News

In this issue ...

Page Page Address for Communications 2 Delius Society 14 Keep in touch 2 Birthplace Theft 15 Letter from the Chairman 2 Elgar Works 17 From the Editor 4 Looking Back 19 Annual General Meeting 2020 7 Letters to the Editor 22 Elgar Society Accounts 8 Branch Reports 25 Elgar Day at the Three Choirs 10 Branch Events 35 The Kingdom at the EIF 12 LSO Concerts at the Barbican 38 Membership Matters 13 Dates for your Diary 39 Crossword 50

No. 69 – December 2019 Address for Communications

Contributions for the April 2020 edition of the Elgar Society News should be e–mailed, preferably as Word documents, to the Editor:

Peter James: [email protected]

Full contact details can be found on the back cover. The latest date for submissions for the April 2020 issue is 25 February 2020.

Keep in Touch

Remember: you can keep up to date with the latest Elgarian news online at

Facebook: www.facebook.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com

London Branch Account: https://twitter.com/ElgarLondon

YouTube: www.youtube.com

or, search for ‘Elgar’ or ‘Elgar Society’ or ‘Elgar Birthplace’.

Letter from the Chairman

Although I am a citizen if not a son of ‘Auld Reekie’, I pen these lines, not without an entirely appropriate diffidence, with the beautiful Malvern Hills in view as inspiration (one hopes). Gill and I were delighted to discover that our visit to ‘Elgar Country’ coincided with the October meeting of the West Midlands Branch of our Society and we have just returned from a splendid concert given by the Elgar Chorale under their director Piers Maxim. In addition to meeting new fellow Elgarians, it was a pleasure to be so warmly greeted by Branch Chairman Dr John Harcup. I reminded him of the excellent lectures he had given to the Scottish Branch and it was good to see him again.

2 Elgar Society News Letter from the Chairman

The musical season in Scotland may be said to commence with the Edinburgh Festival and for many of us a highlight this year was a performance, supported by the Elgar Society, of The Kingdom (reviewed by Tom Kelly on page 12). We were fortunate that Martyn Brabbins, such an understanding and sympathetic Elgarian, was conducting and it was gratifying to witness a large and enthusiastic audience (not always to be taken for granted at Festival events). Neil Mantle A highlight for the Mantles, at least, was an evening with past Chairman Andrew Neill and his wife Vicky. The ladies sat demonstrating a benevolent tolerance borne of long experience as anecdote after anecdote flowed as wine. Andrew and I discovered that some of our earliest Elgarian experiences centred around the same work: the Symphony No.2 in E flat, and at virtually the same time – 1964! Andrew’s was at a concert in Bristol where Sir Malcolm Sargent conducted the BBC Symphony Orchestra (preserved on a CD issued some years back). My own was rather more bizarre: as I was walking home from choir practice one Thursday night, something propped up against a dustbin – yes, a dustbin – caught my eye: the gold print of a chunky album illuminated by the streetlight. Upon closer examination the album bore the distinctly encouraging information:

ELGAR Symphony No.2 in E flat, Op.63 The LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Conducted by the Composer

But would the fragile discs be broken, worn out or, worse still, incomplete? The fates were with me and all was well. Naturally, I ‘liberated’ this treasure trove, mentally thanking the anonymous donors for leaving the album out of the dustbin and not concealing it inside. Who knows, perhaps they had a premonition of some kind? Of course, I have those precious records still – 55 years later – and, yes, I do have a means of playing them!

No. 69 – December 2019 3 Letter from the Chairman

Our conversation then turned to the Boult Gerontius DVD and, whilst expressing gratitude that it had been ‘rescued’ technically, I felt a keen frustration at not being able to see Boult more on camera. Andrew told me that this was at Sir Adrian’s insistence. How entirely typical of that great man! When the camera finally allows us to see him, all too briefly, during the ‘Go forth upon thy journey, Christian soul!’ portion of the Prelude, it is an absolutely magnificent demonstration of legato stick technique; not to mention the way in which he builds to and away from the highpoint. In my view, all aspiring maestri should be shown this. The score beside me as I write is not that of the Second Symphony but the Third, which I am preparing for a performance in late November. We, by which I mean my wonderful orchestra the Scottish Sinfonia, gave the work in public when it was, so to speak, only a few months old, 21 years ago, and it is high time to give our audience the opportunity to experience it live again. Well, gentle reader, in the unlikely event that you have penetrated thus far in this homily, it may well be that you have concluded that investigation of further missives may safely be avoided – but if you do, you will miss reading of LSO horn players of the past and missed Elgarian opportunities... Neil Mantle From the Editor

It’s appropriate to start this collection of miscellanea with a welcome to Neil Mantle, who was confirmed as our new Chairman at a Council meeting in October. As you will have gathered from reading his Letter on page 3, Neil is a committed advocate and enthusiast for Elgar – and he is able to support his advocacy with his own orchestra! At the same time we extend very best wishes for a speedy recovery to the Society’s new President, Sir Mark Elder, who underwent surgery in August to release a trapped nerve in his neck. Martyn Brabbins took over performances of The Kingdom in Edinburgh and The Apostles in London; and Sir Mark has also reluctantly had to withdraw from conducting Britten’s Death in Venice at the Royal Opera House. We look forward to seeing and hearing him back in action.

4 Elgar Society News From the Editor

The most depressing thing you will read in this mailing has to be Meinhard Saremba’s editorial on page 3 of the Journal, in which he announces his resignation as Editor. He blames Brexit and what he perceives as a lack of ‘commitment for British culture in continental Europe’, developments that have cost our Society a distinguished collaborator and alienated a true friend. ______No doubt there are as many opinions on the best version of Elgar’s Symphony No.1 as there are recordings available. Composer and musicologist Geraint Lewis, writing in August’s Gramophone magazine, bravely – or perhaps recklessly – named his winners. Edward Gardner and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, recorded in 2016, were his ‘modern choice’; while ‘foreign choice’ was Roger Norrington’s ‘irresistible’ account with the Radio–Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart. (Robert Anderson took a rather different view of the latter when he reviewed it for the Elgar Society Journal in November 2000: ‘Sheer opulence, with headlong accelerando here and indulgent rallentando there, is not enough, and the Symphony’s drama has not been realised.’) Lewis’s ‘top choice’ was Sir Adrian Boult recorded at the 1976 BBC Proms: ‘an electrifying performance in which the orchestra play as if possessed’. Naturally, however, his verdict was soon challenged. It prompted letters to the Gramophone from two correspondents who both preferred Sir Colin Davis’s 1998 recording with the Staatskapelle Dresden, a version which has ‘all the right elements of power, pathos and grandeur’. Two people at least agreed on a preference…

No. 69 – December 2019 5 From the Editor

Restoration work continues at St Wulstan’s Church in Little Malvern, where the Elgars are buried. Repairs to the north side of the church are now needed, at a cost of about £30,000. As in previous years, Christmas cards are being sold to help raise the money. They are available at £4 per pack of ten from: www.christmascardsinaidofstwulstanschurch.com ______

Occasionally some items of interest appear in social media. Professor Stephen Allen of Rider University in New Jersey took to the virtual pages of Facebook to expostulate on BBC Music Magazine’s ‘lazy trope’ that Elgar’s Cello Concerto was his last masterpiece. This judgement ‘has now been seriously questioned by my research1 on the Severn Suite,’ he wrote. The fact that Elgar thought the brass band original was worth being arranged for full orchestra, and for organ, constitutes ‘a ”triple threat” against any assertion that Elgar did not write any significant masterpiece in the final sixteen years of his life … [and] against assertions that he never completed a third symphony’. Bold claims: how many of us would rank the Severn Suite alongside the symphonies or the concertos?

A so–called solution to the ‘Enigma’ also popped up on Facebook. In this theory the theme is played in the treble against a bass part taken from the second movement of Corelli’s Concerto Grosso, Op.6 No.8. Richard Westwood–Brookes was not impressed: ‘The theme came from Elgar randomly doodling on the piano … so how on earth can this be an intentional counterpoint to any other theme? … I do wish people would stop putting out these ever more preposterous “solutions”.’ Cue Leonard Bernstein:

How does a composer write a piece, in England, before the turn of this century, every bar of which is traceable either to Brahms, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Berlioz, Wagner – or somebody – and yet have every moment of it come out sounding (a) British and (b) like Elgar? That’s the enigma. Bernstein speaking on Omnibus: Elgar’s Enigma, BBC, 1982 Peter James

1 See the Musical Times¸ spring 2019 (Ed.) 6 Elgar Society News Annual General Meeting 2020

Nominations for Council Officers and Members of Council

Annual General Meeting The date agreed for the AGM next year is Sunday 31 May 2020 in Worcester. Details will be included in the April News.

Officer Nominations Neil Mantle was co–opted as Chairman at the Council meeting on 5 October 2019. Given that the Constitution requires the annual election of the Officers, nominations are required annually for the following Officer posts: Chairman Vice–Chairman Hon. Treasurer Hon. Secretary

Council Members Two members of the existing Council will be stepping down at the AGM in 2020 having completed two terms of four years: Geoff Scargill and Ruth Hellen. This creates two Council member vacancies to fill at the AGM. Two other Council members have completed one term: Peter Newble and Roy Whittaker. They are both willing to be nominated for a second term.

