MJ May-June 2015

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May/June 2015

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Judith Weir in conversation

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The keeper of the jigsaw – Edward Blakeman on the upcoming Proms season

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express their individuality • offer precise and specific feedback through a diagnostic mark scheme ◗ Choice and quality of repertoire — we work with a wide range of specialist composers, teachers and musicians to develop varied and diverse repertoire

To watch the video of this interview scan here or go to youtube.com/musicpracticerooms Pete French - Head of Music, Lancaster and Morecambe College

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24/04/2015 11:01

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

Welcome Welcome to the May/June edition of Music Journal.

Above: Deborah Annetts Photo: Mark Thompson

After so many months of planning, Make Music Work, the flagship event for the ISM in 2015, took place at Milton Court on 31 March. The event was a huge success, attracting close on 300 people (including panelists and performers) to the wonderful concert hall. The event would not have been possible without the huge generosity of our then President, Professor Barry Ife, the Principal of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. The event brought together four diverse panels looking at very different aspects of the music world from schemes and competitions, through to how to build an audience and get a new project off the ground and how to make sure that your talent as a musician is properly protected by the use of adequate contracts and other arrangements. We also heard from a panel of performers and composers who talked about what they had learnt when establishing themselves and their careers in the music world. It was a fabulous event and a full write up of Make Music Work will appear in the July/August Music Journal. If you cannot wait until then, go to ism.org/makemusicwork where you can see fabulous footage, photographs and comments.

We are delighted to feature an insightful interview with the Director of the BBC Proms 2015, Edward Blakeman (see pages 11-15), who discussed with Francesca Treadaway of the ISM, his plans for the upcoming proms season – the ideas and themes, the processes and the delivery.

Contents 2 5 7 8 9

News & campaigns ISM Ambassadors Business advice Your letters Professional development

11 17

The keeper of the jigsaw Judith Weir in conversation

21 25 26

30 32

News from our members Classified advertising News from our corporate members Local events listings Ask me a question

On pages 17-19 we hear from composer Judith Weir, in conversation about her life in music – from her first instrumental lessons at school to her prestigious appointment as Master of the Queen’s Music.

And lastly, I am delighted to be able to welcome Jeremy Jackman as the new President of the ISM. You can find out more about Jeremy and his illustrious career on page 4. Jeremy has been a member of the ISM since 1995 and is an experienced Council member, having served since April 2012. I would also like to take this opportunity for thanking Barry Ife for being such a wonderful President over the past year. He has made a significant contribution to taking the ISM forward and without his vision, it would simply not have been possible to make Make Music Work the success it has been.

Volume 82 / Number 1 Published by: The Incorporated Society of Musicians 4–5 Inverness Mews, London W2 3JQ T: 020 7221 3499 E: membership@ism.org W: www.ism.org Editor: Deborah Annetts Sub-editor and Production: Kim Davenport Gee All ISM publications are copyright

Front Cover Edward Blakeman, Director of the BBC Proms 2015, talks about the upcoming Proms season on pages 11-15.

Printed by Optichrome, Maybury Road, Woking GU21 5HX ISSN 0951 5135

deborah@ism.org

Design: Cog Design www.cogdesign.com Typography: Marc Marazzi marazzidesign.co.uk Advertising: Cabbell Publishing Ltd, Wimbledon Studios 12 Deer Park Road London SW19 3TL T. 020 3603 7940 E. jane@cabbell.co.uk Editorial and advertising copy date: 1 June for July/August issue Price: £6 per copy Subscription: £30 per year Circulation: 6,700 named recipients Views expressed in MJ are not necessarily those of the ISM. The publication of any advertisement does not imply endorsement of the advertiser or the product advertised.

Photo: BBC / Chris Christodoulou

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

News & campaigns Standing up for you: New tax relief for musicians Good news for ISM members as tax relief extended by Government The ISM, working with the Association of British Orchestras (ABO), has won a victory for musicians.

Henry Vann, Head of External Affairs, ISM

The tax relief that was originally just for traditional orchestras will now also apply to brass bands, wind bands, string orchestras and many other ensembles of 12 or more musicians.

Originally the Government had only wanted it to apply to traditional orchestras but we succeeded in getting the instrument requirements abolished and the size limit lowered from 14 musicians to 12.

This means that more ISM members can benefit from the tax relief.

Fact file: What is covered by the new tax relief: • T he minimum ensemble size needed to be eligible for tax relief has been reduced from 14 to 12, enabling more ensembles to be included • A minimum of one orchestral instrument type (string, wind, brass or percussion) is required to be eligible, enabling brass bands, wind bands and string orchestras to be included – the original consultation said you needed one of each (string, wind, brass and percussion)!

• F or composers, the commissioning of new music (and hire of scores) is included as well.

The ISM legal team will be preparing some training to help you understand how the tax relief could apply to your work in the future.

Your ISM: Model contracts for composers New resources produced for composers ISM composers asked for template contracts to make it easier to protect themselves when working and we’ve listened to you.

Working with the member-run ISM Composers’ Special Interest Group we have produced a new

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contract ‘check list’ to provide support for composers at any stage in their career; the pack also contains a set of model contracts for composers.

The model contracts include a commissioning contract, publishing agreement and two types of synchronisation deal.

The contracts were put together at the request of the ISM Composers’ Special Interest Group and Composers’ Round Table and follows hot on the heels of the Make Music Work event.

Colleagues from across the music industry – including Russells solicitors – have helped us put prepare them to help you tackle the challenges facing today’s music profession.

We will be launching the new ISM Composers’ Pack on Wednesday 13 May. More information can be found on the Composing Page of the ISM website (ism.org/composing) or you can join us at our webinar Introducing the new ISM Composer pack on Wednesday 13 May, between 1-2pm.

To register for the webinar, go to http://bit.ly/ ComposerPack.

If you are a composer and would like to get more involved with the Composers Special Interest Group then please let me know on 020 7313 9327 or henry.vann@ism.org

Music education debated in Parliament James Rhodes, the pianist who led the public Don’t Stop The Music campaign spoke to Parliament about the importance of music education for all, including the ability for all children and young people to progress beyond their first access opportunities.

Supported by the ISM, members of the House of Lords and House of Commons were holding a meeting to hear about the challenges facing music education on Tuesday 17 March 2015.

At the same meeting ISM corporate member ABRSM had the opportunity to present the findings of their Making Music report (covered in the November/ December 2014 edition of Music Journal).

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

The meeting was attended by the Composer Lord Berkeley of Knighton (Michael Berkeley).

Lord Aberdare about the need for money to also be invested in music education and for BBC orchestras, James Rhodes set out five priorities that the Don’t Stop as well as the LSO, to be involved in the decision making process.

The Music campaign and the ISM-led Protect Music Education campaign would focus on in the run up to Lord Winston, chairman of the Royal College of Music, the General Election on Thursday 7 May: praised the quality of concert halls in Birmingham and Manchester and added that ‘it must surely be 1. Funding for music hubs and music services, sensible to have an equivalent concert hall in the 2. Opportunities for children and young people to centre of London.’ progress beyond their first few music lessons, The minister replying, Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth, 3. A reform of Ofsted’s school inspection regime highlighted the excellent work of music education so that music isn’t side-lined in schools, hubs in giving access to music education but declined 4. Better training for primary teachers who often to put an estimate on the cost of the concert hall, have to teach music, and waiting for the feasibility study to be concluded.

5. A reform of school accountability measures so that music is properly valued.

Composer news: BBC commissioning overhaul At Make Music Work, Edward Blakeman, Director BBC Proms 2015 re-emphasised the BBC’s commitment to commissioning new music saying ‘[The BBC] are the most significant commissioner of new classical music and we give performance platforms to performers every day in programmes like lunchtime concerts, evening concerts and In Tune, the drive-by programme which features live performances.’

He also set out plans for the Radio 3 Commissioning Board which will meet three times a year to consider suggestions for new commissions. This Board will consist of Alan Davey, Controller BBC Radio 3; Edward Blakeman, Director BBC Proms 2015; Jeremy Evans, Radio 3 Editor; David Ireland, and a General Manager of one of the BBC Orchestras (on a rotating basis).

Fighting for Music Education: Music Education Expo Head of External Affairs gives keynote speech

As Head of External Affairs, I gave a keynote speech opening Rhinegold’s Music Education Expo on Thursday 12 March 2015.

Highlighting the success of music educators in making their voices heard in the last five years, I looked back at the Bacc for the Future campaign and the securing of £17m extra for music education hubs as a result of the Protect Music Education campaign led by the ISM. I also reflected on the fact that no other subject has a National Plan.

Speaking to conference delegates before a Government minister and shadow minister presented their plans to the music education world, I had the opportunity to suggest some questions for ministers: what will they do to support teacher training in music? Will they commit to continued funding for music education?

Whilst suggestions for new commissions are likely to come from music publishers, BBC Orchestras or Singers they will not exclusively come from these groups, and Praise for Bromley Youth Music Trust at the ISM we will be talking to the BBC about how our composer members can get more directly involved Despite a proposed 100% cut in funding from the local in this process. authority, Bromley Youth Music Trust ran a successful You can read more about the new commissions at this campaign to persuade Bromley Council to continue year’s Proms in the interview with Edward Blakeman to support the music service. on pages 11-15 of this issue of Music Journal.

Protecting its funding with a locally run campaign including t-shirts and performances of The Lion King outside council meetings by pupils, the Trust secured New concert hall: £153,000 of funding for 2015/16 and further support Debate in Parliament until September 2017 to help the music trust build a sustainable way forward.

The Chancellor has announced £1 million of funding to support a feasibility study into proposals for a new Henry Vann, Head of External Affairs, ISM concert hall to be built in London. With the report being published in the Autumn, on 24 March the House of Lords held a debate on the proposals.

020 7313 9327, henry.vann@ism.org

Questions were asked by Baroness Thornton and

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

Do we have your up-to-date details?

Preparations are already underway for the 2015/16 Handbook. Please take a moment to check that we have your correct details. You can update your own details online in the members’ area of our website (under ‘Your membership’ then ‘Update your details’) or call Simon Frais on 020 7313 9311 to let us know of any changes.

The deadline for updates for the 2015/16 Handbook is Friday 19 June.

The new Handbook will be distributed to members in September 2015.

Jeremy Jackman is new ISM President

Jeremy Jackman, ISM President 2015-16

As a conductor you might expect to find that he has performed at the Royal Festival Hall, the Royal Albert Hall and St John’s Smith Square (and you would be Jeremy Jackman became our new President at the right). He has also directed performances at St Paul’s AGM in London on 23 April.

