≥ WINTER SEASON TRAIL-BLAZING HALLÉ MUSIC DIRECTOR SIR MARK ELDER CH CBE
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
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WELCOME Having joined the wonderful Hallé family last September, I am delighted, in spite of these extraordinary times, that the orchestra has been able to perform together once again. As we continue to find ourselves in periods of uncertainty, I want to reassure everyone that the best interests of the musicians and staff at the Hallé are at the centre of everything we do. With concert halls currently closed and live audiences sadly excluded, we are thrilled, in association with our partners at The Bridgewater Hall and our own Hallé St Peter’s, to be able to bring you a Winter Season of nine unique concerts. These specially curated performances have been filmed and recorded to the very highest quality for you to watch at home at your leisure. Although for me nothing beats the live experience, this exciting filmed format enables us to adventure into new ways of presenting the orchestra and enhancing the music. The diverse array of repertoire on offer will be complemented by introductions, interviews and insights from our family of Hallé conductors and special guest artists. The Hallé exists to play for you, our audiences, and the support of so many of you during this pandemic has been an inspiration and literally kept us going. We are deeply grateful. On behalf of us all here at the Hallé, thank you for your continued support and we hope that you enjoy this illuminating and life-enhancing series of events.
David Butcher Hallé Chief Executive
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TRAIL-BLAZING HALLÉ BROADCAST FROM THE BRIDGEWATER HALL, MANCHESTER
DEBUSSY Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune RACHMANINOV Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini HUW WATKINS Symphony No.2 world premiere Sir Mark Elder conductor • Stephen Hough piano
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It is due to the generosity of our sponsors, patrons and every loyal supporter who has been so understanding over the past 12 months that we are able to perform this concert. Arts Council England, the Greater Manchester Authorities and the City of Manchester have all been steadfast in their support and have our sincerest thanks. The Hallé is deeply grateful to our partners in The Bridgewater Hall, without whose collaboration these streamed concerts would not be possible.
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CLAUDE DEBUSSY (1862–1918)
PRÉLUDE À L’APRÈS-MIDI D’UN FAUNE (1891–94) Stéphane Mallarmé had always imagined his ‘eclogue’ L’après-midi d’un faune staged with music, but it wasn’t until he heard Debussy’s Cinq poèmes de Baudelaire in 1890, 14 years after the poem was published, that he made a serious effort to realise the idea. By way of a mutual friend he approached the young composer, who, as an admirer of the poem, readily agreed – and a production of ‘L’après-midi d’un faune, a tableau in verse by Stéphane Mallarmé with music by Mr de Bussy’ was actually scheduled at the Théâtre d’Art in 1891. The performance was postponed, however, and the project was never revived. His enthusiasm for Mallarmé’s verse and its musical implications in no way diminished, Debussy responded by reducing what he had planned as a three-part commentary to an orchestral Prélude that would have no more than a generalised relationship with the original poem. Mallarmé, to whom Debussy played the Prélude towards the end of 1892, was thrilled by what he heard: ‘I wasn’t expecting anything like it!’ he told the composer. ‘This music prolongs the emotion of my poem and puts it in its setting more precisely than colour.’ And that was only on a piano in the composer’s little flat in the Rue de Londres. When the poet heard the first public performance of the Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune at the Société Nationale in December 1894, he was even more delighted.
THE MUSIC If Debussy’s music had been as distorted in harmony as Mallarmé’s poem is in syntax, as evasive in expression and as obscure in construction, it would not have been the immediate success it was. It is true that the most inspired aspect of the score is its poetically elusive quality. But the musician in Debussy knew how far he could go – which, in comparison with Mallarmé, is not very far at all. As he said in his programme note: ‘The music of this Prélude is a very free illustration of Stéphane Mallarmé’s beautiful poem. It is in no way a synthesis of it. It is more a succession of settings for the desires and dreams of the Faun in the heat of that afternoon. Then, tired of pursuing the timid nymphs and naiads, he lets himself fall into an intoxicating sleep, full of dreams finally achieved, of total identification with universal nature.’ The one item of musical material that we can be sure has a direct correspondence with an event in Mallarmé’s poem is the opening flute solo. Seductively falling and rising in semitones through the interval of a tritone and languorously curving round ≥ WINTER SEASON 2020/21 | 5
an arpeggio of E major, it represents the reed pipe that – together with a mixture of human and goatish features and an aggressive male sexuality – is traditionally attributed to the mythological faun or satyr. By repeating this theme in a variety of different harmonies and instrumental colours, and by developing it while increasing the dynamic and rhythmic pressure, Debussy creates a hypnotic atmosphere shifting vaguely round E major.
CLAUDE DEBUSSY Portrait photo, 1908, by Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, alias Nadar (1820–1910), public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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Only then does he introduce a contrasting theme, a largely pentatonic tune on oboe, harmonised at first in B major. Although this could, conceivably, be associated with the pair of nymphs who prove to be less interested in the Faun than they are in each other, passion is reserved for the middle section, where a positively voluptuous melody in D flat major mingles expressively with phrases derived from the flute theme. The definitive return of that theme, stretched out by the flute over harp arpeggios, is firmly fixed in E major. The harmonies immediately diverge from there, but it is in E major that the melody finally fragments, on muted horns and a sleepy flute, to melt into a background gently illuminated by the sound of antique cymbals (crotales). As a footnote, Mallarmé’s eclogue finally found its theatrical dimension – in a way, and after a manner, that the poet would probably have disliked as much as the composer did – in Nijinsky’s angular choreography of Debussy’s curvaceous score for the Ballets Russes in 1912. Gerald Larner © 2017
PASSING NOTES ‘This is neither a pretty pastoral nor a work of profound meaning. We are shown a lecherous faun, whose movements are filthy and bestial in their eroticism, and whose gestures are as crude as they are indecent. That is all. And the over-explicit miming of this misshapen beast, loathsome when seen full on, but even more loathsome in profile, was greeted with the booing it deserved.’ From Gaston Calmette’s front-page editorial, ‘Un Faux Pas’, published in Le Figaro on 30 May 1912, the morning after the premiere of Nijinsky’s ballet L’après-midi d’un faune.
‘Nijinsky has never been so remarkable as in his latest role. No more jumps – nothing but half-conscious animal gestures and poses. He lies down, leans on his elbow, walks with bent knees, draws himself up, advancing and retreating, sometimes slowly, sometimes with jerky angular movements. His eyes flicker, he stretches his arms, he opens his hands out flat, the fingers together, and as he turns away his head he continues to express his desire with a deliberate awkwardness that seems natural. Form and meaning are indissolubly wedded in his body, which is totally expressive of the mind within … His beauty is that of antique frescoes and sculptures: he is the ideal model, whom one longs to draw and sculpt.’ From a letter written in response by the sculptor Auguste Rodin and published in Le Figaro the following day.
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‘In all it’s a feast for the ear and the imagination.’ The Daily Telegraph
‘Debussy, whose music Mark Elder and the Hallé orchestra have made something of a speciality in a series of top recordings’ The Observer
The Hallé’s Debussy recordings available now at www.halle.co.uk/shop Listen to the Hallé on Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Music THE HALLÉ’S RECORDING LABEL IS SPONSORED BY SIEMENS PLC 8 | ≥ WINTER SEASON 2020/21
SERGEY RACHMANINOV (1873–1943)
RHAPSODY ON A THEME OF PAGANINI, OP.43 (1934) Even if Rachmaninov had never written a single note of music, his greatness as a pianist would have ensured him legendary status. At the Moscow Conservatoire fellow students would marvel at his immaculate technique and intensity of expression, as well as his phenomenal ability to learn new repertoire in astonishingly quick time. One such classmate, Alexander Goldenweiser, recalled how their teacher, Alexander Ziloti, set Rachmaninov the demanding task of learning Brahms’s Variations on a Theme of Handel. Two days later, to everyone’s amazement, Rachmaninov played it ‘with complete artistic finish’. Whereas Rachmaninov always said that the great Josef Hofmann was the finest pianist of his day, Hofmann insisted that Rachmaninov was. Rachmaninov’s superb pianism was to stand him in good stead when, having fled Russia in the wake of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, he emigrated to the USA. With a wife and family to support, Rachmaninov chose to concentrate on his work as a concert pianist (composition was, after all, a precarious business), and much of the remainder of his life was taken up with giving concerts and recitals across America and Europe, with all the endless practice, travel and undoubted stress it involved. It was a punishing schedule that left him with little time and energy for much else, but occasionally periods of relaxation were found in which Rachmaninov could free up his mind for composition. One such period was the summer of 1934, when he found himself at his newly-built villa on the shores of Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. Here, in about seven weeks, he wrote what is arguably his most flawless work for piano and orchestra, the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. The theme in question comes from the last of the 24 Caprices for solo violin by Nicolò Paganini (1782–1840), another musical legend whose demonic violin virtuosity led to a widespread rumour that he had made a pact with the Devil. Paganini himself had subjected the theme to fiendishly difficult variation treatment in the Caprice itself, and other composers subsequently did likewise – among them Schumann, Liszt and Brahms before Rachmaninov, and Lutosławski and Andrew Lloyd Webber after him (strange though it is to mention the latter two vastly different composers in the same breath, it speaks volumes for the sheer versatility of Paganini’s theme). The theme’s striking melodic contours and vigorous, sharp-edged rhythm lend themselves readily to the variation process, although, much as Rachmaninov liberally subjects it to change, its original manifestation somehow remains in the listener’s consciousness, a tribute both to Paganini’s theme and to Rachmaninov’s deft handling of it. The premiere of the Paganini Rhapsody took place in Baltimore on 7 November 1934 ≥ WINTER SEASON 2020/21 | 9
SERGEY RACHMANINOV Portrait photo, c1921, by Kubey-Rembrandt Studios, Philadelphia, courtesy of University of Washington, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
with Rachmaninov as soloist and Leopold Stokowski conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra. The piece was an instant success and among the many performances that soon followed was its UK premiere in Manchester on 7 March 1935, when Rachmaninov performed his masterpiece with the Hallé under Nikolai Malko.
