The Delius Society Journal Winter 1997, Number 122 The Delius Society (Registered Charity No. 298662) Full Membership and Institutions £15 per year USA and Canada US$31 per year Africa, Australasia and Far East £18 per year President Felix Aprahamian, I Ion D Mus, I Ion FRCO Vice Presidents Roland Gibson MSc, PhD (Founder Member) Meredith Davies CBE, MA, B Mus, FRCM, I Ion RAM Vernon I Iandley MA, FRCM, D Univ (Surrey) Richard I lickox FRCO (Cl IM) Rodney Meadows Robert Threlfall Clrairma11 Lyndon Jenkins Treas11rcr (to whom changes of address and membership queries should be directed) Derek Cox Mercers, 6 Mount Pleasant, Blockley, Clos GL56 9BU Tel: (01386) 700175 Secretary Anthony Lindsey 1 The Pound, Aldwick Village, West Sussex P021 3SR Tel: (01243) 824964 Editor Roger Buckley Magpie Shaw, Speldhurst, Kent TN3 OLE Tel: (01892) 863123 Fax: (0171) 935 5429 email: RJBucl<lcy <!_,Jaol.com Ch<1irman's Message........................................................................................... 5 Editorial................................................................................................................. 6 Delius Trust Press Release, 24 October 1997................................................... 7 ARTICLES Similar Cities? Delius's Paris, RVW's 1.m11io11 Sy111JJ!rcmy and Stravinsky's Petrouslika, by Robert Matthew-Walker............................. 8 The Loss at the I Ieart of his Music, by Tasmin Little (Daily Telegraph)...... 20 TI lE DELIUS TRUST (Part 1) An Account of the Delius Trust, by Martin Williams.................................... 23 Autobiographical sketches: Marjorie Dickinson............................................................................... 27 I lelcn Faulkner...................................................................................... 28 Martin Williams..................................................................................... 29 DELIUS SOCIETY MEETINGS Midlands Branch, 22 March 1997..................................................................... 30 Midlands Branch, 19 April 1997........................................................................ 32 London, 9 October 1997................................................ ..................................... 33 TI IE 'DELIUS IN DANVILLE' FESTIVAL, DANVILLE, VIRGINIA An Account by Michael R Ridderbusch.......................................................... 35 TI IE PREMIERE STAGED PRODUCTION OF Tl JC MAGIC FOUNTAIN Tire Magic fo1111tai11 Dcbuts in Kiel, by Stewart Manville.............................. 50 Frozen Images, by Christian S- (Kieler Nachric11te11)...................................... 53 Disparate Images and Ineffectual Scenes, by Thomas Schroder (Schleswig-T Jolstei11iscl1e La11deszeil ung)............................................................. 56 Water of Life, Water of Death, by Hans-Klaus Junghcinrich (Frankfurter Ru11dschau)....................................................................................... 58 CONCERT REVIEWS Memorial Concert for Eric Fenby, Wigmore I Jail, 16 September 1997 Review by John Bird............................................................................ 61 His Master's Voice, by Matthew Rye (Daily Telegraplz)................... 63 Delius Memorial Concert, by Nicholas Williams (Indepe11de11t)..... 64 'Delius and I Iis Contemporaries', St John's, Smith Square, 11November1997 Review by Roger Buckley.................................................................... 65 RECORD REVIEWS A Mass of Ufe and Requiem (Hickox), by Nora Sirbaugh............................... 67 Sonatas for Violin and Piano (Little/Lane), by Roger Buckley..................... 70 J'c1111i111ore and Cerda (Hickox), by Lyndon Jenkins......................................... 72 Delius Songs and Arrangements (Farley/Serebrier}, by JS (Gra111opho11e)... 74 TTIE 1997 AGM WEEKEND A Report by Roy Price........................................................................................ 76 NEWS FROM AMERICA The Rebuilding of 'Friday Musicale', Jacksonville, Florida.......................... 78 38th Annual Delius Festival, Jacksonville, Florida, March 1998................. 79 OBITUARIES Rachel Lowe Dugmore....................................................................................... 80 Bernard Hooper................................................................................................... 81 MISCELLANY...................................................................................................... 82 LETTERS TO TIIE EDITOR.............................................................................. 85 FORTHCOMING EVENTS Delius and Friends in Denmark: a Commemoration (June 1998), by Lionel Carley.......................................... 