FRMS BULLETIN Autumn 2003 No. 139

Ed i tor: CONTENTS Arthur Baker All Ed ito rial copy to him at: page page 4 Ramsdale Road, Editorial CD REVIEWS Bramhall, Stockport, Cheshire SK7 2QA What is the FRMS for? 2 De Pro fun dis 11 Tel: 0161 440 8746 Curtis - Or ches tral Works 38 or E-Mail: NEWS Trio Gemelli 38 [email protected] Edi t orial deadlines : Reg Wil liam son Re tires 3 STRATFORD Spring is sue - 31st Decem ber Fed er a tion Website 3 Au tumn is sue - 30th June Mu si cal Week end 20 Mar keting Man ager: LETTERS Ca thy Con nolly (see back SCOTLAND page). Ad ver tise ments are Schubert 4 avail able from £35.00, de - John Bulman 4 Annual Conf erence 24 tails from her. Equipme nt 4 Cir cu la tion Man ager: Affil i a tion Charges 5 THE REGIONS Gra ham Kiteley(see back Ted Perry 5 page for ad dress). Exam i na tion of Accoun ts 6 Cen tral Re gion 26 Sus sex Re gion 28 Copies are distributed to all FEATURES West Surrey Region 29 Federation affiliates with Yorkshire Reg ion 29 additional copies through Sir Lennox Berke ley 7 society secretaries. Estimated Art Nou veau Sound 10 THE SOCIETIES readership is well over 10,000. Ar nold Sugden 12 Individual Subscriptions are Life does not be gin… 15 Car diff 34 available at £6.80 for four Recorded and Live music 17 Kirkcaldy 35 issues. Direct orders and DVD-A or SACD 19 Linc oln 35 subscriptions for the Bulletin How to or ganise brass band 19 Uxbridge 36 should be sent to the FRMS York 36 Treasurer (see back page). BOOK REVIEWS The cover picture is of CROSSWORD Kettering Church and Market The Amadeus 36 © Brian Pack. Elgar and Chivalr y 37 Crossword 39 Type set by the edi tor us ing Corel Ventura. FRMS OFFICERS Please Note: No ma terial con - tent of this mag azine may be Of fi cers, Board and re pro duced else where with - Com mit tees 40 out permis sion from the pub - lish ers, Fed er a tion of Re corded Mu sic So ci eties Ltd. Printed by Maxiprint, de - signers and colour printers, Kettlestring Lane, Clifton Moor, York YO30 4XF Visit the FRMS Website: ISSN 09628150 www.musicweb.uk.net/frms EDITORIAL FRMS EDITORIAL: What is the FRMS for? I think if you asked a typical member of an These problems have often been raised at affiliated Society he would say he didn’t know (but Committee but no solutions (easy or difficult) have it looked impressive on the programme). A more been suggested as how to reverse these trends which knowledgeable member, perhaps one who had seem to be both long term and inexorable. Always served on the local committee would probably there are things of pressing importance to do, minor reply that the Federation negotiates a crises and fights amongst members (see good rate for the copyright licences Editorial in Bulletin 138). However a required by Societies to play records in programme called Outreach has been public and also arranges public liability instituted and has the enthusiastic insurance at favourable terms. If really backing of John Davies our current pressed he might also remember that chairman. This is based on the concept of FRMS publishes a magazine (the Bulletin members of the Committee visiting — one or a few copies of which arrive Societies, explaining what FRMS does, twice a year), an annual musical weekend and listening to what the Societies want to (a few members have attended the odd tell us. So if a Society is approached by an one and reported it to be good, but FRMS Committee member, this is not expensive), there is also an equipment interference from the centre, but an insurance scheme. attempt to set up a two-way communication system This would be a fair description of what the so that you know more about us and we know more FRMS does. But is this all that the Federation is about you and your problems. for? Some would argue that yes this is the case and So to revert to the question posed, the FRMS that the Federation is not expected to do more. should continue to do what it does now (and even Most, perhaps all, officers or FRMS Committee better if possible) but also to try to devise strategic members upon election feel instinctively that the solutions to the problems of Societies and to help Federation should do more. Alas, like so very many Societies prosper. The main current problem is voluntary organisations, recorded music societies membership and this is a difficult one. report a shortage of members, increasing age of However, we should not despair, I can think of membership and despair for the prospect of two organisations which are expanding in the recruiting young members. We know that so many current climate — these are U3A and Probus. other organisations report similar problems, but Perhaps we can learn from them. this is no consolation.

Federation of Recorded Music Societies — Annual General Meeting

Commences 2pm. on Saturday 25th October 2003 at The George Hotel, Sheep Street, Kettering NN16 0AN

Hosted by The Kettering and District Recorded Music Society Following the meeting, bar facilities will be available. A three-course dinner will be followed in the evening by a recital by the Quartet of the Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Service Tick ets (£20 each) for the din ner and recital should be obtained from FRMS Secre tary, Tony Baines, 2 Fulmar Place, Meir Park, Stoke-on-Trent, ST3 7QF Please enclose a DL size stamped addressed en velope with your appli ca tion. All cheques to be payable to the Feder a tion of Recorded Music Soci et ies Ltd. Some ac com moda tion is avail able at the hotel for £25 per night in clud ing break fast. Ap pli ca tion for ac com mo da tion, quoting the FRMS AGM, should be made directly to the Ho tel: Tel. 01536 410787 Advice on other places to stay in and around Kettering will be supplie d to Soci ety Secre tar ies

2 NEWS FRMS Reg Williamson Retires t the Committee meeting held in May, Reg became emergency editor of the Bulletin and Williamson, after presenting a report on the produced one issue (No. 130); this was designed in Asuccessful Musical Weekend held at conjunction with our printer, Maxiprint of York, Stratford earlier this year, announced that he was based upon modern electronic design that was retiring from the Committee with immediate subsequently developed by the current editor. effect. Perhaps his most important innovation was as This brings to an end an era in the life of the Treasurer. The previous Treasurer had maintained Federation that has produced many changes most paper records, none of which were made available of which have had the intimate involvement of Reg. to FRMS. Reg thus was faced with the task of Reg first joined the setting up a system from Committee in 1971; he resigned scratch; this he did based upon in 1981 but subsequently computer spreadsheets, which rejoined in 1998. Much of his enable detailed reports to be second period on the prepared within minutes. This committee was in conjunction is fully in accordance with with his wife Marjorie (now, of modern practices and is still course, a Vice-President) then used with some refinements by Secretary, and a formidable the present Treasurer. combination this was. From the above it can be Reg has held an unprec e- seen that Reg left a solid set of dented number of po sitions achievements that has dragged within the Fed era tion. He has a not always willing Federation been Techni cal Offi cer, Vice firmly into the 20th Century. Chairman, Secre tary, Treasurer The process has not been and Bul letin Ed i tor. This is an without controversy and Reg amazing re cord. One for mer Chair man told me who prides himself as being a blunt speaking man that his de fin ing char acter is tic is a to tal loyalty to from Norfolk (not to be confused with a blunt the Federation. speaking Yorkshire man!) was always happy to He is a man of action, he was not one to faff give robust reply to anyone who questioned his around but if something needed to be done he approach. Thus we did not always have an easy would set to and do it; he would then present the ride but the Federation has gained a lot from Reg result to an often surprised committee. As who has provided a solid foundation for future mentioned in the last paragraph, he became development. Thank you Reg, and we wish you a Technical Officer and his encyclopaedic knowledge happy retirement. of all aspects of Hi Fi served him well and even now AB. he contributes articles to Hi Fi magazines (although these days he has tended to specialize in Fed er a tion Website Digital Radio). However his technical skills were rom 1st July Bob Astill has taken over the not confined to sound reproduction, as he was also Web-master job previously performed by Reg very knowledgeable in the use of computers and FWilliamson. There will be a change as your this he put to very effective results for the website information is updated, browsers will Federation. He promulgated the use of e-mail notice the email link will change to Bob Astill. within the Committee and now this has become the If you have any queries or alterations to FRMS accepted form of communication between all webpages then you can contact him at: officers and all but two members of the Committee. [email protected] In conjunction with Len Mullenger, then a member If an Affiliated Society wishes to have a web of the Committee, he established the FRMS page for the first time, or if you are updating your Website. He also set up computer databases of lists information on an existing page, then please of Affiliates and their secretaries and similar forward the details via email to him at the above databases covering the distribution of the Bulletin. address preferably in Word or text format, any Following the resignation of Thelma Mills, Reg graphics should be sent in .jpg or .gif format.

3 LETTERS FRMS LETTERS LETTERS Schu bert the Seventh Symphony (not mentioned by your contributor) plugged the time-gap and style-gap On my annual visit to speak to Sheffield we had all wondered at between the youthful No.6 Gramophone Society, as their President I was and the mature No.8. passed a copy of your Autumn 2002 Bulletin. This My first realisation (No.7) was done to give issue contained an article by Brian R Smith students at Leeds University a novel way of entitled ‘Unfinished Symphonies Finished’, in marking the 150th anniversary of Schubert’s death which some statements about my realisations of in 1978. Its adoption by the BBC Symphony sketched Schubert symphonies appeared which Orchestra a few months after its Leeds premiere, surprised me. then by orchestras worldwide, occasioned surprise Mr Smith tells his readers that the third and pleasure on my part: and the continued movement of the Symphony No.10, to my interest by promoters and conductors in all these completion of which he refers, “shows Schubert completions almost a quarter of a century on is an attempting counterpoint for the first time”. encouraging phenomenon I could never have Schubert had, of course, attempted counterpoint foreseen. I write this letter having returned a few from his early youth, and his successful days ago from marvellous concert performances of contrapuntal ventures in works from the middle Nos. 7 and 10 in Finland, where the orchestra was years onwards were documented by me in placed at my disposal to provide live illustrations Schubert: the Music and the Man for two lectures. An abnormal activity, to be sure, (Gollancz/University of California Press, 1997). outside the “normal concert repertoire”. But the There are in fact some decidedly progressive manifold awestruck tributes to Schubert I hear instances of counterpoint to be found among these when listeners first encounter the slow movement examples. What Schubert did in the Symphony No. of his swansong ‘Tenth’ tell me that the restoration 10 was to stack into its third movement a of such gems has its point: “better” (in Mr Smith’s succession of contrapuntal devices quite words) “than allowing the work to sink into unprecedented in a symphony, including the oblivion”. simultaneous combination of themes. Professor Brian Newbould The realisation of this symphony does not, according to Mr Smith, “appear to have found its John Bulman way on to the normal concert repertoire”, while my I should like to express my thanks to all completion of the Symphony No.8 in B minor has members and friends associated with FRMS not, to his knowledge, ever been heard in the groups for the kind words and support I have concert hall. I can only assume that the several received from them since my father’s death in hundred concert performances of my completions January. have taken places in venues outside Mr Smith’s I should particularly like mention of the orbit. He is perhaps aware that, apart from the Appreciation in the spring issue written by Reg several commercial recordings (one of which he Williamson, and the considerable support in many mentions), a number of radio recordings have also ways given by Marjorie. I am most grateful also to been made. The recordings are perhaps of more the present members of the National Committee, interest to your readers than concert many of whom did not know my father, but have performances. shown concern and respect for his memory. Nobody, certainly not I, would expect a Christine Bulman (daughter). completion of the ‘Unfinished’ (No.8) to enter the “normal concert repertoire” when the Equip ment and En joy ment two-movement half-symphony Schubert left has I don’t think Con Cuac (letter, Bulletin 138) so many kinds of appeal as a concert piece. This allows for the possible Dichotomous nature of was, it hardly needs saying, the least significant of Recorded Music Societies. Some societies, seem to the tasks I have undertaken. The completion of the have split group personalities, hovering between ‘Tenth’ Symphony brought to the public ear, a Hi-Fi Enthusiasts Clubs and Musical Appreciation ‘deathbed’ work that was new in the last quarter of Groups; a musical Jekyll & Hyde situation, as it the twentieth century. Similarly, my realisation of were. I have, over the years, been a member of

4 LETTERS FRMS several societies; some of them enjoyed the music enlighten members of the workings of the via the HI-FI and others listened to HI-FI via the Federation. music; some oscillated between these two I think we are all well aware of the vital and approaches. Societies that are of the first type are important role that the Federation plays and the willing to accept lower reproduction standards help and support that it gives to its members than do the others. Recent research demonstrated especially the small clubs like ourselves so the that the “Tingle Factor” is largely independent of observations I made in my letter about a vote of the standard of music reproduction. In short, it only 31 at the AGM for the regular annual increase takes really grossly reproduced music for the hairs from a membership of over 200 was not that it had on the back of the neck NOT to stand up. This, not been democratically passed but that so many obviously, only applies to the musically inclined! affiliates for one reason or another had not voted Vic Riches. Salisbury R.M.S. one way or the other on the matter and less than half of the clubs had returned their voting forms Editor: I showed this letter to Con Cuac who for the committee so could there be a degree of commented “I fully agree with Mr Riches and in apathy among the membership. fact some of my most exciting musical experiences J. T. Taylor , Secretary, have been from listening to music reproduced Great Yarmouth Classical Music Circle from very questionable equipment. The point I was making in my letter is that there is a danger Editor: I showed this letter to Reg Williamson of losing as members people whose own who commented: “There is not much I can say, is equipment is markedly better than those of the there? Except to agree about the apathy. This Society”. means the burden of policy making falls on others that do care and so, have to make decisions on behalf of those that decline to attend the AGM — Af fil i a tion Charges including Gt Yarmouth. A majority of us on the With reference to Reg Williamson’s article “The FRMS Committee are also pensioners (including FRMS. And You” and his reference to my letter that me). This does not stop us to the best of our ability was printed in the Spring 2002 Bulletin I would attempting to manage the FRMS finances in a like to point out that any misunderstanding is by disciplined and sensible manner.” him not me, as those who read my letter will know that I did not say that affiliation charges have risen Ted Perry regularly but expressed our concern that now that The death earlier this year of Ted Perry, it was agreed at the AGM. to increase affiliation founder and Managing Director of Hyperion fees in line with the RPI and average earnings Records will have saddened many folk within the index that it will result in a regular annual increase FRMS and its affiliated societies. Happily, which Mr. Williamson can not deny. Hyperion continues in the capable hands of Ted’s I am a retired pensioner on a small income so I son, Simon. do not need to have it explained to me about rising Tributes appeared at the time in the broadsheet costs and I realise that the FRMS has also to keep papers, and in The Gramophone and BBC Music up with rising costs but I still maintain that it Magazine. I need not repeat what was written then, should not be automatically increased annually. but would like to add an appreciation of Ted from We are a very small club with about half the within the FRMS; in particular from one of its membership of Mr. Wainwright’s Wolverhampton affiliated societies. Ted was always interested in the club so we have to cut our suit according to the FRMS. His association with it dated from the late cloth. However we have not increased our 1940s when he joined the fledgling Derby Recorded subscriptions for several years and we are still Music Society, started by Donald Rooksby in 1945. financially viable. We discuss the financial Donald was later to join Ted at Hyperion for a few situation at our AGM and that is when any increase years, and still visits societies to present recent is decided or not, and that is the way it should be issues (and take orders) for Hyperion. done at the FRMS. It appears only a small number Though Ted was always interested in the whole of societies attend the AGM, so a special provision Federation, he retained a particular affection for is needed so that all members have a chance to vote Derby RMS. We were privileged to welcome him on finances annually. Furthermore I know the real back to Derby on several occasions — our 50th reason behind this article and it is not just to Anniversary in 1995, the Federation AGM in 1998