THE MUSIC Though the Rhapsody follows Paganini’s example in presenting 24 variations on the original theme, Rachmaninov chose to group his variations broadly into four sections. If we consider that his original title for the work was ‘Symphonic Variations on a Theme of Paganini’, it is not unreasonable to surmise that each group corresponds 10 | ≥ WINTER SEASON 2020/21
to a symphonic movement: first movement, scherzo, slow movement and finale (it certainly represents one of the most ingenious and wholly satisfying musical structures ever created by Rachmaninov or any other composer). Initially we hear the theme in just its skeletal outline before the violins (appropriately) present it in fully fleshed-out form with selective involvement on the part of the piano. The first six variations all retain a similar tempo and to some extent echo Paganini’s own treatment of his theme. In the slower Variation 7, however, the piano introduces an entirely new theme – the austere Dies irae, an ancient religious chant symbolising man’s mortality that is a salutary presence in many of Rachmaninov’s works. Soon it reappears in Variation 10, now in the guise of a grotesque march. A change of mood comes with Variation 11, a pensive piano cadenza with occasional touches of orchestral coloration. Variation 12 is a rather despondent minuet but, together with the livelier Variations 13–15, it forms a sort of scherzo, while Variations 16–18 make up a ‘slow movement’ that is crowned by the ravishing lyricism of Variation 18 (‘This one,’ said Rachmaninov, ‘is for my agent’). The remainder of the work (its ‘finale’) is at a suitably fast tempo that further accelerates towards the concluding Variation 24. Here the Dies irae rings out in the brass, the piano dazzles with yet more devilish virtuosity, and (deliciously) Rachmaninov treats us to what is surely one of the most cheekily understated endings in all music. Anthony Bateman © 2013
PASSING NOTE The plainchant ‘Dies irae’ (Day of Wrath) theme from the Latin Mass for the Dead has been used as a musical ‘memento mori’ by classical composers ranging from Hector Berlioz (in the concluding witches’ sabbath of his Symphonie fantastique) and Franz Liszt (in his Totentanz or ‘Dance of Death’) via Camille Saint-Saëns (in his Danse macabre) and Gustav Mahler (in the apocalyptic visions of his ‘Resurrection’ Symphony) right through to George Crumb (Black Angels) and Michael Daugherty (Dead Elvis) nearer our own time. It even pops up regularly these days in film scores by the likes of John Williams (Star Wars passim), Danny Elfman (The Nightmare Before Christmas) and Hans Zimmer (The Lion King). But the most death-obsessed composer of all was surely Sergey Rachmaninov, who referenced the eight-note theme almost compulsively in all three of his symphonies, as well as in his Edgar Allan Poeinspired choral symphony The Bells, his funereal tone-poem The Isle of the Dead, his valedictory Symphonic Dances and, of course, the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini heard in this concert. ≥ WINTER SEASON 2020/21 | 11
≥ FOR YOUTH 2021
The Hallé’s FREE online concert for Primary Schools is available now on Youtube.
Watch now
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HUW WATKINS (b. 1976)
SYMPHONY NO.2 (1920–21) WORLD PREMIERE • HALLÉ COMMISSION
1 Allegro ma non troppo 2 Lento 3 Allegro The commissioning of Huw Watkins’s Second Symphony by the Hallé and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales is felicitous, since they are two orchestras with whom Watkins has had a close relationship. He was BBC NOW’s Composer-in-Association from 2015 to 2018, and his links with the Hallé date back to his teens when, as a student at Chetham’s School, he attended the orchestra’s concerts at the Free Trade Hall. More recently, his First Symphony was commissioned by the Hallé Concerts Society and given its first performance in April 2017, conducted by Sir Mark Elder. It was subsequently recorded by the orchestra, together with Watkins’s Flute Concerto, for NMC records, conducted by Ryan Wigglesworth. Last December, the Hallé’s digital concert series was launched with Watkins’s Fanfare for the Hallé, also commissioned by the Society and premiered by the Hallé’s brass section, again conducted by Sir Mark. Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé’s brass section performing Fanfare for the Hallé
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Such was the immediate rapport between Sir Mark, the Hallé players and Watkins, as well as the enthusiastic audience response to the First Symphony at its premiere, that the composer was invited to write another work for the orchestra, with a heavy hint that a further symphony would be ideal. Watkins readily agreed, composing his Symphony No.2 between March 2020 and January 2021. Dedicated to Sir Mark Elder, the work was conceived with the sound and character of both the Hallé and BBC NOW in mind: in terms of the former it reflects, for instance, the richness of the Hallé strings. It is scored for a standard-sized 21st-century orchestra of double wind (with the addition of piccolo and contrabassoon), four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp and strings. Although there is no extra-musical inspiration behind the new symphony, Watkins acknowledges that the strangeness of the time during the symphony’s gestation helped define its character and determined his ambition that the music, during its roughly 30-minute journey, should arrive at a positive destination by its conclusion. Overall, it has an open-air quality that breathes a spirit of renewal, like the season when it was begun.
THE MUSIC What Watkins wrote about an earlier work, his Little Symphony, rings true about his new symphony: ‘I love trying to find fresh ways of using tonal, triadic material, with rhythmically tricksy things just to confuse the performer – but in a satisfying way, I hope. I like things to be accessible for a non-specialist audience but not in any way writing down for them.’ Underlying the framework of the 11-minute opening movement are the vestiges of traditional sonata form divisions: a laying-out of the main thematic ideas, a period of developing them and a final review. Reflecting another trait of Watkins’s music, within the tempo marking of Allegro ma non troppo there are several variations of speed, and over its span there is a gradual accelerando. An aspect of the orchestration is the subtle use of percussion instruments, with crotales (antique cymbals), glockenspiel, tubular bells and side-drum, for example, judiciously chosen to heighten particular moments. Watkins seizes the listener’s attention from the atmospheric opening, where, like a spring awakening, the music emerges from fragmentary cells on flutes, then clarinets, set against a landscape of divided strings, muted and pianissimo, and brief moments of near silence. The cells themselves, their triplet rhythm a significant feature, are tiny canons (where melodic lines are in close imitation with each other), and this canonic procedure is a characteristic building block of the symphony as a whole. Analogous to a process of organic development, the cells pass between instruments, for instance horns, pointed by tubular bells, as the music sweeps to its first climax with exuberant 14 | ≥ WINTER SEASON 2020/21
outbursts of trumpets and horns. From a similar starting point, a second burgeoning of cellular growth, revealed by ever-changing rhythmic and melodic perspectives, accelerates the music forwards, via crisp chords heightened by side-drum, athletic strings, and an emphatic downward brass phrase, to a second vibrant climax. Now about halfway through the movement, the musical terrain changes, for although never far from the fragmentary cells, there is the emergence of a new, lyrical melody on oboe, its long-breathed character subsequently blooming when taken up by the first violins. Its widely-spaced intervals of 5ths and 7ths, for instance, enhance the melody’s airiness, as it soars into the heights. Another quickening of tempo is the cue for a surge, via vigorous brass writing and the glockenspiel’s first appearance, to a final climax, before the movement peters out rapidly, as if with a question: where is this musical journey going? For the next stage in seeking an answer, Watkins concluded that he wanted an expansive period of repose that would contrast the energy generated in the first movement. Hence the ensuing Lento, nigh on 12 minutes long, is crafted around two thematic identities that follow one after the other at the beginning. The first presents a still vista, with hushed, muted strings, alternating with wind and brass chords –
Huw Watkin's Symphony performed by the Hallé and conducted by Ryan Wigglesworth is available on NMC.
