BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY nJANUARY 2018 ews MAXWELL DAVIES AND HIS LAST ISLAND HOME THE MUSIC OF BETTY ROE ECHOES OF LAND AND SEA Maria Marchant’s mesmerising journey Agenda British Music Society’s news and events DATE FOR YOUR DIARY Chairman’s welcome he BMS has entered into a new working relationship Twith Revolution Arts who are assisting with the monthly E- Thanks News and the design of the Printed News. A transition pe - Hitchin Symphony a lot riod caused a slight delay in the Orchestra edition you are reading but all is now back on course and past is - 19 May 2018, 7.30pm Harold! sues of Printed News will be St Mary's Church, Hitchin SG5 1HP made available on the home page British Music Society of the BMS website for the wider Conductor Paul Adrian Rooke is hugely grateful to readership. Harold Diamond who Our British Art Song Com - John McCabe Concerto for Chamber Orchestra is now stepping down petition goes from strength to Malcolm Arnold Concerto for viola and after many months of strength in conjunction with the Chamber Orchestra sterling work with E- London Song Festival and plans Soloist Helen Sanders-Hewett News. We are now on are being made for this year’s the lookout for a forthcoming competition. Turn Mendelssohn Symphony No.3 replacement to help to page 17 for more information steer future editions. about BASC 2017 that took place Tickets: 01462 458614 Do get in touch if you in the autumn. BMS member or www.wegottickets.com think you can help. Madeleine Mitchell has just sub - £14* (Adults), £12* (Concessions), Under 16s mitted a report on her BMS Am - free. bassadorship in the USA which * £2 discount if bought by Wednesday will soon be available for mem - preceding the concert. bers to read and comment on, and major work has begun up - Note: John McCabe was President of Hitchin dating the Recording and Publi - Symphony Orchestra from 1984-2015 and his cation pages on the website to widow, Monica is now Life vice-President reflect the entire output of the Society from its very beginning. I wish all our members a healthy and successful 2018 and British Music Society Committee hope to see as many you as pos - Wendy Hiscocks (Chairman), John Gibbons (Vice Chairman), sible at our next AGM this Sum - Stephen Trowell (Treasurer), Advisory roles: Karen Fletcher mer! Wendy Hiscocks Programme designed by Revolution Arts -2- Introducing The Cusp Hannah Nepil is a London-based adaptation of Shakepeare's classical music journalist and *Winter's Tale*, two piano recitals editor, mostly oscillating between at the Southbank Centre, and a the worlds of the Financial Times concert of 17th century English and Gramophone magazine. In tavern music, along with half price addition to this she runs The Cusp, tickets on a production from a magazine which focuses on the Opera Erratica, amongst other intersection between art forms. events. And there will be plenty The Cusp have recently more! introduced a new scheme which All that readers need to do to allows subscribers access to a claim the offers, is to sign up to range of discounted and free their newsletter at tickets to London arts events, both www.thecuspmagazine.com quirky and mainstream. So far, for Subscription is completely example, they have offered free free, and only takes one minute. tickets for a cross-genre Bid to record music of Graham Whettam needs your support BBC Radio 3 LEASE help us achieve our goal solo violin with the aim of reawaken of producing a recording of the musicians' and audiences' interest in ‘In Tune’ Pmusic of Graham Whettam. Graham Whettam's work, and lead to As many members of the BMS will more opportunities for performances appearance know, Graham Whettam (1927–2007) and recordings of his music generally. was a largely self-taught composer who We already have some financial N Wednesday 22 occupies a place in the English support from the RVW Trust and from November BMS chairman symphonic tradition. Spanning a individual donors. A crowdfunding Oand artistic director of period of over 40 years, his works for campaign is currently in place to raise Celebrating Australian solo violin are informed and directed the further £4,200 needed for the Music Wendy Hiscocks together by compositional rigour, technical recording. with singer Christopher Gillett assurance and an analytical musical If you would like to support this gave an interview with presenter grammar but, at the same time, are full project, please visit rupertmarshall- Sean Rafferty (pictured above) on of vivid colour, dramatic inventiveness luck.com where you can donate BBC Radio 3’s IN TUNE. and, above all, a sense of deep through PayPal. Wendy and Christopher humanity. Benefits include a free copy of the talked about the latest BMS Christine Talbot-Cooper, disc upon its release, an invitation to recording with the new Naxos CD Chairman of the Gloucester Music the CD launch event, and the release featuring songs by Edgar Society and a