Nominations from members of the Society for candidates for the Officer posts (annual appointments) or for members of the Council (to serve until the AGM in 2024) should be made in writing. Nomination papers for both Officers and Council members, who must be members of the Society, can be obtained from the Honorary Secretary at [email protected]. The form should be signed by a proposer and seconder, who must be members of the Society, as well as by the candidate, signifying her or his willingness to stand. Completed forms must be received by the Honorary Secretary by 20 February 2020. Should the number of valid nominations for Officers or individual member posts be more than one, a postal ballot of the members of the Society would be held. Ballot papers would need to be distributed to members with the April Journal. George Smart, Hon. Secretary

No. 69 – December 2019 7 Elgar Society Accounts

Elgar Society – Accounts for the Year Ended 31 December 2018 Those who attended the AGM in June will know that the accounts which were published in the April News did not show the final figures. The accounts have now been finalised and agreed with the Independent Examiner, and are set out below.

Statement of Financial Activities

2018 2017 £ £ Income

Subscriptions 26,555 27,461 Gift Aid 3,841 3,954 Royalties 188 215 Interest 1 376 Branch receipts 16,713 8,200 Other 649 1,051 Donations 505 0

Total income 48,452 41,257

Expenditure Society Objectives Journals and Newsletters 10,394 9,167 Events / Branches 26,652 20,696 AGM 1,285 429 PR and Advertising 36 570 Sundry 2,291 232 Elgar in Performance 12,838 40,950 Elgar Medals 0 130 Administration Authorised expenses for Council and Executive 2,317 2,851 Membership administration 0 320

Total Expenditure 55,813 74,985

Deficit (7,361) (33,728)

Balances brought forward 111,967 145,695

Balances carried forward 104,606 111,967

8 Elgar Society News Elgar Society Accounts

Balance Sheet 2018 2017 £ £

Current accounts 1,769 11,298 Investec investment 84,125 84,125 Branches’ bank balances 22,975 19,167 Less owed by Society (4,263) (2,623) Net assets 104,606 111,967

Restricted Funds Kay 3,960 3,960 Branches (London and West Midlands) 17,680 14,952 21,640 18,912

Designated Funds Walker 16,216 16,216 Ballantine 14,080 14,080 Elce 6,816 6,816 Graham 20,056 20,056 Dolan 5,000 5,000 62,168 62,168

General Fund 20,798 30,887

Total Funds 104,606 111,967

Peter Smith, Hon. Treasurer

Binders for Elgar Society News and Journal

In response to requests from members at the Society’s AGM, a new supply of A5–size blue Cordex binders for the Elgar Society News and Journal has been purchased. The price for each binder is £5.50 plus postage. Members can order binders, or get an inclusive price quotation, from Tom Kelly of the Scottish Branch by e–mail to [email protected], or by phone or text message to (07971) 538250, or by post to 69 Trinity Rd, Edinburgh EH5 3HS.

No. 69 – December 2019 9 Elgar Day at the Three Choirs

The day for Elgarians began on 30 July 2019 with a talk by Timothy Day on Elgar’s church music. Tim was for many years a music curator in the British Library’s Sound Archive. He created in the Library an educational trust to fund regular seminars on music and recording and to support the Edison Fellowship scheme, which enables musicologists to enjoy privileged access to the collections for extended periods of research. Apart from writing a number of cultural history publications, which include A Century of Recorded Music and the recently released I Saw Eternity the Other Night, Tim is also a valued member of the West Midlands Branch.

In his talk, well–illustrated by a number of historic recordings, Tim informed us of the often poor standard of cathedral choirs during the late nineteenth century. The recordings which he chose clearly showed how a number of factors led to their improvement over the years. Much of this took place during Elgar’s early years. After Elgar had composed several works for the choir of St George’s Catholic church in Worcester, often influenced by plainsong and Italian opera, he composed The Dream of Gerontius, which someone said ‘stank of incense’, a remark which made him reluctant Timothy Day to compose for cathedral choirs. at St Mary de Lode Consequently, he turned to the composition of more Anglican– centred oratorios which culminated, of course, in The Apostles and The Kingdom. To illustrate this, we heard ‘The Spirit of the Lord’, the wonderful introduction to The Apostles, plus a recording of a very little–known piece for cathedral choir which was new to me at least. Tim’s masterly and often amusing overview of Elgar and the English choral tradition was greeted with much enthusiasm by a capacity audience at St Mary de Lode.

10 Elgar Society News Elgar Day at the Three Choirs

Following the talk, we adjourned to St Mary de Crypt on the other side of Gloucester Cathedral for the Elgar Society lunch. Although the event was again very well attended, we were not impressed with either the food or the service. In defence of the Society it should be said that the lunch and the venue were organised by the Three Choirs Festival authorities. We have already made our feelings known to them and have received an apology for the less than perfect meal. We now plan to work more closely with the Three Choirs people in future to ensure that the 2020 Elgar lunch, to be held in Worcester, will see a great improvement.

Advance notice of the Worcester Festival tells us that three major Elgar works will be performed: The Music Makers on the opening night, the ‘Enigma’ Variations on Sunday and the Third Symphony on Thursday, 30 July 2020. The last will be in the evening of the ‘Elgar Day’. For lovers of other English music there are pieces by RVW and Herbert Howells and, on a personal note, I was delighted to see that Horatio Parker’s oratorio Hora Novissima is also to be given. This was the first work by an American composer to be performed at the Three Choirs Festival (in 1898), and Elgar greeted it with great enthusiasm. Richard Smith

At the Elgar lunch. Standing are: Alexis Patterson, CEO of the Festival, and John Harcup, Chairman of the West Midlands Branch. Sitting are: Timothy Day and the novelist Sue Gee. [Photos: Joan Roche]

No. 69 – December 2019 11 The Kingdom at the Edinburgh International Festival

With support from Elgar in Performance, Elgar’s The Kingdom was one of the highlights at this year’s Edinburgh International Festival in August. Martyn Brabbins stepped in to conduct the Hallé Orchestra and the Edinburgh Festival Chorus in the enforced absence of Society President Sir Mark Elder. When performances of The Kingdom are such a rarity in Scotland, it was a real treat to have such a glowing and fully committed performance.

Scottish Branch members were invited to the rehearsal with full forces and met Martyn Brabbins in the interval (Martyn is a long– standing member of the Scottish Branch, dating back to his work with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra). In recent years the Edinburgh Festival Chorus has performed several other major Elgar oratorios which the Festival had previously neglected.

Scottish Branch members at the rehearsal of The Kingdom

The performance itself was in the ears of many of the audience the best they had heard yet of The Kingdom. The chorus had evidently taken the work very much to heart and were outstanding both in clarity and range of dynamics. A fine team of soloists – with two late replacements – was thoroughly convincing, especially the eloquent Roderick Williams as Peter and soprano Natalya Romaniw in ‘The sun goeth down’. Martyn Brabbins of course has Elgar at

12 Elgar Society News The Kingdom at the EIF his fingertips, and the Hallé Orchestra were on top form, with great command of the sweep and detail of Elgar’s wonderful score.

The reception of the audience was – perhaps unexpectedly, for an Edinburgh audience – very enthusiastic and prolonged. One unwelcome concession to Edinburgh traditions was an interval after Part III (which made it impossible to get elsewhere for a later concert in the Fringe including Elgar’s First Symphony). Another unwelcome Edinburgh tradition was a sour review by the Scotsman critic Susan Nickalls. Why does a newspaper employ people to report on concerts the music of which they have already made up their minds to dislike? Everyone else enjoyed an uplifting performance that will live in the head long after the carping of a minor critic is forgotten. Tom Kelly

Membership Matters

A reminder to everyone that Elgar Society membership subscriptions are due in the first week of January. For those who pay by Standing Order, please can you check that your payment is for the correct amount – the current subscription rates are listed on the outside back cover of the Elgar Society News. For those wishing to set up a new Standing Order, full details can be found on our website: www. elgarsociety.org/standing–order

The website also has details of other payment methods, including PayPal, bank transfer and credit/debit cards. For those wishing to pay by cheque, please make it payable to the Elgar Society and send it to the Membership Secretary. Chris Bennett, Hon. Membership Secretary

No. 69 – December 2019 13 Membership Matters

We warmly welcome the following new members of the Society:

Jacqeline Branch London

David Coffey Marldon

Isolda da Costa Sores London

A.J. Dyson London

Dr & Mrs J. & B. Ernst Queensland, Australia

Robert Felgate & Richard Smith Bury St Edmunds

David James Norwich

Christine Lawson Leominster

Jill Prime Worcester

Gill Robinson Worcester

Mr & Mrs H.V. Rogerson Morecambe

Avrom Schwartz Minnesota, USA

Christine Warsaw Arizona, USA

Delius Society

The Elgar Society has a reciprocal agreement with the Delius Society, whereby we offer each other’s members a reduced subscription of 50% for the first year of membership. Contact membership Secretary Paul Chennell: [email protected].

The London Branch meets six or seven times on weekday evenings between September and March, usually in central London. The Midlands Branch organises its own programme of meetings which are usually held in the Derby area at weekends. Details can be found on the Delius Society website: www.delius.org.uk.

14 Elgar Society News Birthplace Theft

The last issue of the News reported the theft of Elgar’s OM and GCVO medals from The Firs in the early hours of 27 June. The thieves entered the Birthplace cottage by forcing open the front door and breaking the strengthened glass on the cabinet in which the medals were being displayed. This was clearly not an opportunist crime. The thieves were in the building for only a few minutes and had come equipped to break into the cabinet, knowing exactly what they wanted to steal and where it could be found, suggesting that the medals were being stolen to order.

The stolen medals: Left, the Order of Merit medal; Below, the GCVO Breast Star; Overleaf, the GCVO Badge and Sash

Despite the best efforts of West Mercia Police, with the theft being featured on the BBC’s Crimewatch programme, attempts to recover the medals and apprehend the thieves have so far come to nought. The burglary has had a significant impact on everyone associated with the Birthplace. It was the first time since the Birthplace cottage was opened to the public that such a crime has occurred. Not only had the intruders crudely smashed their way into the workplace that staff care about deeply, but they had taken priceless and precious items which Elgar valued highly.