Cathedral, St Mark’s Venice, and the Theatre Royal, Jeremy is a vastly experienced professional musician, choral director, composer and arranger, and formerly first Drury Lane. Less likely venues include St Pancras station, a Belfast shopping mall, and underground counter-tenor of the King’s Singers. His expertise and caves in Slovenia: not forgetting the performance outgoing personality mean he is in increasing demand of Mussorgsky’s Night on a Bare Mountain with full internationally as a conductor and workshop director. symphony orchestra on a beach in Jamaica. Did he Jeremy has been an active member of the ISM since break the world record for conducting the largest 1995 and has served on the Performers and Composers number of participants in Benjamin Britten’s Noye’s committee, Executive committee and the ISM’s Council.

Fludde at Alexandra Palace in 2009? There were Jeremy’s career to date is summarised, in his own certainly several zoo’s-worth of children … words, as follows: Jeremy’s compositions have been performed in ‘As a member of The King’s Singers for 10 years, concert halls around the world, and he was recently Jeremy performed many times over in the world’s surprised to discover that his music has even reached most prestigious concert halls, and made countless the silver screen. His arrangement of Bach’s Bist du bei recordings and broadcasts. He has worked with Julie mir is featured on the French film Polisse, which won Andrews, Placido Domingo and John Denver all at the the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011. same time, and once found himself (for TV) singing Christmas music on horseback at 8.30am on a freezing October morning beside a lake in Yorkshire – wearing a monk’s habit (don’t ask!)

What’s your ISM?

My ISM is

When protesting abo ut the wider change s to music in schools, my own voice may be heard, but as part of the ISM I can be represented along with many others.

This is when my voice grow s ever stronger.

If you would like to share your story, feedback, knowledge or even a word that you feel sums up the ISM for you, then here are the various ways you can do this:

Stephanie Reeve Peripatetic Music Teacher

ISM member since

2004

RTHK-YYEJ-YCLB, Incorporated Society of Musicians, 4-5 Inverness Mews, ort for me and has London W2 3JQ The ISM is a huge supp ortant issues

Photo: Emile Holba

• Write us a letter and send it to Freepost

My ISM is

Nicola Corbishley Soprano ISM member since

2008

# my ism is facebook.com/my ismis

ism.org

the imp a real influence on lance musicians. affecting today’s free

• Send us an email to membership@ism.org Share your word Twitter #myismis

We look forward to hearing from you.

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Festival Hall, London With thanks to Royal Photo: Emile Holba

Share at facebook.com/myismis # my ism is ismis facebook.com/my

ism.org

Design:

• •

with the title ‘My ISM is’

rship Join our growing membe ns. of professional musicia Make us your ISM.

Join our growing membe of professional musicia rship ns.

Make us your ISM.

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

ISM Ambassadors Over the last few months we have been asking for members to become Ambassadors to help promote the ISM throughout the music profession. They will act as advocates for the ISM, disseminating information about our work and the benefits of ISM membership to colleagues in the music profession, help recruit new members and feedback information to the ISM staff team about the issues facing professional musicians – helping us to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our members, in whatever setting or role they work.

We are delighted to welcome the following newly recruited Ambassadors. This is just the start of the Ambassador programme and we remain keen to recruit more Ambassadors from across the music profession nationwide. If you are interested in becoming an Ambassador please contact Peter Lappin on 020 7313 9328 or email peter.lappin@ism.org.

Bogna Bargiel

Bogna is a professional singer and teacher with 28 years’ experience as a freelancer. She started playing the piano and attended a music school in her hometown Katowice, Poland.

Bogna trained at the Academy of Music in Cracow, Poland (The Vocal and Theatrical Department) and graduated in 1993 with a Master of Art in singing degree and followed this with further studies in Zurich, Germany and London, specialising in the music of Bach, Mozart and German lieder. She has given concerts in Poland, Germany, England, Malta and Spain.

Contact: 07503 214876, 020 8391 1099, bargielb@yahoo.co.uk

Lorraine Womack-Banning

Lorraine is a pianist and piano teacher with 30 years’ experience and has been a full member of the ISM for almost 10 years.

Phil Chapman

Phil has worked and trained as a performer of the double bass, conducted widely, taught music in the classroom and small instrumental groups as well as wider opportunities classes. He has organised large scale workshop and masterclass events, acted as an adjudicator, examiner and appraiser, and successfully led the Isle of Wight Music Service through a period of enormous challenge.

Currently based in Bedford, she teaches piano at Bedford Girls’ School and also has a busy private teaching practice. She also deputises in the Junior Department at The Guildhall School of Music in London.

Contact: lorrainewomack@btinternet.com lorrainewomackbanning.wordpress.com

He has formulated a framework for use between practitioners, schools and music education hub partners, indicating the need for accreditation for practitioners in conjunction with the responsibilities of major stakeholders and their relationship to teaching delivery.

Phil’s website (philthebass.weebly.com) illustrates his commitment to engaging children in musical experience, knowing that those experiences develop educational attainment as well as a preparation towards a fulfilling life experience.

Continued overleaf È

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

Steven Kohut

Steven has been both a musician and teacher for more than 40 years. He was a member of the Grenadier Guards Band for over three years before starting his career as a music teacher. Steven is particularly proud of the time he spent as principal percussionist with the well known local Grimethorpe Colliery Band who shot to fame in the film Brassed Off. As a peripatetic and freelance percussion teacher, Steven has worked with music services in Rotherham, Sheffield, Nottinghamshire & Leicestershire.

He has performed with the Phillip Jones Brass Ensemble, James Sheppard Versatile Brass and numerous other brass bands including Brighouse & Rastick and Black Dyke Mills. In the world of commercial music, Steven has had the privilege of working with performers including Gene Pitney, Matt Monroe, Neil Sedaka, Andrea Bocelli and the Moody Blues.

Emma Lines

Emma has been teaching pupils of all ages since 2002.

While specialising in recorder she also teaches piano, clarinet, saxophone, flute and music theory.

Emma is Programme Manager for Drake Music Scotland overseeing and managing the Artistic Programme for the organisation. Previously Emma worked as a woodwind instructor for Edinburgh, Midlothian and West Lothian Music Services and co-led a large scale music project at Edinburgh Council.

This project offered free music tuition to over 1,000 children across the city.

Emma is now Co-Chair for the Edinburgh Youth Music Forum and is about to take on her role as ISM Ambassador. Emma had her first tutor book, Recorder Roundabout published by Forsyth Publications in December 2010.

Contact: 07941 145187, Steven has accumulated over 30,000 hours of teaching emmalinesmusic@googlemail.com experience in both the state and private sectors and has a wealth of experience in providing specialist Carole Rothoff coaching, training and workshops at all levels.

Carole’s life in the Performing Arts started Contact: 0114 360 9199 (24hr Skype number), over 30 years ago. She is steve@percussion365.com a multi-instrumentalist, singer and performer.

Dawn Smart Dawn owns and runs My Smart Music delivering music For the last 14 years, she has been teaching privately and in schools in Cumbria. She also owns privately and has held In The Moment, singing workshops at which works with the local secondary schools.

Alzheimer’s Society Recently, she made the teaching music to decision to do more sufferers and carers. concerts as well as teach.

Contact: 01768 870912, Contact: csrothoff@hotmail.com 07824 881132, dawn@ mysmartmusic.co.uk Peter Lappin, Legal Adviser, ISM

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

Business advice Fees: organists and directors of music in places of worship Thank you to all of you who took part in our recent survey of fees and salaries paid to organists and directors of music. This is the only survey of this type in the UK. We were delighted that over 550 musicians responded to the survey. This makes the results a truly authoritative picture of what organists and directors of music were paid.

The results are summarised in the table below

Our survey findings

Mid-point*

The fees in the table are the basic fees, before any additional charges for recordings of the service.

Over two fifths of survey respondents charged a mark-up on their basic fee where an audio or video recording was made of the service. Over a quarter of respondents doubled their fee for video recordings.

Due to competition law constraints, we are not able to make any form of recommendation in respect of fees for self-employed musicians.

Our survey findings are published on our website also.

Fees per service in 2014 £ per service

In addition, 95% of survey respondents were paid an additional amount for Holy Day services (eg Good Friday, Christmas Day).

Central range**

Our recommendations for employed organists and directors of music Our recommendations for the hourly rates which employed organists and directors of music should be paid in 2015 are set out below.

Regular weekly services London

£50

£33.40 – £60

Rest of the UK

£31.15

£25 – £50

Recommended rates for employed organists and directors of music in 2015 £ per hour

Weddings London

£100

£80 – £158

London

£18 – £30

Rest of the UK

£85

£70 – £119

Rest of the UK

£14 – £22

Funerals London

£90

£70 – £124

Rest of the UK

£65

£55 – £80

Other special services

In deciding where your church fits within our recommended range, you should take into account considerations such as: • whether there is a choir • the size and importance of the church • the importance of music in the church’s liturgy.

London

£100

£44 – £168

Rest of the UK

£55

£30 – £100

* Half the respondents were paid this amount or more and half were paid this amount or less. ** Most respondents were paid within this range: 20% were paid more and 20% were paid less.

You will find advice on how to derive a fee per service or an annual salary from these hourly rates on our website.

For further advice about working as an organist, visit our advice page for organists at www.ism.org/news/ article/advice_for_organists.

Continued overleaf È

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

New free music business advisory service We have increasingly been contacted by members who are seeking advice from us regarding setting up or developing their music businesses. As a consequence, we are currently testing a new advisory service for six months (March – August 2015).

This pilot advisory service can cover questions on any aspect of business development, from promotion, building networks and social media through to marketing, record labels, publishing and touring.

Arts consultant, business director and musician, Joel Garthwaite is coordinating the new music business advisory service.

All ISM full members (including students) are entitled to an hour of consultancy advice during the six month pilot free of charge. The advice will be given by telephone, email or Skype.

About the new service The new advisory service is being coordinated by Joel Garthwaite. Joel is an arts consultant, business director and musician with seven years of experience running his own businesses. He is passionate about working with musicians to help them develop their own business skills and has a particular interest in developing innovative marketing strategies to help them convert their own contacts into work opportunities.

If you would like further information, please contact Joel at info@joelgarthwaite.com or 07971 256262.

