News

In this issue ...

Page Page Address for Communications 2 ‘Banksy’ comes to the Birthplace 28 Keep in touch 2 This is what I do 29 Letter from the Chairman 3 Elgar in Germany 31 From the Secretary 5 Sir : a memory 33 Council & Executive 6 Elgar Society Medal presentation 33 The Elgar Society Website 7 Donald Hunt 40 years in Worcester 34 Comments from the Compilers 8 Two new Elgar recordings... 36 From the new Treasurer 10 ... and two new books 38 From the Membership Secretary 10 ‘The Hut’ at Bray up for sale 39 12 News in brief 40 Elgar Works 14 Delius Society 43 The Elgar Society at Three Choirs 15 Branch Chairmens’s & Branch Reports 44 Grave Matters 18 Letters to the Editor 54 From the Birthplace 20 Branch Events 57 From the Birthplace Archive 26 Dates for your Diary 60 Elgar’s fun(d) raisers 27 Crossword 66

No. 54 – December 2014 Address for Communications

Contributions for the April 2015 issue of the Elgar Society News should be e–mailed to all the compilers:

Ernie Kay: [email protected] Richard Smith: [email protected] Peter James: [email protected]

Full contact details can be found on the back cover.

The latest date for submissions for the April issue is 22 February 2015.

Keep in touch

Remember: you can keep up to date with the latest Elgarian news on:

Facebook www.facebook.com

Twitter www.twitter.com

YouTube www.youtube.com

then, search for ‘Elgar’ or ‘Elgar Society’ or ‘Elgar Birthplace’.

If you have details of a concert containing a work by Elgar, please notify us by e–mail at: [email protected]

As we are less constrained by space on the Elgar website, wherever possible please remember to include :

– The starting time, full address of the venue and an enquiry telephone number; – Composers of other works in the concert; and – The full names of all performers.

2 Elgar Society News Letter from the Chairman

Dear Friends It’s been a quiet period as far as public events are concerned, and I can only look with envy at the concert–attending schedules of other Society members. However, the quietness has not extended to the back office and forward–looking parts of the Society. I am writing this in early October, a few days a stimulating meeting of the Council, a couple of weeks before the next Executive and, lest we forget the purpose of the Society, three weeks before the launch of the Somm CD covering Elgar’s collaboration with Laurence Binyon, and the day after a thoroughly enjoyable first meeting of the Branch with Jeremy Dibble talking on Stanford and Elgar. First, however, I welcome Helen Whittaker as our new Treasurer; because Clive Weeks has stepped down to concentrate on his other commitments. I am delighted both that Clive has agreed to remain on the Council and that Helen and he are effecting a smooth changeover, Helen bringing to us her considerable existing expertise as, inter alia, Treasurer of the East Anglian Branch. Our Vice–Chairman, Stuart Freed, has been indefatigable in updating our website. A new site was commissioned earlier this year and has been in use for some months without encountering any of the difficulties of the previous one. Whilst the site looks virtually the same, the basis upon which it now operates is completely different and offers us greater security, stability and flexibility. The newly configured site also makes available for the first time the Elgar Discography compiled by John Knowles. This exciting new development allows visitors to the site to examine the entire listing, to search by category and by key word. Stuart has also been in charge of the electronic distribution of the News, Journal and Birthplace leaflet. With his introduction of the new method of facilitating the Society website, we can now

No. 54 – December 2014 3 Letter from the Chairman

deliver, through the site, the publications to all of the membership for whom we have an e–mail address. We should all be grateful for Stuart’s time and sheer persistence in helping enhance and modernise the Society’s work. Our Council meeting on 4 October covered a wide agenda, from presentations of the Elgar Medal to the recipients, the sheer geographical range of grants offered in 2014 under the Elgar in Performance and Other Grants schemes, working with the Birthplace, exciting plans for 2015, including a further CD, the possible issue of a Boult DVD, and an Elgar Festival in Bamberg over a weekend in April in collaboration with the German Sullivan Society. The main item, though, was a long discussion on increasing membership and the development of the free membership scheme. This discussion will continue over the next couple of months, and the results shared with colleagues before Christmas. In the meantime, we on the Executive spend a fair amount of time dealing with enquiries on a myriad of subjects. As random examples, I myself have recently been involved in correspondence with people who believe they have definitively solved the ‘Enigma’ enigma, with a charming musician in France involving the Complete Edition and the Birthplace, with a fan in Germany on organ recitals, and with Sarah Connolly CBE on her new recording of . Finally, I mentioned above the new Somm recording, : The Binyon Settings, and some of you may remember I played the odd sneak preview track at our AGM in June. More of you may have heard the CD trailed on the Today programme on Radio 4 in early October. The Society’s chief desire was to secure what is the première recording of the complete incidental music for Arthur – A Tragedy, and the recording with the Orchestra of St Paul’s under Ben Palmer is on the disc. Ben has also edited the Arthur music for the Complete Edition, which has been used for the recording. It is coupled with and With Proud Thanksgiving, with Judith Howarth, the LSO Chorus (featuring Helen Petchey!) and the Philharmonia under John Wilson. Finally, a previous recording session yielded with Simon Callow and the BBC Concert Orchestra under John Wilson. I am looking forward enormously to listening to this unique new release commemorating the outbreak

4 Elgar Society News Letter from the Chairman

of WW1 through the music of Elgar and celebrating the under– rated poetry of Laurence Binyon. And I hope you do, too. Happy Christmas!

From the Secretary

Nominations for Council Members There will be two vacancies on the Council as of 5 June 2015. Nominations for members of the Council to serve until the AGM in 2019 shall be made, in writing, signed by a proposer and seconder who must be members of the Society and by the candidate signifying willingness to stand, and shall be received by the Honorary Secretary by 20 March 2015. Should the number of valid nominations for Council exceed the number of vacancies, a postal ballot of the members of the Society shall be held. Ballot papers shall be distributed to members with the April Journal. Elgar Society Birthday Weekend & 2015 AGM The 2015 Birthday Weekend will take place on 6/7 June. The AGM will be at St George’s Worcester at 2pm on Saturday 6 June. Members are invited to meet for coffee on Saturday morning, as usual, at a venue to be confirmed. As well as meeting up with old friends, this is a good opportunity to welcome members coming to the Birthday Weekend for the first time. Evensong will be at 4pm at Worcester Cathedral on Sunday 7 June, again with the Cathedral Choir, as it doesn’t fall in half term. The Dean is keen for the boy choristers to be involved in the service to celebrate Elgar. Evensong will be followed by tea and cake at the Birthplace. The weekend is still being planned, and full details of the 2015 Birthday Weekend will be published in the April News. Helen Petchey, Hon. Secretary

No. 54 – December 2014 5 Elgar Society Council and Executive

This is the first of what are hoped to be regular reports to members through the columns of the News of the activities of the two groups that carry on the work of the Society between its Annual General Meetings. They will give some detail during the year behind the highlights reported by Steven Halls in his Chairman’s Report to members each June. The Council determines the Society’s overall policy and finances at its three meetings a year, while the Executive takes decisions within that policy at its meetings four times a year. The Council is made up of the Executive members together with eight other elected members. The Executive is made up of the Chairman, Vice– Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, who are elected at the Society’s AGM. The chairman of the Branch Chairmen’s group is also entitled to attend Executive meetings and join in discussion. If more than the minimum number of members are nominated elections are held in which all members of the Society are entitled to vote. Recent meetings of the Council have decided on a scheme which will enable Branches and the Elgar Birthplace to offer newcomers free membership of the Elgar Society up to the end of that calendar year, when – as for all members – subscriptions come due. They have also approved the re–introduction of membership cards at the request of members of several Branches. While supporting the autonomy of the two organisations, the Council has as a standing item on each agenda discussion on ways in which the Society can strengthen its relationship with the Elgar Birthplace. The Council has called for a report on a possible scheme to explore the role of Elgar’s music in the First World War, with a view perhaps to holding a weekend conference on the subject in 2018. The Executive’s meetings have recently received a report on the restoration by the Society’s Vice–Chairman, Stuart Freed, of the Society’s website, which has suffered severe hacking from somewhere in Russia! A considerable part of the Executive’s work is deciding which of the increasing applications under the Elgar in Performance scheme should receive some financial support. The scheme is designed to encourage performances of Elgar’s music by what might be called ‘pioneers’, smaller societies or individuals who are taking an initiative in their area, both in the UK and abroad. One

6 Elgar Society News Elgar Society Council and Executive

such initiative is a weekend in Germany in 2015 devoted exclusively to Elgar and his music, with a view to establishing a Branch of the Society there. (This is reported on elsewhere in the News.) The Executive has also led discussions about the appointment of an Editor for the News and explored ways of encouraging – delicately but firmly – a minority of members to update their standing orders after last year’s increase in the subscription rate. In this and the related issue of a membership drive they have supported the work of the national Membership Secretary, David Young, and examined the role of the Branches in encouraging a rise in membership income. Geoff Scargill

The Elgar Society Website

Many readers will be familiar with the topical television news quiz Mock the Week. For those who may not have seen the programme, it features a round called ‘If this is the answer, what is the question?’ I will not patronise readers with an explanation of how this works: I think that the clue is in the title! So, if the answer is 21,664, what is the question? Read on for the solution. By now many of you will know that the Society’s website has been completely revamped to allow for greater flexibility when both editing and visiting the site. Whilst the site looks no different to its earlier incarnation, the way in which it functions is significantly changed. One of the main differences is that the electronic versions of the News and Journal can now be downloaded directly from the website, rather than being sent to users by e–mail. The advantage resulting from this development is that we do not have to rely upon a third–party service to deliver the documents. In order to ensure that only members of the Society are able to access the latest editions, it was necessary for each member to provide an e–mail address registered with the Society, to be issued with a user name and password and to open an account for each user on the website. All of these members were then e–mailed with unique log–in details. I have calculated that this project entailed no fewer than 21,664 mouse clicks: you may now formulate your own question from the details given above!

No. 54 – December 2014 7 The Elgar Society Website

Many members have opted to take the publications electronically, foregoing the printed versions. Others have opted to take both formats and still others have chosen to take only the printed edition. Regardless of stated preferences, I have provided all qualifying members with log–in details. Whilst I can understand that there are many who, whilst they can access the internet, still prefer the printed edition, I would urge everyone who is able to to take a look at the on–line edition. There are many advantages to using the electronic version. It reduces costs to the Society, the booklets can be saved and re–read at a later date, they can be printed either in part or in full, electronic search for key words is easy, and print size can be increased. In addition there are environmental implications. If you currently take the publications as a hard copy, but feel that you no longer need to do so, then please let me know and I will make the necessary arrangements. At the time of writing there are five members whose e–mail addresses are incorrectly recorded and cannot be used. Therefore, if you have not received an e–mail from me on or around 20 September, please e–mail me at [email protected] and I will ensure that corrections are made. Finally, if you have not looked at the website recently, please do. There is a wealth of information available, the Branch pages are worth a peek, and all of the Journals dating back to 1999 are accessible. Stuart Freed, Vice–Chairman Comments from the Compilers So that it should not disappear out of sight, a year ago we agreed to produce three editions of the News in the expectation that we could then hand it over to a long–term editor. Matters though do not always turn out as planned and we are still handling it, though on an ad hoc basis, and still expecting the white knight to appear on the horizon. However, Peter James, known to you as our crossword compiler, has now offered to help out and we hope he will gradually do more – and more. We have another volunteer in the offing, but would welcome further offers to help and/or take over. From our experience at the start of our stint, we feel that a gradual transition and change is a good way forward.

8 Elgar Society News Comments from the Compilers

In the past year we think we have streamlined and shaped the News and established a clearer division between it and the Journal. This was all described in our notes in the last edition and does not need repetition here, but we trust that whoever continues the work, or even ourselves, will have a reasonably straightforward task. Co– operation and keeping to deadlines by all our numerous suppliers of material has been great. It is worth noting that we, as compilers, do not have a role in shaping Society policy; that is the task of the various office holders, committees and such like. Our job is to ensure that those who make the decisions use us to get the information out so that the membership at large know what is planned, and why, and are thus able to make their views known to those who are responsible. You will have seen, in Stuart Freed’s note about the website, the possibilities and ways of receiving Society publications on line rather than in print. As he stresses, it is entirely up to you and there is no pressure to change from print unless it suits your own way of receiving, storing and retrieving information. We suspect that age may be a factor and that in x years ahead this will seem less worthy of discussion, but by then there may be alternatives not as yet thought of! Branches do have other ways of keeping their members abreast of the news, as the just received excellent NW Branch Newsletter reminds us. We would urge all Branches to e–mail their Newsletters or other information to all Officers and Branch Secretaries, and indeed to any member who would like the details of what is going on outside their own patch. Elgar News can then be seen as one central element in a family of information dissemination. Richard Smith & Ernie Kay Concert Listings Elgar’s music is now so popular (to a degree due to the work of our Society!) that the concert listings section of Elgar News has now become rather unwieldy to prepare and read, as well as quickly out of date. What would our readers’ reaction be if in future we took the drastic step of dropping it from the News (or curtailing it to ‘major’ concerts) and instead directed you to the excellent updated list maintained on the Society website?

