
Glory be to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
now and for ever, world without end. Amen.
Halleluja, halleluja, halleluja.
Glory be to Thee, O God.
Nine otpushchayeshi
Nine otpushchayeshi raba Tvoyego, Vladiko,
Po glagolu Tvoyemu s mirom:
Yako videsta ochi moi spaseniye Tvoye,
Yezhe yesi ugotoval prod litsem vsekh Iyudei,
Svet vo otkroveniye yazykov,
I slavu lyudei Tvoikh Izrailya.
Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace
Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant
depart in peace, according to Thy word:
for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation,
which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people,
a light to lighten the Gentiles,
and the glory of Thy people Israel.
Bogoroditse Devo, raduisya
Bogoroditse Devo, raduisya,
Blagodatnaya Mariye,
Gospod s Toboyu.
Blagoslovenna Ty v zhenakh,
I blagosloven plod chreva Tvoyevo,
Yako Spasa rodila yesi dush nashikh.
Rejoice, O Virgin
Rejoice, O virgin mother of God,
Mary full of grace,
the Lord is with Thee.
Blessed art Thou among women
and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb,
for Thou hast borne the saviour of our souls.
Khavlite imya Gospodne
Khavlite imya Gospodne, alliluiya.
Khavlite, rabi, Gospoda, alliluiya.
Blagosloven Gospod ot Siona,
Zhiviy vo Ierusalime, alliluiya.
Ispovedaitesya Gospodevi,
Yako blag, yako v vek milost Yego, alliluiya.
Ispovedaitesya Bogu nebesnomu,
Yako v vek milost Yego, alliluiya.
Praise ye the name of the Lord
Praise ye the name of the Lord, halleluja.
Praise Him, ye servants of the Lord, halleluja.
Blessed be the God of Sion,
who dwelleth in Jerusalem, halleluja.
Give thanks unto the Lord,
for He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever, halleluja.
Give thanks unto the God of heaven,
for His mercy endureth for ever, halleluja.
Blagosloven yesi, Gospodi
Blagosloven yesi, Gospodi:
Nauchi mya opravdaniyem Tvoyim.
Angelskiy sobor udivisya,
Zrya Tebe v mertvykh vmenivshasya.
Smertnuyu zhe, Spase, krepost razorivsha,
I s soboyu Adama vozdvigsha,
I ot ada vsya svobozhdsha.
Blagosloven yesi, Gospodi:
Nauchi mya opravdaniyem Tvoyim.
‘Pochto mira s milostivnimi slezami,
O uchenitsi, rastvoryayete?,
Blistayaisya vo grobe Angel,
Mironositsam veshchashe:
‘Vidite vi grob i urazumeite,
Spas bo voskrese ot groba’.
Blagosloven yesi, Gospodi:
Nauchi mya opravdaniyem Tvoyim.
Zelo rano mironositsi techakhu
Ko grobu Tvoyemu ridayushchiya,
No predsta k nim Angel i reche:
‘Ridaniya vremya presta, ne plachite,
Voskreseniye zhe Apostolom rtsite.’
Blagosloven yesi Gospodi:
Nauchi mya opravdaniyem Tvoyim.
Mironositsi zheni s miri prishedshiya
Ko grobu Tvoyemu, Spase, ridakhu,
Angel zhe k nim reche, glagolya:
‘Chto s mertvymi zhivago pomyshlyayete?
Yako Bog bo voskrese ot groba.’
Slava Otsu, i Sinu, i Svyatomu Dukhu.
Poklonimsya Otsu, i Yego Sinove,
I Svyatomu Dukhu, Svyatei Troitse
Vo edinom sushchestve,
S serafimi zovushche:
Svyat, svyat, svyat, Yesi Gospodi.
I nine, i prisno, i vo veki vekov. Amin.
Zhiznodavtsa rozhdshi, grekha, Devo,
Adama izbavila yesi,
Radost zhe Yeve v pechali mesto podala yesi:
Padshiya zhe ot zhizni, k sei napravi,
Iz Tebe voplotivyisya Bog i chelovek.
Alliluiya, alliluiya, alliluiya,
Slava Tebe, Bozhe.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord
Blessed art Thou, O Lord:
teach me Thy statutes.
The angelic host was amazed
to behold Thee among the dead.