Caroline Aldred, Business Support Officer, ISM

Your letters Unqualified teachers I am sure many of us have had pupils who have allegedly previously learnt with an unqualified cowboy who deludes themselves that passing one of the higher grade exams qualifies them to teach (note my use of italic in this sentence!). I even came across a case of someone touting for pupils, flaunting their degree as a qualification even though on questioning it transpired that music was only about 10% of it and not surprisingly as performance was no part of that, they were struggling themselves to play early grade pieces – you couldn’t have made it up!

However, it was all the more shocking to see a recent advertisement for a Piano/Keys teacher needed by a ‘Music School’ with the required qualification starting point being a mere Grade 7. I suggest that the use of the word ‘school’ will give most people the impression and added comfort – in this case false – of teachers being degree/diploma qualified and that Grade 7 is no qualification to teach.

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I hope we can count on the ISM to lobby for legislation that protects the unsuspecting public by not allowing the use of the word ‘school’ unless all teachers have degree/diploma qualifications in the subject being taught by the school – not just for music, but for everything else too. I’m all for healthy competition in the pupil market-place, but having people masquerading as qualified to teach when they clearly aren’t, really does take the biscuit.

David G Meacock MMus, GRSM (Hons), Dip RCM (Piano Teaching)

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

Professional Development A guide to progression, curriculum and assessment One day seminars led by Dr Alison Daubney Tuesday 9 June (for primary school teachers) and Tuesday 14 July (for secondary school teachers) 9.30am-4pm at ISM, 4-5 Inverness Mews, London W2 3JQ

Webinars ISM webinars are free and offer members the chance to access key professional development opportunities at work, home or on the move.

Our next two webinars are: Building a Portfolio Career Friday 8 May, 1-2pm

This webinar is aimed at musicians working in, or considering working in, more than one area of the One year into the new National Curriculum for music, profession. The webinar will be presented by ISM these workshops offer a framework for reflecting upon member Joel Garthwaite, a professional saxophonist the development of the music curriculum and music and entrepreneur who successfully manages a education in your school or hub. Using examples from demanding portfolio career. schools and hubs, the workshop will present a range Joel will share his expert advice, tried and tested of new and developing approaches to music education tips, and insider knowledge to help you build up and and will encourage you to share, critique and develop manage a portfolio career that is fulfilling and can your own work. sustain you financially. There will be opportunities In order for the workshop to be personalized and to ask Joel questions during the session. in-depth, the maximum number of delegates for each To book your place on this webinar go to day is 16. To book (£25 members, £35 non-members http://bit.ly/PortfolioCareer including refreshments and lunch), email ceri.wood@ism.org or call 020 7221 3499.

Introducing the new ISM Composer pack – advice, checklists and templates for composers Wednesday 13 May, 1-2pm

Join us for the launch of the ISM’s Composers Pack, an exciting new resource comprising advice, checklists and template contracts to help composers negotiating a commissioning, publishing or synchronisation deal.

ISM meeting room We have a fantastic meeting room available for hire at our new home at 4–5 Inverness Mews, London W2 3JQ. Members can hire the space at the special members’ rate of £100 for a half day or £190 for the full day. Included in your hire rate is free use of tea and coffee, internet facilities and flat screen TV. The room takes up to 16 people board room style, with 25 theatre style.

For further details and bookings, please contact Rebecca Mair at roombooking@ism.org or 020 7313 9321.

During this webinar, David Abrahams, our Head of Legal and Steve Goss, Professor of Composition at the University of Surrey will discuss some of the key issues that composers should bear in mind when negotiating a contract. This webinar will be of interest to all composers who want to be fairly paid for their work and ensure that their rights are protected.

To book your place on this webinar go to http://bit.ly/ComposerPack If you can’t join us for the live broadcasts, you can catch-up by watching recordings of the sessions on our website at www.ism.org/webinars.

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

The keeper of the jigsaw Edward Blakeman is Director of the BBC Proms 2015. As he prepares for the upcoming Proms season, Francesca Treadaway, the ISM’s Communications Officer, catches up with him.

Left: Inside the Royal Albert Hall Right: Edward Blakeman Photos: BBC / Chris Christodoulou

And who can dispute his excitement? The BBC Proms is one of the world’s leading music festivals, It is March and spring has finally arrived in London. presenting international orchestras, choirs, The mid-afternoon sun is blazing outside; through conductors and soloists in a two month period over the summer with all the concerts broadcast the window into the BBC Broadcasting House live on BBC Radio 3, as well as extensive coverage office, directly into the eyes of Edward Blakeman, Director, BBC Proms 2015. Uncomfortable for some, on television and online. The commitment to adventurous and broad-ranging concert but in this case his enthusiasm to speak to me programming, which includes new music about the upcoming Proms season is unhindered.

Before our conversation starts, he produces a busy- and commissions, continues to attract healthy audiences to the Royal Albert Hall. It is iconic in looking piece of paper – a huge grid, the ‘jigsaw’ its own right and a household name. The grid that comprises details of the entire BBC Proms 2015 season. ‘Once all the pieces are in place, the full – the ‘jigsaw’ – in place before me is a musical masterpiece, and it is almost ready for unveiling. picture of each Proms season is revealed’.

‘How do I describe what do I do? I’m the keeper of the jigsaw.’

Continued overleaf È

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

Blakeman – a flautist by trade who began his journey with the Proms almost 20 years ago as a Producer at BBC Radio 3 and stood in as Acting Director of the BBC Proms in 2014 – is the current Director of BBC Proms 2015. So when Roger Wright, the Director of the BBC Proms from 2008 to 2014, announced his departure, how did he feel about taking over the reins and programming this global classical music festival himself?

‘It is a tremendous feeling to programme the Proms.

I’d been working with Roger on the planning of the Proms since 2010, but the one thing that I had not done was be responsible for a whole season – which is a wonderful thing to do.’

across the season; a Learning team, who put together a programme of complimentary events running through the season; a Marketing and Publicity team, who promote the festival to our audiences, and a Business team, who among many other things, liaise with the Royal Albert Hall on everything to do with tickets.’

What about the musicians that make the BBC Proms the world-leading festival that it has become? Blakeman pauses and points to a square on the grid, ‘One way to put a jigsaw together is to start with the border. The BBC Proms is at its heart a classical orchestral festival. So we always think about the orchestras first.’ Pointing to where they lie within the grid, ‘We start with the BBC groups (BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Chorus, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, BBC Singers and BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus) and think about how we will place them through the season.

As the festival approaches its 120th anniversary, I have come to the BBC to discover what it takes to craft an eight-week long programme brimming with as much vision, innovation and creativeness as the seasons created by Directors of years gone by.

Who does he plan the Proms with and at what point ‘Next are the visiting orchestras from around the does the planning of the next season begin? world, who need to book quite far in advance.

Blakeman, with a hint of amusement in his voice, explains, ‘There is never quite a moment when you Then most of the UK’s orchestras will be planned in. We are really lucky that there is always a long consciously decide, ‘right, let’s begin planning for list of people wanting to come and perform at next year’ – because it would already have started the BBC Proms.’ some time ago. You never quite notice the point at

Above left: Laura Mvula performs at the Late Night Proms in 2014 Photo: BBC / Mark Allan Above middle: Prom queues outside the Royal Albert Hall Photo: BBC / Chris Christodoulou Above right: Inside the Royal Albert Hall Photo: BBC / Chris Christodoulou

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which you start to think about a particular season.

You could say the planning for the Proms began in 1895 and it’s never stopped since!

‘Of course the Proms are not just broadcast by the BBC but also entirely run and organised by us, so the people working closely alongside me include an Events team, who organise every concert; a Publications team, who produce the Proms guide and a programme for each and every concert

Therefore, how much do the orchestras dictate the repertoire, and in turn, the themes of the season?

‘If an orchestra is coming from far away for perhaps a three-week tour, they may have a specific range of works with them. However, orchestras always want to be flexible and will ask what repertoire would work for us. It’s very much a dialogue – a two-way process. For example, in a year like 2015, where there are big 150th anniversaries –

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

Nielsen and Sibelius – there were very interesting discussions with the orchestras and we have ended up programming the complete Sibelius symphonies and some of his smaller works, as well as the three Nielsen concertos and some of his choral works in this year’s season.

‘Throughout the rolling planning process, we are hugely helped by the agents for soloists, conductors and indeed orchestras and there are regular meetings with them.

‘I think each season of the Proms should tell a series of stories and the length of the festival gives us the opportunity to bring in a variety of themes, threads and ideas. It’s a fascinating process of discovery.’

and Schoenberg, so what has emerged is a glorious piano concerto focus.’

Although fundamentally a classical orchestral festival, the BBC Proms also showcases other genres of music.

Blakeman explains further, ‘Sir Henry Wood, the Founder-Conductor of the Proms, had these extraordinary and varied programmes right back in the first season; where standard classical music rubbed shoulders with popular items. He wanted to bring the best possible music to the widest possible audience and Henry Wood’s original vision is still at the heart of everything we do now.

‘The Late Night Proms, which started as smaller versions of classical concerts and occasionally something a bit experimental, are the perfect setting With that in mind, it is interesting to see many different ideas before me on the ‘jigsaw’. Aside from in which to explore collaborations between musical genres. A great of example of this was Laura Mvula notable birthdays and anniversaries, where did performing new orchestral arrangements of her Blakeman get his inspiration from for the rest of songs in 2014. We want to encourage the idea that the season?

With a smile, he explains, ‘One of the ways in which people can like a broad range of music, and that the Proms can respond to that, giving you the perfect programming develops is almost subconscious.

Themes emerge. One example concerns our concerto opportunity to dip your toes in music you may not know yet. theme this year. Leif Ove Andsnes and the Mahler ‘Meanwhile, the Proms has a clear mission to Chamber Orchestra have had a four-year project demystify classical music. We offer the least stuffy of playing the five Beethoven piano concertos and approach to concert going. You just have to open their last performance of this project will be at the your ears and enjoy.’

Proms this year, spread over three nights.

‘From that grew the idea that we could also programme the five Prokofiev piano concertos in one night. From there, as one of the other wonderful composers of piano concertos is Mozart,’ says Blakeman pointing avidly, ‘we have decided to feature six of his late great works. We have also got concertos by Ravel, Rachmaninov, Cowell, Bartok

It is notable that the BBC Proms is unique in that it is not only a concert-giving festival but a broadcast festival. Every single note is broadcast on BBC Radio 3. What plans are there to reach even further to new audiences?

