Category: Group news

Last meeting

The last meeting of Salisbury Recorded Music Society took place last night Monday 23rd May 2016 at 7.30pm, in our usual venue.  Jon Hampton presented ‘The art of the arranger’ including works by Boccherini arranged by Berio, Bach by Elgar, and Schubert by Britten.  An excellent and interesting evening and there will be a full report soon.
 
There was a selection of records (as in vinyl) which have been kindly donated to the Society and these are available with members asked to make a small contribution as they see fit.  They are listed below:
Composer Piece Orchestra
Schubert/ Beethoven Symphony #8 and #5 Berlin PO, Maazel
Orff Carmina Burana Andre Previn, LSO
Tchaikovsky Romeo & Juliet J Pritchard, LPO
Festival of Carols Bath Abbey
Festival of Lessons and carols Kings College
Mendelsaohn Scottish & Italian Sym Solti, LSO
Mozart Piano Concertos #20 #23 Brendel, Academy St M in the Fields
Bath Abbey organ Various
Handel Water Music Boyd Neel and Orchestra
Mozart Symphonies #29 #39 Colin Davies, S of London
Beethoven Sonatas, Moonlight, Pathetique, #17 Albert Ferber
Mozart Symphonies # 39 #40 Böhm, Vienna PO
Bruch & Beethoven Violin Conc #1; Romances for V and orchestra Oistrach, RPO
Various, Smyth, MacCunn Music of the four countries Gibson, Scottish Nat Orch
Messager The two pigeons Jacquillat, Orchestra de Paris
Boyce, W The 8 symphonies Faerber, Württbergberg Ch O
Bach Brandenburg #4 #5 #6 Davison, Virtuoso of England
  Brandenburg #1 #2 #3 do –
Holst The Planets Sargent, BBCSO
Chopin Piano Concerto # 1 Pressler, Vienna State Opera
Vivaldi 4 seasons etc Various
Tchaikovsky Piano Conc #1 Makaloff, Hague PH Orch
Handel Messiah Sargent, RPO
Box sets Gateway to the Classics and Opera
G & S Overtures, Mikado, Gondoliers etc Godfrey, New SO of London
G & S Best of … Walker, RPO

 

Most look to be in good condition and the discs I’ve looked at seem clean and unscratched.  If you are interested in any of these please ring 01722 782382 and we can try and arrange delivery.

Next meeting

The next meeting of the Society – the penultimate – is on May 9th and is a members’ evening.  This is where individual members can suggest pieces which can be played with or without an introduction by them as they wish.  It is usually and enjoyable evening, eclectic of course and everyone’s choice is different.  Usual place, usual time.

New members are welcome and the entry is a modest £2 to help us defray costs.

We look forward to seeing you.

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In Flanders’ Fields

A century ago, the First World War was in full swing.  The battle for Ypres was taking place in April 1916 and it was the first time phosgene gas was used.  It is difficult to believe that out of this carnage and bloodletting, some lovely music, poetry and art was created.

At the last meeting, Richard Seal played a selection of pieces which were composed during the time of the war or inspired by it.  Richard was much moved by visits to the war graves in Flanders including Vimy Ridge, Arras and Thiepval where he hopes to go to again.

He began with A Shropshire Lad by George Butterworth who died on the Somme in 1916 aged just 31.  This is a familiar piece and his death was a great loss to music.  This was followed by the last movement of Morning Heroes by Sir Arthur Bliss who lived until 1975 but who lost his brother in the conflict.  He returned to the battlefield in 1928 and this piece was the result of that visit.

This was followed by Three songs by Ivor Gurney.  Gurney had a troubled life and was both a poet and composer.  He was gassed while serving with the Gloucester regiment but his biggest problem was his mental health.  At the time he was thought to be the greatest of his generation but his full promise never materialised.

Britten was too young for the war but his War Requiem, which was composed for the consecration of Coventry Cathedral destroyed in WWII, was inspired by the poems of Wilfrid Owen who regrettably died a week before the Armistice.

Frederick Septimus Kelly

This was followed by an Elegy for strings and harp by Frederick Kelly who died in 1916. An Australian he also had a gold medal for rowing in the 1908 Olympics and this elegy was in memory of Rupert Brooke who also lost his life.

Some pieces by Charles Ives followed including In Flanders’ Fields composed in 1917.