Vice-President and opportunity to attend the recording Bainton an Arthur Benjamin. In Administrator of the Piano Trio Society sessions. addition, they performed four of and I are working with the acclaimed - Rupert G. Marshall-Luck MA the songs from the CD live in front label EM Records to present World (Cantab) MMus (Distinction) of a studio audience. Première recordings of his works for -3- Reviews Maurice Jacobson: Themes and Variations Looking back to this recently rediscovered BMS recording issued on Naxos 8.571351, June 2014 S I prepared to listen lected works has been Great War (11 November dental pieces — all written to this unfamiliar made possible with assis - 1918) he studied composi - between 1935 and 1949. Acomposer, I unwit - tance from the Michael tion with Charles Villiers These interpretations tingly stifled a yawn. Then, Hurd Bequest, support by Stanford and Gustav Holst. with the composer's pianist within the first bars, my the British Music Society In 1923 he joined the son Julian Jacobson reap undivided attention was and dedication by the com - music publishing firm of J the benefits of access to captured. I discovered an poser's younger son, pi - Curwen & Sons as a music original manuscripts and unfailing clarity in Maurice anist Julian. reader. Ten years later he an unparalleled intimacy Jacobson's workmanship. While Maurice Jacob - was made its director and with the composer's inten - His expertise was clear son is hardly a household later its chairman (1950- tions. Julian has performed as themes were worked out name among the British 1972). In 1971 he was all of Beethoven sonatas with admirable craftsman - concert music public, he awarded the OBE. during a single day on three ship. The shape and dura - has left some four-hun - Jacobson senior was occasions. tion of each work was dred-and-fifty composi - born into a Jewish London Following the third judged to a nicety. More - tions. By the age of sixteen family and was immersed such marathon in 2013, The over he steered a course he had memorized the in the great 'classic' Austro- Daily Telegraph wrote: 'A well away from composi - Well-Tempered Clavier and German and French reper - disarming technique cou - tional experiments sweep - all thirty-two Beethoven toires. The works recorded pled with an undoubted in - ing through Middle Europe Sonatas. He studied at the here include two sets of tellectual mastery made early in the twentieth cen - Modern School of Music theme and variations, two Julian Jacobson's recital an tury. and Royal College of Music. biblical settings, five piano awe-inspiring experience. This programme of se - And with the end of the miniatures and five inci - - Howard Smith A contemplative version of Elgar’s Violin Sonata British Music for and-circumstance’ days. bow-work breathes revi - The remaining 10 short The work was written in talised life into this vintage tracks literally bubble with a Violin and Piano a secluded cottage in West collection of some of vivaciously charming display Elgar, Violin Sonata plus a Sussex, in sharp contrast to Britain’s well-treasured, of the best of British. The collection of 19 short pieces those feverish imperial Ed - vivid, little gems, ranging recording includes endear - by British composers wardian march days that at through works from highly- ing titles like Country Dance, Clare Howick: violin the time made Elgar so pop - acknowledged masters like Lullaby, Gentle Maiden, John Paul Ekins: piano NAXOS 8.573291 ular. The Sonata for Violin Bridge, Delius, Ireland and Bumble Bee and Cavatina and Piano was premiered in Scott. which all sum up the joyous DEEPLY contempla - 1919 at a meeting of the This 22-track budget attraction of this infectious tive version of Ed - British Music Society. collection boasts some deft release. Award Elgar’s very Clare Howick (violin) keyboard playing from The last word comes personal Violin Sonata opens and with the excellent, expe - Ekins.. The serious Sonata from Elgar himself with an up this otherwise collection rienced pianist, John Paul teems with vintage Elgarian affirmative, punchy, perfor - of appealing British minia - Ekins, perform convincingly themes and ideas which the mance of his Mazurka (1899) tures. The nationalist mas - together, showing a great composer’s wife, Alice, said which bursts with verve and ter’s compelling chamber understanding between key - was inspired by the ‘wood jollity. music is totally at odds with board and strings. magic’ of a copse near the - Chris Bye Elgar’s vivacious ‘pomp- Ms Howick’s impressive couple’s home. -4- REVIEWS Ubiquitous pen of a British master Ralph Vaughan The subliminal open - ing cor-anglais theme is Williams gently and seductively de - The Poisoned Kiss veloped into the full or - overture; Three Portraits chestral plaintive cry, from ‘The England of coaxing listeners into the Elizabeth’; Bucolic Suite; In magical, mystical mists of the Fen Country; Fantasia on Sussex Folk Tunes; the Fens.