‘Well, as well as the entirety of the Proms being broadcast on BBC Radio 3, we have half a dozen

Continued overleaf È

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

Above: Marin Alsop conducting the 2013 Last Night of the Proms Photo: BBC / Chris Christodoulou

Proms this year that are partnerships with six of the BBC’s national radio stations – Radio 1, 1Xtra, 2, 4, 6Music and the Asian network. It’s something only the Proms can do – creating this coming-together of different musical genres that will reach such a massive audience throughout the UK.’ How is it decided which Prom concerts will be broadcast on television, and where?

‘I’m really excited about how distinctive the television coverage will be this year. Alongside the First Night on BBC One and the Last Night on BBC One and Two, we will be curating three series of programmes on BBC Four, based around three main themes. On Thursday nights, you will see big-name soloists performing major concertos.

Friday evenings will offer you a ‘hot ticket’ to eight of the absolute highlight Proms of the season.

And on Sundays, we focus on eight symphonies in the season, with Sir Mark Elder introducing and exploring a different one each week.

‘Smartphones and tablets have opened up a whole world for us so all the music from these televised concerts will be available online – alongside everything broadcast on Radio – all for 30 days on demand, whenever and wherever you are.

Social media around the Proms is enormous as well – so we can stay connected to our audiences throughout the whole eight weeks. ‘

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Pointing to a series of squares on the grid, Blakeman continues, ‘Also, in addition to the concerts, every day there is at least one Proms Extra event with contextual talks, workshops, interactive choirs and family orchestras.’

In honour of International Women’s Day on 8 March, BBC Radio 3 recently devoted its entire schedule to female composers. What does Blakeman have planned to continue this thread?

He explains, ‘The BBC Proms started investing in women composers quite a while ago and it has borne a lot of fruit for the Proms this year – only this morning I put a piece by Helen Grime into a programme paying tribute to Pierre Boulez, who is 90 this year. We’re dedicated to championing the next generation of female talent. We have new pieces from Joanna Lee and Shiori Usui, who have never had work performed at the Proms before, as well as Anna Meredith, Cheryl Frances-Hoad and Tansy Davies, and Eleanor Alberga has written a piece for the Last Night of the Proms. In one of the four Saturday matinees at Cadogan Hall, the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group will be performing a piece by Betsy Jolas, a composer who has had a virtually parallel career to Boulez. And of course we see the return of Marin Alsop to conduct the Last Night of the Proms. She’s a conductor at the very top of her game, and after a phenomenally

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

successful Last Night debut in 2013 we’re delighted that she’s back at the helm this year.’

As the BBC Proms is renowned for commitment to adventurous and broad-ranging concert programming, which includes new music and commissions, the BBC Proms 2015 does not disappoint. This season will feature 32 premieres, 17 of which are BBC commissions. The premieres range from Hugh Wood, James MacMillan, Guy Barker (who has composed a piece for Alison Balsom) to young composers in their early twenties composing for the first time.

Blakeman comments further, ‘New music runs like a thread throughout the whole season, not separated out on its own, but programmed alongside standard repertoire. This is another Sir Henry Wood tradition – he was fond of calling the new pieces his ‘novelties’.’

The commitment to the new also extends to the artists themselves – ‘I think looking out for and giving a platform to new talent is something that every Director of the BBC Proms does. This year for example we have BBC Young Musician Martin James Bartlett performing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, violinist Jack Liebeck making his Proms debut in our Sherlock Holmes Sunday Matinee, and pianist Benjamin Grosvenor has a starring role at the Last Night of the Proms.’

‘I always meet and greet the artists and check rehearsals are going smoothly and everybody is happy. Every evening, I go to the concert – or concerts – and take the opportunity, while enjoying the music, to evaluate what has really worked well – combinations of conductor, soloist, and orchestra etc. It’s also great to take the measure of the audience’s response. After all, the audiences are what the Proms is all about.

‘Audiences never cease to fascinate me. Every person there has their own life story and for that evening the Proms has become part of it. I look around the audience and wonder what particularly has brought them here tonight. What difference will this Prom make? Adding something into each person’s story is a huge responsibility but it is a very exciting challenge. The Royal Albert Hall has such an extraordinary atmosphere to it, created by the people who want to come to the Proms and have a good time.’

With our conversation drawing to a close, I wanted to ask Blakeman one last question – is the first note of the First Night a signal that his work is done?

He smiles and very carefully replies, ‘It is a very extraordinary and exciting moment when the first note is played on the First Night. But no, that is when the real story starts.’

Francesca Treadaway, Communications Officer, ISM Blakeman continues ‘As the Proms is an international festival, there is a level of excellence that you Booking for the BBC Proms 2015 opens on 16 May. always aspire to, and there’s a process of renewal, For programme details, visit www.bbc.co.uk/proms which has been going on throughout the Proms 120 year history. You are always looking out for the new young musicians who are arriving at that point of excellence, and of course we want to give them the unique opportunity to perform at the Proms.

Below: Prommers at the Last Night of the Proms Photo: BBC / Chris Christodoulou

‘It’s really great to give these young musicians the chance to say “I made my debut at the BBC Proms”, and “I’ve been broadcast on BBC Radio 3”. It is a real boost for them.’

So when the planning is finished – ‘the jigsaw is complete’ – what happens next? What does the Director of the Proms do during the day before the concert begins?

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

Judith Weir in conversation Composer Judith Weir, Master of the Queen’s Music, talks to Francesca Treadaway of the ISM, about her life in music.

Left: Judith Weir Photo: B Ealovega

FT: What were your early musical influences?

Do you come from a musical family? Was there a particular piece, artist or role model who inspired you to pursue music?

JW: My family really enjoyed music, and there was music in the home – my father had played the trumpet in a dance band and my mother played the viola in an amateur orchestra.

However, they both came from backgrounds in rural Scotland, and the idea of being a professional artist of any kind was foreign to them. I don’t think I had a particular role model, I just observed my teachers and other people working as musicians – it did seem that some people managed to do this job.

to give me regular lessons, and I owe him so much, not just learning the instrument to a much higher standard, but hearing about the new music the BBC orchestra (then conducted

by Boulez) were playing every week. Of course, I also owe my parents, for uncomplainingly paying for these private lessons for a couple of years…

FT: Was composing something that you always wanted to do, or was it a natural progression through studies? Who most influenced you when learning your craft as a composer?

JW: When I started ‘composing’ in my mid-teens, it was more like arranging – I wanted to play music in a band with my friends, but we had no music that suited a very mixed group of FT: Were you encouraged to learn an instrument instruments, so I started to devise things we and study while at school; was it common that could play. But this period – the late 60s/ people from your age group at the time would early 70s – was also a high point in postwar go on to perform with the National Youth modernism, and hearing some of the way-out Orchestra for example? new music on the BBC and at the Proms, JW: It’s typical of my generation, entering secondary I began to be influenced by the idea of writing education in the 1960s, that I was ‘given’ an music in that way (although of course what instrument – the oboe – at school (it made sense I produced was not like Stockhausen, Boulez as I’d previously enjoyed playing the recorder) or whoever in the slightest). In the following and learned for several years with the school few years, I was fortunate to have composition peripatetic teachers. Although I made some lessons from John Tavener, Robin Holloway progress, that didn’t totally work for me – the and Gunther Schuller. But I really believe that teachers were always changing and I found the biggest influence on my ‘craft’ has been it hard to focus on oboe lessons squashed in the practical criticism (most of it very kindly between all the other lessons. My father must offered) of the musicians who have played my have picked up that I should be doing better, music. This kind of responsive advice is truly and got talking to a musician he met, who invaluable – and you can carry on receiving it for recommended Robin Miller as my teacher. the whole of your life.

Robin was really busy – playing in the BBC Symphony Orchestra and London Sinfonietta amongst others – but somehow he managed

Continued overleaf È

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

FT: After graduation in 1976, what projects did you take on that led you to your roles as resident composer at the CBSO and Artistic Director of Spitalfields Festival?

What did these roles provide in terms of your development as a composer?

Below and right: Judith Weir Photos: B Ealovega

and administration, but now in a very urban setting in East London.

FT: A large part of your body of work comprises opera, and each opera is completely individual to the other. Is opera something you were interested in from an early age?

JW: After graduation I had a lucky break – JW: My family were not opera-goers, but a few being appointed as associate composer to diverse encounters in my teens must have Southern Arts Association. This was part of made me think it was an exciting artform. the community arts movement, which was Firstly, our O-level music class went on a school important at the time. The idea was to go to outing to see a rehearsal of Wozzeck at the Royal communities which were usually relatively Opera House. I remember that experience in small places and assist people living there great detail even today; it had been particularly in developing their own arts events. I spent interesting to see all the technical things going a lot of time visiting schools, writing music on at the fringes of the performance. A little for the pupils, and for adult groups such as later, when I got better at the oboe, I played brass bands or whatever instruments there for a couple of local amateur opera societies. were. It was great experience in every way – One group played Light Opera particularly composing with performers’ needs in mind, G+S, which I just loved. The others more slowly improving my administrative skills, ambitiously played chamber arrangements of and indeed helping me to develop as a person.

Mozart operas and once, Fidelio (you wouldn’t I am still in touch with some of the people I forget playing the oboe in that!) It was a knew then – for instance the wonderful Calne brilliant way to get involved and learn Festival in Wiltshire, of which I am now Patron. about opera.

Following the Southern Arts time, I spent the FT: Are there artists and orchestras you particularly next years doing anything that came my way like working with?

– composing for very diverse ensembles JW: A good deal of my instrumental music has been and projects, teaching a great deal, leading small-scale, written for people I know, or have workshops, being involved in composers’ got to know. That is an ideal situation – you groups such as SPNM (Society for the Promotion get to spend time with your friends, it’s very of New Music, now a part of Sound and Music). natural to interchange ideas about the new Twenty years after graduating (by now it was work and perhaps to adapt it to the situations the mid-1990s) these two interesting appointments in which it will be played. Given the chance, came my way. At CBSO the focus of course was I would prefer to work with orchestras whose on writing new music for the orchestra (then managements and players have the same under Simon Rattle’s direction) and for the first attitude. For this reason, a particular favourite time for symphony chorus. At Spitalfields, the in recent years has been the Britten Sinfonia. accent was more on those community skills FT: Congratulations on your new role as the Master of the Queen’s Music. How will you use your role?

JW: Unsurprisingly, this antique royal appointment has no ‘job description’. Historically, the Master provided music for royal occasions, and this is something I’d like to do whenever I have the chance – particularly because I think British contemporary music (whoever has written it) is important and should be perceived as an artform of national significance. My predecessor, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, was also an advocate for music education, and in my own way, I am trying to follow in his footsteps.