No. 54 – December 2014 9 From the New Treasurer

My background is not in accountancy but rather in business. For many years I was a personnel manager with J. Sainsbury, but later on I set up my own training company working with European funding from Brussels on a multinational training programme for the bakery industry. Bought out in 2000, I was retained as Operations Director for the company with a turnover of £127 million. Very stressful! Subsequently, I trained and qualified as a financial advisor and stockbroker with the American Company Edward Jones, which is a wealth management company with a focus on investments. I have been the Treasurer of the East Anglian Branch of the Elgar Society for four years, where we have been trying to raise funds at our meetings to make us self–sufficient. I look forward to my new role with the Elgar Society and to meeting you all. Helen Whittaker

From the Membership Secretary

Subscriptions are payable as at 1 January next. Just to refresh your memories the rates are:

Single in UK and Europe £35 Joint £40 Other parts of the World £36 £41 Students in UK and Europe £16 Students elsewhere £17

Payment by cheque, made payable to The Elgar Society, may be sent to me, David R Young, at:

The Rectory, Lydeard St Lawrence, Taunton TA4 3SF

If you pay by Standing Order please ensure it is for the correct amount. There are still a few members who paid at the old rate and therefore still owe the balance.

Several officers and members of the Society have asked from where membership leaflets can be obtained. The answer is from the Membership Secretary – details as above [Compilers].

10 Elgar Society News The new Membership Card

Enclosed with this issue of the News is your membership card. This is being revived following requests from several Branches. Some members missed the tangible proof of their membership while others were concerned about not being able to prove their membership when visiting the Birthplace. (Incidentally, an up–to–date list of members is also kept there as a standby.) In the past the card was not issued until receipt of a member’s subscription. Please note that the new membership card is not valid until you have signed it and printed your name on it. Your card should be produced if you visit the Birthplace in order to gain free admission. Those involved in creating the new format hope you will like it. By issuing the card now the Society will be saving the cost of over 900 2nd class stamps, which is now a considerable amount! David R Young (Hon. Membership Secretary)

THE CROWN EAST LANE, LOWER BROADHEATH, WORCESTER WR2 6RH (signposted off A44 Worcester–Leominster Road) Tel: 01905 333224 Fax: 01905 333426 e–mail: [email protected] Website: www.elgarmuseum.org OPEN EVERY DAY, 11AM TO 5PM (last admission 4.15 . Closed 24 December 2014 to 1 February 2015 inclusive) Elgar Society members admitted free (please show your new Membership Card) Please pre–book parties of ten or more with Rachael Whyle Events leaflets available on request

No. 54 – December 2014 11 Follow the Colours

We welcome warmly the following new members of the Society

Dr A Byers Radlett Mr Iain Cairns & Kate Mitchell London Mrs Charlotte Carver & Bill Carver Welland, Malvern Mr Derek Clements Bexleyheath Mr Scott Cooper Royton, Oldham Dr Roger & Mrs Barbara Crabtree Bishops Lydeard, Somerset Mr Eifion Davies & Susan Davies Cardiff Miss Fiona Donaldson Edinburgh Ms Eileen Emmanuel Bishopston, Bristol Mr Stephen & Mrs Beatrice Fox–Collins Beaminster Mrs Alicia Gilmartin Somerset, New Jersey, USA Mr Frederick Habgood Cheltenham Mr Barrie Harvey Poole, Dorset Mr David Hillier Charlesworth Glossop Ms Mio Hiyoshi Otaku, Tokyo, Japan Mr Christopher & Mrs Jean Howard Elmesthorpe, Leics. Mr Martin Jackson Hampton Dene, Hereford Mrs Dawn & Mr John Johnson Worcester Mr David Jones London Mr Michael Keck Great Gidding, Cambs. Drs Michael & Gale Kesseler Rotherham James Lyon France Mr William Mackerell Wormbridge, Hereford Mrs Elizabeth Magee Whitley Bay Mrs Janey Maxwell Shirley, Croydon Mr Paul McCreesh Oakham, Rutland Mr Mike McDonald Higher Heath, Whitchurch Mrs Rosemary & Mr Fraser McNeil–Watson Malvern Mrs Ruth Moore & Mr Steve Moore Knowle, Solihull, West Midlands Mr Jeremy Morfey Leigh, Worcs. Ms Perry Morley Bury St Edmunds

12 Elgar Society News Follow the Colours

Mrs Hazel Morphey Great Malvern Mr Robert Muston Bristol Mr Michael Newton Coventry Miss Louise Nicholls & Joe Handford Market Harborough Mr Kevin Nield & Yvonne Nield Wyesham, Monmouth Mrs Margaret Parker Salfords, Redhill, Surrey Mrs Joyce Payne Wherwell, Hants. Mr John Salmon & Lousie Eekelaar London Mrs Brenda Selwyn London Mr Edmund Shirley Caversham Dr David Shove London Dr William Spencer & Mary Hamlin–Spencer Cockeysville, Maryland, USA Mr Alfred Stonehewer Droylsden, Manchester Mrs Mary Rose & Mr Francis J Swales Jarrow, Tyne and Wear Ms Naoko Tachibana Kodaira–shi, Tokyo, Japan Mr Ian Taylor Clitheroe Mrs Christine & Mr Peter Tedder Bingley, West Yorkshire Miss Clair Tozer Potters Bar Merete Valstad Norway Mrs F M Wolstencroft Helston Mr Melvyn & Mrs Anne Wood Droylsden, Manchester Mr Alex Woodrow Saltaire, West Yorkshire Mr James Woodrow Grove Village, Manchester

David R Young Hon. Membership Secretary

No. 54 – December 2014 13 Elgar Works

As we approach the end of 2014, Elgar Works can look back on a year in which we have attained all of the somewhat demanding targets we set ourselves at the beginning of the year: – the publication of two new volumes in the Collected Correspondence: An Elgarian Who’s Who (a biographical dictionary of all who crop up in the family diaries and correspondence) and Darling Chuck (the complete and charming correspondence between Carice and her parents); – three volumes in the Complete Edition: the volumes of The Overtures (an impressive large–page volume, our first since King Olaf in 2007), the Unaccompanied Part–songs and Unison Songs (launched with a delightful concert, conducted by Donald Hunt, in Malvern Priory in June), and a second edition of the long–out–of–print Concertos volume, now at the printers and due out in late November; – and numerous hirings through the Birthplace of Elgar Works performing material: not just the predictable demand this year for vocal scores and parts of The Spirit of England, but also an unexplained flurry of interest in established repertoire including Gerontius and the concertos. In their different ways, the latest volumes in each uniform edition have each proved fascinating: Darling Chuck brings to life a deep and warm relationship between father and daughter, not least in their shared love of word plays and crosswords, which will take many readers by surprise; while the wealth of new source material for both concertos which has surfaced since the first edition was published in 1988 has brought a new insight into the compositional process as Elgar put the finishing touches to the various scores against tight deadlines. Re–editing the Concerto has proved particularly illuminating: Elgar composed four scores – the full score, orchestral parts, cello solo part, and a cello and piano arrangement – in parallel under considerable pressure. The new sources have enabled us to resolve numerous discrepancies between the different versions, resulting in around two hundred corrections to the published score, albeit all minor and largely inaudible to all but the keenest ears. But there’s never room for complacency, with a further two volumes in each edition planned for 2015 and, with one exception, already under way:

14 Elgar Society News Elgar Works

– the next Collected Correspondence volume will be The Road to Recognition, the second volume of family diaries covering the years 1897–1901, the years of The Banner of St George, Caractacus, , the ‘Enigma’ Variations and Gerontius; – the first of the two Complete Edition volumes we hope to publish before the end of the year is David Lloyd–Jones’s volume of orchestral miniatures which includes the , Three Characteristic Pieces, Elgar’s reduced orchestra arrangements of the two interludes from and the Canto Popolare, and various smaller pieces such as the two Chansons, Mina and Carissima, and – an unexpected bonus – Elgar’s all–but–unknown arrangement of as an orchestral miniature; – and if we make as good progress as last year, Christmas 2015 should see the publication of Donald Hunt’s second volume, this time of the accompanied part–songs – From the Bavarian Highlands, The Snow, Fly, Singing Bird and Spanish Serenade in their versions with both orchestral and chamber accompaniment – plus the full music from Pageant of Empire. Quite a challenge – but we have three reliable editors backed by a production process from which we appear to have removed all the glitches, so here’s hoping. John Norris Elgar Society Three Choirs Lecture 2 August 2014 : 10:30 am

Barry Collett and Andrew Lyle ‘When I was at the asylum…’

Barry began by explaining how, during a visit to the Birthplace many years ago, he had spotted some books lying on an obscure shelf in a corner. His curiosity aroused, he examined the volumes and discovered that they bore the inscription ‘Property of the Worcester County and City Pauper Lunatic Society, Powick’ on the cover. He realised that this was the music which Elgar had composed for the hospital between January 1879 and 1884, during which period he served as bandmaster. Powick Asylum was a pioneer of music therapy, when the staff played pieces for the entertainment of the patients.

No. 54 – December 2014 15 Elgar Works

Excited by his find, Barry asked permission from the Elgar family to perform the works. Initially they were less than eager, considering that these early compositions would not put the composer in a good light. Barry protested that we were quite happy to hear the early works of Mozart and Beethoven so why not those of Elgar? Eventually permission was given, and Barry first conducted and then recorded most of the music with his Rutland Sinfonia in 1989. Barry Collett (left) and Nothing further happened until Andrew Lyle with the Elgar quite recently when Barry and Andrew complete edition of the Lyle began work on the Elgar Complete Powick Music Edition volume containing the music. [Photo: Joan Roche] During the research for this they discovered several previously unknown pieces, including a Menuetto (which was apparently submitted by Elgar as a test piece) and five Singing Quadrilles based on nursery rhymes. They then attempted to have the works professionally recorded, and after negotiations with one group fell through, they were delighted to be offered the help of the musicians of the CBSO. In addition to having the input of these splendid musicians, the recording was supported by the Elgar Society with funds from the Kay Trust in memory of Kathy and Margaret Kay. Andrew then described the various Quadrilles, Polkas and Lancers which Elgar had composed during his time at Powick. Several, he explained, were dedicated to young ladies. Both Andrew and Barry illustrated their talk with examples from the Somm recording, which were often delightful and had the audience tapping their feet in time to the music. The final accolade for them was when the recording reached number eight in the Classical Music Charts. Oh yes. And why the title for the lecture? In his later years Elgar was disposed to comment to some of his less welcome visitors: ‘When I was at the lunatic asylum…!’ Richard Smith

16 Elgar Society News Elgar Society Three Choirs Lunch 2 August 2014 : 12:30 pm We were delighted to welcome our President, , to our annual Three Choirs Lunch. This year the event took place in the pleasant surroundings of the King’s School Boathouse, not far from Worcester Cathedral. We were pleased that every seat was filled – all except one by Society members. The one gentleman who was not a member had his arm gently twisted to join! After a most enjoyable lunch the Chairman of the West Midlands Branch, John Harcup, introduced our guest speaker. Julian, who was accompanied by his wife Jiaxin, gave us a fascinating insight into his work now that he, sadly, has had to give up his cello playing. He was now concentrating on his new role as a conductor and musical ambassador. He illustrated his talk Geoff Scargill, North–west with three Elgar musical extracts. Branch Chairman, with Jiaxin The first was the Romance (Opus Lloyd Webber 62), originally written for bassoon [Photo: Joan Roche] and orchestra but which had been arranged for cello. I think he convinced us that, if anything, it sounded better on the latter instrument. He followed this with a version of one of Elgar’s early works, Une (Opus 4), adapted for cello and organ. He recommended this as an encore to aspiring students rather than the more usual Salut d’Amour. His final musical extract was of him conducting the finale of the Introduction and Allegro (Opus 47) which is soon to appear on a CD. Following his talk, Julian asked for questions from the floor. He was asked about how knowledge of classical music could be made more available to younger people and especially to schools. He replied that he was aware of the problem, but did not know how it could be overcome. He said that awareness of European classical music was growing rapidly in China and Japan, and that many youngsters from that part of the world were taking up instruments.

No. 54 – December 2014 17 Elgar Society Three Choirs Lunch

Our thanks must go to the Three Choirs caterers and especially to one of our West Midlands Branch members, Timothy Day, for arranging such a delightful event. Richard Smith

Left: Julian Lloyd Webber addresses the audience at the Elgar Society Lunch [Photo: Joan Roche]

Grave Matters St Wulstan’s After it was reported in the April issue of the Elgar Society News that the headstone of Alice and Edward’s grave had been cleaned, it was felt that Carice’s headstone deserved the same treatment as it, too, was looking weathered with faded lettering. The family has now had this done and both headstones are now beautifully restored. In addition to the planting out of the flower bed at the foot of Alice and Edward’s grave, a pot of matching plants is always placed for Carice, as I feel she should not be neglected. The sign near the West door and the one by the graves are becoming very shabby and replacing them is being considered. How pleasing it is to see that the family which now lives in ‘Kirklands’, the house next to St Wulstan’s, is working very hard on the garden and the whole area is looking far tidier than in years gone by.

