Ailsa Dixon a Musical Revival
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BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY nFebruary 2020 ews Ailsa Dixon A musical revival THE MUSIC OF JAMES MACMILLAN Book review FINDING THE ‘LOST’ REBECCA CLARKE An interview with John York News Chairman’s welcome British Music Society’s news and events Dear Members, ou’ll find reports on the New BMS Essay Competition Talent British International YYouth Music Festival, the winner 2019 40th Anniversary Essay and the BASC 2019 competitions in this edition of the Printed News. t gives me great pleasure to announce There is the inclusion of a Matthew McCullough (Durham feature article on Ailsa Dixon and IUniversity) as the winner of the BMS an interview with John York Fortieth Anniversary Essay Competition. His regarding a new cello publication essay, titled A history and analysis of Gerald of Rebecca Clarke’s music. Finzi’s Dies Natalis, will be published in a The review panel continues forthcoming edition of British Music. In to do an impressive job even addition, he was awarded a generously though we can only reproduce a donated prize of £100. fraction of their output in this Lastly, I would like to thank Dr Printed News version, but I Brian Inglis (Middlesex University) for acting continue to encourage members as external adjudicator. to contribute feature articles and Dominic Daula, Internal adjudicator to interview people with valuable information or memories of atthew McCullough was born in musical life in Britain during the Ireland and studied at St Malachy’s previous century. MCollege, Belfast, before taking up a AGM music scholarship to study at Winchester Matthew McCullogh, BMS Essay Plans for this year’s AGM are College for sixth form, where, with the Competition 2019 Winner taking shape with a private room College Chapel Choir, he toured Russia and booked at the Diglis Hotel in recorded a disc of music by C.V. Stanford. work, which has been aided by his position as Worcester on July 31. After the brief spell at Winchester, Matthew one of Sing for Pleasure’s 2018/19 Young The idea is for members to sang as a choral scholar in Portsmouth Conducting Scholars. Matthew graduated in attend a short piano recital by Cathedral Choir alongside roles working at July 2019 with First Class Honours, including pianist and BMS member Matthew The Portsmouth Grammar School and the a first for his dissertation, Requiem for a Schellhorn at 11.30am in St. city's arts festival, Portsmouth Festivities. Dream; Sir Arthur Bliss’ Morning Heroes as a Martin’s, London Road; this In 2016, Matthew took up a place to read Cathartic Requiem, supervised by Professor recital is part of this year’s Three music at Durham University on a Vice- Jeremy Dibble. Choirs Festival and marks the Chancellor’s Scholarship, with a Choral At present, Matthew sings as a Lay Clerk official launch of the latest BMS Scholarship at Durham Cathedral. During his at Newcastle Cathedral and is studying for a recording of Herbert Howells time as an undergraduate, he was Director of Masters in Musicology at Durham, with piano music released on the Naxos Music at Hatfield College and the Dunelm research focusing on the work of Ernest John label. Consort and Players, and sang with the Moeran, and hopes to continue on to doctoral Members will then gather at University Chamber Choir. studies following the completion of his the Diglis Hotel for an AGM Matthew also undertook other freelance Master’s degree. luncheon starting at 1.30pm. singing, accompanying, and conducting Places will need to be booked in advance together with members’ choice of a meal from our pre- NAXOS ANNOUNCES RECORDING OF FRICKER SERENADE selected bar menu. We are very pleased to announce that Naxos has Please note that members can bring a guest providing there issued the British Music Society recording of is room but only members’ meals Fricker’s Serenade No. 5, Opus 81 (8.571381) as a will be paid for by the BMS. digital release. More details will be provided This was recorded in 2015 by the Villiers in the April Printed News. Quartet with James Dickenson (violin) and Nicholas Stringfellow (cello). Best wishes The delightful Serenade comprises five movements: Prelude, Scherzino, Serenata, Elegy in - Dr. Wendy Hiscocks memoriam R.G. and, Postlude. The total running time is 13:43. -2- New talent: British International Youth Music Festival and Competition 2019 SCHELLHORN RECORDS HOWELLS PIANO MUSIC n August 10, Stephen Trowell and I They later wrote with a little more The recording sessions are now complete travelled to Harrow School in information about themselves: for the next BMS recording: Matthew OMiddlesex for a very well attended Schellhorn performs piano music by prize giving ceremony in the impressive Naori Takahashi is currently a scholarship Herbert Howells. surroundings of the Old Speech Room. postgraduate student at the Royal Academy of Matthew Schellhorn recording in The The Chinese violinist, Amy Yuan, has Music, studying violin performance under Menuhin