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North West BranchNewsletterAugust 2019

“The Black Knight, Elgar’s First Symphony?”Professor Julian Rushton, 6 October 2018

At the first meeting of the new season, we welcomed Julian Rushton, retired Professor of Music at the University of Leeds and former editor of the Society’s Journal. Once described as ‘an academic who is an Elgar enthusiast’, an epithet which not that many decades ago would have been regarded as an impossibility!

Before taking us through the work movement by movement, Professor Rushton outlined the nature of the piece. It’s a setting of a poem but not really a cantata even though that’s how it is described on the title page. It would seem that Elgar wants us to think of it as a “sort of symphony”. There are no soloists: the chorus acts as both the narrator and the various characters. It’s a ballad: it tells a story.

Professor Julian Rushton talking to us on 6th October 2018

The Newsletter is, in effect, a backward look at the events of the 2018-2019 season and provides an opportunity to present reports of the meetings which were held. It will, hopefully, evoke pleasant memories for those of you who were able to attend the meetings. But, I hope that it will also be of particular interest to those members who, for whatever reason, were not able to attend some or, perhaps, any of the branch meetings which were held. I am conscious of the fact that we have loyal members who are not able to get to meetings because of age or infirmity, or indeed because they had alternative engagements. I wish to give my personal thanks to those committee members who have provided what I think are excellent reports for this issue of the newsletter. Their names appear at the end of their articles. You may have noticed that all the reports have been written by committee members. They don’t have to be! If any members who attend meetings would like to offer to write a report, please let us know.My thanks, also, to Darren Niman who has provided many of the photos included.

At the same time that you receive this, you should also receive a copy of our full-colour printed programme of meetings for the coming season (2019-2020) which begins in October. I feel sure we can look forward to another very interesting season of events and I want to thank, in particular, our Programme Secretary, Geoff Scargill, for all the diligent work which he has done in engaging speakers, finding suitable topics, and arranging the dates and venues for the meetings. This is not an easy task and requires much thought and careful planning. You should already have received a printed list of the dates, topics and venues for the meetings and I hope that these are now in your diaries. We hope to have a good attendance at all our branch meetings. A successful outcome to the season is as much dependant on the level of attendance and degree of enjoyment engendered as in the planning and execution.

I send update information out by email to all members with an email address. If you are NOT receiving updates and DO have an email address, please let me have it.

Finally, I would like to thank all the members of the committee for their invaluable input into the running of the branch and the forward planning which is so essential. David L Jones (editor)

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“The Black Knight, Elgar’s First Symphony?” (continued) Julian Rushton, 6 October 2018

“Elgar, Liverpool and Malcolm Sargent”John Knowles, Liverpool, 3 November 2018

Elgar’s mother was an enthusiast for the Longfellow poem that he set and it clearly struck a strong chord with Elgar as he gave copies to a number of people. The underlying themes of joy, sorrow and the supernatural clearly stimulated him. It could have been a symphonic poem but the composer organises the stanzas to give a symphonic structure. Yet, this is not what an 1890 audience would have expected of a symphony. ‘Absolute’ music was regarded as the pinnacle of musical form (and the form Elgar aspired to writing to) whereas since The Black Knight is structured around a text it would have been viewed as a ‘programme’ symphony (and hence a lesser being). However, Elgar insisted that the orchestra was very important and arguably the chorus could be regarded as just another instrument within the texture.

By working through each section, Professor Rushton then developed and illustrated these ideas with fascinating details emerging. He concluded by posing to the audience the question “Did Elgar fulfil his aim to write a symphony? And his response? “Yes and no”

A very stimulating afternoon that was widely appreciated and without doubt would mean that those present would from now on hear The Black Knight with fresh ears.

John Knowles

This was an outstanding afternoon, seen by many as one of the very best presentations to the Branch. John showed his encylopaedic knowledge of Elgar and Liverpool, Elgar and Sargent – and Sargent. Even those of us who fancied themselves as experts on any or all three sections came away with their knowledge enhanced. Liverpool was the venue for the first performances of Cockaigne and of the first two Pomp and Circumstance Marches and only the second performance of the Enigma Variations before Jaeger insisted on a better coda to do justice to the Edu Variation. John emphasised Liverpool’s part in keeping the flame of Elgar’s neglected choral works burning in the dark days after the war, an echo of Sargent’s championing of Elgar in 1922, when one critic had called his music ‘small and outdated’.For lovers of the Halle it was salutary to learn that the Liverpool Phil, brilliant under Sargent, was the national orchestra and that his contract forbad him to conduct any other orchestra within 100 miles of the city.