86 General Listing.................................................................................................... 89 Monika Teepe, who sang the role uf Watawa in this year's premiere staged production of Tlic Magic Founlai11 in Kiel, Germany l'lioto: Hria11 11.adford CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE--------- All who were present at the Society's concert in honour of Eric Fcnby could not fail, I think, to be impressed by the entirely pleasant spirit abroad thal night. Warmth, affection and enjoyment were its keynotes, right from Felix Aprahamian's opening recollection of the premiere of the Third Violin Sonata in the same IIall in 1930, al which Eric was also presenl, to the playing of Late Swallows which proved an almost overwhelming climax at its end. As I walked away from Wigmore Hall when it was all over I found myself hoping lhat Eric might have been quielly pleased wilh what we had done; he would certainly have been impressed by the generosity of artists such as 1bsmin Lillie and Julian Lloyd Webber who had selflessly come together to play the music which had meant so much to him throughout his long life. Our gratitude to them and to their fellow artists in enabling us to mount a worthy tribule is profound. I was particularly glad that some of Eric's own music could be included; it was the first time he had heard anything of his father's, Roger Fenby told me, since he was a small boy. As for Delius's music, how well it suited Eric's whole nature and being came home to me again a few weeks later when I conducted The Walk to tire Paradise Garden at Symphony Hall; not only was I struck once again by the sheer beauty of that music but by its reticent character, its other­ worldliness without austerity, its lack of flamboyant gesture. All these were characteristics also of Eric, repeatedly brought out in the fine collection of lribulcs lo him garnered in the last /oumal. Those now constitute a permanent record, and will continue to demonstrate the way we felt about him when memories of an evening of glorious music-making have long since dimmed. We shall never forget him. In 1990 he spoke of 'an abiding wish for the continuance of the Society long after my death.' It will be our task now to sec that lhat wish is fulfilled, not only here but in other parts of the world where he enjoyed wonderful friendships in the Delius cause. Lyndon Jenkins 5 We welcome the news of the appointment, as a Trustee and Chairman of The Delius Trust, of David Lloyd-Jones, the conductor, and we look forward to working with him. Mr Lloyd-Jones replaces Meredith Davies, who has occupied that position for the past six years, and whose cordial relationship with the Society has been greatly appreciated. We arc glad to learn that Mr Davies will continue to be associated with the Trust as Adviser Emeritus. The Editor is particularly pleased to publish, in this issue, the first of a series of articles about The Delius Trust and the individuals who represent it and carry out its work. 1997 has been a year of much sadness and also much joy for Delians. The death of Eric Fenby robbed us of a unique link with Delius himself; not only Delius the man, but also Delius the creative artist. Eric so readily made himself available to us over the years that we may al times have been inclined to take for granted his generosity Lo the Society; we shall no doubt continue to contemplate, and appreciate ever more, his contribution. We also lost, among others, the distinguished scholar Rachel Lowe Dugmore, formerly Archivist of The Delius Trust and the author of a number of invaluable books and papers on Delian subjects. We can, however, rejoice in a year of music that has seen the second Danville Delius Festival, the first staged performance of The Magic Fou11tai11, a number of fine new recordings, three of which are reviewed in this issue, and the Society's first public concert: the highly successful Wigmore Hall event of 16th September. The AGM weekend in Cheltenham attracted a record atten­ dance and was much appreciated. With the Trust, we inaugurated our Internet presence. We enjoyed another well planned and well attended season of talks and musical events, both in London and in the Midlands and South West Branches. Our relationships with the Trust and with the three North American Delius organisations flourished, ever more cordial and productive. The journal keeps us in touch with each other. Ple<1se send in your arlicles, reviews, comments and ideas - and keep them coming. 6 DELIUS TRUST PRESS RELEASE TRUSTEES The Trust announces that Meredith Davies, CBE, FRCM, I Ion RAM, I Ion FTCL, has resigned as a Trustee and Chairman of The Delius Trust. The promotion of Delius's works has benefitted greatly from his support over the years, particularly since 1989 when he became