Hall, Surrey with Rachel Smith succeeded in creating a vibrant competition Professor György Pauk. (Producer), Ben Connellan (Engineer) and for musicians as young as four years of age to This season she has upcoming Dr. Jonathan Clinch (editor of the new budding professionals in their early twenties, concerts at Regent Hall, Southwark Cathedral editions of Howells piano music). and the mix of Asian and Western competitors and at the Notting Hill Music Festival, as well looked balanced. as regular appearances on stage at the Royal Music by W.H. Squire, Frank Bridge and Academy of Music playing solo, chamber and JOURNAL TO BE CHANGED Ralph Vaughan Williams had been performed orchestral concerts. She is a selected member Dominic Daula writes in the Editorial: in the competition alongside standard of the LPO Foyle Future Firsts Scheme 2019- “With regard to operational matters, I repertoire by the likes of Mozart and 2020. would like to announce that as from Rachmaninoff. volume 42, the Journal will be released The BMS’s initiative encouraged a further Young Chinese pianist HanYang Liu started once per annum. This does not amount to five performances of our nominated Dunhill learning the piano at the age of three. He a reduction of material in real terms; piano solo Sailor’s Hornpipe and one studied with professor Chen Lan, and is now rather, the decision to publish once a year interpretation of Stanford’s Arietta Variations studying with London based Chinese concert aims to consolidate the redundant for violin and piano. There were no takers at pianist Yaoying Wang. administrative tasks that are associated all for the Bantock song ‘Desolation’ which was HanYang will be moving to London with the publication process.” disappointing. to study in the Harrow School as a music The Society extends its sincere scholar this autumn and has been awarded congratulations to our two winners who 2nd prize at the International Chinese Music British Music Society Committee feature in the photograph above: Naori Art Festival global final in 2018 and first prize Wendy Hiscocks (Chairman), John Gibbons Takahashi (violin) and HanYang Liu (piano) at the Golden Vienna International Piano (Vice Chairman), Stephen Trowell who were presented with a copy of our Competition in 2017. (Treasurer), Dominic Daula (Journal Composer Profiles publication, a BMS CD and Editor), Advisory roles: Karen Fletcher a £30 Chimes voucher. Report by Wendy Hiscocks Printed News designed by Revolution Arts -3- NEWS Adrian Williams appointed Composer-in-Association at ESO The English Symphony Orchestra Dodderidge, son of Morris Dodderidge, again announces Adrian Williams as its John from Presteigne, features the trumpet, and is McCabe Composer-in-Association for based on the first movement of J S Bach's 2019/20. Brandenburg Concerto No 3 - which Richard referred to as 'the laughing Bach'. he English Symphony Orchestra Born in Hertfordshire in 1956, Adrian announces Adrian Williams as its John Williams showed precocious talent from the TMcCabe Composer-in-Association for age of four, spontaneously improvising at the 2019/20. piano. He began piano lessons at five, started During this period, Williams' music will composing at ten and took composition be showcased by the ESO. In addition to consultation sessions with Lennox Berkeley performances, recordings will also be made. from the age of thirteen. Ken Woods, the ESO's Artistic Director, says: In 1972 a large-scale choral work by "I only discovered Adrian's music very Williams was performed at the Royal recently in 2017, but as soon as I encountered Academy of Music in London, and he went it, I realised I was listening to the work of on to win a double scholarship to the Royal one of the greatest composers of his permanently renamed its Composer-in- College of Music, where director David generation. Association Chair in memory of McCabe. Willcocks conducted Williams' Symphonic "Adrian is just the kind of composer we Philip Sawyers became the first McCabe Studies. had in mind when we established the 'John Composer-in-Association (2015-18), followed Whilst Composer in Residence at McCabe Composer-in-Association' chair, a by David Matthews, for the 2018-19 season. Charterhouse School, Williams' music creative artist of the highest calibre who will Plans for Adrian Williams' first year as developed a tougher harmonic style and become an active part of the ESO family, and Composer-in-Association include an ESO became more adventurous, though retaining who we will try our utmost to support concert at Malvern Priory on 29 April 2020 its central melodic vein. Williams then through performances and recordings. We featuring Williams' string orchestra work moved to the Welsh Border Marches, his couldn't be more excited to get to work with Migrations. There will also be a performance long-term spiritual home, and became the him this year." of Russell's Elegy, which pays homage to founding light of the area's Presteigne ESO founder William Boughton first conductor, pianist and broadcaster John Festival.