FT: You were the recipient of the ISM’s Distinguished Musician Award in 2010 for your outstanding contribution to British musical life. In your acceptance speech you

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focused on the power of music in people’s lives. What are your thoughts on music education today?

JW: My appointment as MQM has allowed me to visit quite a few schools (in England only, so far) during the last six months. My first reaction is that there are many teachers achieving miracles (though given the frequent lack of resources, the ‘Feeding of the Five Thousand’ might be the appropriate miracle for comparison here!) A-level in particular has once again become more directed towards harmony and counterpoint – that might be seen as a backward step by some, but I believe it can also consolidate the exam as a technical qualification. We have to guard against A-level music slipping out of state school curriculums – there’s some evidence that is happening, which might in the end lead to fewer music teachers working in schools at all.

Festival’s Musical Rumpus (a continuous opera tour cum playgroup for infant preschoolers) and ‘Takeover Festivals’(where primary school classes stage, administrate and critique their own festivals). Clearly in the future professional performing groups will have to support school education in an ever more integrated and rigorous way. But my underlying thought is that we need to cherish and support our music teachers. It’s they who are doing this work day in, day out. We rely on them for the future of our profession, and of music itself.

Judith Weir’s music is published by Chester Music and Novello & Co. She blogs about her experiences of cultural life in the UK at judithweir.com.

The big question is, what should we do for all the students, not just the musical enthusiasts, in earlier stages of their education? It’s becoming very clear to me that musical experiences in primary school, and perhaps below that age, are key. I’ve been encouraged by ongoing work for very young children such as Spitalfields

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS We welcome your brief news (max. 150 words) and good photographs. Please email mj@ism.org.

The next deadline for copy is 1 June for July/August issue

Far right: Paul Ritchie

Plaque to Haydn unveiled Professor Denis McCaldin, Director of the Haydn Society of Great Britain, writes: It is with a tremendous sense of pride but also of accomplishment that we unveiled our plaque to Joseph Haydn at 18 Great Pulteney Street, London on 29 March. We were totally overwhelmed by the crowd (perhaps over a hundred strong) that gathered to see His Excellency Austrian Ambassador Martin Eichtinger who spoke at length of Haydn’s life and achievements, and Sir Neville Marriner who unveiled the plaque. We finally achieved what seems to have eluded so many others over the previous 50 years of attempts at such a commemoration.

Thanks go to all those who had contributed money to commission the plaque and have it installed, as well as: the owner of the building; its enthusiastic and welcoming tenants Feref London; and English Heritage and Westminster City Council for their help and support.

Right: (l to r) Austrian Ambassador Martin Eichtinger, Sir Neville Marriner, Haydn Society Director Professor Denis McCaldin and Dr Walter Reicher of the Haydn Festspiele Eisenstadt

Abbey Oboes

by John Rollett for two oboes, cor anglais and bassoon.

They have approached this project with a certain amount of trepidation in view of the iconic status of the work and the almost reverential attitude to it which is held by most musicians.

However a couple of preliminary rehearsals convinced them that to play such great music for this combination of instruments was a tremendous privilege and they were buoyed up by the knowledge that Bach himself was a great re-arranger of his own works.

Rollett’s arrangement works very well for this combination and the variations are delightful to play, requiring varying For further details of these items, and degrees of virtuosity. other music by Paul Ritchie, please visit http://paulritchiemusic.co.uk This concert forms part of the monthly Abbey Chamber series organised by Simon Payne which takes place in St Nicolas’ church, Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxford.

www.abbeychamberconcerts.org

Paul Ritchie Over the past twelve months Paul Ritchie has had three new anthems published by GIA: As the deer, with words from Psalm 42, Christ for the world we sing, with words by the American hymn writer Samuel Wolcott, and I know a flower, with a translation of Es ist ein Ros entsprungen by George R Woodward.

Come down, O love divine, a large scale hymn-anthem, is due for publication later this year.

Leonard Rhodes Leonard Rhodes latest arrangements receive their first performances by the Carpe Diem String Quartet with Len at the piano in a varied concert at Colorado Mountain College in Breckenridge. One of the arrangements – MacArthur Park (for piano quintet) – has recently been published by Universal Polygram International and released with permission of Hal Leonard Corporation.

It is available for download from Len’s website.

Len continues his busy schedule as Artistic Director and Artist in Residence for Summit Music and Arts, Colorado; as well as additional commissions and arranging gigs. He enjoys his longFollowing success in their 2014 standing membership of ISM; and competition, Recital Music, a publishing receiving MJ in the mail keeps him house based in Somerset, have also very much in touch with his homeland! accepted three songs for children to be published in their new series of graded www.lenrhodesmusic.com

On Sunday 10 May at 3pm, Abbey Oboes – Oxford members Wendy Marks, Carolyn King and Simon Payne with Christopher Redgate – present a performance of Bach’s books called Sixty Second Songs.

Goldberg Variations in an arrangement

Continued overleaf È

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

James Griffett The eminent Yorkshire Post music critic, Ernest Bradbury, once described him as ‘our adopted Yorkshireman’ and, indeed, tenor James Griffett, has lived in Ilkley for over 40 years, as the base for his international performing career, and where he continues to teach, but he was born in Stevenage and the town recently honoured him with the inclusion of his photograph on the Artists’ Photo Wall in the town centre.

On a bitterly cold day, a number of artists associated with Stevenage gathered outside and were welcomed by the town’s mayor who, together with local best-selling author Ken Follett (of The Pillars of the Earth fame) unveiled the photo montage.

The photographs of writers, painters, sculptors and musicians included composers Elizabeth Poston and former Master of the Queen’s Music, Malcolm Williamson.

Right: Emma Abbate

rate disc: historically illuminating …the the imagination – this is where young performances are top-notch.’ children live. www.johnirving.org.uk

Emma Abbate Italian pianist Emma Abbate and baritone Ashley Riches – a former member of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House – perform Shakespeare sonnets by Italian composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco at the Purcell Room on 11 May at 7.45pm to mark the release of their recording on Resonus Classics. Their programme, called Sweet Love Remember’d, celebrates Shakespeare in the music of the 20th century and also includes Shakespeare songs by Finzi, Quilter, Korngold, Dring and the London premiere of a song by Roxanna Panufnik.

For more information please call the box office on 0844 875 0073 or visit: www.southbankcentre.co.uk.

Forthcoming Singing Days courses for choral singers, run by James in Yorkshire & Provence will be in May and October this year.

Further details from 01228 561099 or provence@singingdays.co.uk, www.singingdays.com.

John Irving

Far Right: Anthony Goldstone and Caroline Clemmow

ISM South West London local group representative John Irving has just released a Beethoven CD with his period instrument group, Ensemble DeNOTE. Beethoven and the art of Arrangement (OMNIBUS Classics CC5007) explores two of Beethoven’s own arrangements: of his famous Septet as a Clarinet Trio, Op 38, and his Piano Quartet version of the Quintet for Piano and Winds, Op 16 – the first disc to pair these two works on period instruments.

Beethoven’s keen ear for timbre and his penchant for virtuosic embellishments comes through clearly in the colours of the fortepiano, classical clarinet and classical strings used in this recording, described by internationally-renowned Mozart scholar, Professor Cliff Eisen as ‘a first-

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Stepping Notes

The Music School, in conjunction with Maureen Murphy, will present a threeday course – Teaching musicianship through singing, movement and dance – for teachers of children aged 2-8, on Thursday 23-Saturday 25 July at the Jurgens Centre in Egham, Surrey.

For details, contact Nikhil on 01932 241196 or nikhil@dally.org.uk. www.dally.org.uk/steppingnotes

Goldstone and Clemmow piano duo Piano duo Anthony Goldstone and Caroline Clemmow have recorded the third of their pioneering series Schubert: The Unauthorised Piano Duos for Divine Art, containing premieres of two masterpieces in unfamiliar guise: Death and The Maiden String Quartet and the completed ‘Unfinished’ Symphony, both for four hands. The Quartet was brilliantly transcribed by Robert Franz, whose Lieder were transcribed for the piano by Liszt.

The unpublished transcription of the first two movements of the Symphony was made by Schubert’s friend Anselm Hüttenbrenner from the original manuscript, which he notoriously kept to himself for 40 years. Goldstone completed and transcribed Schubert’s sketches for the Scherzo, and for the finale he adapted the B minor Entr’acte from Rosamunde, believed to have been originally intended for the Symphony, transcribed by the noted 19th-century German composer Friedrich Hermann.

Nikhil Dally founded the Stepping Notes Music School in 2000. Stepping Notes is a holistic, integrated, multiGoldstoneClemmow@aol.com sensory approach to music education for children, aged 2-8, based upon the philosophies of Kodály, JaquesDalcroze and Géza Szilvay. The hallmarks of the Stepping Notes approach are: Movement and singing as the prime conduits for musical learning; developing the inner ear; feeling and understanding the inner life of music; maintaining natural body flexibility and sensitivity; the judicious and sensitive use of high-quality musical instruments; and the world of

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

Robert Howard completes latest composition Dr Robert Howard has recently completed his latest composition, Cortege (2015), composed for South Liverpool Orchestra, David Kernick (co-founder and webmaster of the Prescot Festival), and the 11th Annual Prescot Festival of Music and the Arts.

Right: Charlotte Tomlinson

The six-minute piece will initially be performed by South Liverpool Orchestra (Liverpool Hope University), conducted by Robert, on Tuesday 19 May, 8pm at Liverpool Hope University Chapel, in Childwall, Liverpool. The concert also includes works by Rossini, Purcell/Britten, Fucik and Elgar, as well as Sibelius’s Finlandia. Tickets are only £3.50 and available on the door The second performance, and first festival performance, is on Sunday 28 June, 7.30pm, at Prescot Parish Church, Church Street, Prescot, Merseyside.

This is as part of the finale of the 11th Prescot Festival of Music & the Arts and once again will be conducted

by Robert. The concert also includes Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto (with soloist Hannah MacKenzie from RNCM) and works by Rossini, Purcell/Britten, Fucik, Elgar, Sibelius, Arne and Parry. www.prescotfestival.co.uk

Beyond Stage Fright

Obituaries

Beyond Stage Fright: Top international musicians and other experts will share their insights into managing performance stress in a video interview series presented as part of an online summit starting on Friday 29 May. Hilary Hahn, Amy Dickson, Maya Beiser will be among the 21 speakers along with experts in the area of performance anxiety and musician’s health and wellbeing.