No. 69 – December 2019 15 Birthplace Theft

Left: the GCVO Badge and Sash

Mark Grafton, Sir Edward’s great– nephew and a trustee of the Elgar Foundation, said:

The family were devastated to learn that Uncle Edward’s priceless medals had been targeted and stolen. How sad that the medals, donated by Carice probably 80 years ago, are no longer on view for the benefit of the British public.

Medals such as these do not carry the name of the person to whom they were awarded and, surprisingly, GCVO medals not infrequently come up for sale. OM medals, particularly those bearing the insignia of Edward VII, are much rarer. The award was not introduced until 1902 and Elgar was only the 28th recipient of the medal. Foundation trustees are now in discussion with the National Trust to determine whether to purchase replicas which would obviously not have the personal significance attached to Elgar’s own medals.

In an attempt to encourage the public to come forward with valuable information, the Elgar Family Trust and the Elgar Foundation are offering a reward of £2,000 for information that leads to the recovery of the stolen property and the identification of the offender(s). Anyone with any relevant information, however small, should ring West Mercia Police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers, either by completing the online form on their website or by calling on 0800 555111. All information given to Crimestoppers can be provided anonymously. Ron Whitfield Ron Whitfield is the Birthplace Management Committee member leading for the Elgar Foundation on the recovery of the stolen medals.

16 Elgar Society News Elgar Works

Bedding down

At the time of writing this column for the August issue of the News, we were preoccupied with restructuring our editorial resources for future Collected Correspondence volumes after Martin Bird’s sad death. That task has now been completed with Paul Chennell taking over the authorship role for new volumes, Chris Bennett continuing in the General Editorship role and Richard Smith responding to our plea for help in taking on responsibility for indexing future volumes. Ann Vernau has volunteered to take over responsibility for maintaining the style guide and will continue to co–ordinate the proof–reading team which is now to be supplemented by Steven Halls who will also take the weight of managerial oversight off my shoulders.

Martin had already provided a preliminary draft of another volume of diaries before his death in May and that should now be published in January. He had also left us rough assemblages of material for future volumes of diaries but not of further volumes of correspondence. A meeting of the editorial team in late August considered options for the latter and identified a number of possibilities. A significant aspect of this is to spot subjects that not only can be combined into a coherent narrative but, in doing so, provide sufficient material for a book of appropriate length. Having identified possibilities, Paul and Chris are now exploring their feasibility and gathering together the relevant material so that Paul can start to write the first new volume of correspondence with a view to publication around the middle of 2020.

But before we could put this plan fully into effect, we had our second major set–back in as many months when we heard in mid– July that Paul Rooke, Chief Originator of scores for Complete Edition volumes, was in hospital in an induced coma, having fallen and fractured his skull. Over three months later, he remains in hospital and clearly still has a long way to go before a return home can be contemplated.

Setting aside our personal concerns for Paul, his hospitalisation has presented us with an additional problem: many of the unique proofs and electronic files he was working on for forthcoming

No. 69 – December 2019 17 Elgar Works

volumes and had created for published volumes were located tantalisingly out of reach in his house and on his computer. When it became clear that an early return home was unlikely, Paul’s son enabled us to go to the house to recover the proofs and files we needed for forthcoming volumes, and has since repeated the exercise for folders seeming to relate to past volumes, but there is a mountain of work ahead of us in separating current from redundant files, a task we should have carried out some years ago but never found the time to do so.

Having already published two new Complete Edition volumes this year, we remain optimistic of publishing a third, containing Severn Suite and Nursery Suite, around the end of the year, and are planning a further three volumes for 2020. But something has to give. Our failure to consolidate our joint file holdings has provided a salutary lesson. We lack the manpower to meet the full range of demands now placed on us so that requests requiring immediate attention but of lesser long–term importance are preventing us from addressing matters more fundamental to the continued efficient operation of the charity. After eighteen months of disruption, we need to find space to breathe and put the back office into better shape.

We need to ring–fence time devoted to the editorial process, and in particular the intense periods of effort spent checking new volumes immediately before dispatch to the printers, from the distractions of everyday business life. With no–one to handle sales, we are reluctantly forced to admit that we cannot continue to maintain the level of service of recent years without seriously disrupting our production schedule. Fortunately, the vast majority of Complete Edition and Collected Correspondence volumes are dispatched in the two–three weeks following publication, while choirs and orchestras usually source their performing material well in advance, allowing us to schedule the printing of additional parts in quieter periods. But there will be times when in effect the sales office will be closed for periods of up to six weeks at a time so that we are unable to process even urgent orders. All we can ask is that you get your orders to us early and for your forbearance as we work to put Elgar Works on a more sustainable footing. John Norris

18 Elgar Society News Looking Back

The Elgar Society Newsletter, September 1973

The Elgar Society had been formed in 1951 and was initially centred around Worcestershire and Herefordshire. Eventually, in 1971, the first Branch was formed in London, followed some two years later by another in the West Midlands. A regular tri–yearly Newsletter was circulated from September 1973. I was recently fortunate enough to be given a set of these early Newsletters by a relation of one of our sadly deceased members. Looking at the earliest of these gives an insight into what was happening in the Society over 40 years ago. At that time our President was Sir Adrian Boult and the Vice–Presidents were Viscount Cobham, Douglas Guest, Lady Percy Hull, Yehudi Menuhin, Professor Ian Parrott, Dr Herbert Sumsion, Lionel Tertis, Alan Webb1, Professor Sir Jack Westrup and Sir David Willcocks. The Chairman was A.T. ‘Bertie’ Shaw, the Vice–Chairman was F.B. ‘Frank’ Greatwich and the Secretary was E. Wulstan Atkins.

Extracts from ‘Bertie’ Shaw’s Chairman’s Report make interesting reading:

Over the past twelve months the Elgar Society has been undergoing a process of transformation from what was for 22 years essentially a Malvern–based organisation with a widely scattered national membership towards a Society with a number of autonomous self– governing branches and a central committee which looks to the branches and to the scattered members outside them to provide it with the income required to support activities that are the concern of all who wish to honour the memory of Edward Elgar. It will be our concern in the years ahead to work out a viable system of partnership and cooperation between our Society and the Trustees of the Elgar Birthplace at Broadheath. Moreover, soon after the death of Elgar’s daughter, Carice Elgar–Blake, it became clear that the Society should accept responsibility for the upkeep of the Elgar grave at Little Malvern. Indeed, this was a wish expressed by Mrs Elgar–Blake before she died. As you know, the grave is a place of pilgrimage for many people and it is all too evident not only that constant vigilance is essential if the surroundings are to be kept tidy but also that repairs to the 1 On a personal note, I was privileged to be shown around the Birthplace by the then curator, Alan Webb, during my first visit in 1966. No. 69 – December 2019 19 Looking Back

masonry and lettering must soon be undertaken. Members may not fully appreciate the difficulties of caring for the memorial. It is in a situation which becomes waterlogged in dampish weather. Miss Dorothy Howell2 has provided stepping stones and we are very grateful to her.

Sentimental as well as purely practical reasons make it desirable that the Elgar Society should establish a significant ‘presence on the ground’ in the West Country. It was in Malvern and Hereford that many of Elgar’s greatest works were written. It was in Malvern that our President first formulated the idea of an Elgar Society, and it was in the cathedrals of the West Country that – to quote from Dr Watkins Shaw’s History of the Three Choirs Festival: ‘a distinctive Elgar tradition grew up bearing the special imprint of authority resulting from long and close familiarity with the composer’s interpretation.’ We hope therefore to continue to be able to report a large West Country membership to whom we may turn for volunteers to help at the grave and at the Birthplace.

Some distinguished Elgarians featured in the Society’s events programme for 1973–1974:

1 October Michael Pope The Piano Quintet 5 November Michael Kennedy Portrait of Elgar 26 November Paul Tortelier The Cello Concerto 4 February Christopher Robinson Elgar and the Organ 4 March Dr Erich Arnold Church and Sacred Music 1 April Professor Ian Parrott Elgar’s ‘Enigma’ solved 6 May Dr Jerrold Northrop Moore Elgar’s process of composition 3 June Diana McVeagh Subject to be decided 10 June Annual General Meeting.

As mentioned previously, at this time there were only two Branches in existence, in London and in the West Midlands, but ‘discussions were proceeding’ on the establishment of Branches in Wales, the North East and the North West.

2 It is perhaps not widely known that the Worcestershire composer Dorothy Howell is now also buried at St Wulstan’s Church in Little Malvern. One of her works was played at a recent BBC Prom. 20 Elgar Society News Looking Back

Reports on two Elgar performances at the 1973 Three Choirs Festival at Hereford were also given in the Newsletter by ‘Bertie’ Shaw:

The highlight of Wednesday and indeed of the Festival thus far, came with Andrew Davis’ interpretation of Elgar’s First Symphony at the evening concert. All praise to the young conductor – he carries the score in his head – and to the CBSO for a glorious performance of Elgar’s noble work.

The big climax of the Festival came, however, on the last day when the immense crowds drawn to Hereford Cathedral to hear The Apostles were witness to the exalted place Elgar now holds in public esteem.

The performance was directed by Richard Lloyd. It revealed him as a very sympathetic interpreter of Elgar’s music and it put the seal of artistic success on his work as conductor–in–chief during a week full of good things.

Mr. Lloyd’s forces comprised the Festival Chorus, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at full strength and six soloists. These were Wendy Eathorne, Marjory Thomas, John Carol–Case, David Thomas and Roger Stalman3, who all pulled together a wonderful and most affecting web of sensuous sound.

