BBC MAG Autum 2013 40P A5 FC DS 90Gsm W + 4P 250Gsm Gloss

SOIRÉES MUSICALES Autum 2013 ~ Edition 48

The Magazine of the BBC Concert Orchestra’s Supporters Club President: Richard Baker OBE Vice Presidents: Nigel Blomiley, Cynthia Fleming & Martin Loveday Editor / Chairman: Brian Crouch 57A Chilvers Bank, Baldock Herts. SG7 6HT Tel : 01462 892 670 Other Ed and Photos: Jenny Thomas Treasurer: James McLauchlan Accounts: Jenny Thomas Minute Secretary: James Connelly Membership Secretary: Jenny Thomas Tours & Visits: Douglas French. Website: Stephen Greenhalgh Constitution: Jan Mentha Orchestra Representative: Marcus Broome

Soirées Musicales is the Magazine of the BBC Concert Orchestra's Supporters Club, which is an independent body set up in 1983 for the purpose of promoting and supporting the Members of the BBC Concert Orchestra. We are not affiliated to the BBC, neither do we receive any financial support from them.

Disclaimer: The views expressed by the contributors to this Magazine are not necessarily the views of the Chairman, the Orchestra or the BBC.

The Orchestra certainly seems to get around these days, as you will read in this edition They have recently visited USA and China. The lucky recipients of these concerts have probably heard nearly as much of the Orchestra as we have at home! Several of the Orchestra’s “Own Promoted” concerts are not broadcast which seems such a shame but I suppose there is some obscure reasoning behind this.

Most of the presenters and artistes who appear with the Orchestra are regularly singing their praises and rightly so! So why not let the general listening public hear more of them?

Maybe its time to bring back such programmes as “Gala Concert Hall” and “BBC Concert Orchestra Showcase” both of which were very popular some years ago. .But at least we have had sixty years of Friday Night Is Music Night!!!!!

E YET? EBSIT OUR W ISITED YOU V . HAVE .cosc.co.uk TO IT. IBUTE http://www CONTR ISIT & E DO V PLEAS CHANGHES IN THE ORCHESTRA & OTHER NEWS.

Welcome To: Benedict Rogerson who joined the cello section in August.

Next generation in the Orchestra The saga continues with another production from the violin section! Congratulations to Anna Ritchie of the 2nd violins on the birth of her baby son Theo born on 22nd June at Queen Charlotte Hospital by caesarean section. Theo weighed in at 3.4 kg (which is 7lb 4½ oz in old money!) Anna says that “Although he can be a bit of a whinge bag, I do think he’s quite a sweet little thing really”.

A wedding!! Somewhat belated Congratulations to Marilyn Hill-Smith who married Adam Daye on 17th July – last year. Those of you who have seen Marilyn in the “We’ll Meet Again” show which has toured the UK, will know Adam as the Compere and (dare I say funny man?) impersonator in the show. Marilyn has recently finished an extended tour as Mother Superior in the Sound of Music – so having “Climbed Every Mountain, Forded Every Stream and Followed Every Rainbow”, Marilyn has obviously found her dream! POSTBAG A selection of letters received.

Dear Brian & Jenny,

Thank you so much for the Spring edition of Soirées Musicales. I do so enjoy reading about the Orchestra’s exploits.

There seems to be a little disappointment from the members whose letters are in the Magazine. Too many repeats. Not enough “live” concerts etc, etc. I can’t travel to London any more, but the BBC doesn’t seem to realise that members of the Supporters Club really enjoy attending the live broadcasts. You both work so hard to keep show on the road it seems a shame that the Beeb does not realise they are getting it wrong. Yours sincerely Margaret Heppenstall Alton Hants

Unfortunately Margaret the Beeb does not care one iota about the Supporters Club.

Dear Jenny, Due to changes to the timings of FNIMN I find it impossible to renew my subscription. The BBC do not realise what a great asset the Orchestra is and should be treated a lot better than they are at the moment. Miss the concerts at the White Rock Theatre as they were always a sell out. Yours sincerely Helen Burton, St Leonards on Sea

However in August Helen sent her renewal subscription with a note “I still wish to remain a member of the Club”. Good for you Helen, More to membership than attending concerts – there’s the Magazine to keep you up to date for a start! Dear Jenny & All I’m sorry we are not renewing our support as we are almost housebound. Our memories of the Mermaid and the outings you organised are lovely. Sincerely. Phyllis & Cyril Macey. London W2

Dear Jenny

I regret that we can no longer support the CO Club as my husband has motor neuron disease. We thank you for all the enjoyment we had by being members Marcelle Berkenstead Mill Hill

Dear Jenny & Brian It is with great regret that I must inform you that we have to resign from the BBC CO SC on the grounds Pauline’s ill health. Thank you for giving us the enjoyment you have, over the past 13 years. Yours sincerely Keith Langfield Amersham

Dear Brian & Jenny

We have decided to not renew our membership of the Club after around 35-40 years of music (and tickets). Due to age restraints we are not able to continue. We thank you all for the past and will probably still see you at Watford from time to time. Kind regards & thanks Marion & Ken Morgan Northwood It is always sad to lose members, but many of you who cannot attend concerts for various reasons, or live in far flung places, still maintain your membership to support the Orchestra and receive the Magazine to learn what they are doing.

It perplexes me that members – particularly those of many years standing – seem to lose interest in the Orchestra once they can no longer attend free concerts. That’s not my idea of “supporting” the Orchestra!...... (Other Ed)

Dear Jenny

Thank you for all the hard work you and Brian and indeed all the Committee do, very much appreciated. I enclose cheque to continue my membership of many years, sadly unable to attend much that you arrange, but still wish to support my favourite Orchestra Yours sincerely Jasmin Brown Mill Hill

Now that’s more like it!!

DEAR JENNY

THANK YOU FOR THE MAGAZINE THAT ARRIVED SAFELY THIS MORNING. OH HOW I WAS JEALOUS OF YOU HAVING A TOUR OF LORDS CRICKET GROUND - I WOULD HAVE GIVEN MY EYE TEETH TO HAVE BEEN THERE WITH YOU! I JUST LOVE CRICKET AND HAVE THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THE ENGLAND TEAM BEING OVER HERE AT THE MOMENT. AND WHAT FUN THE ORCHESTRA HAD IN THEIR CHARITY MATCH, SUCH A WORTHWHILE CAUSE.