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crotales and glockenspiel adding zest. This is extended by a wistful flute solo, defining a gentle, arch-like, four-note phrase, accompanied pianissimo with a rhythmic figure in second violins and violas, and a tailpiece on oboe varying the notes of the arch. In the second, clarinets and divided pizzicato first violins introduce a falling idea that morphs into a further one which the woodwind choir, sans bassoons, relish. (Triplets, once more, are an essential component of both these identities.) With accelerations of tempo the second ideas are worked up to two resounding climaxes, the second with chiming brass and tubular bells. As this dies away, a strange, mysterious chord occurs on strings, before the movement ends with a touch of aural magic: each of the flutes and piccolo muse separately on the arching phrase and the first horn inverts it. Crotales, glockenspiel and harp quietly chime: strings fade to nothing. Marked Allegro, and just over seven minutes in length, the finale reveals the answer to the question posed at the end of the first movement. Even more so than that movement, it is structured through a sustained accelerando spread over four rising and falling phases, each culminating in bursts of sonorous sound. Throughout, there is a Sibelian integration of structure and thematic ideas. It opens with a breezy dialogue rippling between flutes, offset by sparkling, translucent orchestration. Modal in character, their intertwining melodies gain added piquancy by the inclusion of chromatic notes, and frequently changing time-signatures wrongfoot the listener. Equally, as a contrasting idea, a buoyant rhythmic fragment – first on woodwind, then on brass with off-beat accents – teases the ear and is like some earthy rustic dance. Flutes and clarinets reappear as harbingers of a thematic variant from the slow movement, before the music speeds up for the first, explosive climax. Descending clarinets initiate the second phase, preparing the ground this time for a rapid rush to the next climax, which, emphasised by timpani and side-drum, achieves an ecstatic intensity in its force. The third phase starts softly with animated imitative counterpoint by the first and second violins, plus violas. This thrusts the music forwards to the next climax, dancelike and exultant, and underpinned by the timpani pounding out the note C, as that milestone tonal centre, with its implications of hope and light, is reached. Strings also launch the fourth and final phase, a coda, not just for this movement, but also for the symphony itself. Here, propelled by a relentless momentum, the music surges upwards in a series of waves, via exhilarating virtuoso writing for horns and trumpets, manifestly reaching its goal, in Watkins’s words, with an ‘upward rush of optimism’. Andrew Burn © 2021
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HUW WATKINS COMPOSER Born in Wales in 1976, Huw Watkins is one of Britain’s foremost composers. He studied piano with Peter Lawson at Chetham’s School of Music and composition with Robin Holloway, Alexander Goehr and Julian Anderson at Cambridge and the Royal College of Music, where in 2001 he was awarded the Constant and Kit Lambert Junior Fellowship. He now teaches composition at the Royal Academy of Music. His own compositions have been commissioned and performed by, amongst others, the Hallé (which premiered his First Symphony in 2017), the Nash Ensemble, Belcea and Elias string quartets, BBC and London Symphony orchestras, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. In 2016 he won the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Elise L. Stoeger Prize, in recognition of his significant contributions to the field of chamber music composition. He has been Composer in the House with the Orchestra of the Swan and Composer-in-Association with BBC National Orchestra of Wales. As a pianist, Watkins is in great demand throughout the UK and globally, performing with orchestras and at festivals around the world. Strongly committed to new music, he has been the dedicatee of piano concertos by British composers Philip Cashian, Helen Grime and Tansy Davies. Performing regularly with his brother, the cellist Paul Watkins, as well as with the violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen, he has featured as both Composer in Residence and pianist at festivals including West Cork Chamber Music, Presteigne and Lars Vogt’s ‘Spannungen’ Festival. Featured regularly on BBC Radio 3, Huw Watkins has recorded for such labels as Signum, Chandos, Nimbus, BIS and NMC. Last year the performing arts scene came to an abrupt halt as the global pandemic spread. During the UK’s first lockdown, Huw Watkins was commissioned by the violist Lawrence Power to write a short piece entitled Power, which was subsequently filmed on the rooftop of St John’s Smith Square in London. He also wrote ‘How’, part of the international opera-film Eight Songs from Isolation, which was performed by tenor Toby Spence and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. In November Watkins and Waley-Cohen premiered a new work of his for violin and piano at the Wigmore Hall. He also enjoys a successful collaboration, as both performer and composer, with the horn player Ben Goldscheider, and they have continued to perform together whenever possible. Future plans include a US premiere with Colin Currie of a work co-commissioned by the Santa Fe Festival, a new recording for BIS with the soprano Ruby Hughes and the release of a CD of music by Richard Causton that was recorded during lockdown. Huw Watkins will also be Composer in Residence at Wigmore Hall and at the Two Moors Festival. ≥ WINTER SEASON 2020/21 | 17
TRAIL-BLAZING HALLÉ RECORDED 24 MARCH 2021 IN THE BRIDGEWATER HALL, MANCHESTER
PRODUCTION BY
Maestro Broadcasting Limited AUDIO PRODUCER AND ENGINEER
Steve Portnoi ASSISTANT ENGINEER
Tony Wass
OB UNIT MANAGER
HALLÉ DIGITAL MANAGER
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Richard Stevenson
Bill Lam
Robert Dunne
VISION ENGINEER
John Blake
HALLÉ VT PRODUCER
Riley Bramley-Dymond
CAMERA SUPERVISOR
Chris Goor
HALLÉ GFX DESIGNER VT OPERATOR
Chris Slater
Peter Naish
TECHNICIAN
John Millman
CAMERA OPERATORS
Andy Parr Chris Flint Christy Lee Dave Brice EDITOR
Andy Barker EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Gemma Dixon DIRECTOR
Jonathan Haswell
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini [Complete Work] appears c ourtesy of Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Limited Symphony No.2 by Huw Watkins By arrangement with Schott Music Ltd
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THE NEXT EPISODE .... FROM THURSDAY 29 APRIL
STRAVINSKY’S THE SOLDIER’S TALE BROADCAST FROM LOCATIONS IN MANCHESTER
STRAVINSKY The Soldier’s Tale
Sir Mark Elder conductor Annabel Arden and Femi Elufowoju jr directors Dominic Best film director • Gemma Dixon film producer Richard Katz narrator • Martins Imhangbe soldier Mark Lockyer devil • Faith Prendergast princess
Visit halle.co.uk/winter-season-2020
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Recruiting now The Hallé is now welcoming applications for the 2021–22 season of the Hallé Youth Orchestra, Youth Choir, Youth Training Choir and Children’s Choir!