18 Elgar Society News Grave Matters

Looking through my folder of Elgarian cuttings and photos, I found this dedication to the great man which was left at his graveside a while ago, together with flowers: Our hearts and souls are uplifted and inspired by the beauty of your music. We give thanks for your dedication to your art, for Alice’s belief in your talent and success, for your appreciation of our English countryside, for your patriotism and your sheer genius. The world is a better place for you having lived. Many tributes are left at the grave but I thought this particularly apt. Gill Bradshaw

The Sinclair Grave

The work to refurbish George Robertson Sinclair’s grave in Hereford cemetery has been completed. The grave looks very well – white marble and clear lettering. We hope to have a gathering at the grave in early October. Geraint Bowen, the current Director of Music at Hereford Cathedral, will be present. It will be a joint event with the West Midlands Branch of the Elgar Society and VEGA lodge of the Freemasons, the lodge which Sinclair founded. Wendy H Hill The re–dedication ceremony duly took place on 1 October:

A brief ceremony was held in Hereford cemetery on the morning of 1 October to re–dedicate the grave of George Robertson Sinclair. It had fallen into considerable disrepair and has now been restored thanks to the fund–raising efforts of members of the Elgar–in– Hereford Group (now amalgamated with the West Midlands Branch of the Elgar Society) and the Herefordshire Masonic Lodge, of which Sinclair was a founder member. In particular we must be grateful for the efforts of Robert Green, formerly organist of Ripon Cathedral and at one time assistant organist of Hereford Cathedral: Robert gave a number of organ recitals for the cause over several years, raising a considerable sum for the grave’s restoration. When the Elgar–in–Hereford Group amalgamated with the Elgar Society the monies thus far collected were passed on to Sinclair’s Masonic

No. 54 – December 2014 19 Grave Matters

Lodge, who generously funded the required sum remaining and arranged the actual restoration. The re–dedication of the beautifully refurbished grave was carried out by Rev. David Bowen, Masonic Provincial Grand Master for Herefordshire, who also gave a brief summary of GRS’s career, from his early years as an outstandingly talented boy who had been admitted to the Irish Academy of Music, before becoming a scholar and chorister at St Michael’s, Members of the WM Branch of the Tenbury, at the age of eight, Elgar Society and of the where he came under the Masonic Lodge of Herefordshire instruction of the renowned at the re–dedication of GRS’s grave. F.A.G. Ouseley, through to his time as Organist and Master of the Choristers at Hereford Cathedral, principal conductor at a number of Three Choirs Festivals, and conductor of the Birmingham Festival Chorus. It was after a rehearsal of this last that he died quite suddenly in 1917 at the age of 53. David Parkes

From the Birthplace

‘We found this visit very moving. It was thoughtfully laid out giving you a real insight into the man as well as the musician. The weather was sunny and warm enabling us to really appreciate the garden. Staff were not only helpful but also knowledgeable. The shop had a great variety of things to choose from ranging from expensive to very inexpensive. So something for everyone. The trip from Scotland was worth it for this visit alone!’ Visitor comment via Tripadvisor – August 2014

20 Elgar Society News From the Birthplace

I would like to share with you this lovely comment from one of our summer visitors who clearly enjoyed their visit to the Museum. It is just one of the many really positive reviews we receive each month on Tripadvisor, the on–line travel review website, and sums up so well all that is great about the Museum. I urge Society members who have not visited us for some time to come and enjoy the Museum once again. 2014 has been a good year for us. Visitor numbers are holding up well with more groups visiting than last year and a successful Worcester bringing many people out to Lower Broadheath. The fine weather during recent months has extended the main visitor season and ensured visitors were able to enjoy the Museum both inside and out in the gardens, for as long as possible. One new attraction for visitors is our Elgar mural. Located on the rear exterior wall of the Carice Elgar Room, overlooking our Jubilee Family Garden, the ‘Banksy–style’ artwork depicts Elgar coming towards you at full speed on his bicycle, hat and tie blowing in the wind. Titled Cycle d’amour, it was created by local artists We Love Art, who have gained a name for themselves and their paintings of Elgar in the county. The mural is a welcome addition to the garden and our visitors seem to be very taken with the more modern depiction of Elgar. A series of prints, including this mural and the artist’s other Elgar works, are available to purchase from our on–line shop (www.elgarmuseum.org). Our thanks go to the Kay Trust and the West Midlands Branch who generously funded the mural and I hope that members are able to come and see it soon.

Right: The Birthplace Cottage and garden. [Photo: Andrew Jowett]

No. 54 – December 2014 21 From the Birthplace

It seems that Elgar’s following in Japan continues to grow and, as a result of recent filming, we hope that more of those overseas tourists will find us. Last month we hosted a film crew who were creating a promotional film about Europe for Japan’s second largest airport. The ten–minute film will only cover Germany, France and England, and for this country it focused on London and Elgar’s Worcester. We were obviously delighted to welcome them and after a morning filming the Cottage as well as some gems from our collection, the crew were happy with their shoot. For many of our visitors it is the events programme that keeps them coming back and this year we have been presenting another successful series of talks with Donald Hunt. A regular audience now comes together for these, to enjoy both Donald’s musical knowledge and that of his guest speakers. I am delighted to announce that Donald has generously offered to run a further series for us in 2015, details of which can be found at the end of this piece. Looking ahead to 2015 we have almost finalised our event programme for the year. There is the usual mix of concerts, talks and exhibitions, as well as a few murder mystery evenings. Those of you with a good memory will remember our open painting competition from 2007 which was hugely successful. Next year we launch our second such competition and would very much welcome entries from Society members. Chosen works will be exhibited towards the end of next year and cash prizes will be awarded by our guest judge. For more details please contact Cathy at the Museum on Tel. 01905 333224. The David Birtwhistle Finally, I am delighted to report & John Harris exhibition on one further success story for the in the Carice Elgar Room. year. For the last few months we [Photo: Cathy Sloan] have been in negotiation with the local Highways Authority and Lower Broadheath Parish Council in an attempt to ‘brand’ the village as the ‘Birthplace of Sir Edward Elgar’. Agreement has been given and signs are currently being produced for the five plates that welcome you to the village on the

22 Elgar Society News From the Birthplace

various access routes. Each will contain the strapline above and serves as a fitting reminder of the affection that Elgar had for Lower Broadheath. As always, here is a reminder that if you are not able to visit us in the coming months why not log on to the Museum’s on–line shopping pages and browse the ‘shelves’ from the comfort of your own home? For full details of our comprehensive range of CDs, books, sheet music and delightful souvenirs for the keen Elgarian, go to the Shop pages of our website. Catherine Sloan (Museum Director) Family Events Programme

Four months ago, I started my ‘Skills for the Future’ traineeship at the Elgar Birthplace Museum. ‘Skills for the Future’ is a national scheme run by the Heritage Lottery Fund designed to provide high quality work–based training to equip people with the skills to pursue a career in heritage. I am one of seven trainees working in the county as part of the ‘Growing Worcestershire’s Treasures’ project. The main aim of my 15–month traineeship is to encourage children and families to visit the museum and to engage with Elgar’s life and work. It is really important that the museum tries to reach out to different audiences and to promote opportunities for new visitors to be inspired by our collection. Last year the previous trainee ran the Museum’s first comprehensive programme of events for families. I have taken on this project and have planned a range of events to bring families to the museum next year. I will be using various chapters of Elgar’s life as themes for the family events. In 2015, we will be travelling to Elgar’s holiday destinations, celebrating nature’s inspirational beauty and commemorating the First World War. This will involve lots of different activities from hands–on crafts workshops and cookery classes to live performances and even a travelling zoo. As well as aiding families to learn about Elgar, these events will also give children the opportunity to gain skills such as cooking and wildlife identification. Please do come and support us – everyone is welcome. Lily Dean, Graduate Trainee

No. 54 – December 2014 23 Dr Donald Hunt: illustrated talks

Tuesday 14 April 2015, 10:30 am ‘If Music and Sweet Poetry Agree’ with Donald Hunt English music inspired by poetry and a look at the music which has sprung from verse. Tuesday 12 May 2015, 10:30 am ‘Carl Nielsen – The “Danish Elgar”’ with Donald Hunt In the 150th anniversary of his birth an exploration of Nielsen’s life and music and comparisons with Elgar Tuesday 9 June 2015, 10:30 am ‘Three Symphonies and a ’ with Donald Hunt A look at Mozart’s last three symphonies and his much loved Requiem Tuesday 14 July 2015, 10:30 am With guest speaker Andrew Keener This distinguished recording producer will be taking a personal look at Sir Malcolm Sargent, the great conductor, organist and composer Tuesday 8 September 2015, 10:30 am With guest speaker Diana McVeagh, The renowned Elgar and Finzi scholar Tuesday 13 October 2015, 10:30 am ‘Rhapsody on Gershwin’ with Donald Hunt An affectionate look at the music of one of America’s most popular composers Tuesday 10 November 2015, 10:30 am ‘Elgar and Me!’ with Donald Hunt A personal journey through the music of Elgar All talks feature recorded and / or live performances. Tickets are £6.00 per talk or £36.00 for the series. Talks begin at 10:30 and end at approx. 12:15, with free interval drinks.

24 Elgar Society News Other Birthplace Events in 2015

Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 February Family musical instrument making workshops Drop in and create musical instruments in our recycling themed workshops. Get crafty creating colourful percussion instruments and join in the fun composing your own tunes. Free with Museum admission Sunday 1 March, 3:00pm Banish those Winter Blues Banish those winter blues and join young musicians for an afternoon of music making. Talented students from Worcestershire schools will perform a range of music from the more traditional pieces to songs from the shows. Tickets £7.50 to include refreshments Saturday 28 March Family WW1 day Family Day focussing on the music of the First World War. The day will include two performances by The Stringcredibles, from The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and a performance from Stagecoach, a local youth theatre group, entitled ‘Waste of War’. Free with Museum admission Wednesday 1 April Family wartime games and pastimes Activity workshop for families to learn about and create wartime games and pastimes amongst other activities, drawing upon the First World War theme. Free with Museum admission Thursday 14 to Saturday 16 May Museums at Night Join us as we team up with other local heritage attractions for evenings of murder mystery and mayhem. Tickets price to be confirmed Again, tickets are available from the Elgar Birthplace Museum by telephoning 01905 333224, from our website www.elgarmuseum.org, or by visiting us in Lower Broadheath, just 3 miles west of Worcester, off the A44.

No. 54 – December 2014 25 From the Birthplace Archive

The publication of the latest edition in the Elgar Collected Correspondence series has been long awaited by many. Darling Chuck brings together for the very first time all the known correspondence between Carice and her parents, and sheds new light on this most important of relationships. There are very few photographs of Carice smiling, in fact probably none at all from her childhood, yet despite the fact that she was sent as a boarder to a school hardly a couple of miles from home, we know that the relationship between father and daughter, especially, was warm and loving. And playful. The correspondence and the great wealth of other documents held at the Birthplace bears this out. Carice was often in on the jokes, the famous Elgarian japes, so that when she received a ‘letter’, supposedly from High School Hereford stating that the two prizes she’d received had been sent in error, could she please return them, and ‘pass on the respects of the whole school to your dear father’, she saw behind the thinly disguised handwriting and realised what was going on. Carice was often left at home while her parents were gallivanting around Europe, but Elgar made sure that she regularly received cards from himself and their new friends. ‘You must take care of the cards sent by dear Dr Richter and Siegfried Wagner,’ he wrote. Elgar had an almost endless number of ways of addressing Carice, Darling Chuck, the book’s title, being one of them. But we also have My Sweet Chuck and Dearest Chuck, My Darling Baby, My Child, My Dear Cheeild and even My Dear Cheeeiiiillddd. One envelope is addressed to ‘Peter Bunny–an Râht Esq Mus Bac, c/o Miss Carice Elgar’. And there are a couple of cards which don’t appear to have been sent, addressed to ‘Miss Kinckerfuss’ and ‘Diddle Dumpling Darling’. There is also a card addressed to ‘Miss N. Else, Craeg Lea, Wells Road, Malvern’ – a friend of Carice’s staying for the holidays? No. Turning the card over reveals another typically Elgarian joke:

‘Your name is Carice and nothing else’

[The card is reproduced overleaf]

Chris Bennett

26 Elgar Society News From the Birthplace Archive

Elgar Fun(d) Raisers

As I am retiring as a volunteer at the Elgar Birthplace Museum at the end of the year, the Fun(d) Raisers will be co–ordinated by another person. However, the following event will have taken place by the time you read this: A Christmas Flower Demonstration in the Carice Elgar Room at the Elgar Birthplace Museum on Friday, 21 November 2014 at 7.30. Our spring floral demonstration was a great success and we have been lucky to have the same excellent presenter again. The completed arrangements have been raffled and a lucky ticket draw held. Our Lottery is yielding a regular income for the Birthplace. May I urge all Elgar Society members to purchase at least one number at £12? This will give you a chance of winning £100, £50, £20 or £10 four times a year, and will, of course, help the Birthplace. For further details, please contact the Museum on 01905 333224. The Fun(d) Raisers’ programme for 2015 will appear in the next issue of the Elgar Society News. For myself, I have very much enjoyed working for the Museum and will still be giving talks and tours at the Birthplace, in addition to joining with Chris Bennett to present Elgar Study Days. Thank you again for your support. Wendy H Hill

No. 54 – December 2014 27 ‘Banksy’ comes to the Birthplace

Readers will remember that it was hoped that the two artists who had painted the murals of Elgar in Malvern, Lee Morris and Tom Brown, could be commissioned to produce a similar painting on the rear outside wall of the Carice Elgar Room at the Birthplace Museum. This has now been completed. The new mural depicts Elgar in not perfect control of ‘Mr Phoebus’, his bicycle. We feel that it shows Elgar’s sense of fun and yet is respectful to the great man. The three metre–high mural, titled Cycle d’amour, was funded jointly by the West Midlands Branch of the Elgar Society and the Kay Trust. It is now a focal point of the Museum’s family musical garden. Interviewed by the Malvern Gazette, Cathy Sloan, the Museum director, said: ‘It’s fantastic. Elgar was a keen cyclist. He had a couple of bikes, one called a Royal Sunbeam, and would cycle for miles. Often when cycling, music would come to him and, with the Tour of Britain coming through Worcester next week, we decided to put Elgar back on his bike. I think it really gets to the man Elgar was.’ Anyone who wishes to see the artwork can see it every day between 11am and 5pm. Richard Smith

Left: Chris Bennett attempts to emulate Sir Edward! The mural was designed by We Love Art.