BETTY GLOVER WELLINGTON N Z Dear Brian & Jenny

Thank you so much for the tickets for Friday (2nd August “America’s Greatest Broadway Hits”) We thoroughly enjoyed the excellent show – it was brilliant. Such a fantastic Orchestra, always a pleasure to watch and listen to, just can’t thank you enough for the super evening. Kind regards, Ivy & Bernard Darbon Greenford.

Dear Mr Crouch

Thanks for sending tickets for FNIMN (2nd August) Sheila & I enjoyed the concert.

Conductor Mike Dixon put a lot of effort into his conducting, moving his body in the direction of the musicians that he wanted to guide was fun to watch. The result was a beautiful performance on the part of the Orchestra. The blending of the the sound of the violins, violas and cellos was sheer delight. It was perfection. Thank you for a magical evening With best wishes to you and Jenny Ron Lock & Sheila Richards Bounds Green.

Ron, Sheila and the Darbons were lucky to get in. Over 100 people including several Club members were turned away as there were far more tickets issued than available seats. A good time to remind everyone that it is essential to arrive early, particularly on fine Fridays!! Having a ticket does NOT guarantee admission, and neither the BBC nor the Club can be held responsible if you arrive late and are unable to get in.

Would members please note that if you are in the bar and do not leave your coats on the seat, you may come back to find the Mermaid staff have reallocated your seat to a latecomer. This happened on 2nd August and caused a great deal of upset to the folks concerned. J B R T P J 11 2013 F M E S T 50 60 M F . T , . T . M . T . T MUST DO S L, R

Dear Jenny & Brian Thank you so much for arranging the tour of the London Palladium. The guide was excellent and made the morning so interesting. He told us about Bing Crosby’s last concert at the Palladium before he died on a golf course in Spain the following week. We were in the audience at that concert in 1977, the tickets a present for my 40th Birthday. Brilliant tour. Yours sincerely Pat & Reg Scott, Lewisham

(Douglas French is our Trips & Visits Organiser, and it is thanks to his labours that members have enjoyed visiting many interesting venues – Bless him!),

Dear Brian Many thanks for sending the latest edition of Soirées Musicales. I especially enjoyed reading the article on the Golders Green Hippodrome. It would be interesting I think for the Club to hear the tapes which Anthony refers to, especially the 1994 New Year’s Gala featuring the Military Band. What do you think? Yours sincerely Alistair Wills, St Albans

(Well members, would this be suitable as part of a Saturday Special? Please let Brian know if you would be interested) Introducing the new “Cello Fellow”

Benedict Rogerson (known to us as Ben!) joined the cello section of The BBC Concert Orchestra in August 2012.

He trained as a chorister at Westminster Cathedral and then studied the cello at The Royal Academy of Music. Ben is originally from Chichester, where his Father was manager of The Chichester Festival Theatre (the Orchestra will be returning there for a concert this Autumn). As a member of the Irish Chamber Orchestra Ben toured to the U.S.A, Europe, China and Australia and also freelanced with The BBC CO, BBC Symphony Orchestra and R.P.O. He has been a member of The London Mozart Players and The John Wilson Orchestra.

Outside of his Orchestral life, Ben is an avid cricket fan- he loves to listen to Test Match Special and he used to play in his youth. Ben has two children, Harry (4) and Scarlett (2) and he also manages to find time to teach at Tonbridge School.

Since joining The Orchestra Ben has enjoyed the wide mix of repertoire, particularly events like Proms in the Park, The Guy Barker Big Band and the Radio 2 event 2day.

Marcus Broome

chestrachestra The Orchestra now has a Facebook page. The Orchestra.facebook.com/bbcconcertor.facebook.com/bbcconcertor now has a Facebook page. VVisit:isit: wwwwww THE ORCHESTRA ON TOUR by Alex Walden

US TOUR 29th January – 18th February 2013

It had been November 2010 when we last toured the US. Again this trip would be 3 weeks with our Principal Conductor, Keith Lockhart but this time we started in the mid-west and worked our way out to the West coast. We focussed on the East coast on the last trip.

Our tour started with a little drama at Heathrow airport. The airline had somehow managed to not recognise any of our tickets. They knew we were coming - any orchestra travelling on aircraft will be a significant group, but the system would not recognise our e-ticket numbers. So we had to phone Atlanta and receive new numbers for each member of the 70 tour party. This took a little while. Once everyone was finally checked in we embarked on another epic adventure. We flew to Detroit on a very quiet plane - which was unusual considering the Concert Orchestra were on board.

We landed in a relatively mild Detroit and took coaches to our hotel in Lansing - the state capital for Michigan. Some went to bed and others started as they intended to continue, to explore and enjoy every moment. Our next day was a free day to give us a chance to recover from the long haul travel. Lansing wasn't the most expansive of cities though some went to visit the impressive local government buildings and senate. Some of us went bowling which seemed a natural thing to do when in the US.

Our first concert was in East Lansing and a concert hall on the huge campus of Michigan State University. We had a three hour rehearsal which gave everyone the chance to blow out the cobwebs having not played for a few days. The programme that would dominate the tour was

Britten - Four Sea Interludes from ‘Peter Grimes’ Elgar - Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85 INTERVAL Butterworth - The Banks of Green Willow Elgar - Enigma Variations And we performed that here. Sophie Shao was our soloist. She played the F R O M -20°C

Chicago ~ Photo Robin Del Mar T O +20°C

Arizona ~ Photo Robin Del Mar Elgar Cello concerto beautifully. This first concert day started to show the winter weather expected on a trip to the upper mid-west in January. It was bitterly cold. There was snow on the ground and after 5 minutes outside without a coat, hat and gloves it becomes painfully chilly. Such weather in the UK would halt the country but the Americans just get on with it with very little disruption.

We then travelled to Granville Ohio to play in a beautiful chapel. The stage was very small and it was a squeeze to get everyone on the stage. But as always, the players made the best of it and played a stunning performance in a wonderful setting. The snow covered the ground outside and our hotel was eerily like the deserted hotel in 'The Shining'. Fortunately Jack Nicholson wasn't staying there. This hotel boasted its own indoor water theme park but we just didn't have time to indulge as I knew quite a few players were interested!

