News from our members

We welcome your brief news (max. 150 words) and high res images. Please email mj@ism.org. The next deadline for copy is 1 October 2020 for the November/December issue.

Elizabeth de la Porte FISM

15 September 1941 – 09 April 2020 ISM member since 1989

A tribute by her daughter Leonora Dawson-Bowling Harpsichordist, pianist and Baroque specialist Elizabeth de la Porte, who taught at the Royal College of Music Junior Department for 55 years, died earlier this year after five wonderfully positive months back at home with her dear family following a difficult illness last year. Born in Johannesburg, the daughter of opera singer Betsy de la Porte, she studied at the Vienna Academy before moving to the UK where she performed and recorded her beloved Bach, Couperin and more besides, and inspired generations of her RCM and Canterbury students with a passion for music.

Described by colleagues and students as ‘supportive and encouraging’, ‘kind’, ‘a dear friend’ and a ‘shining light’, she wore her enormous musical intellect lightly and combined her musical teachings with guidance on presentation and a very real personal interest in each student.

A talented musician and a wonderful person, she is sorely missed but lives on in the gifts she gave to so many. ‘Losing two such iconic women organists within a few months of each other is a terrible blow. Jennifer Bate, our generous Patron, was to have given a concert for the Society of Women Organists in November 2020 – a unique concert, with many young female organists in the audience, and a reception afterwards for them to meet the performer. When Jennifer became ill, Jane ParkerSmith accepted the concert invitation,

Jane Parker-Smith MISM

20 May 1950 – 24 June 2020 ISM member since 2011

The concert organist Jane Parker-Smith, a pupil of Nicolas Kynaston and Jean Langlais, made her London debut at Westminster Cathedral at the age of 20, followed by a first solo concert appearance in the BBC Promenade Concerts at the Royal Albert Hall two years later. She performed at major venues and international festivals and concerto soloist, recorded a wide range of solo repertoire for major labels and broadcast regularly on radio and television. The critic Paul Driver described her as ‘the Martha Argerich of the organ’. ‘Jane was an outstanding concert organist with a fiery technique that matched her exuberant personality,’ writes Gerard Brooks, President of the Royal College of Organists. ‘She made light of even the most demanding showpieces, dazzling her listeners with interpretations that were sometimes highly personal but never dull. Attending one of her concerts was always an event, and she will be greatly missed.’ Anne Marsden Thomas, co-founder of the Society of Women Organists, writes:

all over the world, as both recitalist and she would have been an equally brilliant performer; she was a charismatic personality, guaranteed to inspire those who heard and met her. Now the concert itself is postponed until 2021, but we will certainly remember fondly both Jennifer and Jane, honouring their memory as we move forward.’

Philip Colls

Diamond Jubilee concert in Gloucestershire.

Philip Colls has been conducting The Cappella Singers since 1981. The choir, founded in 1960, celebrates its Diamond Jubilee in a concert at Holy Trinity Church, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire on Saturday 10 October. The choir is joined by five soloists and the baroque instruments of Warwick Cole’s Corelli Orchestra in Bach’s Mass in G minor and works by Purcell and Handel. Mark Blatchly has composed a specially commissioned setting of ‘O sing unto the Lord a new song’. You are advised to obtain tickets in advance. For more information see cappellasingers.co.uk

Left: The Echo Ensemble (Photo taken prior to the COVID-19 lockdown) Photo: Liz Isles

The Echo Ensemble

The Echo Ensemble brings people together through music-making. Never has this been more crucial or challenging than during the current crisis. The Echo Chamber embodies our vision of a world where everyone feels connected through art. Throughout lockdown The Echo Chamber brought joy to families the world over and gave a voice to 55 of Europe’s finest young musicians who otherwise would have been silenced. Special guests including Ashley Solomon and Ronald Corp OBE joined us to present music old and new in eight 45-minute online performances. These were curated and edited by Echo’s artistic director and conductor, Noah Max. Series one and two are available free of charge on Echo Ensemble’s YouTube channel. The Echo Chamber will return in December.

On Sunday 2 August the ensemble gave a live outdoor performance to a socially distanced audience at Central Square, Hampstead Garden Suburb, in association with the local residents’ association. The hour-long CovidAware Echo Outdoors event featured music by Purcell, Grieg, Bartok, Vaughan Williams, John Barry and two works by Noah Max, of which one was a première.

Vaughan Jones

History of the Salon (FHR 80) is a new release available on CD and digital download of 23 fascinating pieces written for violin and piano from the era of the salon. Many of the pieces were popular in the early days of acoustical recordings but have now sadly fallen out of fashion. In a recent review in The Observer, Fiona Maddocks described violinist Vaughan Jones ‘ and pianist Marcus Price’s playing as ‘… cutting an elegant musical dash, formidably nimble and adept at capturing the fizzing character of these miniatures’. Revisiting these brilliantly written pieces gives the listener a deeper understanding of popular musical styles and tastes in the 19 century and with a number of première recordings on offer, this disc offers the listener a rare opportunity to revisit a fascinating era, long faded away. You can purchase the disc by visiting the catalogue page of First Hand Records.