Right: Cycle d’amour [Photo:Chris Bennett]

28 Elgar Society News Elgar and Cycling

Hundreds of people turned out in Malvern to see the Tour of Britain roll through as the town basked in sunshine. At about 11.15 on Wednesday 10 August, a rapturous crowd in Great Malvern greeted the cyclists as they wheeled their way through on their way to the finish in Bristol. The town’s famous composer also got in on the act, as the statue of Sir Edward Elgar sported knitted cycle–ware, while the Malvern Town Council office on Belle Vue Terrace displayed a large painting of the musician on a bicycle. Elgar was neatly dressed in a white T–shirt and cycling helmet, with bright green decoration. Picture and text from the Malvern Observer This is what I do

Robin Self, Secretary of the East Anglian Branch The Secretary Bird The usual functions of being a secretary, I suppose, although when I offered my services to the newly formed East Anglian Branch just over three years ago it was as Treasurer, but as that post had been filled I was persuaded to step in as Secretary, which I soon realised would actually stretch me somewhat, especially in my advancing years. I actually compiled a list of secretarial duties some time ago and I hadn’t realised just what the post of Secretary involved until then, but I managed to find fifteen categories in which I expect most of my fellow secretaries have also found themselves – including dealing with Branch correspondence, taking minutes at Branch committee meetings, promotion of the Branch and its activities, attracting new members, and booking our venue for the season’s meetings – but primarily locating speakers to enthral our members on at least seven/ eight occasions each season. However, compiling a list of the Branch members with addresses etc. is probably the most rewarding thing I do as it keeps me in touch with those nice people, and without them

No. 54 – December 2014 29 This is what I do

we would all look rather silly standing in front of rows of empty seats. Still, it is very uplifting to know that you have been part of an afternoon’s entertainment and that the members appreciate it as such. Just as a plea, if there are any speakers who have not enjoyed our hospitality and would like to come to the Branch to enlighten us, then please do get in contact with me as the contents of the speaker ‘barrel’ seems to be diminishing rapidly and we are about to compile our programme for the 2015/16 season. On a personal note, we, my wife Gill and I, moved to Framlingham in Suffolk from Essex fifteen years ago, and have not regretted a minute of it. Although access to London has become a lot more difficult, we still manage the odd concert in The Smoke, but as it is a round trip of nearly 200 miles the music, or rather the musician, has to be very special. The greatest conductor I saw live was without doubt Otto Klemperer, and there are no so–called ‘maestros’ nowadays who can compare with him, although there are two pianists, Stephen Kovacevich and , who I will still travel long distances to hear. I have also been an ardent Prommer for most of my musical life. I attended my first Prom in 1958 and have not missed a season since, but I now limit myself to one Prom per year. One of my musical heroes is Sir Malcolm Sargent, incidentally a very fine Elgarian, but I expect he would be turning in his grave if he could see the commercialisation and unruliness of the Last Night, and the Proms in general, now! I am very fortunate to live within twenty minutes of , which must be in one of the most beautiful concert hall settings in the country. There are often concerts in the Festival and the Snape Proms, and at other times during the year, that are well worth attending and some outstanding musicians do regularly appear there. I must confess that I don’t play an instrument of any kind but just listen to ‘classical’ music as often as I can, live or on disc. Gill and I share a love of great art and spent a few days in Delft in September from where we were able to visit the Mauritshuis in

30 Elgar Society News This is what I do

The Hague and the newly reopened Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, including a feast of Rembrandt. He is for me what Beethoven is in my musical pantheon. I too have some hobbies, including photography, which always takes precedence whenever we go away (my camera is the first thing to be packed) and also philately: even though I have been collecting since 1948, I can now only afford to buy and collect British stamps. Last and certainly not least, I have a strong Christian faith and have had since the early 1960s, not long before I was confirmed in the Church of England in 1967. Gill shares my faith with me and we worship regularly at St Lawrence’s, Brundish, a small village church near here where the fellowship and friendliness of all the parishioners is exceptional. And with all this activity, not to mention an occasional round of golf – although was and still is my first love, even though I have not played now for thirteen years – I manage to fit in the Elgar Society. The music of Elgar and Sibelius are my first loves with Beethoven sitting above them as my ultimate musical god. Elgar in Germany

Meinhard Saremba, one of the members of the Elgar Society in Germany, is organising an Elgar Weekend in the beautiful city of Bamberg on 17–19 April next year. There will be a concert on the Saturday evening with a programme including performances of the , the and the Sea Pictures. There will be a showing of John Bridcut’s award–winning documentary on Elgar, The Man behind the Mask, and of ’s Gerontius, recorded in St Paul’s Cathedral, and readings from Alice’s and Edward’s diaries. The event is receiving support from the Elgar Society as part of its Elgar in Performance scheme, which promotes performances of Elgar’s works in this country and abroad. It is also being supported by the Elgar Family Charity Trust. The weekend is one of three events publicising British music being organised by Meinhard, who is the Business Manager of the German Sullivan Society. Apart from his interest in the music of Arthur

No. 54 – December 2014 31 Elgar in Germany

Sullivan, Meinhard is a devotee of Elgar’s music and has published articles and monographs on Elgar. He has also produced several programmes for German radio, including an interview recently with , and a programme about British music before and during the First World War. I am compiling a list of contacts in Germany so would appreciate e–mail or postal addresses of any individuals or organisations that you think may be interested in receiving information about the Bamberg event or future Elgar activities in Germany, Austria or German–speaking Switzerland. There is now a website in Germany, dedicated solely to news and information about Elgar. It is run by Elgar Society member Wolfgang–Armin Rittmeier and can be found at: www.edwardelgar. de. Apart from publicising concerts in Germany that include Elgar performances, Wolfgang is translating relevant items from the News and Journal, and providing a service for German music lovers who are just starting to discover Elgar and need information in their own language. These are welcome signs of the recent increasing interest in Germany in Elgar’s music. There is some way to go before Elgar regains the high reputation he had in Germany after the two brilliant Düsseldorf performances of Gerontius in 1900 and 1901. But they are a start! Geoff Scargill

32 Elgar Society News A memory of Sir Charles Mackerras

On 10 August 2014 the ‘featured artist’ of the BBC Radio 3 Sunday Morning programme was Sir Charles Mackerras. The presenter, James Jolly, asked any listeners who had personal anecdotes about him to send them in. I submitted my recollection of my encounter with him, which was broadcast at the end of the programme. Here is a slightly fuller version. In 2007 my husband Peter wrote a play about Elgar (Elgar and Alice), which toured to several places with Elgarian connections, including a theatre in Hampstead. He contacted musicians including Charles Mackerras (then a Vice–President of the Society) with an offer of tickets. I had not known about this and am not in the habit of fielding phone calls from international conductors, so was stunned when Mackerras himself rang to ask for tickets for one of the Hampstead performances. Having recovered myself and taken the relevant details, I offered to post him the tickets. ‘No, no,’ he replied, ‘don’t bother to do that; we’ll collect them.’ When the time came I kept a look out and saw him and Lady Mackerras, holding hands and rather nervously crossing the road, having come by bus. I gave him the tickets, and he was grateful, charming, friendly and appreciative. After the performance he sought me out specially to say how much he had enjoyed it, before he and Lady M departed for the bus home; and he subsequently wrote a most charming letter to Peter. He left me with the impression of a thoroughly nice, unpretentious person, whose status as an internationally acclaimed artist did not prevent him from treating all people with equal respect. Angela Sutton Elgar Society Medal Presentation

As reported by Steven Halls in the August News, the Elgar Medal awarded to Sir Colin Davis was presented to Sheida Davis in June. Sir Colin was informed about the medal in 2012 when Steven Halls wrote to him just before he was taken ill, but he was sadly unable to accept the medal in person before his death in April 2013. The medal was presented to Sheida, Sir Colin’s daughter, by the Society’s President, Julian Lloyd Webber, at a dinner hosted by Philip Petchey. Helen Petchey

(Photograph overleaf)

No. 54 – December 2014 33 Elgar Society Medal Presentation

The medal presentation in the King Edward VII Room at the Oxford and Cambridge Club. From left to right are: Helen Petchey, Julian Lloyd Webber, Sheida Davis, Steven Halls. [Photo: Owen Hanmer]

Donald Hunt Forty years in Worcester There was music in the air on Saturday, 18 October 2014, as the wind sang its way through the streets of Worcester. As nature performed outside, inside the Cathedral music makers celebrated Donald Hunt’s 40 years of ‘the sheer joy of being involved in the culture of this lovely city and this beautiful house of worship.’ Donald’s own work A Song of Joy, a setting of Psalm 110, began the celebration. Supported by the English Symphony Orchestra, the Elgar Chorale and Worcester Cathedral Chamber Choir gave full voice to ‘Serve the Lord with gladness and come before his face with songs of joy’. This work was followed by ’s haunting Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, preceded by an extract from the original theme sung by the choir. The first half of the programme ended with the ‘Enigma’ Variations by Elgar; a vibrant performance from Donald and the ESO. After the interval the assembled forces performed Elgar’s Music Makers, an appropriate piece to fill the sacred space. The soloist in this was Catherine Wyn–Rogers. Her voice, filled with warmth,

34 Elgar Society News Forty years in Worcester

depth and compassion, brought us in touch with Elgar’s own words. ‘In creating or in contemplating the unending influence of his creation the artist suffers. Yes suffers: this is the only word I dare use; for even the highest ecstasy of “making” is mixed with the consciousness of the sombre dignity of the artist’s responsibility.’ Perhaps a sentiment shared by Donald, as an organist and previous Master of the Choristers at the Cathedral, Principal of the Elgar Chorale and Elgar School of Music, champion of the Birthplace Museum and husband, father, and friend to so many. Text and Photo: Joan Roche …and from someone who sang with Donald I was honoured to be asked to join the Elgar Chorale for Donald Hunt’s final concert in Worcester Cathedral on 18 October. Donald has been involved in music making in the Worcester area for nearly forty years, and his commitment to the Elgar cause is a long and honourable one. At the Worcester Three Choirs Festival in 1984 – the 50th anniversary of Elgar’s death – Donald conducted and in the same day, an event never before achieved. He has given numerous talks, recitals and concerts, particularly recently to aid the Birthplace. Donald recorded Elgar’s church music and part–songs for Hyperion; many of these works had never been recorded before. The Elgar Chorale is a chamber choir, and extra voices were needed to fill the larger acoustic of the cathedral. Some of Donald’s former choristers returned to swell the ranks. Half of the programme was Elgar: the Variations before the interval, and after. I had never sung it before, but it is a particular favourite of Donald. The body of the nave was full, and many Elgarians were there, including members of the Scottish Branch! The applause at the end was loud and long, and I’m sure all Elgarians will wish Donald a long, happy, and well–deserved retirement. Geoff Hodgkins

No. 54 – December 2014 35 Two new Elgar recordings...

New CD from our President Members will be glad to have advance notice of a new CD from Naxos due in February/ March with our President, Julian Lloyd Webber, conducting the English Chamber Orchestra. The title is And the Bridge is Love, taken from the piece which is included. Elgar features prominently – , Introduction and Allegro, Serenade for Strings and the two Chansons – plus works by etc. Much of this programme was played at Julian’s farewell concert as a cellist on 2 May in Malvern – see August News page 17 – and will be repeated at a concert which Julian is conducting at Cheltenham Town Hall on 18 June 2015. Geoff Scargill/ Ernie Kay Somm Records, who with Elgar Society sponsorship produced the highly successful recording of Elgar’s Powick music, have now issued a new recording of Elgar’s Binyon settings. The Chairman’s Message – see earlier in this News – gives further news about this.

