High quality fresh meat from local suppliers

Wide selection of homemade cold meats and pies.

119, Bridgnorth Road, Wollaston

Welcome to this very special Gig Caritas concert featuring the music of our own Edward Elgar.

First, an explanation for the alteration to the advertised programme. Sadly, Jude Moreland, who was to have sung Sea Pictures, has had to withdraw due to illness. We wish her well for a speedy recovery. On a happier note, we are delighted to announce that Irena Josifoska, a true rising star of the European music scene, has agreed at amazingly short notice to fly in from Germany to perform Elgar s Cello Concerto, one of his best loved works. Irena, like all our performers tonight, is not taking a fee, meaning 100 per cent of the profits from this, our first all-orchestral concert, will go to our nominated charity, Stourbridge & Halesowen Age Concern. So please, sit back and enjoy our offering of world famous and locally composed music, sipping on a drink sponsored by our friends at The Duke William and Craddock s Brewery. Keith Horsfall Chair, Gig Caritas THANKS & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Our grateful thanks are extended to all who have helped in the presentation of this concert, without whose assistance none of our work could take place: - All performers, their families and those providing our musicians and performers with hospitality - Laura Billingham for poster design - Amy Carroll & Chris Passey for programme design - Stourbridge Community Forum - Age UK, Stourbridge and Halesowen - The Rev Stuart Scott and the congregation at St John s URC, Stourbridge - David Craddock and Jason Taylor from Craddock s Brewery and the Duke William - The Front of House team - Mark Felton of Harris and Son - Birmingham Music Library - King Edward VI College, Stourbridge - Black Country Radio - The National Lottery - British Telecom

High quality fresh meat from local suppliers

Wide selection of homemade cold meats and pies.

119, Bridgnorth Road, Wollaston

GIG CARITAS PRESENTS

ELGAR

Pomp & Circumstance March No. 4

Serenade for Strings

Cello Concerto

- INTERVAL -

Enigma Variations

Featuring

Stourbridge Chamber Orchestra

Conducted by Keith Horsfall

Cello soloist

Irena Josifoska

Our concert tonight is sponsored by Craddock’s Brewery and The Duke William, Stourbridge.

The dedicated charity for this evening’s concert is

Stourbridge & Halesowen Age Concern

After concerts and £ 5, raised for local charities … Gig Caritas Celebrated for Arts & Heritage

On 18th October we were delighted to attend the Dudley Civic Voluntary Service Awards. We were nominated but weren't quite sure as to many of the details and went along to Brierley Hill Civic

Hall for the AGM and subsequent awards ceremony.

It turns out we were nominated for Arts & Heritage Award and, while we didn't win, we were 'Highly Commended' and had our

certificate presented to us by Cllr. Steve Waltho, Mayor of Dudley.

Gig Caritas is now a large-scale volunteering organisation with a team of over 300 volunteers who work so hard to produce

professional productions from which local charities reap the rewards.

We were delighted and so proud to have had our work recognised in such a way. If you feel like you would like to get more involved with Gig Caritas or have some concert suggestions, please get in touch via

our website:

www.gigcaritas.com

Edward Elgar (1857-1934) Sir Edward Elgar is arguably England s most loved composer. Born down the road in Lower Broadheath, near Worcester, he was self-taught and very much outside the late Victorian musical establishment. This seems odd now, given his image as the archetypal English composer. In fact he was regarded with some suspicion because of his Roman Catholic faith and his early immersion in the amateur music life of Worcester, many miles from the cultural hothouse that was London. He in fact started his working life in the office of a local solicitor. Unsurprisingly that didn t last long and subsequently teaching violin, arranging, conducting and then composing for the various local ensembles, reflected in the Serenade for Strings of 1882, gave him a truly practical knowledge that was to stand him in such good stead in later life. We tend to think of his music as typically English too, but, outside of the jingoistic style of works like the Pomp and Circumstance marches, his music is more characteristically linked to that of the late 19th century German composers of tone poems than any inherent Englishness . )t could be said that Elgar s output falls into two distinct styles. There is, of course, that jingoistic element, heard this evening in the splendid Pomp and Circumstance March No.4, but, at the other end of the spectrum, there is the seriously talented writer of such works as his symphonies, the cello and violin concertos, the choral epic The Dream of Gerontius and, of course, the Enigma Variations. These great works were all composed in a 20-year span kicked off by the Enigma Variations in 1899 and ending with the death of his wife in 1920, which so devastated him. The Cello Concerto, composed in , falls right at the end of Elgar s most creative period and is perhaps his most pithy work, a complete antithesis of the aforementioned Pomp and Circumstance marches. This evening s concert gives you more than a glimpse of the different sides to Elgar s musical character. We hope you enjoy them all!

Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85

There aren t many great cello concertos – Haydn, Dvorak, Saint Saens, Schumann come to mind – and into this exalted list quite definitely fits the Elgar, arguably the finest of them all. It comes at the end of his most creative period but, significantly, after serious illness and his perceptions of the impact of the First World War. Something of the earlier optimism of his earlier compositions seems to be missing but not to the detriment of one of his most accomplished works. The wonderful sense of melody is still there of course, but it is of a different nature, more restrained, less expansive. Its first performance in 1919 was a disaster owing to lack of rehearsal time but the eminent contemporary critic Ernest Newman wrote The work itself is lovely stuff, very simple – that pregnant simplicity that has come upon Elgar's music in the last couple of years – but with a profound wisdom and beauty underlying its simplicity. Although the concerto did receive performances in the intervening years, it would seem that it took some four decades before Newman was proved correct and the work assumed its rightful place as one of the finest of all concertos. A wonderful recording by Jacqueline du Pre in 1965 duly catapulted the concerto to the prominence it enjoys today.

1. Adagio – moderato Opening dramatic chords on the cello introduce the work before giving way to the movement s uncomplicated main first theme on lower strings before being taken up by the soloist. This simple yet gracious theme dominates the opening part of the concerto before the middle section is introduced by lower woodwind with a more energetic musical idea. The simple opening theme returns, however, moving seamlessly into the second movement through a return to the recitative-like opening and a hint of the rapid notes about to ensue.

2. Lento – Allegro Molto Relentless energy by the soloist throughout is only briefly and occasionally interrupted by a slightly jaunty figure, initially announced by the soloist, in conversation with the orchestra.

3. Adagio Thoughtful intensity might best describe the concerto s slow movement, in which the solo cello weaves a wonderfully lyrical monologue merely underpinned by a hushed orchestra.

4. Allegro – Moderato –Allegro ma non troppo – Poco piu lento – Adagio A brief introduction hints at the energy of the second movement only for the cello to interrupt, in a manner somewhat reminiscent of the opening movement. The movement proper nevertheless takes the energetic route. One or two quite melancholy passages interrupt this flow, before the dramatic chords of the work s opening return, heralding a headlong rush to the close.

Pomp and Circumstance March No. 4 Op. 39 Elgar s six Pomp and Circumstance marches were written between 1901 and 1930. The sixth one indeed was created as late at 2006 as a result of sketches and some pages of score being discovered at the Royal School of Church Music in that year. The most famous march, of course, is the first, forming the basis for Land of Hope and Glory, a rousing English patriotic song. The fourth march was composed in 1907 and received its first performance in the same year at the Queen s (all in London with Elgar himself conducting. It is dedicated to his friend Dr George Robertson Sinclair, a one-time organist at Hereford Cathedral, who also actually makes an appearance as one of the subjects in his Enigma Variations. There are patriotic overtones to this march too. In World War II A. P. (erbert s poem Song of Liberty was used in conjunction with the march, with the first words being All men must be free. )t was also used as the recessional for the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in as they walked down the aisle of St Paul s and out to greet the cheering crowds. As therefore might be expected, the fourth march is the closest in spirit to the more famous first one. It also has the same construction, starting with a crisp introductory march before leading into the big tune. The martial character then reappears before a reprise of the lyrical melody in the home key of G major. An emphatic coda returns to the music of the opening section and ends with much positivity.

Our nominated charity for this evening is:

On way in which Age UK works in our area is through the provision of Day Care Centres. A number of our Day Centres across Stourbridge and Halesowen. are

geared specifically towards the needs of older people with dementia, some are for people who are frail, disabled or isolated, and one is open to residents of the sheltered accommodation in which it is situated. All provide transport where required, and a cooked main meal, at a small charge. To attend one of our Day Centres, people can be referred by their doctor or social worker, a carer or member of the family, or a person can refer themselves. All our Day Centres offer recreational and social activities in a stimulating and therapeutic environment, recalling lost skills and learning new ones, according to the needs and wishes of the users at each individual centre. Our centres are: Mary Stevens Day Care Centre Elton Centre Green Lane Halesowen Day Care Centre

x Wonderful meals and entertainment, a place where everyone is made to feel welcome. For any enquiries you may have please contact The Centre Manager on 0121 561 5341 Thank you for choosing to support Age UK, Stourbridge & Halesowen

this evening

About Our Concert This Evening

Fathers Day was a really important day for me this year – the first without my Dad, Graham

Herrington.

My Dad and his parents were born and bred in the heart of the industrial Black Country, with

few musical possessions, aside from a gramophone radio. Dad’s first record (and for that matter his parents’ first record) was Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, which he played regularly, at

my Nan’s request because she loved it too. He, and my Mom, both shared their love of live music with me through their involvement with the Operatic Society in Brierley Hill, where my

Dad had been a member since 1963. The Society later became Brierley Hill Musical Theatre

Company.