5 LETTERS FRMS and the East Midlands Music Day in 2001. On such achieving healthy surpluses for each of the past occasions, too, he was always approachable and three years. Partially ignored prior to 2000, there would listen tolerantly to suggestions for Hyperion has since been full compliance with the current repertoire. We treasure our links with a great Constitution. figure in the world of recorded music, but I am sure There now began a move by a tiny minority to many other societies share our sense of loss. impose upon your Federation at least one Recorded music would not thrive, of course, Chartered Accountant as Independent Examiner without the musicians who are its life blood. So, it by means of an amendment to the Constitution. A is a fitting tribute to Ted’s memory that several total irrelevancy, it would not have prevented our firms in the recording industry have made problems prior to 2000. Moreover, it will be a donations to the Musicians Benevolent Fund burden on the Treasurer and a deterrent to anyone (16 Ogle Street, London, W1W 6JA). If any taking the Office; for you all, considerably higher societies or individuals would like to join in that costs that can only be recovered from your tribute donations will be gratefully received. affiliation fees. The attempt last year at I am much indebted to Donald Rooksby for his Eastbourne ended by being remitted. The assistance in compiling this note. Committee did not appreciate that procedurally, it Allan Child, Chairman, Derby RMS had the right to drop it altogether; sadly, it still rattles on so draconian amendments are likely to Ex am i na tion of Ac counts appear again at Kettering. From my not The 2000 Durham AGM marked the end of inconsiderable experience, I urge all AGM three traumatic years in the FRMS’ history with the delegates to vote against any alteration to the removal of the incumbent from the Treasurer’s Constitution. Tinkering with the Constitution is Office. Prior to this, his friends created as many never needed by any Committee comfortable with obstacles as possible for those in Office attempting the authority vested in it by virtue of that most to discharge their elected responsibilities. There democratic of all institutions, the ballot. then followed the most difficult three months in Reg Williamson (FRMS Treasurer 2000-2001) my long service to the FRMS. On one hand, trying to bring order out of the inherited chaos, totally ATTENTION without assistance from my predecessor. The accounts hadn’t even been seen by the Committee, ALL PROGRAMME SECRETARIES! let alone approved and I found myself dealing with not one, but two Chartered Accountants as Independent Examiners. One quickly indicated a Book a FREE RECITAL from wish to relinquish appointment; the other virtually CD, BOOK & VIDEO SELECTIONS ignored all attempts to open a dialogue on what (DORCHESTER) had gone before. Accounts are required to give a clear, unambiguous picture of the Federation’s true “PROGRAMMES - BY- POST” financial status. Carrying out the Chairman’s also available - details on request directive, I then recast them as a true record. One IE signed them without question. The other ignored them but had no qualms, however, about Stock available for sale at meetings submitting an account that amounted on average Bargain prices and wide selection to over £2 per affiliate. By the year’s end the No hard sell - the music sells itself! management of our accounts was completely restructured. In the professional care of my Please ring or write to:- successor, they have been above reproach since, Brian Bishop 39 Walker Crescent Please support our advertisers and quote Wyke Regis the Bulletin when you contact them. WEYMOUTH Dorset DT4 9AU Tel: 01305 759 505

6 FEATURES FRMS Sir Lennox Berkeley — A Cente n ary Cele bra tio n. Musical life in the UK seems to have had more case ; but a look beneath the notes reveals a more than its share of centenary celebration in recent complex figure, with hidden reserves of energy, years. Alan Bush in 2000, Gerald Finzi and determination and especially, like his friend Edmund Rubbra in 2001, Walton in 2002 and with Poulenc, in works setting religious texts, a 2005 looming — Tippett, Alwyn, Lambert, dignified but striking expression of deep Rawsthorne, Seiber — and so the list goes on. For a conviction and passion. country that seems to take a sort of absurd national A more than capable pianist himself and a lover pride in running down its own composers, these of the music of Mozart, Chopin and Fauré it is occasions provide a good chance for discovery and perhaps unsurprising that many of Berkeley’s reassessment. The year 2003 provides a most earliest works involve the piano — the Polka and welcome chance to explore the output of one of the the Five Short Pieces make their various bows to most distinguished figures in British musical life in the Walton of Façade and Poulenc’s Mouvment the second half of the twentieth century — Sir Perpetuals, whilst the Three Impromptus show Lennox Berkeley. their debt to one of Berkeley’s greatest loves, the Berkeley was born into a music of Chopin. Rather titled family on May 12th more uncharacteristic is a 1903. Indeed if it were not for large scale oratorio Jonah a quirk of fate Berkeley would from 1935, perhaps written have inherited the title Earl of in the furore following Berkeley — thankfully, for we Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast might not have had his music — very few works on anything as a result. Life took a like this scale followed, different turn and the young showing that Berkeley knew Berkeley studied languages at all along that he didn’t need Oxford in the company of nor was particularly such luminaries as Auden, interested in making big Waugh and C Day Lewis. Berkeley at Home statements. A close Whilst at Oxford he began to friendship with Benjamin compose seriously and later, on the Britten had a profound personal and professional recommendation of Ravel no less, travelled to effect on Berkeley — the precocious musicality of Paris to become one of the very few English his younger colleague must have been on the one protégés of the great teacher Nadia Boulanger. hand inspiring and on the other rather Over 50 years later, in conversation with the intimidating for a late developing composer, but it present writer, Berkeley still used to speak in awe is a sign of Berkeley’s inner strength that he was of ‘Madame’ and her extraordinary ear and strict still able to retain a close friendship with Britten methods of tuition — no pupil was allowed to write and go his own way. music of their own until they had mastered The decade from the start of the Second World counterpoint to ‘Madame’s’ satisfaction. Quite War was without any doubt the most productive apart from his studies Berkeley became part of the from a musical point view — a large number of truly remarkable artistic scene of Paris in the Berkeley’s acknowledged master-works come 1920’s, becoming acquainted with not only Ravel from this period — and personally too, for it was (who allowed Berkeley to use his box at the opera), during this time, whilst working for the BBC, that but also Stravinsky and Les Six (Poulenc in he met and married Freda Bernstein — so particular became a lifelong friend). Berkeley’s beginning almost fifty years of happy marriage. music has always been described as having a Beginning with the popular Serenade for Strings French accent - if these qualities include a certain in 1939, music poured from his pen — the emotional restraint, elegant melodic lines, a sure Symphony No 1, which Berkeley himself harmonic sense, a sophisticated wit and a high conducted for the first time at a war-time level of craftsmanship, this is most certainly the Promenade concert, the Divertimento for

7 FEATURES FRMS

Orchestra — a Piano Sonata for Clifford Curzon. A Trio (writ ten, performed and re corded by Dennis Festival Anthem — one of the first of a large Brain) and the Sex tet for Clari net, Horn and number of deeply felt religious works, several String Quar tet. Berkeley is not a composer that shorter piano pieces, songs and chamber music one might ever de scribe as an in no va tor — nor ranging from the delightful Sonatina for would he ever have claimed to be so, but he was Flute/Recorder & Piano to the String Trio. All this one of the first major com pos ers from any coun try as well as two of his most profound and passionate to take a seri ous in terest in writ ing for the gui tar. sacred pieces — Four Poems of St Teresa of Avila The art istry of Julian Bream in spired the much (originally written for Kathleen Ferrier) and played Sona tina for Gui tar, the Songs of Stabat Mater which has Half-Light for tenor (Peter rather suffered from its Pears) and Gui tar and the unusual calling for six solo later, com pletely un- voices and twelve players (it Span ish Gui tar Con certo. was written for Britten and These works to gether with the English Opera Group) – Theme and Vari ations for despite this, that such an Gui tar and some fas ci nat - accomplished and beautiful ing, recently discov ered work should never have been Four Pieces for Gui tar, ev i - professionally recorded and dently writ ten for Segovia be so rarely performed in Paris in the 1920’s, make frankly beggars belief. The a unique con tri bution to a end of the 1940’s brought the still not ex actly exhaus tive unaccountably neglected Benjamin Britten with Berkeley rep er toire. The mid 1950’s Piano Concerto, written for also saw Berkeley ex per i - Colin Horsley who became one of Berkeley’s most menting with as pects of twelve note com po si tion, fervent champions and performed his music all but in this, like Britten and Walton, he carefully over the world and the equally marvellous adapted to suit his own end and mode of expres - Concerto for two pianos and orchestra. This list is sion. Works of this period such as the Sona tina for no mean achievement for any composer. oboe & pi ano, the cho ral Signs in the Dark (set ting Berkeley turned his thought to opera in the texts by Laurie Lee) and the Vio lin Conc erto (writ- years following the war. Three followed in quick ten for Yehudi Menuhin) show a more aus tere, but succession. A Dinner Engagement a short one act still in stantly personal side to Berke ley’s musi cal opera that has had many productions, the biblical lan guage. There are at least three mas ter pieces chamber opera Ruth and the large scale Nelson from the 60’s, the one move ment Sym phony No.3, which although being on the whole well received, which packs a huge emo tional range into around has, with the exception of a couple of concert fif teen min utes, the Missa Brevis writ ten for the performances, disappeared from view. Many choir of West min ster Ca the dral (where the com - Berkeley fans are hoping that the anniversary of poser’s sons Julian and Mi chael [now a dis tin - the Battle of Trafalgar in 2005 might tempt a guished com poser him self] sang in the first revival. During the 1950’s, apart from a perfor mances) and the choral/or ches tral Mag ni fi- considerable output of music, Berkeley also taught cat written for the combine d choirs of Westmin - at the Royal Academy of Music in London. His list ster Abbey, and St Paul’s Cathedral. These works of pupils reads like a Who’s Who of British music — alone should banish the thought that is Sir John Tavener, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, occasionally aired that Berkeley is ‘merely a William Mathias, David Bedford, Nicholas Maw, miniaturist’ Brian Fernyhough, to name but a few — something The final decade or so of Berkeley’s life seemed of a diverse collection! Bennett recently told the to coincide with a new faith in purely melodic present writer that he adored Berkeley and his writing. The Canzonetta movement in the music but felt that he personally needed a much Sinfonia Concertante for oboe & orchestra more demanding and strict teacher. couldn’t be by any other composer, neither could Amongst im por tant works of the 1950’s were a the beguilingly simple setting of Psalm 23 The Sec ond Sym phony, a sen sual set of Ronsard Son- Lord is my Shepherd which has found a regular nets for two tenors & piano, a fine Flute Concer to home in churches throughout the world. The and two sig nif i cant chamber works — the Horn 1970’s also brought many honours including a

8 FEATURES FRMS knighthood, and two last major works — the told how he had to go through his father’s Guitar Concerto mentioned above and Fourth manuscript, correct mistakes and turn the note Symphony, premiered in Berkeley’s 75th year in heads the right way around — a terrible reality for 1978. In his typically modest programme note anyone that took such pride in the way his music Berkeley refers to the ‘slightly more expansive looked and sounded. Berkeley died in December manner’ of the Symphony compared to a lot of his 1989. music. Although the work didn’t by all accounts The Lennox Berkeley Society was formed at the excite a great deal of critical comment, a premiere end of the 1990’s by a small group of admirers who recording issued around the time of writing this felt, quite rightly, that Berkeley’s music was article has shown the piece to be a very powerful unjustifiably neglected. Since then the Society has and significant statement and certainly not worthy grown and has managed to help to raise money of its neglect. The beginning of the 1980’s saw and sponsor a whole series of performances and Berkeley begin a new full-scale opera — Faldon recordings during the centenary year - not least Park — but sadly this undertaking became no more performances and recordings of two of Berkeley’s than a series of sketches following the onset of operas — A dinner Engagement and Ruth. In Alzheimer’s disease. addition, thanks to the indefatigable Richard The last few works are interesting as they are Hickox, Chandos are in the middle of a Berkeley moving, as a hugely skilled craftsman struggled to Symphonic cycle coupling Lennox’s music with get his thoughts onto paper — a Bagatelle for two that of his son. These recordings together with pianos harks back to the salons of 1920’s Paris, a several others are revealing that, in the hands of tiny Mazurka for piano, actually written in homage good and dedicated performers, Berkeley’s music to Haydn but showing more kinship with can stand up to much of the best music of its time Berkeley’s beloved Chopin, an intense, rather and although I suspect Lennox might have been a sparse Sonnet for voice & piano written for Huges little bemused by all the attention and having a Cuenod, which has a particularly angry climax and Society named after him — I like to think he would a little Christmas carol for Kings College, have been pleased too! Cambridge — In Wintertime. Michael Berkeley has David Wordsworth

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9 FEATURES FRMS The ‘art Nouveau’ of Orchestral Sound by Arthur Butterworth

safety and use the most up-to-date and reliable n early youth I was always struck with the instruments they can find, and who can blame sound of the orchestra: especially its fiery, them? Whereas at one time a live performance was Ibrazen horns which struck so romantic a note, evanescent, disappearing for ever into thin air, especially in Berlioz. There was always a feint flaws and human failings soon forgotten, the frisson of excitement because it was known that modern recorded performance exists into the horns, those most intractable of instruments, perpetuity, an ominous indictment of the players’ were liable to split notes; this somehow added to failings. But, slick and polished and virtually the verve of the performances. The intrepid players technically flawless, though modern orchestral did not play for safety, they playing, worldwide, has now played for exhilaration and Joie become, there is often something de vivre. It was all wonderfully missing: a sense of poetry and exciting. I just longed to play in a humanity in many of the large orchestra, little knowing performances one hears. Not that a few years later, the war only the modern instruments, being over, that is what in fact I but perhaps even more should do. However, coming important the style of home on leave from the army — performance by individual probably early in 1946, before players, aided and abetted by being demobilised, I chanced to jet-setting conductors whose go to a concert in Manchester technical abilities may be given by a visiting American Arthur Butterworth excellent, but who often lack orchestra, on its first post-war imagination and those qualities tour of Britain. But something curious struck me of insight and interpretation that make music about it. I could not quite make out why it sounded sound human — even if at times there are technical so different from the Hallé‚ of pre-war years. Lively flaws and shortcomings. and energetic though the American playing was, it Certainly the younger generation: Stravinsky, all sounded rather slick, but at the same time Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Hindemith, Walton, paradoxically lack-lustre too, especially the wind Copland, Britten, and those who have arisen since playing, and certainly most of all the horn-playing. 1945 perhaps expect a more chromium-plated What was different of course, was that in place sound, but a vast amount of music, not necessarily of the traditional ‘french horns’ of narrow bore, just that of earlier twentieth century composers they had been replaced by wide-bored instruments and their forebears, still cries out for a more of German pattern, the so-called ‘double-horns’ — human sound instead of the ubiquitous ‘orchestral much safer to play — but far less poetic and lacking super-market’ we hear so predictably in almost all the romantic character of the earlier instruments. the world’s concert halls, although the Vienna Not only the horns, but the other brass had Philharmonic has always preserved a unique changed over to larger-bored instruments; the sound of its own, mostly on account of the use of ravishing sound of the wooden flutes had been instruments traditional to the Viennese: ‘Zuleger’ replaced by the steely-bright sound of metal ones. oboes, ‘Oehler’ clarinets and the particular The characteristic French bassoon was given over characteristics of Viennese horn-playing. to those of Heckel type. String players began to rely It is not gen er ally known, for ex am ple, that on metal as opposed to gut strings. Within a there was at one time, to the connois seur at least, a comparatively short time there came about a dis tinc tive ‘Man ches ter’ tone of clar i net sound, as virtual sea-change in the sound of orchestras in there was in par allel with it an in flu ential school of this country; we copied the German and American Lancashire oboe play ing that origi nated with a style. Now this is all very well for some music, and group of wind play ers in the Hallé‚ Orches tra with the technical perfection demanded by the which was ul ti mately to gain the up per hand in modern recording industry, players now play for London and elsewhere in Brit ish or ches tral play-

