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Monthly Record April, 1944

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Monthly Record April, 1944 SOUTH PLACE ETHICAL SOCIETY CONWAYHALL, REWLION SQUARE, LONDON, W.C.I. (Chancery 8032) THE MONTHLY RECORD APRIL, 1944 SUNDAY MORNINGS AT ELEVEN April 2.—PROFESSOR G. W. KEETON, M.A., LL.D.—New Worlds for Old. Piano Solo: Songs without words, Nos. 2 and I Mendeksohn MISS ELLA I VIMEY Hymns: Nos. 63 and 66 April 9.—No meeting. April 16.--C. E. M. JOAD, M.A., D.Lit.—What is a Civilization? (2). Bass Solos: " April's Charms " (7. C. Dowmutt " The Pilgrim's Song " Tschaikowsky MR. 0. C. DOWMAN Hymns: Nos. 4 and 136 April 23.—S. K. RATCLIFFE.—England and St. George. Piano Solo: Pastorale, Tempo di Ballo Scarlatti MISS ELIA IVIMEY Hymns: Nos. 92 and 10 (tune 202) April 30.—ARCHIBALD ROBERTSON, M.A.—The History of Morals— (2) The Medieval World. Bass Solos: " The Trout " . Schubert "Devotion " .. Schumann MR. G. C. DOWMAN Hymns: Nos. 103 and 123 May 7.—PROFESSOR G. W. KEETON, M.A., LL.D.—Moral Purpose in Shakespeare's Tragedies. Pianist: MISS ELLA IVIMEY ADMISSION FREE A collection is made at each Meeting to enable those present to contribute to the Society's expenses. " SOUTH PLACE." A VERY PERSONAL TRIBUTE. By Helen Henschel The following article was written for broadcasting with a number of illustrative musical records. The 13.B.C. expressed appreciation, hut declined the offer on the ground that as the concerts were mainly for London lovers of Chamber Music the appeal was too limited. There is good reason, however, for thinking that the concerts were much more widely known than the B.B.C. seemed to recognize. (Editor.) "The Mecca of all lovers of Chamber Music." is how Dr. Percy Scholes described the "South Place Popular Concerts "—that remarkable series which, beginning in 1878, ran for 1.355 Sundays— from Oetober to April— including the last war. And 1 have great hope and very little doubt, that directly this one is over, they will begin once more—at Conway Hall, of course, to where they were transferred when South Place Ethical Society occupied their fine new premises in 1929. Mecca calls up visions of blue skies, minarets, muezzins and green- turbaned pilgrims. "South Place," too, sounds warm and sunny. But this " Mecca," this "South Place " will evoke to thousands of musicians and music-lovers, a very different recollection; a picture of a dismal, ugly old building near Finsbury Circus; of an oblong hall inside, crossed by rows ot shabby and rather uncomfortable benches; of a dangerously overhanging gallery, one corner of which particularly looked as if it must fall at any moment and discharge its tightly-packed load of enthralled listeners on to the heads of the players below. The concerts were originally founded by a small band of devoted music- lovers, " for the purpose," they said, " of fostering a love of good music by means of cheap concerts." They certainly succeeded in their aim. Sunday after Sunday, that dreary old hall would be filled by what my distinguished colleague, Scott Goddard, has described as " one of the best audiences to :be found in London." "Pure Dickens," he wrote, " with its types of old and young City folk; the unfailing habitues and the earnest young people diligently studying their scores, for scores are always, by a blessed arrange- ment to be had at the doors." You came in free. You were asked to -contribute to a silver collection. And you got saY. Beethoven's B flat Trio, receiving on that occasion, its " sixteenth performance at these concerts" -(Your programme, with pardonable pride, would always provide this kind .of information.) Or you might, during the final concert of the 1912 season, have heard my father singing " By the waters of Babylon." On this occasion, it is noted, Sir George Henschel " took part in various vocal quartets, sung 'solos and played all the accompaniments." It is safe to say that almost every well-known artist has—at one time or another—appeared at South Place, from people like Plunket Greene, Gervase Elwes and my father, to the youngest musical aspirant. Many artists whose narnes are now household words actually made their first appearance at South Place. I remember especially—because I was appearing at the same concert --a very young shy boy from Scotland. rather nervously ascending the steep staircase which led to the platform and proving, after his first eight bars, that here was indeed another " genuine article " in the making. His name—Rae Robertson. No need to tell you that he and his wife, Ethel Bartlett, are now famous over two continents as the exponents of music for two pianos. As the middle of a concert