WendyHodkinsonefficiently(as always) servingcupsofteaatourrefreshmentbreak

John Knowles - with an image of Sir Malcolm Sargent - on screen

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The meeting was a visual and aural feast, with extracts selected confidently and complementing each other perfectly. John is a national authority in the world of recordings. But the skill and knowledge, stunning as they were, did not hide John’s emotion towards his subject. ‘Bowled over’, ‘I will never forget Heddle Nash singing Gerontius from memory’, ‘I have the dream recording of Sargent’s Gerontius in 1944, with the Phil, the Huddersfield Choral Society (never short of brilliant voices during the war because so many of their members were in reserved occupations, such as down the Yorkshire pits), Heddle Nash and Gladys Ripley.’ ‘No commercial recording of Sargent conducting The Apostles was made so my recording made from a BBC broadcast is unique.’ It was in asides like those that John’s class act slipped for the moment and we saw his deep love for his three subjects. ‘Flash Harry’ was not as cuddly as JB but John’s description of the standing ovation at the start of his first concert after his major operation, his courage in returning to speak to the Promenaders shortly before his death and the warmth of the tributes to him, including one in the Daily Mirror, was moving.A great emotional and educative afternoon with a large audience, many at a branch meeting for the first time but augmented by brave souls who had made the hazardous journey over Chat Moss (‘Here be Dragons’) from Manchester, all justifying the committee’s decision to hold at least one meeting of the North West Branch programme in Liverpool.

Geoff Scargill

Elgar, Liverpool and Malcolm Sargent (continued)John Knowles, Liverpool, 3 November 2018

All Elgarians ‘know’ that Elgar hated America. His descriptions of ‘vulgarity and general horror’ and that famous photo of him in 1911, where all 13 members of the Sheffield Choir on tour are looking at the camera and Elgar, formally dressed and bowler-hatted, is staring dejectedly to one side, speak of his misery.Richard and Joan pulled no punches in describing his longing for home during the fourth and last of his visits to the USA. But in convincing detail – including Elgar’s letters, ‘authentically’ read by Joan - their immaculate research into a fascinating subject (put together with the help of an American friend) showed us the whole truth for the first time. His first three visits were happy and he was delighted with the people he met (except the extraordinarily mean Andrew Carnegie - Elgar called him ‘the Robber Baron’ - who would have paid for Alice’s visit but refused to pay for Elgar’s valet instead, and anyway paid Elgar the cheapest boat fare to America). Elgar loved the friendliness of the Americans and Alice thought the American girls were ‘sweet and charming’. Performances which he conducted had audiences of thousands and we were shown examples of rave reviews of his concerts.

“Elgar in America” Richard and Joan Smith, 8 December 2018

image showing our regularly updatedNorth West Branchdisplay - which hasinformation onbranch meetingsand various otherupcoming events relating to the performances ofElgar’s works inthe North West

Richard and Joan Smith - after their presentation on 8 December 2018

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“Elgar in America” (continued) Richard and Joan Smith, 8 December 2018

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Reporters ‘mobbed’ him and thought him very English. Three eminent universities decided to precede their degree ceremonies with Pomp and Circumstance No. 1 and still do. When it was proposed a few years ago that this should be dropped there was a revolt by students who said that if they did not hear the March ‘they would not feel they had graduated’.But in addition to the wealth of public detail in Richard and Joan’s presentation we were treated to some lovely personal details of Elgar’s relations with his two closest American friends. Professor Sanford promoted his first doctorate, at Yale, and was the dedicatee of the Introduction and Allegro. Richard felt that the beautiful and elegant Julia Worthington (the dedicatee of one of his Part Songs ‘Deep in my soul’) was the ‘soul’ of the Violin Concerto and that Elgar wrote the elegiac Sospiri after receiving news of her death.The nicknames they had for each other: Gaffer, Pippa and Amos (that was Elgar) showed their mutual affection. Joan, in answering a question, felt that Julia, Sanford and Elgar shared features: they were all ‘outside the parameters of big society’ and had known grief. She hoped that the three met ‘in that place where they could accept each other in a most wholesome way’. A striking and quite moving observation.Trevor Davies spoke for all of us in his vote of thanks, when he said how much new material had been brought to us. A terrific afternoon. Geoff Scargill

"Filling The Gaps"Steven Halls, 19 January 2019

2010 Immortal Legion Concert Allegro – originally the Piano Concerto but it was rearranged by Iain Farrington and recorded by him as well.War Song – with the remark “the worst piece of music by Elgar!!”