The Spirit of England, With Proud Thanksgiving and Carillon have been recorded before, but the complete incidental music for Arthur – A Tragedy, played by the Orchestra of St Paul’s, conducted by Ben Palmer, is a première recording. This part of the CD is again sponsored by our Society, using funds from the Kay Trust, in memory of Margaret and Kathy Kay. This unique new release not only commemorates the outbreak of World War I through the music of Sir Edward Elgar, but also celebrates the poetry of Laurence Binyon (1869–1943), a writer whose work should be more widely known. It is possible that in ‘’ Binyon wrote the best known verse of the war: They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

36 Elgar Society News Two new Elgar recordings...

The poem was written at the end of August 1914 during the retreat from Mons by the British Army. Binyon recognizes the challenges, hardship and struggle the ordinary British soldier will face in the years to come. Between 1915 and 1917 Elgar set three of Binyon’s poems to music for soloist (usually soprano), chorus and orchestra, all of which were drawn from his anthology of poems The Winnowing Fan, published in December 1914. The three poems set by Elgar were ‘For the Fallen’, ‘To Women’ and ‘The Fourth of August’, grouped under the title The Spirit of England, from the opening line of ‘The Fourth of August’. In composing these three settings Elgar offered a work of solace, hope and support during the dark days that were to come. In this disc is also included Elgar’s re–working of ‘For the Fallen’ for the unveiling of the Cenotaph in London in 1920. Sadly, this was never played at the time. Originally arranged for chorus and military band by Frank Winterbottom, With Proud Thanksgiving is recorded here in Elgar’s version for chorus and orchestra. Elgar collaborated with Binyon once again in 1923 when he composed incidental music for Binyon’s play Arthur. Elgar composed this for the pit band of the Old Vic theatre, which amounted to no more than fourteen players. The short run of this play about the last days of King Arthur was produced by Lilian Baylis. In 1942, during World War II, Binyon looked back on his relationship with Elgar and forward to the time when the bells would ring in England again signifying peace. Carillon, his poem for reciter and orchestra, is recorded here by the renowned actor Simon Callow in Elgar’s original setting from 1914. Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/siva–oke/the–spirit–of–england

from Somm press release, Siva Oke – and Ernie Kay

No. 54 – December 2014 37 ... and two new Books

Elgar’s Collected Correspondence A new eagerly–awaited volume in the Elgar Correspondence series edited by Martin Bird was published on 13 November. Entitled Darling Chuck, it covers extensively the letters to and from Elgar’s daughter Carice. See also Chris Bennett’s article ‘From the Birthplace Archive’ above. Priced at £40 plus postage, the book is available to ES members at £35 all–inclusive via the Elgar Birthplace. Life without Elgar: A Tale of a Journeying Soul One of our West Midlands Branch members, Ann Merivale, has published a book which has just become available at the Elgar Birthplace Museum, and will be sold at a profit to the museum. During a regression to find out the reason for the unusual emotional attachment that she’d had since the age of sixteen to Sir Edward Elgar – both his music and the man himself – she was knocked for six at finding herself in the life of Helen Weaver, his first fiancée. One year on, following a meeting held at Plâs Gwyn, in the very room that had been Elgar’s study from 1904–11, a series of letters between Edward Elgar and Helen Weaver started writing themselves in her head. Gradually, and on the advice of colleagues, she decided that this ‘imaginary correspondence’ should form the middle section of a book devoted to her personal experiences. The first part is autobiographical, showing how she came to her present beliefs, and the third part (also somewhat autobiographical) draws conclusions about healing. The book has the dual aim of introducing spiritual subjects to musical people who are unfamiliar with them, and introducing Elgar to spiritually minded people who know little or nothing about him. As Ann wrote to the compilers:

I am a writer, regression therapist and counsellor, and my sixth book is due out in October. Please note that I shall be selling it at profit to the Birthplace. All my books are very different from one another, and I can guarantee that this one is also very different from any other book in which Elgar figures prominently. The eleven people who have written endorsements for it include Simon Rees, Lucy Bowen

38 Elgar Society News ... and two new Books

and Humphrey Burton (who describes it as ‘a novel approach to biography and a daring one’). It is a short book containing numerous photographs, and I think that Elgar lovers should find it both enjoyable and interesting even if it tells them nothing new about HIM! It is also a good introduction to the interesting and useful therapy that I practice. Priced at £9.99, it will be out in plenty of time for Christmas, so if you are stuck for presents for those less familiar with ‘our beloved’, it could serve them as an introduction to various aspects of his life and music.

As always, both the CDs and books are available from the Elgar Birthplace Museum.

‘The Hut’ at Bray up for sale

Alan Machin has drawn our attention to the sale of ‘The Hut’, Frank Schuster’s country home at Bray near Maidenhead. To remind you, Schuster was a great friend of Elgar and often played host to him in his beautiful house overlooking the Thames alongside Monkey Island. It was in these peaceful surroundings that Elgar wrote parts of The Kingdom, and the Violin and Cello Concertos. In 1910 the violinist W.H. ‘Billy’ Reed recorded: ‘It was not very long before I received an urgent summons to go there. The slow movement and the first movement of the Concerto were almost finished; and the Coda was ready. Could I therefore come and play them with him? When we were tired of playing, or if Sir Edward wanted to go out in the air for a change, the fiddle was laid in its case and we went off together, strolling about the riverbank, watching the small fish in the water and enjoying the quiet beauty of the place.’ Apart from being visited by Elgar, Schuster (to whom Edward dedicated ) also hosted Gabriel Fauré, Siegfried Sassoon, George Bernard Shaw, Arnold Bennett, Osbert Sitwell and Walter Sickert.

No. 54 – December 2014 39 ‘The Hut’ at Bray up for sale

If you have a spare £2.25 million, why not put in an offer for the house, known as ‘The Long White Cloud’ since 1927? Richard Smith

News in brief Elgar’s Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 10 October 2014

It is great news to find that Peter Oundjian, the Music Director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, in his second year with the Orchestra, says in his programme notes that ‘Elgar is a composer who is very close to my heart!’ Historically, since that great Elgarian, Sir Alexander Gibson’s time, the RSNO has played very little of Elgar’s music at all, as opposed to the wonderful Scottish Symphony Orchestra who are great champions of Sir Edward’s work. It is therefore excellent to see no fewer than four Elgar pieces in the RSNO Friday concerts this season; starting with Elgar’s Cello Concerto. This was a magnificent performance by the RSNO, Peter Oundjian and soloist Aleksei Kiseliov, the orchestra’s Principal cellist, who gave the work its full range of nostalgia and virtuosity … as Elgar said, ‘a work which is large … and alive’. The other three Elgar works in the RSNO programme this season are:– the ‘Enigma’ Variations and the Introduction & Allegro in November, and The Dream of Gerontius on 29 May 2015 with Sarah Connolly, Toby Spence and Alan Opie. Paul Bassett

40 Elgar Society News News in brief

Joyce Greig – an obituary

We are sorry to report the death of Joyce Greig, who had many friends in the Society. Joyce was born in 1931 in Edmonton, the daughter of a bus driver and a dressmaker. Her mother taught her to make her own clothes and ever thereafter Joyce was always immaculately dressed. She won a scholarship to Latymer School. Having acquired fluent Spanish, she became what would now be called the PA to the Managing Director of Rio Tinto. She married John in 1956 and they had two daughters, Hilary and Alison. (For some years, Hilary used to be the Minutes Secretary to the Society Council.) Joyce and John lived first in Surrey and then in Kent as John pursued his career in Public Health. She worked in the administration of the Health Service but also found time to organise, among other bodies, the Folkestone Inner Wheel. As John pointed out, her forte was organisation. Members will recall the very successful weekend to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Society of which Wendy Hill and John led the organising Committee. Joyce did a great deal of work to help make that event run smoothly. Her particular role was welcoming the Society’s guests and she had particularly happy memories of meeting Dame Janet Baker and Lady Barbirolli. We send John and his family our sympathy in their loss. St John’s Church, Barham, was full on 29 October for her memorial service. John always concluded his talks on Elgar by playing a recording of Mina and it was appropriate leaving that beautiful church to that magical work, and into the somehow friendly Kentish drizzle. Philip Petchey Frank Shipway – an obituary

The conductor Frank Shipway died in August at the age of 79 as a result of a car crash near his home in Wiltshire. Though not a household name, he was a considerable musical talent, and conducted one of the more memorable Elgar performances of my experience. In 1974, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of the Forest Philharmonic Society, of which he was conductor, Shipway presided over a performance of The Dream of Gerontius in the . The soloists were Richard Lewis, John Shirley Quirk and Anna Reynolds (a much underrated mezzo, who sang

No. 54 – December 2014 41 News in brief

in Wagner’s Ring under Karajan – Shipway’s mentor – in Salzburg and New York). A friend of mine who sang in the London Concord Singers (the semi–chorus) asked me to join them for Gerontius. The rehearsal schedule was daunting, and any absence had to be accounted for: but the end result was magnificent. When Shipway came on the stage at the beginning of a rehearsal he would be looking at the floor, unsmiling, apparently deep in thought, wearing a coloured nylon shirt and with a cashmere sweater draped around his shoulders. (The shirt was always changed during the interval – and always to a totally different colour, so that one could not fail to notice the difference!) obituary rightly called him ‘... an irrepressible showman, who would sometimes walk off the stage mid–rehearsal to calm his temper’. Often Shipway would unerringly pick on a weak or nervous player and get them to play on their own. Yet amateur musicians continued to play and sing for him as he was so inspirational. As the Daily Telegraph obituary quite rightly stated: ‘His dynamic personality inspired his orchestral musicians to create music of a quality they had scarcely imagined’. Frank Shipway had (semi) retired to Malvern, but after a few years moved to Wiltshire in 2009. His abrasive manner would have caused ructions with professional musicians, which is why he never obtained the fame which his talent almost certainly deserved. Geoff Hodgkins

Radio 4 Desert Island Discs – 12 October 2014

Sir Roy Strong’s choices included Crown Imperial by and also the opening of Elgar’s ‘Enigma’ Variations. Sir Roy spoke movingly of his love of the ballet of the ‘Enigma’ (designed by his late wife, Julia Trevelyan Oman).

His luxury was his custom–built tricycle and his book choice was The Oxford Encyclopaedia of Gardens (his garden, ‘The Laskett’, is mentioned in this book). As for the one record he would choose to save, this was – the ‘Enigma’ Variations! Wendy H Hill

42 Elgar Society News News in brief

(Readers may not know that the ballet version of the ‘Enigma’ Variations was choreographed by Sir Frederick Ashton and premiered by the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House in London on 25 October 1968 – Compilers).

Who is your favourite British composer?

That was the question BBC Music and Countryfile magazines put to their readers in October. It’s gratifying to note that Elgar came top of the poll with 22.5% of the total votes, closely followed by Vaughan Williams at 22%. As for the rest of the ten composers readers could choose from, Britten came in at 14.5%, Purcell at 10.5%, Tavener at 7.5% and Byrd at 6.5%. Holst and Tallis scored 5.5% each, Delius 3.5%, and Bax brought up the rear with 2%. From www.classical–music.com – and Peter James

Delius Society

The Elgar Society has a reciprocal agreement with the Delius Society, whereby we offer each other’s members a reduced subscription of 50% for the first year of membership. Contact Membership Secretary Paul Chennell: [email protected] The London Branch meets six or seven times between September and March, usually at The Conference Suite, St Giles Hotel, Bedford Avenue, London, WC1B 3GH. The meetings take the form of talks, interviews, recitals, and film shows. Delius is the usual theme, but one event per year is usually devoted to another composer or musician, generally one of his contemporaries. The meetings usually begin at 7.15pm, and last until 9.30 pm. The Midland Branch organises its own programme of meetings which are usually held in the Derby area at weekends. Details can be found on the Delius Society website: www.delius.org.uk

No. 54 – December 2014 43 Branch Reports

Branch chairmen and the Branches The Branch Chairmen meet twice a year to pool ideas for the development of the Society in the Branches and to receive reports of policy decisions by the Executive and the Council which need action at Branch level. We have recently been discussing how we can increase membership of the Society in the light of the Council’s decision to establish a free membership scheme through Branch initiatives and are pleased that the Elgar Executive has recommended the re–introduction of membership cards as a result of Branch representations.

There are now nine Branches in Britain: East Anglia, Scottish, North West, Yorkshire and the North East, West Midlands, East Midlands, South West, Southern, and London. There is also a North American Branch for members in Canada and the USA and, as you can see from a separate report, there are plans to set up a new Branch in Germany next year. The regular Branch meetings give Elgarians the opportunity to meet during the year to listen to talks about the man and his music and share good company. Attendances during the year total well over a thousand. (Non–members of the Society are very welcome at meetings and there is no charge so you could bring a friend.) If you’d like more information about your nearest Branch please get in touch with its secretary – contact details are on the back page of this copy of the Elgar News. Geoff Scargill

Left: Members of the East Anglia Branch outside ’s house at

44 Elgar Society News Branch Reports

EAST ANGLIA: In July, members, spouses and friends of the East Anglia Branch of the Society made an organised visit to Britten’s home, ‘The Red House’, on the edge of Aldeburgh, Suffolk, the home he shared with his lifetime partner, , for the last two decades of his (Britten’s) life; he died in December 1976. Seventeen of us experienced a private visit to the house, including the library gallery where there is a new exhibition of the amazing collection introducing Britten and his music to the uninitiated and answering the questions, what kind of music did he write, how did he become a composer, and why did Aldeburgh mean so much to him? – seeing that he was born in Lowestoft in 1913, about 30 miles to the north of Aldeburgh. Also to be seen was the library and Britten’s studio where he composed such masterpieces as the War Requiem. His desk, piano and other items have been put back in their original positions, which gave the place a feel of him having only just left the room. The large gardens are a delight, and we all spent some time enjoying the peace, flowers and sunshine that blessed our visit. After leaving ‘The Red House’, we all adjourned to the Wentworth Hotel on Aldeburgh seafront for an excellent lunch and, judging by the comments of those present, the visit and lunch were a great success. Robin Self The East Anglian Branch met on 4 October, our first meeting since July, when we had listened to Paul Adrian Rooke’s talk on Falstaff, and later that month enjoyed a summer outing to ‘The Red House’ in Aldeburgh. Our speaker, Peter Avis, remarked that he had not been to Bury St Edmunds for nearly 50 years and how things had changed in that time, not least to the Cathedral. I admit to being ignorant of the subject of his discourse, Rosa Newmarch, ‘our never to be forgotten friend’, but by the end of the afternoon I was intrigued by this woman, and I thought you could call her the John Peel of her time, tirelessly promoting the musical works of Russian, Finnish and Bohemian composers. Peter illustrated his talk with musical excerpts which gave his audience an opportunity to hear some seldom heard works. I am not convinced Rosa admired

