R S Phil News 2Op
Free by post to Friends of the Phil
The Grand Draw The Friends of the Phil Activities Committee, which was responsible for the organisation of the Grand Draw, has decided to make the following grants from the proceeds of the Draw: £2,000 To sponsor the Society’s Saturday concert on 4 May 1985: Coronation Mass Mozart Symphony No.4 (Romantic) Bruckner Walter Weller, 4 soloists and the Liverpool Philharmonic Choir £1,500 To help sponsor the Orchestra’s tour of Spain in October 1984 £1,500 To help sponsor the Orchestra’s tour of Switzerland in April 1985 £1,500 To contribute to the purchase of a Marimba, an instrument urgently required for the Orchestra’s percussion department £1,500 To help sponsor the Orchestra’s recent recordings with Marek Janowski of the First and Fourth Symphonies of Brahms £500 To initiate a Welfare Fund for members of the Orchestra to be used at the discretion of the musicians themselves
Jonathan Small photo: John Mills
£8,500 The Society is very grateful indeed to the many Friends of the Phil who contributed to the success of the Grand Draw, either by helping to organise it or by buying Draw tickets. The proceeds will be used for special projects which are so important for the reputation of the Society and the Orchestra and whose cost cannot be fully covered by our main subsidies. The concert on 4 May 1985, to be sponsored by the Friends of an international conductor and four soloists, a the Phil, will not pay for itself ç’”’ral work by Mozart and a massive work by Bruckner adds up to a very .ensive promotion, but it is the kind of musical event which links our own Society with other great musical societies throughout the world. The two foreign tours are enormously important for the reputation of the Orchestra. All first class Orchestras tour abroad and it is a necessary part of their work. Tours, however, are not financed out of our regular subsidies and extra money has to be raised to make them, financially viable. The Orchestra’s percussion equipment has to be brought up to date, hence the purchase of a Marimba. Recordings, like foreign tours, do not pay for themselves, and I am delighted that the Friends of the Phil will be associated with our first recordings with Marek Janowski, the First and Fourth Symphonies of Brahms. Finally, it is entirely fitting that the Friends should assist the members of the Orchestra, many of whom spent much time and energy in fundraising for the Draw. The Welfare Fund is intended for those small items which are so important, equipment for the Orchestra’s cricket and football but can easily be forgotten teams, small amenities for the Bandroom and so on. As indicated above, the total amount disbursed from the proceeds of the Draw is £8,500. This leaves a balance of about £3,000 on the Friends of the Phil’s account which is being held for the support of similar projects in the future. The Activities Committee is considering new ways of fundraising. Every additional £1 that can be raised will result in the enhancement of the Orchestra’s reputation in this country and abroad and a richer musical life for all who come to hear the concerts. —
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New principal oboe settles in Jonathan Small, born in London, studied the oboe with Michael Winfield at the Royal College of Music. In 1980 he joined the newly formed Scottish Opera Orchestra as principal oboe, a post which he retained until July 1984, when he left to join the RLPO. While in Scotland he was a founder member of the Glasgow-based Paragon Ensemble, to which he will return in November as a playing director when they undertake a tour of England as part of the Arts Council Contemporary Music Network. His wife, Mary Ann Sherman, is princi pal harp with the Scottish Opera Orches tra. He is now busy settling down in his new home on Bidston Hill.
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Stephen Gray, Director, RLPS
New style Membership Cards You may have noticed that the new style membership cards are smaller than in past years. We have taken into consideration the comments made by some Friends of the Phil asking for the card to be the same size as a credit card so that it can be carried around easily. The calendar which was on the old card has now been incorporated into this new style newsletter.