We continued our tour through the snow to Indianapolis. Every time the coaches stopped for a stretch of legs we had to fully coat up with hats and gloves. The cold was biting and we had to be careful. Once we checked into our hotel and had a couple of hours for lunch we set off to the concert hall in Carmel - a small town up the road. The venue was impressive. Only a couple of years old it had built to an amazing standard. The building also housed archives of original American song book scores. The artistic director of the hall was Michael Feinstein. Another rousing performance meant we had a well-deserved drink in a great sports bar behind our hotel. Most of the players and management were there including Keith to watch Michigan State University Football team play neighbouring Illinois on the big TV screens.

Touring so many towns away from the main city it becomes difficult to remember each of the halls as they all start to merge into one memory. However, after Indianapolis we headed to Chicago where we were lucky enough to have a free day. What a great city. Many went up the Sears Tower (once the tallest building in the world). But we all enjoyed the feel and intensity of a vibrant town. I've heard stories of players going to lovely cocktail bars, Buddy Guy's Legends Blues Club or The Green Windmill (Al Capone's favourite speakeasy). Many of us watched the American Football Superbowl which was a lot of fun soaking up the atmosphere of a country in sports fever. The following morning, as most mornings, we would be met by fresh snow but all roads and paths would be cleared by lunchtime. We headed to Lincoln Nebraska via Appleton, Wisconsin where we met the coldest weather. It really was incredibly cold (I think I may have already given you this impression). All the audiences were wonderfully appreciative of us and it was a pleasure to play to them.

Concert six took us to Kansas City where the temperature started to warm a little. After our concert there we headed to Kansas City airport where we took a plane to Las Vegas for what was (for many people) the most exciting part of the tour. We arrived and got on the buses to go to a Hilton hotel on the Strip in downtown Las Vegas. We had that evening and the whole next day to have some rest and relaxation. There was so much to do - many visited the casinos as you'd expect. During the day most visited the Grand Canyon. Many modes of transportation were used. Some drove hire cars, some went by bus and some went by helicopter.

After the free day we went back to work. In Vegas we played a completely different concert which included the Haydn Cello concerto with Sophie. This was:

Walton, arr. Mathieson - Henry V Suite Haydn - Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major INTERVAL Mendelssohn - Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56 ‘Scottish’

One of our biggest challenges was dealing with the lack of humidity in the air. Las Vegas was particularly bad and we had a number of instruments started to show cracks as the wood dried out. This was very difficult to deal with. In the end we were soaking bath sponges and putting them into the bottom of instrument cases. Our bass drum was getting so dry we had to soak a couple of towels and put them at the bottom of its box.

After Vegas we headed across the Mojave Desert into California. The last week was to be our most intensive with concerts every day. We based ourselves in Orange County to the south of Los Angeles for the next three concerts. The concert halls were great. It was now starting to heat up. Temperatures were in the 20s having been nearly minus 20 - a very unusual tour and one that was impossible to pack a case for! We had a nice pool outside of our hotel and many used their downtime to do some relaxing in The Tour Coach Drivers Our Concert Clothes on Tour Photo by Alex Walden Photo by Alex Walden

Breakfast at the diner Photo Robin Del Mar

Stopping in the Arizona desert for a break ~ Photo by Alex Walden Concert in Center of the Performing Arts, Carmel IN ~ Photo by Alex Walden

Players on beach in California ~ Photo Alex SusanWalden the sun. Our last concert in the LA area was in Northridge. We were joined by sometime FNIMN conductor Larry Blank as he lived 5 minutes from his house. He came to hang out with us and he saw the concert. He had kindly invited the orchestra back to his house after the performance but sadly we didn't have time in our schedule.

The following day we headed south to San Diego. This was another fabulous city. Once there, some of us sun bathed by the pool and others went for lunch. We played in the concert hall home of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, yet another beautiful orchestral venue. The town afterwards was very buzzy as it was a Friday and the night life of the city was wonderful. It was also still warm which was a lovely change from earlier and from what friends and families were suffering at home with the extended British winter.

Our last day took us into Phoenix, Arizona. We had the most incredible journey through mountains and desert. At one of our comfort stops I was able to pull the orchestra together for a group photo next to a large cactus. The two group photos of the tour showed the wonderful contrast of our trip - the freezing cold of Chicago to the deserts of Arizona. Our final performance was fantastic as Keith and Sophie gave their thanks to the Concert Orchestra.

We finished the final evening with a last night party in our hotel. Food and drink flowed as we laughed and recounted our many tour stories. Sarah Freestone, the Players' Committee chair announced the tour awards winners. This is something that has become traditional with our long US tours and is a bit of fun. The most notable award winner was Ben Hughes. Ben's cello suffered the problems of dryness that I’d previously mentioned in Las Vegas so he was unable to play it for the second half of the tour. Ben was awarded the ‘Multi instrumental’ prize for the player who had played most instruments. Ben had performed the tour on no less than six different cellos!

We performed in nine states in a twenty day period spanning approximately 40 degrees Celsius. This was very intensive and I defy many orchestras to beat that. What a group of musicians and management staff we have at the BBC Concert Orchestra! CHINA TOUR Monday 15th – Friday 26th 2013

This was to be a new adventure. For many years when we mentioned our Far East tour we usually meant Norwich, Great Yarmouth, Kings Lynn and Grantham! Now we were going for real.

China was more of a challenge than America. The language difference was an obvious barrier but culturally we are very different. However, it was to be an exciting trip and Carolyn Hendry had planned meticulously (as always!) Barry Wordsworth was our conductor for the tour. We were also joined by the soloists Julian Lloyd Webber and Valentina Narfornita. Julian obviously played the cello and Valentina sang. She was a previous winner of Cardiff Singer of the World.

The tour started (as most do) at the airport. We flew from Heathrow to Shanghai on a flight that never seemed to end. We finally made it there and checked into a very nice hotel right next to our concert hall that would see us perform in a couple of days. As usual, most of the players had a few moments to themselves and then they were off exploring what was an incredible city. It was immensely hot – 38 degrees Celsius I seem to remember.

Many players indulged in the nightlife of Shanghai (I’m mentioning no names!) and they looked to have had a good time seeing them appear for breakfast the following morning. This was to be our free day to recover from the long travel. I heard some wonderful accounts of what the players and management staff had got up to that day. Some had gone shopping, some had ordered tailor made suits, some had gone for lunch, some for tea, some for a cup of tea. The list of activities was endless.

Normally everyone would make it back to the hotel bar at some point where we could socialise and enjoy each other’s company. When the next day arrived it was back to work. We rehearsed with Barry and played programme 1. The tour was generally quite complicated with what music would be played where. Jenny Ricotti our music librarian did a fantastic job of making sure that all knew what they were playing and when.

