In 2017, Baha’is all over the world celebrated the 200th anniversary of the birth of their Founder-Prophet, Baha’u’llah.
To mark the occasion locally, the Burnley Baha’i Community held a public event in which a piano recital of four pieces, written during the two centuries since Baha’u’llah’s birth, were interspersed with selected short readings from one of Baha’u’llah’s many volumes of Writings, The Hidden Words, and a final quotation from the Universal House of Justice.
The Burnley community wishes to express its gratitude to the pianist, Dr. Julian Hellaby, for his hard work in selecting, preparing and delivering the programme to the highest standard. We also thank those local Baha’is who undertook to read.
The event, held at the Multi-Faith Centre of the Burnley Campus, was well-attended and the performance, at once dignified and innovative, was very positively received by a sizeable audience.
Bicentenary of the Birth of Baha’u’llah – Programme 2017
O SON OF SPIRIT! My first counsel is this: possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting.
1. Sonata in C-sharp minor Op. 27/2 (‘Moonlight’) L van Beethoven
Adagio sostenuto ii) Allegretto iii) Presto agitato
O FLEETING SHADOW! Pass beyond the baser stages of doubt and rise to the exalted heights of certainty. Open the eye of truth, that thou mayest behold the veilless Beauty and exclaim: Hallowed be the Lord, the most excellent of all creators
2. Samia (An Island Sequence J. Ireland
i) Le Catioroc
O QUINTESSENCE OF PASSION! Put away all covetousness and seek contentment; for the covetous hath ever been deprived, and the contented hath ever been loved and praised.
ii) In a May Morning
O MY SERVANT! Thou art even as a finely tempered sword concealed in the darkness of its sheath and its value hidden from the artificer’s knowledge. Wherefore come forth from the sheath of self and desire that thy worth may be made resplendent and manifest unto all the world.
iii) Song of the Springtides
O FRIENDS! Abandon not the everlasting beauty for a beauty that must die, and set not your affections on this mortal world of dust.
3. Nocturne in E minor Op. 72/1 F. Chopin
Reading:
O SON OF MAN! I loved thy creation, hence I created thee. Wherefore, do thou love Me, that I may name thy name and fill thy soul with the spirit of life.
4. Polonaise in A-flat Op. 53 F. Chopin
To all who celebrate the Glory of God
This salutary truth we maintain: that the peoples of the earth have always been remembered by their God. In every era of history, that unknowable Reality has opened the gates of grace to the world by sending an Emissary charged with providing the moral and spiritual stimulus that human beings need to cooperate and advance. Many of the names of these great Lights to humankind are lost. But some shine out from the annals of the past as having revolutionized thought, unlocked stores of knowledge, and inspired the rise of civilizations, and Their names continue to be honoured and praised. Each of these spiritual and social visionaries, stainless mirrors of virtue, set out teachings and truths that answered the urgent needs of the age. As the world now faces its most pressing challenges yet, we acclaim Baha’u’llah, born two hundred years ago, as such a Figure–indeed, as the One Whose teachings will usher in that long-promised time when all humanity will live side by side in peace and unity. The Universal House of Justice
Works performed
Beethoven: Sonata in C-sharp minor, Op. 27/2 (‘Moonlight’) Beethoven’s Sonata in C-sharp minor quasi una fantasia (like a fantasy) was written in 18O1and has long been one of the composer’s most popular works. It first acquired the nickname ‘Moonlight’ in 1832, a title that soon gained traction and has since been universally adopted. It is the first movement, a nocturnal and reflective Adagio, that inspired the image of moonlight but the last movement, a turbulent Presto agitato, is more likely to evoke a tempest. In the middle there is an elegant major-key, dance-like movement (Allegretto) which forms a bridge between two opposing moods.
Ireland: Sarnia, An Island Sequence
This three-movement work was completed in 1941 and is inspired by the composer’s love of Guernsey, ‘Samia’ being the ancient Roman name for that island. In the first movement, ‘Le Catioroc’ (an area of Guernsey), Ireland portrays a dark, brooding landscape, a sound world which is interrupted by “the shrilling of flutes and the clash of cymbals” played by mythical creatures. This is followed by a tender movement called ‘In a May Morning’ in which a gently active middle section is framed by song-like music of great beauty. The third movement, ‘Song of the Springtides’ depicts a high tide as it meets the shoreline. The piano writing is colourful and energetic, although there is a more reflective, poetic section in the middle.
Chopin: Nocturne in E minor Op. 72/1 and Polonaise in A-flat Op. 53 Chopin made the nocturne very much his own, composing many examples of the genre throughout his short life. As with its numerous companion pieces, the Nocturne in E minor, written when the composer was seventeen, combines an expressive right-hand melody with a flowing harmonic accompaniment in the left. In stark contrast, the Polonaise in A-flat is powerful and heroic in style. Here Chopin uses the rhythms of his native Poland to drive the music along, in the process producing what has become one of his most popular compositions.
The Pianist
Julian Hellaby PhD, MMus, BMus, LRAM, ARAM studied piano with the distinguished pianist Denis Matthews and later at London’s Royal Academy of Music. He has performed as solo pianist, concerto soloist, accompanist and chamber musician in continental Europe, the Middle East, South Africa and throughout the UK, including recitals in the Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room. More recent two-piano work with pianist Peter Noke has featured performances across the UK and in Hong Kong and China.
Julian is an ABRSM examiner, moderator and public presenter, as well as a former mentor for the ABRSM’s Certificate of Teaching course. He has taught academic music at Coventry University and London College of Music, and also has extensive experience of piano teaching at all levels. He has released several CDs for the ASC and MSV labels. He is the author of Reading Musical Interpretation: Case Studies in Piano Performance (Ashgate/Routledge, 2009) and The Mid-Twentieth Century Concert Pianist: An English Experience (Routledge 2018).