All details at www.halle.co.uk/youth-ensembles-recruitment Application deadline: Monday 7 June 2021
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≥ SUMMER SEASON 2021 CONCERTS AT THE BRIDGEWATER HALL MUSIC DIRECTOR SIR MARK ELDER CH CBE
Details of the new season will be available soon. Visit www.halle.co.uk
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SIR MARK ELDER CONDUCTOR
Image © Benjamin Ealovega
Sir Mark Elder has been Music Director of the Hallé since September 2000. He was Music Director of English National Opera (1979–93), Principal Guest Conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1992–5) and Music Director of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in the USA (1989–94). He is currently a Principal Artist of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and has also held positions as Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the London Mozart Players. 22 | ≥ WINTER SEASON 2020/21
He has worked with many of the world’s leading symphony orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, Budapest Festival Orchestra, London Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestra. Until Covid’s intervention last year, he had appeared almost every year at the BBC Proms since 1975, including on the internationally televised Last Nights in 1987 and 2006, and with the Hallé every year since 2003. He works regularly in the major international opera houses, including Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera, Paris Opéra, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Glyndebourne. He was the first English conductor of a new production at Bayreuth and has also guestconducted in Amsterdam, Berlin, Bregenz, Geneva, Munich and Zurich. His large discography ranges from Verdi, Strauss and Wagner to contemporary music. Among his many acclaimed releases on the Hallé’s own CD label are Gramophone Award-winning recordings of The Dream of Gerontius, Götterdämmerung and Elgar’s Violin Concerto, while The Apostles was voted BBC Music Magazine’s Recording of the Year 2013; the recent release of Siegfried completed the Hallé’s Ring cycle on disc. As Artistic Director of Opera Rara (2012–19), his recordings included a multi-awardwinning release of Donizetti’s Les Martyrs and an International Opera Award-winning set of Rossini’s Semiramide. He has presented television films on the life and music of Verdi for the BBC and on Donizetti for German TV, co-presented BBC Four’s four-part series Symphony, fronted BBC Two’s Maestro at the Opera and, in 2015, presented BBC Four’s Sunday-evening series of symphony performances from the Proms. In March 2020 Sir Mark Elder returned from Pittsburgh to prepare the Hallé for Vaughan Williams’s Ninth Symphony, but the concerts were not able to take place, as life within the performing arts came to an extraordinarily abrupt halt. Lockdown gave Sir Mark the chance to spend time with his family – especially his new granddaughter – to study unfamiliar music, read voraciously and exercise in the glorious spring weather. As restrictions continued to change, a variety of different opportunities began to arise, including live-streamed digital performances and concerts welcoming smaller, socially distanced audiences. As well as his commitment to the Hallé, recent and future work includes conducting the OAE at Glyndebourne, as well as concerts with the London Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Britten Sinfonia. Sir Mark Elder was appointed a Companion of Honour in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours, knighted in 2008 and awarded the CBE in 1989. He won an Olivier Award in 1991 for his work at ENO and in 2006 was named Conductor of the Year by the Royal Philharmonic Society, of which he is now also an Honorary Member.
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STEPHEN HOUGH PIANO
Image © Jiyang Chen
Named by The Economist as one of ‘Twenty Living Polymaths’, Stephen Hough combines a distinguished career as a pianist with those of composer and writer. He was the first classical performer to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship and was made a CBE in the New Year Honours 2014. On 1 June 2020 Stephen Hough re-opened Wigmore Hall, performing the UK’s first live classical music concert in a major venue since the nationwide lockdown in March. Later that summer he made his 29th appearance at the BBC Proms performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.2 with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Currently scheduled concerts in 2020/21 include concerto performances with the Philharmonia, London Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic orchestras, NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, Cincinnati and 24 | ≥ WINTER SEASON 2020/21
Atlanta Symphony orchestras, Seoul Philharmonic and National Symphony Orchestra, Taiwan. He is a regular guest at festivals such as Salzburg, Mostly Mozart, Edinburgh, La Roque d’Anthéron and Aldeburgh. Recent highlights include performances with the New York and London Philharmonic orchestras, Wiener Symphoniker, Cleveland and Minnesota orchestras, and the Finnish Radio, Tokyo, Toronto, Singapore, Iceland and City of Birmingham Symphony orchestras. In the 2019/20 season he spearheaded a five-concert Brahms series at Wigmore Hall, performing with Renaud Capuçon, Steven Isserlis, Michael Collins and the Castalian String Quartet. His extensive discography of over 60 CDs has garnered international awards including the Diapason d’Or de l’Année, several Grammy nominations and eight Gramophone Awards, including Record of the Year and a Gold Disc. Recent releases include Vida Breve (featuring his own Piano Sonata No.4), all Beethoven’s Piano Concertos (with Hannu Lintu and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra), Brahms: The Final Piano Pieces, solo piano works by Debussy, Stephen Hough’s Dream Album and a live recording of the Schumann and Dvořák piano concertos (with Andris Nelsons and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra), all for Hyperion Records. His awardwinning iPad app The Liszt Sonata was released by Touch Press in 2013. As a composer, Stephen Hough is writing the commissioned work for the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, to be performed by all 30 competitors in May/June 2022. His String Quartet No.1 is scheduled to be premiered by the Takács Quartet this December at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California. He has been commissioned by the Wigmore Hall, Musée du Louvre, London’s National Gallery, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, the Genesis Foundation, Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, Walter W. Naumburg Foundation, Cliburn Foundation, Orquesta Sinfónica de Euskadi and Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet. His music is published by Josef Weinberger Ltd. As an author, Hough’s collection of essays Rough Ideas: Reflections on Music and More (published by Faber & Faber) was named as a Financial Times Book of the Year in 2019 and won a 2020 Royal Philharmonic Society Award in the Storytelling category. His first novel, The Final Retreat, was published by Sylph Editions in 2018. He has also written for The New York Times, The Telegraph, The Times, The Guardian and the London Evening Standard. Stephen Hough is an Honorary Bencher of the Middle Temple, an Honorary Member of the Royal Philharmonic Society, a 2019–22 Visiting Fellow at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, a Visiting Professor at the Royal Academy of Music and the International Chair of Piano Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music (of which he was made a Companion in 2019). He is also on the faculty of the Juilliard School in New York. @houghhough ≥ WINTER SEASON 2020/21 | 25
≥ MUSIC DIRECTOR SIR MARK ELDER FIRST VIOLINS
VIOLAS
OBOES
TENOR TROMBONES
Simon Blendis Sarah Ewins
Timothy Pooley †
Stéphane Rancourt
Katy Jones
ASSOCIATE LEADER
Tiberiu Buta Zoe Colman Peter Liang Steven Proctor Alison Hunt † Victor Hayes † John Gralak † Michelle Marsh Helen Bridges † Katie Jackson SECOND VIOLINS
Philippa Heys Alex Stemp Julia Hanson Caroline Abbott † Grania Royce † Hannah Smith Elizabeth Bosworth John Purton Eva Petrarca Diego Gabete Yu-Mien Sun
SECTION LEADER
Julian Mottram † Piero Gasparini † Robert Criswell † Gemma Dunne † Chris Emerson † Sue Baker Cameron Campbell CELLOS
Nicholas Trygstad SECTION LEADER
Simon Turner Dale Culliford † David Petri † Jane Hallett Clare Rowe Harriet Walker DOUBLE BASSES
Daniel Storer Yi Xin Han † Beatrice Schirmer † Rachel Meerloo Natasha Armstrong FLUTES