The audience gave the orchestra a fabulous reception at the finish. The music was well played and well received. The encore we performed was Scott Directing Cargo at Chinese Airport ~ Photos Alex Walden

National Centre for Performing Arts Beijing ~ Photo Alex Walden

Rehearsal in Shenzhen ~ Photo Alex Walden called ‘My Motherland’ which is very popular in China. Judging by the reaction and the singing along by the audience, it felt like their equivalent of ‘Land of Hope and Glory’. This would happen at every concert.

The next day saw us back at the airport and flying onto Shenzhen. This city is the third biggest in China and one of the most affluent. Our hotel overlooked Hong Kong. The travel day gave us a free evening in the city though many got wet in the extreme downpour of rain that evening. It was still very hot and humid and the rain did clear the air a little. On the fifth floor of the hotel was a sports bar with a pool table and sports on TVs. Quite a few members chose to end their evenings there before bed. The next day saw two concerts – one in the afternoon and the other in the evening. We started with Programme 2 and Cynthia Fleming performing as soloist in the Lark Ascending. We finished the day with Programme 1. Shenzhen had a marvellous subway system and a single ride on the train was just 20p - a little different to London.

The Shenzhen concert hall was yet another incredible building. The front of house was stunning and the auditorium sounded amazing. Throughout this tour we played in some of the finest concert halls. Most of them are very new and they have been built to a world class standard. After the second concert in Shenzhen the players were all kindly invited back to the Sports Bar in the hotel for drinks courtesy of Intermusica, the agency responsible for the tour. It is funny that for a group of people who work so closely together we don’t all get to socialise that often. Touring gives us a great opportunity to do this (especially when there are drinks provided)! We all had a very pleasant evening.

The next day saw us on coaches heading to a neighbouring city Guangzhou and another performance of Programme 1 with a fantastic reception by the audience. The musicians all headed back to Shenzhen whereas Scott Jones and I had to get the instruments and equipment to Guangzhou airport over night to ensure that it all flew to Beijing the next day. We were reunited with the main tour group the following evening as they’d flown from Shenzhen. The flight from one end of China to the other was approximately three hours. We all had the evening to explore the capital and we were lucky to be the middle which was dominated by the Forbidden City.

We were back to work on the following day and this time we were joined by Neil Varley who was there to record our next two concerts at the Opera House in the huge National Centre for the Performing Arts. We had one The Great Wall ~ Photo Alex Walden Orchestra arriving at Great Wall ~ Photo Alex Walden

Bottom of Toboggan Run with Chair Lift to Great Wall Photo Alex Walden Water Display Tianjin ~ Photo by Alex Walden

The Orchestra Watching the Water Display ~ Photo by Alex Walden concert on both the 23rd and 24th July that were shown on national television. On the 23rd we performed Programme 2 and then Programme 1 on the 24th. On the morning of the 24th (at 7am!) , Carolyn had organised a wonderful trip to the Great Wall of China. Getting on a bus so early, on a free morning was tough, but it was a day that we’ll remember forever. Once there we rode a chair lift up the mountain to the wall. We spent a couple of hours walking along the wall with its incredible and breath-taking views. To return back to the coaches we took a toboggan down the mountain. Yes, a toboggan! It was a contraption on wheels with a brake and it flew along a track that weaved its way down the mountain side. It was a lot of fun and most of us chose that route back.

We concluded our tour with a concert in Tianjin and another stunning concert hall that was only 18 months old. In the interval we all went outside to see a beautiful water and lights display on the large lake next to the venue. Unfortunately the hall had a lot of technical difficulties that day so we had to improvise a stage setup somewhat. Also Scott had to bring up each flight case (there were over 40) one by one in a person lift as the cargo one had broken down. It was a very challenging day! But as usual the orchestra performed superbly and ended our concert tour in style. The players went back to their hotel whilst Scott and I travelled back to Beijing to prepare the cargo for the flight home. On the 26th we embarked on our journey back to Heathrow and concluded our first tour to China.

Logistically it was one of the toughest tours for the management, but the musicians enjoyed the trip (so many have told me). From the reactions of the Chinese I think they enjoyed our tour too! I wouldn’t be surprised, given the success of this one, if it won’t be our last Chinese adventure.

"WOW! A huge thank you to Alex for this amazing article and giving us an insight into the Orchestra's "other" life. It was particularly stressful for Alex in his capacity as Orchestra Manager and this is all the more appreciated as he also gave his time during the summer break to do the write up

Thanks are also due to Robin Del Mar and Alex for allowing us to use their photographs...Other Ed” BBC CONCERT ORCHESTRA PROGRAMME 1 – Shanghai, Shenzhen 2, Guangzhou, Beijing 2 Sibelius Finlandia Coates Knightsbridge March Faure Elegie Gounod Romeo et Juliette (Juliette) – ‘Je veux vivre’ Delibes Les Filles de Cadix Bridge Scherzetto RVW Fantasia on Greensleeves Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No 2. INTERVAL Arnold English Dances Set 1 Verdi Rigoletto (Gilda) - 'Caro nome’ Dvorak Rusalka (Rusalka) – ‘Song to the moon” Lloyd Webber Music of the Night Saint-Saens The Swan Wood Hornpipe from Fantasia on British Sea Songs Parry Jerusalem Arne ‘Rule Britannia’ (M. Sargent version) Elgar Pomp and Circumstance March No 1 in D PROGRAMME 2 – Shenzhen 1, Beijing 1 Vaughan Williams The Wasps Overture Elgar Cello Concerto INTERVAL Walton Crown Imperial Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending Britten Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra PROGRAMME 3 – Tianjin Walton Crown Imperial Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending Britten Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra INTERVAL Coates Knightsbridge March Vaughan Williams The Wasps Overture Elgar Salut D’amour Arnold English Dances Set 1 RVW Fantasia on Greensleeves Coates March Princess Elizabeth From The Three Elizabeths Elgar Pomp and Circumstance March No 1 in D ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ [orch only]

2013 Courtesy of BBC THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING IN BRIEF

The Club’s 31st Annual General Meeting was be held on Saturday April 6th at Finchley Methodist Church, commencing at 7pm Chairman Brian welcomed the 76 attending members and accepted apologies from a further 24.

Minutes of the 30th AGM were not subject to amendment and were adopted and signed.

