Iberian music was the subject of our last meeting
Another successful year completed
May 2026
The Society’s last meeting of the year ended on a high note with an evening devoted to music from the Iberian peninsula. But before discussing that, a few words about the season and the Society.
It has been a successful year with a diversity of interest and new discoveries. Although we are a ‘recorded’ music society we did actually have a ‘live’ recital this year when the celebrated ‘cellist Catherine Wilmers brought her instrument and played some pieces for us.
The Society can do what concerts find hard to do which is to explore the by-ways of the music scene, playing long-forgotten music by sometimes undeservedly long-forgotten composers. We can also focus on a single composers bringing to life some of their lesser known work.
We have a mixture of home grown presenters who gave excellent and well researched evenings about American composers, the English composer Delius and Eric Satie, the eccentric Frenchman. Others spoke about wind ensembles, Black musicians and an intriguing evening discussing the unexpected deaths of some composers. We welcomed guest presenters who spoke on the Ballets Russe and the work of Gordon Jacob.
Presentations have been helped in the last couple of years with a screen which enables visual presentations linked to our hi-fi. It broadens what we can play and allows us to watch and listen to an historic performance. It has had a definite and positive effect on the scope of our presentations.
We have welcomed new members this year and which bodes well for the Society in the coming years. So back to the last evening…
Iberian music
We were delighted welcome back Simon Coombs (pictured) who devoted his presentation around the Iberian peninsular with music from Spain and Portugal. Listeners to Classic FM will undoubtedly be aware of the Rodrigo’s Concerto Aranjuez which – if it were possible to wear out a CD – would be on its last legs by now, but other works by that composer seldom get a look in: a pity. We heard his Concerto Andaluz which is worth listening to.
Albeniz is another composer who gets occasional air time as of course does Manuel de Falla. But their ‘lesser’ or should we say less familiar works, often don’t get played. We have noted before that some composers have a handful of compositions which can drown out other pieces of their oeuvre.
Few, one suspects, have heard of Braga Santos and the extract from his 4th Symphony was a revelation. The full play list is attached.
As ever, Simon has used his deep knowledge of music to explore the by-ways and bring to life and to our attention work which is frequently overlooked. We were delighted with his presentation and a worthy coda to the season. The full playlist is below.
Next season
We are well advanced with the new season which starts at the end of September. It us a full programme with a number of special evenings. We will be producing the printed programme in July or perhaps August and will be available here and printed copies in the Tourism office and Salisbury Library.
Like all clubs and societies, we depend on volunteers to help run things so if you do have some time to come on to our committee, we would be pleased to see you. We have divided up the various functions so individual tasks do not take up much time.
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