Thou hast destroyed the power of death, O Saviour,
and raised Adam up with Thyself,
and freed all men from hell.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord:
teach me Thy statutes.
‘Why do you mingle tears of pity with myrrh,
ye women disciples?’
cried the radiant angel at the tomb
to the women bearing myrrh:
‘Behold the tomb and understand
that the Saviour has risen from the grave.’
Blessed art Thou, O Lord:
teach me Thy statutes.
Early in the morning the myrrh-bearers
hastened weeping to the tomb,
but the angel appeared before them, saying:
‘The time for sorrow has ceased; weep not,
but announce the Resurrection to the Apostles.’
Blessed art Thou, O Lord:
teach me Thy statutes.
As the sorrowing myrrh-bearers
approached Thy tomb, O Saviour,
the angel spoke to them, saying:
‘Why do you seek the living among the dead?
For as God He has risen from the grave.’
Glory be to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
We worship the Father together with His Son
and the Holy Ghost, the Holy Trinity,
one in essence,
and with the Seraphim we cry:
Holy, holy, holy art Thou, O Lord!
Now and for ever, world without end. Amen.
O virgin, by bearing the giver of life
Thou hast delivered Adam from sin
and given Eve joy in place of sorrow.
He who was born of Thee, God and Man,
has raised up those who had fallen from life.
Hlleluja, halleluja, halleluja,
glory be to Thee, O God.
Velichit dusha moya Gospoda
Velichit dusha moya Gospoda,
I vozvradovasya dukh moy
O Bozhe spase moyem.
Chestneishuyu Kheruvim
I slavneishuyu bez sravneniya Serafim,
Bez istleniya Boga Slova rozhdshuyu,
Sushchuyu Bogoroditsu Tya velichayem.
Yako prizre na smireniye rabi Svoyeya.
Se bo otnyne ublazhat mya vsi rodi.
Chestneishuyu Kheruvim, etc.
Yako sotvori mne velichiye silnyi,
I svyato imya Yego.
Chestneishuyu Kheruvim, etc.
Nizlozhi silniya so prestol,
I voznese smirenniya.
Alchushchiya ispolni blag,
I bogatyashchiyasya otpusti tshchi.
Chestneishuyu Kheruvim, etc.
Vospriyat Izrailya otroka svoyego,
Pomyanuti milosti,
Yakozhe glagola ko otsem nashim,
Avraamu i semeni ego, dazhe do veka.
Chestneishuyu Kheruvim, etc.
My soul doth magnify the Lord
My soul doth magnify the Lord,
and my spirit hath rejoiced
in God my saviour.
Greater in honour than the Cherubim,
more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim,
without defilement Thou hast borne God the Word,
true mother of God, we magnify Thee.
For He hath regarded the lowliness of His handmaiden:
from henceforth I shall be called blessed.
Greater in honour than the Cherubim, etc.
For He that is mighty hath magnified me:
and holy is His name.
Greater in honour than the Cherubim, etc.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat
and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things
and the rich He hath sent empty away.
Greater in honour than the Cherubim, etc.
He remembering His mercy
hath holpen His servant Israel,
as He promised to our forefathers,
Abraham and his seed, for ever.
Greater in honour than the Cherubim, etc.
Slava v vyshnikh Bogu
Slava v vyshnikh Bogu, i na zemli mir
V chelovetsekh blagovoleniye.
Khvalim Tya, blagoslovim Tya,
Klanyayem Ty sya, slavoslovim Tya,
Blagordarim Tya, velikiya radi slayi Tvoyeya.
Gospodi, Tsaryu nebesnyi,
Bozhe Otche, vsederzhitelyu.
Gospodi, Syne yedinorodnyi,
Iisuse Khriste i Svyatyi Dushe.
Gospodi Bozhe, Agnche Bozhiy, Syne Otech,
Vzemlyai grekh mira, pomilui nas,
Vzemlyai grekhi mira, priimi molitvu nashu,
Sedyai odesnuyu Otsa, pomilui nas.
Yako Ty yesi yedin svyat,
Ty yesin yedi Gospod, lisus Khristos,
V slavu Boga Otsa. Amin.
Na vsyak den blagoslovlyu Tya,
I voskhvalyu imya Tvoye
Vo veki i v vek veka.
Spodobi, Gospodi, v den sei
Bez grekha sokhranitisya nam.