10 FEATURES FRMS ing. Of course, ev erything de pends on the qual ity section of an orchestra has all but disappeared of sound pro duced by in di vid ual artists, but now a- completely, conductors not seeming to care days there is of ten a sameness about many play ers whether a composer’s original cornet parts are of the youn ger gener a tion. That they are in vari ably played on the instruments they were intended to be. of aston ish ing techni cal accom plish ment is never But there was a time when a pair of trumpets in question but music making is not solely about sounded quite different from the antiphonal sound tech ni cal wizardry; it is con cerned with of the cornets answering them — for example in imagination, individuality, and above all Tschaikowsky’s “1812" overture. The timpani’s humanity. round sonority is projected in the mellow sound of Stimulating as it is to visit the world’s great and the traditional calf-skin heads of the hand-tuned sophisticated cities, there is often a faint sense of timpani (still it must be admitted an admirable ennui to discover that the fashionable shops in the quality of modern timpani). However, it is in the exclusive malls are much the same everywhere. overall sound and, even more significantly, the style The world-wide brands of coffee-house, furniture, of performance that the New Queen’s Hall textiles or food chains are ubiquitous, and the Orchestra has evolved a unique purpose. The use of same snazzy model of car bought so recently at that genuine older instruments has been made possible exclusive showroom in Hampstead can be seen — by enthusiastic individual members seeking out perhaps to the mutual embarrassment of their such rarities, and studying the technique of playing drivers — on the streets of Munich or Stockholm. them in a style which is appropriate. The world’s great orchestras, rather like the ã Arthur Butterworth fine cities they symbolise are much the same too. So that despite the personal quirks and CD Review: DE PROFUNDIS - mannerisms of international jet-setting The Art of Dying conductors, who insidiously cajole or insist that A Can tata by Fra Armando Pierucci the orchestras they visit interpret whatever it is Text by Re gina Derieva they are performing in the maestro’s own Gintar‚ Skeryt‚ (sop.); Aidijar Cham ber Choir individual way, the resulting sound tends to be Vilnius String Quar tet; pretty much the same whether it be in Chicago, Con duc tor Romualdas Grazinis Prague, Paris, Tokyo or London. Pil grim’s Star 027004 : Di vine Art Ltd. The New Queen’s Hall Orchestra however, has Pierucci was born in Italy; since 1988 he has cultivated a sound of its own, recapturing the been the organist at the Church of the Holy essence of a style we once cherished and, which Sepulchre in Jerusalem and has written much regrettably now seems to elude us. In place of the sacred music. Regina Derieva was born in the present-day universal metal flute the earlier and Soviet Union; in 1949, she emigrated with her more mellow wooden instrument is used. The husband and son to go to Israel, where, however ‘Buffet’ bassoon, essentially of French tradition, they were denied citizenship since they are also regains that elegant sound rarely heard in Catholics. As stateless persons they later found a today’s concert halls. But it is the brass which has home when they were allowed to live in Sweden. undergone the most drastic change in character in The cantata reflects upon the tragedies of the past half century or more. The horn in suffering mankind, of death, and of the striving of particular has endured a sea-change. While it is Man to God. Its writing coincided with an true that the modern ‘double-horn’ is safer for the exacerbation of the suffering of the Palestine player, its sound is a far cry from the ravishingly people but makes no direct reference to this. romantic timbre of the classic ‘french’ horn of Despite a theme that many will find shocking, earlier times. A parallel might fancifully be drawn the music is not morbid, on the contrary it is between the one-time classic Hispano-Suiza racing tuneful and uplifting in spirit. It is written in car of the early days of motoring (when indeed it traditional European mode with just a hint of must have been an exciting and elegant pastime for Eastern exoticism and is enjoyable to listen to. The rich young men), and a BMW saloon for today’s performance and recording is excellent. The tedious motorway journeys. The trumpets and presentation is good, and includes the full text of trombones with their wider bores are inclined to be the poems in various languages. The disc also overwhelming, lacking that bright, lithe sound that includes two sets of organ variations played by the was once so exciting; while the cornet, once a composer. The disc can be recommended strongly subtle and contrastingly lyrical sound in the brass to lovers of church music. AB

11 FEATURES FRMS Arnold Sugden — Pioneer Extraordinary

or those of us active in high quality audio languished until ca. 1958, when an international engineering, the 1950’s were exciting times. standard was eventually agreed using his proposed FThe tautological corruption “HiFi” had yet to 45/45 system of groove modulation. find its way across the Atlantic to the UK, and what Paradoxically, most of EMI’s competitors commercial products there were available, were demonstrated their enterprise by marketing produced by small specialist companies run by records that year, but with Blumlein’s old enthusiasts. More importantly, the merits of a company misguidedly placing all its commercial product did not originate in the fertile imagination faith in 19 cm/sec 2-track stereo tapes, their of the company’s advertising department (if, “Stereosonic” system. Inevitably, because of the indeed, it had one) but had to earn acceptance and cost of both the software and the hardware, it approval by customers already well educated in the failed and belatedly, the company conceded defeat intricacies of audio engineering by erudite articles and began to produce stereo LPs like all its in the then, much respected “Wireless World” competitors. (now a shadow of its former self and entitled Arnold Sugden was the enthusiastic Managing “Electronics World”) Director, Technical Director and owner of the One such small company “Connoisseur” company was “Connoisseur”, situated which, for some time, had in a small town called been enjoying considerable Brighouse, in West commercial success in Yorkshire. It was here, in producing many high quality 1953, that one of the most record playing products, important developments in notably the first British belt domestic sound reproduction driven turntable. This took its first, firm steps. I subsequently became refer to single groove stereo available in kit form and was on long playing records and an unusual introduction in the man who started it is now, the embryo market for such all but forgotten — Arnold products. Even today, the Sugden. BD1 turntable is much The idea of recording sought after by aficionados stereophonically on disc was still fascinated by the now not new. Emory Cook in the USA was already obsolescent vinyl recordings. Practically carving his own small niche in history with his everything to do with sound reproduction and “Binaural” discs, on which each channel was cut as recording was tackled by the tireless innovator. a separate set of tracks. They required two pickups Connoisseur’s first postwar product he designed started on the disc in synchronism to reproduce was a miniature lightweight cartridge and arm for the recorded material. Apart from the quality reproduction of the old 78 discs and he impossibility of preserving phase coherence, even invented a technique for mass production of Cook’s records were, nevertheless, a novel if the miniature chrome tipped steel needles that ergonomically impractical idea. But as long ago as were in very short supply in the immediate 1933, the system on which modern techniques are post-war era. Pickup arms, cartridges, amplifiers, based was developed and patented by Alan loudspeakers, even microphones — all came out Blumlein working in the laboratories of EMI, the bearing the Connoisseur label. As early as 1950, parent company of the familiar “Dog and Horn” Connoisseur was manufacturing a 33/78 r.p.m. HMV label records. Similar, but less impressive turntable, a high quality pickup with work (in my opinion) was also being carried out in interchangeable heads and a two speed disc the Bell Laboratories in the USA. At the time EMI, recording system. with what was to become its habitual lack of All this is the more remarkable when, during a commercial foresight, saw no future in it; and in visit to see Sugden, then 78 and still active, I any case, the imminence of war forestalled any learned that he had left school at 14 and had never further development. Blumlein’s patents had any formal engineering training. But, right

12 FEATURES FRMS from the outset of his career, he demonstrated a heated stylus and a variable groove pitch facility natural flair for engineering design of an intuitive over a range of 100 to 300 lines per inch. kind that is all too rare these days. No matter what Cartridges capable of playing his records had the problem, Arnold Sugden would come up with to be designed and made, of course; and his an ingenious answer and a high precision product. solution demonstrates more clearly than anything, Even at an age when most men would be sitting his uninhibited imagination. At that time, there back and enjoying the leisure of retirement, he was was a very popular mono crystal cartridge still working in a small shed outside his kitchen available, designed by Stanley Kelly for the door, producing replacement motors for his Cosmocord company and called the “Acos”. It was turntable. He used a compression moulder for the very much in advance of all competitors in the plastic formers, a magnetiser of his own design for same price range, as well, being the first crystal the rotors, and makes the stators on a stamping type with any claim to a wide frequency response press — again producing his and low tracking weight. own cutters. A truly Sugden simply took two of remarkable man, very much these cartridges, mounted in the Edison mould. them together at right angles Arnold Sugden’s interest to one another, and coupled in high quality audio was, as the two stylii with a fine wire for so many of us in those link. This combination, he days, linked with a passion mounted in a special for music. Shortly after the moulding. As a short-term introduction of the LP, he solution to an engineering became convinced that there problem, it was an was a future for single groove extraordinary approach stereo on disc. In 1953, he set although, inevitably, tests to work in a disused church later showed that its near the Connoisseur performance was markedly factory, often working alone inferior to that of the cutter. till the early hours of the morning. He finally So later, Sugden went on to design a high quality perfected a stereo cutter head, designed to be fitted crystal cartridge himself, but which he marketed to a disc-cutting table the company had already for the new 45/45 discs. developed for specialist orders. By methods both By 1956, Sugden was ready to demonstrate his intuitive and empirical, an approach that would be system, having produced some master tapes using frowned on today, he evolved a remarkable design spaced Neumann U47 microphones and a tape that frankly, one cannot easily fault. He knew recorder fitted with a staggered extra head. In the already, that the mass of the cutter system had to light of experience, Sugden later adopted a be as low as practicable, which linked with the much-reduced spacing in his miking technique, as compliance of the movement, must push the first little as 6" separating the pair and angled outwards fundamental resonance of the system as high as by approximately 90 degrees. This basic possible. His use of balsa wood as the former configuration is still favoured today by some material vividly demonstrates his unorthodox, but purists. Whilst he had finally decided on vertical imaginative approach, with the fundamental and lateral groove modulation, his cutter could, of resonance of the system occurring at 4.5KHz, and course, be used for 45/45 as well with an well damped. This, he corrected by a tuned circuit appropriate matrix. In any case, the validity of in the driver amplifier. The equally unusual feature Blumlein’s original patents was in some doubt. So, of the system was its efficiency, with as little as five for the time being anyway, it had to be watts fully modulating the cutter assembly. The vertical/lateral. No conventions or standards essentially powerful but heavy magnet was existed at that time, so on the basis that the most mounted separately on the cutter carrier, with just critical sounds would be from the string section of the comparatively lightweight of the cutter an orchestra, he determined that the lateral cut assembly resting the stylus on the surface of the should carry the left channel. Additionally, there master lacquer disc. All the well established appeared to be no advantage for any particular refinements were incorporated, such as an phase relationship between channels, so long as it advance ball to regulate the depth of the cutter, a was always consistent with the arbitrarily chosen

13 FEATURES FRMS standard (incidentally, the lack of knowledge of the market; and indeed, four discs were prepared what the original phase relationship was, did and ready for issue, with no less than ten in total. create some difficulty for me when attempting to Arnold designed even the labels and cover sleeves. rematrix some of his original recordings for But it was not to be. Illness, probably provoked playback). In the preceding three years, Sugden by overwork, slowed all work on producing stereo had recorded a diverse range of material locally - discs and eventually, they had to be dropped orchestral concerts, brass bands (a speciality of altogether when commercial stereodiscs to the Yorkshire) and cinema organs. From this wide universally agreed 45/45 standard were released variety, he subsequently cut lacquer stereodiscs. in 1958. As “Hi Fi” arrived and highly competitive, Now, he looked for a platform to demonstrate his consumer orientated products began to invade the achievement to his peers. markets from the Far East, the viability of Commercial HiFi Shows were, of course, Sugden’s company came under threat; so, in the non-existent in 1956. Most new developments early -70’s, Arnold Sugden sold his company and were demonstrated every year in London, at a retired. The final chapter in the story of his two-day exhibition organised by the (then) British enterprise ends on a sad note, for the company fell Sound Recording Society. The old BSRA was into the ruthless hands of asset strippers and the eventually absorbed in to the British branch of the once familiar name of “Connoisseur” has now Audio Engineering Society. May 26 in 1956 was a disappeared altogether. An unhappy, but all too particularly memorable date in the annals of audio common tale in today’s commercial world of Hi Fi. advancement, since at that same show that Sugden Sadder still, no one knows of the whereabouts of first introduced his stereo discs, Peter Walker of his original cutter system. “Quad” also demonstrated his prototype However, not so for the name of Arnold electrostatic speaker another landmark in audio Sugden. Within the history of audio, he has written design. As one might expect, there were many his own personal paragraph and undoubtedly waiting in a queue to hear these twin wonders and earns a prime place amongst the pioneers. I your contributor was amongst them. To put this in attempted to persuade the august Audio some sort of perspective, neither of the two major Engineering Society to make him some award but record companies in the UK were, at that time, to its shame, it was never taken up. Along with showing any great interest in a disc system based many of his contemporaries, he advanced the on vertical/lateral or 45/45 techniques. As I science and art of sound recording and mentioned earlier, EMI had misplaced their faith reproduction to a significant degree, sharing joint in tapes; Decca were working independently on a honours with many other well-known figures. h.f. carrier system with no apparent evidence of a In the preparation of this article, I warmly sense of urgency. In passing, it is for this system acknowledge an earlier essay by the late Roger the Decca pickup was designed and which still Maude of Huddersfield Polytechnic; and of course, enjoys some popularity with those still playing I am indebted to the veteran pioneer Arnold vinyl discs. Sugden himself who, sadly, is no longer with us. To say his demonstration caused a stir would ãReg Williamson be a master understatement; and almost Ap pen dix immediately, all the record companies anxious to Disc cut ter spec i fi ca tion: take advantage of his pioneering work besieged Type - Verti cal /lat eral Motor - Long Moving coils Sugden in Brighouse. EMI even sent a large mobile Im ped ance - 15 ohms(40 SWG cop per on balsa recording studio to his factory, so that sample discs wood formers) could be cut from a variety of EMI master tapes; Sensi tiv ity - 5 watts for full mod ula tion Field many of these were subsequently pressed, thereby Large per ma nent mag net, sep a rately mounted on revealing some difficulties in pressing technique. carrier The problems overcome, these too, were given a Cut ter Sty lus Heated (1 watt), ra dius 1 thou. demonstration at the BSRA exhibition in the Depth of Cut - Ad just able by means of ad vance following year, 1957. Sugden gave me a pair of ball point sty lus these pressings and using a matrix I designed, I Frequency Response - 30Hz to 15KHz was able to prepare them for playing with an Natu ral Syst em Reso nan ce 4.5KHz orthodox 45/45 cartridge; and very impressive Sep a ra tion - >20dB they are, too. Had v/l been the adopted standard, The driver ampli fi ers were Sugden design, using there might now have been a Connoisseur label on PX2S valves and capa ble of 15 watts into 15 ohm.