Dad was diagnosed with Parkinsons in the summer of 2011 – and in that diagnosis his stoic

and uncomplaining nature was also filled with silent processing, struck dumb with terror at

what may or may not come. Our whole family was the same. At first it was not easy to

discuss what was going on – there were so many questions. So few answers. As his

movement slowed, facial features changed, and speech began to fade, Dad still made

remarkable journeys. He came to many Gig Caritas events we staged, from the first Handel’s Messiah in 2011 to the American Dream concert for Teenage Cancer Trust in July 2013. For

Dad, music had voice and the power to answer many questions of life.

We searched as a family for answers and recognised that Mom, Dad and our whole family

needed more knowledge about what having Parkinsons really meant. We joined Parkinsons

UK and were so grateful to find the Dudley & District Branch. Both my parents were regular

attendees in the months before Dad became seriously ill in October 2013. Many group members do not get out often, but organisers provide valuable respite, to the

carers and their loved ones by arranging carer supported outings, meals out and day trips or

holidays. Recent excursions have included Weston-Super-Mare, meals at the Forge

restaurant and the annual Christmas lunch in Dudley. These outings give people a chance to

meet other members and enjoy themselves. Many of the carers who look after their loved

ones with Parkinsons are supported by the group, and many are themselves quite elderly.

Serenade for Strings Op. 20 Much of Elgar s music possesses a considerable degree of pomp and circumstance but under no stretch of the imagination could these adjectives be applied to the Serenade for Strings. It is among the earliest of Elgar regularly performed works and indeed is the first of his works with which the composer declared himself satisfied. It has since become an ever-present in the standard string orchestral repertoire across the world. It was composed in 1882 and received its first, private, performance by the Worcester Ladies Orchestral Class. It was not heard in public until 1896 at a performance in Antwerp, Belgium. It was dedicated to Edward Whitfield, an organ builder and amateur musician. Unlike Elgar s other major string work the, the later )ntroduction and Allegro, which has a strong and forceful personality, the Serenade for Strings is a gentle, lyrical piece. The mood is set from the very beginning of the first movement which is marked Allegro piacevole piacevole is perhaps best translated as agreeable – pulsating lower strings accompany a rather wistful melody on the violins; the second main theme is even more withdrawn. The second movement, larghetto, seems a continuous stream of gentle melody imbued with a calm beauty while the final movement, allegretto, although beginning with a new theme, returns to the ideas and mood of the opening movement.

V. R.P.A Amateur pianist Richard Penrose Arnold is the subject of this variation, which moves without a pause into the next.

VI. Ysobel The difficulty that beginner viola players have in crossing the strings is highlighted in the sixth variation, dedicated to his viola pupil Isabel Fitton.

VII. Troyte Elgar was out walking one day with Arthur Troyte Griffiths, noted for his enthusiastic pianistic incompetence, and got caught in a thunderstorm. Both are depicted here!

VIII. W.N. The refuge from the storm was the house of Winifred Norbury, the subject of this gentle, yet humorous variation with a suggestion of her characteristic laugh on upper woodwind.

IX. Nimrod This is the most famous variation and refers to an Old Testament figure who was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Elgar s publisher and good friend was Augustus Jaeger - Jaeger is the German word for hunter .

X. Dorabella Woodwinds gently parody the stutter of his friend Dora Penny. They accompany a melody for solo viola.

XI. G.R.S. The great bulldog of George Robertson Sinclair, organist of Hereford Cathedral, is the star of the show here. It is a portrayal in music of the dog falling into the river, paddling upstream and rejoicing climbing out. Elgar was dared to set that to music by G.R.S. – so he did!

XII. B.G.N. Solo cello passages open and conclude this variation, a tribute to Basil G. Nevinson, a local amateur cellist with whom Elgar played chamber music.

XIII. *** Two of Elgar s lady friends feature here. Lady Mary Lygon was on a sea voyage at the time of its composition, hence the drum beat of the engines and the clarinet quote from Mendelssohn s Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage. )t is said that he didn t initialise this movement because of the unlucky associations of the number 13 – or could the deeply emotional music have been associated with his great early love for Helen Weaver, who had emigrated, by sea, to New Zealand and sailed out of his life for ever?

XIV. E.D.U. The music moves without a break into the final variation. Fittingly it is Elgar s own nickname, given to him by his wife, that gives it its title. Musical references to earlier variations, which Elgar describes as entirely fitting to the intention of the piece, certainly contribute to a wonderful finale.

