History
The first performance of African Revelations, as it was originally called, took place in 1972, while it was still a work-in-progress. It was performed by the Saltarello choir in July 1972 at St. John's Smith Square, London and later broadcast on BBC Radio on United Nations Day.
The following year, on the shores of Lake Victoria, Fanshawe met the ‘Hippo Man’ (shown above an right.) This remarkable man made a profoundly deep impression on the composer. the Hippo Man, Mayinda Orawo, cultural leader of the Luo tribe in Kenya was the symbolic figureheard of all African myths and legends and his striking image instantly became the logo. In 1973, as he completed the composition, Fanshawe, changed the title to African Sanctus - Holy Africa - this was the inspired name from his first wife, Judith.
In 1974, the BBC made an 'Omnibus' film of African Sanctus which was shot on location with the composer North and East Africa and directed by Herbert Chappell. It was nominated for the 'Prix Italia', and the first broadcast on Easter Day 1975 and coincided with the release of the premiere recording (Phillips) conducted by Owain Hughes.
Following the publication of the full score, premiere performances of African Sanctus were held in Toronto, 1978 (conducted by Elmer Iseler), and at the Three Choirs Festival, Worcester 1978 (conducted by Donald Hunt), swiftly followed by the London premiere at the Royal Albert Hall, 1979, conducted by Sir David Willcocks, The impact of this extraordinary new work made is captured in the Times review: “A phenomenon amongst serious composers writing today, his music actually fills concerts hall…The effect was spellbinding and won a standing ovation from a capacity audience.”
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In 1994, when producing the new Silva Classics recording (Bournemouth Symphony Chorus, Choristers of St George's Chapel, Windsor, conducted by Neville Creed), David Fanshawe composed an additional movement, Dona Nobis Pacem - A Hymn for World Peace, which completed the Agnus Dei. Using this new recording, BBC TV commissioned Herbert Chappell to make a further film, African Sanctus Revisited, which contrasts the original Sanctus journey with live performance, providing stirring and poignant images of Africa today, and projecting the global relevance of a work that has become a landmark in our musical lives.
African Sanctus has been performed at the Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall, in Eastern Europe, South America and Asia, at the Choir Olympics in Germany and The American Choral Directors National Convention, and on the Bach Choir's tour of South African in 1997, which marked the 25th anniversary of African Sanctus. By popular demand, selections from African Sanctus (Sanctus, Kyrie, Et In Spiritum Sanctum, The Lord's Prayer and Dona Nobis Pacem) were published as single sheets.
In the work's 50th year anniverary, the work continues to be performed at many international festivals, choral symposiums, multicultural, educational and fund raising events. Fanshawe's stunning African photographs are frequently used to augment performances, and the work is often accompanied by dancers. African Sanctus often appears on many educational syllabuses, including GCSE and the International Baccalaureate.
David Fanshawe personally attended over 1000 performances in his life time, helping to introduce the work and supporting the media interest, final rehearsals and technical mix. The last perfromance attended by the composer himself were in June 2020 - one in Bahrain and one at St Martin-in-the fields with the London Chorus conducted by Ronald Corp.
Dedication: "African Sanctus is dedicated to musicians who neither read nor write music, and to all the musicians I had the honour of recording in Afrca, many of whom are no longer living." David Fanshawe 1994.
Written by Katharine Copisarow (as published in the programme for David's Celebration Concert given at the Royal Festival Hall, 2012)