Calendar of Events
Buy a Bar or two
October 1984
On Saturday 4 May 1985 the Friends of the Phil are pleased to be able to announce that the concert will be sponsored by us. To help raise funds for this event we are selling ‘bars’. A score of the Bruckner Symphony No.4 will be found making its way round audiences during the season and we will be asking all members of the audience if they would like to sponsor a bar at SOp per bar, in return the sponsor signs his or her name above the bar. We have not been brave enough to count the numbers of bars just yet (nor do we wish to count our eggs before they hatch!) but we are sure that this unusual way of raising funds to sponsor this concert should at least prove a talking point and help to publicise the occasion. So watch out for the person with the red book...
Wed 3 Sat 6 Sat 13 Tue 16 Wed 17 Thu 18 Sat 20 Wed 24 Fri 26 Sat 27 Tue 30
Subscription Concert Ill 7.30pm Subscription Concert Ill 730pm Friends of the Phil Day trip to Leeds Rodewald Concert 7.30pm Lunchtime Concert 1.05pm Industrial Concert 745pm Industrial Concert 745pm Friends of the Phil 1920s Cabaret Subscription Concert IV 730pm Friday Club 700pm Subscription Concert IV 7.30pm Industrial Concert 7.45pm
November Sat 3 Wed 7 Sat 10 Tue 13 Wed 14 Thu 15 Wed 21 Fri 23 Sat 24 Tue 27 Wed 28
Merseyside Youth Orchestra Concert 7.3Opm Subscription Concert V 7.30pm Subscription Concert V 7.3Opm Industrial Concert 745pm Lunchtime Concert 105pm Industrial Concert 7.45pm Industrial Concert 745pm Subscription Concert VI 7.3Opm Friday Club 700pm Subscription Concert VI 730pm Rodewald Concert 730pm Popular Concert 7.30pm
December Sat 1 Wed 5 Tue 11 Wed 12 Thu 13 Sat 15 Mon 17 Tue 18 Wed 19 Thu 20 Sat 22 Fri 28 Sat 29
Subscription Concert VII 7.3Opm Subscription Concert VII 7.3Opm Industrial Concert 7.45pm Lunchtime Concert 105pm Industrial Concert 7.45pm Industrial Concert 7.45pm RLPS Carol Concert I 730pm RLPS Carol Concert Il 7.30pm MYO Christmas Concert 7.3Opm RLPS Carol Concert III 7.3Opm RLPS Carol Concert IV 730pm RLPS Family Concert I 230pm RLPS Carol Concert V 7.3Opm RLPS Viennese Concert I 7.3Opm RLPS Family Concert II 230pm RLPS Viennese Concert II 730pm
January 1985 RLPS Messiah 730pm Subscription Concert VIJI 730pm Subscription Concert VIII 7.3Opm Inside the Concerto I 7,l5pm Subscription Concert IX 730pm Industrial Concert 745pm Lunchtime Concert 105pm Industrial Concert 745pm Thu 17 Industrial Concert 745pm Wed 23 Subscription Concert IX 730pm Thu 24 Inside the Concerto II 7.l5pm Fri 25 Friday Club 7.OOpm Sat 26 Subscription Concert X 730pm Tue 29 Rodewald Concert 730pm
Wed 2 Sat 5 Wed 9 Thu 10 Sat 12 Tue 15 Wed 16
Lunchtime Concerts The lunchtime concerts will continue next season on Wednesday as usual at 1.O5pm in the Philharmonic Hall. Tickets are available on the door only and not in advance. The prices next season will be £1.00 and 5Op for Friends of the Phil, upon production of a current are Lunches card. membership available from 12.00 noon onwards in the foyer. If you have any further enquiries about the lunchtime concerts please contact Russell Jones on 051-709 2895.
Fundraising in Rainhill You may like to make a note of the proposed concert in Rainhil Parish Church on Friday 3 May. This concert will feature RLPO members and will help to raise funds for both the Friends of the Phil and Rainhill Parish Church. If you are willing to help organise this concert or wish to attend, please contact Mrs. Tommie Tyndall (member of the Friends of the Phil Activities Committee) via the Secretary.