No. 54 – December 2014 45 Branch Reports

the English music composed during her lifetime, but Edward Elgar had written to her to ask if he could set to music two poems Rosa had translated. These were published in 1914: Love’s Tempest and Death on the Hills. A thoroughly enjoyable talk illustrating the difficulties encounted as a composer in bringing their work to audiences across Europe in the early 20th century. We look forward to our next meeting on 1 November, but sadly, because of difficulties securing our regular venue, we will not meet again until 7 February 2015. Bev Simpson EAST MIDLANDS: As of October 2014, sixteen months on from the re–formation of the East Midlands Branch, members in this part of the Elgar world can look back on a year of outstanding talks and live music, concluded in memorable fashion by Dr Steven Halls’ talk at the end of June. Looking at our programme for the forthcoming year, we are hoping to repeat that experience. The committee have tried to provide a balance of topics to appeal to classical music– lovers generally, so occasionally the name ‘Elgar’ does not appear in the title of our meeting. We hope people will still attend! For details, please see our entry on the Elgar Society website or in the pages of this excellent magazine. Those unfamiliar with the city of Leicester, where currently we hold our meetings, now have another good reason for visiting, quite apart from what the East Midlands Branch offers. A certain Plantagenet king has been much in the news over the last two years, and the Richard III Centre opened during the summer. It is situated centrally, almost adjacent to one of our venues (St Martin’s House) and very close to another (The Garden Room of the Unitarian Chapel). A visit to the Centre (www.kriii.com for details of hours etc.) in the morning and attending our meeting in the afternoon would not be a bad way of spending a Saturday. You might even be able to fit in a concert in the evening. With seasons in Leicester by the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Bardi Symphony Orchestra, the Leicester Symphony Orchestra, the Knighton Chamber Orchestra and several outstanding choirs, classical music is thriving here. The late Lord Attenborough lent his name to our other venue, a multi–purpose arts and cultural centre,

46 Elgar Society News Branch Reports where concerts and recitals are often held, in addition to the well– known De Montfort Hall. We draw our audiences from a wide area beyond Leicestershire, including Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Rutland and Warwickshire. As soon as affordable and suitable venues become available in any of these counties we look forward to holding meetings there. Members and visitors from all parts of the country and abroad are welcome at any of our meetings. Howard Newton LONDON: The new season started in fine style in October with a champagne and canapé reception, kindly hosted by our member Andrew Bainbridge to celebrate his 80th birthday and to mark 80 years since Elgar’s death. This was followed by a talk on Elgar and Stanford by Jeremy Dibble. Professor Dibble arguably knows more about Stanford than anyone else, so he was the ideal person to talk about the ‘vexed relationship’ between the two composers. He provided the background to Stanford’s life and led us to re–assess the popular view that much of the fault lay with Stanford. Later the same week a party of Branch members attended a concert at the Royal Festival Hall to hear Alisa Weilerstein play Elgar’s Cello Concerto – a performance which most found very enjoyable while still providing food for discussion. The Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Nicholas Collon, then played Vaughan Williams’s Third Symphony (A Pastoral Symphony), a work which emerged from World War I and which will repay repeated listening. Meetings will begin again on 6 February, when Sir Mark Elder will be talking to us about his work. Please remember that this is a Friday evening, not our usual Monday. Ruth Hellen NORTH AMERICAN: Next year’s North American Branch annual conference will take place in Indianapolis, Indiana, on 12–15 March 2015. A highlight of the week will be the chance to meet Maestro Raymond Leppard, who will be conducting the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. The occasion will give our members a chance to spend time with Maestro Leppard who at 86 should have many tales to tell.

No. 54 – December 2014 47 Branch Reports

The concert will comprise: Mendelssohn Overture to Ruy Blas Sibelius Symphony No. 7 Elgar Excerpts from Wand of Youth Elgar Elgar Cockaigne (In London Town) Weekend events will include the usual amalgam of concerts, scholars’ papers, sightseeing and all–round Elgarian bonhomie. All are welcome. Please feel free to contact Arthur Reynolds at [email protected] for details. Arthur Reynolds NORTH WEST: A tradition has grown up in the North West Branch that the aficionados who suffer from withdrawal symptoms during the ‘close season’ meet during July for an informal evening at the Ship Inn in the beautiful village of Styal in Cheshire. This year’s evening was very well attended and gave us all a boost to carry us over to the new season. During the summer a group of members, not only committee members, met to discuss ways of developing the Branch. The resulting report contains many exciting ideas, some of which have already been implemented. New publicity material, much of it designed by the Vice–Chairman, David Jones, includes a portable notice board (an idea borrowed from the East Anglian Branch) and a Welcome Pack of information about the Branch, the Elgar Society and the Birthplace for first visitors to our meetings. At the time of going to press only one meeting of the new season has been held: a talk on Elgar and Germany by the Branch Chairman (Alice and Edward always referred to themselves in the third person in their diaries!), which it would not be appropriate to comment on here. The new season’s programme, planned by our Secretary, Pat Hurst, has many goodies in it, including a talk on ‘Elgar in Yorkshire’, by Philip Scowcroft, a committee member of our sister Branch, Yorkshire and the North East. One of the pleasing features over the last months has been the close contact between the two Branches, so Philip is sure to have a friendly reception and will, we hope, bring a few colleagues from across the Pennines. We are also very much looking forward to our lunch marking the move of the Branch to its Manchester base at the Royal Northern

48 Elgar Society News Branch Reports

College of Music thirty years ago. The guest of honour and speaker will be the Society’s Chairman, Steven Halls. Geoff Scargill SCOTTISH: Our September Branch meeting opened with live music from Branch members Ernest Laing (violin) and his wife Olive (piano), who entitled their theme ‘There is music in the midst of desolation – Laurence Binyon – Music Memoirs’. In testimony to the anniversary of World War One, Ernest shared a very personal and moving memory of his mother who was Belgian. The music they presented so well included Mackenzie’s Benedictus and Berceuse, Elgar’s Carissima and also Sospiri, and we look forward to hearing Ernest and Olive again soon. The meeting concluded with the visit of Dr Martin Firth who gave us his audio–visual presentation ‘Aspects of Nostalgia and “Englishness” in Elgar’s Cello Concerto’. He was Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of West of England, and is an experienced organist and conductor. He explored a work which is not only one of Elgar’s most popular, but also one of the best–known in all English music, to consider that perceived ‘Englishness’ and the vein of nostalgia which is central to its appeal. In a talk packed with historical references to the concept of Englishness and Nationalism, Martin looked at the influences on Elgar’s composition of Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms, and how German influences pervade the composers of the English Renaissance, and suggested that Elgar’s chief source of nostalgia surrounds his engagement to Helen Weaver. Martin concluded by playing the Cello Concerto on CD and remarking on the features which he had discussed, as it continued. This was a most comprehensive examination of a fascinating subject and very well presented. At the time of writing we await our November meeting with great expectations! Our final meeting of 2014 brings the very welcome return of Professor Paul Banks, with his wonderful presentation ‘Life at the in the 1890s’. Paul, Professor of Historical Musicology and Head of Special Collections at the RCM, will make particular reference to Cheltenham–born composer who attended the RCM on a scholarship (1893–98). There he studied composition with Charles Villiers Stanford, and in 1895 met fellow student Ralph Vaughan Williams, who became

No. 54 – December 2014 49 Branch Reports

a lifelong friend. Drawing on original documents, Paul will explore the environment in which Holst studied, the College’s history and ethos, the musical and social environment, and some of the staff and students he met there. This meeting will also feature live music from Malcolm Goodare (cello) and Stuart Montgomery (piano), who will play the transcription of Elgar’s Cello Concerto … a wonderful treat to look forward to! Malcolm will be playing this piece again on 1 February 2015, with the orchestra of Scottish Sinfonia under the baton of Branch Patron Neil Mantle, in Edinburgh. Our January meeting will be our AGM, and will see the return of Society Chairman Steven Halls to talk on ‘Elgar’s Brinkwells Music’, on Saturday 17 January 2015 at 2.00pm in St Mark’s Unitarian Church, Castle Terrace, Edinburgh. Paul Bassett SOUTHERN: After a summer break and in the absence of Dr John Harcup through illness, we were indebted to Wendy Hill for her lively and informative talk in September about ‘Some of Elgar’s Dedicatees and the music they inspired’. It was fascinating to recognise the connections between Elgar and his many friends known and unknown, as well as famous musicians. Thank you Wendy for standing in! In October, Geoff Scargill visited us again and in his talk traced the many visits and contacts Elgar made to Germany, especially his love of Wagner music. As the First World War came, Elgar’s reputation in Germany declined, but Geoff spoke of the recent revival in interest of Elgar’s work and we realised the important part Geoff Scargill has played in reviving this appreciation of Elgar’s music. Later in October, the Branch hosted another meeting in Winchester which was well attended by those in the western part of the Southern region and Ian Lace spoke of ‘Elgar and Delius – Triumphs and Tragedies’. In 2015, two events will again be held at Winchester. We wonder if other Branches also have difficulty in finding venues easily accessed by the disabled? On 22 November, Andrew Keener will give us insights into the world of recording classical music and his collaboration with leading labels including the Hallé Orchestra’s own label. His talk will be

50 Elgar Society News Branch Reports followed by our AGM when we hope to fill some of the vacancies in the team that makes these meetings happen. Christine Walters SOUTH WESTERN: Our talk in June was from Dr Martin Firth, formerly Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of the West of England. He is an experienced conductor of the works of Elgar. He took as his starting point that Sir Edward Elgar is recognized as the most ‘English’ of British composers, yet defining those qualities that make him so has proved hugely challenging to many writers. Dr Firth explored aspects of this elusive concept from various standpoints – reception, history, cultural, political and musical. He contextualised these observations through an examination of the Cello Concerto – a work which is not only one of Elgar’s most popular, but one of the best known in all English music – to consider that perceived ‘Englishness’ and the vein of nostalgia which is central to its appeal. On 13 September Michael Butterfield led a walk round Elgar’s Malvern. We started at the Birthplace Museum where we were welcomed by Chris Bennet; then we lunched at the Mount Pleasant Hotel in Malvern where our guests were Hilary Elgar and Brenda Watson. After lunch we explored Malvern, taking in many Elgarian sites. Our guests joined us for the walk and were able to contribute significantly to our appreciation of the sites. We all went to Birchwood where the Vockinses hosted a splendid tea party, and then we returned to Malvern to see Craeg Lea, the Elgar graves, and, for the energetic, the British Camp. We were sad that Dr John Harcup was unable to join us for the first talk of the new season as a result of health problems. Michael Butterfield was preparing a talk on ‘Elgar and the Three Choirs Festival’ for U3A Thornbury, so he was asked to give this talk on 27 September. There was an audience of twenty for this event. The talk covered the influence of the Festival on the young Elgar as well as the works that he composed specially for it, and others of his works with a significant Festival link. The presentation included correspondence and amusing anecdotes relating to the Festival. We look forward to John Norris’s visit on 25 October when he will discuss The Spirit of England, and to our final talk of the year on 22 November when our Chairman, Dr Christopher Redwood,

No. 54 – December 2014 51 Branch Reports

will compare and contrast three English composers all of whom died exactly 80 years ago. Our year will end with our customary Christmas party. Michael Butterfield WEST MIDLANDS: We were delighted to welcome our visitors and friends from other Branches to two Society events which we hosted at the annual Three Choirs Festival, this time held in Worcester. The first was a lecture given jointly by Andrew Lyle and Barry Collett on the recording of Elgar’s music which he composed for the Powick lunatic asylum. The second was our Society Lunch at which our President, Julian Lloyd Webber, was guest speaker. Both events are covered in more detail elsewhere in this issue. On Saturday, 20 September, Dr Daniel Grimley, Professor of Music at Merton College, Oxford, talked on Elgar’s landscape. His lecture gave a fascinating insight into how the English landscape had affected Elgar and how he challenged the idea of ‘Englishness’. He also briefly covered Elgar’s only ballet, , including extracts from this little–known but delightful work. Shortly afterwards, on 4 October, one of our Vice–Presidents, Donald Hunt, gave us a masterful talk on the Composers of Gloucestershire as part of our joint event with the Autumn in Malvern Festival. It is amazing to think that Gloucestershire was the birthplace of, in no particular order, Hubert Parry, Gustav Holst, , Ivor Gurney, and, of course, Ralph Vaughan Williams. Donald mentioned these, and others, together with an extract from each of their works. The audience was especially delighted to hear Donald’s personal recollections of some of these great men. Later, on 18 October, Donald celebrated 40 years of music making in Worcester with a concert at the Cathedral, including the ‘Enigma’ Variations and the Music Makers with Catherine Wyn–Rogers as soloist. Previously, on Friday 10 October, we took part in a ‘jaunt’, organised by Ernie Kay, to the two Worcester Medical Museums, with particular reference to Elgar’s time at Powick. Sadly, very little remains of the original asylum buildings at Powick, but the Infirmary Museum does contain a small but excellent photographic exhibition of the hospital, which covered a large area.