Blagosloven yesi, Gospodi,
Bozhe otyets nashikh,
I khvalno i proslavleno imya Tvoye
Vo veki. Amin.
Budi, Gospodi, milost Tvoya na nas,
Yakozhe upovakhom na Tya.
Blagosloven yesi, Gospodi,
Nauchi mya opravdaniyem Tvoim.
Pomilui mya.
Istseli dushu moyu.
K Tebe pribegokh.
Gospodi, pribyezhishche byl yesi nam
V rod i v rod.
Az rekh: Gospodi, pomilui mya,
Istseli dushu moyu, yako sogreshikh Tebe.
Gospodi, k Tebe pribegokh,
Nauchi mya tvoriri volyu Tvoyu,
Yako Ty yesi Bog moi,
Yako u Tebe istochnik zhivota.
Vo svete Tvoyem uzrim svet.
Probavi milost Tvoyu vedushchim Tya.
Svyatyi Bozhe, Svyatyi krepkiy,
Svyatyi bezsmertnyi, pomilui nas.
Slava Otsu, i Synu, i Svyatomu Dukhu,
I nyne i prisno, i vo veki vekov. Amin.
Svyatyi bezsmertnyi, pomilui nas.
Svyatyi Bozhe, Svyatyi krepkiy,
Svyatyi bezsmertnyi, pomilui nas.
Glory to God in the highest (Grand Doxology)
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace
to men of goodwill.
We praise Thee, we bless Thee,
we adore Thee, we glorify Thee,
we give Thee thanks for Thy great glory.
Lord God, heavenly king,
God the Father almighty.
Lord, the only begotten Son,
Jesus Christ, together with the Holy Ghost.
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us,
who takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer,
who sittest at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.
For Thou alone art holy,
Thou alone art Lord, Jesus Christ,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Every day I shall bless Thee
and praise Thy name
for ever and ever.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, this day
to preserve us from sin.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord,
God of our fathers,
praised and glorified be Thy name
for ever. Amen.
May Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us
for we have put our trust in Thee.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord:
teach me Thy statutes.
Have mercy upon me.
Heal my soul.
I have taken refuge in Thee.
Lord, Thou hast been our refuge
from generation to generation.
I have said: O Lord, have mercy upon me,
heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee.
Lord, I have taken refuge in Thee,
teach me to do Thy will,
for Thou art my God,
for Thou art the fountain of life.
In Thy light we shall see light.
Continue Thy mercy towards those who know Thee.
Holy God, holy and almighty,
holy and immortal, have mercy on us.
Glory be to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
now and for ever, world without end. Amen.
Holy immortal one, have mercy on us.
Holy God, holy and almighty,
holy and immortal, have mercy on us.
Dnes spaseniye miru byst
Dnes spaseniye miru byst,
Poyem voskresshemu iz groba
I nachalniku zhizni nasheya:
Razrushiv bo smertiyu smert,
Pobedu dade nasa i veliyu milost.
On this day salvation has come
On this day salvation has come to the world;
let us praise Him who rose from the tomb
and who is the giver of our life.
Having conquered death by death
He has given us victory and great mercy.
Voskres iz groba
Voskres iz groba i uzy rasterzal yesi ada,
Razrushil yesi osuzhdeniye smerti, Gospodi,
Vsya ot setei vraga izbavivyi,
Yavivyi zhe sebe apostolom Tvoim,
Poslal yesi ya na propoved.
I temi mit Tvoi podal yesi vselenney,
Yedine mnogomilostive.
Thou hast risen from the tomb
Thou hast risen from the tomb and burst the bonds of hell,
Thou hast vanquished the sentence of death,
and delivered all men from the snares of the enemy.
Appearing to Thy Apostles,
Thou hast sent them forth to proclaim Thee
and given peace to the whole world,
Thou only merciful one.
Vzbrannoy voyevode
Vzbrannoy voyevode pobeditelnaya,
Yako izbavlshesya ot zlykh,
Blagodarstvennaya vospisuyem Ti rabi Tvoi,
Bogoroditse:
No yako imushchaya derzhavu nepobedimuyu,
Ot vsyakikh nas bed svobodi,
Da zovyom Ti: raduisya, nevesto nenevestnaya.
Chosen leader
Chosen leader of triumphant hosts,
because Thou hast delivered us from evil
Thy servants sing Thy praises,
O mother of God.