2012Starlight Express - on Chandos with Andrew Davis conductingThe longed-for light – Elgar’s music in wartime. The CD was a success both critically and financially.

2013Music for Powick Asylum. Thanks to Barry Collett a CD of less well known (and some unknown) music was produced

2014Settings of Binyon’s poems known as The Spirit of England. The Society fully supported this recording and a new one was made in 2017.

2016Steven Halls suggested a sum of £40k was needed to fill all remaining gaps in Elgar’s recordings and Ecce Saerdos Nagnus was recorded in September.

2017Military Band recording of Queen Alexandra Memorial Ode.

2018Air de Ballet – “a delightful piece”Muleteer’s Serenade for Soprano and Piano.

2019Caractacus

All the recordings we heard were overseen by Steven Halls. The afternoon certainly “filled the gaps” in our knowledge of recordings available! Thanks to him and the Elgar Society we are now able to purchase CDs of all our favourite composer’s music!! Geoff Hill

It was a great privilege to begin 2019 with a talk by Steven Halls, the Chairman of the Elgar Society. He has devoted much of his time in office ensuring Elgar’s music is available as recordings, hence the title “Filling the Gaps”. He reminded us that Elgar was the first great composer to make recordings of his own music with himself conducting. Before his appointment as Chairman, the Elgar Society had been responsible for releasing many recordings but there had been problems with marketing, distribution and unsold stock. Steven Halls was elected Chairman in 2008 and he declared that the Society needed to be modernised! During his talk Steven played extracts from many recordings he had initiated, and the following is a list of them with dates and some of his comments!

"Filling The Gaps" (continued)Steven Halls, 19 January 2019

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Cravendale

We again held our North West Branch Annual Luncheon (which, this year, was attended by 46 people) at the by-now familiar Alma Lodge Hotel in Stockport. Because of the significant number of people attending, our event was held in the Regis Suite - which provided ample space and excellent facilities. After a most enjoyable three-course luncheon, plus tea and coffee, we were entertained by two branch members who talked enthusiastically about (and then played) a piece of music which obviously meant a great deal to them. It was not necessarily their favourite piece of music but one which clearly had a special significance for them. To start the proceedings, Fae Jones spoke about an inspirational music teacher at school who awakened her interest in studying music. As a result, she attended the Junior School at the Northern School of Music, on Saturdays. Whilst studying there, she heard Schubert’s Moment Musical, No. 6 in A Flat Major, which was being played by a student. Subsequently, she came to adore this piece and it led to a life-long love of Schubert’s music. She particularly mentioned the guidance and kindness of Ida Carrol, Principal of the NSM, who nurtured and inspired all her pupils. Fae chose to play a recording by Clifford Curzon who had done so much for the Northern School of Music over the years. He was also a brilliant exponent of the Schubert repertoire for piano. Although only a simple piece, he captured the beauty of it so well. Following that, Ken Swallow told us about how he had been obliged, as a child, to attend church services in which he was expected to join in the singing of the Psalms and canticles – an experience which did not endear him to them. His musical experience, as he grew up, included Liverpool Phil. concerts but any thought for choral evensong had been suppressed by the church of his childhood. Then, in 2006, a BBC Radio 4 Archive Hour programme about a lady in her 70s, who was reflecting on her life, spoke of ‘spinsters cycling to Evensong’ and this section was overlaid by the opening bars of Stanford’s Op. 115, Magnificat in C. That experience awakened in him an interest in Stanford’s six major evening service settings (among other things.) He then played part of the afore-mentioned Stanford setting - which was sung beautifully by the Winchester Cathedral Choir. Altogether, we had a most enjoyable afternoon, with good food, stimulating conversation, and the added bonus of these most interesting contributions from two of our loyal branch members.

David L Jones

The Elgar Society North West Branch Annual Luncheon(Report) 17 February 2019

The Elgar Society North West Branch Annual Luncheon(Images) 17 February 2019

Fae Jonestalking to us

about her love ofSchubert’s music

and, in particular, about first hearing

his Moment Musical No. 6 in A Flat Major

Ken Swallowtalking to usabout the time hegained inspirationfrom hearing Stanford’s Op. 115 -Magnificat in C -played in a BBC R4Archive Hourprogramme

John Mawbey’s display ofthe history of the NW Branch

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Peter Newble’s scholarly and entertaining lecture on ‘Judas Iscariot in Music’ began with an assessment of how composers over the last half-millennium had conceived Judas’s character and motivation as evinced by his betrayal of Christ. Peter began with Richard Davy, an English Renaissance composer, organist and choirmaster, one of the most represented in the Eton Choirbook. From the Spanish composer Tomas Louis de Victoria, Peter chartered a musical journey to a more sympathetic treatment by Bach, Handel and Haydn in The Creation. Peter stressed the importance of the oratorios of Sophr, particularly The Last Judgement as a prime example of Judas’s evolution from villain, to a more nuanced man of human feelings and failings. It was this more psychologically complex characterisation which provided the aesthetic context for Elgar to write The Apostles.