With regret, we report the deaths of: John H Winstanley of Lesmurdie, Australia Philip W Liddicoat of Plymouth Howard Parkhouse of Bedford John McCabe CBE of Sittingbourne Dr Merlin Channon of Eye Malcolm E Cottle of London Diane Fedida of Felixstowe David J Boast of Norwich

It is the brainchild of Charlotte Tomlinson, a pianist, teacher/coach and author of Music from the Inside Out, who feels that performance stress, whether in the form of nerves, physical tension or performance related injury, has been taboo amongst musicians for too long.

She hopes that opening the topic up in this way will be beneficial to musicians and the musical world at large.

To access the summit, please go to www.beyondstagefright.com, live from mid-May.

Right: John McCabe Photo: Gareth Arnold

John McCabe CBE, 1939-2015 John McCabe CBE, renowned composer and pianist, Past President of the Incorporated Society of Musicians (198384) and recipient of the ISM’s Distinguished Musician Award (DMA) in 2003 has died at the age of 75 after a long illness.

One of the most respected figures in contemporary British music, John was a composer from an early age. He has worked in almost every genre, though large-scale forms lie at the heart of his catalogue with seven symphonies, fifteen concertante works and eight ballet scores to his name.

He was made CBE in 1985 for his services to music and was last year awarded The Ivors Classical Music Award. He was a member of the ISM for 49 years, joining in 1966.

He was a man of great integrity, wisdom and humour, and a rounded and complete musician who was dedicated to the art of music.

John is survived by his wife Monica McCabe.

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

Our new members

We offer a warm welcome to the following members who joined before 31 March Full members

Guildford

Birmingham

Anne Graham BEdHons Rachel Lilley BMusSurrey Annelies Scott ARAM DipRAM LRAM

Zhivko Georgiev BMusBCU Annette Hutchinson BAHonsLiverpool PGCE Lauren Mather BMusBirm Brock Roberts BA Thomas Ward BAMus

Bournemouth Abigail Temple BMusRoyalHolloway PGAdvDipTCL

Brighton Jo McAuley BAAngliaPolyUniv Alexander Rider BMusHonsCCCU MMusGuildhall Andrew Roberts

Bristol

Matthew Thorpe BABathSpa

Cambridge Liz Bury BMusBirm Olivia Watts Cheltenham Mark Willcocks BAHonsBathSpa Sharyn Wilson MAWales

Hereford & Worcester David Gray Marcel Zidani BAHonsBirm DipMus

Kent Tessa Donaldson ARCMClarinet Susan Greenham LRAM LGSM Johnathon Hart BMusCCCU Theresa King CertEd DipMusEd MACantb Samuel Messer BACCCU MMusCCU Stamatia Statherou PhD Rosemary M Yea ATCL GTCL LTCL

Lancaster Joy Hunter Eleanor McIntosh BMusHonsRNCM Elizabeth Murray BAHonsSussex

Michele Paccagnella BAHonsMiddx Agne Paskauskaite BMus MMus Jonathon Wheeler BMusHonsBCU Amy Yuan BMusHonsRAM MARAM

London – South East Katherine Birtles BMusHonsBCU Alexander Chadwick BMusCityUniv Leo Geyer BMusHonsRNCM Herman Jordaan MMus Ronan O’Hora Silvia Zanaboni DipMus

London – South West Stuart Barr Ben Golightly BMusRoyalHolloway Eunmee Lim MALond Sheila Stocking Jane Wilkinson BMusHonsRSAMD GradDip

Manchester

Croydon

Leicester

Louise Ableman Vivienne French GRSM

Karen Goss FTCL LTCL

Michael Betteridge MMusRNCM Leanne Cody BMusHonsRNCM Maya Kashif BMusHonsRNCM Lisa Kirwan BMusHull Jocelyn Lavin

Liverpool

Norfolk

Devon & Cornwall

Joanne Mulligan

Jane Bentley BACNAA Alison Killen MAWales Sarahjane Stephen BMusHonsManch PGDipRSAMD Louise Thomas LLCM DipLCM ALCM Ruth Wilson BAHuddersfieldPoly

Thomas Black-Roff BAHonsLond Natasha Hingston BADurham Mary Amelia Mazur-Park BMus

Eastbourne & Hastings Paraskevi Anastasi Georgiou BAHonSoton Emma Laurens DipRCMHorn PGCE Helen Walker

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Lea Valley Helen B Leadnor GTCL FTCL ALCMFlute LTCLFlute

London – North Tamara Beldom BMusTrinityLaban DipTCL Eva Caballero PGDipRAM Juan A Garcia BMus Jayson Gillham BMusHonsQueenslandCons Siobhan Harriott BA Owen Leech PhDBristol Matthew Le-Mage Colm O’Reilly BMus MARAM

North of England Jessica Graham GRNCM

North Yorkshire Nicholas Calpin BAHonsHull

Rosie Lynch Fiona Manley-Jones BAHonsPlymouth Kathleen Webster MAYork

Northern Ireland Charlotte Adair BA DipLCM Grace Dickson Susan Graham BMusBelfast

Nottingham Gary Glover ARCM Kenneth Gary Haynes BANottTrent Angela Hughes MA Lucy Reid BAOpen

Oxford Lucy Bignall BMusHonsRCM Giles Liddiard BMusHonsKent LGSMTrumpet Catriona Scott DipRNCM MAOxon MMusRNCM

Scotland – Highlands & Islands Joan Cumming BMusAberdeen

Scotland – South West Jennifer Ruthven Lackie BARSAMD Alison McNeill MMus

Sheffield Martha Hayward BMusAberdeen

Southampton Melanie Mastrototaro BAHonsHull

St Albans Max Bronstein BMusHonsRAM Mark Cox BMusHons Kirsty Ormston BMusRNCM MA Matt Perry Elisheba Stevens MMusTrinityLabanCityUni Nicola Webb AGSM

Suffolk Polly Anderson BA Martin Huggett David Pearce BMusManchGradRNCM

Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Claire Anderson BAMusNotts David Iles BAHonsKent

West Yorkshire David Aspin

Wiltshire Duncan Forsyth-Forrest BMusHons Hilary Gibbin BAHonSoton Sophia B Moody GLCM LLCM ALCM Caroline Tyson BAHonsKingstonPoly Anna Vincent-Hill BAExeter Angela Williams GRSM LRAM

Overseas Lyn Baerfuss Federico Favali DiplomaPiano MMus

Student members

Birmingham Arthur Bocaneanu Kirsty Devaney

Brighton Jacqueline Attwood

Bristol Chris Docherty Anne Gregson

Cambridge Jack Maran Hewetson

Croydon Tyrone Whiting

Devon & Cornwall Ana Nieves Fernandez Guerra Alexander Heane Matthew Scott Rogers

Kent Daniela Gajdosova

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

Our new members (continued) London – North

North Wales

Corporate members

Marie De Bry Tiago Gomes Matos Wai-Nok Angela Hui Isabella Kolaczynska Sophia Rees Grace Warren

Steffan Harri Roberts BMusCityUniv

London – South East

Sheffield

Bristol Plays Music Phil Castang E: info@bristolplaysmusic. org T: 0117 204 7126 W: www.bristolplaysmusic. org Dartington International Summer School Joanna Macgregor E: summerschool@ dartington.org T: 01803 847080 W: www.dartington.org/ summer-school

North Yorkshire Jessica Douglas

Portsmouth

Katherine Adams Ben Socrates

Helen Glaisher-Hernandez

London – South West Helene Favre-Bulle Orlando Shamlou BMusHonsLeeds

London – West Zlatina Stoyanova Tibor Visi

Manchester

Zachary Bamping

South Wales

Patrick Barrett Nathan James Dearden

St Albans Peter Auker FTCL GLCM MMusSheffield M Coridon Wray

Luton Music Service Graham Bland E: luton.music.service@ luton.gov.uk T: 01582 538202 W: www.thelutonmusicmix. com Music Mark Jem Shuttleworth E: info@musicmark.org.uk T: 0203 747 4616 W: www.musicmark.org.uk Park Lane Group John Woolf MBE E: arts@parklanegroup.co.uk T: 020 7255 1025 W: www.parklanegroup.co.uk

Wigmore Hall John Gilhooly OBE, Hon FRAM, HonRCM E: boxoffice@wigmore-hall. org.uk T: 020 7258 8200 W: www.wigmore-hall. org.uk

West Yorkshire Rosemary Pollock

Richard Wang

North of England Timothy Higgins

Classified advertising

How to Book: Please send advertisement copy with payment (cheques payable to the ‘Incorporated Society of Musicians’ or T: 020 7221 3499 with credit card details) to the ISM, 4–5 Inverness Mews, London W2 3JQ or email mj@ism.org by 1 June for the July/ August issue.

Private and Trade 50p per word, minimum £5.

Advertisements from ISM members are half-price (ie, 25p per word, minimum £2.50). Name, address and contact details must be paid for if included. Box numbers £2 extra. Prices include VAT. A series of six or more identical insertions qualifies for 10% discount.

FRENCH HORNS, Several from £150. 01747 828552

HARPSICHORD William de Blaise, made about 1967. One-manual. Three pedals, one stop. Offers welcome. 01452 713389

YORKSHIRE DALES Wensleydale (centre of village) Self contained, one bedroom apartment, sleeps 2/3. Full details: Tel. 0169663368 or email: john_joanfoster@ hotmail.com

VARIOUS BRASS, WOODWIND & STRINGED instruments for sale and/or rental. Tel: 07974 412269.

SPINNETT WITTMAYER (German) 4 octaves, C-D, light walnut. BGC needs tuning, hence £695 for a quick sale. Tel 07974 412269

NEED TO MAKE A RECORDING? Chantry Sound offers STUDENT CELLOS, mostly comprehensive and German, various sizes, affordable recording from £120. Tel. 07974 services throughout 412269 ACOUSTIC GUITAR 3/4 Southern England and size as new, would suit BASSOONS several good young beginner. Available Wales. 10% discount for student instruments from free but postage charged ISM members. www. chantrysound.co.uk or £600, 07974 412269 if sent outside Northern phone 01954 231117 Ireland. Tel: 07854 407601 TRUMPETS! Bach700 (several) Excellent condition. All serviced. £100 each. 07974412269

MUSIC COPYING SERVICE. Quality printed music produced at reasonable prices. For further details contact David Turner, computer based music copyist, at 23 Overbrook, Hythe, Southampton SO45 5BE, Tel: 02380 848146, email: dfturner@ waitrose.com NEED AN ORCHESTRATOR OR ARRANGER? Experienced orchestrator and arranger available for hire - competitive rates. Please visit www.anthonyesland. com or email info@ anthonyesland.com for more information.