Committee members were elected as follows: Chairman Brian Crouch, Treasurer James McLauchlan, Minutes Secretary: James Connelly. Membership, Accounts & Soirees: Jenny Thomas. Constitution: Jan Mentha, Trips & Visits: Douglas French, Webmasters: Stephen Greenhalgh and Vileo Soon, and the Orchestra’s representative: Marcus Broome

Chairman’s Report. Another troubled year with ticket allocation limited to 60 per concert at the Mermaid and live concerts reduced by 50%, However members were enjoying reduced performances and other benefits of the Club such as outings and visits as well as the Club Magazine. The Saturday Special concert had attracted a good attendance, and the carvery lunch concert afternoons were popular. He reminded members who had tickets they were unable to use to contact him for redistribution to other members.

Membership Report Jenny reported 386 members had paid subscriptions between Jan-Dec 2012 a loss of 68 members during the financial year. This was attributed in the main to ill health and inability to travel to concerts and Club events. Membership fees would not be increased.

Treasurer’s report Jim discussed the financial statement. The bank balance of £16,033.95 was a reduction of £1,100 on the previous year mainly due to reduced membership, but was no cause for concern as expenditure was constant. Website Report Stephen expressed disappointment at the lack of contributions from members, but he had done substantial work on the development of the children’s page which he hoped would go live shortly. Vileo had recently been co-opted onto the committee to assist him.

Orchestral Report Marcus said it had been a busy year for the Orchestra despite reduced public concerts. Studio recordings for “Frozen Planet” and other recordings had kept them occupied. The 12 concerts USA tour had been very demanding and the travelling between states arduous. However it had been a great success and a second tour in 2014 was being arranged.

On 21st April “Hollywood to Bollywood” at the Queen Elizabeth Hall will feature Indian music.

The visit to China in July was eagerly anticipated by the Orchestra A total of 6 concerts featuring English composers two of which will be recorded for transmission by Radio3

They will have two performances at the Proms: on 31st July with Barry Wordsworth conducting, and on 31st August with Keith Lockhart.

Despite all the activity the Orchestra were experiencing cutbacks. A reduction of £600,000 imposed and the need to reduce to 49 players. However at a recent meeting Anthony Cherry had been very upbeat about the Orchestras future which had been reassuring.

Brian thanked Marcus for his unstinting support for the Club and Jenny proposed a resounding vote of thanks from the meeting.

AOB Brian reported that he had been in contact with Richard Baker who was in good health and had expressed a desire to continue as President of the Club.

There being no further business the meeting closed at 19.45pm

After the refreshment interval we were fortunate to have 3 guests from the Orchestra to entertain us. From the horn section we had David Wythe telling us about things that go on in the back row of the Orchestra – well some of them! And to round off we had two violinists Michael Gray and Marcus. Most of you know that Marcus plays the viola as well as the violin, but few know he is an accomplished pianist as w e l l - a s h e p r o v e d w h e n a c c o m p a n y i n g M i c h a e l i n “Meditation” (Thais) by Massenet. He then joined Michael in “Ladies of Lavender” by Nigel Hess and then a David medley “Round the British Isles”

Marcus at the piano

Marcus & Michael CLUB OUTINGS

AFTERNOON OUT The first Afternoon Out was held on Monday 8th April when 25 members assembled at the Broadway Hotel Letchworth for the delicious Carvery Lunch.

The Party at Benslow The concert at Benslow featured two artistes Nathaniel Mander harpsichord & Naomi Wooderson who played a selection of recorders.

Harpsichord Naomi

Nathaniel

The afternoon rounded off with home made scones, rock buns & ginger cake. Yet another successful day. TOUR OF THE LONDON PALLADIUM 11thJuly 2013

We didn’t enjoy a show at the Palladium, but much better instead we had a wonderful tour of the building itself expertly led by Mark Fox, very knowledgeable of the Palladium and West End Theatres generally.

We started in the Val Parnell area and moved to the front of the house, having time to note the very ornate and highly polished decor, usually missed when passing through to your seats. We had a real ex Tiller Girl dressed in full Top Hat and Tail costume, who brought up the rear gently ushering stragglers back into the main stream.

The building was built at the turn of the last century, 1910, used for a circus, skating rink a n d m u s i c h a l l entertainment. Very interestingly there was an old Poster showing a Diahilev ballet on the same bill with Music Hall turns. We were shown where a hidden bar was placed, known The party on the Grand Staircase only to regulars, but when disclosed to a new trustee was promptly closed down and incorporated into a main structure.

Apparently in Music Hall times etc. there was a 40 minute gap between houses, the building redesigned by Frank Matcham had the first house leaving out through four exits to the rear of the building while the new house entered at the front.

We all went through the main auditorium into the back stage area, very surprisingly the space on either side of the stage, the wings, was very restricted. On one side there was about 6ft across or so of space behind which were the ropes to move the scenery, on the other side of the stage space was about double, although this held the equipment for the manager to direct the show. We were taken around with the lighting on, but on the performance it would have been very dark, the walls were black the lighting then would have been a faint blue glow.

Of course we all took centre stage once having got on to the stage. The proprietor originally asked for a capacity of four thousand, but the site only allowed for two thousand, two hundred. One imagines the Palladium is a huge theatre due to its fame but from centre stage looking at the seats in a shallow arc, there is no balcony, it looks very intimate and as Mark said loved by the performers.

A very enjoyable outing with one or two unfortunates missing the event due to the vagarities of the London Transport system. They missed a treat.

By 4 Grateful members.

Jenny told all the members to pay attention as she would be asking someone to do the write up,. Grateful thanks to the Haynes’ & Mallindines for this contribution.

A guided tour is only as good as the Guide and Mark Fox was absolutely excellent. Passionate about the Palladium, relaxed and friendly with a wonderful sense of humour they don’t come any better!

Tours are restricted to the type of show being staged, but it might be possible to do a return visit in the New Year. T? Please register your interest with Brian. E YE BSIT R WE D OU SITE . U VI . E YO TO IT HAV .cosc.co.ukUTE TRIB CON http://wwwIT & O VIS SE D PLEA CD REVIEWS By Dave Daniels.