Peter Newble in conversation with our Patron - Dr Joyce Kennedy

Peter reminded us that Elgar saw Judas as a man who over reached himself: a man brought to despair and suicide by ambition, not treachery. We hear in Judas’s lament the realisation of his failure to see Christ revealed in all His power. Judas’s great bass solo is, as Peter demonstrated, of operatic scope and of an emotional intensity unequalled, for some at least, in Elgar’s vocal writing. The operatic nature of Elgar’s conception reminds us that had Elgar been born in Germany he would have written operas, rather than oratorio.

We know Elgar had been fascinated by the story of the disciples, which is attributed to his schoolmaster, Francis Reeve. But the character of Judas, as the outsider of outsiders, had an extraordinary emotional pull on Elgar. Perhaps it was Judas’s longing for status, honour and material wealth which fuelled Elgar’s creative power? Whatever the alchemy, Elgar was undoubtedly fired by the character of Judas and, as Michael Kennedy suggested, the music is possibly autobiographical in nature.

Peter’s magnificent opening presentation slide on screen

Elgar worked at his libretto and his score almost side by side through the winter months of 1902-03. He immersed himself in theological writings, as well as Wagner’s sketch for Jesus von Nazareth, and Longfellow’s poem The Divine Tragedy. The first performance was given in Birmingham to wide acclaim. Peter played a number of excerpts to illustrate the many beauties of the score, especially Elgar’s use of leitmotifs. Modern recordings have brought the work to a wider audience and for many it contains moments of unparalleled beauty in Elgar’s oeuvre. Peter’s love of the work was obvious to all, and his analysis will have confirmed for many that in Judas, Elgar was able to paint in music, reflections of his own complex character and inner turmoil. Michael Derbyshire

“Judas Iscariot in Music: Elgar’s Apostles and beyond”Peter Newble, 9 March 2019

“Judas Iscariot in Music: Elgar’s Apostles and beyond”Peter Newble, 9 March 2019 (continued)

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In how many concerts did John Barbirolli conduct music by Elgar?That and many other statistics are not surprisingly at the fingertips of David Jones, not only secretary of our branch of the Elgar society but also a former secretary of the Barbirolli Society and author of a book detailing Barbirolli’s records, making him uniquely qualified to give this talk. As expected, it was an immaculate amalgam of words, pictures and music delivered with flawless technological expertise, allowing us to hear JB’s voice, see him conduct and hear extracts from some of his very fine and in some cases rare recordings.

John Knowles, David Jones, Andrew and Vicky Neill

David met JB half a dozen or so times, the first occasion being the first Elgar concert he attended - Gerontius in Sheffield City Hall in March 1958 - and he showed us an autographed programme to prove it! We heard of JB’s early years from the man himself and his memories of Elgar. Early in his career he had played the cello under Elgar’s baton in 1919 at the première of the Cello Concerto and subsequently met and discussed his music with the composer on a number of occasions, the last, following an invitation to tea at Marl Bank in 1933, just 6 months before the composer’s death. He made his first Elgar recording in October 1927 – indeed the first recording ever of the Introduction and Allegro. After hearing it, Elgar wrote in a letter: “… Mr Barbirolli is an extremely able youth ….”. The piece became a Barbirolli speciality with 5 more studio recordings and 2 concert performances now on CD.

We were reminded of the vow JB made in Scotland in the 1930s that his special mission for life would be to make people appreciate the greatness of Elgar both at home and overseas. Well, there were 600 Elgar performances over his 27 years with the Hallé as well as the work he did with 40 orchestras throughout the world – the Enigma Variations in the Hollywood Bowl to an audience of 20,000, the 2nd Symphony in Leningrad, the ‘Cello Concerto in Prague and Moscow with Jacqueline du Pré, to name just a few examples. When he was invited abroad, he invariably took Elgar with him.

video - JB and the Hallé - playing Dvorak’s Scherzo Capriccioso

His penultimate concert was all Elgar – a wonderful occasion, wonderfully preserved on CD for posterity and it was moving to hear from it the exhilarating final minutes of the 1st symphony. But the last music of the afternoon was the end of the 2nd Symphony which in BBC TV’s Monitor profile, responding to Huw Weldon, Barbirolli had said that, given the choice, this was the music he would choose to be the last thing he conducted. A fitting tribute then to a musician who kept the Elgar symphonies in the forefront even in those years when they were seriously out of fashion.