CONCERT PIECES FOR VIOLIN – Chaconne and Bulgarian Etude- by James Hewitt. View and buy on www.tutti.co.uk.

Further details www. jameshewittmusic.co.uk

SW FRANCE: Beautiful gites for rent in the most idyllic surroundings.

ISM members discount and use of Steinway B possible. Full details: www.frenchconnections. co.uk property 157289 or tel 07860238733 moira_ hayward@yahoo.co.uk

PERFORMANCE NERVES? Stage fright? Call Rosemary Wiseman Tel. 020 8958 8083 www. rosemarywiseman.com

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

NEWS FROM OUR CORPORATE MEMBERS We welcome your brief news (max. 200 words for Platinum and Gold members, max. 150 words for Silver members) and good photographs. Please email mj@ism.org. The next deadline for copy is 1 June for July/August issue.

the Dean and Chapter of Winchester Cathedral in facilitating this performance, to Reg Fletcher and Jay Deeble for their administrative work, and to Carole Lindsay-Douglas of Lindsay Music for publishing the printed programme.

Birmingham Conservatoire Julian Lloyd Webber has been appointed as the new Principal of Birmingham Conservatoire, part of Birmingham City University.

Above: SMA Cathedral Festival – characters from Alison Hedger’s The Way performed in March at Winchester Cathedral

Right: Birmingham City University’s ViceChancellor Cliff Allan (l) with Julian Lloyd Webber who has been appointed as the new Principal of Birmingham Conservatoire

Schools Music Association (part of the ISM) The Schools Music Association, part of the ISM, is glad to report on the success of the performance on 11 March this year at Winchester Cathedral, of Alison Hedger’s The Way, a music-drama based on Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. Involving several primary schools from Winchester, the production also incorporated performers from Prince’s Mead School and Winchester College and was presented before a large audience gathered in the cathedral.

This was the latest in the series of Cathedral Festivals carried out by SMA since 2000.

Many letters of appreciation from the participating schools have been received, commenting in particular about the unique opportunity this project has afforded and the outstanding organisational input from Alison Hedger (composer and musical director), and stage director Gillian Pitt. Sound and lighting to great effect was provided by Brockenhurst College, supervised by Luke Taplin.

SMA is particularly grateful for the great cooperation received from

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The internationally renowned cellist and music educator takes up his new position as work gets under way on a new home for Birmingham Conservatoire, the first of its kind to be built in the UK for a generation.

Built on Birmingham City University’s rapidly expanding city centre campus the new Conservatoire will feature five performance venues and unrivalled practice facilities. Julian’s arrival in Birmingham will reinforce the city’s longstanding reputation for classical music performance.

Julian Lloyd Webber said, ‘I am honoured and thrilled to be chosen as the new Principal of Birmingham Conservatoire. The state-of-theart facilities being built within Birmingham City University’s superb campus will be second to none and

superior to many, both throughout the UK and beyond.’

Widely respected as one of the finest musicians of his generation, Julian has become one of the UK’s most successful classical artists. He was the only classical musician chosen to perform at the Closing Ceremony of the London Olympics in 2012 and last year received the ISM’s Distinguished Musician Award.

Julian will replace the current Principal of Birmingham Conservatoire David Saint, who retires in June.

Oxford University Press Ben Selby has been appointed to the new post of Director of Music Publishing at Oxford University Press (OUP). Ben has worked in the music publishing and education sectors for 18 years. He held several posts at ABRSM over an 11 year period, most recently as Business Development Director.

Ben said, ‘It’s a privilege to be returning to Oxford University Press.

OUP is one of the leading UK music publishers, with a proud history spanning almost a century. I look forward to working with colleagues to further develop OUP’s strong catalogue and look to grow OUP’s contribution to music publishing in the coming years.’

OUP is one of the longest-established and most respected music publishers in the world, publishing across a broad range. It has a particular focus on classical and contemporary choral music, and books for beginner instrumentalists. Its catalogue includes the music of William Walton and Ralph Vaughan Williams, alongside contemporary choral composers, including John Rutter. Its educational catalogue includes leading instrumental methods: Pauline Hall’s Piano Time series and the String Time series by Kathy and David Blackwell.

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

Right: Scratch® Youth Messiah won ‘Best Classical Music Education Initiative’ in the 2015 Music Teacher Awards.

Pictured (l-r) are Marianne Barton, Trevor Ford (outgoing ISM Treasurer), Jo Forrest, Tony Hastings and Annie Hastings

Concerts from Scratch/ The Really Big Chorus Marianne Barton writes: Hurrah!

Our Scratch® Youth Messiah was voted ‘Best Classical Music Education Initiative’ in the 2015 Music Teacher Awards on 12 March. Any youth choir can join this amazing event (Sunday 29 November): just visit www.youthmessiah.co.uk to download a registration form.

We’ve just returned from singing Schubert in Rajasthan with Manvinder Rattan and are now gearing up for Jenkins’ The Armed Man (12 July, Royal Albert Hall) conducted by Brian Kay – more men’s voices, please! Brian also leads our second Choral Summer School (11–16 August, Warwick University), which includes an evening guest appearance by John Rutter.

Our October singing cruise on the Danube is already fully booked but you can sing with ISM President Jeremy Jackman in Nuremberg on another of our popular Christmas Market trips (2-6 December), or on our Easter Douro cruise (23–30 March 2016).

For further details, or to join our mailing list, visit www.trbc.co.uk.

Summer School for Pianists Combining a friendly atmosphere with musical expertise, the Summer School for Pianists has become an essential annual event for pianists of all levels. The superb facilities of the All Steinway Performance Hub in Walsall ensure that music takes centre stage, with excellent concert instruments and plenty of practice rooms. The masterclasses, lecture presentations, tutor and student concerts, good food and accommodation, create an event that is informative, stimulating and sociable for all.

2015’s tutor recitals will be particularly varied, with repertoire from Couperin to Sorabji, preceded by brief preconcert talks. There will be four Piano Matters presentations.

For those seeking professional development, our annual residential Teacher Training Course continues at Uppingham School, Rutland on 19-25 August 2015.

New elements include Words and Music featuring Tennyson’s Enoch Arden with music by Strauss; Piano Now! will entertain with contemporary music for two to eight hands.

Various Area Spring Development Days have taken place this spring as AOTOS aims to support those working with singers across the whole of the UK. This included valuable and well attended workshop days with speech therapist Sara Harris in Edgbaston, singing teacher and writer Janice Chapman in Manchester, voice/actor coaches Pamela Rudge and Lynette Erving in Bath and vocal coach Stuart Barr in Worthing.

The theme for 2015 is dance.

Guest lecturer Ruth Waterman will speak about Baroque dance, and there will be classes for piano accompaniment and piano duet. www.pianosummerschool.co.uk

Association of Teachers of Singing

Our Summer Conference forms the highlight of our 40th celebrations and takes place at St Hilda’s College, Oxford on 17-19 July 2015. Speakers include Mary King, Declan Costello, Sally Carthcart and Caroline Aldred. There will also be a celebration dinner on 18 July as part of the conference.

Continuing to mark our 40th year in 2015 and following a successful and fully booked first Access Day for our flagship Pathways programme in January, a further day has been booked www.aotos.org.uk at St Paul’s Girls’ School in London on 14 June. This is our new bespoke mentoring and training scheme for aspiring singing teachers, designed for those wishing to enter the profession.

Continued overleaf È

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ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

We are very grateful to all our corporate members for their support.

PLATINUM CORPORATE MEMBERS

GOLD CORPORATE MEMBERS

ABRSM

NMC Recordings

Bath and North East Somerset Music Hub

Park Lane Group

Charanga

Rhinegold Publishing

Leeds College of Music

The Royal Central School Of Speech & Drama

Luton Music Service

The Royal Philharmonic Society

Make Music Swindon MSST – The Andrew Lloyd Webber Programme Musicguard

The Worshipful Company of Musicians The Worshipful Company of Musicians is delighted to welcome Kathleen Duncan OBE as its new Master.

She brings to the position a wide experience of the arts world from her work with the NYO, South-East Arts, Boosey & Hawkes, PRS, Lloyds TSB and many other business and charitable organisations. At her installation the guest speaker was Sir Thomas Allen.

Right: Yeoman, Manus Noble, at one of the Worshipful Company of Musicians’ outreach scheme sessions

The Opera Awards

Trinity College London

Colchester Institute Dartington International Summer School Forwoods Drums for Schools J&A Beare London College of Music Music Mark National Preparatory School Orchestra Oxford University Press Paritor Wigmore Hall For further information about our different levels of corporate membership and a full list of over 160 corporate members, visit ism.org

Yamaha Music Europe

The Company’s outreach scheme has continued to thrive, enabling its Yeomen to perform in more than 50 venues last year and to over 2,000 children in London schools. Its success is a credit to its founder, the late Patricia Norland Prindl, and current chairman, John Nichols.

The recipients of the Company’s major awards in 2015 are Trevor Pinnock (Cobbett Medal), Diana Montague and Mark Padmore (Santley Award), and Judith Weir (Gold Medal), whose predecessor as Master of the Queen’s Music, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, is honoured with the Collard Lifetime Achievement Award.

Forthcoming Company events include the Young Jazz Musician Award Winner’s Gig at Soho Jazz Club on 10 May, the Maisie Lewis Concert at the Purcell Room on 8 July, the Young Jazz Musician

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Birmingham Conservatoire

Competition at Soho Jazz Club on 27 September and the John Christie Award 50th Anniversary Celebration Concert in the RCM’s Britten Theatre on 12 October. www.wcom.org.uk The ISM and MMA (the National Association of Music Teaching Professionals) are proud to have a joint membership scheme available to all ISM and MMA members. To find out more about this opportunity of combined membership, go to: www.ism.org

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

LOCAL EVENTS LISTINGS Full listings can be found on our website, ism.org

Sunday 9 May CHELTENHAM Pupils’ Concert 7.30pm, St Andrews Church Station Road, Churchdown, Gloucester, GL3 2JT Booking has closed for this event, but please contact Helen Marcus for further details, or to submit a pupil for a future concert and come along to support the event!

Contact: Helen Marcus, helenmarcus@ blueyonder.co.uk, 01452 855890

Friday 15 May GUILDFORD Ten-Pin Bowling Tolworth (Charrington Bowl), Kingston Road, Surbiton, KT5 9PB An opportunity for members and particularly new members to meet, and have a bit of fun. The best bowling club in this area is at Tolworth – Hollywood bowl. The Wembley of ten-pin bowling!

