BMS Printed News - autumn 2020 .qxp 23/08/2020 11:24 Page 1 BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY nAutumne 2020 ws Never forgotten The British musicians remembered by plaques LIFE IN LOCKDOWN BMS members on 11 pages of reviews the impact of the pandemic Including acclaimed BMS CD release: Schellhorn plays Howells piano music BMS Printed News - autumn 2020 .qxp 23/08/2020 11:24 Page 2 News Chairman’s welcome British Music Society’s news and events Dear Members, There has been a lot of change in all Holst Society plans 150 our lives since the last Printed News. The British Music Society is responding to the challenges now facing most sectors of the arts and is in a better year anniversary in 2024 position to explore the ever more important realm of digital olst Society Chairman, Chris Cope, in late September 2024 will be an all exclusive communication further with the new updates us on their forthcoming plans Holst programme. website now ‘live’ and ready to be Hto celebrate Gustav Holst’s 150th In addition, four recordings have developed further according to our birthday anniversary in 2024. been sponsored. These include two CDs wishes. In January 2024, Paul Hindmarsh, devoted to part-songs, a joint project will the With the help of Revolution Arts, we artistic director of the RNCM Brass Band Vaughan Williams Society to include works successfully staged our first AGM on Festival, will feature a number of works by for voice and piano by Vaughan Williams and Zoom on July 31 and were pleased with the number of members able to attend. Holst as a precursor to the launching of a Holst and a CD devoted to Holst’s Christmas The age group was wide ranging from major CD of music for brass band by Holst and organ music. newer members in their twenties to including the Moorside Suite, First and Future recording plans include: those in their eighties, and there was Second Suites, St Paul’s Suite, Marching Song, * a CD of Holst’s sacred music with Will Vann greater geographic diversity as might be Fugal Overture and The Perfect Fool. The conducting the Royal Chelsea Hospital Choir. expected with some members attending Society is also arranging a brass transcription * a recording of Holst’s operetta Lansdown an AGM for the first time. of Holst’s Scherzo and Mr Silkret’s Folly Castle. We welcomed two new committee (Capriccio). * a project with the BBC National Chorus of members: Dirick von Behr was voted in On the May Day bank holiday Wales to feature a number of previously at the AGM as Secretary and Dr. weekend there will be a Holst festival unrecorded choral works.. Jonathan Clinch who joined online during the AGM! Our thanks also to conducted by Adrian Partington (one of the As members of the British Music Kevin Mandry as a new contributor on Society’s vice presidents) at Gloucester Society will appreciate, the recording of music Geoffrey Atkinson’s Review Panel. It’s Cathedral. Later that month the English Music is an expensive project. As always, we are fully great to see our members being more Festival will also feature Holst’s music. dependent upon external funding. We hope ‘hands on’ and I would like to encourage The Society hopes that the Three that members of BMS will be able to assist this growing trend. Remember, a Society Choirs Festival in Worcester and the Proms with these exciting projects. is very much a reflection of its members will also feature music by Holst. The Holst For details and how to be a member email: and their interests. Birthplace Museum annual birthday concert [email protected] Excellent reviews of the latest BMS recording of Matthew Schellhorn performing Howells’ piano music are in circulation; the CD took pride of place on the cover of International Piano Meet the new BMS trustees Magazine as well as being placed at number 4 in the Classical charts by July M y name is Dr Jonathan 19. Search for Gramophone magazine Dirick von Clinch is online to read an article highlighting Behr and I Lecturer at the Matthew’s unique relationship with “ live in the Royal Academy composers both past and living. It was Netherlands. of Music, where great to hear Matthew as an invited For he teaches guest on BBC Radio 3’s ‘In Tune’ recently some years I courses in to promote the disc. have been a British music, member but musical analysis, With all good wishes never an active listening skills one - I read the Newsletters and News. and music history. - Dr. Wendy Hiscocks The last few months have made Previous posts include me look again and rediscover what Organ Scholar of Keble College Oxford, British Music Society committee seemed forgotten or even lost and I re - Research Associate at Cambridge alised how valuable these