Amy Yule SECTION LEADER
Sarah Bennett PICCOLO
Joanne Boddington
SECTION LEADER
SECTION LEADER
Virginia Shaw †
Rosalyn Davies †
COR ANGLAIS
BASS TROMBONE
Thomas Davey †
Kyle MacCorquodale
CLARINETS
TUBA
Sergio Castelló López
Ewan Easton mbe
SECTION LEADER
James Muirhead † BASSOONS
Ursula Leveaux Elena Comelli CONTRABASSOON
Simon Davies
TIMPANI
John Abendstern PERCUSSION
David Hext † SECTION LEADER
Riccardo Lorenzo Parmigiani † Erika Öhman Will Renwick
HORNS
Laurence Rogers † SECTION LEADER
Matthew Head Julian Plummer † Richard Bourn † Andrew Maher
HARP
Marie Leenhardt † Eira Lynn Jones
TRUMPETS
Gareth Small † SECTION. LEADER
Kenneth Brown † Tom Osborne Tim Barber
† = 20 YEARS SERVICE
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The Hallé, numbered amongst the world’s top symphonic ensembles, continues to seek ways to enhance and refresh what it undertakes, with aspirations to provide leadership through performance standards, education, understanding and training. 2020 saw the Hallé embarking on its very first digital season. During its 162-year history, the organisation has weathered many storms – from two world wars to financial crises, volcanic ash clouds and now a global pandemic – and not being allowed to work and make music with immediate effect in March 2020 was truly devastating for its passionate players and staff. To be able to return to the stages of The Bridgewater Hall and Hallé St Peter’s to once again make music for loyal and supportive audiences felt like a true renaissance. Founded by Sir Charles Hallé in Manchester, the Hallé gave its first concert in the city’s Free Trade Hall on 30 January 1858. Following the death of Sir Charles, the orchestra continued to develop under the guidance of such distinguished figures as Dr Hans Richter, Sir Hamilton Harty, Sir John Barbirolli and Sir Mark Elder. The Hallé has received many awards, notably from the Royal Philharmonic Society and the South Bank Awards, for its work in the concert hall and celebrated collaborations with other orchestras and Manchester organisations. The Hallé has a distinguished history of acclaimed performances, in Manchester and around Britain, as well as televised concerts, frequent radio broadcasts and international tours. Since launching its own recording label in 2003, a number of the Hallé’s recordings have won prestigious awards including five Gramophone Awards, two Diapasons d’Or and a BBC Music Magazine Award. Over a quarter of a million people heard the Hallé live in the year up to April 2020 and more than 65,000 of those were inspired by the Hallé’s pioneering education programme. Working across the whole community – from schools to universities, care homes to prisons – to bring music in its broadest terms to those who may not attend the concert hall, the programme releases creativity and raises aspirations through very accessible and practical projects. Winter 2020 saw the launch of Goddess Gaia, a digital resource for schools featuring a twenty-minute animation and soundtrack based on a story by Tony Mitton. The Hallé have just released Hallé for Youth 2021 - Once Upon A Time, a concert for primary schools which is free to watch on YouTube. The Hallé is a Registered Charity No. 223882
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≥ CHAIR ENDOWMENTS The Chair Endowment programme is an opportunity for you to be associated with one of our players and link your name with a position in the Orchestra. Your gift will help us to ensure the Hallé continues to develop artistically, attracting and retaining musicians of the highest quality. The key to a successful orchestra is the quality of the individual players. At the Hallé we are fortunate to have some of the country’s most gifted musicians whose talent and commitment help keep the Hallé among the finest orchestras in the world. Find out more at www.halle.co.uk/chair-endowments
MUSIC DIRECTOR, SIR MARK ELDER CH CBE
FIRST VIOLINS SARAH EWINS
SECOND VIOLINS PRINCIPAL
Mr Martin McMillan OBE and Mrs Pat McMillan
Elaine and Neville Blond Charitable Trust
Patrick and Tricia McDermott
CHIEF EXECUTIVE, DAVID BUTCHER
TIBERIU BUTA
Karen Farquhar
Hamish and Sophie Forsyth LEADER
Penny Moore GUEST LEADER, PAUL BARRITT
in memory of Geoffrey Robinson ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR, DELYANA LAZAROVA
PZ Cussons, Sir Mark and Lady Elder, The Garrick Charitable Trust CHORAL DIRECTOR, MATTHEW HAMILTON
In memory of Alison WilkieDavies
Dr Anne R Fuller
PAULETTE BAYLEY ROSEMARY ATTREE
John Geddes
in memory of the late Marie and Jack Levy
PETER LIANG
CAROLINE ABBOTT
Jennifer MacPherson
Peter and Mary Jones
ALISON HUNT
JULIA HANSON
Mrs Vivienne Blackburn for Michael
Lou Page
HELEN BRIDGES
in loving memory of Michael Hall
ZOE COLMAN
Professor Chris Klingenberg POSITION VACANT
JOHN PURTON HANNAH SMITH
Patrick and Tricia McDermott
In loving memory of Kaye Tazaki, from his family and the Hallé
Sincere thanks also to all those who have made general donations to the Chair Endowment programme during the recent months.
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VIOLAS TIMOTHY POOLEY
FLUTE AMY YULE
TRUMPETS GARETH SMALL
Dr Susan M Brown
Mr Peter Heath
Shared Trust
JULIAN MOTTRAM
In loving memory of John Pickstone MARTIN SCHÄFER
David and Beryl Emery PIERO GASPARINI
Mrs Jane Fairclough GEMMA DUNNE
KENNETH BROWN PICCOLO JOANNE BODDINGTON
in memory of Ronald Marlowe OBOE STÉPHANE RANCOURT
The Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund
In memory of Diz Shirley, and happy days at Chipping Campden
VIRGINIA SHAW
CHRIS EMERSON
COR ANGLAIS TOM DAVEY
Bolton Opus Group CELLOS NICHOLAS TRYGSTAD
Martin and Sandra Stone SIMON TURNER
In memory of Mrs G E Whitehead DAVID PETRI
K and S Coen
Alison Wilkinson
In loving memory of Douglas Crawford CLARINET SERGIO CASTELLÓ-LÓPEZ
The Hallé Choir
CLARE ROWE
Nina Harris JONATHAN PETHER
Charlotte Westwood POSITION VACANT
In loving memory of Dorothy Hall DOUBLE BASSES POSITION VACANT
Edmundson Electrical Ltd YI XIN HAN
Shared Trust BASSOONS POSITION VACANT
Penny Moore TROMBONE KATY JONES
Sylvia Kendal in memory of Ivor Rowe TIMPANI JOHN ABENDSTERN
In memory of Alan and Vivian Glass PERCUSSION DAVID HEXT
Rosemary Whitesman RICCARDO LORENZO PARMIGIANI ERIKA ÖHMAN
Mrs R Russell in loving memory of her husband, Jim Russell RBA; Michael Eagles
In memory of Miss Amy Alexandra Morris
HALLÉ YOUTH ORCHESTRA BASSOONS
ELENA COMELLI
PERCUSSION
Anonymous
I and E Brett Karen Brown
HORNS
in memory of Arthur Bevan and Enid Roper LAWRENCE ROGERS
in memory of C K Andrews
In memory of Stella and Harold Millington
RICHARD BOURN
BEATRICE SCHIRMER
ANDREW MAHER
Joyce Kennedy in loving memory of Michael
Mr CR and Mrs E Anslow MATTHEW HEAD
NATASHA ARMSTRONG
In loving memory of Nora Dawson
John and Pat Garside
TOM OSBORNE
Michael Eagles BASS CLARINET JAMES MUIRHEAD
JANE HALLETT
Professor Sir Netar Mallick
Shared Trust
Shared Trust
Mr C R and Mrs E Anslow
CELLOS
The Holland-Frickes Mr John Summers WIND AND STRINGS
The English-Speaking Union, Mid Cheshire Branch Anonymous HALLÉ YOUTH CHOIR SOPRANOS AND ALTOS
Mr and Mrs Smith HALLÉ CHOIR
Jane Hampson ALTOS
Chris Hughes
RACHEL MEERLOO
In loving memory of Hilmary Quarmby, a lifelong lover of music and friend of the Hallé ≥ WINTER SEASON 2020/21 | 29
≥ ST PETER’S ANCOATS, MANCHESTER
© Daniel Hopkinson
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Situated at the heart of the resurgent area of Ancoats, Hallé St Peter’s provides a home for the Hallé’s rehearsals and recordings, its choirs and Youth Orchestra, as well as a space for education workshops and small performances. Originally opened by the Hallé’s Patron HRH The Countess of Wessex in 2013, the facility is concentrated around a restored, Grade II listed, former church. A threestorey extension, The Oglesby Centre, was opened in November 2019 and includes a number of new practice rooms and performance spaces. The Hallé Kitchen space is now home to Café Cotton at Hallé St Peter’s. This independent café, restaurant and bar is open to the general public seven days a week offering great coffee, delicious homemade food and cakes for takeaway. Follow Hallé St Peter’s (@hallestpeters) for our latest opening times and information.
EVENTS AT HALLÉ ST PETER’S Hallé St Peter’s is a versatile venue suitable for a wide variety of events. The elegant interior provides a beautiful backdrop for weddings, parties, corporate events, meetings, conferences, receptions and more. Hallé at St Michael’s, our nearby sister venue, also provides stylish space for events. Enquiries are welcome for weddings, conferences and events. E-mail venues@halle.co.uk.