“Three gorgeous Romantic scores, rescued by conductor Martin Yates, and given the performances they deserve. A must!” The words of a distinguished reviewer refering to DUTTON CDLX 7302 in which Martin Yates conducts the BBC Concert Orchestra in the Music of Cyril Scott, with soloists Peter Donohoe and Raphael Wallfisch in the Piano Concerto in D and the Cello Concerto. Bom in 1879 Scott hailed from Liverpool, then the second most musically active city in the UK, something we tend to forget, with famous sons like Sir Thomas Beecham and the baritone/composer Frederic Austin. Scott studied in Germany and became a member of what came to be known as “The Frankfurt Gang” that group of of young British composers who also studied there and included such names as Roger Quilter, Balfour Gardiner, and Percy Grainger.lt was at the piano that Scott achieved his early success, being a brilliant and ostentatious performer,complete with floppy hair and cravat! His early works were written in quite an advanced form for the time and were influenced by Debussy who was apparently impressed with Scott’s work. The Piano Concerto predates his Piano Concerto No. 1 by ten years, so, suggests Lewis Foreman should be No.0! Scott was unhappy with the work despite the great Paderewski showing an great interest, and destroyed the complete score, but what survived as sketches has enabled Martin Yates to realise the work here recorded. Why Scott was so unhappy is a mystery for this is a very approachable and pleasing work and a notable addition to the collection of Romantic Concerti. The Cello Concerto dates from 1902 and was never performed in his lifetime, indeed this is the very first performance, the score being incomplete and again we have to thank Martin for completing the work together with Raphael Wallfisch who edited the virtuoso solo part. A great record.

Much more familiar to you will be “The Frozen Planet” in which George Fenton conducts his music for the TV series, the BBC Concert Orchestra making what I think is their 1st appearance on the SILVA SCREEN label SILCD1392. George Fenton for my money is the greatest composer of Music for Films and TV around having penned all the music for all the award winning BBC series with David Attenborough, members will no doubt recall the “Blue Planet” Prom from Hyde Park a few years ago.I also treasure the tape I have of the Film Music Prom ini 999 in which George Fenton conducted our orchestra in the sublime score for the film “Shadowlands” and reduced dear old 'Dickie' Attenborough , who was presenting the Prom, to tears! You are sure to have seen the TV series so no further comment from me is needed such is the quality of this music.

And now for what I consider a real find! The music of Frederic d'Erlanger - “Frederic who? I hear you cry” Quite. Again the ever enterprising Dutton Epoch label, this time on their international series have unearthed music of immediate appeal and, in my view, great quality on DUTTON CDLX 7300 which also marks the debut recording with the orchestra of the great Johannes Wildner. Our composer was born in Paris in 1868 of a German Father and American mother though became naturalised British. The works date from 1903 (Andante Symphonique) to 1934 (Prelude Romantique) but could have come from any time in the previous half century. The reviewer in “Gramophone” magazine says “If his harmonic language is conservative, d'Erlanger emerges as an extremely accomplished, agreeably undemanding composer whose orchestral pieces hover somewhere between high class Ketelbey and low grade Elgar” I can't altogether agree with this last remark as I would struggle to find anything low grade in Elgar's output, but when you listen to this music there are unmistakable Elgarian influences, and none the worse for that! The main work is his “Concerto Symphonique” for piano & orchestra with the soloist Victor Sangiorgio - think Litolff and you're there! Guy Johnston is the persuasive soloist in two works for cello & orchestra . “A magnificent recording” says the “Gramophone” magazine and I would not argue with that -1 loved this disc. My final review has also appeared in the Light Music Society magazine and the journal of the Robert Famon Society

RODERICK ELMS “Moody Moves” HERALD HAVPCD 380 We are all familiar with the name of Roderick Elms through his work as a distinguished pianist and organist on many recordings and of course appearances over the years on the BBC particularly with the BBC Concert Orchestra on programmes such as “Friday Night is Music Night”. His music covers many styles and ranges in diversity from solo instrumental to symphonic compositions. I am always reluctant to categorise music but would say his music sits very happily in the company of Richard Rodney Bennett or Philip Lane, his light music is just that,light with a bit extra!. Readers will no doubt have heard his very entertaining Christmas disc entitled “Festive Frolic” with the RPO on the Naxos label, or “A Little Fall- ish”, recordings of some of his instrumental music from the Dutton stable. It is Roderick Elms instrumental music with are concerned with here with this latest disc from the enterprising Herald label.

“Moody Moves”, the title piece, is a 6 movement sextet for piano and winds and is for me an enchanting work with such titles as “Amorous Antiphon”, Retro Romance”,” Funky Fugato”, and the piece ends with a “Saucy Saltarello”!. Think of Britten’s “Simple Symphony” and you will get the idea. The pianist is Joanna Smith, with the excellent Aurora Ensemble a young, gifted group formed in 1996, whom our local music society had the pleasure of hearing it a couple of years ago.

The distinguished saxophonist Kyle Horch appears in two pieces for saxophone and piano again with Joanna Smith, these being originally written for cor anglais but translate superbly to the sax

Roderick Elms himself appears at the piano for the other main work on the CD here appearing complete for the first time - “Twelve Astrological Preludes” for piano. Interestingly the work started life as just one short piece “Aquarius”, but at the suggestion of a BBC producer Roderick wrote the other eleven to create a suite albeit over a period of two years!. The character and style of each prelude alludes to certain traits of its birth sign and even more interesting is that the composer adopts an Elgarian mode by adding to that sign the initals of a friend bom under the same!. This must lead to interesting discussions within the Elms' household! There are as you might expect works for organ on the record played on the organ of Brentwood Cathedral by Stuart Nicholson, what you would not expect is that two of the pieces also feature the guitar, played by Victoria Green. Such an unlikely combination you might think - a large organ and guitar ?. Yet such is the skill of the writing and performing they are quite simply amazing, delightful music, “Fandango Frivolo” and “Fandango Fantastico” are the pieces and the solo organ pieces are “Carillon de Festa” and “Carillon Festivo”.

It is a long time since I heard such an entertaining and varied programme with many pleasant surprises along the way. Warmly recommended.

© 2013 Dave Daniels Calling all BIG BAND fans. Join the BBC Big Band Club and get up to the minute details of all the BBC Big Band’s appearances and recordings packed into their interesting magazine. For full details contact the Honorary Secretary: Sylvia Ritchie, 5 Osborne Terrace, Crail, Fife KY10 3RR . Telephone 0133 345 0941

TICKETS ~ TICKETS If you receive tickets which you are unable to use please PHONE Brian on 01462 892 670, and you will be given the name & address of another member who would be delighted to attend in your place. Tickets returned in the post invariably arrive too late to be reissued.

