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Once again, apologies for using this discussion forum for a ‘business’ post. It is so convenient.
2009 is well underway and the concert in march with Brahms 4 and Poulenc Stabat Mater looks very exciting. We are now under the guidance of a ‘new look’ committee including Julia Robinson as secretary, Kath Hathaway as membership secretary and Neil Twist as a co-opted member. Subs can be given to Kath! The treasurer’s post is vacant and, until it is filled, I will act as caretaker.
Once again, we are committed to the Botanic Gardens concert.
Please feel free to comment on posts. If you want to post a new thread, drop me a line and I will tell you how to do it (davidoakley@btopenworld.com).
David
Well, that’s it for 2008. I really enjoyed the Christmas concert and the feedback was excellent. Even Pacific 231 had a certain rugged quality, noticeably absent during the dress rehearsal. Many thanks to Martin for keeping up the interest and to our two percussion players who added an extra crucial dimension to the performance. Anyone interested in playing percussion on a regular basis? We would love to hear from you.
It seems that currently no post on the Blog is complete without a rant. How many of you received a ‘PC’ card this year wishing you ‘Winter Greetings’? Perhaps it is just a variant on ‘compliments of the season’, but I think not. Anyway, rehearsals start on 6th January with a deputy conductor. Ewa will be with us the following week.
Until then we wish everyone a peaceful and happy Christmas.
D n C
Two radio programmes of interest to SPO bloggers. First, our musical director found herself on Woman’s Hour, magnificently negotiating the feminist agenda. When asked if women can conduct Mahler, the gist of her reply was, ‘You will have to listen to me and make up your own mind’. ‘Why so few women conductors?’ ‘Conducting involves a lot of travel. Women are very busy’. Sadly, she was not asked much about conducting itself. Hopefully we will soon reach the stage when gender matters are of little interest and subordinate to the real issues of musicianship and conducting skills. Ewa certainly seemed to think so.
Last thursday, Radio 3 broadcast two choral pieces by Christopher Brown, (who has previously written music for the SPO), in celebration of his 65th birthday. First a work from the past: To Musik Sing. A short piece with a spine tingling soprano solo in the slow middle section. Then a setting of some poems by the Scottish poet Henry Marsh. The four songs that make up ‘Sunlight on a Pale Green Ocean’ include a humerous evocation of the poet’s search for a corncrake and a gloriously peaceful representation of Spring in South Uist. Rush to to hear these pieces on BBC iPlayer. I am not sure how long they will stay available; only a week I think. (I tried today, 20.12.2008 and the link is now down. Sorry).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00fsbcz/b00fsb8x/Afternoon_on_3_On_the_Road_Episode_4/
PS The Cristopher Brown pieces are at the beginning, shortly after a few irrelevant bars of piano music.
D
At the last rehearsal various leaflets were on offer. For those who did not get them and for visitors who might be interested, here are much edited details.
International Chamber Music Summer School. Tonbridge. 22 to 29 August 2009. Coached sessions of chamber music for wind and strings in a lovey setting. www.ringwoodhouse.co.uk/icmss.
Jackdaws Chamber Music Summer School. Sat 22nd to Thu 27th August 2009. Delme String Quartet plus wind tutors. Workshops in a lovely Somerset venue. www.jackdaws.org.uk
Contact Natalie or Bridget for more details.
David
The programme for the rest of the year is more or less finalised. I say ‘more or less’ because there are still a few issues about music hire and additional players (you will understand what I am getting at when you see the programme). I am sure all the problems will be sorted soon, so here it is in all its glory.
March.
