2018 60TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE NUMBER 4 NEWS Old Friends Reunited for 20th Century Choral Classics Concert

CHELMSFORD CATHEDRAL SATURDAY 23RD JUNE, 7.00 PM

Photo left: Martin Shaw and with the children of Canon Briggs, Worcester, 1935; above: Chelmsford Cathedral Choir

Sixty years after their deaths in 1958, Diocese of Chelmsford, so holds a Hills of the North Rejoice! will feature in friends Martin Shaw and Ralph Vaughan special place in our hearts. We often the concert, together with his popular Williams will be celebrated at a ‘Choral sing hymn tunes and smaller works by anthem With a Voice of Singing. Classics’ concert on Saturday 23rd June him, and it’s good to have the Among other treats will be the first at Chelmsford Cathedral. , opportunity to explore more of his chance in recent years to hear God’s the men’s tutor at the Royal College of choral music which is rather unjustly Grandeur, which was commissioned by Music as well as a friend of the Shaw neglected.” Shaw’s admirer for the family, is also remembered, 100 years Vaughan Williams and Martin Shaw first Aldeburgh Festival. after his death. became life-long friends when students at Tickets are priced between £5.00 and James Davy, Master of the Choristers at the ; they went on Chelmsford Cathedral, said “It is a to work as music editors for the popular £10.00 . A link to buy tickets and further marvelous opportunity to bring together Anglican hymn books details of Shaw’s pieces being perfomed these three English composers. Martin and Songs of Praise, as well as The Oxford can be found at: Shaw was Advisor of Music to the whole Book of Carols. Shaw’s own Advent carol, www.martinshawmusic.com

HUBERT PARRY MARTIN SHAW RALPH VAUGHAN WILLAIMS 1848 - 1918 1875 - 1958 1872 - 1958 A SONG RECITAL AND A SYMPOSIUM

BRITISH LIBRARY KNOWLEDGE SUITE MON. 17 SEPTEMBER: 1PM

PAUL RODMELL STEPHEN BANFIELD JONATHAN CLINCH JEREMY DIBBLE GEORGE ODAM

RE-INSTATING MARTIN SHAW AS COMPOSER AND CHAMPION OF ENGLISH MUSIC

Autumn 2018 marks the sixtieth and especially a small group of artistic associations and friends, anniversary of the death of distinctive hymn tunes. That especially rich in the first Martin Shaw, a remarkably represents but a small part of his decades of the twentieth diverse and influential figure in pioneering and influential century, including Ralph Vaughan English musical life in the first creative work in the fields of Williams, , half of the twentieth century. It music for theatre, children, T. S. Eliot and . coincides with the launch of the music education, community The sheer range of his activities Martin Shaw Collection in the music and music for worship. will be reflected in a series of Catalogue, and He was primarily a composer of short presentations by scholars the publication of A Greater Light the sung word, and there is a of twentieth-century British (details below). substantial and important body music and its context, Martin Shaw is best remem- of solo songs. He enjoyed a wide continued overleaf bered now for his church music, range of literary, musical and

THE GREATER LIGHT A COMPENDIUM ON THE LIFE AND WORKS OF MARTIN SHAW

A much needed book on Martin The Principles of English Church Music Shaw due out this summer will be Composition; and An Edwardian catalogue will prove to be an celebrated at the symposium. Holiday - featuring Shaw’s organist- essential guide to researchers, Introduced by Dr John Harper it detective, Mr Bourdon. students and musicologists alike. divides in to four sections: 3: Selected Correspondence: 100 letters The book ends with a Further 1: Recollections and Evaluations with to and from Martin Shaw: an Reading list and three indexes. contributions from his daughter, Eric introduction to Shaw’s wide circle of Edited by Stephen Connock MBE Routley, George Odam and Ralph friends and colleagues, the selection and Isobel Montgomery Campbell Vaughan Williams includes letters from Benjamin The Greater Light - a Compendium on 2: Writings by Martin Shaw, including Britten, TS Eliot, and the Life and Works of Martin Shaw his autobiography, Up to Now, a Vaughan Williams. 420 pages, 31 illustrations delightfully wry – “Even at the risk of 4: A Catalogue of Compositions, being so un-English as to praise my own Arrangements and Edited Works published by Albion Music Ltd. country” – and understated journey Shaw’s output was prodigious, with Price £30.00 https:albionmusic.com through the early years of his life; 500 compositions alone. The Banfield, Dr Jonathan Clinch, of Shaw’s compositions and THE AFTERNOON BEGINS Professor Jeremy Dibble, related activities. WITH A SONG RECITAL Professor John Harper, Mr The afternoon will end with IN THE KNOWLEDGE Michael Meredith from Eton the formal launch of the CENTRE AUDITORIUM College Archives, Dr Paul Marttin Shaw Collection by its (see detalls below) Rodmell and Professor current curator at the British George Odam. Library, Dr Christopher The afternoon begins at 1pm Scobie, and a celebration of with a song recital PARTICULAR ATTENTION WILL the publication of A Greater performed by Iain Farrington BE GIVEN TO HIS MUSIC FOR Light by the editors, Stephen and Philip Smith, and is THE THEATRE AND PAGEANTS… Connock MBE, and Martin followed by a symposium Shaw’s grand-daughter, considering aspects of Particular attention will be Isobel Montgomery Shaw’s compositions and the given to his music for the Campbell. context in which they were theatre and pageants, for Booking for the Song Recital and written. The sheer range of lesser known aspects of his his activities will be reflected the Symposium opens on June 1st work for the church, and to via the British Library website or in a series of short the songs. This, it is hoped, by following the link at presentations by scholars of will engage scholars, students www.martinshawmusic.com twentieth-century British and those with more general British Library, 96 Euston Road, music and its context, interests in an ongoing including Professor Stephen NW1 2DB (next to investigation and re-appraisal Kings Cross/ St Pancras stations)