© Daniel Hopkinson
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≥ PATRON PROGRAMME By joining the Hallé Patron programme you can become part of a family of supporters who are helping to shape the future of the Hallé. Patrons have access to unique opportunities to experience many different facets of the Hallé alongside musicians, performers and fellow supporters in recognition of their regular support. Find out more at www.halle.co.uk/become-a-patron
CONDUCTOR’S CIRCLE John and Margaret Allen Dr Anne R Fuller Pat Kendall-Taylor Professor Chris Klingenberg Patrick and Tricia McDermott David and Mary McKeith Dr and Mrs Ian McKinlay OBE Penny Moore, for Terry, who loved the Hallé Dr Sambrook Christine and David Walmsley In memory of Lynne In memory of Alfred and Brenda Burley
MAESTOSO Brian and Valerie Bailey Dr Susan M Brown Mr David A Budgett Mr and Mrs J. Davnall Valerie and Peter Dicken Mrs Juliet Gibbs Andrew Hay and Nicola Kitching Mark Kenrick Jennifer MacPherson John Nickson and Simon Rew Martin and Sandra Stone John and Pat Turner Judi Winterson and David Hoyle
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CRESCENDO Mr C. R. and Mrs E. Anslow Mr Jon and Dr Carol Ashley Mr Edward Astle Carole and David Baume Mr John Biggins Audrey and Richard Binch David and Maggie Blackburn Mrs Vivienne Blackburn Clair Boyes Dr Christopher Brookes J. R. Bushell (Bolton) Ltd Laura and Peter Carstensen Dr and Mrs Michael and Diana Cavanagh Lawrence David Cody and in memory of Mr and Mrs L. J. Cody Mr Julian Craddock Philip Crookall Mr A Fowell Mr and Mrs J. Fox Mr Richard Garnett Chris and Karen Halicki Miss Lynne Hamilton Dr Andrew Hardman David Haworth Mr John Hopwood and Dr Julia Morrison
Chris Hughes, to mark 42 years with the Hallé Choir Mr Kenneth Kay Mr Michael Leach Mr Colin Lomax David and Jane Murphy Sir Charles Nightingale Mrs Kathy Noble Mr John D Owens Mr D Pritchard Mr Martin Rayner AC and CJ Riddington T. G. Roberts Mrs Jackie Roberts Mr and Mrs R. J. W. Rogers Judith and Patrick Rutter Sheila Rydz and in memory of Simeon Rydz John and Susan Schultz Mr P D Senn Mr David Shipley Mrs Marian Smith and in memory of Colin Smith OBE Mrs E. G. Tonge Joy White Professor and Mrs Philip Wiles David and Veronica Yates In memory of Brenda Owens
INTERMEZZO
SCHERZO
Dr D Yvonne Aplin Joan Ball Tony Bates Professor Tony Berry Mr K A Bevan Mrs Margaret Bradshaw Mrs P Cate Monica and Mick Clark Pamela Craig Sarah Crouch Mr Anthony Doust Mr Micheal Dowling Chris Dumigan Dr George A Eccleston Rev’d and Mrs J F Ellis Mrs A Fitzpatrick Charlie Fleischmann Ann Flowerday Jeremy and Gillian French Mrs Ruth Gooddie Mr and Mrs R Green Mr John Hannah Mrs Bessie Harper Callum Harvey Mr and Mrs D Hawkes Peter and Audrey Hewer Mr Simon Hutchence Mrs Wendy Jeffs Professor Nicholas and Dr Mary Jones Mr J G Knox Mr and Mrs B H Lawrence Mr and Mrs R W Lee Mel Littler Mr Alan Lowe Mr T Marsden John and Mary McPeake Stephen and Jacqueline Miley Mrs Alison Milford Gordon and Jess Minton Miss Maire Morton Mr and Mrs J P Platt Malcolm and Morag Ranson Mr Michael Redhead Canon C Roberts Joan and Graham Rogers Dr T and P E Schur Phil Thornley Mr John Turner Mrs M Warrener Mr J C White Professor Richard Whitley Mr John Wildman Jack and Elizabeth Wimpenny Joan Wood In loving memory of Helen Brave In memory of Albert Mesriee
Gill and Barrie Adams Mr Peter Adamson Mr Timothy R Ades Dr Katherine M Adler Mr Roger Ainsworth Vin Allerton Dr P J Alvey Mr Barry J Ball Dr Peter Barberis Mr Michael Barley Mrs J E Baxendale Mr Paul K Berry Mr Steve Best Mr D J Bird Mr Stuart Bishop Dr Howard Booth Ms Annie Bracken Arnold and Brenda Bradshaw Philip Broughton Mr Dean Brown Karen Brown Miss S R Brown Peter Burgess Barbara and Anthony Butcher Miss Christine Bywater Miss Christine S Catherall Mrs B Y Chubb Mrs Kathleen Cleary Mrs Gina Collison Mr David Cooke Mr H C Cowen Mrs Frances Critchley Mr John Critchley TD Mrs J D Darwent Dr D Dawson Mr and Mrs B A DeSousa Mrs Joyce Dewhurst Mrs Marie Dixon Ann and Donald Docker Mr Paul Durham Mrs D Dyer Mr E Alan Eaves Miss E Evans David Farrow Dr Larissa Fast Miss Charlotte Fitzgerald Mr George Fletcher Mr Alan Freeman Dr Tim Gartside Mrs Elaine M Gavin Mr Adrian Gerrard Mrs J Gill Mrs Mary Glynn Mr Christopher Grafham Mr and Mrs S R Lancelyn Green Mrs Caroline Greenwood Mr John D Gregory
Dr R Gregory Mr J B Haddow Dr I M Hall Paul and Amanda Hamblyn Mr C W Hampson Mrs Thora Harnden Brian and Bridget Harris Mr Simon Harrison Mrs J M Hartley Mrs Dorothy Heaton Mr Cliff Heckle Donald and Carolyn Henderson Mrs G Hewitt Miss Pauline Hickey Mr and Mrs J M Hill Peter and Charlotte Hill Mr J M Hindshaw Mrs Dorothy Holt Mrs Janet Holwill Dr W Hoyle Mr H Hughes and Mrs F Hughes David Humphries Mrs Glynys Hunter Dr Steven Hurst Joyce Hytner Mr Howard Johnson Mrs Jean Johnson Alma Jones, and in memory of Frank David and Fae Jones Christine and Michael Jones Mr Trefor Jones Miss Brunhilde Kay Mr and Mrs Rex Keen Lynne and Martin Kemp Ian Leonard Jennifer and Paul Lingwood Mr Harry Lipson Mrs Dorothea Livesey Virginia and Peter Lloyd Mr and Mrs M and A Losse Mr Kevin Lyons Mr F P S and Mrs D A B Marriott Dr and Mrs P J Marriott Mr P Marsh and Ms H M Bennett Mrs C Mason Dr Michael Mattison Mrs E McCrone Mrs Angela McMenemy Mrs Bernice Meagher Dr David Miers Mr David Milner Mr Jeff Milner Dr Brian Molyneaux Mr Peter Moorhouse Ms Kathleen Morris
Miss Jean Motler Mr P K Murphy Mr David Odling Professor Damian O’Doherty William and Janet Ollier Mr John Peaker Dr John Pearson Reverend David Peters David and Elizabeth Pioli Mr Victor Potapczuk Professor James Powell OBE Dr R E Price Mrs Jean Proud Mr D Radley Mr Peter Ramsden Mrs Beryl Ratcliffe Angus and Jenny Reynolds Mr Paul Reynolds David and Elly Roberts Mrs A Rose David and Maggie Rowlands Mrs Susan Rowlands Professor Michael G Rusbridge Mrs J Ryner Martin and Gail Sanderson Mr and Mrs John and Jackie Say Mrs Jan Schofield Mr James A Scott Mr Simon Shelbourn Mr C and Mrs T Shepherd Mr Michael Shiels Charles and Helen Smith Mr and Mrs C Smith Mr Roger Smith Mr Alan Spier Mr and Mrs R T Stafford Mr Frank Stoner and Mrs Margaret Dudley-Stoner Mrs Carla Suter Mrs Norma Swan Mrs M E Thompson Mr John Thomson Mrs Jean Tracy Mrs Jackie Tucker Tom Uprichard Mrs Barbara Upton Mr Peter and the late Mrs Diana van der Feltz Derek Vernon Jeffery and Judith Wainwright Mr Brian Walker Mr R B Walsh F T Walters Mrs Anne Ward Mr George Watson John and Christine Weller
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Mrs Lynn Wharton Mr Peter R White J Christopher Whitehead Mr A Whittaker Mr Thomas Williams Mr C F Winter Barry Wood Hilary and the late Noel Woodhead Mrs Ann Woolliscroft Dr J M Worth D and M Wright Dr David Yorke A music lover In memory of my parents In memory of Margaret Brailsford In memory of O Calvert In memory of Mr Tom Chadwick In memory of Liz Glynn In memory of D S Goodes In memory of Dr D B Jones In memory of Mrs M McDonald In memory of Patsy Pringle In memory of Dr Barbara Smith In memory of John Wallace Tonge