THE IDEAL GIFTS FOR A FRIEND A years subscription to the BBC Concert Orchestra’s Supporters Club. The Orchestra’s “Showtime” CD recorded to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Club price £5 inc p&p. Contact Brian on 01462 892670. In the last edition you read how David Wythe of the French Horns organised a cricket match to raise funds for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research. Strangely it was another French Horn player, also named David, who organised a concert in aid of Ethiopian Famine Relief, but not without a few hiccups! David retired from the Orchestra in 2004, but is still very much in touch with them and the Club. ANOTHER BBC CO’s FUNDRAISING EVENT 1984 by David Cropper.

All of us in the BBC CO were greatly moved by the harrowing pictures televised of the Ethiopian famine in October 1984.

A few days later I was talking to our orchestral office staff about the situation when it struck me that putting on a concert could well raise some money for the cause. I rang Oxfam who were delighted, and said “If you give us a concert hall, we’ll give you a show” They rang back 2 hours later to say we could have the Wembley Conference Centre on 24th October 1984, A check was made with the Concert Orchestra management to find the schedule of that day to ascertain whether it could be changed if necessary. This done I then went to the members of the Orchestra with the proposition. They all said an enthusiastic “YES!”

The next priority was to find a conductor who was respected by the Orchestra and popular with the public. Stanley Black was the obvious choice as he worked with us frequently and is admired by all for his expertise, professionalism and ability in writing superb arrangements. I rang Stanley who offered his services without hesitation.

It is difficult enough to find the right performer to appear on a specific day when you are paying their fee but it is doubly difficult when ringing agents to ask for stars to perform for nothing. I don’t want to give the impression that either agents or stars were uniformly unwilling to help( many would have liked to but had prior commitments) yet the task was not easy.

After over fifty unsuccessful approaches to agents and artistes, I was lucky to find that the singing group The Three Degrees, would be in London from the States around that date and would be prepared to appear with us if I could arrange the four extra days of free accommodation to extend their stay. This was managed after consultation with the Holiday Inn at Swiss Cottage, so with only 16 days until the date of the concert, I started to arrange for adaptation of the group’s music the appropriate sound system and the start of publicity It was only when I rang the London agent subsequently to check some fine details that I was told there had been a mix up with dates and the Three Degrees would not be able to appear after all. It was now too late to organise a replacement and the “un-booking” started. Oxfam then tried to find another venue on another date, a difficult task when the London halls are booked so far in advance. It was during their quest that the GLC heard about our wish to put on a show and, via the Radio 2 management, offered us the Royal festival Hall on 20th December 1984 a date just 5 weeks distant. Once again the BBC freed us and I started my round of ringing theatrical agents again. Eventually I received a reply from the great American singer Tony Bennett, who said he would be willing to appear. I temporarily relaxed, only to be told a week later that his American agents wouldn’t allow it. During the course of the next seventy-odd calls, the Nolan Sisters agreed to perform – and then had to reluctantly decline as they had promised to appear in a charity concert for the Daily Mirror and could not be released.

Once more the arrangements had to be wound down and the news broken yet again to a very disappointed Orchestra. With only three weeks to go before performance, there would have been insufficient time for publicity and printing – let alone locating a suitable star.

Anthony Phillips of the Royal Festival Hall then rang and promised to find another date, finally selecting March 10th 1985 which had a free evening because of a an afternoon concert being held there. We agreed to rehearse in the morning and perform that night. The ball had started to roll again – and this time it was third time lucky. I ended up with offers to perform from the Nolans, Joan Savage, Don Lusher, Alfred Marks, the Stephen Hill Singers and of course Stanley Black.

This sort of show requires a certain amount of staging and Stanley approached Sydney Samuelson, the producer of the Filoharmonic concerts televised by ITV He, too, was most willing to offer his services and the three of us spent many hours at his, and Stanley’s home swopping ideas and finalising the programme, etc.

The Nolans normally perform with their Group but, for this occasion, I felt there should be more orchestral arrangements and these were most generously provided by Peter Knight, Alyn Ainsworth and Tony Halligan, one of our deputy bass players.

The BBC were extremely supportive throughout, allowing us on-air publicity to boost ticket sales and allowing an extra rehearsal for us at our studio. Rod Dunk, our Orchestral Chairman approached the porters of the BBC Symphony and Radio Orchestras for their help in moving instruments and some members of the Golders Green house staff arrived at Hippodrome at 6.00am on the morning of the concert to give assistance there. By the time I arrived at the festival Hall at 8.30am the staff there were well advanced with setting up the stage to house the 80-piece Orchestra, the choir of sixteen , a grand piano and the electronic equipment needed by the pop group, still leaving space for the Nolan girls to perform their dance routines. At last all the lighting was completed and at 10.00am everything was ready for the rehearsal to begin. Everything went smoothly and we had a chance to try out some lighting effects – which invariably cause some discomfort to the players. Fortunately there were no real complaints and we were able to complete the rehearsal with seconds to spare.

Because of the Festival Hall’s afternoon concert we now had to de-rig and I have never seen a stage cleared so quickly. We finished the rehearsal at 1.00 and the concert platform was empty by 1.15. By 1.30 it was set up for the afternoon performance! When this finished at 5.15 the stage was set up once again for our requirements. Our porters and the Festival Hall staff were absolutely amazing in their efficiency and we were most grateful for their superb help.

The Evening performance went very well indeed. Alfred Marks is a master of the ad lib and the performances by the Nolans, Joan Savage and Don Lusher were very well received. The Orchestra and Chorus were in excellent form and the show was enjoyed by all.

During the evening we held a raffle of a colour television set donated by Laskys. Willing helpers were roped in from friends and relations and we collected over £650 for the Save The Children Fund. Altogether the evening had netted over £8,000 (equivalent to £20K today)

Phew!! What a marathon task! David C must be congratulated for getting that show on the road, and a huge “Thank You” from us, for sharing his amazing achievement with us.

But I guess it is a great deal easier to arrange a cricket match. What do you think David W?

THE LIGHTER SIDE Seen in the NZ Women’s Weekly. The children of the Church put on a brilliant Christmas pageant. When it came to the part where Joseph was knocking on the inn door asking for a room, the innkeeper told him there was no room left at the inn, and he should have pre booked via the Internet. THE CONCERT GOERS

SYMPHONIA ACADEMICA. March 3rd University of Bedford “Classical Fusion” A contrasting programme, which we have come to expect when staged at the University.