British Composers at the Phil This season four very different contemporary British works can be heard at the Phil starting with the world premiere of Robert Simpson’s Seventh Symphony on Wednesday 3 October. Dr. Simpson (born 1921) was for mans years a BBC producer and is an acknowledged authority on the music of Bruckner and Nielsen. His reputation as a composer has been established by his series of eight symphonies and ten string quartets. The Symphony was originally written in 1977 as a companion piece to a projected recording of the Second Symphony which never materialised. After the premiere of the Eighth Symphony earlier this year, Bayan Northcott, music critic of the Sunday Telegraph lamented that the Seventh had never been performed and hoped that an orchestra would perform it soon. The RLPO is proud to do this. The other first performance next season is a new work commissioned by the Society (with funds made available by the Arts Council of Great Britain) from David Bedford (born 1937) which will be heard in the May Industrial Concerts. Bedford is one of those composers whose work straddles both the worlds of concert hail and pop. For several years he was a member of a rock group and one of his orchestral works Star’s End incorporates such a group. Among his many other commissions has been a song cycle for Sir Peter Pears. All his scores are marked by a keen ear for orchestral colour which often incorporates unusual effects. The other works to be performed are supported by the Melos Trust and you may have heard them broadcast in the Henry Wood Proms. Both are considered classics of British orchestral works of the 1960s. Nicholas Maw was born in 1937 and his Scenes and Arias was commissioned by the BBC for the 1962 Proms. It is a lusi’ score written for 3 female singers and sets lines from Medieval love letters. Si. Charles Groves conducts it on Saturday 27 October. Harrison Birtwistle (born 1934) was among that remarkable group of talents to emerge from the Royal Manchester College of Music in the mid 1950s. Among his fellow students were Peter Maxwell Davies, Alexander Goehr, John Ogdon, and the conductor Elgar Howarth. Birtwistle’s Nomos was also commissioned by the BBC for the 1968 Proms. Like many of his works the title reflects his interest in Greek drama which contrasts four amplified solo instruments against the other orchestral forces. Birtwistie is regarded by many as the outstanding composer of his generation and the performance on Wednesday 15 May promises to be a highlight in the RLPO season. Andrew Burn Wednesday 17 October Braga String Quartet Rosemary Beckett piano Elgar Piano Quartet in A minor op.84 Wednesday 14 November Cohn Pownall clarinet John O’Kane cello David Walters piano Beethoven Clarinet Trio in B fiat 11 op. Brahms Clarinet Trio in A minor op.ll4
Wednesday 12 December RLPO Chamber Ensemble Bach Brandenburg Concertos 1, 5 and 6 Wednesday 16 January Members of the Liverpool Philharmonic Choir The English Part Song Music by Sullivan, Parry, Stanford, Elgar, Hoist, Britten, Tippett and McFarren. Further details are available on a separate leaflet available from the box office.