Perhaps a few points may be singled out for special commendation: the beauty of the choral prologue; the exquisite singing of ‘And the Lord Turned’ by the sopranos and altos after Peter’s Denial, the tremendous weight of tone produced by the full chorus in ‘Proclaim unto Him’ and the mighty crescendo leading to the fortissimo climax for chorus and orchestra on the words ‘Everlasting Gospel.’ The RPO distilled the most entrancing sounds from Elgar’s colourful orchestration and for the soloists I have nothing but praise.

What remains in my mind is a comment I overheard on my way out of the Cathedral. ‘It was a great refreshment to hear such glorious music.’

3 The original article names only five soloists. No. 69 – December 2019 21 Looking Back

It was also pleasing to note that, even at this early stage, a ‘dates for your diary’ section was included. The editor also asked for suggestions for the possible changing of the title for the publication. Finally, subscriptions at that time were £1 annually and £2 for London members. How times have changed! Richard Smith

Alan and Joan Webb pictured outside the Birthplace in 1972. Alan was the curator from 1966 to 1972. [Photo: the late Michael Dowty] Letters to the Editor

Wood’s ‘Enigma’ I have recently commissioned a digital version of Sir Henry Wood’s 1924 acoustic recording of the ‘Enigma’ Variations – years ago David Michell of the London Branch transferred the recording from 78rpm discs to cassette. The transfer is available in three formats: unedited, partially de–noised and fully de–noised. The recording is best described as a curiosity. It came out at the very end of the acoustic era, so was rapidly superseded by electronic versions. Also, the ‘bridging chord’ at the end of the 12th Variation has been kept, and one of the chords in the 14th Variation is duplicated where there was a side change. The recording is available on CD for £12. The acoustic version of the Violin Concerto with Sammons and Wood is included, although this has been reissued commercially. Anyone interested should please contact me via e–mail. Richard McMillan [email protected]

22 Elgar Society News Letters to the Editor

A hard experience I just thought you may be interested in a rather amusing photograph I took whilst visiting The Firs last June. I was amused to see an excellent life–size model of Edward Elgar sitting on a garden bench in his childhood garden. A lady from Shrewsbury who is a real Elgar fan was so smitten with the romance of the garden and the statue she felt moved to make a special tribute to him. She actually sat on his knee! Apparently it was this lady’s birthday. All I know is that her name was Daphne. She asked me to take this photograph to mark the special occasion. As she remarked at the time, ‘After all, Elgar was certainly a ladies’ man in his lifetime and I’m pretty sure I won’t be the last to sit on his knee – even if it is as hard as iron!’ Phil Hellin Softly does it There are people, not a few, who pronounce ‘Gerontius’ with a hard g (as in get). I always sense a not wholly suppressed air of superiority. In the Concise Oxford Dictionary, seventh edition, there are approximately 27 entries beginning with ger–. One, gertcha (vulg.), has a hard g. One, gerbera, permits choice. Gerontocracy has a soft g and so do 24 others! I admit that Elgar himself may have pronounced ‘Gerontius’ with a hard g. But surely that is irrelevant. In almost everything he was self–taught, inevitably not always correctly, especially in detail. I suggest … I don’t know how to say this … I suggest that if he did use a hard g he was wrong. Robin Taylor Confusion at Hasfield On page 71 of the August News you reproduce a photograph of Elgar boating at Hasfield. You attribute this to Harold Windless, September 1901. Chris Bennett sent me a photo of the album where the photo is lodged under the date 1902. Who is Harold Windless?

No. 69 – December 2019 23 Letters to the Editor

The photographs of the Nanty Ewart escapade were taken in September 1901 by Harold Wintle, the amateur photographer who was staying at Hasfield as tutor to the three Baker boys. Could it not have been Harold Wintle not Windless who took this photo a year later? (See Page 51 – Ed.) Arthur Reynolds

A Christmas Mystery On 12 December 1901 Elgar conducted the ninth Worcestershire Philharmonic Society concert, a seasonal performance of Ein Weihnachtsmysterium (A Christmas Mystery) by Philipp Wolfrum (1854–1919), the work’s British première. The composer of Gerontius recognised a kindred spirit, as Elgar’s programme note reveals: It is a bold thing in a sacred work, which most hearers will persist in calling an oratorio, to throw over the whole convention of the Oratorio maker, fugues, canons, etc., and to give us a piece of pure and expressive music. Two performances of Ein Weihnachtsmysterium planned for the end of November in Hamelin (Germany) will be recorded by NDR Radio and broadcast on 25 December 2019 at 10am UK time on https://www.ndr.de/ndrkultur/index.html. A world première recording of the work on CD is also being planned. Tom Cademartrie

24 Elgar Society News Branch Reports

EAST ANGLIAN: I have three meetings to report on for this edition, all revealing different aspects of the life and music of Sir Edward Elgar. In July we welcomed Kevin Mitchell and friends who gave us a comprehensive description of the trials of writing the music of, and producing for the stage, during World War I, The Fringes of the Fleet and the ballet The Sanguine Fan. Although well received at the time, the recordings we heard probably demonstrate that the music wouldn’t appeal to audiences today. I particularly liked the way Lyn Nixon portrayed Alice Elgar, soothing to Edward but critical and impatient of anyone who hampered the projects. The September meeting completed our exploration of The Black Knight when Julian Rushton guided us through the music, complementing perfectly the more literary talk about Longfellow given by Arthur Reynolds in May. The last meeting of 2019 featured Chris Wiltshire and the final part of his trilogy ‘Elgar as we knew him’. Chris introduced this as hearing from the people of Worcestershire, and they turned out to be an eclectic group: a gardener’s son, an ex–choirboy, members of the Grafton family, and some famous musicians. Overall, we gathered information through recorded interviews about Elgar’s character, particularly in his later life. It was fascinating not only to hear the interviewees’ voices but also to see photographs of them, their families and homes. The Branch now takes a winter break, not meeting again until February 2020 when I hope to see some old friends and possibly make some new ones? Bev Simpson

EAST MIDLANDS: At the time of writing there has only been one meeting of the Branch since August’s News, when Geoff Scargill presented ‘Miracle in Manchester’, a review of Glorious John Barbirolli’s life with special reference to the Hallé. Geoff gave us an insight into the mind of this frequently depressed musician and his emotional association with orchestras and colleagues around the world. An eye–opening Saturday afternoon with many unique recordings ranging from the ten–year–old John on cello accompanied by his sister to the last concerts of Mahler and Beethoven.

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Left: Geoff Scargill talking about Barbirolli while DJ Sam Dobson waits for the next cue.

On 1 February 2020 members and friends are invited to share recordings, film clips and any ‘little gems’ relating to Elgar in a ‘You, the members!’ afternoon. Pauline Collett’s book Elgar Lived Here has become the definitive work on Edward’s abodes. On 7 March Pauline will talk about her researches and no doubt play excerpts from associated compositions. Conductor Alexander Walker has promoted Elgar’s music in Eastern Europe and Russia. On 11 April he will explain what was involved. A meeting not to be missed. Fundraising has continued with the ‘suggested entirely voluntary donation’ of £3 during the tea interval. It is emphasised this is an appreciation of the afternoon’s proceedings rather than a charge for a cuppa and biscuits. A pool of petty cash has been built up to fund, among other items, interval refreshments and ex gratia gifts to speakers who waive their fees. Other schemes are in the pipeline and will be reported on later. Our concerns regarding access to the Branch Newsletter for members without e–mail have been resolved. Wendy Brooks has offered to let these members have the latest news either by telephone or post. Should there be anyone reading this who would appreciate the facility Wendy would like to hear from them. Michael Toseland

26 Elgar Society News Branch Reports

LONDON: The new London season started in October with a presentation by Adrian Brown. His talk was entitled ‘Elgar’s Brinkwells works: a requiem for the war?’ He spoke about the works produced mainly at Brinkwells at the culmination of the First World War and thereafter: the three chamber works and the Cello Concerto. His view is that the works are completely linked, structurally, tonally, emotionally and personally, making one piece comprising 13 movements. On 26 October a party of members attended a London Philharmonic Orchestra performance of The Apostles at the Royal Festival Hall, conducted by Martyn Brabbins in place of Sir Mark Elder, who was indisposed. This was a wonderful experience, with soloists, orchestra and chorus responding wholeheartedly to Brabbins’s direction in a brilliant and moving performance. Ruth Hellen NORTH AMERICA: Recent months have seen two important contributions to Elgar scholarship coming from our Branch members. Diane Nolan Cooke edited Volume 20 of the Complete Edition, while Lani Spahr worked his engineering magic to make possible Elgar from America, the latest of Somm’s historic releases and reissues of recordings that might otherwise have been lost to us. Meanwhile our Branch committee has been busy organizing the 2020 annual conference. Next year’s gathering will take place in Pittsburgh on 14–16 May. The central event will be what promises to be an outstanding performance of the Cello Concerto by Alisa Weilerstein with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pablo Heras–Casado. There will be the usual discussions with local musicians as well as visits to local sites, including Fallingwater, arguably Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece, located at nearby Bear Run, Pennsylvania. Feel free to contact me for further information. Arthur Reynolds [email protected]

NORTH WEST: Our last NW Branch meeting in our 2018–2019 season was in May 2019 and this was reported in the August edition of the Elgar Society News. Our only meeting since then took place on Saturday 12 October when, at the opening meeting of our 2019–2020 season, Barry Collett talked to us on the subject of ‘Elgar – before the

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Enigma Variations – the forging of a style’. It was a fascinating presentation by a devoted Elgarian and highly professional musician, who has spent much of his life researching, performing and recording some of the lesser–known works of Elgar, and Barry Collett in Manchester in particular the early works which Elgar composed during the development of the style which we now refer to as Elgarian. In 2012 he received the Elgar Medal, the Elgar Society’s highest award, for his pioneering work. Barry began by telling us that he had become fascinated, as a young man and subsequently, by the works which Elgar composed in the twenty or so years prior to the composition of the ‘Enigma’ Variations – years which marked Elgar’s development as a composer. Barry went on to discuss the many and varied aspects of this development and illustrated his fascinating and informative narrative with excerpts from recordings of works of quite different genres: Andante and Allegro for oboe and string trio; a Powick Asylum polka; Ecce sacerdos magnus; and excerpts from the Hickox recording of Caractacus. After an interval Barry discussed various additional aspects of Elgar’s rapidly developing style and illustrated this with more recordings: three of Elgar’s early short pieces for piano; Sursum Corda, an unmistakably Elgarian work, for strings, brass, timpani and organ, written for a visit to Worcester of the then Duke of York (later to become King George V) which, although not labelled as such by Elgar, we all thought fitted the descriptive word which Elgar later came to use – nobilmente. Then came The Mill Wheel song and finally the closing sections of King Olaf (in Vernon Handley’s version). This was a skilfully crafted presentation and delightfully presented to a very appreciative audience.

