The Diary of Anne Frank was first published in June 1947, and this important piece of literature has held a place in the canon since. James Whitbourn’s Annelies, with a libretto by Melanie Challenger, is based on the original diary. It was commissioned by the Mostar Foundation and the Jewish Music Institute. 2027 marks the 80th anniversary of the 

“The first major choral setting of The Diary of Anne Frank takes the teenager's remarkable and penetrating observations, written whilst hiding in an Amsterdam attic, as the basis of its extraordinary and moving libretto. Whitbourn's music for this work is 'woundingly beautiful'”
The Daily Telegraph

 

Annelies is a 75-minute choral work for soprano soloist, choir and instrumentalists. The libretto is compiled and translated by Melanie Challenger from The Diary of Anne Frank. Music is by James Whitbourn. Annelies is the full forename of Anne Frank, now commonly referred to by her abbreviated forename, Anne. This captivating work is a masterful selection of texts from Anne Frank’s diary in a celebration of the young girl’s affirmation of life.

The instrumental parts exist in two scorings: the larger is for full symphony orchestra while the smaller is for four solo players - clarinet, violin, cello and piano. Although the vocal writing is the same in both versions, the work can successfully be performed by a small chamber choir or by a large chorus. The chamber version has a few minor cuts.

Annelies is divided into fourteen movements.

1. Introit - prelude (instrumental)
2. The capture foretold
3. The plan to go into hiding
4. The last night at home and arrival at the Annexe
5. Life in hiding
6. Courage
7. Fear of capture and the second break-in
8. Sinfonia (Kyrie)
9. The Dream
10. Devastation of the outside world
11. Passing of time
12. The hope of liberation and a spring awakening
13. The capture and the concentration camp
14. Anne’s meditation 

The world premiere of Annelies was given on April 5, 2005 at the Cadogan Hall, London. Leonard Slatkin conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Choir of Clare College Cambridge and soprano Louise Kateck.

The US premiere took place on April 28, 2007 in Westminster Choir College, Princeton, NJ. James Jordan and James Whitbourn conducted the Westminster Williamson Voices, an instrumental ensemble and soprano Lynn Eustis.

The world premiere of Annelies in its completed chamber version was given on June 12, 2009 in the German Church, The Hague, The Netherlands. Daniel Hope (violin) led the ensemble, with the Residentie Chamber Choir (conductor Jos Vermunt) and soprano Arianna Zukerman.

 

“He [Whitbourn] reflects sounds of the Westerkerk bells and tunes heard on the radio in the Annexe, along with representations of Anne Frank's Jewish and German heritage, details that add to a score 'whose respectful understatement is its greatest strength'"
The Times

 

 

The recording of Annelies, released in 2013 on Naxos, was GRAMMY-nominated in 2014. 

 

 

Annelies in Education 

Annelies can be developed into many kinds of education project, based around the libretto or the score, and can also be performed as a commemorative work. Examples of performances to date have included:

• Schools event with secondary school pupils from Stoke on Trent with five movements performed by the BBC Philharmonic conducted by the composer with discussion led by Anne Frank's first cousin Buddy Elias.

• Performance at the National Holocaust Memorial event held in Westminster Hall, January 27, 2005.

• Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea education project. Students from four secondary schools were given the opportunity to work with six members of the RPO (the orchestra who premiered the work) discussing the philosophical and moral themes raised in the libretto and creating and developing musical material for pre-concert performance.

• A major arts and cultural event in Blackburn Cathedral, May 2008, that included a complete performance of Annelies in its orchestral version alongside creative writing projects, multi-faith lectures and dialogues, the travelling Anne Frank exhibition Anne Frank [+ you], an art commission and work with local diarist and contemporary of Anne Frank, Thea Hurst.

• Theme for BBC radio's marking of Anne Frank's 80th birthday, including excerpts from the work in the Chamber version performed by the Manchester Chamber Choir.

• Commemorative event in the Hague, The Netherlands, to mark Anne Frank's 80th birthday, June 12, 2009, including a complete performance in the chamber version led by violinist Daniel Hope with soprano soloist Arianna Zukerman.

• Theme for the Holocaust Memorial Lecture 2010, Cape Town Holocaust Centre, delivered by Canon Chris Chivers. (A transcript of the lecture is published in Chris Chivers: Fully Alive, Pretext Publishers, South Africa).

 

 

Chamber Version

 

Version with Full Orchestra