Proposed trips You may like to make a note of the two proposed trips to be organised for the Friends of the Phil during 1985. it is hoped that on Saturday 25 May a day trip can be arranged to visit the Brontë Country (Haworth and surrounding areas) during the afternoon and then to attend a concert as part of the Delius Festival in the evening at St. George’s Hall, Bradford when the RLPO will give a concert featuring Delius’ Eventyr and Violin Concerto, and Hoist, The Planets in the second half. The estimated cost will not exceed £9.50, this will be confirmed in the January Phil News. We would also like to know as soon as possible if there are any Friends of the Phil who are interested in visiting the 1985 Edinburgh Festival, before we are able to proceed any further with these plans we need to know exactly how many people may be interested. To give you some idea of what is p1”’ned, for £98 there will be a five day tr jhursday 15 Monday 19 August) including all coach travel, two concert tickets, bed, breakfast and evening meal in the excellent Pollock Halls of Residence near the city centre, and would allow sufficient free time to sightsee and go on optional day trips, if you would like further details, please can you let us know by Friday 26 October so we can assess if there are enough to make a party. Please address your letter to Miss Annette Buckley. -
Merseyside Youth Orchestra Concert The Merseyside Youth Orchestra will be conducted by Brian Wright for their first concert of the 1984/5 season on Saturday 3 November at 7.3Opm, The programme includes the Franz Stuss Horn Concerto (father of P. ard Strauss) to be played by Lindsey Robinson, principal horn of the MYO, who won the £1,000 Skene Award during the MYO visit to the Aberdeen International Youth Festival last year. Now aged 19, she is a student at the Royal Northern College of Music where she studies with Michael Purton. The MYO will also play the Symphony No.2 by Sibelius and the ballet suite, Horoscope by Constant Lambert. Tickets will be available at 50% discount to the Friends of the Phil, further details will be available from the Box Office after 1 October. On Tuesday 18 December the MYO will also be presenting a Family Christmas Concert to be conducted by Edward Warren. As well as some traditional carols for all to join in, there will be fun items which may also require the help of the audience! If you would like to find out more about the MYO you mustn’t miss the January Friday Club which will include a look into what the audition involves and what it takes to become a member when the ‘MYO Entertain’ on 25 January.
Friday Club Column
The Friday Club (previously known as the Philharmonic Club) has existed for many years now, each season providing its members with entertainment and informative talks on various musical subjects. We hope that more Friends of Sir Charles Groves the Phil will join us on Friday evenings next season, although it is a daunting fact that if every member of the Friends of the Phil turned up we would not have enough seats in the Philharmonic Hall! Seats are unreserved and each meeting begins at 7.OOpm and ends by 9.OOpm, and as a Friend of the Phil you receive admission free; it you wish to bring guests they may purchase a ticket at the door for £1.50. No musical knowledge is needed to appreciate these evenings and they can be great fun (it was evident after the final meeting of last season about ‘Life in the Orchestra’ when Edward Warren and his wife looked at their way of life, that it was a real eye-opener to many of the members present!). We are pleased to announce that Sir Charles Groves has agreed to become President of the Friday Club, and we will welcome him on 26 October when he will introduce The Planets by Hoist, which he will be conducting the following evening. Another very good friend and supporter of the Friday Club, Miss Marjorie Hill, has agreed to become Vice-President of the Friday Club. We are thrilled that she has taken on this title and are extremely grateful for all the hard work she has put into the Friday Club over many, many years. We will have the opportunity to hear a musical tribute to the late Sir Sir Clifford Curzon photo: Fritz Curzon Clifford Curzon on 23 Novem ber, given by his close friend and agent, Wilfred Stiff. As we have also mentioned in the MYO concert column, on 29 January the MYO entertain! Members will be surprised to learn how competitive it is for these young musicians to be able to win a place in the MYO and how much commitment is required of all members. The evening will include some musical entertainment and will be introduced by Edward Cowie, who will talk to some of the members.
Inside the Concerto
75 Years Ago at the Phil
of University School Liverpool Extension Studies have collaborated once again with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society to organise a series of lectures in the Philharmonic Hall in January/February 1985. The title Inside the Concerto explains exactly what will be covered by the series. Each meeting will present RLPO members who will be performing a concerto with the RLPO during 1985 and will give them a chance to talk about the work they are to play and the particular their for repertoire instrument. Full details and a separate from the is available leaflet Philharmonic Box Office, but it must be stressed that advance enrolment is necessary and last year there were many disappointed applicants who applied too late. First come, first served; why not take advantage of the Friends of the Phil £1.00 off the series price offer?
Seventy-five years ago in autumn 1909, Liverpool played host to another major festival, the inaugural festival of The Musical League, under the auspices of its President Sir Edward Elgar. “The object of the Musical League” he declared, “was to focus attention in this country upon the works of British composers, and to give them as far as possible a dignified introduction to a large public audience”. The League was started to foster an interest in younger British composers, and with all confidence and hope, he looked to them “to convert the movement into a great musical event which would make a mark on the history of British music”.