28 Elgar Society News Branch Reports

In addition to our planned season of meetings, the North West Branch will be sponsoring a recital (to be given at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, on Tuesday 5 November) of some of Elgar’s violin and piano music. The recital will be given by Anastasia Vedyakova (violin) and Barry Collett (piano). Anastasia is a highly skilled, professional Russian violinist who has been promoting and performing Elgar’s music throughout Russia in recent years, and in recognition of her services she received the Elgar Society’s Certificate of Merit in 2012. The full details of the works to be performed can be found on the NW Branch webpage at https://elgarsociety. org/north–west/. This recital will provide an opportunity to hear a selection of Elgar’s music for violin (and piano) – some of it familiar and popular, some of it rare – to be played by a celebrated Russian violinist and a devoted Elgarian. David L. Jones SCOTTISH: Our Branch meeting on 2 November featured Society Chairman and Scottish Branch patron Neil Mantle in conversation on the Elgar/Payne Third Symphony. This was a fascinating and enthusiastic insight into Anthony Payne’s elaboration of Elgar sketches into a large–scale and fully scored orchestral symphony. Neil Mantle, who gave the very first performance of the work in Scotland in 1998, is conducting it again with his Scottish Sinfonia later in November. The complicated history of Elgar’s contradictory wishes as to the symphony’s completion, premature publication of the sketches in the 1930s, and Anthony Payne’s account of how he completed the work in the 1990s, give an unusually vivid understanding of the contribution of both composers. Neil Mantle feels that the inspiration of the work was very much Vera Hockman – and not just in the memorable second subject of the first movement. Was it an omission of Anthony Payne not to have used that theme in some way in the finale? Neil also picked up on passages in the score where it seemed that Anthony Payne might have been influenced by other composers such as Mahler, and where Elgar’s renewed creativity shone through in his ideas for the work. The meeting concluded with a fine, eloquent piano recital by Mark Rogers from Texas (but studying at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire). It was particularly apt to hear the Iain Farrington

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version of Elgar’s Five Piano Transcriptions in view of the later borrowings from this music. Mark had studied Elgar’s recordings of the pieces and had been struck by his very individual style of playing. Mark also performed the Brahms Three Intermezzi, Op.117. Our next meeting is in the New Year and focuses on the Cello Concerto with a live performance for cello and violin (Sunday 19 January at 2pm at the usual venue of St Mark’s Unitarian Church, Castle Terrace, Edinburgh). Tom Kelly SOUTHERN: Our 2019/20 autumn/winter programme began in September at our Winchester venue with a talk by Dr Christopher Fifield on the life and work of Kathleen Ferrier. His musically illustrated presentation, demonstrating her wide–ranging repertoire, both serious and humorous, concluded with – what else? – her hauntingly beautiful rendering of ‘Blow the Wind Southerly’, the folk song from Northumberland.

Christopher Fifield at the Winchester meeting In October we welcomed Andrew Keener to our Havant venue, to hear an illuminating account of Sir Malcolm Sargent. Incorporating musical interludes that illustrated Sir Malcolm’s conducting mastery, Andrew concluded his presentation with the final minutes of the televised ‘Last Night’ of the 1967 Prom season, when the gravely ill Sir Malcolm addressed ‘his prommers’ for the last time.

30 Elgar Society News Branch Reports

Later in the month two Southern Branch members represented the Society at a concert given as part of the Music at Beaulieu Programme, held in Beaulieu Abbey Church in the New Forest. The Nova Foresta String Quartet included three Elgar miniatures in their programme. Our final 2019 talk, entitled ‘British men–o’–war’, will be on 16 November at our Winchester venue. Derek Beck, a local organist, choirmaster and conductor, will discuss choral works, including Elgar’s Spirit of England, from the perspectives of both the music and the choice of anti–war texts incorporated. We look forward to our 2020 meetings, beginning on 18 January at our Winchester venue with the welcome visit of our previous Southern Branch Chairman, William Cole. His talk, ‘Only what might have been’, will take a speculative look at Elgar recordings that never happened (but might have). Our 29 February meeting will return to Havant for the visit of Joe Tierney, who will be looking at the role of the National Trust and its progress since accepting responsibility for The Firs, Elgar’s Birthplace, in Lower Broadheath. His talk, ‘It’s the only wish I’ve got’, takes its title from Elgar’s wish that the cottage be preserved for the nation. On 21 March we return to Winchester where Branch Vice– Chairman Duncan Eves’s talk, ‘Unmaking The Music Makers’, will present a fresh re–appraisal of Elgar’s underrated setting of Arthur O’Shaughnessy’s ode. Wendy and Ed Wiseman

WEST MIDLANDS: Our summer season began on 13 July with a talk by Elgar Society Vice–Chairman Stuart Freed on Gordon Jacob. Jacob is perhaps best known to us for his orchestration of Elgar’s Organ Sonata, which was first performed in 1947, but he was a composer, teacher and writer of no mean ability. He, like Elgar, hated teaching, although among his pupils were Malcolm Arnold, Imogen Holst, Anthony Hopkins and Bernard Stevens. During Stuart’s excellent talk we heard a variety of Jacob’s own works, which often used unusual combinations of instruments. To prove this, we listened to a concerto for timpani and band, a suite for eight violas, a trombone

No. 69 – December 2019 31 Branch Reports

concerto and a saxophone quartet. More conventional were his First Symphony (which included an improvisation on ‘Oranges and Lemons’) and a piano concerto. A near record audience assembled on 14 September to hear a thoroughly enjoyable talk by Robert Green, sometime assistant organist at both Lichfield and Hereford Cathedrals. In recalling his long musical career, he demonstrated a happily light touch, beginning with the antics of a pigeon in Lichfield Cathedral that refused to be evicted, and continuing with amusing stories of the Royal Maundy ceremony at Ripon Cathedral and the occasion in Brecon Cathedral when the South African battles of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift in 1879 were remembered. A direct descendent of Cetshwayo, the Zulu king at the time, was present, but disappointingly dressed in a lounge suit. However, his attendants were in full tribal costumes complete with spears. Finally, he told the story of being in Hereford Cathedral organ loft when he realised that smoke was coming through the floorboards. He got out his trusty screwdriver in an attempt to find the source of the trouble, and was heard by Roy Massey to say: ‘This doesn’t usually happen!’

Dr Jerrold Northrop Moore (left) with Peter Smith, Artistic Director of the Autumn in Malvern Festival [Photo: Joan Roche]

32 Elgar Society News Branch Reports

Next day many of us assembled in Malvern to hear the well– known Elgar biographer Dr Jerrold Northrop Moore talk about Arthur Sullivan. This was a joint event with us and the Autumn in Malvern Festival which is organised annually by Peter Smith. Apart from giving a delightfully phrased overview of Sullivan’s ‘serious music’, Dr Moore also mentioned the well–known moment when Elgar complained that Sullivan ‘consumed all my rehearsal time’. However, when the two met during the 1898 Leeds Musical Festival (which Sullivan conducted) Sullivan was to apologise saying, ‘I hadn’t the slightest idea you were there. I would have gladly helped you with the rehearsal.’ The two then established a rapport which was to end two years later when Sullivan died. Dr Moore concluded that much of Sullivan’s output has been overshadowed by vehement criticism by J.A. Fuller Maitland which followed his collaboration with W.S. Gilbert. He felt that it was high time that this state of affairs should be remedied.

On Saturday, 12 October, we hosted a concert at The Firs, Elgar’s Birthplace, by the Elgar Chorale, presented and conducted by Piers Maxim. The Chorale was founded in 1980 by the late Dr Donald Hunt and is one of the leading mixed–voice chamber choirs in our area. We were delighted that they presented an all–Elgar concert, some pieces well known, some not. They ranged from Elgar’s religious works composed for St George’s RC Church in Worcester to part– songs for a wider audience. Especially notable was a performance of With Proud Thanksgiving, adapted from The Spirit of England, one of Elgar’s finest works. Each piece was introduced by Piers Maxim, who also entertained us with two piano solos: the beautiful but little–known In Smyrna and a rarely heard arrangement for solo piano of Sursum Corda. We were glad to be able to share in the obvious pleasure the Chorale members have in their singing and we very much hope they will continue to flourish under the direction of their talented director, Piers Maxim. Richard Smith

YORKSHIRE & NORTH EAST: Following the summer break, our programme resumed on 28 September with a talk by Daniel Grimley entitled ‘Unfolding Elgar’s Sanguine Fan’. This was a little–known work for most of the audience – although one member recalled attending a live performance – and Daniel revealed the background

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and context of the work in fascinating detail. The central thesis of the talk was that the light–hearted and graceful tone of the ballet masks the more serious undertone of a score written during the First World War. Effective projections and an analytical handout to accompany the recorded music provided invaluable aids for what proved to be a most stimulating and enjoyable presentation.