1) Szymanowski – Etude for Orchestra
2) Poulenc – Stabat Mater , with Escafeld Chorale
3) Brahms – 4th Symphony
JUNE:
Shostakovich – Festive Overture
Karlowicz – Eternal Songs
Lutoslawski – Dance Preludes (With solo clarinet)
Rachmaninoff – Symphonic Dances
It looks a fantastic programme to me, but do you agree? Surely now is the time to click on that ‘comment’ button. I should say that there is also a move to give ‘Star Song V’ a second performance, but the schedule above looks somewhat congested. Perhaps next year…
D
String players new to Sheffield who want to join an orchestra are welcome to come along to one or two rehearsals to see if we are the right orchestra for you. Rehearsals start on Tuesday 2nd September and subsequent tuesdays at 7.30 pm in the Victoria hall (opposite the Crucible Theatre in the town centre). If you are late, you may need to hammer on the door and dance up and down in the street to attract attention, alternatively phone 07778 240419 and I will gratefully put down my horn and let you in!
You will find us a friendly and enthusiastic bunch. The orchestra is ‘on the way up’ with a great musical director but you won’t be ‘put on the spot’ and you are welcome to come for a drink (or 2) afterwards in the Ruskin and cadge a lift home if necessary. Bring a music stand if possible.
Most brass and wind places are occupied, but we are always on the lookout for extra players in ‘one off’ concerts, also deputies, bumps etc so if you are interested, leave your e-mail address by typing a comment in “contact us” (see panel opposite) or e-mail me (davidoakley@btopenworld.com) and I will forward it in the appropriate direction. Percussion players are always in demand and we would love to hear from you, and if you want to play the harp with us you must be an angel.
The SPO is great fun and good value. Do seriously consider contacting us. Read the review of our last concert here. http://www.calowclassics.net/spo1review.html.
The orchestra is currently trying to fix up a week of music making in Sardinia, at the end of July 2009.
D
No apologies for using the orchestra’s blog for a personal rant. I am referring here to the newly commissioned works for the 2008 Promenade Concert season. Now I regard myself as being genuinely receptive to new music: I thoroughly enjoyed the works by Stockhausen this year (as did our cat, whose musical tastes must command considerable respect. He purred continuously throughout Stimmung). Stockhausen, and many other 20th-21st century composers, have created a sound world that is interesting, stimulating, challenging and often startlingly beautiful. What a disappointment then to be presented with a litany of pretentiously titled pieces that, in the words of Peter Cooke, ‘lacked everything’. Above all, they lacked interest, sounding as one particular piece did, as though the composer was sitting on a cactus sucking an unripe lemon. Never mind: as my father once said, “the Proms’ audience is the least critical you will ever find. They will applaud anything, even if it hasn’t finished.”
I suppose it is all a quetion of fashion, and I admit that I did not listen to every new work, so I may have missed a masterpiece. But what I heard suggested to me that the commissioners were going for a particular sound palatte. It is a shame that unfashionable composers, even if they are extremely good, don’t get a look-in. Take Christopher Brown, for instance, who recently wrote a piece for our orchestra. He is a craftsman who has steadfastly ploughed his own furrow to create genuinely magical music in a style (simultaneously modern and traditional) that is recognisably his own. He has received commissions world wide from prestigious choirs, orchestras and chamber groups. Nothing from the Proms, of course.
Anyway, still 3 weeks to go and some mouth watering concerts to anticipate. There are some new works, too, and perhaps one will turn out to be a real gem. Then, yet again, I will be looking for that edible hat of mine. Click here to see what’s on this week http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2008/whatson/season/ .
D
With the Botanic Gardens concert behind us, the orchestra can look forward to 6 weeks rest before we kick off again with rehearsals on September 2nd. Full marks to the hardy Sheffield public who braved a (rightly) pessimistic weather forecast to support us and the Rotary Charities last night. Despite conditions more akin to the South Col the loyal revellers stayed on till the end, which was well past 10pm. The organisers are already talking about next year when hopefully global warming will have got back into its stride.
Ewa has one more concert in London before a well earned brake in her native Poland. She has 10 concerts with the Halle next year, so watch her web site for dates and venues which include Wigan, Bradford and the Bridgewater Hall (also linked from this Blog). People may wish to read the revue of her most recent concert in the Bridgewater Hall to get some idea of what is in store! http://www.classicalsource.com/db_control/db_concert_review.php?id=6071
Keep an eye out for infrequent posts here (to while away the long balmy summer ahead). The SPO wishes that, in the coming weeks, visitors to this Blog will enjoy a few precious moments of relaxation from those pointless treadmills we all seem to have jumped on. (Sorry about the preposition at the end of the sentence).