14 FEATURES FRMS Life does not be gin at 40! – Part 2

n the Spring Issue composers were the focus of wonderful recordings that are now available on those of who had died before their 40th CD. His career continued to flourish and in Ibirthday. This article looks at the performers November 1956 he was appointed as Musical who were unfortunate not to reach this milestone Director of La Scala, Milan. age. Many of the names featured have become A few days after this appointment Cantelli took legends for their qualities in producing a plane from Rome to New York where he was to performances that most lovers of music would conduct a series of concerts with the New York want to have in their collections. Consequently, Philharmonic Orchestra. The plane reached Paris the 20th century provides the time-frame for our on the first leg of its journey (no long-distance jets attention. In the first dozen or so years after the in those days) and, on take off, it appeared to catch end of the Second World War a number of brilliant fire and break up in the air killing 33 of the 35 young musicians died prematurely, often in tragic passengers on board. Sadly, Guido Cantelli was circumstances. one of those who did not survive; he was only 36 Any instrumentalist who appears as a soloist years of age. with an orchestra at the age of seven has a potential At the time that Cantelli was working with the worth developing and it is equally remarkable that Philharmonia Orchestra, Dennis Brain was the it is the mother who is responsible for teaching the principal horn player. They clashed often as the child to play the instrument. Such was the conductor demanded many “takes” during achievement of the French violinist, Ginette recording sessions – the naturally talented (Brain) Neveu, but success was not to stop there when, at versus the perfectionist (Cantelli). Dennis Brain the age of 11, she gained the Premier Prix at the was a second generation horn player, following his Paris Conservatoire. Then, in 1935, at the age of 16 father whose skills with the instrument were also she won the International Wieniawski highly regarded. In the family there was another Competition beating the now legendary David son, Leonard, who joined Dennis in chamber Oistrakh to first prize which became the works performing on the oboe. fore-runner to a brilliant career. The Mozart Horn Concertos will forever be It was 14 years later that tragedy struck when works that raised Dennis Brain to legendary status Ginette died at the age of 30 in a plane crash in the but his work in the orchestra is instantly Azores whilst en route to the USA along with her recognisable in those recordings where he is brother, who was a gifted pianist and accompanist. involved. His talent was such that horn players According to Groves Dictionary, Ginette Neveu who followed him had to suffer unfavourable “played with fire and passion and with a controlled comparison. Outside of music Dennis was a impeccable sense of style” and recordings that are motoring enthusiast, reputedly reading magazines available illustrate that this view is far from on the subject during rest periods in concerts. It hyperbole. was a car accident a few miles from home that Another air crash was to claim the life of the would claim his life. He was returning from the accomplished and very demanding conductor, Edinburgh Festival where he had given a Guido Cantelli. His father was an army scintillating performance both serious and bandmaster and so the young Guido was exposed humorous that has recently been released on CD. to music from an early age, so developing a talent Coincidentally, like his adversary Cantelli, he, too, for conducting that led him to his first job, namely, was only 36 years of age. conducting a performance of Verdi’s La Traviata Other coincidences occur when researching a in his home town of Novara. subject of interest. There are few better examples Cantelli’s British debut occurred at the than that of the German lyric tenor Fritz Edinburgh Festival (this venue will crop up again Wunderlich who, like Guido Cantelli was the son of in this article) in 1950 with the orchestra of La a military bandmaster and, like Dennis Brain, was Scala, Milan; shortly afterwards he conducted a originally a horn player. Less than two weeks London concert with the same orchestra replacing before he died in a freak accident at the home of the indisposed Victor de Sabata. The following the German bass, Gottlieb Frick, Fritz Wunderlich year, Guido Cantelli began an association with the had scored a great success at the Edinburgh Philharmonia Orchestra producing some Festival in the role of Tamino in Mozart’s Magic

15 FEATURES FRMS

Flute. At the time of his death in September 1966 University. In 1967, he formed the Early Music he was nine days short of his 36th birthday – Consort of London, whose members included two almost the same age as Cantelli and Brain. prominent musicians of today Christopher No less a singer than Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Hogwood and James Bowman, remarked at the time that Wunderlich was The recordings made by David Munrow irreplaceable and, nearly 40 years later, it is true demonstrated his talent in performing on a that Germany has not yet produced a lyric tenor of number of early instruments and these were Wunderlich’s quality. always produced to a high standard. Without Recently, I remarked to a colleague during a doubt, he was one of the most influential train journey that I was reading a biography of musicians of his generation; he took his own life in Emanuel Feuermann. “Ah,” he replied, “the May 1976 at the age of 33. cellist’s cellist!” Such is the esteem in which he is Dinu Lipatti is a legend amongst pianists and still held. To read the biography is to live through mourned as much for what he might have achieved the musical life of the 1920s and as for his actual achievements. 1930s in Europe and America with His performances and recordings the great names of the time have almost always received including, Artur Rubinstein, critical acclaim especially in Jascha Heifetz and Paul music by Bach, Schubert and Hindemith. Feuermann became Chopin. Lipatti escaped from his professor of cello at the Cologne native Rumania in 1943 and Conservatoire in 1919 (then one of eventually settled in Geneva. German’s leading musical His musical life story is well establishments) at the age of 16 known but he was in delicate leaping from student to professor health from his earliest years. in one bound. He completely When not preparing for or overwhelmed the interview panel appearing in concerts Dinu loved with his talent but he was not to the process of recording because retain the post due to the rise of it gave him scope for what has Nazism. Like many other Emanuel Feuermann been described as his inveterate prominent musicians at that time perfectionism. It was severe he eventually made his way to the USA. illness which forced him to refuse tours to It was the good things in life to which he was Australia and the USA as well as drastically attracted especially flashy sports cars plus he was a reducing his concert work. Although Hodgkins very heavy smoker. Many photographs of him are Disease was diagnosed, it was actually an taken whilst he is smoking including one used to undiagnosed burst abscess on the lung that was advertise Chesterfield Cigarettes — almost the cause of his death on 24th November 1956. unthinkable in the current period when smoking is Coincidentally, Bellini, — another short-lived much less acceptable. He died from pneumonia musician — also died from an undiagnosed burst following an operation on the appendix on 25th abscess. May 1942 aged 39. So what has been the lesson of my study of the One of his favourite party pieces as a young under-40s? Obviously, that fate is a cruel power musician was to play the final movement of the but it must engender intrigue in we music Mendelssohn Violin Concerto whilst holding the enthusiasts. We can never know what might have violin between his knees and playing it like a cello. been but it is fertile ground for those types of radio Now that would have been a sight to see! programmes built around the question “What Early music is now a much more accepted if….?” What do you think might have happened? genre of music but its present popularity grew Go on, present a recital on your theories – I dare from the enthusiasm created by David Munrow, you! who had been born in Birmingham only a few Brian Cartwright. weeks after the death of Emanuel Feuermann. Munrow founded a music group to perform early music whilst he was a student at Pembroke Please support our advertisers and quote College, Cambridge, and then spent a year the Bulletin when you contact them. studying 17th century music at Birmingham

16 FEATURES FRMS Recorded and Live Music he thing about records is that, while they can be wound up at the beginning of every side of each be easy to play and enjoy, there is not the record. Also the thorn needle had to be changed or Tsame atmosphere or aura as there is when the sharpened. same music is being performed live and Whilst I later learnt about many different spontaneously at a public concert. composers’ music through the Henry Wood It is true that it is a problem sometimes to get Promenade Concerts broadcast on the BBC, I there and it is equally likely that you will not be able started learning about the Tchaikovsky and to pick and choose the programme of music that Brahms Symphonies by repeated playing my you wish to hear.Further you may be unfortunate uncle’s recordings on 78 r.p.m. records and was enough to find yourself sitting next door to a noisy thus able to appreciate the live performances I neighbour who is either coughing, noisily turning later heard when performed by the Hallé over the pages of the programme or even stirring Orchestra conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham. about in his or her seat. As now, the attendance at a public orchestral But the spontaneity of the music, the thought concert should be observed as an event. The that you are enjoying music being played live, can arrival, one by one, and the tuning up of the make up for all of this on most occasions. orchestral players and the expectant mutterings of Further, it has to be said that most conductors the audience are parts of the whole thing to be and orchestras rarely perform the same work in the followed by the applause as the conductor moves same manner. There is an atmosphere of to the rostrum. All of this is lost to the person or re-discovery in the air. persons who are listening to records. It is a The sounds are coming from the instruments different experience altogether. themselves and are not being “doctored” by any The availability of recordings, however, recording engineer. Neither are you at the mercy of particularly historic ones, is a thing to value and it a duff amplifier nor rattling loudspeakers. In the was only by this means, for example, that I was early days, the hissing of the recording was a able first to hear the performance by the young further deterrent. Yehudi Menuhin of the Elgar Violin Concerto with I first learnt something about music from the the London Symphony Orchestra being conducted two sources almost at the same time. by the composer himself. A friend of mine, who I had a whole stack of ten inch and twelve inch was very interested in Elgar and who was playing 78 r.p.m. discs, mostly overtures, arias and the French horn in the Manchester University popular pieces of the day, but I had the clear Orchestra, having obtained all the highly valued benefit of attending a whole series of childrens’ twelve inch discs, offered me the chance to hear concerts on Saturday mornings in the City Hall them in the comfort of his own home. given by the City of Birmingham Symphony Every four or five minutes, the record had to be Orchestra. Here I was first introduced to the changed, the thorn needle resharpened and the orchestral instruments one by one, to understand needle carefully placed in the right groove. On this their sound and musical range, and then section by occasion, the continuity of the music was further section. Then we were given the opportunity to interrupted by this exceedingly enthusiastic friend hear what the string section sounded like when giving me a “run-down” on what we had just heard playing together; and the woodwind, brass and and then his description and careful analysis of percussion sections treated in the same manner what was to follow. followed this. The advent of the LP meant that music no Of course, all this was long before Benjamin longer had to be sliced up, and sometimes Britten produced his Variations and Fugue on a re-arranged with repeats omitted, into 4 or 5 Theme of Purcell which was featured so minute sections. We then enjoyed only one “break” successfully in a film with comments by Sir in a symphony or tone poem like Richard Strauss’ Malcolm Sargent. Ein Heldenleben. The main disadvantage being suffered by But the real significant change, for me, listeners to records of orchestral music at the time happened when we could enjoy music performed was the absence of stereophonic sound plus the in stereo. Now we could understand the intense simple fact that the reproducing instrument had to and complicated structure of even the simplest

17 FEATURES FRMS

Mozart symphony during which the various were severely interrupted by record and needle instruments were enjoying “conversations” with changing and the advent of the LP made things a one another. When I was very much younger, I little more difficult when trying to find a “track” failed utterly in understanding most of what was half way through a side. available as “chamber music”. For me, music had The use of a tape cassette recorder did mean to be on the “big screen” but my opinion changed than one could pre-record one’s programme from drastically when, as Programme Secretary of my a mixture of 78 rpm, LP and tape although one had local Recorded Music Society, I was successful in to be careful to achieve a good “balance” of sound persuading four young members of the Hallé level and quality of reproduction. Orchestra to come and play three string quartets Now, with the arrival of recent technology for us. For their programme, they had selected enabling one to pre-record one’s whole quartets by Haydn, Beethoven and Dvorak presentation either on to a mini-disc or 80 minute It would seem that many orchestral players like CD, it is possible to ensure that the quality and to “relax” by playing, entirely for their own volume of all the items can be correctly balanced pleasure, in smaller groups. Indeed, some and this means that the presentation itself consists directors of continental orchestras used to require only of the verbal introductions between the music that their players should spend some time doing being played from just the one CD. just this. While recordings will always be valuable Listening in mono, however, either on the radio because they can introduce us to music that may or on record, to a quartet without the benefit of a never be performed in public or on the radio, they score did not enable me to appreciate the finer will never replace the “Live Performance”. In my things going on and it was not really until this live personal view, all Recorded Music Societies should concert that I truly began to appreciate what fine include in their programmes opportunities for contributions to music making they are. members to enjoy seeing and participating in such While discussing the physical relationship of happy and involving situations. players, it is perhaps relevant to remark on the fact John Kemsey-Bourne that in Elgar’s orchestral works, it is better when the first and second violins are placed in the same arrangement that he had them himself because there are occasions when they are having a HANCOCK & MONKS “conversation” or even a “contravention” with each other while the cellos are placed behind the first violins. Elgar was very concerned with getting the We BUY and SELL Classical CDs, DVDs, “right balance” of sound and used this Sheet Music, Scores & Books on Music. arrangement for all his recordings. In their own concert hall, the Vienna Our extensive on-line catalogue is essential viewing Philharmonic Orchestra use this same plan, as for those hard to find titles, secondhand bargains they have when playing in the pit at their opera and regular special offers. performances, with the double basses up behind Updated weekly. the orchestra providing the solid bass line so vital in works by, for example, Brahms. Visit: www.hancockandmonks.co.uk The advent of the cassette tape recordings enabled me to hear up to 45 minutes of Quarterly printed catalogue also available from: uninterrupted music and this was especially useful for listening to symphonies and operas. But it was Hancock & Monks Mail Order rather complicated when one wished to pick out Llwyn Bedw just one movement from a complete work. LLANWRTYD WELLS LD5 4SY The fact that CDs can now provide up to eighty minutes of continuous sound in stereo and that Tel: 01591 610555 individual sections or movements can be easily “found” is indeed to a valuable contribution to the e-mail: [email protected] serious music listener. In the old days with 78 rpm records, presentations at Recorded Music Society meetings

18 FEATURES FRMS DVD-A or SACD? Like it or not technology continues to march can sound slightly glitzy or hard on some discs. on! On the record shelves (in some dealers) we can So ideally a player that can reproduce CD, find discs produced in DVD-A and SACD formats. SACD and DVD-A well is what the record buying What are they? Can I play them on my existing public requires. Does one exist? Yes a well-known equipment? Japanese company has produced a complete The quick answer is Yes and No, a universal system that in reviews appears not to contradiction in terms, Yes. Now for an reproduce any of the systems to the reviewer’s explanation: satisfaction. But that is only the start. Only a truly SACD or Super Audio Compact Disc has been hybrid system up to the best modern standards developed by those giants of the audio industry — will do. It will take a minor miracle to overcome all Sony and Philips. This will play on a normal CD the technical and licensing hurdles for this to player, but the best way to hear SACDs at their best happen. One thing is for certain, both systems is to use a Super Audio CD player. However only have their merits and can co-exist together the CD layer of these hybrid discs can be played on catering for different sections of the record buying a DVD-V player. public. DVD-A is an extension of the popular DVD-V What am I going to do? Well, sit on the fence discs and will play on a DVD-V player, but the best and see what happens in the future! way to obtain the full richness of DVD-A is to use a Philip Ashton DVD-A player. SACD offers a much higher resolution (higher How To Orga nise A Brass Band quality) of recorded music than CD and surround Some excerpts from A Practical Guide To The sound and is of a purer quality than DVD-A. This is Arrangement Of Band Music by George F. Patton due to the material being recorded in Direct published in 1875. Stream Digital Technology. Stereo is better than ...Having selected the men for your band, pick out CD, so too is surround sound in direct proportion the most intelligent and ambitious of the lot for the to the number of audio channels used. The playing Cornet players. time is around 75 minutes. Currently the SACD ...The next most important place to be filled is that worldwide catalogue has over 1000 titles. Many of of the Tuba player. the famous labels are gearing up to produce SACDs ...besides having plenty of good, common sense, so reducing production costs and eventually the his supply of patience should be practically savings will be passed on to consumers (we hope!). inexhaustible. DVD-A like its brother DVD-V has on screen ...for a Tuba player, who has not the qualities of menus and the ability to select anything that is patience and good humour is likely to get programmed on the disc. Again it gives you disgusted, and if a man of profane habits is apt to surround sound with up to five channels or swear in a sometimes more. Here PCM (Pulse Code disagreeable way at Modulation) gives excellent audio coding with 100 the stupid blunders kHz bandwidth and 144db dynamic range. The made by his playing time can be over 2.5 hours in better than companions. CD quality. Discs can contain for example, ...and this makes interviews with the artists, pictures and liner them very angry in notes, biographies and discographies. The take up turn, and the disgust of DVD-A technology has been somewhat slower and swearing may and smaller. Some record companies have become mutual. produced discs in both formats! ...For the side Like the VHS/Betamax format war in times instruments and gone by, we are in for another format war, both Drums it does not make much difference. systems have their plus points and it must be up to ...The author has a bit of advice to offer. Do not let the user to audition them using the very best anybody persuade you to bother with Piccolos, systems to hear them on. SACD gives one an Clarinets, and Slide Trombones. analogue like smoothness of sound whilst DVD-A

19 STRATFORD FRMS MUSICAL WEEKEND — STRATFORD nce again the Moat House Hotel, Stratford on Avon was the venue of our Annual Musical Weekend. This represents a swan song of Reg Williamson as organiser; a job he has done so ably Obefore. The weather was good, and the Hotel maintained the high standards of previous years. Comments from delegates were favourable and there was no doubt that from an artistic view point the event was very successful. The number of delegates for the full weekend was less than last year but there were an appreciable number of non-residential day delegates.