Prof. Daniel Grimley

Jonathan Wainwright’s topic on 23 November was ‘Gerontius with MS notes by Elgar’. Jonathan took us through the history of a first–edition score (Novello, 1900) which once belonged to Robert Buckley (who wrote the first biography of Elgar in 1905); the score contains numerous, previously unnoticed annotations in the hand of Elgar himself. Our speaker drew out many fascinating details from the edition and Prof. Jonathan Wainwright its annotations and tested the skills of (right) with Branch Chairman the audience in deciphering Elgar’s Dr David Young handwriting – a task made confusing in one or two places by the juxtaposed annotations of Wilfrid Mellers! Enhanced by musical examples, this talk was delivered in a delightfully lively manner. We now look forward to Andrew Neill’s talk on ‘The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne’ (23 November), which will bring to a close our 2019 season. The 2020 series begins on 25 January with our AGM and an illustrated talk by Branch Chairman David Young on ‘Reading The Music Makers’. David Young

34 Elgar Society News Branch Events

For further information please contact the relevant Secretary (see back cover). EAST ANGLIAN All meetings are held in the Edmund Room, St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1LS. Sat 8 February, 2.30pm Richard Edgar–Wilson ‘Use well the interval’: Performing Gerontius Preceded by the Branch AGM at 2pm Sat 21 March, 2.30pm Martin Passande ‘That sweet borderland’: Elgar and Hereford Sat 25 April, 2.30pm Stephen Johnson ‘My ideal’: Elgar and Schumann EAST MIDLANDS All meetings are held in the Garden Room, Unitarian Chapel, East Bond St, Leicester, LE1 4SX. Sat 7 December, 2.00pm Michael Butterfield Edward Elgar and Richard Wagner Sat 1 February, 2.00pm You, the members! Members’ choice Sat 7 March, 2.00pm Pauline and Barry Collett Elgar’s homes Sat 11 April, 2.00pm Alexander Walker Taking Elgar to Eastern Europe LONDON All meetings are held at Queen’s College, 43 Harley St, W1G 8BT. Mon 2 December, 7.30pm An evening with Roderick Williams Mon 3 February, 7.30pm Andrew Dalton ‘Music, when soft voices die, vibrates in the memory’: The development of the gramophone during Elgar’s life Mon 2 March, 7.30pm Adrian Lucas Edward Elgar and Ivor Atkins: the Worcester connection

No. 69 – December 2019 35 Branch Events

Mon 20 April, 7.30pm Stephen Harrow, Kevin Mitchell, Lyn and Peter Nixon When Alice met Edward NORTH AMERICA 14–16 May, Pittsburgh Branch conference See also the North America Branch report (Page 27). NORTH WEST All meetings are held at the Royal Northern College of Music, 124 Oxford Rd, Manchester, M13 9RD, unless otherwise stated. Sat 7 December, 2.30pm Darren Niman A Desert Island Discs–style interview Sat 18 January, 2.00pm Andrew Neill Elgar’s Celtic heroes Followed by Branch AGM Sun 16 February, 12.30 for 1.00pm Alma Lodge Hotel, NW Branch Annual Luncheon Buxton Rd, Stockport, SK2 6EL (with after–lunch entertainment) Sat 7 March, 2.30pm David Owen Norris Elgar and A flat Sat 4 April, 2.30pm Arthur Reynolds An Elgar collector’s odyssey SCOTTISH All meetings are held at Mark’s Unitarian Church, Castle Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2DP Sun 19 January, 2.00pm Steven Halls Elgar’s Cello Concerto Live music from Alasdair Morton–Teng (cello) and Jia Ning (piano) SOUTHERN Sat 18 January, 2.00pm William Cole St Lawrence Parish Rooms, Winchester, SO23 9LH ‘Only what might have been’: Elgar recordings that never happened Sat 29 February, 2.00pm Joe Tierney The Spring, 56 East Street, Havant, PO9 1BS ‘It’s the only wish I’ve got’: The National Trust at the Birthplace

36 Elgar Society News Branch Events

Sat 21 March, 2.00pm Duncan Eves St Lawrence Parish Rooms, Winchester, SO23 9LH Unmaking The Music Makers WEST MIDLANDS All meetings are held in the Carice Elgar Room at The Firs, Elgar’s Birthplace, Lower Broadheath, Worcester, WR2 6RH, unless otherwise stated. Sat 7 December, 2.30pm Jim Berrow ‘One of the old school, solid, and good, and a gentleman’: William Done, 19th–century Worcester organist Sat 18 January, 2.30pm Rebecca Leggat (mezzo–soprano) A recital to include several works by Elgar including Sea Pictures Sat 15 February, 1.00pm for 1.30pm Annual Branch Lunch Christ Church Hall, Avenue Road, Malvern WR14 3AY Sat 7 March, 2.30pm Ian Morgan Marie Brema and The Dream of Gerontius Preceded by the Branch AGM Thu 7 May, 7.30pm Alexis Patterson Organising the Three Choirs Festival YORKSHIRE and NORTH EAST All meetings are held in The Bedingfield Room, The Bar Convent, 17–19 Blossom St, York, YO24 1AQ. Sat 25 January, 2.00pm David Young Reading The Music Makers Commencing with the Branch AGM

Sat 28 March, 2.00pm Michael Allis ‘A really true–hearted artist & broad–minded man’: Elgar in Bantock’s letters

Sat 25 April 2.00pm The Fairfax Ensemble Elgar and his very independent legacy

No. 69 – December 2019 37 LSO Concerts at the Barbican ELGA� 100 years since its premiere, Elgar’s Cello Concerto with the LSO

SEA PICTURES CELLO CONCERTO with Karen Cargill with Alisa Weilerstein conducted by conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano François-Xavier Roth Thursday 12 December 7.30pm Thursday 19 December 7.30pm

VIOLIN CONCERTO with Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider conducted by Sir Mark Elder Sunday 29 March 2020 7pm lso.co.uk

38 Elgar Society News Dates for your Diary

This section is only as comprehensive as the data we are aware of. If you know of an event including a MAJOR Elgar work please send information to [email protected]. The period to be covered is from the 1st of the month of publication – August, December and April – to approximately 5 months ahead. We’d rather hear about an event twice than not at all! The Editor

London Symphony Orchestra concerts See Page 38 (opposite) for details of these concerts. For a 20% discount on tickets for the events on Thursday 12 and Thursday 19 December, quote code 230234 when booking.

Sun 1 December 2019, 3.00pm BOZAR, Brussels Cello Concerto / Enescu / Prokofiev Ionita / Belgian National Orchestra / Macelaru Sun 1 December 2019, 6.30 pm Conway Hall, Piano Quintet / Haydn / Beethoven Red Lion Square, London Callaghan / Fitzwilliam String Quartet Mon 2 December 2019, 7.25 pm St Paul’s Concert Hall, Violin Sonata / Mozart / University, Huddersfield Pike / Rozsa Pike (violin) / Pike (piano) Fri 6 December 2019, 7.30 pm Outwood Academy Foxhills, Salut d’amour (arr. flute/piano) / Scunthorpe, Lincs Bach / Fauré / Harty / Gluck / Debussy / Poulenc Shao / Havlat Fri 6 December 2019, 8.00pm Van Wezel Sat 7 December 2019, 8.00pm Performing Arts Hall, Sun 8 December 2019, 2.30pm Sarasota In the South / Bruch / Respighi Kenney / Sarasota Orchestra / Falletta Sat 7 December 2019, 7.30pm Winchester Cathedral The Kingdom Bevan / Bray / Lyon / Loges / Waynflete Singers / Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra / Lumsden

No. 69 – December 2019 39 Dates for your Diary

Fri 7 December 2019, 8.00pm Neubaukirche, Würzburg, Sat 8 December, 5.00pm Germany The Light of Life / Finzi / Draeseke Feith / Bräckelmann / Schneider / Ginzburg / Monteverdichor Würzburg / Jenaer Philharmonie / Beckert

Sun 8 December 2019, 5.00 pm Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford The Dream of Gerontius Lyon / Rudge / Williams / Oxford Bach Choir / City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra / Nicholas

Sun 8 December 2019, 7.30pm The Great Hall, Dartington, The Dream of Gerontius Totnes, Devon Kettlewell / Webb / Platt / Dartington Community Choir and Sinfonietta / Capet

Sun 8 December 2019, 2.00pm Conservatorium of Music, Enigma Variations / Prokofiev / Brahms Sydney NSW Sydney Youth Orchestra / Briger / Buggy

Tue 10 December 2019, 7.30pm Sainte–Suzanne Church, Pierrefonds, Montreal Wed 11 December 2019, 7.30pm Eglise Notre–Dame–des–Sept–Douleurs, Verdun, Montreal Thu 12 December 2019, 7.30pm La Maison Symphonique de Montréal, Montreal Fri 13 December 2019, 7.30pm Maison de la culture Mercier, Montreal Sat 14 December 2019, 2.00pm Centre Leonardo da Vinci: théâtre Mirella et Lino Saputo, Montreal In the South / Britten / Prokofiev Gauvin / Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal / Carter

Thu 12 December 2019, 7.30pm Barbican Hall, London Sea Pictures / Tippett / Vaughan Williams Cargill / London Symphony Orchestra / Pappano

Thu 12 December 2019, 7.30pm Symphony Hall, Birmingham Two Part Songs, Op. 26 / Widmann / Brahms Bauer / CBSO Youth Chorus / City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra / Grazinyte–Tyla