New Recordings 1984-5 by RLPO
The following recordings will be issued duriñe, ihe season in record and cassette format:
Open Rehearsals If you would like a rehearsal pass for any of the following open rehearsals, please apply in writing to the Secretary and include details of which rehearsals, if you are bringing a guest and your membership number. Please do not forget to include a SAE unless you wish to collect the pass from the Box Office. I Wednesday 17 October 2.45pm-5.45pm (rehearsal for the Industrial Concert that night) II Tuesday 23 October 6.3Opm9.3Opm (rehearsal for the concert the following evening) III Saturday 27 October 2.3Opm-5.3Opm (rehearsal for concert that evening) IV Saturday 1 December 2.3Opm-5.3Opm (rehearsal for the concert that evening)
Marek Janowski conductor Brahms Symphony no.1 Marek Janowski photo: John Mills
As you can see from this newsletter and the events being organised, the Friends of the Phil are striving to expand in many ways. We need to involve more of our members in as many ways as possible and we are indebted to those Friends of the Phil who are already involved, especially to the patient, energetic happy band of people who assist with the mailings. If you are able to help in any way, perhaps by one of the ways listed below, either regularly or just on the odd occasion, please contact either Sandra Parr or Annette Buckley at the Philharmonic Hall. —
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Deadlines We would welcome any contributions from Friends of the Phil for inclusion in future Phil News (to be included at the discretion of the editor). Any letters or articles to be printed should be typed if possible, and written on one side of the paper only. The deadline for the next edition is 1 November. We look forward to hearing from you!
He could not have been disappointed by what he heard at the Philharmonic Hall; performances included some impressive choral works (with the Welsh Choral Union) by Vaughan Williams, Havergal Brian, Percy Grainger, Arnold Bax, and an orchestral Rhapsody by Frank Bridge. Sir Granville Bantock confirmed the success of the Liverpool Festival at the Lord Mayor’s luncheon by proposing a toast “To Music in Liverpool”. He believed that the city had always been leaders in musical life in Britain, especially in the promotion of new works, and that they had set an example for other cities to follow. Taken from newspaper cuttings in the RLPS Archives.
helping to distribute leaflets to attract more members organising a small event in your area to raise funds or to attract new members becoming involved in one of our sub-committees by getting just one of your own friends to join our Friends of the Phil we could double our membership!
Further to many enquiries made by our members, you may like to know that we are intending to arrange more membership categories (joint and family membership) but this cannot be started until 1 September at the earliest. Pay ment by Deed of Covenant has been examined and we are still trying to iron out some of the difficulties which are presently holding us up. Sandra Parr
ASV digital (available mid-December 1984) Brahms Symphony no.4 Academic Festival Overture ASV ditigal (available Spring 1985) Recordings supported by the Special Activities Fund and the Friends of the Phil Sir Charles Groves conductor Walton Film Music for Henry V, Richard III, Hamlet
EM! digital (available October 1984).. Recording sponsored by Royal Insurance (UK) Ltd Elgar The Black Knight Spanish Serenade, Two part songs with the Liverpool Philharmonic Choir EMI digital (available November 1984) Recording sponsored by The Elgar Society, The Readers’ Digest Association and The Finzi
Trust Howard Williams conductor Edward Cowie Concerto for Orchestra Clarinet Concerto no.2 Alan Backer clarinet Hyperion digital (available October 1984) Recording made in association with the Arts Council of Great Britain
Available from the Philshop. Friends of the Phil receive a 10% discount upon production of a current membership card.
Compiled and edited by Sandra Parr, Secretary, Friends of the Phil, Philharmonic Hall, Hope Street, LiverpoolLi 9BP. Tel: 051-709 2895. Telex 629466 RLPS C