In my younger days one of my annual treats
occurred during our summer holiday. Whether
it was to Morecambe, Llandudno or Blackpool
my father always bought me a copy of the
‘summer special’ of the Beano and
the Dandy and possibly the Beezer.
Invariably on the front page were
the words –‘Bumper Issue.’ Now some 40
years on I can safely apply this term
to the current British Music Journal.
To stretch the point it is ‘chock full’
of all my personal favorites. Well, maybe
this is going a bit far – for example
John Parry and his work for ‘duct flute’
is not top of my personal musical priorities
– and perhaps Thomas Atwood is a little
before my period of interest. I have to
state that Rawsthorne, Lambert, Scott,
Arnold and Alwyn are five of my favourite
composers. Seiber appeals to me because
I have sung some of his choral settings
– and finally the Symphony – the British
Symphony is one of my passions.
I will discuss what
to me are the highlights – or in one
case the ‘lowlight.’
If the reader searches
on the MusicWeb British Composer’s Page
he will find a page devoted to William
Alwyn. On this page there are a
number of biographical links including
one to an article
written by Hubert Culot to celebrate
Alwyn’s 85th birthday. (Originally
this article first appeared in the British
Music Society Journal: Volume 7 1985)
Unfortunately the composer never made
it: the article became a memorial tribute.
Since 1985 there has
been a revival of Alwyn’s fortunes.
Two cycles of symphonies have
(are being) recorded by Chandos and
Naxos, augmenting but not supplanting
the earlier Lyrita releases. It has
also been possible to hear some of the
composer’s earlier works which include
the Tragic Interlude, Green
Hills for piano solo and the fine
Violin Concerto. We have had
a revival of interest in British Film
music with some three Chandos discs
devoted to Alwyn. Culot effectively
brings his original article up to date
and gives the reader lots of fascinating
avenues for exploration.
Most readers of this
Journal and this review will know that
the great champion of Alan Rawsthorne
is John McCabe. To his credit is the
definitive biography of the composer.
[But let us not forget the contribution
of John Belcher] [Alan
Rawsthorne Society website]
Basically McCabe develops
his views on the influences of other
musicians on the composer. It is not
an attempt to pigeon hole Rawsthorne
but more an exercise in realising the
impossibility of this task.
Let me quote, "He
(Rawsthorne) took from the baroque,
the classical, the romantic and the
modern whatever seemed best suited to
the clearest expression of his ideas,
and the richness of these stylistic
or technical derivations is a fascinating
study." John McCabe sees his essay
as a preliminary investigation – but
to most readers it will found to be
comprehensive and incidentally serving
as a good introduction to Alan Rawsthorne’s
music.
Now, moving swiftly
on, I have to wholeheartedly disagree
with Ian Parrott. His conclusions about
the ‘value of the symphony’ are all
the more bizarre bearing in mind that
he has composed five examples of his
own! Like much academic writing it is
difficult to know whether the author
is writing from the heart, flying a
kite or just being provocative for the
sake of upsetting a few preconceived
notions. For example, does Parrott really
believe that the symphony is outdated?
Or that the ‘illiterate’ musical public
is no longer able to get their head
round this particular form?
Further, I disagree
with Parrott’s view that Cyril Scott’s
best works are confined to the short
piano pieces and a few songs. I must
presume that he is ignorant of, or indifferent
to, the chamber works and the two fine
Piano Concertos. And what about
the three Piano Sonatas?
More seriously, Parrott
further worries about ‘how many executants
are willing and able, let alone knowledgeable
to do them (the Symphonies) justice.’
I suggest he listen again to some of
the fine British symphonic cycles by
Andrew Penny, David Lloyd Jones and
Richard Hickox.
There is a whinge against
the Radio Times for altering its format
since the nineteen thirties, a complaint
about the ‘bawling and moaning voices
of pop’ and further examples of ‘reaction.’
The bottom line seems
to be that Parrott feels that Scott
and Arnold were somehow arrogant in
imagining that their symphonic works
‘mattered’ and would mean something
to future generations. I disagree –
these works matter to me, and I imagine
many other listeners. I am glad that
record sales show that the ‘symphony’
is alive and well – and not only the
German and Austrian examples – but British
works too.
Yet a brief consideration
of the CD catalogue perhaps puts this
article into perspective. There are
some three or four versions of the Malcolm
Arnold symphonies currently available
whilst Naxos is in the process of completing
a William Alwyn cycle to complement
those by Lyrita and Chandos. Scott’s
Symphonies are represented by
the one CD at the moment. Looking further
we have easily available the essays
in this form by Vaughan Williams, Bax,
Berkeley, Rubbra and many others – including
rarities by, for example, Edgar Bainton
and Frederic Cliffe. However nowhere
to be found are any recordings of Mr.
Parrott’s symphonies, One through
Five. In fact I can only find
reference to one work in the current
CD (ARKIV) catalogue - Fantasizing
on a Welsh Tune. So perhaps it is
just a question of sour grapes?
But onto happier matters;
words cannot describe how delighted
I was to read Jürgen Schaawächter’s
article Overshadowed: British Symphonism
beyond Parry, Stanford and Elgar. This
is no rubbishing of the symphonic achievement
or knocking of things Victorian and
Edwardian, but a challenging rally cry
to all British Music enthusiasts to
get out and explore the field.
The main thrust of
the article suggests that composers
like MacFarren, Stamford, Parry and
Alice Mary Smith were somehow lost in
the mists of time when the concept of
the English Musical Renaissance established
itself in the Twentieth century.
And the best bit of
the article is the checklist of lost,
hidden, forgotten or half remembered
works. Just to glance at it makes the
mouth salivate! How long will we have
to wait before we hear the symphonies
by that old scholar Ebenezer Prout?
Or perhaps we will soon be treated to
those by York Bowen, Algernon Ashton
or Henry Walford Davies. And what about
a chance of hearing works by unsung
composers such as Henry Holmes or Robert
Ernest Bryson. It makes me fret that
we have 25 recordings of Elgar’s First
Symphony but none of works by Edith
Swepstone, William Henry Bell and Frank
Merrick.
Of course not all of
them will be masterpieces – but they
are a part of the British Heritage.
We should be lusting after hearing them
and making up our own minds.
I hope that the author
of this article may allow MusicWeb to
publish this list on these WebPages
– it is truly a desideratum that all
committed enthusiast of British music
should aspire to!
Stephen Lloyd is beavering
away writing what promises to be the
definitive biography of Constant Lambert.
Now many people will have heard of this
composer’s well known conspectus of
English music – Music Ho! Most
will know that he wrote the eccentric
but highly attractive Rio Grande
- certainly after the Last Night of
the Proms, 2005. But fewer folk will
realize that he was involved in the
promotion of English ballet. Not least
by producing a number of well written
and enjoyable scores. Of course he will
be long associated with conducting and
performance -Walton’s Façade
for example. Lambert was friends with
the Bohemian set in the 1920 and 30s
including William Walton and Edith Sitwell.
He was introduced to Diaghilev who commissioned
Romeo and Juliet. But Lambert
was also involved in broadcasting and
journalism, often appearing on the BBC
Home Service. His musical activities
were not confined to ‘classical’ but
stretched to jazz. Perhaps his most
famous piano piece is Elegiac Blues.
There is manifestly much to learn
about this eccentric but complete musician.
Altogether a fascinating
issue. Most of the articles are extremely
interesting, educative and informative.
One in particular, is, to be polite,
somewhat challenging!
John France