40 Elgar Society News Dates for your Diary

Thu 12 December 2019, 8.00pm Auditorium, Cello Concerto / Walton Palma de Mallorca Bleuse / Orquestra Simfònica de les Illes Balears / Bleuse

Sat 14 December 2019, 8.00pm Church of Heavenly Rest, Sea Pictures arr. Fraser / 5th Ave / East 90th, New York Vaughan Williams / Finzi / Taverner Riverside Choral Society

Mon 16 December 2019, 7.30pm Berlin State Opera, Unter den Linden, Berlin Tue 17 December 2019, 8.00pm Philharmonie: Großer Saal, Berlin Sea Pictures / Schumann / Debussy Garanca / Staatskapelle Berlin / Barenboim

Thu 19 December 2019, 7.30pm Barbican Hall, London Cello Concerto / Polevaya / Bartók Weilerstein / London Symphony Chorus / London Symphony Orchestra / Roth

Fri 20 and Sat 21 December 2019, 7.30pm Auditorio Nacional Sun 22 December 2019, 11.30pm de Música, Madrid Cello Concerto / Walton / Janácek Polo / Orquesta Nacional de España / Mena

Sun 22 December 2019, 4.30pm Grande salle Pierre Boulez, Enigma Variations / Britten / Mozart / Pärt Paris Meyer / Orchestre national d’Île–de–France / Weilerstein

Wed 1 January 2020, 7:30pm Theatre, Stralsund, Pomerania Thu 2 January 2020, 7:30pm Theatre, Greifswald, Pomerania Fri 3 January 2020, 7:30pm Theatre, Putbus, Pomerania Pomp and Circumstance Marches Nos 1 and 4 / Salut d’amour / Romance for bassoon / The Crown of India (excerpts) Philharmonisches Orchester Vorpommern / Csizmadia

Sun 5 Jan 2020, 9.30pm Auditorio de Galicia, The Wand of Youth Suites 1 and 2 / Santiago de Compostela Copland Real Filharmonía de Galicia / Styles

No. 69 – December 2019 41 Dates for your Diary

Fri 10 January 2020, 6.45pm Shirakawa Hall, Nagoya Froissart / Holst / Britten / Parry Central Aichi Symphony Orchestra / Tsunoda Fri 10 and Sat 11 January 2020, 8.00pm Auditorio Enigma Variations / de Valladolid, Valladolid Berlioz / Copland / Hindemith Bodí / Urbán / Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León / Slatkin Sat 11 January 2020, 8.00 pm Holmes Chapel, Violin Sonata / Debussy / Selkirk Drive, Cheshire Vaughan Williams / Rozsa Pike / Roscoe Mon 13 January 2020, 7.30pm Berlin State Opera, Unter den Linden, Berlin Tue 14 January 2020, 8.00pm Philharmonie: Großer Saal, Berlin Violin Concerto / Mussorgsky Zukerman / Staatskapelle Berlin / Shani Thu 16 and Fri 17 January 2020, 7.00pm Festival Hall, Osaka Tue 21 January 2020, 7.00pm Suntory Hall, Cello Concerto / Bruckner Main Hall, Tokyo Isserlis / Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra / Otaka Thu 16 and Fri 17 January 2020, 8.00pm Teatro de la Cello Concerto / Ginastera / Sibelius Maestranza, Seville Gutiérrez / Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla / Diemecke Thu 16 January 2020, 8.00pm Teatro Jovellanos, Gijón Fri 17 January 2020, 8.00pm Auditorio Príncipe Felipe, Oviedo In the South / Rota Lupo / Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias / Rovaris Fri 17 Jan 2020, 7.30pm The Grand, Wilmington DE Cello Concerto / Borodin / Rachmaninov Thomas / Delaware Symphony Orchestra / Amado Fri 17 Jan 2020, 9.00pm Centre Cultural, Terrassa Sat 18 Jan 2020, 6.30pm Palau de la Música, Barcelona Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 / Mozart / Wagner / Tchaikovsky / Debussy / Bock Gener / Orquestra Simfònica del Vallès / Puig

42 Elgar Society News Dates for your Diary

Mon 20 January 2020, 1.00 pm Town Hall, Huddersfield Organ Sonata No 1 / Franck / Alain / Couperin / Hurford / Thalben–Ball Stokes, organ

Wed 22 Jan 2020, 7.30pm Lighthouse, Poole Thu 23 Jan 2020, 7.30pm University Great Hall, Exeter Fri 24 Jan 2020, 7.30pm Guildhall, Portsmouth Violin Concerto / Strauss R / Shostakovich Feng / Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra / Prieto

Sat 25 January 2020, 8.00 pm Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, 621 West 6th Avenue, Anchorage AK (USA) Cockaigne / Sibelius / Ravel Anchorage Symphony Orchestra / Fleischer

Sun 26 January 2020, 6.30pm Kings Place: Chanson de Matin / Chanson de Nuit / Hall One, London Schubert / Brahms / Bloch Wallfisch / York

Mon 27 January 2020, 1.00pm Wigmore Hall, London W1 Violin Sonata / Howard / Rózsa Pike / Roscoe

Thu 30, Fri 31 January 2020 Lincoln Center, New York City Enigma Variations / Britten / Dean Gerhardt / New York Philharmonic Orchestra / Young

Thu 30, Fri 31 January 2020 Palacio Euskalduna, Bilbao Cello Concerto / Usandizaga / Schubert Hornung / Bilbao Orkestra Sinfonikoa / Nielsen

Sat 1 February 2020, 2.00pm Lincoln Center, New York City Enigma Variations / Dvoák Musicians from the New York Philharmonic / Young

Wed 5 February 2020, 8.00pm Meistersingerhalle, Nuremberg Fri 7 February 2020, 8.00pm Audimax der Universität, Regensburg Sat 8 February 2020, 8.00pm Konzerthalle, Bamberg Cello Concerto / Beethoven / Dvoák Gabetta / Bamberg Symphony Orchestra / Hruša

No. 69 – December 2019 43 Dates for your Diary

Thu 13 Feb 2020, 7.30pm Djanogly Recital Hall, University, Sea Pictures / Strauss R / Wagner Nottingham Huckle, Contralto

Fri 14 February 2020, 8.30pm Palacio de la Ópera, Cello Concerto / Korngold / Brahms La Coruña Polo / Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia / Sanderling

Fri 14 February 2020, 8.00 pm Heinz Hall, Sat 15 February 2020, 8.00 pm 600 Penn Avenue, Sun 16 February 2020, 2.30 pm Pittsburgh PA, USA Cockaigne / Sibelius / Ravel Chen / Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra / Petrenko

Sun 16 February 2020, 4.00 pm King’s College Chapel, My love dwelt in a Northern land / South Road, Taunton, There is sweet music / Somerset In Moonlight / Pleading / A child asleep / Brahms / Strauss Wise / Somerset Chamber Choir / D’Attellis / Laing

Thu 20, Fri 21 February 2020 Teatro Cervantes, Málaga Cello Concerto / Ravel / Debussy Polo / Orquesta Filarmónica de Málaga / So

Thu 20 February 2020, 8.00pm Teatro Jovellanos, Gijón Fri 21 February 2020, 8.00pm Auditorio Príncipe Felipe, Symphony no. 1 / Goldmark Oviedo Feng / Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias / Prieto

Sun 23 February 2020, 3.00pm Symphony Hall, Birmingham Symphony no. 1 / Takemitsu / Strauss R CBSO Youth Orchestra / Yamada Sun 23 February 2020, 3.00pm Courtenay Centre, Salut d’Amour (arr. Bates) / Rossini / Newton Abbot Gregson / Langford / Piazzolla A4 Brass Quartet / Bates

Sun 23 February 2020, 3.00pm La Casa de Cristo Church, Enigma Variations / Gabrielli / Boyer Scottsdale, AZ The Festival Orchestra and Brass / Moody

44 Elgar Society News Dates for your Diary

Wed 26 February 2020, 7.30 pm Royal Festival Hall, In the South / Spohr / Webern / Rautavaara South Bank Krylov / London Philharmonic Orchestra / Vänskä Thu 27 February 2020, 7.30 pm Royal Festival Hall, Symphony No 3 (realised A. Payne) / Barber / South Bank Korngold Kavakos / Philharmonia Orchestra / Wilson Thu 27 February 2020, 7.30 pm Verizon Hall, Fri 28 February 2020, 2.00 pm Philadelphia PA Sat 29 February 2020, 8.00 pm In the South / Introduction and Allegro / Daugherty / Respighi Jacobs / Philadelphia Orchestra / Gardner Fri 28 and Sat 29 February, 7.30pm Auditorio Nacional Sun 1 March 2020, 11.30am de Música, Madrid Violin Concerto / Schumann Frang / Orquesta Nacional de España / Afkham Sat 29 February 2020, 7.30pm Cathedral, Sheffield Cello Concerto / Sargent / Dvoák Meeuws / The Brigantes Orchestra / Quentin Sat 29 February 2020, 8.00pm Prinzregententheater, Munich Sun 1 March 2020, 5.00pm NDR Großer Sendesaal, Hannover Mon 2 March 2020, 8.00pm Konzerthaus: Grosser Saal, Berlin Tue 3 March 2020, 8.00pm Stadthalle, Braunschweig Wed 4 March 2020, 8.00pm Rudolf–Oetker Halle, Bielefeld Introduction and Allegro / Chanson de Matin / Chanson de Nuit / Sinding / Massenet / Schoenberg / Strauss R / Chausson Crawford–Phillips / Zürich Chamber Orchestra / Hope Sun 1 March 2020 at 3.00 pm Methodist Church, High Street, Introduction and Allegro / Prokofiev / Stokesley, N Yorks Mendelssohn Dale / Cleveland Chamber Orchestra / Jackson Fri 6 March 2020, 8.00pm Ferguson Centre, Newport News Sat 7 March 2020, 8.00pm L. Douglas Wilder Performing Arts Center, Norfolk Sun 8 March 2020, 2.30pm Sandler Center, Virginia Beach Cello Concerto / Rautavaara / Stravinsky Elschenbroich / Virginia Symphony Orchestra / Haimor