Benjamin Britten’s “Simple Symphony” Op 4, was followed by the poem by W H Auden “Night Mail” a largely documentary film of the overnight operations of the night mail train between London & Glasgow, set to Britten’s music and narrated by Petroc Trelawny and this was followed by Britten’s Sinfonietta Op1.

After the interval Erik Satie’s “Dessicated Embryos” when Petroc was again the narrator , but this was not the suave Petroc we are used to seeing. Dressed in an umpire’s coat, huddled under an umbrella and bellowing through a megaphone a far cry from his dulcet tones that woo us - it just goes to show how versatile he is!

To end this musical mix, a composition by Richard Sisson of Chopin’s 5 Easy Pieces with dancers from Bedford University and Luton 6th Form College.

CAMERATA QUARTET. Saturday June 9th . Barton-Le Clay. “Country Classics” Peter Bussereau, Juliet Kaufmann, Paul Bennett and Peter Randall entertained a capacity audience on a decidedly chilly evening, with a heart warming concert, performing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s String Quartet in B flat “The Hunt” K458 followed by a contrasting work by Osvaldo Golijov (1960) “Tenebrae”. After the refreshment break, Edward Elgar’s Quartet in E minor and an encore of his Salut D’Amor.

Peter is in the process of updating their Mailing list, so if you would like to hear of forthcoming concerts by Camerata Quartet & Symphonia Academica please contact Peter on 01582 882159 or email your details to [email protected]. Don’t forget to mention you are Club members.

BARNET SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. SUNDAY June 30th St JOHN’S CHURCH, FRIERN BARNET. Sorry, we had missed their previous concert in January as we both had coughs so could not publicise this in the last magazine.

An amazingly ambitious concert for this orchestra, which was faultlessly performed by all.It started with Franz Schubert’s Overture Rosamunde, which begins with a portentious introduction in C minor but the main theme is a light hearted dance-like piece in C major ending with coda in triple time. Next was the Concero for Flute and Harp, featuring Rosanna Ter-Berg (flute) and Elizabeth McNulty (harp) both very highly acclaimed musicians. The concerto was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for the amateur flautist Duc de Guines and his harpist daughter during his European tour in the 1780’s.

After the interval Antonin Dvořák’s Symphony No6,in D major op 60 written in 1880 at the request of Hans Richter, conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

As usual there were familiar faces of former BBC CO musicians. to help out.

From l-r Penny Thompson, Jayne Ross, Clive Hobday, Philip Gibson, Martin Loveday, Adrian Norris, Andrew Ross, David Cropper, Peter Beament, & John Tyler. This was to be the last concert conducted by Martin, who has now officially retired….. possibly! The Barnet Symphony Orchestra has shown considerable improvement under his 10 year guidance and we are sure his replacement – Philip Gibson will continue the good work.

Their next concert will be at 7.30 on Sunday December 8th at St John’s Church Friern Barnet when the programme will include Elgar Overture Froissart, Wagner Wesendonk-Lieder Soloist Angharad Lyddon (mezzo soprano) & Tchaikovsky Symphony No 2 in C minor op 17 (Little Russian)

Don’t forget Club members can claim a £2 reduction on the ticket price on production of membership cards. Programme & interval refreshments are included. CONCERT REVIEW – PROM 24 31ST JULY Dave Daniels heads south again.

I had booked both the Orchestra's Proms appearances months ago to get the best travel price but did not anticipate the first occurring in the middle of the hottest weeks for many years ! Alighting East Coast's air conditioned train at Kings Cross was quite a shock with temperatures in the 90F area and did not bode well for the evening concert as the RAH is not noted for its cooling atmosphere when packed, as it was. If it is hot for us in the audience what must it be like on the platform I always think especially when televised, which this one wasn't thankfully.

Widely billed as a 'Light Music Prom', something many people apart from myself have been asking for over many years I confess to seeing Bantock's “The Pierrot of the Minute” as the opening item a bit odd. An attactive work in many ways a 'Comedy Overture' it is not, more of a tone poem I would say and scarcely likely to set the evening off in a lively manner which would have been more appropriate particularly when followed by Elgar's gorgeous but for the most part restrained “Nursery Suite”, so some of the audience could have been forgiven for nodding off in the heat! I should mention that in the Elgar there are many important solos for woodwind plus that famous violin cadenza in the final movement, all played most beautifully and remarked upon by the listeners around me. The sight of not one but two grand pianos being dragged onto the stage for the final item in part one was not lost on the prommers with many “heave-ho's” The critics describe Arnold's Concerto for two pianos (3 hands) as 'bland' or 'derivative' but of course it is just great fun- some of these people must have had their sense of humour removed at birth, or perhaps the Wagner marathon which had taken place in the preceeding days had clouded their judgement.

The second half was a much more lively affair opening with Walton's “Crown Imperial” featuring the RAH organ courtesy Roderick Elms, followed by Eric Coates' “3 Elizabeths” Suite receiving its first Proms performance (unbelievably). By now the Orchestra were well into their element and with Barry Wordsworth seemingly on cloud nine (!) and enjoying himself by the time they had despatched more Arnold in the first suite of English dances and reached Gordon Langford's “Say it with Music” they were well into overdrive! This, as you can imagine went down a real treat with everyone and the audience cheered the Concert Orchestra to the rafters. Quite right too.

(Now that’s what I call supporting the Orchestra! Shame on those London and suburban members who consider the journey to the Mermaid or Hackney Empire just too, too much to contemplate!...Other Ed) Dates for Your Diary The next Club Special “Saturday Serenade” Is on Saturday October 12th 7pm at Finchley Methodist Church. Featuring the Orchestra’s Harpist ANDREW KNIGHT And a presentation by Geoff Bowden & David Reed “Singing Stars of the 50s” Admission Free (See flier for full details.)

The next “Afternoon Out” on Monday, October 14th As many of you know this outing consists of an unbeatable combination of a 2 course Carvery Lunch with coffee/tea served in the ballroom, an Afternoon Recital followed by home~made Tea. The fully inclusive cost is just £22.00 per head. For further details and to book ring Brian on 01462 892670.

Over 1,000 lunches have been served to Club members over the years, but if you have not yet sampled the delights we advise you get in quick as this is a popular event and numbers to the Concert are limited.

The next Club visit will be to the Whitechapel Bell Foundry on Saturday 22nd March 2014 at 1pm. The cost is £12.50 per head. Please register interest with Brian as soon as possible to avoid disappointment as numbers are strictly limited.