June 2019 Issue 61 Hemiola St George’s Singers S TEPHEN THRELFALL VICE PRESIDENT INSIDE THIS ISSUE: The Choir committee were thrilled to hear that Stephen Threlfall, Stephen Threlfall 1 & 3 Director of Music at Chetham’s School of Music, had accepted their invitation to remain as one of the Well Conducted Tour 2 Vice Presidents of St George’s Sing- Concert ers after retirement from his current Well Conducted Tour: A 4-5 role in September this year. Stephen group story gave an interview for Hemiola. Where did you start your role Well Conducted Tour in 6-9 Ghent, Bruges & Brussels as music educator and creative project manager? Mahler’s Symphony No 8 10-11 photography Porter © Sara in E♭ Major I left the BBC [as sub-principal cellist] to go to Benenden whether to go or not, I was premiere. He said that it was Chetham’s at 50 12 school [as Director of Music] in very nervous. But, you know, ‘the most difficult thing I ever Terezin & Brundibár 13 1991, attracted by the Youth I had a sense of my dad tap- tried to play…technically orchestra and Music society. ping me on the shoulder and challenging for 17-year old Bach B Minor Mass - 14-15 telling me to just get on with One key memory is 8:30am me!’ How do you start the Looking back it. I started apprehensive but hymn practice on Tuesday process of leading a youth could see straight away how I Manchester Sings 16 mornings, 400 girls yawning, orchestra through such a new wanted the department to and wondering what on earth I and challenging work? was going to do. I found my flourish. ST GEORGE’S SINGERS This particular work was a way by adopting the policy of The first real companion piece commis- PRESIDENT: broadening their project I under- ‘My first professional work was sioned up in Scotland. Initially, Marcus Farnsworth MA ARAM experience; Queen took was Antarc- with Tommy Steele on the Hans I expressed an interest in the was very useful! Christian Anderson show. tica. One of the VICE PRESIDENTS: premiere, but it was already Thankfully the key aims was to Sasha Johnson Manning spoken for. However, a few Head in post at the Great fun!’ involve the Stephen Threlfall months later, I was approached Stephen Williams time told me that whole school. Susan Roper again – apparently no-one was he wanted music to Visiting the place is on my happen throughout the school, touching it because it was too MUSICAL DIRECTOR: bucket list, although my wife hard! The first thing I needed not to be an isolated activity. I is not overly impressed with Neil Taylor to do was to play every single ran the youth orchestra and had the idea. I went down to see ASSISTANT MUSICAL DIRECTOR: note of it; I made sure that I regular concerts. In my last the British Antarctic Survey knew the score inside out. And Robert Brooks year, we had a Benenden festi- which was stunning. As a then Max[well-Davies] came val weekend which included a result of the project, some of ACCOMPANIST: here to look through the music visit from Jeff Wynne-Davis the school produced drama, Peter Durrant with me, to confirm that my and his choir Canzonetta. others art and also creative understanding of each chord writing. Another significant When this job came up in 1995, was correct. And change it Registered Charity no 508686 ‘project’, was undertaking the although I was happy down at when he considered I was premiere of the work High on Member of Making Music, the National Benenden, I thought I should right! Actually, I am very Federation of Music Societies the slopes of Terror, by Peter try it out. I can remember being proud of the fact that Boosey & Maxwell-Davies. www.st-georges-singers.org.uk very casual at the first inter- Hawkes, in their acknowledge- view; I didn’t expect to get Our president, Marcus Farns- ment on the front page, thank through. Then when I was worth, took part in this me for my contribution. called back, I didn’t know Page 3 Page 2 Hemiola Saturday 8 June 2019 St George’s Church, London W ELL-CONDUCTED T OUR C ONCERT PREVIEW Road, Poynton 7:30pm Notre Dame is of Having been split into a num- Andrea Millington ber of groups, three of them The Well Conducted Tour singing an exquisite happened to come together in Neil Taylor and pure soprano this extraordinary place. We solo from Britten’s were all slightly awe-struck, but Conductor Te Deum, which was then one of our number sug- Pete Durrant applauded by tourists gested that we sing Bruckner’s Organ / Accompanist who sat down to Locus Iste. Someone