The evening finished with the last movement of the Pastoral Symphony by Vaughan Williams.  The First World War, in which he served in the army in the medical corps, had a lasting emotional effect.

It was a fascinating evening and the presenter’s erudition about this moving period of our history shone through.

The next meeting is on April 18th

peter curbishley

Next meeting

The next meeting of Salisbury Recorded Music Society, will be tonight Monday 4th April 2016 at 7.30pm, in our usual venue.  Richard Seal will be presenting In Flanders Fields – music inspired by World War I including works by Vaughan Williams, Britten and George Butterworth.  A great deal of attention is paid to the poets who were affected by the war, rather less attention is paid to the composers who were also strongly influenced by the carnage. 

New season kicks off at the end of the month

The new season kicks off at the end of this month with Ed Tinline playing music by

Sibelius
Sibelius

Sibelius.  This is on 21st  September at the usual time of 7.30.  Ed is currently researching his presentation and where else but Finland itself at the 150th anniversary festival?

Copies of the programme are to be found in the Collector’s Room in Endless St; Oxfam upstairs; the Tourism Information Centre and the Library.  You can also download it here:

2015 16 programme

Don’t forget you can see us on Twitter now and you can find us at @salisburyai.

On a sad note, members will be sorry to hear of the death of David Phillips who passed away on 25th of August after a short illness.  David was a loyal member for many years although he wasn’t able to attend recently.  Our thoughts are with his family.

Hope to see you on 21st.

#Programme for 2015/16 now being finalised

Members and supporters might like early sight of the new provisonal programme for 2015/16.  We have continued the recent innovation of having a live performance even though we are called the ‘recorded’ music society.  We have some speakers who are familiar as well as some new faces so there should be plenty to interest music lovers.  You will find the pdf version clearer for technical reasons.

2015 16 programme (pdf)

Date Speaker and title
2015
September 21 Ed Tinline.  Music from Sibelius 150th Anniversary Festival, Lahti, Finland
October 5 Barry Conaway.  ‘1911 – new music of a sunset year’ including Delius, Elgar, Mahler and Sibelius
October 19 Peter Curbishley  ‘… but I don’t like modern music’.  Music by Schoenberg, Shostakovich and other ‘moderns’
November 2 Christopher Guild.  ‘The music of Roland Center (1913 – 1973) and the influence of Britten, Shostakovich, Ravel and Vaughan Williams on his work’ (provisional title)
November 16 Alastair Aberdare.  ‘A Berlioz Miscellany’.  Lord Aberdare is a member of the Berlioz Society
November 30 Members’ Evening
2016  
February 1 TBA
February 29 A Baroque Evening.  David Morgan, Sue Wyatt, Sally Reid and David Davies will bring their baroque instruments to give a live performance, including music by Corelli, Gottfried Finger and Handel
March 14 Anthony Powell.  ‘A personal musical journey – 60 years of discovery, including works by Beethoven, Mahler, Vaughan Williams, Britten and Butterworth
April 4 Robin Lim.  Title to be confirmed
April 18 TBA
May 9 Members’ evening
May 23 Jon Hampton.  ‘The art of the arranger’.  To include works by Boccherini, arranged by Berio, Bach by Elgar and Schubert by Britten

Please note that some elements may change so it is always worth coming to this site to get the up to date position.  We are always looking for new presenters and if you would like to volunteer that would be appreciated.  If you are nervous about being on your feet then someone else can do the presentation for you if you prefer.  We look forward to seeing you in the autumn.

Shostakovich
Shostakovich

Sad news

It is with great sadness that we have to record the death on Sunday of Ron Seaman.  Ron was born in Bristol in 1933 and pursued a career as an accountant.  He was one of the founder members of the Society and has been a loyal supporter for all that time.  Recently he was the treasurer and was once the chair.  Ron had made a number of presentations the most recent being on Pietro Mascagni in April.  His unfailing courtesy and quiet wit will be greatly missed.  Our thoughts are with Jan.  Funeral was on 17th.

Final meeting of the season takes place on 1 June

The final meeting of the season takes place on 1 June at the usual place and usual time.  It is a change to the programme and will be a presentation by Ian Lance entitled ‘A critic’s choice, 2014’.

This has been an interesting year and members have heard a range of unusual pieces, some by rarely heard composers and some lesser played works by famous composers.  The new programme is in preparation and will be available later in the summer.  If you have any ideas for inclusion in the programme, or you know of someone who could present something, we would be delighted to hear from you.