Goodwin Band). He told us that he had no technical training but had “ears” (this was well demonstrated by the technical excellence of the Chandos recordings he played with this talk); he told us that the weakest link in recording is the microphone and at home it is the speakers. He named his company after the BBC Chandos Club (with permission from the Chandos Estate). The Company specialises in English and rare repertoire and it has won over Puc cini’s “Tosca” Raina Kabaivanska is a winning 160 awards. Several of the After an excellent reception Tosca both in voice and artists he ‘discovered’ and dinner, the opening event appearance, Sherrill Milnes is subsequently left him to join was a “First” for the Musical outstanding as Scarpia; his one of the ‘Major’ Companies, Weekend; this was the use of characterization exudes corrupt projection TV and the new power, suavity and lust. The New medium of Digital Versatile Disk Philharmonia Orchestra gives (DVD). We saw the famous 1976 dramatic support under the film version of the complete baton of Bruno Bartoletti. Puccini’s Tosca produced by The film was excellent and Gianfranco de Bosio. the evening was supplemented Unlike most operas the three by an entertaining and difficult Brian Couzens and acts are set in three very specific quiz with the DVDs as the prize. Edward Greenfield Roman localities. These are used Brian Couzens and in this film with Act 1 being in the Chandos his discoveries included Nigel church of Sant’Andrea della Kennedy, Bryn Terfel, the Chandos is one of the most Valle, Act 2 in the Palazzo Kings Singers and many others. innovative and enterprising of Farnese and the Castel Richard Hickox remains under the Independent Recording Sant’Angelo is the perfect contract. Chandos has over Companies, it was founded in backdrop for the dramatic last 2000 titles and seldom deletes 1978 by Brian Couzens who here act. things. held a fascinating and This account is notable not When recording he used entertaining talk with our only for the use of the actual two track stereo (no President Edward Greenfield. locations but for both the acting multi-tracking) but now uses Brian Couzens had a and the singing. Placido 4-6 tracks for Surround Sound. background of sound Domingo was at his peak in the He uses long takes, often from engineering that started with heroic tenor role of Cavaradossi, live concerts with subsequent films (recording the Ron

20 STRATFORD FRMS patching of mistakes. transfixed. Jennifer Bate Dame Janet Baker Jennifer Bate is a concert Dame Janet Baker made a organist of international repute welcome return to the FRMS who made a return visit to an Weekend, again in conversation FRMS Weekend and gave us an with Edward Greenfield. Here hilarious account of some of her they reviewed her distinguished experiences whilst travelling the and very varied career in singing. Her first record was for Saga, which was just down the road from her home in Harrow on the Dame Janet Baker with Hill; the song was “I’ll go with my Marjorie Williamson father to the rain Field” by Ivor Gurney – she confessed that she Cosi Fan Tutte under Colin was terrified. However this was Davis and subsequently she followed by her first major appeared at a many opera recording – Purcell’s Dido and houses. She was often on stage Aeneas again for Saga, followed but never wanted opera to by Hugo Wolf songs for the same become her whole life. She company. retired from the stage at the age Later she was to record for of 56. EMI with Barbirolli and Sea Jennifer Bate Dame Janet is a favourite of Pictures is a classic recording audiences of FRMS Musical world; this was interspersed with (previously considered to be Weekends and the sheer beauty practical hints on how to deal of the recordings she played with the unexpected things combined with the description which always seem to occur. She of her fascinating career were interspersed her talk with greeted with acclaim. extracts from her many recordings. Tech ni cal Dem on stra - She regaled us with accounts tion and Forum of things falling apart (the Albert PMC Limited of Luton, had Hall organ), how to cope with kindly pro vided high qual ity birds in the building and how to sound equip ment for the week - cope when bats are urinating on end and this had sounded im - you when playing the organ. pres sive in ac tion, han dling Playing old instruments such as Dame Janet Baker well all the mul ti tu di nous re - the organ in Adlington Hall (near cord ings pre sented. In addi - Stockport) can be incredibly second rate Elgar). She tion, Peter Thomas of PMC taxing but the recordings sell best considered that the great hosted a sepa rate demon stra - when the instruments sound challenge was to sing English as tion of Sur round Sound. This is really old! if it were Italian by maintaining a the succes sor to the An organist is advised always line. She put her main efforts not quadraphonic sound of the 80’s to have a tuner present when in aiming for a big sound but for and is techni cally much supe - recording; extremes of accuracy. Barbirolli opened up rior; typ i cally would pro vide at temperature can effect the tuning her recording career and many of least 6 track — 3 front, 2 rear and it is best to record loud and major recordings followed, plus sub woofer (deep bass). soft parts at different times. She including some songs with Un for tu nately there are two finished her talk with an Gerald Moore (after his com pet ing sys tems (or three if entrancing description of her retirement from the stage). you in clude the sound output of reaction when a mouse walked Her first job was in opera at DVD – these are DVD(Audio) down the aisle when she was Glyndebourne in the chorus. Her and SACD (see also page 17). playing – the audience had been first major solo opera role was in The demon stra tions were quite

21 STRATFORD FRMS

Perahia, Zimerman, Argerich and Lupu. His talk concentrated upon a last group, that is the younger players of today. Out of hundreds of talented pianists of real merit he had identified six pianists of special talent and he presented recordings of their work accompanied by detailed analysis. The six chosen pianists were Stephen Hough, Evgeny Kissin, Boris Berezovsky, Leif Ove Ansnes, The Technical Forum Arcadi Volodos and Marc-André Hamelin. Under staggering in their audi tory Bryce Mor ri son his excellent tutelage we impact. obtained an understanding of The PMC staff joined FRMS Bryce Morrison is a professor the factors that distinguished Technical Officer, Philip Ashton at the Royal Academy of Music between the good and the best. and Reg Williamson in a and also an internationally A most stimulating and Technical Forum on the Sunday informative talk. morning. This was a wide-ranging discussion and the The Singh String following are some of the points Quar tet that arose: Reg Williamson, when Computer Copied Disks. organising the Weekend, had Don’t buy cheap blanks; Use reverted to the practise which good software e.g. Nero; copy to had been promulgated so hard disk before burning; When strongly in the past by Joyce it will not play, try cleaning the Knight, that FRMS should lens. support young musicians. The Deterioration of Equipment Singh quartet (named after with Age – most electronic faults their leader Miss Singh) was occur in first year, then it made up of students of the stabilises for many years; Royal Northern College of Speakers, especially when played Bryce Morrison Music. very loud, deteriorate quickly. Despite their youth, the Amplifiers should outlast their famous critic, broadcaster and Quartet demonstrated maturity owners. pianist and is considered among of vision in their interpretation Controls – these are now the world’s leading authorities of of Mendelssohn’s Quartet in D, disappearing with a ‘minimalist piano performance. He gave a Opus 44 No 1. This is a work approach’ to tone control. A wide-ranging, authoritative and which had been strongly sharp high filter is needed for at times slightly indiscreet survey influenced by the Beethoven playing 78s. of the current piano scene late quartets. They played the Hearing loss – this is looking for the best. He classified first movement with inevitable with old age; it can be pianists into three classes, first enthusiasm and finesse; the best to listen to music with open the legendary pianists of the second movement was a backed headphones e.g. earlier generations, these include flowing cantabile; after an ‘Sennhauser’. Rubinstein, Rachmaninov, expressive third movement the Discoloured CDs - Some CDs Solomon, Hess, Curzon and finale went with an ebb and became champagne coloured others. Then there is a middle flow representing the with age. See the Hyperion group of recognised masters who reflections of an Italian Website. are still practising such as summer.

22 STRATFORD FRMS

The First Quartet of William “As pects of Love” — Rigoletto’s last moments with Alwyn continued the concert, Rowland Ed wards his daughter Gilda. this was enterprising repertoire Being Welsh and hailing — a work known to few of the The Society spot was from Pontypridd, Rowland audience — but what a delightful re-instated as a trial this year, could not leave out a reference work it proved with lyrical tunes and Cardiff Recorded Music to the nearby village of and military overtures. The Society was asked to provide the Cilfynydd and Williams Street, andante was especially beautiful programme. It was not an easy with gentle musing on the cello challenge, since it was to be the and heart-stopping pianissimo last programme of a busy and interjections by the first violin. successful weekend, when many The nervous pulsating finale was were thinking of the long journey also most satisfying. Ravel’s home and wondering whether Quartet in F concluded the they had cancelled the milk and concert and what a fascinating put the cat out. work this is, rhapsodic and Rowland Ed wards rose to the melodious yet with a slightly occa s ion with a prese nta t ion astringent freshness. This was called Aspects of Love, cover ing Rowland Edwards with described in their introduction as those as pects from the joy of first Dame Janet Baker depicting hazy summer evenings love to the sadness of part ing in Paris. The playing was totally when love breaks down. Rec og - the birthplace of two fine opera niz ing the emo - singers, Geraint Evans and tional ef fect this Stuart Burrows. It was Stuart could have on his Burrows who entertained us audi en ce, Rowland with an example of love at first thoughtful ly pro- sight from Mozart’s Magic vided a stack of pa- Flute – Diese Bildnis. Divorce per han kies to wipe was not forgotten as Carly away those tears. Simpson asked What shall we The mu si cal items do with the child? nor those ranged across all happy people who seem to have genres from clas si - multiple loves (Zsa Zsa Gabor) cal to jazz and pop - when Tom Lehrer recalled the ular music. The three loves of Alma. The Singh Quartet in tro duc tion to the A note of sadness was introduced in the item on assured and professional. items was bereavement and grief, where During an in terview with the light-hearted and informative. Mary Black sang My younger Bul le tin Ed i tor, Miss Singh ex- Rowland got the programme son came home today which plained that the for mation and “rolling” with Anna McGarragal’s was particularly poignant in play ing of the quartet was part of song The Heart is like a Wheel view of the recent hostilities. their stud ies and their work to - where the analogy was brought Rowland did not however leave gether had led them into deep out that the wheel is so important his audience in tears, but profes sio nal friendship ; nor - to our quality of life – when it’s illustrated the resilience of the mally they were four girls but due working well our quality of life is human spirit with Handel’s to ill ness of one, a male had been wonderful, but when it’s damaged Angels ever Bright and Fair recruited who had soon ac cli ma- it’s a disaster! As a complete sung by Lorraine Hunt. tised well. contrast, the next item went back The presentation hit just They had in cluded the Alwyn to a love song by Caccini sung by the right note for the last at the sug gestion of FRMS; at Gigli, after which we were treated programme of the weekend and first they had found it dif fi cult to Cole Porter’s Every time we sent the audience home but a deeper ac quain tance they say Goodbye sung by the singing. Rowland will be a hard had come really to like it. incomparable Ella Fitzgerald. act for other societies to follow! AB Tragedy was covered in Neris’s aria from Cherubini’s Medea and Colin Dancer

23 SCOTLAND FRMS Scottish Group Annual Conference

he Group Annual Conference was held at the insight into the life of a modern composer. Fife Royal Hotel, Bridge of Allan on 16th to 17th Council had commissioned him to write a new TMay 2003. The weather this year was piece and as he was a long-time close friend of changeable and for much of the time it was rather fellow Fifer, John Wallace, he decided to write a wet. This meant that we were confined indoors; but Trumpet Concerto and dedicate it to John Wallace. that was compensated by the presence of four first We learnt how Bruce sketched out the piece in his class guest speakers. head and then with the aid of a piece of software called Sibelius, which he had installed in his laptop computer, he printed out the score. He brought his laptop along and demonstrated Sibelius to us. He then played us a recording of the complete Trumpet Concerto with John Wallace as the soloist accompanied by the Fife Schools Orchestra conducted by Graeme Wilson. Bruce told us that his composing had enabled him to travel to many parts of the world. The previous week-end he was in Holland judging a brass band competition. This was a fascinating and enjoyable programme that we all enjoyed. On Sunday morn ing Neil Man tle, conduc tor of The Scottish Sinfo nia, The Edin bur gh Bach Choir and The Dundee Cho ral Un ion gave us a talk enti - tled Elgar and The Gramo phone . Neil told us The first of these was Rob MacKillop, who gave when he was a stu dent in Lon don he was dis - us a talk on Saturday morning called The Quiet tracted by something Tradition. Rob was, until recently a Lecturer at the glinting in the twi - Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Rob light while he was is an expert in the lute and guittar and has spent walk ing home. On many years researching these instruments and inves ti ga tio n he their music. He is also an expert player of these found it was an al- instruments. During his talk Rob explained how bum of 78s of Elgar the lute was made and showed us examples of the con duct ing his Sec- instrument. He also showed us a 17th Century ond Sym phony. Af - guittar. This instrument originated in Germany ter hear ing this he and is much smaller and more rounded than became an life-long today’s guitar. Many examples of 17th and 18th addict of Elgar. Neil Century lute music were played from Rob’s played us many ex - Neil Mantle published CDs. We were brought right up to date cerpts from Elgar’s own re cord ings ranging from with a composition by Rob called The Healing ( A his first of Carissima through a ver sion of Pibroch for Lute). This piece was born in his Cockaigne Overture, which Elgar had cut from imagination in Casablanca on the evening of 11th around 12minutes to 4½ min utes to fit one side of September 2001. He said he felt a need to explore a pre-electric 12” 78 record, to one of his last re- the hidden sounds of the lute, to dig deep into the cord ings, which he super vised from his deathbed dark recesses of our music, to find the invisible in 1934, Dream Chil dren con ducted by Lawrance musical ley-lines, which are timeless and which Collingwood. Neil gave us lots of infor ma tion on bind us. I found this a haunting piece which I will Elgar’s close rela tion ship with Fred Gaisberg of listen to again and again. Rob opened up a new The Gram o phone Co. Ltd. and how he be came that area of classical music, which few present had com pany’s flagship composer. Thanks to Neil’s en- delved into before. thu si asm and detailed research we all went off to After lunch Bruce Fraser, the Fife-born Head of lunch with a much greater under stand ing of the Music at Buckhaven High School, and a composer importance of Sir Edward Elgar’s relationship well known in the brass band world, gave us an

24 SCOTLAND FRMS with the Gramophone. played us several examples of recordings from the After lunch Derek Watson, Chairman of the last 100 years. The artistes ranged from Johanna Gadski in a 1909 recording, through Astrid Varnay, Lauritz Melchior, Kirsten Flagstad and Eberhard Wächter to Birgit Nilsson. This was an excellent talk and was a fitting finish to our guest presentations. Malcolm Cloke from Stirling RMS, Nan Dow from Kirkcaldy RMS, and Nisbet Cunningham gave us most enjoyable programmes in the evenings of Friday, Saturday and Sunday respectively. The magnificent equipment was supplied by McMichael Bros. of Alloa and this added to our enjoyment of the weekend. Unfortunately the numbers attending the weekend over the last few years have steadily declined and it was decided at the AGM that the format of the conference should be changed to a day conference for 2004. This will cost less and Derek Watson will avoid staying away from home and we hope Scottish Wagner Society, gave us a presentation more people will be encouraged to attend. called The Ring – 100 Years Recorded. Derek gave us lots of information on recording the Ring and Chris Hamilton