MARTIN SHAW AND FRIENDS: A SONG RECITAL AT THE BRITISH LIBRARY

IAIN FARRINGTON, PIANIST

Iain Farrington has an exceptionally busy and diverse career as a pianist, organist, composer and arranger. He has made numerous recordings, and has broadcast on BBC Television, Classic FM and BBC Radio 3. As a solo pianist, accompanist, chamber musician and organist, Iain has performed at all the major UK venues, including the , Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, the BBC Proms. Iain played Chariots of Fire at the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics with the London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle and Rowan Atkinson, pictured right .

PHILIP SMITH, BARITONE

Philip Smith is a Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme alumnus, Samling Artist and Crear Scholar. Recent highlights include Endymion/Charon Orpheus for the Royal House at The Globe, Sid Albert Herring for Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte at the Teatro Petruzzelli di Bari and Gratiano in The Merchant of Venice (André Tchaikowsky) for the Polish National Opera.

In concert Philip has performed with orchestras including the Hallé, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic’s Ensemble 10/10, Manchester Camerata and the Northern Sinfonia. Recent performances include Rossini Petite messe solennelle, Haydn The Creation, Fauré Requiem, Bach B Minor Mass, Walton Belshazzar’s Feast, Vaughan Williams Five Mystical Songs and Tippett A Child of Our Time.

A FREE EVENT SPONSORED BY ALBION MUSIC BOOKING OPENS 1st JUNE: www.bl.uk/events THE MARTIN SHAW SOCIETY

The Martin Shaw Society was founded last year. Its present focus is to encourage performances and research into the work of Dr Martin Shaw; the BL symposium is its first event. With the interest already shown in Martin Shaw there is potential for a membership organization. If you would like to be involved, please do get in touch: [email protected]. The Charity Registration Number is: 1173540

Chairman: Professor Dr John Harper Professor John Harper is Chairman of the newly formed church music for modest resources. To this may be added his Martin Shaw Society. Like Martin Shaw, John has received work in the theatre, his engagement with the world of literature the degree of Doctor of Music from The Archbishop of and poetry (not least with T S Eliot), and his part in establishing Canterbury at Lambeth Palace. The award was given ‘in the aesthetic, sound and identity of ‘Englishness’ – not in a recognition of Professor Harper’s distinguished contribution jingoistic and narrowly nationalistic sense, but rather in to the development and appreciation of church music as a recovering and re-establishing what had been swamped by the scholar, administrator, teacher and composer, and to a predeliction for Austro-German and Italian music – in seeking greater understanding of the relationship between music out the foundations of English cultural identity in the inheritance and the liturgy of the church.’ of traditional and high-art music, at a time when there was an assumption that the Austro-German tradition was pre-eminent. In Most of John’s working life has been dominated by church this, as a composer, he was alongside Vaughan Williams and music in some way. During the 1970s he worked as Holst. But in his longstanding commitment to Director of Music at St Chad’s Cathedral in Birmingham, public outreach and receiving the Benemerenti award from Pope Paul VI for his engagement of young people, services in 1978. As organist, fellow and tutor of Magdalen he was very distinctive. College, Oxford, from1981 to 1990, he directed the These were his passions – renowned college choir. He is also a composer. His works and they served as a model include a Jubilate written especially for the Queen’s visit to for Benjamin Britten, for Bangor Cathedral for the Golden Jubilee celebration in whom the path of Wales in 2002, and a bilingual setting of the Eucharist for ‘Englishness’ had been set the Church in Wales – Cymun y Cymru. From 1998–2007 by the time his career as he served as Director General of the Royal School of a composer began. Church Music where he took forward many other new Britten’s regard for Shaw initiatives in music, music education and publishing for was exemplified at the churches and church musicians. inaugural Aldeburgh Of Martin Shaw John Harper says “Martin Shaw is a Festival in 1948, where Shaw’s cantata, significant and under-rated figure in a number of fields of God’s Grandeur, received its first performance – alongside music: composition, educational music, hymns and carols, and Britten’s St Nicolas. ”

RSCM CHORAL FESTIVAL

CHELMSFORD CATHEDRAL SEPTEMBER 29 2018 Martin Shaw’s music will feature in the Area Festival for the Essex and East London area of the Royal School of Church Music. This is a ‘come and sing’ event for choirs and individual singers, and will be led by James Davy, Master of the Music. Among the pieces to be sung written by Shaw will be With a Voice of Singing and Te Deum in D flat, from the service written for Westminster Abbey. Other choral pieces will be by Vaughan Williams and Holst. All singers are welcome. Registration is at 10am with a Festival Service at 4 pm. Futher information, registrations and orders for the booklet containing the music to be used in the Festival to Shirley Timmins, 156 Warley Hill, Brentwood, CM14 5HF or email [email protected]

Martin Shaw News is an occasional publication by Isobel Montgomery Campbell, keeper of the Martin Shaw Music Archive [email protected] www.martinshawmusic.com Back issues from 2015 and 2016 will be available at the symposium.