Finally, I understand that the Botanic Gardens concert was recorded. More information about this will be posted as it emerges.
D
PS Note change of date for the Christmas concert. Saturday 13th December, not Sunday 14th. There is a straw in the wind suggesting the programme might be built around the theme of ‘trains’. Anyone know any good train music?!
Learning that our wonderful string section were going to play a piece by Czyz, ( and on the not unreasonable assumption that some people may feel a trifle uninformed about the aforementioned composer) I hastened to glean a few gems for the blog. As usual, Wikipedia is the first stop, but Mr Czyz’s name appears in red (no article). Even Google scores a disappointing number of hits, most of which refer to someone else. So I consult a knowledgeable source who seldom lets one down. “Well” he says “Apart from being the sort of chap you want to get on a triple word score in Scrabble, I can’t tell you much, but it’s his 85th birthday the weekend of the concert”. Great! Fantastic! We’ll invite him over, put him up in the Rutland, have a party. I decide there and then to write the missing Wikipedia article. Progress is slow and so far the article is no more than a ’stub’ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henryk_czyz) ‘Henryk Czyz b Grudziadz 16th June 1923 d Warsaw 16th Jan 2003, (puts paid to the party idea). My puny effort does, however, refer the reader to a more helpful source from which I have extracted much of what follows and who kindly gave us permission to use their picture. http://www.polmic.pl/osopis.php?lang=en&id=172&pop=wykonawcy&pf=%A0&cf=%A0&nf=performers.
He started as a law student and then changed track and graduated in music aged 29. He studied composition and conducting, initially with the Stanislaw Moniuszko Opera and moving on to most of the prestigious Polish orchestras in turn. He established an international reputation with concerts all over the world. Two recordings deserve special mention, Raj i Peri by Robert Schumann and Krzysztof Penderecki’s St Luke Passion. He was a great champion of modern music, especially by Polish composers. His television programmes were particularly popular in this respect.
He wrote a number of books which our musical director says are wonderful. Sadly, a quick search through Amazon and Bookfinder.com would suggest that they are currently unavailable and even if you find them, they have not been translated into English (unless he wrote ‘Bistatic Radar Polarimetry – Theory & Principles!). Perhaps some ‘out of print’ translations are available through libraries.
Reading through other articles, I failed to find much more. What there is tells of a very warm, energetic and multi-talented man. A much loved teacher and champion of causes. A broadcaster and author, composer, conductor and politically active Music Union representative. As the Polish Music Centre puts it “A Renaissance figure”.
He wrote his poignant Canzona di Barocca in 1983 and it was our privilege to give its first Sheffield performance at the Broomhill festival on June 15th.
D
Afterthought. Looking through the list of Czyz’s publications, I was reminded of the Polish visitor who went to have his eyes checked at SpecSavers. The optometrist indicated the penultimate row on the reading chart c z w l b p d j z “Can you read that?” she asked. “Of course I can” he replied “He’s my uncle”.
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Apologies to non-orchestra members visiting the blog, for whom this post is totally irrelevant!
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Sheffield Philharmonic Orchestra Newsletter |
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Concert season 2008/2009 – dates for your diary. Please note the change of date: the Christmas concert is now on Satuday, not Sunday.
= Saturday 8th November, Victoria Hall, Sheffield.
Verdi – “Nabucco” Overture
Respighi – Ancient Airs and Dances Suite II
Berlioz – “Harold in Italy” Soloist: Robin Ireland
= Saturday 13 December, Christmas family afternoon concert. St Andrew’s Church, Psalter Lane.
= Saturday 21st March, Victoria Hall, Sheffield.
= Saturday 13th June, Broomhill Festival at St Mark’s Church.
Programme to be confirmed. Watch this space like a hawk.
Subs
Thank you if you have already paid your sub. If you haven’t, it would be very helpful if you would give it to Natalie as soon as possible (£25 membership, £10 concessions, £5 students).