Enigma Variations It was with the Enigma Variations that Edward Elgar finally broke through into the national consciousness. Prior to the first performance of Enigma in 1899, Elgar had either been involved in creating smaller pieces for the provincial requirements around Worcester or larger-scale choral works for the innumerable choral festivals of the late Victorian period. Enigma was indeed something different; a fact underlined by the extremely favourable critical reviews of that first performance, which took place in St James (all, London in . )t also heralded in a golden period over the next 20 years when Elgar wrote his most well-known and substantial works. As well as the wonderful orchestrations, gorgeous melodies and sheer variety of sound within the set of variations, Elgar added what these days would be a marketeer s dream – mystery. First of all there is the title – Enigma. He never really explained what that was; although one has to think that it is the composer himself, especially as the rhythm of the very first notes of the opening theme spell out, in rhythm, the name Edward Elgar. Secondly, only the initials or enigmatic nicknames of his special group of friends or a couple of self-portraits name each of the subsequent 14 variations. (e leaves us to guess who they all are…

Theme. A gentle yet noble statement of the musical theme on which the variations are based moves seamlessly into the first of the variations.

I. C.A.E. (ere Elgar s beloved wife Alice is represented by sudden bursts of passion.

II. H.D.S. Hew David Stueart-Powell – a local amateur pianist and an avid chamber music enthusiast. The rapid movement of notes is said to be a characteristic of him testing out the piano prior to beginning to play.

III. R.B.T. Richard Baker Townsend, an Oxford don and a local amateur thespian who had a habit of departing his normal low voice into a high, almost soprano pitch.

IV. W.M.B. William Meath Baker, a somewhat energetic man who was the benefactor of many public buildings in Stoke on Trent.

IN SOUND COMPANY Community Choir

Musical Director: Judith Moreland Accompanist: Matthew Brooks

IN SOUND COMPANY is a community choir with members from all over Dudley, Stourbridge and

Halesowen.

We meet on Monday evenings during school term time, from 7:30 to 9pm at St James Church Hall,Belfry Drive,

off Bridgnorth Road.

IN SOUND COMPANY is proud support Gig Caritas

We are a friendly choir and welcomes new members. There is no audition, and you don t need to be able to read music. If you are interested, visit our website at www.insoundcompany.org.uk or visit our Facebook

page In Sound Company.

WE’RE OFF ON TOUR! BRUGES 6

Seeking Tenors to join us for this exciting adventure!

KEITH HORSFALL – CONDUCTOR

Keith s background is as a musician and teacher, having gained an honours music degree and cello performer s diploma from Huddersfield plus a University of Leeds teaching certificate.

He is an elected trustee of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) as well as being a regional chair and a member of the RSA national Fellowship Council. He is also the current chair of Dudley Arts Council and of Black Country Radio

As a conductor he has worked with youth orchestras and choirs, plus several amateur and semi-professional groups. A director of major festivals and Artistic Director for the visit of the Queen to Dudley in 1994, he has led workshops in North America and was the keynote speaker at the Australian Music Educators National Conference in Canberra in 2005. Since 2006 he has been CEO of Leaps and Bounds a charitable company using culture and the arts to transform the lives of at-risk young people.

IRENA JOSIFOSKA – CELLO

Irena was born in 1996 in Novi Sad, Serbia, into a family of musicians and started playing the cello at the age of five.

Irena has won more than 40 of the highest awards in national and international competitions, including in Germany, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Austria and Spain,

both as a soloist and with her string quartet.

She has already taken part in around 500 public performances in England, Italy, Germany, Spain, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania and Croatia of which around 70 have been recitals and solo performances accompanied by a wide range of high quality and eminent orchestras.

2014 saw the issue of her first two CDs, the second of which was sponsored by Société Générale, the major French bank.

STOURBRIDGE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA Violin 1 Flute and Piccolo Berri Munn (Co-leader) Linda May Ben Jennings (Co-leader) Caroline Penn Catherine Hey Jenny Lester Oboe Annie Burton Nadia Accili Tom Whitehouse Iain Estell Violin 2 Clarinet Kathrina Kotin Tony May Chloe Hancox Beth Brown Alice Timms Logan Gregory Bassoon Claire Pennycooke Bobby Cotterill Jenni Houghton Mark Wilson Jolene Bayliss Viola Carol Wheway Horn Hazel Fox Becky Kiston Sarah Pickstone Julia Burton Joan Taylor Gareth Donnegoold Lydia Taylor Cello Tom Pankhurst Trumpet Claire Moss Ed Malpass Andy Baruch Nina Pryce Alice Pilborough Trombone Double Bass Les Whitehouse Nathan Southall David Griffiths Alex Ross Alex Rowbottom Tuba Timpani & Percussion Joel Brown Steve Price

Blake Hemmingway Nic Penn