No. 69 – December 2019 45 Dates for your Diary

Fri 6 March 2020, 8.00 pm Long Center for the Sat 7 March 2020, 8.00 pm Performing Arts, Pomp and Circumstance March No. 4 / Austin, TX, USA Chopin, Marche funèbre arr. Elgar / Brahms / Chabrier / Beethoven / Palmgren / J. Strauss Jr / Tschaikovsky Austin Symphony Orchestra / Bay

Sat 7 March 2020, 7.30 pm Playhouse, Epsom, Surrey ‘This Sceptered Isle’ Symphony no. 2 / Walton / Vaughan Williams / Delius Foyle / Epsom Symphony Orchestra / Davison

Sat 7 March 2020, 8.00 pm Jacobs Music Center, 750 B Street, Sun 8 March 2020, 2.00 pm San Diego CA (USA) Enigma Variations / Walton / Britten Thayer / San Diego Symphony Orchestra / Tovey

Sun 8 March 2020, 7.30pm St John’s, Waterloo, SE1 8TY Imperial March / Symphony No. 3 (realised by A Payne) / Ireland Khanmurzin / Elgar Sinfonia of London / Brown

Tue 10 March 2020, 8.30pm Philharmonie, Grande salle Pierre Boulez, Paris Cello Concerto / Prokofiev / Dvoák Julien–Laferrière / Orchestre national d’Île–de–France / Feddeck

Thu 19 March 2020, 7.30pm Bridgewater Hall, Manchester Enigma Variations / Butterworth / Vaughan Williams Williams / Hallé Orchestra / Elder Fri 20 March 2020, 8.00 pm Hilbert Circle Theatre, Sat 21 March 2020, 5.30 pm 45 Monument Circle, Cello Concerto / Clyne / Hindemith Indianapolis IN (USA) Hornung / Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra / Reinhardt

Mon 23 March 2020, 8.30pm Philharmonie, Grande salle Pierre Boulez, Paris Tue 24 March 2020, 8.00pm L’Auditorium de Lyon, Lyon Cello Concerto / Bartók Weilerstein / London Symphony Orchestra / Roth

46 Elgar Society News Dates for your Diary

Tue 24 March 2020, 7.30 pm Christ Church, Keighley Road, Skipton, N Yorks Violin Sonata / String Quartet / Piano Quintet Roscoe / Brodsky Quartet

Sat 28 March 2020, 8.00pm Philharmonie: Großer Saal, Berlin Cello Concerto / Staud / Strauss R Mørk / Deutsches Symphonie–Orchester Berlin / Meister

Sat 28 March 2020, 7.30 pm Garde Arts Center, In the South / Rodrigo / Brahms State Street, New London CT Vieaux / Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra / Shimada

Sun 29 March 2020, 7.00pm Barbican Hall, London Violin Concerto / Sibelius Szeps–Znaider / London Symphony Orchestra / Elder

Tue 31 March 2020, 7.30 pm Terrace Theater, Kennedy Center, 2700 F Street NW, Washington DC Introduction and Allegro / Pärt / Mozart / Tchaikovsky Fortas Chamber Music

Wed 1 April 2020, 8.00pm Liederhalle: Beethoven–Saal, Stuttgart Thu 2 April 2020, 7.30pm Meistersingerhalle, Nuremberg Fri 3 Apr 2020, 8.00pm Konzerthaus: Enigma Variations / Mozart / Weber Rolf Böhme Saal, Freiburg Meyer / SWR Symphony Orchestra / Norrington

Sat 4 April 2020, 7.30pm St John’s, Waterloo, SE1 8TY Froissart / Ireland / Vaughan Williams / Arnold Khanmurzin / Southgate Symphony Orchestra / Brown

Tue 7 April 2020, 7:30pm Theatre, Greifswald, Pomerania Wed 8 April 2020, 7:30pm Thu 9 April 2020, 7:30pm Theatre, Stralsund, Pomerania Cockaigne / Coleridge–Taylor / Beethoven Philharmonisches Orchester Vorpommern / Csizmadia

No. 69 – December 2019 47 Dates for your Diary

Thu 9 April 2020, 7:30 pm Meyerson Symphony Center, Fri 10 April 2020, 7:30 pm Dallas, TX, USA Sat 11 April 2020, 7:30 pm Violin Concerto / Brahms Ehnes / Dallas Symphony Orchestra / Luisi

Thu 16 April 2020, 1:10pm CBSO Centre, Birmingham Piano Quintet Martindale / Skinner / Yates / Setterfield / Markham

Thu 16 April 2020, 7.30pm Symphony Hall, Birmingham Sat 18 April 2020, 7.00pm The Dream of Gerontius Stéphany / Murray / Platt / City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Chorus / City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra / Gardner

Thu 16, Fri 17, Sat 18 April 2020, 7.30pm Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas Introduction and Allegro / Tippett / Purcell / Britten / Holst / Vaughan Williams Kerr / Dallas Symphony Orchestra / Ehnes

Fri 17 Apr 2020, 7.30pm Musikverein: Großer Saal, Vienna Sat 18, Sun 19 April 2020, 7.30pm Wed 22 April 2020, 8.00pm Philharmonie, Cologne Thu 23 Apr 2020, 8.00pm Philharmonie, Luxembourg Violin Concerto / Dvoák Zukerman / Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / Mehta

Fri 17 April 2020, 8.00pm Auditorio Alfredo Kraus, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria From the Bavarian Highlands / Ruiz / Shostakovich Coro de la Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria / Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria / Araña

Sat 18 April 2020, 7.30 pm Des Moines Civic Center, Sun 19 April 2020, 2.30 pm Walnut Street, Des Moines IA (USA) Polonia / Cello Concerto / Offenbach / Debussy Thomas / Des Moines Symphony / Giunta

48 Elgar Society News Dates for your Diary

Thu 23, Fri 24, Sun 25 April 2020 Davies Symphony Hall, Enigma Variations / Mozart / Strauss R San Francisco San Francisco Symphony Orchestra / Szeps–Znaider

Sat 25 April 2020, 7.30 pm Littleton High School Introduction and Allegro / Performing Arts Center, Rouse / Berners / Strauss / Rimsky–Korsakov King Street, Littleton MA (USA) Orchestra of Indian Hill / Hangen

Sun 26 April 2020, 7.30 pm The Hawth, Crawley, W Sussex Sea Pictures / Wagner / Bizet / Rossini / Smetana / Tchaikovsky Fontanals–Simmons / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Wetton

Solution to Crossword No. 31

W A G N E R M A R T I N

R A L B S O

W I D G E T S L U T H E R

N A O L T I W

G E R O N T I U S R E E D

I J S T S

R O N D O T Y P E S E T S

E H E S E

W A L K I N O N E L G A R

L E E U R

K I N G S I R E D W A R D

T B E S O D R

Y I E L D S E N D U R E D

T E A Y A A

V E R O N A E M B L E M

No. 69 – December 2019 49 An Elgarian Crossword

No 32, Set by Nebuchadnezzar

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28

Across 1 Musician’s wild animal in party to beg for an audience. (10,2,3) 9 Interpretation of Wagner’s last key, unfinished, late opera. (7) 10 Prize boxing international to work like a dream. (7) 11 On vacation, Elgar represents her? (9) 12 Some academics identify spinning record. (4) 14 German leitmotif needing no introduction. (4) 15 Waterfowl spawns playing, not quietly, but con sordino? (4,5) 17 Listening to commotion? It’s a music maker. (9) 19 Music symbol cut short. (4) 22 Fast, or infinitely slow. (4) 23 Has criminal spy on an Oxford institution. (9) 26 Boasting Bill overcome by cry of ‘encore!’ (7) 27 Primrose was one flower that’s been pruned first. (7) 28 Quickly appreciate appreciative audience? (4,3,8)

50 Elgar Society News An Elgarian Crossword

Down 1 August friend of Elgar’s keen to swap lead roles with Juliet. (6) 2 Elgar was an amateur one, arranging the music without university’s involvement. (7) 3 First show of Cornelius’ Soul Train broadcast surpassing sounds. (10) 4 Ravel’s losing margins after the French take off. (5) 5 PM’s flipping traitor or guiding light? (5,4) 6 Dame baker, say, is fanatical about... (4) 7 ...backing vocal performance by singer on a set of variations. (7) 8 Cut off ringing note – Revolutionary Étude. (7) 13 Film first part of Elgar’s marches with legendary conductor? (10) 15 Nonet to leave gallery for cove playing at medium volume. (5,4) 16 Enjoy Naxos, perhaps the cheaper option? (3–5) 18 Gut string’s tip dipped in sodium, found in instrument for stretching. (7) 20 Initially, Edward Elgar around upright is to compose his Op. 58? (7) 21 Combines baroque tunes, incorporating Vivaldi’s finale. (6) 24 He’s expressed ecstasy and love at sea shanty. (5) 25 Composer’s piece. (4)

Harold Wintle’s photograph of Elgar boating on the lake at Hasfield Court, September 1902

With thanks to Arthur Reynolds (see Page 23)

)

No. 69 – December 2019 51 FOUNDED 1951 Registered as a Charity No 298062

President : Sir Mark Elder CH CBE Chairman : Neil Mantle MBE

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