programme is generally considered to be the place for the " star turn," so I think this is the moment to bring on to the platform at South Place the man who was its moving spirit, without whose 2 practical vision, idealism and indefatigable efforts " it has truly been said that the concerts could never have been carried on as they were. ' It is therefore with great affection and admiration that 1—whose privilege it has been to appear twenty-one times at South Place—breathe the name of Alfred J. Clements, for fifty years—until his death in 1938—the honorary secretary • -but how much more! of the South Place concerts. To many his name must at once call up a picture of a small, slightly stooping tigure—white-bearded, pink-cheeked, soft-voiced. But if ever there was a strong, purposeful character, it was hidden, in A. J. C, behind the very misleading exterior. Chamber music was his passion—he could never have too much of it: I am sure the concerts would have lasted four hours instead of two if he had followed his personal inclination. As a matter of fact, there was one historic occasion—his Jubilee concert in I937—when he was given his head, and the programme did last nearly four hours. But nobody left before the end, and I firmly believe that if Mr. Clements had wanted another hour, both the artists and the audience would have given it to him. On that occasion he himself—at their particular request—joined the Griller Quartet, as second viola—in a quintet by Haenscl, a con- temporary and disciple of Haydn. Mr. Clements was a real guide, philosopher and friend to the Grillers when—as mere boys—they were just beginning their career, introducing them particularly to the music of Haydn. Many other now famous artists started their public careers at South Place: Albert Sammons, for example; Marie Wilson, of the B.B.C. Symphony Orchestra (we hear the words " led by Marie Wilson," almost as often as " Leader, Paul Beard "); and that sweet singer, Gwen Catley. An occasion that stands out particularly in my recollection, is the thousandth concert, in February, 1927. It was a frightful night—cold, wet and foggy, the pavement oozing with greasy mud. I was hurrying from the Underground Station when I slipped and fell, cutting my knee rather badly, and what was worse, tearing my stockings to ribbons. There was nothing for it but to appear stockingless upon the platform (a phenomenon as uncommon in those days as it is common now), after kind ladies had bathed my wounds and generally petted me up a bit. I will always remember Harry Plunket Greene, with his unforgettable smile, patting my shoulder as I limped up to sing my songs, saying, ". and you with never a bit of fuss about that poor knee! " It wasn't only his smile and his charm that were unforgettable, but his singing of such songs as say, those of Stanford-. which he made his own, as much as if he'd written them himself. To hear him sing "The Fairy Lough," was an exquisite experience. Myra Hess has always been one of the mainstays of South Place; this is not surprising, for is she not always in the forefront where the good of music is concerned ? I like to remember one evening when she and I were present in the same programme, and presented an impromptu duologue in broad Cockney to a very appreciative audience; but that was in the artists' room: the audience in the front heard her play Bach's " Jesu, Joy of Man's desiring." To finish, let me return to Mr. Clements. The writer of the programme notes of the Jubilee concert paid a personal tribute in these words: " On no Single occasion has A. J. C. failed his audience; the only times I have seen him at all ruffled was when an artist wished, at the last moment, to make a departure from the printed programme. A. J. C. always keeps faith with people: he does not quite understand those who do not." I hope we may be able to keep faith with his memory and bring back the South Place concerts when, once more, the lights go up in London. 3 SUMMARIES OF SUNDAY MORNING LECTURES Professor G. W. Keeton, MA., LL.D.,on " Six Great Englishmen (5): William Wordsworth," February 6, 1944 Readings: Wordsworth's Ode "On the Intimations of Immortality" The whole course of Wordsworth's life illustrates its extraordinary variety of great and petty, and its terrifying progress towards respectability. As a young man, Wordsworth was such an ardent advocate of the French Revolution that Government spies followed him wherever he went; and he visited France on the very eve of the outbreak of the Reign of Terror. More- over, he mixed very much in young revolutionary circles where advanced views on free love were current.
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