ALLEGRO Mr A C Abbas Mrs Brenda Ackroyd Mr Chris Adams and Professor Rosemary Lucas Mr Paul Adkins Mr Paul Ager Mr Richard Alliss Mohammed Amin Voxra Andersen Mr G Aspey Mrs Barbara Aspin Mrs Barbara Austin Ms Elaine Bagley Mrs P Barlow John Barnard Mr C Barton Dr A J Basey Mr and Mrs Melvyn Bathgate Mr and Mrs S Beckett John Begg Ms Rowena BeightonDykes Mrs Lois Beldon Mr P Beresford Mr I C Berridge Mr G N Berry Mr R Berryman Ms Rosemary Betterton
Mr David Bimson Mr A Birch Mrs A Birch Mrs Christine Bird Michael S Birkett Mr Robin Bissell Mrs Diane Blackburn Marilyn Booth Mrs Marjorie Boothby MBE Mr John M J Bowden Mr Alan Brant Mr Roger Brentnall John Bridgman Mrs Susan Briggs Mr David Britnor Mr and Mrs Andrew Brochwicz-Lewinski Ms Patricia Brock Mrs Gwyneth Brown Miss V Brown Mr Ian Brownlee Mr A Budworth Mrs Sarah Bunting Mr and Mrs P Burns Dr Kathy Burton Mrs Pauline Bushnell Peter Callon Mr Gerard Cambridge Ms Shirley Campbell Mr Geoffrey Carter Mrs Pamela Carter Mr J K Chadwick Mr William Chadwick Austin Chambers Mrs J Chambers Ms K Chapple Mrs Margaret L Chatfield Mr Eric Chilton VKF Ciaputa Mrs Betty Clee Mrs Anne Clegg Mrs C Connor Mr Michael Connor Mrs Olive Cook Mr D Cooper Mr Geoffrey D Copage James Coppock Mrs Joyce Cotgrave Mrs Barbara Cotterill Mr Richard and Mrs Karen Cowley Mr David Cresswell Mrs Margaret R Croker Mr and Mrs J B and Sylvia Crummett Dr C S Cundy Hilary and Adrian Curtis Mr Alan Dagger Mr Gerard Dale Jennifer Dale Mrs Jackie Dalingwater
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Ms Maria Davies Mr G J Davison Mr Alan Dean Anne and John Dempsey Mrs Wendy Dewey Mr and Mrs I Disley Professor Alexander Donnachie Mrs M Downing Helen Drew Miss Margaret Dunn Ms Louise Durose Dr S Dymock Mr Barry Eastwood Mrs Stella Eberlein R Ellershaw Mr M Ellis Mr and Mrs K Else Mr Peter English Mrs J M Evans Mrs Christine Everett Ms Julie M Fallon Ms N E Farrell Mr Steven Farrell Mrs Margaret Faulkner Mrs Cynthia Fenton Steven Fidler Mr Howard Fisher Mrs P Fitzgerald Raymond and Eileen Flint Mr R Foster Ms Wendy Foulger Mrs Augusta Fox Mr Charles R Fox Mr J W Fox Miriam and Michael Fox David and Sylvia Francis Mr R F Fry David and Joyce Fuller Miss A M Furphy Mrs E Galloway Peter Gannon John Gardner Eileen Goodwin in memory of Jack Mrs F B Grant Mr T Greene Andy Greenwell Ms Joy Greenwood Pamela Greenwood Mr Stephen Gregory Mr J C B Gregson Mr A L Griffith Mrs Audrey Griffiths John Groarke Mr J F Austin Hall James Hallows Mrs Eveline Hamilton Mrs Sheila Hardy Mrs Helen Harrington Dr W David Harrison Mrs Judith Harrop
Mr David Hartley Peter and Susan Haslehurst Tony Hayter Mrs Susan Heard Mr R Heaton Mrs P A Hemstock Dr Kenneth Henderson Mr John Herod Mr Thomas A Heyes Mr and Mrs G D Heyward Dr Pamela Hobson Mr Alex Hodgeon Mr Paul Holder Mr Derek Hollingsworth Dr Michael J Holloway Mr and Mrs M Holmes Mr R Holmes Miss Jeanne Holt Mr Brian Hooley Mrs Ann Hooper Mrs M Horan Mr John David Howard Mrs C M Hughes Mr J G B Hunter Mrs Jacqueline Hurdle John Hytner Miss Susan Ingham Mrs Helen Margaret Ireland Dr Melanie Isherwood Mr Paul Jabore Bridget Jackson Mrs J A Jackson Mrs I J Jackson Mr John Jackson Mr M D Jackson Mrs Pauline Jackson Mrs Emma Jacobs Miss Hilary Jarvis Dr K Jeffery Mrs Christine Jenkinson Mr Mark Johnson Mr R Johnson Mrs A Johnstone Mrs A Jones Mrs J M Jones Mr Fred Jones Shirley Jones Mr D J Kay Mrs Angela Kendrick Mr Andrew Kennaugh Jack Kirby Miss B Knight Dr W F Knox Mr Rainer Kolbeck Mrs Pat Kundi Dr Louis Kushnick Mr and Mrs Vivian Labaton Mrs Lillian Langshaw Dr Hugh Laverty Mrs Alison Lawrence
Mr and Mrs E Layland David and Pam Leaver Charles Ledigo Mr R Lee Mr Graham J Lees Mrs S Leete Mr Howard Leigh Mrs S Lewis Mrs Susan G Lewis Mrs A Leyland Mr John Liles Mrs Anne Livesey Pam and Gordon Lorimer Mrs Barbara Lowe Mr C A Lowe Dr Marion E Mackay Mr David MacKley Mrs Sarah C Maddock Mrs Barbara Maitra Mr D F Mardon Mrs B Marples Dr and Mrs Martin Mr Michael Martindale Mrs Dianne Massey Mr M D Masters Mrs Wendy Maunders Mrs Anne McCormack Mr J McCrory Mr J McGough Mrs T R McGough Mr Brian McGrath Mrs Sylvia McKellar Mrs Hinda Meggit Mr John Meriton Miss Audrey Messenger Dr John P Miller Mr Roger Miller Mr Robert Millington Mr Andrew C Mitchell Mr Tim Mitchell Miss G Mobb Anthony and Linda Mooney Mrs Gillian Moorhouse Mrs Jennifer Moorhouse Dr Richard Morgan Mr S J Morley Dr M G Mortimer Mr and Mrs Muir Mr A Murray Mr V Murray Dr Granville Neath Mr and Mrs A Newton Mr Peter Newton Mr Edward Nicholls Mr and Mrs Jonathan Noble Mr Thomas Nuhse Mrs L O’Connor Mr Stephen O’Hagan Mr Stephen Oliver-Watts Mr Martin Olley Mrs M Owen
Mr Michael Owen Mrs Christine Owens Graham and Dorothy Palmer Mr and Mrs K Parker Mr R K Parker Mrs Rosemary Parsons Mrs Ann Patterson Mrs M Pattinson Mr Alan Pearson Mrs Pauline Pedlar Mr J D Perry Mary Pexton R and E Philburn Dr Max Pilotti Mr John Piper Mr M Pittam Mr J Platt Mrs Lynne Powell Mr Lee Price Mrs Frances Prince Mrs Jean Pugh Mrs Jennifer Rae Mrs Sheila Ramsay Mr Stuart Ramsden Mr and Mrs Alan K Rawson Mr Paul Raynor Dr Redford Mrs M Redmond Miss Karen Redmore Mrs Susan Renshaw Mrs A Richardson Mrs S Rigby Mrs Christina Roberts Elizabeth and Hugh Roberts Mrs Winifred Robertson Mrs Doreen Robinson Mrs Kathleen Robson Mr Mark Robson Mr Colin Rogers Valerie and Howard Rogerson Mr Philip Roper Mrs J A Round Mr J Roundell Mr Raymond Rouse Miss P Rowland Mr C Rudd Miss S M Salmon Mr Peter Sampson Mr J B Sangster Mr Gerald Francis Schultz Mrs Margaret Scott Mr Robert Scott Mrs Carol Selby Alison Sellars Mr Andrew Senior Mr Maurice Setton Mr Christopher Sharp Mr David J Shearing
Mr S W Shone Mrs Eileen Short Mr P Sidwell Mr Chris Simon Mrs J K Slack Dr A J and Mrs J M Smith Mrs Anne Smith Mr Lionel Smith Dr J Spangler Mr M Spoors Mrs Joyce Stafford Mrs C M Stead Mrs P Steed Mrs Jane Stephens Mr Paddy Stephenson Mr J R Stuart Mrs Sally Sturt Mrs C Summerfield J B and J W Sutcliffe Miss Sykes-Howden Dr D P M Symmons Mr J P Syner Mr T Tarpey Mr J Taylor Mrs J Taylor Mrs Lesley Taylor Mr M Taylor Rosemary and Roger Taylor Mr D F Thickbroom Jim and Stella Thomas Michael Thomas Mrs S K Thomas Miss Marie Thompson Mr Philip Thompson Mr Terence P Thornton Mrs J Tims Mr D Allan Townsend Mr and Mrs P Trickett Mr and Mrs Brian Tuffery Mrs J Turner Mrs Barbara Twiney Mr W W Wagstaff Mr Angus Walker Mr P R Walker Mrs Sylvia Walker Mr W A Walker Mr John Ward Dr Stephen Ward Mrs and Mr Susan and Michael Warrington Mr and Mrs J M Watson Mr and Mrs Bill Webb Miss Judith Weller Mrs Pamela Wells Mr Robert Wensley Mr Werbel Mrs A G Whaley Mr P N Whitaker Mrs H Whitehead Eric Whittaker Mrs Petronella Whittle
Mrs L Wilkinson Professor Arthur Williams Mr and Mrs A J Williams Mrs Margaret Williams Mrs H J Williamson Mr A Willows Mrs Margaret Wilson Mr Stephen Wilson Mrs Kathleen Winterbottom Ms Janet Wolff Mr and Mrs Chris Wolstenholme Mrs Margot Wood Mr and Mrs S Wood Dr Zoe and Roderick Woodhead Mr Terry Woodhouse Mr T Woolfenden Miss A F W Woolley Mr Norton Wragg Dr M Wren Anna Wright Mrs Helen Wright Mr Keith Wright Mr Angus Yeaman A Music Lover In memory of Roger Bogg In memory of Margaret Cooke In memory of Mr and Mrs G W Dawson In memory of my gifted grandfather, Peter Hunt esq. In memory of Mr G E Huggins In memory of Bill and Florrie Mathews In Memory of Derek Michael Melluish OBE In memory of Dr Nathan and Mrs Shlosberg In memory of Ian Michael (Mick) Othick
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MANY THANKS TO ...
