Title of the first meeting of the new season
Apology: the committee would like to apologise for those who were unable to make entry last evening. The main gates are usually left open for us but were securely locked last evening. We hope this will not happen again.
September 2026
I suspect for most people, their musical tastes evolve through their lifetime. Early experiences are likely to be from more popular sources with memorable tunes and lyrics which may chime in with experiences you were having at that time in your life. As time goes by, your tastes change and new composers or songwriters enter your life sometimes quite suddenly. Music you may have heard before and meant nothing, suddenly strikes a chord and a new vista of listening opens up. Music – and other art forms – have this capacity to touch us at an emotional level and as we go through life, our affinity to different composers and musical forms changes with us.
It was these themes which Roy Bexon (pictured) touched on with his presentation last evening. Like many people of a certain vintage, they have lived through some exciting times on the musical front. This applies to the technology – stereo, the development of the LP, then hifi – all have had their effects on people’s ability to enjoy music, and to the range and styles of music being created. Recently there have been CDs and now streaming.
Roy took us through his life of music. He is president of the Salisbury Music Society and has been so for a number of years.
As you can see from the playlist below it is an eclectic list to say the least. Roy is a keen singer and he spoke of his participation in concerts here and in Germany.
He spoke of his first experience, the Walt Disney piece from Pinocchio and played Paul McCartney’s Eleanor Rigby composition with the Beatles: an early if not the earliest, example of pop groups using orchestral strings. His gradual appreciation of Mahler and Bach is also evident.
- Leigh Harline, Ned Washington – “When you wish upon a Star” from the soundtrack of Pinocchio – Cliff Edwards and the Disney Studio Chorus
- John Lennon, Paul McCartney – “Eleanor Rigby” – The Beatles
- Judy Collins – “Albatross”, from the album “Wildflowers”
- J.S Bach – “Kyrie Eleison” from Mass in B minor BWV 232
- Gustav Mahler – Symphony No. 3, 5th Movement (beginning) – “Bimm Bamm”)
- Claudio Monteverdi – Vespers of 1610 – No. 7 – Duo Seraphim
- Vaughan Williams – Suite for Viola and Orchestra (1934) – Ballad
- Benjamin Britten – War Requiem (excerpt)
- Tylman Susato – Danserye (excerpt) – David Munrow
- Nigel Westlake – That’ll Do Pig, That’ll Do, from film “Babe” (1995)
- Jay Ungar & Molly Mason – Ashokan Farewell
Interval
- Giuseppe Verdi – Tuba Mirum from the Messa da Requiem
- Richard Stilgoe – “Mrs Beamish”
- David Fanshawe – Call to Prayer (Kyrie) from African Sanctus (1972)
- Vaughan Williams – Alleluia from “The Pilgrim’s Progress”, Act IV
- Ieuan Rees-Davies – Close Thine Eyes – The Treorchy Male Voice Choir
- J.S Bach – “Dona Nobis Pacem” from Mass in B minor BWV 232.
It was a hugely enjoyable evening which nearly wasn’t with the gate problem. It is one of the distinctive features of the Society that we can enjoy such a wide range of interesting material from a speaker like Roy who has had a keen interest in the subject during his life.
The next meeting is on 12th October and is around the highly original American composer Steve Reich.
PC