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25 REGIONS FRMS CENTRAL REGIONAL GROUP he new Central Region held its first Day for their time, blending documentary and art, fact Event in The Adam Ballroom, Lion Hotel and folksong into an atmospheric sound picture of the world of work and those involved in it. There TShrewsbury on Saturday 15th March 2003. Gordon Wainwright, Central Region Chairman were eight in all, of which the best remembered are welcomed around 140 delegates, representing 25 probably The Ballad of John Axon (recalling an affiliates, to the inaugural event of the Central engine driver who died trying to regain control of Region, held in the Adam Ballroom at the Lion his runaway train) and the one we heard was an Hotel, Shrewsbury. He commented briefly on the excerpt from Singing the Fishing about North Sea historic events that had occurred in the ballroom herring fishermen. since its completion in the 1770’s, notably that Turning to music broad casts it was a partic ular Paganni had given two recitals here in 1831. pleasure to hear a record ing he had been involved Whilst open ing a new chap ter in the his tory of with; namely the Chapel Or gan at Great the Fede ra tion , Gordon Packington, stressed that this Re- Warwickshire, gional event comple - played by a musi cian mented the ac tiv i ties of with strong Mid land the Na tional Fed er a tion con nec tions, Ivor and he encour aged peo- Keys, Profes sor of ple to at tend their Mu sic at weekend in Stratford Nottingham Uni ver - upon Avon. He also ex - sity and later at Bir- pressed sadness at the ming ham Uni ver sity death of three people (This was the loca - who have actively sup - tion where a re cord - ported our move ment — ing of all the Handel John Bulman, one of the Organ Concer tos Fed er a tion’s Vice Pres i - was made with the dents; Patrick Russell, Or gan ist E. Power Chair man of Tavistock Biggs and the Lon- Alan Ward, James Watson & John Davies RMS and a past mem ber don Phil har monic of the Fede ra tion Com- con ducted by Sir mit tee, also Ted Perry, Founder of Hyperion Re - Adrian Boult). The Great Packington or gan does cords and a former member of Derby RMS. not use standard mod ern pitch, this caus ing The first presenter was Alan Ward, a retired difficulty when played with an orchestra. BBC Studio Manager who outlined a career that During his career Alan had met and worked had spanned the wide changes that had taken place with Holst’s daughter Imogen and we heard a in sound recording techniques. recording of her conducting her father’s Moorside Alan joined the BBC in 1953 and spoke of his Suite. early involvement in recording BBC Light Alan moved to the BBC in Birmingham and we Entertainment Programmes. Tape was originally told of the attitude by the BBC in the 1960’s used merely because it was more easily handled towards Stereo broadcasts outside London; Alan than disc, the possibilities of editing came later. being given £50 to buy some equipment. However Programmes included “ Take It From Here ” which Wolverhampton’s Civic Hall in 1969 boasted one was always recorded in ‘one take’; The Goon Show of the first stereo broadcasts outside the Capital always involved a lot of editing, another and we heard an interesting recording of the City programme was Hancock’s Half Hour. of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra rehearsing Charles Parker was the greatest producer Alan inside the Civic Hall with their then newly worked with, a perfectionist who often worked late appointed Principal Conductor Louis Fremaux. into the night. Alan worked with Parker on a series After a pleasant lunch our second Speaker was of Radio Ballads. These were innovative in concept James Watson, who had agreed to come to talk to us at less than 48 hours notice, due to the fact that

26 REGIONS FRMS

Paul Daniel, Musical Director of the ENO and our Here John chose to illustrate “By Arrangement” scheduled Speaker, had had to withdraw. with compositions that had appeared in different James’ presentation revealed a very versatile guises…some arranged by the composer himself, some musician. He was born into an all-musical by other composers, and the remainder by musicians Leicestershire family. As a young who had made their names boy he played in the local Desford “re-organising” the music of others. Colliery Band, becoming senior Ravel’s La Vallée des cloches trumpet at the age of eleven. from Miroirs appeared in its James also entered senior original form as piano solo contests as a boy, winning cash performed by Angela Hewitt, prizes that were more than an and then in Percy Grainger’s adult’s weekly wage. orchestration, played by the He went on to study trumpet at Philharmonia Orchestra The Royal Academy of Music. He conducted by Geoffrey Simon. has held Principal Trumpet posts Leopold Stokowski always with the Royal Philharmonic had fun arranging the music of Orchestra; the Royal Opera J.S.Bach, but on this occasion, House, Covent Garden; as well as we heard his version of the Little leading the Philip Jones Brass Fugue BWV578 played by the Ensemble. James Watson Cincinnati Pops Orchestra under The diversity of James’ work Eric Kunzel. Bach’s more famous was truly amazing. For instance, BWV565 Toccata and Fugue then appeared in a from working with Sir Colin Davis at Covent four hands piano transcription by the German Garden he chose to change direction after being composer, Max Reger. invited to be Conductor of the Black Dyke Mills After listening to Liszt’s Second Hungarian Band, vividly describing the difficulties and Rhapsody arranged for brass ensemble, John’s attitudes of some of the band members to him at programme concluded with Beethoven’s own the start, given his musical back ground. Though arrangement for piano of his Violin Concerto, some members of the band did leave, he eventually published as Op.61a. The writer has just acquired a won the confidence and respect of the remainder. set of CDs wherein this work is billed as James said that whilst he enjoyed the Brass Beethoven’s Sixth Piano Concerto! Artistic licence Band, it was the ‘phone call from John Charles, gone mad, perhaps! Personnel Manager of the Royal Philharmonic At the close, Gordon Wainwright thanked all Orchestra asking him to be acting principal who had attended, members of the committee and trumpet in the RPO on their tour of Germany that others who had helped in any way but particularly changed his life. James was subsequently offered mentioning the hard work of Regional Secretary the position full time, a position that lasted nine Mick Birchall and SMC Sound and Vision of years. Shrewsbury for generously providing all the sound Referring to the busy life of a musician James reproduction equipment. told us how he had toured America and Canada ********************************************** with the Orchestra arriving back at Heathrow The next Central Region Music Day will be on Airport to be met by his wife who had got another Saturday 11th October 2003 at The Lion Hotel, suitcase. After a quick coffee at the terminal, he Belper, Derbyshire. The speakers will include took the case of clean clothes and headed off for a organist Wayne Marshall and the renowned tour of Scandinavian countries giving more Berlioz scholar and biographer, David Cairns. concerts. Now Professor of Trumpet at the Royal The event will commence at 11.00am and Academy of Music, the musical tradition continues conclude at 5.00pm. The price will be £19, in the family with his two sons playing the trumpet including lunch. Further details may be obtained and studying at the Royal College of Music. from the Central Region Secretary (see last page of Those affiliates who have heard previous this Bulletin). presentations by Federation Chairman, John Report compiled by Mick Birchall, Allan Child, Davies, will be aware of his knack of blending wit Ken Daley, Graham Kiteley and Gordon and knowledge into an attractive programme with Wainwright music for all tastes and styles.

27 REGIONS FRMS SUSSEX REGION GROUP SCHUBERTIAD’ to mark the ‘50th’ Weekend he champagne corks were popping when ‘nodding-off’ as he presented his choice for a members gathered at the historic Pyke House Schubertiad! With some little known and unusual Tin Battle to celebrate the 50th weekend. So 25 works including a Violin Concerto, Alan kept years of musical get togethers, not all at Pyke everyone’s attention. He also introduced a name House as earlier weekends were held at Hassocks unfamiliar to some of us: Robert Fuchs and Seaford, but the longest association has been (1847-1927) whose first piano sonata he described with Pyke House on the edge of the famous 1066 as “Schubert with a dash of Brahms!” Alan’s wide battle field in the lovely small town of Battle. ranging programme in fact, went from Deutsch 1 It was decided to celebrate this historic event in to D 959! style with a ‘Schubertiad’ so that we could raise a This brief resumé hardly does justice to glass to celebrate the genius of Franz Schubert who Schubert or the hard work and enthusiastic as a composer of songs has no equal in fertility of dedication that all the presenters put into their melodic invention. In addition, apart from opera programmes. To paraphrase a well known cliché and concertos, Schubert ranks among the very “you had to be there to hear it!” I must take this greatest of composers in all other forms. opportunity to thank all those who have helped so Wine with the Saturday evening dinner was much to make these residential weekends such a followed by champagne, a sherry reception on the success over the last quarter of a century, it doesn’t Sunday; there was still lots of time to enjoy an seem like that! It really is a team effort and it has abundance of heavenly music. EILEEN TAYLOR been a challenge to present a wide range of musical gave us a survey of Schubert’s orchestral output subjects in an enjoyable but informative way, including most of the symphonies and incidental composers, artists, countries, eras, concert guides music from Rosamunde. Eileen also gave us the are generic titles behind which lies the endlessly beautiful ‘Sanctus’ from the German Mass. fascinating and rich world of music, of which we ALAN THOMAS took a detailed look at the two are still only scratching the surface. Tribute must song cycles; on the Saturday after The Erl King and be paid to the late DENIS BOWYER who had the An die Musik a selection from Die Schone Mullerin vision to see and put into being these weekends using the Ian Bostridge recording with Graham and to initiate such a successful formula. Johnson. On Sunday Alan selected songs from Last but by no means least, thanks are due to Winterreise using the Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau the staff at Pyke House, which is an outpost of the recording with Jorg Demus. After the splendid Hastings College of Arts and Technology. They dinner on Saturday evening Alan presented a have over the years always provided us with a ‘Schubertiad’ of songs, piano works and chamber warm welcome, an environment in which we could works prior to presenting a performance of The relax and enjoy our music knowing that we would Trout Quintet with the star-studied line-up of also be well fed, watered, have comfortable beds Jacqueline Du Pré, Daniel Barenboim, Zubin and a garden to enjoy between the sessions. The Mehta, Pinchas Zuckerman and Itzhak Perlman. consistently high standard of the house has been After breakfast on Sunday JONATHAN maintained by all the staff even over changes of PARRIS concentrated on the String Quartets, managers and personnel. some composed for private performances; he We look forward to the next twenty-five years played an early quartet where each movement was with confidence, enthusiasm and the certain set in a different key. The song like movement of knowledge that we still have much to learn and will the A minor quartet the second movement of go on enjoying our studies with many friends old which uses music from his Rosamunde work was and new at Pyke House. well received. Jonathan also played some Alan Thomas recordings of the piano sonatas played on a ‘Graf pianoforte’. ALAN GILBY took his now regular slot after the Please support our advertisers and quote splendid Sunday lunch but there was no chance of the Bulletin when you contact them.

28 REGIONS FRMS WEST SURREY REGION he picturesque village of Hascombe was the As is usual on these social occasions, the ladies focal point for this year’s Annual Reunion of of the host society volunteered to feed the audience Tthe Federation’s West Surrey Region, held on during the interval, Godalming’s talented team May 10 and hosted by the Godalming Music providing an excellent buffet supper which was Listening Group. A gathering some seventy strong appreciated by all. converged on the splendid new village hall, A varied diet of songs spanning many years bringing members and friends from all round the kept us in our seats for a further hour with a hugely area - Aldershot, Bookham, Esher, Guildford and enjoyable choral concert by The Ian Engelmann Haslemere. Singers under their conductor John Tudhope. A As 2003 marks the bi-centenary of the birth of mixed choir of some twenty performers, the Hector Berlioz, the evening opened on an Singers demonstrated a wide-ranging repertoire of appropriate note with an informative and highly Motets, Madrigals, Victorian Songs, French entertaining presentation by Berlioz Society Chansons and Close Harmony. Their enthusiasm member Dr Diana Bickley, in which she and elan was infectious and brought the evening to concentrated particularly on the great French a resounding close. composer’s early years. Dr Bickley was able to Next year’s Reunion will be the 40th in the demonstrate, both on disc and at the keyboard, series, with the Haslemere society at the helm. It’s how Berlioz’s youthful essays into composition been a long run. Such events, however, don’t just laid the foundation for his first and best-known happen: they are the result of much thought, major work — the Symphonie Fantastique. Her careful planning — and a large measure of hard illustrations of early songs and orchestral writing work. But what a splendid medium they are for left no room for doubt as to the steady flowering of bringing together musical friends old and new and Berlioz’s genius, drawing our attention also to the fostering an entente cordiale among those of us frequency and skill with which he returned again whose lives continue to be enriched by the and again to re-use musical ideas in his later technology of putting great music onto “record”. works. Les Warner YORKSHIRE REGIONAL GROUP The 2003 Yorkshire Weekend started with but then returned with Walter Widdup, recorded

dinner on Friday 11th th April and finished after in 1930 singing extracts from Mendelssohn’s lunch on Monday 14th. The weather was kind, the Elijah. location and food were excellent. This attractive and light-hearted programme My Kind of Mu sic concluded with excerpts from Signor Alexandre The YRG Secretary, Dennis Clark, opened Luigini’s Ballet Égyptien from 1875. the weekend and, given his well-known allegiance DVD Special to Elgar, the Friday night session was notable for Taking time off from editing the Penguin Sir Edward’s absence! A relaxed scene was set with Guide, Ivan March is a regular visitor to the YRG two pieces of Schrammel music, named after the weekend. This year he gave us our first ever leader of a nineteenth century Viennese quartet Saturday morning programme. It was an ideal who wrote and played light-hearted opportunity to share his enthusiasm waltz tunes. This was followed by a for good quality DVDs — Digital wide range of music by Schubert, Versatile Discs, as he told us, not Coleridge-Taylor and Mendelssohn. Digital Video Discs, as they are We then indulged in true 78s sometimes called. nostalgia with Frank Titterton Blessing Ivan played lots of examples to This House and Derek Oldham singing show the good quality of sound and Songs of Araby. The nostalgia was vision that is now available, illustrating interrupted by the Andante from Emil chamber, choral and orchestral works, von Sauer’s First Piano Concerto and opera and ballet. Covent Garden’s Haydn Wood’s London Cameos suite, Paul Serotsky, Traviata with Angela Gheorghiu, Technical manager

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Bach’s Magnificat by Karajan and the Berlin was the first person to commission a test piece. Philharmonic, the Brandenburg Concertos from Elsewhere, the piano became an indispensable Cothen, Giselle from the Kirov, La Fille Mal part of any respectable Victorian home, and with it Gardée from Covent Garden and more. The grew new styles in home music: the sentimental dramatic results that can be obtained by ballads and songs, flashy, demonstrative playing combining work inside and outside the studio was and impressive-sounding foreign names. It was admirably demonstrated with Peter Wegl’s film of but a short step to the Victorian Music Hall. Eugene Onegin. Eine Kleine (und Leichte) Nachtmusik The ‘Four Fs’ Raymond Wood’s “post prandial confection” Jean Charters, from Durham RMS, opened the was, as usual, a most entertaining mixture of light formal weekend and her enigmatic title concealed froth and nostalgia with a few serious bits in the characteristics of living creatures: Feathers, between. Just the thing for Saturday night. Fur, Fins and Feelers. As a retired infant teacher The inimitable Swingle Singers’s opened with she was unhappy with the national curriculum for the Finale of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, which was teaching music, which had become too formal for followed by a 1929 recording of Clemens Krauss the younger children and had lost the essential and the VPO playing two polkas. We had nostalgic ‘fun’ element, so important as an aid to learning. music from France and also an obligatory Dutch Jean’s music was apt — Respighi’s Birds, both Masters section of Schubert’s Trouts, Flanders and Swan’s Spider John Field was represented by Le Midi and and Hippopotamus Encore, and two songs from Percy Grainger by Handel in the Strand. This Papagano, the bird-catcher in The Magic Flute. pleasant late-night programme continued with Johnny Morris’s Carnival of the Animals went songs from Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Elisabeth down well, as did La Fille Mal Gardée (Ivan had Schumann. Finally we had Richard Tauber Began shown extracts from the Royal Ballet film). the Beguine, Stan Getz played a bossa nova, and More unusual was Walter Braunfels’ opera Die Flanders and Swan gave the Weather Forecast. Vögel (The Birds), and the depiction of swans Bold as Brass flying by in the last movement of Sibelius’s Fifth On Sunday morning Ivan March introduced Symphony. Daquin’s Cuckoo and Couperin’s The Arthur Butterworth as “our composer in residence Fly were good examples from an earlier age. Her of whom you will hear more in future” and as “a final piece was The Lark in the clear air, a North composer with Yorkshire in his veins, influenced Country song recorded by Owen Brannigan. more by Sibelius than Mahler”. Vic to rian Pop u lar Mu sic Arthur spoke of the development of Brass Graham Saunders programme was a complete instruments, techniques and awareness, and his contrast, being a brief but detailed history of first musical illustration showed that the pre-1750 popular musical development from the Industrial techniques of playing natural horns and trumpets Revolution through to the Victorian parlour and were being re-discovered today. the music hall. He illustrated this After 1750 the with folk songs from Lincolnshire flamboyance of the baroque countryside and Scots mining period became unfashionable disasters, hymns and oratorios, and was replaced by a gentler, marches, Gilbert and Sullivan patter more melodic style. Mozart songs and romantic ballads. and Haydn’s trumpet writing Along the way we covered the was not very interesting for growth of chapels (and public brass players and, apart from houses), which led to the British the occasional concerto, gave choral movement, the need for Ron Downs, Bradford RMS, them little to do. bigger and better organs, the growth with Arthur Butterworth Thus, the brass were of brass bands, and eventually to the effectively demoted until the broadening of ordinary people’s musical abilities invention of the valve mechanism in the through the tonic sol-fa system. nineteenth century, and this revival was enhanced The Brass Band movement held its first public by the development of Adolphe Sax’s family of contest in Burton Constable in 1845. Soon after modern instruments. The resurgence of brass was that Enderby Jackson, a railway timetable clerk, illustrated with two pieces by Berlioz played by the decided to organise and develop contests, and he Hallé under Sir Hamilton Harty in the 1930s.

