printed news summary april june 2015 - british …news... · printed news summary april - june 2015...

BMS Printed Newsletter—June 15—page 1

Printed News Summary

April - June 2015

Contents

From the chair

Page 2-3

New releases on the

BMS label

Member Appeal

Page 4-5

BOOK REVIEWS

The Wind music of

Gustav Holst

Grainger the Modernist

Two centuries of British

Symphonism

Neglected Music

Page 5-6

CD REVIEWS

Music by Sumsion, Darke,

Pantcheff, Elgar, Brian

and Arnold

Page 7

9th English Music Festival

British Art Song

Competition information

Page 8

Diary

BMS information

From the Chair... Welcome to our June issue of the printed ver-sion of the BMS newsletter. It has been a busy time for re-releases of CDs with Naxos and we have had our annual lecture, given this year by Dr Timothy Bowers. By the time this reaches you, we will also have had our special visit to Shulbrede Priory, one time home of Sir Hubert Parry. But it is not too late to book in for our British Music Symposium on Friday 31st July at the Left Bank in Hereford as part of the 300th Three Choirs Festival. Don’t forget either that our AGM takes place at the Hereford event and we would welcome your attendance.

I hope that all members will have received the first 2015 Journal back in March, including tributes to our former President, John McCabe, articles on Arthur Butterwoth, Humphrey Searle, Algernon Ashton, and further obituaries for Peter Sculthorpe, Patrick Gowers and Ian Kellam. The second Journal is scheduled for delivery in mid September this year.

In the May edition of the eNews, we put out an appeal to the membership for help in build-ing a reviewing team and getting some help in putting the monthly eNews together. We are delighted to say that we had a splendid response to these appeals and have taken great strides forward in this respect. We are now seeking to find a suitably qualified replacement to Martin Cotton to oversee the many and varied recording projects which are both in hand and in planning. While I understand that the need for fluency in email and use of the internet may preclude many members who receive this printed email, I include mention of it here in case there are some who tick the necessary boxes. Please email me at my BMS email—[email protected] if you would like to be considered.

There have been many events publicized in the monthly eNews which have now taken place, including the 9th English Music Festival (see review on page 7), a weekend of British Song at Ludlow and many smaller events. For all the latest information, don’t forget to sign up to the monthly eNews, or visit our website - www.britishmusicsociety.com/events.

Adrian Lucas, Chairman, BMS

B ritish

A day to celebrate

British Music M usic

S ymposium 10.15-15.30 - Friday 31 July, 2015

at The Left Bank, Hereford

Our event takes place at the beautifully restored Left Bank complex in Hereford,

on the banks of the River Wye. Guest speakers Paul Spicer and Edward Clark speak about Arthur Bliss

and Morning Heroes, as well as the influence of Sibelius on British Music. In addition to our BMS AGM,

we are delighted to welcome our president, Raphael Wallfisch, who will give a short recital for unac-

companied ‘cello with works by John Joubert, Edmund Rubbra, Kenneth Leighton and Giles Swayne.

Tickets available through the Three Choirs Festival Box office

www.3choirs.org 0845 652 1823


New Releases in the British Music Society Catalogue

Available on the Naxos label

THE THURSTON COLLECTION (Naxos 8.571357) British music for the clarinet was hugely indebted to the elite interpreters who inspired this important repertoire. They included Frederick Thurston, who first performed three of the works on this recording. Bax's Sonata, much admired and imbued with Celtic folklore, is heard in a version that restored the manuscript's original phrasing. The pieces by Roger Fiske and Iain Hamilton are heard in premiere recordings, while Richard Rodney Bennett's Duo Concertante was commissioned by the eminent soloist in this recital, Nicholas Cox. Arnold Bax - Sonata (1934) Roger Fiske - Sonata (1941) Iain Hamilton - Three Nocturnes Op.6 (1949-50) Hugh Wood - Paraphrase on Bird of Paradise (1985) Richard Rodney Bennett - Duo Concertante (1985) Total Playing Time: 01:08:41