publications University Faculty of Music, and Frank The committee comprises: still are. Bridge Research Fellow at the Royal Wendy Hiscocks (Chairman), John Gibbons Nothing is as straightforward as College of Music. (Vice Chairman), Stephen Trowell it used to be and I would like to extend His current work focuses on (Treasurer), Dirick von Behr (Secretary), my support of the Society beyond paying Herbert Howells, Frank Bridge, Edmund Dominic Daula (Journal Editor), Dr Jonathan my membership over so many years - Rubbra and Rutland Boughton. Clinch. Advisory role: Karen Fletcher even though I can't recognise a single note of music...” Printed News designed by Revolution Arts -2- BMS Printed News - autumn 2020 .qxp 23/08/2020 11:24 Page 3 NEWS Wanted: information about two composers He was a reputable pianist, com - poser and teacher. The British Library have copies of some of his compositions. The RNCM Collection includes a locket which once belonged to Charles y m a i Davieson containing a small piece of cloth l l u V which is, reputedly, a fragment of a n i Beethoven’s shroud (pictured below). l r e Z Charles was the son of David : o Davieson an eminent doctor from the t o h Manchester and Liverpool area. He was P also apparently a great, great nephew of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. Charles seems to have studied at Violinist performs three European music conservatories but mainly in Leipzig. He returned to England first socially in 1867 after gaining his Diploma and win - NICHOLAS MAW ing a prestigious prize. distanced concert Ian Rutland Boughton has been in contact with the British Music Society about his was delighted to give my first concert cousin’s research into the life of Nicholas since lockdown on 12 August to an Maw. Iaudience of 12 in a Highgate garden. “My cousin William Boughton...is The programme for solo violin seeking anyone who may have known consisted of music ranging over exactly Nicholas Maw or worked with him or can 300 years from Bach’s Chaconne and provide any material. Sarabande of 1720, to 2020. The platform "William conducted the recording was unique – wooden scaffold boards of Maw’s Spring Music and Voices of Mem - below and above, with the Victorian house ory with the BBC National Orchestra of wall acting as sound board. Wales for Lyrita. I’d previously given a concert of William now lives in the USA and Beethoven Quartet op.131 for the host, is keen to explore as much about the com - During the 1870s it appears that Michelle Berriedale-Johnson, widow of poser as is available. he lived in London and then Bath. After his the well known recording producer James If you have more information, marriage to Fanny Elizabeth Whattoff in Mallinson, at whose memorial concert I’d email [email protected] or call 1883 at West Malvern they lived in Torquay been asked to perform with pianist Joanna 07703 584 152. for a while before moving to Gloucester MacGregor the last movement of and later Cheltenham. Messiaen Quartet for the End of Time – CHARLES DAVIESON By 1901 they had retired to St Leonard’s on from my first album, in 1994. Sea. I’d then invited Michelle to my Do any BMS members have any information If you have any further details own Loft Concert which inspired her to about Charles Davieson 1845-1914? email [email protected] set up salon soirées in her home. During lockdown I’d gone back to the classics – solo Bach, Beethoven Violin Concerto etc. I had been thinking Sir Mark Elder introduces about repertoire for an all solo violin concert after recording a piece specially written for me by Richard Blackford called Butterworth’s A Shropshire Lad Worlds Apart . This was dedicated to those separated during lockdown, for the album n 8 May 2020, the ‘Many Voices on a Theme of Isolation’ anniversary of VE supporting HelpMusiciansUK. ODay Sir Mark Elder, Caprice (1990) by Wendy music director of the Hallé Hiscocks made a fine pairing with Orchestra introduced the Grazyna Bacewicz Kaprys Polski (1949), Hallé's recording of Stuart Jones’s Kothektche (1987, from my Butterworth's A Shropshire NMC album) and Joseph Horovitz's Lad from the 2003 album Dybbuk Melody . I also performed Elliot English Rhapsody: Carter Riconoscenza per Goffredo Petrassi Butterworth, Delius & (1984), a piece from my New York days as a Grainger. Fulbright Fellow. To see it visit: The weather was kind and it’s https://youtu.be/spyKRvi- made me want to do more! Ls Madeleine Mitchell -3- BMS Printed News - autumn 2020 .qxp 23/08/2020 11:24 Page 4 NEWS Distinguished organist Jennifer Bate dies distinguished Life member of the recording under the composer’s guidance British Music Society since 1980 as acknowledged by a Grand Prix du Disque.