52 Elgar Society News Branch Reports

By the time you read this, one of our committee members, Ian Morgan, will have given his talk on Samuel Coleridge–Taylor in our joint event with Worcester Recorded Music on 1 November. Our final event of the year, on 13 December, will be John Drysdale discussing his book Elgar’s Earnings. If I might be permitted a personal note, some of you will have noticed that Joan and I have moved to Malvern, forsaking the beautiful Cotswold Hills for those equally delightful of Malvern. For me it is a return to my native Worcestershire, for Joan it is pastures new. Richard Smith YORKSHIRE and NORTH EAST: On 18 October we welcomed Dr John Harcup to present ‘Elgar & his JAPES & JOKES’. It was very good of Dr Harcup to give us his presentation, considering he had not long been out of hospital. It was a very worthwhile programme – entertaining and informative. In many ways Elgar must have been a strange man – likely to be quiet, ‘down’ and ‘isolated’ one minute, and then full of ‘school–boy pranks’ or some very clever comic ‘cartoon’ and amusing events thought up and created by him, the next. By the time you read this we will have welcomed PAUL HARPER– SCOTT – author of ELGAR – AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE – who will have given us a presentation on ‘ALASSIO: IN THE SOUTH’, Elgar’s ‘Italian’ piece – complex and exciting. Paul Harper–Scott is a Lecturer on Music in the University of London. On 17 JANUARY we hold our AGM – and following that, I am privileged to show a number of Elgarian (Amateur) Movies – which I have made. They will include DREAMERS OF DREAMS – made in 1984 – 50 years after DELIUS, HOLST & ELGAR died (and I was born) – – – AN INSTRUMENTAL FRIEND & CRITIC () and ELGARIAN NOTES ON BIRTH, LIFE & DEATH – finally, THE TREES ARE SINGING MY MUSIC, a copy of the film shown at the Birthplace, which I completed in 2004. Many of the films last only four minutes. Some of these films won awards in various Movie Competitions. I am a member of Doncaster Movie Makers – some of the members helped me produce the Birthplace film. We wish our Chairman (Tony Pook) well, who is recovering from an operation. Marc Seccombe

No. 54 – December 2014 53 Letters to the Editor

Elgarian – a final word I know this correspondence is closed, but I’d be grateful, as the person who set this hare running, if you would permit me a small coda. My main objection was to the use of the word ‘Elgarian’ as a noun, as to me it implies membership of an exclusive club of Elgar– lovers (including myself, of course). But as I frequently refer to myself as an out–and–out Mozartian, I realise I have shot myself in the foot and haven’t a leg to stand on! (Name and address supplied) –––––––––– A Gerontius question For more years than I care to remember a laminated photocopy of the title–page of Elgar’s Gerontius manuscript has been pinned to the bookshelves opposite my study desk, and despite so many hours spent gazing at it I have only now realised that it reads ‘Set to music for Mezzo–Soprano, Contralto, Tenor and Bass Soli’. Can anyone explain the citation of both mezzo and alto? Christopher Morley n.b. Subsequently Richard Smith has observed that ‘contralto’ may have been faintly scored through; following this Chris Morley notes that if we assume that ‘mezzo–soprano’ was an afterthought, before the addition of those words the line would not have been well–centred, thus spoiling the layout of the page.

54 Elgar Society News Letters to the Editor

Sir Colin Davis I don’t suppose I am the first to point out your error on page 4 of the August 2014 News re Sir Colin Davis. In para. 4 you state that Sheida is Sir Colin’s widow. I’m afraid not, she is his daughter (not widow). His wife ‘Shamsi’ (née Ashraf Naini) died in June 2010 and it was generally thought that Sir Colin never really recovered from the shock as they were such a devoted couple. Sheida is a cellist in her own right, and one of my members. Richard Alston (who incidentally has written an excellent book on Sir Colin) tells me that he believes she appeared at our April meeting (Dr Donald Hunt) ‘incognito’. As it was the only meeting that I have missed in the last three years I can’t corroborate this fact. Perhaps you could issue an apology to the Davis family in the next edition of the News? Robin Self Of course, our sincere apologies for any upset we may have caused to Sir Colin’s family (Compilers). –––––––––– The Elgar diaries and Raymond Monk Many Society members may not be aware of the controversy that blew up in the early 1990s as a result of Raymond Monk’s inheritance and subsequent sale of the Elgar diaries, then lodged at the Worcester County Record Office. I have obtained copies of all the correspondence between the parties under Freedom of Information, and have passed the material on to the Birthplace archive where it may be consulted by interested researchers. Kevin Allen –––––––––– Retrospect Opera and Dame Ethel Smyth As some of your readers will know, Elgar and Ethel Smyth had little or no contact with each other, and he probably wasn’t very pleased with her for pushing him out of a rehearsal, by royal command – but they were contemporaries at least.

No. 54 – December 2014 55 Letters to the Editor

Odaline de la Martinez, the great champion of Ethel Smyth’s music (some of you may have, or know, her landmark recording of The Wreckers), is conducting a recording of The Boatswain’s Mate. This is the glorious comedy that Smyth wrote in 1914. It features her ‘March of the Women’, as well as quotes from nursery rhymes, folk tunes and Beethoven’s 5th. It is being recorded by Retrospect Opera, a new organisation devoted to making professional recordings of 19th and early 20th–century operas by British composers. Can you support us, please? All donations gratefully received! Please see www.retrospectopera.org.uk for more details (including perks!). E–mail us at: [email protected]. Dr Valerie Langfield ––––––––––

The Spirit of England and Longfellow

Last night, Thursday 6 November, I listened to Sir Mark Elder conduct The Hallé Orchestra, Choir and soprano Rachel Nicholls perform Elgar’s Spirit of England. It was probably the finest 30 minutes of music making I have heard in over 50 years concert going. Sir Mark seems to carry on taking his orchestra to new heights especially Elgar. For those unfortunate people who weren’t there, it was recorded and will be available on CD shortly.

On a recent trip to Boston I visited the home of Longfellow in Brattle Street, Cambridge. The staff there were very interested to hear about the association between Longfellow and England’s greatest composer. I told them that Elgar had read his mother’s copy of Hyperion resulting in two major compositions, and The Saga of King Olaf. After the guided tour there was a small gift shop and, lo and behold, there was a CD of both pieces sung by the Longfellow Chorus. They can be listened to on Youtube. Ray Wood

56 Elgar Society News Branch Events

For further details see Branch Reports or contact the relevant Secretary (see back cover) (EA = East Anglian; EM = East Midland; L = London; NA = North America; NW = North West; Sc = Scottish; So = Southern; SW = South Western; WM = West Midlands; Y = Yorkshire and North East) Please note that some of the later events are provisional. Marc Seccombe (Yorkshire Secretary) has also asked us to mention that the Bedingfield Room at Bar Convent in York is undergoing refurbishment at some time in 2015 so the venue for these events may change. Please contact the appropriate Branch Secretary for details or check the Society’s website at www.elgar.org Mon 1 December, 2014, 7.30pm (L) Living with Elgar Queen’s College, 43–49 Harley Street Jessica Duchen Sat 6 December 2014, 2.30pm (NW) Elgar in Yorkshire Royal Northern College of Music Philip Scowcroft Sat 13 December 2014, 12.30pm (SW) Christmas Lunch The Bristol Music Club, Clifton Sat 13 December 2014, 2.00pm (EM) Elgar and Germany The Richard Attenborough Centre, Leicester Geoff Scargill Sat 13 December 2014, 2.30pm (WM) Elgar’s Earnings Elgar Birthplace Museum, Worcester John Drysdale Sat 10 January 2015, 2.00pm (EM) Barbirolli’s Elgar St Martin’s House, Leicester Stuart Freed Sat 17 January 2015, 2.00pm (NW) Branch AGM Royal Northern College of Music Sat 17 January 2015, 2.00pm (Y) AGM and Marc Seecombe’s The Bar Convent, Blossom Street, York Elgar films Sat 31 January 2015, 2.15 pm (SW) AGM and party The Bristol Music Club, Clifton Fri 6 February 2015, 7.30pm (L) An evening with Queen’s College, 43–49 Harley Street Sir Mark Elder

No. 54 – December 2014 57 Branch Events

Sat 7 February 2015, 1.00 for 1.30pm (WM) Annual Lunch Christ Church Hall, Malvern

Sat 7 February 2015, 2.30pm (EA) Elgar and the Great War St. Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St. Edmunds Peter Newble

Sat 14 February 2015, 2.30pm (NW) Alassio: In the South Royal Northern College of Music Paul Harper–Scott

Sun 15 February 2015 (WM) Elgar war music concert Concert begins at 3.00pm Symphony Hall, Birmingham Coach trip to Birmingham Contact Richard Smith for details: [email protected]

Sat 21 February 2015, 2.00pm (EM) Antony Payne talking to St Martin’s House, Leicester Ken Smith on Elgar’s 3rd Symphony

Mon 2 March 2015, 7.30pm (L) Elgar abroad: a survey of Queen’s College, 43–49 Harley Street some great recordings Rob Cowan

Sat 7 March 2015, 2.30pm (EA) Recollections of a St. Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St. Edmunds recording producer Christopher Bishop

Sat 7 March 2015, 2.30pm (NW) Elgar and the Great War Royal Northern College of Music Barry Collett

12–15 March 2015 (NA) An Elgar Symposium Hilbert Circle Theater, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA with Raymond Leppard

Sat 14 March 2015, 2.30pm (WM) Elgar’s Second Symphony Elgar Birthplace Museum Matthew Riley

Sat 21 March 2015, 2.00pm (EM) Fred Gaisberg The Richard Attenborough Centre, Leicester Andrew Dalton

Sat 21 March 2015, 2.00pm (Y) Elgar’s music The Bar Convent, Blossom Street, York and the Great War Steven Halls

58 Elgar Society News Branch Events

Sat 11 April 2015, 2.30pm (EA) Elgar’s Choral Songs St. Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St. Edmunds Donald Hunt

Sat 11 April, 2015, 2.30pm (WM) Branch AGM Elgar Birthplace Museum Letters to Nimrod – a reading

Mon 13 April 2015, 7.30pm (L) Sir Queen’s College, 43–49 Harley Street

Sat 18 April 2015, 2.00pm (EM) Edward Elgar: St Martin’s House, Leicester A Medical Enigma? Dr John Harcup

Sat 18 April 2015 2.30pm (NW) Elgar in Performance Royal Northern College of Music Simon Baggs

Sat 18 April 2015, 2.00pm (Y) Duet by Jo Peach, The Bar Convent, Blossom Street, York piano, and Amanda Crawley, soprano

Sat 9 May 2015, 2.30pm (EA) Elgar’s Chamber Music St. Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St. Edmunds Steven Halls

Sat 9 May 2015, 2.30pm (WM) Elgar’s Church Music Elgar Birthplace Museum Dr Peter Nardone

Mon 11 May 2015, 7.30pm (L) Elgar for Choirs Queen’s College, 43–49 Harley Street Simon Halsey

Sat 16 May 2015, 2.00pm (Y) Elgar’s War Music The Bar Convent, Blossom Street, York Philip Petchey

Mid–May 2015 – date to be decided (NW) A visit to Giggleswick (and possibly the Morrison Chapel)

Sat 30 May 2015, 2.30pm (EA) Elgar’s First Symphony St. Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St. Edmunds Tom Kelly

No. 54 – December 2014 59 Dates for your Diary

Wed 3, Fri 5 & Sat 6 December 2014, 8pm Sydney Opera House Enigma / Britten / Sibelius Sydney Symphony / Runnicles Sat 6 December 2014, 7.30pm Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford Give unto the Lord / Music Makers / Spirit of England / Sospiri Llewellyn / Sherman / Oxford Bach Choir / RPO / Cleobury Sat 6 December 2014, 7.30pm All Saints’ Church, / Cliffe / Dunhill West Dulwich, SE21 Humphreys / Lambeth Orchestra / Fifield Wed 10, 2.15 pm & Sat 13 December 2014, 7.00pm Enigma / Britten / Walton Symphony Hall, Birmingham CBSO / Litton Sat 13, 3.30pm, Sun 14, 11.00 am Musikverein, Vienna Mon 15 December 2014, 7.30pm Bassoon Romance / Haydn / R. Strauss Werba / Vienna Philharmonic / Nelsons Wed 17 December 2014, 7.30pm Royal Concert Hall, Wand of Youth Suite No. 1 / etc. Nottingham Hallé Orchestra / Davies Wed 17 December 2014, 8.00pm Auditorio Príncipe Felipe, Cello Concerto / Brahms Oviedo Weilerstein / Filarmonía / Payaré Sat 20 December 2014, 7.30pm Bridgewater Hall, Manchester Cockaigne / Rachmaninov / Grieg / Nielsen Hallé Youth Orchestra / Phillips Sat 3 January 2015, 7.30pm Leeds Town Hall Sun 4 January 2015, 7.00pm Barbican, London Symphony No. 1 / Bach–Elgar Fantasia & Fugue / Respighi National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain / Wilson Thu–Sat 8, 9 10 January 2015, 8.00pm Symphony Center, Chicago In the South / Beethoven / Rachmaninov Chicago SO / Petrenko Fri 9 & Sat 10, 8.00pm, Sun 11 January 2015, 2.00pm Enigma / Glinka / Korngold Jacob’s Music Center, San Diego San Diego Symphony / Marriner Wed 14 & Thu 15 January 2015, 7.30pm P&C No. 4 / Dvoák / Tchaikovsky / Liverpool Philharmonic Hall Mendelssohn / Brahms etc. RLPO / López–Gómez