SORABJI: PIANO MUSIC (Naxos 8.571363-65) Kaikhosro Shapurji Sorabji is known as a composer whose pursuit of ex-tremes resulted in vast works such as his Opus Clavicembalisticum which, for many years, was acknowledged as the world’s longest non-repetitive piano work. More important is his music’s unique and satisfying beauty. From the mystical impressionism of earlier ‘nocturnal’ pieces to the awe-inspiring energy and massive climaxes of his later work, Sorabji’s legacy is one which is increasingly appreciated as a unique contribution to 20th-century music. Michael Habermann’s now legendary recordings gained Sorabji’s exclusive approval, breaking through the notorious ban he had placed on performances of his own work.

DISC 1 2 Piano Pieces; Fantaisie Espagnole; Valse-fantaisie “Hommage a Johann Strauss”; 3 Pastiches + Habermann—A la maniere de Sorabji “Au claur de la lune DISC 2 Le Jardin parfume; Djami; Gluistan (The Rose Garden)

DISC 3 Opus Clavicembalisticum; Prelude Interlude and Fugue; Fragment for Har-old Rutland; Fantasiettina sul nome illustre dell’egregio poetica Christo-pher Grieve ossia Hugh M’Diarmid (Tiny little fantasy); Quaere reliqua hujus materiei inter secretiora (Seek the rest of this matter); St Bertrand de Comminges: He was laughing in the tower

Items with this symbol are also available in their original form, though with a different cover, direct from the BMS website

and are of greater benefit to the work of the Society. Please purchase from us if possible!


STANDFORD: SYMPHONY 1—CELLO CONCERTO—PRELUDE TO A FANTASY (Naxos 8.571356) Patric Standford wrote in a wide variety of forms, from large-scale orches-tral and choral music to a cappella, chamber and instrumental pieces. While teaching at the Guildhall School of Music in London he won several major international composition prizes. The First Symphony, each move-ment of which is named after a season, grew from a string piece con-ceived as a memorial for the conductor Sir John Barbirolli. Dedicated to and premièred by the soloist on this recording, Raphael Wallfisch, the powerful Cello Concerto is built around a theme from the fifth move-ment, Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit (You now are sorrowful) of Brahms’ German Requiem.

Patric Standford - Symphony No.1 “The Seasons” Patric Standford - Cello Concerto Patric Standford - Prelude to a Fantasy Total Playing Time: 01:09:55

LEIGHTON: CHAMBER WORKS FOR CELLO (Naxos 8.571358) Kenneth Leighton’s distinctive gifts as a composer were apparent as early as the première of his Cello Concerto, when he was barely 26. It was an instrument for which he wrote with particular subtlety and often from an inner compulsion. The Elegy, Op. 5 is full of brilliance, lyricism and mys-tery whilst by the time he wrote the rhapsodic and expressive Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 52, his position as one of Britain’s leading composers had long been cemented. The beautiful Alleluia Pascha Nostrum, Op. 85 was first performed by the soloist on this disc, Raphael Wallfisch. Kenneth Leighton - Partita Op.35 Kenneth Leighton - Elegy Op.5 Kenneth Leighton - Cello Sonata Op.52 Kenneth Leighton - Alleluia Pascha Nostrum Op.85 Total Playing Time: 01:01:04

Member appeal - Dr William Blows has written symphonies and other works for orchestra, but has had

only one public performance by an orchestra, and that was in 1976 at the age of 29. His symphony no. 1 won the Bexley Arts Festival trophy. Now, approaching 70, he would very much like a second public performance, and hear at least one of his twelve symphonies before it is too late!