Oh .... the answer to my opening question? 894 concerts included music by Elgar with no fewer than 273 performances of the Enigma Variations. Such thoroughly and wonderfully researched statistics delivered with such enthusiasm and panache made this a memorable and historic afternoon and it’s good that the event was recorded and so preserved for future generations. John Knowles

“Barbirolli and Elgar”David Jones, 6 April 2019

“Barbirolli and Elgar” (continued)David Jones, 6 April 2019

Officers of the North West Branch

Patron: Dr. Joyce Kennedy

Chairman: Revd John Knowles 15 Clare Avenue, Handforth, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 3EQ john.knowles92@btinternet.com Tel: 01625 526 531 Hon. Secretary & Vice Chairman: David L Jones Willowbrook House, Spath Lane East, Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire SK8 7NL DavidLJones@saqnet.co.uk (SAQ in lower case) Tel: 0161 439 7176

Treasurer: Geoff Hill 28 Queen Anne Court, Macclesfield Rd, Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 1BY grh49@btinternet.com Tel: 01625 522 629

Please send copy items: articles, photos, etc., to -Newsletter Editor: David L. Jones

Email: DavidLJones@saqnet.co.uk (SAQ) Telephone: 0161 439 7176Willowbrook House, Spath Lane East, Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire SK8 7NL

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At the last meeting of the season we were privileged to have a presentation first given to the London Branch, in December 2015, to mark the 100th Anniversary of the premiere of The Starlight Express. We welcomed Kevin Mitchell and his three colleagues, Stephen Harrow, Peter and Lyn Nixon, for a wonderfully scripted audio-visual presentation.The first performance of the work was on 29th December 1915 and was conducted by Julius Harrison. It contains some of Elgar’s “most enchanting music composed in wartime London”. The starting point for the venture was Algernon Blackwood’s novel A Prisoner in Fairyland and the inspiration for the book was his father’s purchase of an old 3rd Class railway carriage when he was a young lad! The Starlight Express was an adaptation of the novel by Blackwood and Violet Pearn and was a children’s fantasy play with music to be produced at the Kingsway Theatre at Christmas 1915. Edward Elgar was invited by Robin Legge, in November 1915, to write the music (although Clive Carey had already begun that task but abandoned it when he heard that Elgar had been commissioned for the task).Originally, Basil Deane was to be the producer but he was called up for army service and Lena Ashwell took over with help from Muriel Pratt. The score was completed on 15th December and Blackwood was entranced by the music. Rehearsals were fraught with problems and there was much upset and argument! Remarkably the dress rehearsal was on Christmas Eve and there were still more disagreements.The first performance was at 2pm on Wednesday 29th December 1915 and the critics wrote that Elgar’s music was “lovely beyond words”. All commented that it was the music that made the play work not the script! It ran for only a month, closing on 29th January 2016. Alice Elgar went to the final performance and commented that “E’s music was enchanting”. Elgar realised that a recording would be the best way to preserve the music and so a contract was drawn up in February 1916 to record some of the music with Elgar conducting.Many attempts were made to revive the play but without success. It was even suggested in 1945 that it should be made into a film but this met with no approval! Blackwell died in 1951 having tried for more than 30 years to revive The Starlight Express. However, in 1965 the BBC took it on board and it was broadcast on 26th December. The suite was recorded in 1973 with the Bournemouth Sinfonietta and George Hurst. In 1976 EMI issued a 2 LP box set with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Vernon Handley.

Other recordings and stage productions have been made and given since and it has become a more popular work thanks to Elgar’s wonderful music.The North West Branch are very grateful to Kevin Mitchell and his friends for coming up to Manchester to give us such a wonderfully informative presentation. Geoff Hill

“Elgar, Blackwood and The Starlight Express”, 18 May 2019Kevin Mitchell, Stephen Harrow, Peter & Lyn Nixon

“Elgar, Blackwood and The Starlight Express”, 18 May 2019Kevin Mitchell, Stephen Harrow, Peter & Lyn Nixon (continued)