HOLDERS OF THE HALLE SILVER MEDAL FOR PHILANTHROPY Stewart Grimshaw Michael and Jean Oglesby Terry and Penny Moore Arthur Reynolds Jurgen Maier
2058 FOUNDATION PRINCIPAL BENEFACTORS Manchester Airport Mr Martin McMillan obe and Mrs Pat McMillan The Oglesby Charitable Trust Fred Nash and Carole Nash obe Tiger Developments CIM Investment Management Ltd DLA Piper LLP Rothschild MAJOR BENEFACTORS Peter Heath David and Mary McKeith Brother (UK) Ltd PZ Cussons plc Nigel Warr David Wertheim and Family Kirby Laing Foundation Kobler Trust Martin and Jacqueline West The 2058 Foundation is a restricted fund of the Hallé Concerts Society established in the Hallé’s 150th Anniversary year to support specific artistic and education projects.
36 | ≥ WINTER SEASON 2020/21
SUPPORTERS OF THE OGLESBY CENTRE AT HALLÉ ST PETER’S The Oglesby Charitable Trust The Monument Trust The Dunard Fund The Foyle Foundation Garfield Weston Foundation Granada Foundation The Kirby Laing Foundation Victoria Wood Foundation The Wolfson Foundation and all those who supported The Oglesby Challenge and those who wish to remain anonymous
AMERICAN PATRONS Carol E. Domina Caroline Firestone Rita Z. Mehos Christa Percopa Arthur Reynolds Annette Vass
LONDON PATRONS Joyce Hytner John Nickson and Simon Rew
THE HALLÉ WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING TRUSTS FOR THEIR ONGOING SUPPORT The Monument Trust The Oglesby Charitable Trust Esmée Fairbairn Foundation The Foyle Foundation Granada Foundation Garfield Weston Foundation The Kirby Laing Foundation The Liz And Terry Bramall Foundation The Victoria Wood Foundation The Wolfson Foundation The Zochonis Charitable Trust Angus Allnatt Charitable Foundation The Ann Susman Charitable Trust The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust The Band Trust The Boltini Trust Boshier Hinton Foundation Church Burgesses Educational Foundation D’oyly Carte Charitable Trust Dunard Fund The Gladys Jones Charitable Trust The Grand Trust CIO The Harding Trust The Derek Hill Foundation John Horniman’s Children’s Trust The Irving Memorial Trust Land & Co. Foundation The Leche Trust Lord and Lady Lurgan Trust McLay Dementia Trust The N Smith Charitable Settlement Paul Hamlyn Foundation Peter Cunningham Memorial Fund Cecil Pilkington Charitable Trust The Pilkington General Charity PRS for Music Foundation The Radcliffe Trust The Rainbow Dickinson Trust The Rix_Thompson-Rothenberg Foundation RUSI (The Royal United Services Institute) Schroder Charity Trust The Sobell Trust Sir George Martin Trust Sale Mayoral Fund The Thriplow Charitable Trust
HALLÉ FAMILY OF BENEFACTORS Mrs A. Alford Mr C. K. Andrews Mr and Mrs Black In Memory of Rabbi Felix Carlebach from his family, friends and supporters Pamela Cate Mr Peter Copping Miss Rebecca Louise Finch Mrs Vivian Glass Mr Harry Johnson Mr A. and the late Mrs A. Johnson Kenneth Kay Mr C. H. Pooley Brian and Glenna Robson Bernadette Rudman Mr and Mrs R. P. Shepherd JP DL Lynne and Bob Spencer Mr and Mrs Brian Tetlow
and others who wish to remain anonymous
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≥ SEASON SPONSORS Diamond Partner
Major Sponsor
With thanks to Manchester Airports Group for 30 years of support.
38 | ≥ WINTER SEASON 2020/21
NEW YORK
Many thanks to our family of Workplace Choirs
HALLÉ BUSINESS CLUB PLATINUM
GOLD
Brother Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Manchester Airport PZ Cussons plc Rothschild & Co
CBRE Ltd./The Towers Business Park SILVER
Beaverbrooks Bruntwood Cazenove Capital
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≥ CONCERTS SOCIETY PATRON HRH The Countess of Wessex gcvo VICE PRESIDENTS A. Martin McMillan obe Edward Pysden BOARD ELECTED DIRECTORS David McKeith [CHAIRMAN] Sharon Amesu Alex Connock Darren Drabble Tim Edge Juergen Maier cbe Linda Merrick John Phillips cbe Merryl Webster Aileen Wiswell mbe NOMINATED DIRECTORS GREATER MANCHESTER COMBINED AUTHORITY
Eamonn Boylan Councillor Janet Emsley MANCHESTER CITY COUNCIL
Councillor Azra Ali CHIEF EXECUTIVE David Butcher FINANCE DIRECTOR Ruth Harkin ORCHESTRAL NOMINEE Caroline Abbott MUSIC DIRECTOR Sir Mark Elder ch cbe PERMANENT GUEST LEADER Paul Barritt ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR, POPS Stephen Bell ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR Delyana Lazarova
CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S OFFICE David Butcher * Alison Lever Isabelle Orford FINANCE Ruth Harkin * Matthew Wyatt Lourdes Román VENUES Martin Glynn * Tyrone Holt Everett Parry † Edward Cittanova David Roberts ARTISTIC PLANNING Anna Hirst * Louise Hamilton Andrea Stafford Sue Voysey CONCERTS DEPARTMENT Stuart Kempster * † Lois Boa ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT Chris Lewis Jenny Espin LIBRARY Louise Brimicombe Alice McIlwraith STAGE MANAGEMENT Dan Gobey Lawrie Bebb
HALLÉ CONNECT EDUCATION Steve Pickett * Joanna Brockbank Hayley Parkes HALLÉ CONNECT ENSEMBLES Naomi Benn * Jo Pink Isabelle Orford Verity Riley CHORAL LEADERSHIP NETWORK Anna Stutfield SPONSORSHIP AND FUNDRAISING Kath Russell * Eleanor Roberts Susanna Caudwell Amy Adebola Charlie Widdicombe COMMUNICATIONS Andy Ryans * † Peter Naish † Liz Barras Harriet Hall Anna Shinkfield DIGITAL Bill Lam Riley Bramley-Dymond ARCHIVE Eleanor Roberts Stuart Robinson † † 20 years service * HEAD OF DEPARTMENT
GENERAL ENQUIRIES info@halle.co.uk www.halle.co.uk
CHORAL DIRECTOR Matthew Hamilton YOUTH CHOIRS DIRECTOR Stuart Overington CHILDREN’S CHOIR DIRECTOR Shirley Court COMPOSER EMERITUS Colin Matthews ARTIST IN RESIDENCE Henning Kraggerud
The Hallé Concerts Society is a Registered Charity No. 223882
Thank you for your support. The Hallé, now more than ever, relies on the generosity of all our supporters. To see how you can help, visit
www.halle.co.uk/support-us Thank you.
Stay in touch:
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