pitched a Eszertergom Basilica in Hungary listen. This audience note, and, as we had sung the © Wikipedia included an enrap- piece many times, we did not St George’s Singers generally tured Japanese tourist who need music. We gathered into a tour every year, alternating endeared himself to all of us round, about 25 of us, under- Tickets: travel to the UK and mainland when he applauded vociferous- neath the central chandelier. £12.00, £10 Concessions, Europe. ly and then hugged an aston- We performed well, focused on £5 students / children, group ished Neil Taylor. each other, and at the end of Our tours are voluntary but discounts the rendition were all clearly usually well over half the And sometimes there have been moved at this intense moment. Tel : 01663 764012 Choir participate. This give us the spontaneous moments, the opportunity to get to know when enough of us have been Used for the annual celebration other members of the Choir gathered in one place to pull of a church’s dedication, the socially, often crossing the together a rendition of a piece first words - ‘Locus iste a Deo great divide between vocal we know well. factus est’ - translate to ‘This sections so rarely bridged in place was made by God’. This our busy rehearsals. may not be a chirpy ‘off the cuff’ number, nor Another reason for have a chorus for others heading on tour with to join. But this piece, St George’s Singers is and the recognition of to have the opportuni- the importance of place, ty to sing glorious and has become a central exciting music in part of our tours. splendid, world- famous venues as well On a less cerebral level, as some unusual recit- we also have a lot of al areas. fun. There are many © © Wikipedia Tales from the Tours that Over the years we Chapel of St Kinga, Wieliczka Salt Mine are deemed suitable for have built up a reper- a wider audience - for a toire of music that fits well When visiting Krakow, some of full account of our tour to into a touring programme but us went to visit the Wieliczka Bruges, see pages 4-9. also includes some delights not salt mine. Part of the mine in- often heard by our local audi- cludes a vast underground cave, As part of our June concert, a ences. Neil Taylor and the the Chapel of St Kinga. few Choir members will reveal committee decided that, after some of these memories from 20 years of the Choir touring, This chapel is over 100 metres past tours, incorporating the it was time to pull together underground and still hosts shared laughter, joy, elation some of these memorable piec- concerts and services. Over the and nervous exhaustion that es, as well as adding a few years, stonemasons and artists makes up a Choir tour. more delectations that will be have created carvings in the sung when we are on tour in rock salt walls, including the Bruges, Ghent and Brussels. stations of the cross. Our concert in June will in- clude a wide range of liturgical music that has been performed in chapels, churches and cathe- drals across the UK, Europe and Costa Rica. We have often participated in a service of mass. We have had the opportunity to sing appropriate secular music in such monuments as the recently fire-hit Notre Dame and the magnificent Eszertergom Basilica in Hun- gary. A personal memory from The Choir pausing outside Notre Dame (2013) Issue 61 Page 3 S TEPHEN T HRELFALL, CITY F AN Page 1 Stephen Threlfall, commenting on From the initial distain that I this photo picked up from the kids, they gradually accepted that When I was a nipper, I used to live this was a piece to be con- very close to where that was taken. quered. It was called Mill Street, in the How do I engage? Well, you Manchester Bradford area, where need to split the orchestra, Mum and Dad lived. I think Dave structure the rehearsal. Know- went to Mill Street school. ing your score well is key for engagement. It is also your And not far away is the Etihad duty. If you make one instru- Stadium. mentalist sit through hours of rehearsal without playing a note, that’s unforgivable. photography Porter © Sara Can you tell us a little about Ever whimsical, our Vice President poses in Mancunian drizzle. your early childhood, and in- was Margaret Campbell-Smith, What’s the best aspect about fluences that drew you into the other Mavis Bevan. They the next thing that you plan to music? were the ones that lit the spark - do both with and without Dad was a builder, Mum was a I hold them totally responsible Chetham’s? secretary.