Contact Stephen Tanner, stephen@stnco.co.uk, 07720 303 573

Sunday 17 May BRIGHTON Workshop with Alexander L’Estrange 2.30-5.30pm, The Steyning Centre, Fletcher’s Croft, Steyning, BN44 3XZ An afternoon workshop with the renowned choral composer Alexander L’Estrange on two movements from his Song Cycle: vive la vélorution – a jazz choral cantata which was commissioned to mark the grand depart of last year’s Tour de France in Yorkshire.

He is a superb communicator and musical director and his workshop presentations are extremely popular.

Cost: £12 singers; £9 observers; £6 singers/ observers 18 and under Contact Jill Elsworthy, jelsworthy@btinternet. com, 01403 252602

CROYDON Sight Reading Seminar

WILTSHIRE Pupils’ Concert

3pm, 120 Belmont Rise, Belmont, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 6EE The seminar will begin with a talk by Elizabeth Angel, an ABRSM Examiner since 1986, and also an Adjudicator for the British and International Federation of Festivals.

We will then discuss the teaching of sight reading, and share ideas. If there are any performers out there who are willing to be guinea pigs, please do let us know your instrument and standard!

There is no charge for this event, but spaces are limited. Booking deadline is 8 May. Contact: Marilyn Rouse, 07961 697073, m.rouse@fotomus.demon.co.uk

3pm, The Hall, Immanuel Church, Upham Road, Swindon, SN3 1DH We are pleased to offer a pupils’ concert in Swindon for singers and instrumentalists of all ages and grades. Solos, duets and small ensembles are all welcome. Please offer one, or two short pieces per pupil and provide an accompanist if required. Booking closes 6 May. Cost: £2 performers; £5 adults; £4 members; £2 children, £12 family ticket. Please pay on the door.

Contact: Liz Adams, liz@singingintherain.biz, 07970 320208

DEVON AND CORNWALL Pupils’ Concert 2pm, The Sherwell Centre, Plymouth University, North Road, Plymouth This is a great opportunity for pupils to have the valuable experience of performance.

There is no charge for teachers, performers, or audience. Booking closed on 30 April, but all are welcome at the concert.

Contact: Colynne Brooks, 07763 008389, 01626 834951, colynnebrooks135@btinternet.com Please note Devon and Cornwall’s Grade One Challenge that was due to take place on Sunday 17 May has been postponed.

Monday 18 May NORTH LONDON Café Rouge 7.30pm, 6-7 South Grove, Highgate, N6 6BP An informal gathering to enable new members to meet each other, and to meet older members of the society. You are very welcome to meet us for a meal, or just for a drink.

Contact Claire Kitchin, 020 7272 3903, claire_crescendo@hotmail.com.

ISM Croydon local group was re-launched with a voice workshop, where members gathered with local voice workers and members of the public for an uplifting singing workshop, with vocal facilitator and Alexander Technique teacher Delia Rosenboom of the Natural Voice Practitioners Network.

ISM Oxford local group had an impressive array of talent at its Spring Pupils’ Concert, with items from young singers, pianists, a cellist and a couple of flute and recorder players. All of the performances were enthusiastically received by parents and teachers alike!

ISM West London local group held a very successful Annual Pupils’ Concert, with many great performances by pupils ranging from 5 to 14 years old. At the end of the concert, Betty Roe MBE was noted for her contribution as a composer on World Women’s Day. Please see Betty’s full report of this concert online!

To see all of our event reports in full, please go to the Local Group section in the members’ area of the website at www.ism.org

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Further details and application forms are available from the administrator 1 Speed Highwalk, ,Barbican, , London,, EC2Y 8DX 020 7496 8980

ISM MUSIC JOURNAL MAY/JUNE 2015

Ask me a question Paul Chamberlain Accordionist

Tell us a little about yourself I was immersed in music from an early age. Both my parents played the violin and my father was also the local authority peripatetic violin teacher so I guess that it was natural that early on I began playing the violin and piano. At some point I started to listen to lots of Scottish traditional music and this sparked my initial interest in the accordion. After six years working in banking I left to fulfil my passion in music where I became the first classical accordionist to graduate from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with a BMus Honours degree. I subsequently completed a Masters in Performance there. Now I perform as a soloist and in a variety of ensembles such as the Scottish Tango Ensemble of which I am a founding member, in a multi-instrumental world music duo with Michael Haywood, and I lead a thriving dance band called HotScotch

Ceilidh Band. In 2014 my second album Accordion Sensations was released at the 1901 Arts Club in London and followed by a tour of recitals around the UK. I also teach at the Merlin Academy of Traditional Music.

Who (or what) has most influenced you and your career?

As a teenager, I was invited to perform at a concert in Blackpool supporting Oleg Sharov, professor of accordion at the Rimsky Korsakov Conservatoire in St Petersburg.

His concert opened my eyes and ears to the possibilities of the accordion as a classical instrument and subsequently was invited to perform at one of his festivals in Russia.

There I heard many fine players and came back inspired, soon changing from the standard piano accordion to the chromatic free-bass button instrument I now play.

I was very lucky to attend a wide range of concerts as a child and the influences of many styles of music are now apparent in my repertoire. The influence of my teacher in Glasgow, Serbian accordionist Djordje Gajic, was inspirational not only in my performance but also through our discussions around musical analysis and pedagogy which were invaluable.

What would you say is your greatest achievement to date?

During my studies at the RCS as the sole accordionist in a keyboard department full of dazzling pianists I was a recipient of the annual Governor’s Recital prize for keyboard, which was a great honour and shows that the accordion can command a serious position on the concert platform.

Who is your all-time favourite artist and why?

This would have to be French accordionist Richard Galliano. I have heard him perform

live a number of times and as a jazz musician he pushes the boundaries with the accordion in addition to an electrifying stage presence. He has also collaborated with a diverse range of musicians including Wynton Marsalis, Chet Baker and Astor Piazzolla.

What was the last CD/music download that you purchased?

It’s a CD by the Argentinian bandoneon player Raul Jaurena called Te Amo Tango.

I heard him perform a couple of years ago whilst in Buenos Aires and this contains a mixture of his own compositions as well as a few traditional tangos.

What are your plans for the future?

I recently formed a successful duo with Michael Haywood who plays violin and saxophone. We performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and have a tour scheduled for 2015. Although we are struggling to find the time to set aside for a recording we are hopeful that it will happen later this year. In the near future I plan to focus on introducing the accordion to more UK composers in order to expand the chamber repertoire for the instrument. The accordion opens up an interesting multi-textural sound world and can work in many types of ensembles.

Finally, what is your ISM membership to you?

It is reassuring to know that there is a knowledgeable team within the ISM with experience of the music industry should I need advice or assistance. As a performing musician, public liability insurance is also a benefit to me, and I like feeling part of an organisation which strives to campaign for musicians’ rights.

Recommend a friend and get £10 off your membership Tell your musician friends and colleagues about the ISM and encourage them to become part of our thriving community of music professionals. We’ll give you £10 off your next year’s membership fee every time someone you recommend joins the ISM as a full member (includes graduate rate membership).

£10

Off

Membe rs

Simply email membership@ism.org with the name and email address of the friend(s) you are recommending and ask them to use promo code ISM12HF when joining. If they join at the full rate we’ll give them £10 off their membership fee too.

If you’d prefer to receive a £10 voucher for iTunes, Amazon, or M&S, or donate your £10 reward to the ISM Members Fund, just let us know in your email and we’ll organise it.

Please note: the number of rewards you can redeem is limited to the value of your subscription upon renewal.

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hip

Sound-isolating practice rooms

EDUCATION > HOME > RECORDING

137 years of internationally respected music exams

Having enough space to practise is often an issue in music departments; our modular, relocatable Music Practice Rooms provide an excellent solution to this problem.

Each module offers an individual space for solo or ensemble practice, whilst providing an effective acoustic barrier to avoid disturbing other classrooms.

New music syllabuses and publications available now New syllabuses for piano, woodwind, jazz woodwind, electronic keyboard, brass and singing are available now. A range of exciting new supporting publications are also available.

Why Trinity?

Our music exams offer the choice and flexibility to allow candidates to play to their strengths, enabling them to gain recognition for their own unique skills as performers. ◗ Our approach to assessment — through our exams we:

• examine real musical skills specific to each instrument or voice • include options for candidates to improvise and perform original compositions to

Head of Music at Lancaster and Morecambe College, Pete French, was delighted with the new sound-isolating practice rooms installed by Black Cat Music: “The facility used to be a lecture theatre. It was just one space we could use; now we’ve got three spaces. The modules are being used every day with all three year groups time tabled in, so they are getting maximum use.”

The rooms, from MusicPracticeRooms.com, use a prefabricated panel design that is affordable, easy to install and allows rooms to be custom configured to suit available space. “We are very happy having them here,” continued Pete French.

“The music practice rooms have changed the whole nature of the course, because they are so sound-proofed. The students love them and yes, they work very effectively.”

express their individuality • offer precise and specific feedback through a diagnostic mark scheme ◗ Choice and quality of repertoire — we work with a wide range of specialist composers, teachers and musicians to develop varied and diverse repertoire

To watch the video of this interview scan here or go to youtube.com/musicpracticerooms Pete French - Head of Music, Lancaster and Morecambe College

◗ Our heritage and recognition — we’ve been assessing in music since 1877 and our exams are

“The Music Practice Rooms have changed the whole nature of the course, because they are so sound-proofed.

The students love them and yes, they work very effectively.”

internationally recognised and accredited by education authorities around the world

◗ Our teacher support — we hold events all over the world and offer free teaching resources, articles, forums and more through our online learning platform

◗ Our examiners — our exams are assessed by a panel of friendly examiners who are rigorously trained and standardised.

Brought to you by

To find out more visit

www.trinitycollege.co.uk/music

/TrinityCollegeLondon

@TrinityC_L

Get in touch

Telephone: 0844 846 9740 www.musicpracticerooms.com

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES DESIGNED FOR MUSICIANS

IN EDUCATION & INDUSTRY

Upcoming courses include: Introduction to improvisation for classically trained musicians 11–12 July, 10am - 5pm The Virtuoso Teacher workshop with Paul Harris 25 July, 10am - 4:30pm

May/June 2015

www.lcm.ac.uk/short-courses | 0113 222 3449

Judith Weir in conversation

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The keeper of the jigsaw – Edward Blakeman on the upcoming Proms season

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