firsthandrecords.com Andrew Downes

English Composer Andrew Downes (pictured below) turned 70 on 20 August. #andrewdownes70 is a year of concerts in 2020, celebrating his life and work, raising money for Stoke Mandeville Spinal Research. Downes has suffered a life of ill health, starting at the age of 12 when he first displayed symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis, an arthritic disease which slowly creeps up the backbone, destroying the cartilage between the vertebrae and gradually fusing the spinal column together, leaving it rigid and brittle. In 2009, Andrew’s left hip gave way, he fell and his back broke. He was left paraplegic but received excellent care at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. His immensely positive attitude has made him a prolific composer of over 110 works with performances and recordings all over the world, by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, flute choirs throughout America, Cathedral choirs, and world class soloists.

andrewdownes.com

Right: Emma Abbate & Julian Perkins (Photo taken prior to the COVID-19 lockdown)

Emma Abbate and Julian Perkins have just released their latest recording, of Weber’s complete keyboard duets, on Deux-Elles. Praised by Early Music Reviews as being ‘balanced perfectly in tone and volume’, this disc comprises Weber’s three sets of duets that date from his teenage years to those of his maturity. The composer is known today primarily for his fantastical opera Der Freischütz, but Weber’s keyboard duets offer us a different window onto this early-Romantic personality, in which the heady mix of Mozartian sophistication and bel canto beauty shows a composer of extraordinary breadth and versatility. Using two original instruments from the Richard Burnett collection of early keyboard instruments, Emma and Julian’s programme also includes Mozart’s Andante and 5 Variations in G major, K501. deux-elles.co.uk emmaabbate.com julianperkins.com Nancy Litten Nancy Litten’s latest book has been released by Alfred UK. Rounds with ‘Enjoyment for singers, pianists and audiences’ and aims to take the performance of rounds to a new level, as satisfying, characterful concert items. Nancy has arranged old and new rounds with piano accompaniments for unison and part singing, and added introductions and endings. They are graded in difficulty from ‘Row, Row’ to ‘Summer Is A-Coming In’ and she hopes there will be something for everyone – that is, once we are allowed to sing again! Richard Jeffries Richard Jeffries, a choral director and music educator from the Midlands, was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2019 from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. Last autumn he travelled to America, Canada and Finland to research music education with a singing focus. He visited choirs, schools, universities and organisations to observe the very best in choral work, how it can be embedded in communities and schools and how this positively impacts children’s learning. Richard’s report is now available at wcmt.org.uk/fellows/reports – type in ‘Richard Jeffries’ in the search and you’ll find the full report under Harnessing the power of music and its effect on learning. You’ll also find two films he made from the trip. Although it’s been a huge challenge recently, Richard is sharing his global insights and recommendations with colleagues, professions, organisations and communities to make change happen at a local level initially, but at a national level too.

Right: Richard Jefferies Photo: Bob Geary Emma Abbate and Julian Perkins

Accompaniment is subtitled,

Rounds with Accompaniment

Arranged by Nancy Litten E n j o y m e n t f o r P i a n i s t s , S i n g e r s , a n d A u d i e n c e s

richardjeffries.co.uk Rachel Fryer

Pianist Rachel Fryer delivered the world premiere of Variations Down the Line at the virtual JAM festival in August. The project commissioned five composers – Samuel Becker, Julian Broughton, Michael Finnissy, Alison Kay and Nicola LeFanu – to write a set of three variations each in response to Bach’s Goldberg Variations. The next performance to be broadcast will be on Monday 21 September at the Hurst virtual festival. For more information about the project including links to online interviews with composers please visit: variationsdowntheline.org

Jonathan David Little

In June 2020, composer Jonathan David Little was awarded the Second Prize medal in the orchestral category of the Musikverein New Symphony Vienna International Composers Competition, with an overall score of 94/100 – one point off First Prize – for his piece Terpsichore. The same work entered for this competition (submitted anonymously) had earlier won him Special Distinction in America’s prestigious ASCAP Foundation Rudolf Nissim Prize. An online scrolling score link can be found at youtube/0flT7lJeR3U – here played by the Kiev Philharmonic Orchestra. (The work is still available for UK premiere, whenever next practical!) Jonathan is now aiming to compose a major oratorio, commencing in the latter part of 2020. jonathanlittle.org

MEMBER COMMENTS

‘Thank you all very much for all your continuing efforts on our behalf. It’s so reassuring to be kept ‘in the loop’ and it can’t have been easy for you all. Hopefully things will improve soon.’ ISM member since 1986

‘Thanks for the updates and the brilliant lobbying work you’re doing. I’ve never been so grateful to be part of the ISM.’ ISM member since 2016 ‘Many thanks for all the support and information, particularly at the moment.’ ISM member since 2014

‘Thank you for your invaluable work, it has been a great encouragement and giving me direction and hope.’ ISM member since 1997

‘I used the legal advice for the first time and the gentleman I spoke to just spoke perfect sense and gave my mind ease.’ Vicci Hogan, Vocally Yours LTD, ISM member since 2018 ‘Many thanks for the continued helpful updates in these challenging times.’ ISM member since 1981

‘I want to say a personal thank you to everyone as you work to support all musicians during this unprecedented time. I am more fortunate than many as I have been able to teach all my students online but I have been impressed with the speed of response to inform and help the profession as well as your letters to and lobbying of the government on our behalf.’ Ruth Badley, member since 1999

OBITUARIES

We are sorry to announce the deaths of the following members: Jacqueline Brown of Buckinghamshire Elizabeth de la Porte FISM of Faversham

David Dawson FISM of Ilkley George Kinnear FISM of Hampstead Jane Parker-Smith MISM of London