William’s career was in nursing; both as a trained nurse in psychiatry and accident & emergency, and then as a nurse teacher for 30 years. But as a hobby he taught himself to compose music, and embarked on an ambitious quest resulting in 12 symphonies, 8 symphonic poems, 5 orchestral suites, a double violin concerto, a concerto for cor anglais and bassoon, and a song cycle. It is hard to get musical works to the public because composers rely entirely on the good will of orchestral directors, especially when the composer reaches 68 with no visible track record in classical music. In the past, William has been given many excuses by professional conductors, including that he should put his scores in the loft!

But, despite his successes, William has not had any success in getting a second symphony performed, and time is running out. If you know any orchestral directors who may be interested in exploring this musical collection, with the view to a possible performance, William would like to speak to them. A preview of some of the works can be heard on William’s YouTube channel (link below), where Sibelius software playback has been recorded and set to videos. It includes the entire 10th symphony “Arthurus Rex” and the entire 11th symphony.

Contact William at [email protected]


BOOK RELEASES and REVIEWS The Complete Wind Music of Gustav Holst A new book, by Shea Lolin £6 + P&P

Only in relatively recent times has any real attention been given to British sympho-

nies. So a comprehensive survey, showing what exists and how the situation in the

United Kingdom developed, from the beginnings in the 18th century until well into

the 20th century, is long overdue. The preliminary survey presented here shows

how a British symphonic identity gradually took shape over more than a century,

through influences from abroad and, at home, enterprising attempts to find new

ways of expression. By the end of the 19th century, British symphonists had pro-

duced an impressive body of work, yet only with the appearance of Elgar’s two

symphonies in the following decade did this flourishing school find a champion of

international renown. In this publication, light is shone on those works that have to

some extent been overshadowed, as well as on those that have remained unpublished or unperformed.

The result is a multi-faceted panorama of British symphonism, offering many insights into the compos-

In the summer of 2012, Shea Lolin curated an exhibition for Morley

College, London on the complete wind music of Gustav Holst. Since

then there has been much interest in the material from this exhibi-

tion so the material has been collated into a book due to be pub-

lished in April 2015.

Gustav Theodore Holst wrote thirteen works for wind instruments

which encompass three decades of his life. They include six works

for military band, three chamber works, a piece for brass band and

three arrangements of his other compositions. The publication is an assessment of the pieces written for

military band in the context of Holst’s double life as a composer and educator. Drawing together material

from the BBC, British Library, Royal Academy of Music and Royal College of Music, this booklet will prove

to be a useful resource for wind players as well as a fascinating read for the enthusiast.

Available now from www.shealolin.co.uk

Grainger the Modernist ISBN 978-1-4724-2022-0 A new book, published by Ashgate, edited by Suzanne Robinson and Kay Dreyfus £58.50

Percy Grainger has remained on the margins of American music history and twen-

tieth-century modernism. This volume reveals him to be a self-described ‘hyper-

modernist’ who composed works of uncompromising dissonance, challenged the

conventions of folk song collection and adaptation, re-visioned the modern or-

chestra, experimented with ‘ego-less’ composition and designed machines in-

tended to supersede human application. By reappraising Grainger’s social and his-

torical connectedness and exploring the variety of aspects of modernity seen in his

activities, the authors create a profile of a composer whose modernist aesthetic

paralleled that of the most advanced composers of his day.

For further details, go to www.ashgate.com

Two Centuries of British Symphonism from beginnings to 1945 - 67 illustrations and numerous music exx., hardcover ISBN: 978-3-487-15226-4 – 89,00 €


ers’ thinking and their socio-cultural contexts. A comprehensive catalogue of all known works and an ex-

tensive bibliography invite readers to delve further into the subject. Further information available from

www.olms.de.

Neglected Music reviewed by Edward Clark An updated publication, published by Hale Books, by Neil Butterworth.

Edward Clark

This fine book by Neil Butterworth is a cornucopia of musical repertoire for profes-

sional and non-professional performers and orchestras alike. However, given the

general aversion to risk among our professional orchestras it is to the non-

professional bands we should look to for making the most of the bountiful ideas con-

tained in the book.