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The cornet was developed very successfully as We also heard extracts from the Light Classics, an alternative to the trumpet in France, but this Organ, and the Opera Classics series. Naxos are was not so in England. also proud of their Historic Series, where the We then heard a new recording of Wagner’s processing from 78s or early LPs to CD is done by a Rienzi Overture, made by Barry Wordsworth and man called Ward Marston who has been blind the New Queen’s Hall Orchestra with instruments since birth. For transfers he obtains a number of from the late nineteenth/early twentieth centuries: pressings and segments them, then selects the best they use wooden flutes, gut strings and to create superb sound. There were many goodies, narrow-bore trumpets and trombones. too many to list here but we had a sample of two In the 1970s Arthur heard Edmund Rubbra’s future issues: an exciting new violinist named Si orchestration of the Brahms Handel Variations, qin Lu playing Sarasate’s Violin Showpieces, and which he had known as a piano work. The new Dmitri Yablonsky with the Russian State version sounded like a greater work. Arthur was Symphony Orchestra, playing Prokofiev’s later inspired to give the Variations a similar Alexander Nevsky. treatment for brass, which the Black Dyke Mills An Evening with Linda Ormiston Band recorded in 2001. The late-night Sunday show had a riotous start. More recently Arthur wrote a work for both Paul Serotsky, YRG’s resident technical expert, brass band and orchestra. It was inspired by an was enjoying every inch of Linda’s décolletage exhibition of paintings by Lowry’s teacher, whilst deciding where to fix the microphone and, Adolphe Valette, showing Manchester in the late having lectured her to be careful of the wires, Victorian period. We heard a rehearsal tape of the promptly tripped over them himself. This was first movement, called Oxford Road, Manchester, greeted with much applause. on a misty November evening, with Nagano Linda spoke of her career, starting at the age of conducting the Hallé and the Glasgow CWS Brass nine with a small repertoire that included How Band. Ivan March gave the vote of thanks and asked Arthur to take questions about brass instruments. THE YORKSHIRE REGIONAL GROUP’S We learnt that Ravel favoured a small tuba in C to SPRING WEEKEND 2004 the standard model in B flat; that the Sousaphone The Crown Hotel, The Esplanade, is an E flat Bass instrument; and the Sarrusophone Scarborough is a metal contra bassoon with a broad reed. ————— Naxos recent Releases The Weekend starts at 2.30 on David Denton started by giving a few Naxos Sat ur day 24th April and finishes growth statistics. Twelve years ago the Naxos af ter lunch on Monday 26th April. catalogue offered about 150 discs and had 0.5% of The cost is £104 per person , which the market: now they have 2500 discs and 24% of is pay able to the ho tel, and covers twin the UK market, double the size of the next largest or dou ble rooms, meals and in terval teas label. They are now exploring the USA market and ———————————————— in two-to-three years expect to be the largest seller The Con fer ence fee is £10.00 per per son, of discs in the world! pay able to the YRG Sec retary when book ing The selection of current records started with a

fanfare from Shostakovich’s ballet The Bolt and If you want to stay on Fri day 23rd it will cost the opening march from his Second Jazz Suite. £32.00 for B&B, or £37.00 for DB&B (the ex tra Naxos now issue most of their discs in themed £5.00 for Fri day din ner is extremely good value). series, targeting those who like ‘completeness’. Klaus Heymann, “Mr Naxos”, asked David for Booking for YRG Societies opens on 11 October. 80-disc lists for a British and an American series. The British list included Elgar, Holst and Walton, General booking opens on 12 November to and went on to explore the symphonies and tone 31 December 2003. There will be no single poems of Arnold Bax. Although they have tended rooms but plenty of double or shared twin rooms. to use their own recordings in the past, Naxos have acquired the English Song Cycle series from For further details contact Dennis Clark, Collins Classics and the interesting American YRG Secretary, 227 Tinshill Road, Leeds, LS16 7BU Delos label.

31 REGIONS FRMS much is that doggie in the integration of Eastern and Now Peter and Paul played the window? Early roles in HMS Western music. It was followed mu sic Pinafore eventually led to a by two excerpts from Handel’s (Our mem bers of course, not the recording in 1988 with the New Messiah. saints); They gave such a perfect per for- Sadler’s Wells Opera, and from Pe ter’s programme con- mance this we heard Linda as Little cluded with Elgar’s So nata for That we had no cause for com - Buttercup. She followed this Vi o lin and Piano in E mi nor. It plaints. with the Sandman’s song from was writ ten in 1918 at Humperdinck’s Hansel and ‘Brinkwells’, where Lady Alice When they heard a loud, excit ing Gretel. Elgar had taken Sir Ed ward to re - pas sage Linda’s evening was full of cuper ate from the stresses of war. From brass, woods, per cus sion anecdotes and stories. For We heard the 1980s re cord ing and strings, example, the role of Mother made by a young Nigel Ken nedy They jumped up, beat time and Goose in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s with Peter Pettinger. gy rated As if they were sitting on springs. Progress, has only 41 notes to Con clu sion sing in the first half thus, when The weekend ended with a singing at Glyndebourne it was raffle, then votes of thanks were possible to leave Sussex and be given to all concerned with home in Glasgow before the organising the weekend. opera finished. Tony Pook, Chairman YRG Linda has enjoyed a very varied career, from singing Mad Margaret in Ruddigore, Are You Going to appearing in Façade with the Scarborough Fair? The CD sale quickly at tracted Black Dyke Mills Band, and There’s a fa mous sea side town A small crowd which rapidly grew; doing her own one-woman show, called Scarb’rough, Some discs were being sold by our with songs by Joyce Grenfell, Where ev ery year, in the spring, mem bers Beatrice Lillie and Gracie Fields. The Re corded Mu sic So ci et ies And Naxos had others there too. We heard several songs from Converge for their annual fling. some of Linda’s friends. The staff at the Crown Hotel To finish we had an explosion They travel from all over Yorkshire, helped us of fun with an incredibly fast And some from much further away, To spend a most happy week end; version of the patter song from All eager to hear the guest speakers The service and food were both splen did. Act II of Ruddigore, in which And en joy the mu sic they’ll play. It’s a place we can well rec om - Linda was partnered by Gordon This year the fore cast was n’t pleas - mend. Sanderson and Harold Innocent. ant, It said “rainy”, not “Scarb’rough We all enjoyed talking to people A Mixed Bag Fair”, We’d met and made friends with Peter Allen’s Monday But though there were one or two before, morning programme was full of show ers, And af ter this year’s get-to gether beautiful music and had been We’d sunshine, too, when we got We found we had many friends crafted with obvious affection for there. more. both the works and artists. He Our stay at the Crown was soon started with Schumann’s Opus Most peo ple ar rived on the Friday, end ing; 24 Liederkreis, exquisitely sung Though things did n’t start till next day, The time for depar ture was here; by Ian Bostridge accompanied by And so we’d an ex tra recital We’d enjoyed the weekend so well Julius Drake. Few people had Which made a most pleas ant soi ree. that heard of The Red Dragonfly, a We’ve booked the hotel for next beautiful song for counter-tenor The speakers were all inter est ing, year. and piano by the Japanese With plenty of hu mour as well; composer Kosaku Yamada And as for the mu sic they’d cho sen, Brian Jenkinson, Huddersfield (1886-1965), and Peter noted We could only de scribe it as ‘swell’. RMS how much the musical world had changed, particularly in the

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HOLIDAYS AD.

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Car diff RMS committee member of both the FRMS and our own society, Rainer Lenk, celebrated his 80th birthday Another successful season was finished in April by giving us a memorable evening where he 2003 giving members time to go on holiday and considered a lifetime of collecting serious music tend their gardens. However the new committee is recordings. now working hard to ensure that the next season is In such a successful programme Ann Davies just as successful, especially as the society will then was challenged to come up with an equivalent be 60 years old. speaker for the Society’s annual Social Event. Ann The season, which runs on a weekly basis from met the challenge by inviting Donald Maxwell, well September to April, has had a series of interesting known locally for his roles with WNO, including presentation, both from our own members and Falstaff. (which he has sung around the world). outside presenters. With details of working from Donald entertained us with wit and charm at the the inside we had a member, Heather James, new venue of the University Catering Department recounting her amusing experiences while whilst we sat digesting a superb fork buffet. treading the boards in amateur opera and operetta, Our activities have not been confined to our while Chris Ball, Birmingham’s Deputy Coroner, gave advice on how to avoid being a subject of a coroner’s inquest when discussing death in opera. We had two conversation pieces last season: The conversation between Richard Hickox, Principal Conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, and our president, Edward Greenfield was one of the highlights of the year where Richard Hickox talked about his career, his work with the BBC NOW and his musical preferences. We are indeed fortunate to have Edward Greenfield as our President and look forward to his annual presentations. In the other conversation piece, Wynne Lloyd, a past chairman of the society, talked Ann Davies and Donald Maxwell to Anthony Freud, General Director of the Welsh National Opera who gave us an eclectic selection of Society meetings. Wynne Lloyd has been music from Wagner to Sondheim. instrumental in putting together a series of Live music was not forgotten and in February programmes on Level 5 of St David’s Hall covering we had Robert Codd and Jean Marsden, both the Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Bellini and players with the BBC NOW, who gave us an Donizetti. This is a series of 10 programmes given interesting programme on the oboe and bassoon by members of the Society for the benefit of the from the baroque to the present day, illustrating citizens of Cardiff, and raises an awareness of the their programme with live music and recorded Society amongst the general public. The series is music. very successful, each meeting being attended by up In April we had an audio-visual presentation by to 120 people, and we are all looking forward to the Tim Porter, a lecturer in Music and Mediaeval restart of the series in September after the summer History from Reading University, who gave us break. magnificent slides showing the splendours of Last season has been particularly successful; Kings College Chapel, Cambridge, and played our Programme Secretary, Norman Slater, had music that illustrated the problems and challenges excelled himself but we are confident that he will of singing in such a building. The problem of keep up the standard this next season. All these reverberation was particularly critical. items were complemented by stage management As well as all this we had our regular features by Rowland Edwards who succeeds in adding a presented by members such as Music Magazine, touch of magic to our rather mundane Hall! The where topical issues are presented, Pick ‘n’ Mix details of the presentations and the music played where members are interviewed and tell a story can be found on our web site about a favourite piece of music, and London being (www.crms.supanet.com) which is maintained by discussed in the Great Musical Cities series. Colin Dancer who has also taken on the task of One of our senior members and former Secretary for the coming year.

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Kirkcaldy RMS November, the sixtieth anniversary of the first meeting. The guest speaker on this special The Society recently marked the end of its occasion will be Mr Brian Cartwright, Hon. sixtieth season with two special commemorative Treasurer of FRMS. Then on with the 61st season! programmes. The first, “Celebration I”, was Elizabeth Coutts presented by Miss Nan Dow, the longest-serving member. Miss Dow drew upon her long personal Lin coln R. M. Group association with the Society and had gleaned Visit To Spalding further details from the archives and from the Lincoln Recorded Music Group has been former magazine of the Society, The exchanging visits with other R. M. Societies for the Grammalogue. The first meeting had taken place past ten years. Beginning with the Loughborough in the home of an enthusiast and the first piece to society and progressively tying up with Grantham, be heard was a 78 rpm recording of Eine Kleine Newark, Rotherham & Spalding for the added Nachtmusik which had been played on an acoustic enjoyment of sharing music and friendship with gramophone with a large external horn. After kindred spirits in other parts of their region. In a playing a modern CD of this work, Miss Dow period when numbers in their own society have outlined developments in equipment and declined to challenging levels, the Lincoln recording media over the sixty years, illustrating members derive significant encouragement and her talk with recordings of music that had been reassurance from these contacts. heard at different events throughout the Society’s Having already travelled to Loughborough & history. From its inception as the Nairn Grantham earlier in the present season, March 11 Gramophone Society which met in the staff saw a party of their members joining their canteen of the Nairn linoleum-manufacturing southern Lincolnshire county cousins to share a firm, the Society had experienced changes which programme presented by Lincoln RM Group had led to changes in the name, firstly to Kirkcaldy committee member Grahame Foster. In a selection Gramophone Society and then to Kirkcaldy entitled Sounds Unfamiliar it was not surprising Recorded Music Society. Factual material gained that names like Schnittke, George Moffat, John from the archives was coloured with personal Adams, Guy Ropartz & Philip Glass came up; more reminiscences of occasions and personalities in the perhaps, that those assembled heard music by Society’s history. Barber & Bruch, too. “Celebration I” having been devoted to the past, Spalding Chairman Keith Dobling welcomed “Celebration II” concentrated on the present their guests & expressed his thanks on behalf of his membership. The President, Roy Plaice, set the members for the presenter’s programme whilst festive mood with a welcoming glass of wine before fellow-committee-member Barry Dance did his presiding over a programme of favourite recordings usual seamless job of disc-jockeying. Lincoln chosen by those who are currently active in running Chairman George James & Secretary/Treasurer the Society. After a wide-ranging and rewarding Fred Toyne both find, in addition to the shared selection of operatic and instrumental music, the enjoyment of some music, these exchange visits programme was wound up in festive and provide useful opportunities for comparing notes toe-tapping style with four of Malcolm Arnold’s with their counterparts in the other society on a Scottish Dances — the choice of Douglas Paton who range of aspects of running RM groups, especially has the onus of operating the equipment. After this matters relating to low membership levels. feast of music, the celebration continued with a (In the photo, L. to R. : Barry Dance, Keith delicious buffet arranged by the Secretary, Miss Dobling, Grahame Foster & George James). Jean Peddie, and numerous surprise gifts were handed over to members who had drawn lucky numbers. This rounded off the sixtieth season in truly memorable style. Celebrations will continue in the autumn when members will attend a performance by RSNO including Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and recalling the first piece heard at a meeting of the Society. Members are also looking forward to a commemorative lunch which will be held on 20th

