The Long Day Closes

The Anglistenchor Heidelberg warmly invites you to two autumn concerts on November 9 at 8:00 PM at the Johanniskirche in Mannheim-Lindenhof and on November 10 at 7:00 PM in the Old Aula of Heidelberg University.

Under the theme “The Long Day Closes,” the Anglistenchor will perform works by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Frank Bridge, Arthur Sullivan, Eric Whitacre, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Johannes Brahms, and Robert Schumann. The inclusion of baritone Florian Störtz and pianist Mark Rogers will add another dimension to the choral concert format. Both artists are winners of several international song competitions and are traveling from England specifically to present Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Songs of Travel.”

“Songs of Travel” is a collection of nine songs for baritone and piano, based on poems by Robert Louis Stevenson. These songs explore the experiences and emotions of a wanderer, focusing on themes of love, nature, solitude, and the search for a place in the world. The pieces are characterized by their lyrical depth and impressive musical expression, making them some of Vaughan Williams’ most significant works.

Originally, the “Songs of Travel” were not intended as a cycle, and this idea is explored in the concert. All the choral works complement and expand upon the themes of the cycle, with musical references to the songs. For instance, Vaughan Williams’ “Youth and Love” is thematically deepened by Brahms’ “Verlorene Jugend.” Schumann’s “An die Sterne” finds its English counterpart in “The Infinite Shining Heaven.” From Whitacre’s “Sleep,” nature awakens in Vaughan Williams’ “Let Beauty Awake.” Arthur Sullivan’s “The Long Day Closes” concludes the evening with “I Have Trod the Upward and the Downward Slope” from the cycle, to name just a few examples.

Let yourself be enchanted by an evening full of musical variety. We look forward to your attendance and wish you an unforgettable concert experience!