60 Elgar Society News Dates for your Diary

Sat 17 January 2015, 8.00pm Lincoln–Way North Performing Enigma / Franck / Brahms Arts Center, Frankfort, IL, USA Illinois PO / Danzmayr Sat 17 January, 2.00pm & 8.00pm King Center, Cello Concerto / Kornicki / Sibelius Melbourne, FL,USA Eldridge / Brevard SO / Confessore Wed 21 January 2015, 7.30pm Lighthouse, Poole Thu 22 January 2015, 7.30pm University Great Hall, Exeter Cockaigne / Rachmaninov / Vaughan Williams Bournemouth SO / Litton Fri 23, 8.00pm, Sun 25 January 2015, 3.00pm Bozar, Brussels Cello Concerto / Raskatov / Haydn / Stravinsky Capuçon / National Orchestra of Belgium / Boreyko Fri 23 January 2015, 7.30pm Theater der Stadt Schweinfurt Sat 24 January 2015, 8.00pm Konzerthalle, Bamberg Sun 25 January 2015, 6.00pm Festspielhaus, Baden Baden Mon 26 January 2015, 8.00pm Tonhalle, Düsseldorf Cello Concerto / Rihm / Dvoák Maisky / Bamberg SO / Nott Sat 24 Janury 2015, 7.30pm Colston Hall, Bristol Symphony No. 2 / Mozart / Mendelssohn Hallé Orchestra / Elder Sat 25 January 2015, 7.00pm Laeiszhalle, Hamburg Symphony No. 1 / Walton Hamburger Symphoniker / Tate Fri 30 January 2015, 8.00pm Folly Theater, Kansas City Piano Quintet / Schulhoff / Stravinsky Goldstein / Ariel String Quartet Fri 30 & Sat 31 January 2015, 8.00pm Music Hall, Cincinnati Symphony No. 1 / Rachmaninov Cincinnati SO / Francis Sun 1 February 2015, 3.00pm Bournemouth Pavilion Chansons / Beethoven / Rachmaninov / Dvoák Bournemouth SO / Zielhorst Mon 2 February 2015, 7.30pm Royal Festival Hall, London / Brahms / Liszt / Smoot (organ) Schmidt / Bach

No. 54 – December 2014 61 Dates for your Diary

Sat 7 February 2015, 7.30pm The Apex, Bury St Edmunds Froissart / Paganini / Bottesini / Sibelius Wolsey Orchestra / Palmer Sat 14 February 2015, 7.30pm Kendal Leisure Centre Enigma / Tchaikovsky / Rimsky–Korsakov BBC Philharmonic / Tovey Sat 14 February 2015, 8.00pm University of Akron, OH, USA Serenade for Strings / Mozart / Falla Akron SO / Wilkins Sun 15 February 2015, 3.00pm Symphony Hall, Birmingham / Sospiri / Une Voix dans le Désert / Shostakovich Dennis / CBSO / Nelsons Mon 23 February 2015, 8.00pm La Maison Symphonique, / Prokofiev / Brahms / Kreisler / Montréal Wieniawski / Paganini Vengerov / Golan Fri 27 February 2015, 7.30pm Palau de la Música, Valencia Cello Concerto / R. Strauss Weilerstein / Orquestra de Valencia / Traub Sat 28 February 2015, 7.30pm Corn Exchange, Bedford Enigma / Humperdinck / Brahms Bedfordshire SO / Rose Thurs 5 March 2015, 7.30pm Cadogan Hall, London Cello Concerto / Wand of Youth Suite No.1 / Vaughan Williams Dale / ECO / Ward Sat 7 March 2015, 7.30pm Bridgewater Hall, Manchester Serenade for Strings / Dvoák / Tchaikovsky BBC Philharmonic / Mena Sat 7 March 2015, 8.00pm Alte Oper, Frankfurt Enigma / Verdi / Schumann Hallé Orchestra / Elder Wed 11 March 2015, 7.30pm Royal Festival Hall, London Introduction & Allegro / Ireland / Walton LPO / Manze Fri 13 & Sat 14 March 2015, 8.00pm Hilbert Circle Theater, Cockaigne / Dream Children / Indianapolis Wand of Youth excerpts / Mendelssohn / Sibelius Indianapolis SO / Leppard

62 Elgar Society News Dates for your Diary

Sat 14 & Mon 16 March 2015, 8.15 pm Concertgebouw, Cello Concerto / Beethoven / Sibelius Amsterdam Weilerstein / Nederlands PO / Steffens Sun 15 March 2015, 2.30pm Liverpool Philharmonic Hall Serenade for Strings / Wagner / Brahms / Copland / Arnold / Tchaikovsky Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra / Lam, Petrenko Sun 15 March 2015, 3.00pm High School, Summit, NJ, USA Chansons / Estévez / Respighi / Tchaikovsky Summit Symphony / Avagliano Wed 18 March 2015, 7.30pm Lighthouse, Poole Wand of Youth Suite No. 2 / Bruch / Finzi Bournemouth SO / Hill Wed 18 March 2015, 7.30pm Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh String Quartet / Stravinsky / Bartók Edinburgh Quartet Thurs 19 March 2015, 1.00pm , London Violin Sonata / Bridge / MacMillan Mitchell / Clayton Thurs 19 March 2015, 7.30pm The Forum, Malvern Theatres String Quartet / Beethoven / Shostakovich Carducci String Quartet Fri 20 March 2015, 6.30pm St James’s, Piccadilly, London Violin Concerto / Dvoák van Bellen / Corinthian Orchestra / Brown Sat 21 March 2015, 7.30pm Maidstone Leisure Centre Violin Concerto / Berlioz / Beethoven Hoelscher / Maidstone SO / Wright Sat 21 March 2015, 7.30pm Blackburn Cathedral Wand of Youth Suite No. 2 / Bax / Saint–Saëns / Vaughan Williams Blackburn SO / Howarth Sat 21 March 2015, 7.30pm West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge Cello Concerto / Mussorgsky / Tchaikovsky da Costa / City of Cambridge SO / Hodge Sat 21 March 2015, 7.30pm Floral Pavilion Theatre, New Brighton Introduction & Allegro / Bruch / Haydn / Kornas Liverpool Mozart Orchestra / Heron

No. 54 – December 2014 63 Dates for your Diary

Sun 22 March 2015, 3.00pm Forest View Educational Center, Sea Pictures / Brahms Arlington Heights, IL, USA Knox / Northwest SO / Diehnelt Sat 28 March 2015, 7.30pm Brighton Dome Sun 29 March 2015, 3.00pm Eastbourne Congress Theatre Cello Concerto / Tchaikovsky / Rimsky–Korsakov Brantelid / LPO / Martin Sun 29 March 2015, 2.30pm Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight Soliloquy for oboe / Holst / Bantock / Bennett / Coates Duncombe / Port Sunlight Orchestra / Straughan Fri 3 April 2015, 8.15 pm TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht The Kingdom Haller / DeShong / Skelton / Maltman / Vlaams Radio Koor / Radio PO / Gardner Wed 8 April 2015, 7.30pm Wigmore Hall, London Pleading / Is she not passing fair? / Tosti / Respighi etc. Johnson / Baillieu Fri 10 & Sat 11 April 2015, 8.00pm Center for the Performing Arts, Austin, TX, USA Enigma / Dvoák / Previn Austin SO / Bay Fri 10 April 2015, 7.30pm Bridgewater Hall, Manchester Sat 11 April 2015, 7.30pm Corn Exchange, Cambridge Sun 12 April 2015, 7.30pm Royal & Derngate, Northampton Tue 14 April 2015, 7.30pm Royal Festival Hall, London Violin Concerto / Beethoven Zukerman / RPO / Koenig Sun 12 April 2015, 3.00pm Eastbourne Congress Theatre Introduction & Allegro / Mendelssohn / Beethoven LPO / Hindoyan Sun 12 April 2015, 5.00pm Lincoln Center, New York Sea Pictures / Schubert / Mahler / Copland Connolly / Middleton Sun 12 April 2015, 8.00pm Bourgie Concert Hall, Québec Piano Quintet / Tchaikovsky Nézet–Séguin / Orchestre Métropolitain Mon 13 April 2015, 7.30pm University of Huddersfield String Quartet / Britten / Beethoven / Delius Villiers String Quartet Sun 19 April 2015, 7.30pm The Hexagon, Reading Cello Concerto / Delius / Brahms Brantelid / LPO / Martin

64 Elgar Society News Dates for your Diary

Tue 21 April 2015, 7.30pm Royal Festival Hall, London Symphony No. 2 / Tchaikovsky Staatskapelle Berlin / Barenboim Fri 24 April 2015, 8.00pm Koerner Hall, Toronto Enigma / Cello Concerto / Vaughan Williams Tétreault / Orchestre Métropolitain / Nézet–Séguin Fri 24, 11.00 am & Sat 25 April 2015, 8.00pm Music Hall, Cockaigne / Beethoven / Vaughan Williams Cincinnati Cincinnati SO /Norrington Fri 24 April 2015, 8.00pm Concertgebouw, Brugge Sat 25 & Sun 26 April 2015, 8.00pm deSingel, Antwerp The Kingdom Haller / DeShong / Skelton / Carpenter / Groot Omroepkoor / Vlaams Radio Koor / Royal Flemish Philharmonic / de Waart Sun 26 April 2015, 4.00pm Grace Cathedral, San Francisco Sun 3 May 2015, 2.30pm Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA Sea Pictures Taylor / Potts (organ) Thu 30 April, 7.30pm & Sat 2 May 2015, 8.00pm In the South / Saint–Saëns / Eastman Theater, Rochester, NJ, USA Stravinsky Rochester PO / Seaman Sat 2 May 2015, 7.00pm Snape Maltings Concert Hall The Kingdom University of Essex Choir / Cooke Wed 6 May 2015, 7.30pm Royal Festival Hall, London Cockaigne / Sea Pictures / Walton Connolly / RPO / Otaka Sun 10 May 2015, 3.00pm De Montfort Hall, Leicester Enigma / Walton Bardi SO / Efland Tue 12 May 2015, 8.00pm Deutsche Oper, Berlin Falstaff / Delius / R. Strauss Deutsche Oper Orchestra / Tate Fri 15 May 2015, 7.30pm 1901 Arts Club, London Romance Op. 1 / Three Pieces Op. 4 / La Capricieuse / Ireland Stonehill / Burns Fri 15 May 2015, 8.00pm Koerner Hall, Toronto Violin Sonata / Debussy / Bach Ehnes / Armstrong Fri 29 May 2015, 7.30pm Liverpool Philharmonic Hall Symphony No. 1 / Janácek / Berg RLPO / Petrenko

No. 54 – December 2014 65 An Elgarian Crossword

No 18, set by PIETRO

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10

11 12

13 14 15 16

17

18 19

20

21 22 23 24

25 26

27 28

Across 1 Quintet of F. Schubert contains something for the upper classes. (5) 4 Starts to plant lavender – a sunny garden with your new house. (4,4) 9 Running away with the tempo, Neel lost control. (9) 10 Tenor has a tricky aria – an ornamental piece. (5) 11 CAE’s been upset when E. goes away, but does it make her fonder? (7) 12 Crows multiply here when there’s no right key or modulation. (7) 13 Move off after Elgar foolishly left out a US car part. (9) 15 Player of music found in the Antipodes ... (4) 18 ... a Greek character into audiotape. (4) 19 Sandwich (say) the king’s move to embrace the beginnings of orthodoxy, leaving Falstaff lonely. (4,5) 21 Part of bar is about right. (7) 24 Play badly from Lully and a Parry arrangement in pastoral mode. (7) 25 Alice’s were ‘awful’ as nutcrackers. (5) 26 Italian composer moving? ‘Non, bon ici!’ (9) 27 See 22.

66 Elgar Society News An Elgarian Crossword

28 Sense some of partita’s tempo. (5) Down 1 Ballet involving huge fat nannies. (3,8,3) 2 Chronicler of French kings is surrounded by old farts. (9) 3 Superlatively austere American violinist is in Rome. (8) 4 Earlier publicity for CD involving Eigen. (9) 5,8 Partsong may dramatise tune and fly off. (5,4,1,5,4) 6 Cheap plonk may gull Troyte – yell out wildly. (6) 7 Dorothy Sayers’s captive violinist. (5) 8 See 5. 14 Play patience. (9) 16 Forfeits Planets arrangement that is framed. (9) 17 Wine gets in this instrument. (8) 20 Topers get drunk at high speed. (6) 22,27 Something for solo viola – take care to include two works in tonal mode. (5,8) 23 Indian drums found in trad ballad, oddly. (5)

Solution to the August 2014 Crossword

I N H A M M E R S B A C H E O N O A E O W S A N K T C U R R I C U L A C E O K E M G R The other halves of the H I T N A I L B R U S H E S Bavarian Highlands pairs: E N I R D A W A M B E R G T O N E R O W 1 ac Lullaby Y N A O 14 ac. False Love H O C H A L P U S U R P E R 18 ac. On the Alm Y E M U N U 22 ac. The Dance S O N N E N B I C H L B E I 24 ac. Aspiration S A L L A A R N 6 dn The Marksmen O V E R L Y I N G T H E M E P A E S E E V D U N O R T H O D O X I E S

No. 54 – December 2014 67 FOUNDED 1951 Registered as a Charity No 298062

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