Issue 6, January 2003 (Back to Contents)

Stephen Clarke (Click to enlarge)

He has conducted Schola Cantorum of Oxford, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Chorus and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and prepared the London Symphony Chorus for concerts by Bernstein, Sir Colin Davis, Rostropovich and Ozawa. He was assistant conductor for a season at Geneva Grand Theatre, and has worked on several operatic productions for BBC TV.

He has conducted for English National Opera and Welsh National Opera; as Head of Music at Scottish Opera he conducted a wide repertory of opera including La Bohème, Fidelio, Madam Butterfly, La Forza del Destino, La Traviata, Turandot, The Cunning Little Vixen and Peter Grimes. As Assistant Music Director of the New Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, he conducted Madam Butterfly, L'Elisir d'Amore, Così fan tutte and The Rake's Progress. On returning from Israel in 1999, he conducted Il Trovatore and La Traviata for Scottish Opera, and The Marriage of Figaro for Opera North and at Hampton Court Palace. He is Head of Music at Garsington Opera.

The Fauré Requiem (Click to enlarge)

The Precentor writes: "On Remembrance Sunday the Chapel Choir was joined by girls from St Helen's School Chapel Choir, members of Common Room and families for a performance of the Fauré Requiem accompanied by orchestra. We sang the work as part of an authentic liturgical Mass. It was an extremely atmospheric occasion; incense and bells, the Chapel candle-lit, the capacity audience arriving and leaving in silence. Particularly striking was the difference that performing the work in its correct liturgical setting made to our experience of the music. As the individual movements were separated by sections of the liturgy, the music was given a chance to breathe in a way that is impossible in the customary concert setting. Furthermore, the emotional context of each movement became clear; most powerful of all was the effect of the final movement In Paradisum. The bittersweet feeling at the end of the work was evident to all.

Following on from the Fauré, we have invited parents, boys, Common Room, families and staff to sing in a concert at the end of this Lent Term. Together with opera stars, Ann Murray and Philip Langridge (parents of Jonny Langridge, C), we will be performing a selection of well-known operatic choruses accompanied by orchestra. This will be a unique opportunity to sing many of the famous operatic favourites with orchestra and soloists.

ORs are particularly welcome to join the chorus for this occasion. We hope that the rehearsal schedule will encourage ORs and parents to spend a couple of Sundays at Radley enjoying singing with others and having a chance to catch up with other members of the choir over lunch at the Warden's House. You will find further details in the calendar section. Please email me (sdjc@radley.org.uk) or write to me at Radley College if you would like to join us."