35 SOCIETIES/BOOK FRMS

Uxbridge RMS of a most impressive building with a pillared façade, and it is still in the centre of York. The Society was founded in 1944 “To enjoy and So, if you’re visiting York, we’d be very pleased study music of all kinds, chiefly by the interchange to see you. We’ve got some interesting of records on a mutual or co-operative basis, and to programmes and we meet on alternate Thursdays present amongst ourselves suitable recitals by this in our new premises, very close to one of York’s means, and to afford an opportunity for discussion shortest and most unusually named streets, and exposition among those whose common Whip-ma-whop-ma Gate. You can get further interest is a love of music”. It meets at Oak Farm details about our speakers and us on the FRMS Library on alternative Thursdays. website. Murray Nash has been chairman at Uxbridge Tony Pook, Chairman, York RMS for over twenty years and has from time to time found himself championing composers from our BOOK REVIEW shores; men such as Sir Granville Bantock, Sir The Amadeus: Forty years in pic tures and Arnold Bax, Frank Bridge and George Lloyd. His words review of a CD of some of the works of Matthew Com piled by Su zanne Rozsa-Lov ett Curtis is included in the CD Review section of this £10 includ ing p&p from the author at 24 Bulletin. Redlington Gardens, London NW3 7RX The President is Leslie Howard; and Lydia What an apt title for this Davies and John Bryer are Hon. Vice Presidents. splendid publication. We Members at Uxbridge still remember their immediately think of the String former President FREDERICK YOUENS who died in Quartet by that name, viz. 1997 just short of his 100th birthday. A dear friend Brainin, Nissel , Schidlof and for over 50 years he was one of the four founder Lovett, who charmed us all over members of the Federation in 1936. He produced the the world for so many years. After first twelve issues of the Bulletin ‘off his own bat’ as an auspicious start in Wigmore he put it himself. He knew Sir Granville Bantock, Hall in January 1948, the Kathleen Ferrier, Hugh Bean,Ted Perry and many Amadeus continued until the end of 1987, after 40 others; gave Dame Janet Baker her first recording years when Schidlof died. This is a book with a contract when he was recording manager at Saga difference in that it is more of a scrapbook with Records. He had a fund of stories with which to sketches, facsimiles of programmes and many entertain and is still much missed. other memorabilia all of which are beautifully York RMS reproduced. Naturally there is an insight into the life and As York Recorded Music Society approaches its family of each of the four protagonists. And as so 49th year it has to move to a new venue. We have often, great musical abilities manifested been meeting in The House of Laymen, part of St themselves early in each of their lives. Of course William’s College (a splendid medieval building they had contact with many other musicians in administered by York Minster) for some 32 years. particular Yehudi Menuhin, and more directly All our visitors have admired its panelling and Benjamin Britten and Imogen Holst. beams, many declaring that they have never For us now the flavour of their musicianship listened to music in such splendid surroundings. comes from the discography. This is faithfully But commercial considerations now dominate reproduced and we start with 78s, LPs and finally so many aspects of modern life. Over the past three CDs. And as expected a substantial number of their years our room-hire charges have increased by recordings are now available on CD. Immediately 100% and this, coupled with a reduction in our one thinks of Haydn’s Emperor quartet or membership to 31, meant we had to consider Mozart’s Hunt quartet, but looking at what is alternatives: increase our annual subscription from available there is a fascinating and comprehensive £21 to about £50, drastically reduce the number of set of Brahms works and a delightful collection meetings or move. Has your Society faced similar they are. And finally this publication is being sold problems? If so, how have you coped? in aid of the Amadeus Scholarship Fund. The Fortunately York has other suitable buildings future too must be supported. and we were able to find an affordable alternative Hein Kropholler in the Central Methodist Church Hall. This is part

36 BOOKS FRMS

NOBILMENTE in their own imagination, these being a hopeless mixture of some of their Elgar and Chiv alry by Rob ert An der- experiences, both recent and well past. son Elgar was a dreamer par excellence and 468 pp, HB, £20 he composed another part of his Elgar Edition s autobiography in his setting of Robert Anderson is a Vice President O’Shaughnessy’s poem Ode which of the Elgar Society, has conducted some begins “We are the music makers, and of Elgar’s choral works, has been we are the dreamers of dreams, Coordinating Editor of the Elgar wandering by lone sea breakers, and Complete Edition. The author has sitting by desolate streams”. He also provided a comprehensive bibliography composed Dream Children and The and good index. Dream of Gerontius. The book itself is subdivided into 18 chapters, Throughout his life, Elgar always enjoyed each designed to suggest the various experiences “escaping” from his studio and either walking, Elgar enjoyed that, in some way, influenced the cycling or motoring on his beloved Malvern Hills. manner in which he composed and, in particular, Walking and relaxing in the countryside has been the manner in which Elgar viewed chivalry. The found by many as the opportunity to ponder author, sometimes rather exhaustively, quotes from undistracted by other people and to live in one’s poems, novels, records of encounters with fellow own little world, sorting things out. This book artists and other sources in his enthusiasm to try to serves to confirm the many different directions give some impression of the many areas from which one’s mind may be searching in simultaneously Elgar may have derived his inspiration. using the artist’s innate senses to put together The main thought running through the book is something highly personal. that some of his main stimuli for things to do with In his setting of the “Ode” he quotes quite chivalry were the writings of Sir Walter Scott, liberally from some of his own works as Richard Froissart, the poems by his wife and Longfellow, Strauss did in his Ein Heldenleben, which could be and anything about King Arthur. construed as describing some of his “knightly Like many artists however, it seemed that exploits” and his fights against his critics. there was quite an interval in time between the In this book the author attempts, for the most germ of the idea and its realisation or part successfully, to suggest how the various incorporation into a composition. The coming aspects of chivalry that Elgar had experienced together of different ideas culled from different became manifest in his major works, starting with sources is quite clearly indicated throughout the his early orchestral overture Froissart and moving book. through his First and Second Symphonies, his It was some time before Elgar himself became oratorio King Olaf and others, his concert overture dubbed as a knight with an Order of Merit awarded Cockaigne and his Pomp and Circumstance by a gracious sovereign in appreciation for his Marches to his incomplete Third Symphony. services rendered, partly as a Composer of the It is perhaps particularly significant that one of King’s Musick but this reward was greatly Elgar’s favourite markings in his scores is appreciated by Elgar and he was glad to receive “Nobilmente”, with long themes which soar and such a chivalrous award. surge with intense grandeur and humility. Of all of Elgar’s compositions, however, The author of this book confesses that it perhaps his symphonic study, “Falstaff” gives us contains merely ideas and suggestions on how the best autobiography available. Like Elgar, various things may have come about. He has put Falstaff started from lowly beginnings, enjoyed an much effort into his researches into the various experimental youth in the country, learning his possible origins of Elgar’s music as related to trade from personal experience, how to cope with chivalry and is to be commended for putting life, reaching great heights and, in very much later together such a comprehensive composition of life, finding himself no longer in tune. The main thoughts. difference was obvious that Elgar had a loving and Apart from Elgar’s own admissions, however, faithful wife who supported him. we may never really know. Most artists rely on creation by trying to John Kemsey-Bourne manifest what they have experienced in dreams or

37 CDS FRMS

Matthew Curtis (b. 1959): BRAHMS: Trio in A minor, op. 114 Hugh WOOD: Clari net trio, op.40 Or ches tral Works: Fi esta; Am ster dam Suite; BEETHOVEN : Trio in B flat, op.11 Pas De Deux; Paths to Urbino.; Ballade; Haunted Trio Gemelli Woods; Out ward Bound. Divine Art 25009 The Royal Bal let Sin fo nia / Gavin Suther land. The Trio Gemelli, made its debut in Madrid in Cam pion Cameo 2015 1994 and comprises John (clarinet) and Adrian Has your society discovered the music of (cello) Bradbury who are Matthew Curtis yet? We at the Uxbridge Society identical twins and Emily have known about him since Segal (piano). It has given a 1984 when a couple of his series of successful concerts works were broadcast on both in the UK and in BBC Radio 3. Romanza and continental Europe. Autumn Song both pieces The Brahms Trio is a late for full orchestra were work that shows Brahms at performed by the BBC his rich romantic best, it is Concert Orchestra under not designed as a showpiece for the clarinet as all their conductor Ashley three instruments are of equal importance, with Lawrence. Curtis, born in Cumbria in 1959, was the cello often taking the lead. The dreamy slow then in his early twenties but already showing he movement is especially fine. The three young was a master of orchestration. players play with maturity and the work sounds In March of this year, The Gramophone most impressive. magazine contained a review of the above new Hugh Wood was born in Wigan in 1932 and has compact disc. This was by Ivan March. been involved in teaching music for most of his Surprisingly none of the items were included in the life. His compositions are mainly in the chamber Editor’s Choice CD issued by the magazine for the music field and the Trio Gemelli premiered this month.To help readers appreciate the quality of trio. The work is short, with three brief movements the music Ivan made comparisons with Eric and is uncompromisingly modern in sound. The Coates,Haydn Wood, Ronald Binge, Robert opening movement concentrates on each musician Farnon and Bizet in his glowing review. Despite as a solo instrumentalist, with long solos for each those comparisons Curtis is his own man and has instrument in turn. The second movement is a his own style being largely self taught. scherzo march of considerable character. I managed (with difficulty — but Harold Moore Unusually the finale is a slow movement intended in London were very helpful) to obtain this as a tribute to two friends who died in 1997. Campion CD and sat in my lounge with baited However it comes across as a work lacking in breath to hear this music I had waited for so long. emotion and it does not fit in well with the I was enthralled as tune followed tune for the accompanying works. entire 77 minutes. I would draw your attention in Beethoven wrote his Opus 11 trio in 1798 and it particular however to the symphonic suite Paths to is sometimes played in a contemporary Urbino which recalls a walking holiday he enjoyed arrangement for violin, cello and piano. Although in North Italy. The movement Music of the fields is a relatively early work, it shows Beethoven at his especially beautiful, as are Ballade and Haunted peak. The first movement is an allegro con brio and Woods. is of fascinating complexity. It is followed by a slow This is music to stand the test of time. If you movement, played here with great feeling. The last feel unable to trust my judgement, then trust that movement is a theme and variations, the theme is of Ivan March who has served music lovers for a jaunty tune from an opera by J. Weighl — it decades. Why not get this CD and give your reminds us that Beethoven is unsurpassed at members a treat. writing variations, even based upon the most I understand that Curtis wrote a symphony trivial of tunes (see for example the Variations for whilst in his teens, and I urge that a further CD Piano Trio on Ich bin der Schneider Kakadu. containing that symphony plus Romanza and The playing is exemplary and it is recorded in a Autumn Song should be considered by Campion. warm acoustic. The disc is well presented, with good notes. Murray Nash, Chairman, Uxbridge RMS AB

38 CROSSWORD FRMS

Cross word Crossword 139 (Mainly Music!) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 By Hein Kropholler CHANDOS 9 10 11

This crossword has been sponsored by Chandos 12 13

Record who will give a prize of a CD from their catalogue to 14 the winner who will be chosen by a draw from all correct 15 16 answers received by the editor before the 1st January. In the event of a correct answer not being received, the best 17 18 19 attempt (at the discretion of the editor) will win the award. 20 21

If you are nearly there, chance your arm! 22 23 24 ACROSS 1. Mod ern sackbut vir tu oso [8] 25 26 5&1 down. Small? vir tu oso vi o lin ist [6,6] 27

9. Thus with vi o lin? Certainly not 5 [2,6] 28 29 10&21. Famous French composer [6,7] 12. Did 24 say this to her when he came to Carthage? [2,4] 13. So 7th and 3rd note? [4,2,2] 30 31 15. No dis cord in this form [2,5] 16. A drum can go thus [4] 20. Direc tion for Chinese music [4] Solution to Crossword 138 21. see 10.[7] 25+27 down. No Rus sian but Arme nian [12] 1 B 2 M 3 F 4 C 5 6 7 S 8 26. All together at the right rate [2,4] N E W O R L E A N S T O Y E 28. Lu cia? Only the bit that sounds like a sheep [6] 9 10 29. Note alone sounds un married [2,6] A R E N T O L 30. Sings in the alps [6] T E N D A F T E R R O V E

31. We talk of eight & twelve but really count thus [2,6] 11 O A E T C I DOWN 1. See 5. [6] O R C H E S T R A H E A R 2. Prom conduc tor [6] 13 P H 14 V 15 A 16 M S S 3. Chem ist with first be comes mezzo [8] D E V O T E D S O L O B A R 4. Hap pened to Lucrezia! [4] 17 N 18 I N T U 19 N 20 S 21 6. Beauty with ... [1,5] 7. Strong weak weak beats are [8] T S A R T W O S T A G E S 8. With neither circles ... [3,5] 22 C B I S 23 O I 11. When ex as per ated Tortelier might say this [2,5] S O L O C O L O U R F U L 14. In stru ment ad justed [5,2] 25 26 17. Lennox? [8] R Y A B N A O 18. When mu sic soothes the trou bled breast [2,6] B E S S P I A N I S T I C S

19. Jazz when it is blazing? [3,5] 27 S R 28 T S O 22. Beseech it in the belfry? [2,4] 23. Alone [6] 24. Hero of the Trojan war [6] Win ner 27. See 25 Despite the prob lems, there was one correct so lution sub mit ted for cross word num ber 138, and the prize WHOOPS! Cor rec tions to Cross word 138 has been given to D.H. Page, Orpington RMS. 8 down clue miss ing ¾ 8. Unre qui ted love air of the 30's. Two sub mis sions were re ceived with only mi nor [5,4] and "ex ist ing 8" becomes 10 down. also error s, these being from Paul Webster and Brendon 18 across the an swer is two words i.e. [4,3] Sadler. Sorry!

39 FRMS FRMS

Fed er a tion of Re corded Mu sic So ci eties Ltd.

Website: www.musicweb.uk.net/frms Pres i dent Edward Greenfield OBE MA (Cantab) Hon. GSM Vice Pres i dents J. R. Shaw; M. B. Williamson Board Of fi cers Chairman: John Davies, 18 Hellath Wen, Nantwich CW5 7BB Tel: 01270 627 269 Vice-Chairman: Graham Kiteley, 11 Ragley Crescent, Bromsgrove B60 2BD Tel:01527 870549 Secretary: Tony Baines, 2 Fulmer Place, Meir Park, Stoke on Trent ST3 7QF Tel: 01782 399291 E Mail: [email protected] (All Federation matters should be addressed initially to the Secretary) Treasurer: Brian Cartwright, The Woodlands, School Road, Luthermuir, Laurencekirk AB30 1YX Tel: 01674 840220 E-mail: [email protected] Bulletin Editor: Arthur Baker, 4 Ramsdale Road, Bramhall, Stockport SK7 2QA Tel: 0161 440 8746 E-mail: [email protected] Technical Officer: Philip Ashton, 27 Dunsby Road, Luton LU3 2UA Tel: 01582 651632 E-mail: [email protected] Board/Com mit tee Bob Astill, St.Urian’s, 102 New Road, Brading, Isle of Wight PO36 0AB Tel: 01983 401009 Mick Birchall, 2 Burley Close, Desford, Leicester LE9 9HX Tel: 01455 823 494 Ronald Bleach, 48 Ravenswood Road, Redland, Bristol BS6 6BT Tel: 07866 307874 Keith Cheffins, 4 Morningside Courtyard, Prestbury, Cheltenham GL52 3BU Tel: 01242 571810 Cathy Connolly, 49 Landford Road, Putney, London SW15 1AQ Tel: 020 8785 6809

Na tional and Re gional Sec re taries Scot land Ste phen Grey, 35E Forth Street, Dunfirmline, Fife BH25 7AD Tel: 01383 724 290

North East E Shepherd, 35 Elmfield Gar dens, Gosforth, New cas tle NE3 4XB Tel: 0191 285 7003 S.E. Lon don A.J. Walker, 13 Water er House, Beck en ham Hill Road, Catford, Lon don SE6 3PN Tel: 020 8461 1007 Sus sex A. Thomas, 5 Aca cia Road, Willingdon Trees, Eastbourne BN22 OTW Tel: 01323 509518 W. Middlesex Mrs. P Jiggins, 140 Holylake Crescen t, Ickenham, Middlesex UB10 8JH Tel: 01895 634485 Cen tral Region Mick Birchall, 2 Bur ley Close, Desford, Leicester LE9 9HX Tel: 01455 823 494 W. Surrey L.C. Warner, MBE The Stiles 22 Mar shall Road Godalming GU7 3AS Tel: 01483 417119 York shire D. Clark, 227 Tinshill Road, Leeds LS16 7BU Tel: 0113 267 1533

Reg is tered in Eng land No.700106. Reg is tered Of fice: 2 Fulmer Place, Meir Park, Stoke on Trent ST3 7QF

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