Written in various sections (choral, orchestral, symphonies, solo and orchestra by in-

strument, string orchestra and opera) it makes ideal material for delving into and

agree or disagree with the author’s considerations. What no symphonies by RVW or

Rubbra? Are they all that popular? No, of course not. This is a serious omission

though it is good to see support for Sibelius’s Sixth, the stepchild (probably my favor-

ite) of the mighty seven. The same can be said of Martinu’s Second too.

And so on. There are plenty of works I have never come across so my appetite is wetted by the author’s

scripts to each recommendation. This really is a wonderful and stimulating read; an ideal Christmas/

birthday present or just an impulse buy. Keep it by the bed and you will never run out of the odd time

you need to dip into a book for inspiration before the big sleep takes over.

I hope many, many musicians will read the book and take up the varied challenges placed before us. On

the subject of Busoni, I prefer to champion the rare Violin Concerto not mentioned but he is a composer

coming to celebrate his 150th anniversary next year so why not give his Divertimento or the Concertino

for clarinet and strings a go? Available now from www.halebooks.com

CD RELEASES and REVIEWS King of Instruments, Instrument of Kings Music for violin, piano and organ by Sumsion, Darke and Pantcheff EMR CD029

Rupert Marshall-Luck (violin) and Duncan Honeybourne (piano and organ)

The use of the sobriquet ‘King of Instruments’ for the organ is well-known

and the violin was the instrument of the royal courts of Europe from the sev-

enteenth century until after the Enlightenment. The chiasmus offered by the

juxtaposition of these two instruments was thus irresistible as the title of a

disc that features works for violin and organ or piano by three organist-

composers: Herbert Sumsion, Harold Darke and Richard Pantcheff.

Composed early in their respective careers, the sonatas for violin and piano

by Sumsion (organist of Gloucester Cathedral from 1928 until 1967) and

Darke (best-known for his setting of the carol ‘In the bleak Midwinter’) are

full of zestful life and with a rich harmonic language that lends them depth

and warmth. They are complemented on this recording by Richard Pantcheff’s Sonata for Violin and Or-

gan, composed in 2010, and which casts the two instruments as partners in a dialogue that is full of lyri-

cism, passion and energy.

Recorded in December 2014 in the Chapel of Jesus College, Cambridge, this disc highlights the Hudle-

stone Organ, built by the Swiss firm of Orgelbau Kuhn and installed in 2007.


From Russia with love Chris Bye ELGAR: The Dream of Gerontius; USSR Symphony Orchestra, Evgeny Svetlanov; Felicity Palmer (mezzo-soprano); Arthur Davies (tenor); Norman Bailey (baritone); Richard Hickox(LSO Chorus). MELODIYA (CD 10 02266) BRIAN: Symphonies 6, 28, 29 and 31; New Russian State Symphony Orchestra; Alexander Walker, conductor. NAXOS (8.573408) ARNOLD: The Roots of Heaven; David Copperfield; Moscow Symphony Orchestra; William Stromberg, conductor. NAXOS (8.573366)