Because Thou hast invincible might,
deliver us, we pray, from all evil,
that we may cry to Thee: Rejoice, unwedded bride.
Yevgeny Yevtushenko (1932–2017)
Transliteration and translation © Andrew Huth
Artist biographies
South African cellist Abel Selaocoe studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and performs across a plethora of styles, ranging from collaborations with world musicians and beatboxers to concertos and solo recitals. He combines virtuoso performance with improvisation, singing and body percussion, and devises programmes highlighting links between Western and non-Western traditions.
He is Artistic Partner with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Artist in Association with the BBC Singers and Artist in Residence at London’s Southbank Centre. His debut album, Where is Home (Hae Ke Kae), was released last September. Tour performances this season include the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Lucerne Festival, Berlin Philharmonie, Cologne Philharmonie and deSingel in Antwerp.
He enjoys close collaborations with musicians including percussionists Bernhard Schimpelsberger and Famoudou Don Moye, saxophonist Tim Garland, kora player Seckou Keita, cellist Giovanni Sollima, multi-instrumentalist Dudu Kouaté and pianist Gwilym Simcock. In 2016 he founded Chesaba, a trio specialising in music from the African continent. He has a close partnership with Manchester Collective, with which he devised Sirocco, a live and online celebration of folk traditions from around the world, and The Oracle, consisting of original compositions alongside music by Vivaldi, Stravinsky and Mica Levi.
Sofi Jeannin studied conducting and singing at the Stockholm Royal College of Music and the Nice Conservatoire, and with Paul Spicer at the Royal College of Music in London. She is Music Director of the Maîtrise de Radio France and became Chief Conductor of the BBC Singers in 2018. She conducted her first BBC Radio 3 broadcast, the UK premiere of Helmut Lachenmann’s Consolation I, in 2006.
Recent highlights with the BBC Singers include appearances at the BBC Proms; a collaboration with the Academy of Ancient Music and South Asian dance company Akademi exploring the dances of Rameau alongside classical and contemporary Indian dance; Poulenc’s Figure humaine with jazz interpolations from BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Misha Mullov-Abbado; and Fauré’s Requiem paired with music by Bach, Isabella Leonarda and Reena Esmail at Milton Court.
She also maintains a busy guest-conducting schedule, with recent and future engagements including the Hallé, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, New Japan Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony and Norrköping Symphony orchestras, the Auckland Philharmonia and the Swedish Radio Chorus, Coro Casa da Música (Porto), Danish National Vocal Ensemble, Chamber Choir Ireland and NFM Choir Wrocław. Committed to outreach work, she has worked with the chorus and orchestra of Kinshasa, Congo, and is involved in El Sistema, Greece.
The BBC Singers have held a unique place at the heart of the UK’s choral scene for almost 100 years and have collaborated and performed with many of the world’s leading composers, conductors and soloists.
Each season the BBC Singers promote a 50:50 gender policy for composers whose music they perform, and they continue to champion composers from all backgrounds. Recent concerts and recordings include music by Joanna Marsh, Soumik Datta, Cecilia McDowall, Roxanna Panufnik, Sun Keting, Errollyn Wallen and Roderick Williams. In addition, the choir has collaborated with singers Laura Mvula, Clare Teal and Katie Melua, South Asian dance company Akademi, world music fusion band Kabantu and with choreographer Duwane Taylor and artists from East London Dance.
The choir makes annual appearances at the BBC Proms. Alongside their celebrated annual performances at the First and Last Night of the Proms, the 2023 season will see them perform Poulenc’s Figure humaine with Sir Simon Rattle, feature in an evening with Jon Hopkins and the BBC Symphony Orchestra and give a Late Night Prom performing two BBC commissions, Awaaz by Soumik Datta and SEEN by Joanna Marsh and Glen Scott. Last summer the choir performed in a Prom celebrating the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
The BBC Singers are based at the BBC’s Maida Vale Studios where they rehearse and record regularly for Radio 3. The choir also presents an annual series of concerts at Milton Court Concert Hall: this season’s calendar includes this performance of Rachmaninov’s Vespers with cellist Abel Selaocoe. The group gives free concerts at a number of venues across London and makes regular appearances at major festivals across the UK and abroad.
The BBC Singers also offer a wide programme of innovative learning and community activities, working with schools, colleges/universities and community groups.
