The Delius Society Journal Autumn 2010, Number 148
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The Delius Society Journal Autumn 2010, Number 148 The Delius Society (Registered Charity No. 298662) President Lionel Carley BA PhD Vice Presidents Roger Buckley Sir Andrew Davis CBE Sir Mark Elder CBE Bo Holten RaD Lyndon Jenkins RaD Richard Kitching Piers Lane BMus Hon FRAM ARCM LMusA David Lloyd-Jones BA Hon DMus FGSM Julian Lloyd Webber FRCM Robert Threlfall Website: http://www.delius.org.uk ISSN-0306-0373 1 Chairman Martin Lee-Browne CBE Chester House, Fairford Gloucestershire GL7 4AD Email: Chairman@ The DeliusSociety.org.uk Treasurer and Membership Secretary Peter Watts c/o Bourner Bullock – Chartered Accountants Sovereign House 212-224 Shaftesbury Avenue London WC2 8HQ Email: [email protected] Secretary Lesley Buckley c/o Crosland Communications Ltd The Railway Station Newmarket CB8 9WT Tel: 07941 188617 Email: [email protected] Journal Editor Paul Chennell 19 Moriatry Close Holloway, London N7 0EF Tel: 020 7700 0646 Email: [email protected] Front cover: The Waffrons, formerly the home of the Harrison family © Brian Radford Back cover: The blue plaque presented to Toby and Amanda Heppel picture: Roger Buckley The Editor has tried in good faith to contact the holders of the copyright in all material used in this Journal (other than holders of it for material which has been specifically provided by agreement with the Editor), and to obtain their permission to reproduce it. Sometimes, however, he has received no reply. Any breaches of copyright are unintentional and regretted. 2 Toby and Amanda Heppel, proud of owners of a blue plaque © Brian Radford 3 CONTENTS CHAIRMAN’S NOTES.................................................................................... 6 EDITORIAL....................................................................................................... 8 OBITUARIES Alan Jefferson ................................................................................................... 10 Sir Charles Mackerras ...................................................................................... 11 Kenneth Ashburner.......................................................................................... 13 Sir Charles Mackerras: A Tribute by Lewis Foreman………………………... 16 Sir Charles Mackerras: A Personal Memoir by Lionel Carley........................ 19 THE DELIUS SOCIETY AGM 2010................................................................ 22 ABOUT WAFFRONS FARM by Toby and Amanda Heppel............................. 24 THE HARRISONS, THE CELLO CONCERTO AND THE WAFFRONS by Robert Threlfall and Lionel Carley................................................................. 26 MARGARET HARRISON REMEMBERS by Margaret Harrison................... 31 DELIUS by Beatrice Harrison............................................................................ 36 THE DELIUS PRIZE 2010 by Peter Watts........................................................ 40 THE DELIUS SOCIETY WEBSITE by Paul Chennell...................................... 43 ‘I ONCE HAD A NEWLY CUT WILLOW PIPE’ by Mark Stone ................................................................................................... 47 DISNEY AND DELIUS by Richard Packer................................................................................................ 50 HARLEYFORD: PRECURSOR OF HOFFNUNG by Martin Bird................................................................................................... 53 FORMAL PROCESSES IN THE SYMPHONIC POEMS OF DELIUS by Jérôme Rossi................................................................................................... 57 4 DELIUS – A LYRICAL INTERLUDE Poems by Marc Hofstadter.................. 66 2012 – A SPECIAL YEAR by Michael Green.................................................... 68 NEWS FROM MEMBER SOCIETIES by Michael Green................................ 70 SOME EDITORIAL PROBLEMS IN RETROSPECT by Robert Threlfall ...... 79 100 YEARS AGO by Paul Chennell................................................................... 83 DELIUS AND THE PROMS REVISITED by Paul Chennell........................... 83 THE FEDERATION OF RECORDED MUSIC SOCIETIES AGM 2009 by Brian Radford................................................................................................ 88 LETTERS: Tony Augarde................................................................................... 89 BOOK REVIEW Delius, by Alan Jefferson.................................................................................. 90 CD REVIEWS English Viola Sonatas....................................................................................... 92 Delius: A Late Lark........................................................................................... 94 CONCERT REVIEWS Martin Outram and Julian Rolton: recital ..................................................... 96 Tasmin Little and John Lenehan: recital......................................................... 98 Hassan Incidental Music................................................................................... 99 The English Song Weekend............................................................................. 101 Delius at Troldhaugen....................................................................................... 102 Delius in Paris 1888-1898.................................................................................. 103 DELIUS SOCIETY BRANCH MEETINGS London 11th February 2010 ........................................................................... 106 Midlands Branch Report 2009/10.................................................................... 109 Philadelphia Annual Report............................................................................ 110 MISCELLANY................................................................................................... 113 EVENTS 2010-2011.......................................................................................... 123 5 CHAIRMAN’S NOTES The death of Sir Charles Mackerras, one of our Vice Presidents, has been mourned by the entire musical world – but everyone must be grateful that, like many other conductors, he was able to continue working and give mar- vellous performances almost right up to the end of his life. Apart from any- thing else, he was such a nice man; I was lucky enough to have a lunch with him alone, and to meet him on some other occasions too – and each time I came away feeling on top of the world. I have written to Lady Mackerras on our behalf. Despite the fact that (sadly) Delius is not the most popular of English composers, there are nevertheless, from time to time, a modest number of occasions for hearing his music (other than The Cuckoo, La Calinda and The Walk), and this year sees performances of two real rarities. The complete incidental music to Hassan was conducted by George Vass at the English Music Festival at Dorchester in May, with Paul Guinery narrating the story – the most recent previous live performances of which, as part of the play, were, according to the Journal Index, at Manchester by Chetham’s School of Music in 1978, and at the 1990 Wooburn Festival! Then (as mentioned in the recent Newsletter), in November the Southampton Philharmonic Choir are to sing the even more rarely performed Songs of Farewell – last done, again according to the Journal Index, in 1984 by the Halifax Choral Society under Donald Hunt. Also notable, was Carolyn Sampson’s singing of seven songs at the Finzi Friends’ unique weekend at Ludlow in June. That recital and the Hassan performance are both given full reports on later pages – as are The Delius Prize and the very successful AGM at Waffrons in Surrey, where Delius worked on the Cello Concerto, both organized, with his usual indefatigable efficiency, by Roger Buckley. A wide-ranging list of events and projects to celebrate the 150th anniver- sary has been approved by the Committee, and we are now getting down to the details of exactly how we are going to implement them. A major step has already been taken, with the appointment of a PR consultant, Christopher Green, who has significant contacts in the musical world, and some excellent ideas – and he knows his Delius too! The Delius Trust has confirmed that they are going to give us some significant help with funding – and we antici- pate being able to give full details of our plans to Members with the January Newsletter. One of the principal objects of our efforts is to increase the membership – but that is not something to be tackled just in 2012. Every time we go to a 6 concert or recital with some Delius in it, however slight, could we not summon up the courage to ask our neighbours in the audience whether they liked the music enough to consider joining us? Also with the next Newsletter, there- fore, will come a few copies of the re-designed Membership Application Form for you to whip out of your pocket or handbag, if they showed interest – and it would be simply wonderful if Peter Watts got 200 of them back! Finally, I would draw your attention to the details of the winter season of meetings of the London and Midlands Branches at the back of this Journal. The range of subjects is tremendous – we are indeed lucky to have so many potential speakers among our Members and their friends – and it would be very satisfying if our numbers at these convivial gatherings increased. In London there is always a supper party afterwards to which everyone is more than welcome – and do not forget that we now have an arrangement with the