RUSSIA’S past and present highly-rated orchestral forces have recently launched a batch of distinctive compact disc re-cordings of works by eminent British composers. In three separate laudable releases, the USSR State Symphony, the New Russia State Symphony, and the Moscow Symphony orchestras have all coincidentally delivered works by estab-lished British 20th century composers – Edward Elgar, Malcolm Arnold and the prolific Havergal Brian. These three out-standing compact discs have all come on to the market at once with great aplomb and vividly illustrate just how im-portant Soviet interpretation of internationally renowned music is. The heavyweight baton of Evgeny Svetlanov and the historic USSR State Symphony Orchestra lead a trio of masterful recordings with a rigorous version of the well-loved Elgar choral piece Dream of Gerontius. That inimitable, well-drilled, Russian depth here gives impressive support to searing English voices in this vintage recording. Felicity Palmer stars as a totally convincing mezzo-soprano. Her fiery Angel blends in command-ingly with the forceful playing of a robust USSR State Symphony Orchestra. She is ably supported by Norman Bailey (baritone), Arthur Davies (tenor) and the whole LSO choir fluently marshalled by the late-great Richard Hickox. This CD captures a wonderfully enduring Soviet-UK performance and boasts a sound quality which easily overcomes its 32-year age. All credit to the recording venue, the auspicious Moscow Conservatory Grand Hall. This is the latest in an impressive battery of re-releases on the old dependable Russian Melodiya label. The articulate Russian State Symphony Orchestra shines welcome new light on the old with pen-etrative premieres from that pillar of the British musical establishment, composer Havergal Bri-an. Sparkling performances of Symphonies 28 and 29, written by the composer in his nonage-narian years, break into valuable new ground in classical recorded sound output. Mesmerising performances of these symphonies, particularly during the intensive savagery of the angular 28th, perfectly illustrate the orchestral strengths of these committed Russian play-ers. Conductor Alexander Walker proves a fine ambassador for British conducting skills, and rev-els in these riches. Crisp woodwind featuring some magnificent clarinet playing and characteristic cymbal crashes em-phasise that distinctive Brian style with some meticulous recorded sound. In gentler but in no less fulfilling mood, the Moscow Symphony Orchestra delivers irresistibly charming versions of Sir Malcolm Arnold’s classic film music scores David Copperfield (1969) and The Roots of Heaven (1958). Here the celebrated Californian conductor, William Stromberg, marshals delicately composed Hollywood cinema music sweetly executed by very competent and well-disciplined Russian players. Everything ends so resolutely well in this release. The infectious mood is perfectly summed up in the charming valedictory playing of the final movement entitled, David’s Resolution. Master-ful Russian musical artistry is shown off here at its high-point. East meets West at it cultural best. It would surely be an international joy if Messrs Putin and Obama could share the same harmonic delights on their fractious world stage!


British Art Song Competition 2015

We are delighted to be able to announce the details of the British Art Song Competition which will be taking place this

Autumn in London, adjudicated by the renowned mezzo, Susan Bickley. Auditions will take place on Saturday 24 October

while the Masterclass and Competition will follow on Saturday 21st November in the church of St Mary Magdelene,

Munster Square, London NW1 3PH. Tickets will be available for audience on the day of the main competition and we

hope that members will want to attend this feast of British song.

The closing date for entries is Friday 16 October and full information can be downloaded from the BMS website

(www.britishmusicsociety.com/news)

The Ninth English Music Festival

Dorchester on Thames - 22 to 25 May2015 Review by Sheila Davies

It is well worth going to at least one of the twelve concerts in this splendid festival for the programme: a hundred A4 pages of information and articles about each piece of mu-sic , composer and performer/s. The opening concert in Dorchester Abbey was given by the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Martin Yates, with Raphael Wallfisch the soloist in Finzi’s Cello Concerto. The other works were less well known; the New Age Over-ture by Richard Arnell, a UK premiere, and a spirited ac-count of Havergal Brian’s English Suite number 3, with ad lib organ in the 4th section. ‘New’ works included the Bucolic Suite by Vaughan Wil-liams, written in 1900 and withdrawn by the composer, but thankfully released for performance by Ursula Vaughan Williams. There are four short movements, the first in the style of a folk dance, the second has an ‘English’ sort of melody, almost Elgarian, the third is lyri-cal and the finale brings in a folk like tune with full or-chestration, with the woodwind writing reminding me of Holst. The whole seems to show Vaughan Williams trying out new ideas for orchestration to vary the atmosphere of the music and generally to develop his personal style. George Butterworth left very little music, as we know, but before he went to France he left intact 93 bars of full score which Martin Yates found in the Bodleian Library and has made into a Fantasia for Orchestra. This was cer-tainly worthwhile to give a context to Butterworth’s ap-parent intentions, and showed again what a great loss to music resulted from the sniper’s bullet on the Somme. The music of George Butterworth appeared again in two concerts. His Suite for String Quartet was for me the best work in the Sunday morning concert by the Villiers Quar-tet. It is thought that at least part of this was written while he was teaching at Radley College, so the performance in

the college’s lovely Silk Hall was particularly apt; the con-cert also included quartets by Sterndale Bennett and Deli-us. The final concert on Monday evening in the Abbey included Roderick Williams singing Six Songs from A Shropshire Lad in an arrangement for string orchestra, in this instance Symphonia Academica with David Beaman conducting. The programme included the poems and pointed out that they were written by Housman before 1900, so in a way are timeless about loss and grief. The eloquent and moving performance had many a listener discretely wiping away a tear. I was able to go to five concerts and a talk, and all were enjoyable and interesting. There was a good variety of British music, not all from the early 20th Century. The Chamber Ensemble of London , with their director Peter Fisher, for example, gave a concert of fairly short pieces, one from the 17th century (Purcell), four from the 18th century (Smith, Arne, Bishop and Mudge) four from the 20th century (Delius, Ireland , Rawsthorne and Britten), and a sort of cantata, White Bird, by Clive Jenkins, first per-formed in 2001. This is a West Country ghost story (the composer comes from Devon) in six scenes for strings, with a wordless soprano representing the ghostly bird, sung with panache by Suzanne Manuell. It was very much en-joyed by the smallish audience in Silk Hall. Indeed it seemed that audiences were smaller than in pre-vious years which was a shame as we felt that the high pro-fessional standard and the variety of the music had never been so good. It is important to know that it is a celebra-tion of English-style music from the whole repertoire, not of Englishness in itself. Welsh, Scots and Irish are welcome though perhaps not as well represented musically as they could be. Hopefully this will be considered in future; I’m sure it’s not deliberate.


The British

Music Society

Registered Charity 1043838

Website

www.britishmusicsociety.com

Email [email protected]

Facebook Group

British Music Society

Twitter

@BMusicSociety

Executive Committee

Chairman—Adrian Lucas

[email protected]

Vice Chairman—John Gibbons

[email protected]

Treasurer—Stephen Trowell

[email protected]

Other committee members

Edward Clark

[email protected]

Martin Cotton (recordings)

[email protected]

Karen Fletcher (publicity)

[email protected]

Wendy Hiscocks

[email protected]

Anna Joubert (social media)

[email protected]

Dan Rootham (web)

[email protected]

If you would like to make a submission

to either the News or the Journal

“British Music”, please post to

7, Tudor Gardens,

Upminster,

Essex RM14 3DE

or email to

[email protected]

Diary of events As dates are regularly updated, please double-check online at

www.britishmusicsociety.com/events/ 2015 Friday 31 July 10.15 British Music Symposium and BMS AGM at the

Hereford Three Choirs Festival

Friday 31 July Deadline for submission of material for

September Journal

SEPTEMBER ISSUE OF 2015 AUTUMN JOURNAL

and SEPTEMBER PRINTED NEWS

Saturday 24 October British Art Song Competition Auditions

Saturday 21 November British Art Song Competition

DECEMBER ISSUE OF DECEMBER PRINTED NEWS

2016 MARCH ISSUE OF 2016 SPRING JOURNAL

and MARCH PRINTED NEWS

British Composer Profiles British Composer Profiles is a biographical diction-

ary of past British composers living between 1800

and 2010. Seven hundred and twenty composers

are represented in this substantial 250-page dic-

tionary.

British Composer Profiles costs £10 for BMS mem-

bers (£12.50 for non-members) plus postage &

packing (within the UK £2.50, airmail within the

rest of Europe £6, airmail outside Europe £10).

The BMS's exclusive visit to Shulbrede Priory on June 6, 2015 was a great day's

outing summed up in the words of those who attended "What an unforgettable

day with wonderful people" and "All very special and quite magical".

printed news summary april june 2015 - british …news... · printed news summary april - june 2015...

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