Previous Bulletins 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Bulletin No 12, January 2008
Chairman's Report
And so we start a new year with a new chairman and a new set of challenges. But first a reflection on last term.
I will start on a sad note, the passing of Harry Cook. Harry was a young 87. He had been in the orchestra for nearly 10 years and his wit and friendship were known by many, as was the fact that he was a real gentleman. Those of us who were privileged to attend his funeral service at Shinfield, especially those of us who didn’t know him that well, found out a great deal about the younger Harry who cared so much for people and was always helping them where he could. We found out that he was a leading light for many years in the Shinfield Players and the big attendance at the funeral was testament to how well respected he was. Harry will be sadly missed by many people, including SMO.
On to a much happier note. In December, at our FALO rehearsal we celebrated Don Browne’s 90th birthday. Don has been with the orchestra for 14 years and still drives himself to Beansheaf each Saturday morning. Congratulations Don and long may you continue to play with us.
We can also remember another happy event in October when Meredith and Jon’s daughter Bethia was born. It may be some time before we see her in the orchestra but hopefully we will one day.
At FALO our performances of Lenora No 3 and two movements of Swan Lake were very competent however I think everyone felt that we excelled ourselves with the Prokofiev 7th Symphony. During the last few weeks of rehearsal many of us felt that it was coming together well and on the day we produced some very good sounds which our audience really enjoyed.
The week before FALO we had an orchestra lunch at The Cunning Man pub in Burghfield. A very pleasant time was had by about 18 members and friends and our thanks go to Lynne for organising this event.
The committee met in December to discuss the process we wish to follow in the search for our new conductor. A sub-committee has been formed and a letter has now been sent to all those who expressed interest in the position. Once we have replies the sub-committee will consider them and decide on the next steps. Once there is more information available I will be reporting back to the orchestra.
Nancy Nichols has decided that it is time to stand down from the committee. Nancy has been keeping the membership records for a number of years and our thanks go to her for not only keeping the information tidy but also ensuring that new members are welcomed into the orchestra. Mike Cooney has taken over this role so if you bring anyone along please make sure you at least introduce them to Mike. Also if you move or get a new telephone number or email address please give the information to Mike.
Dates for your diary
Spring term: Jan 5, 12, 19, 26
Feb 2, 9, 23
Mar 1, 8, 15 FALO.
Summer term: Apr 12, 19, 26
May 3, 10, 17, 31
Jun 7, 14, 21 FALO.
Autumn term (provisional): Sept 13, 20, 27
Oct 4, 25
Nov 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Dec 6, 13 FALO
Ufton: Weekend of Oct 17/18/19
Ufton in 2001
Programme notes for Spring Term
Steve writes:
Elgar: Pomp and Circumstances Marches 4 & 5 – Op. 39
The title is taken from Act III of Shakespeare's Othello :
"Farewell the neighing steed, and the shrill trump,
The spirit-stirring drum, the ear-piercing fife,
The royal banner, and all quality,
Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!".
The best known of the set is Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1. It had its premiere, conducted by Elgar himself, in Liverpool in 1901, along with March No. 2. Both were hugely popular. Elgar recycled the main tune from March no.1 for the Land of Hope and Glory section of his Coronation Ode for King Edward VII. Following the success of the first two marches Elgar composed three more, performed in 1905, 1907 and 1930. No. 4 is as upbeat and ceremonial as No. 1, containing another big tune in the central section, while the other three are more wistful. This term we shall be playing Marches 4 & 5.
Smetana: Vltava from Má vlast
Smetana composed Má vlast, his set of six symphonic poems between 1874 and 1879. While Má vlast is often presented as a single work in six movements the individual pieces were conceived as a set of individual works.
In these works Smetana combined the symphonic poem form pioneered by Franz Liszt with the ideals of nationalistic music which were current in the late nineteenth century. Each poem depicts some aspect of the countryside, history, or legends of Bohemia.
In Vltava Smetana uses tone painting to evoke the sounds of one of Bohemia's great rivers. For Smetana, the course of the river provided a ready-made musical structure; Vltava is a sort of rondo, with the flowing theme of the river recurring in different forms. Smetana wrote:
The composition describes the course of the Vltava, starting from the two small springs, the Cold and Warm Vltava, to the unification of both streams into a single current, the course of the Vltava through woods and meadows, through landscapes where a farmer's wedding is celebrated, the round dance of the mermaids in the night's moonshine: on the nearby rocks loom proud castles, palaces and ruins aloft. The Vltava swirls into the St. John's Rapids; then it widens and flows toward Prague, past the Vyšehrad, and then majestically vanishes into the distance, ending at the Elbe.
The piece contains Smetana's most famous tune. It is an adaptation of an ancient folk song of indeterminate origin, which is also the basis for the Israeli national anthem, Hatikvah.
Smetana is a heroic figure in Czech culture, and even today is accorded higher public esteem in the Czech Republic than better-known composers such as Dvorák.
John Writes:
Dvorák: "In Nature's Realm" Op.91
Antonin Dvorák was approaching his 50th birthday in 1891, when he decided to sum up his ideas about nature, human experience and everything else. He chose to do this in a cycle of three related 'overtures' (although we would consider them 'tone poems').
These saw the light of day as "In Nature's Realm", "Carnival" and "Othello". There are thematic connections between the three works, but otherwise they were conceived and published individually.
"In Nature's Realm" is a portrayal of the Bohemian countryside at its most benevolent and unthreatening.
Final thoughts from the Chairman:
Little did I think when I joined the orchestra 10 years ago that I would one day become its chairman. I am following in some illustrious footsteps. Antony has done us proud for the last 5 years and Dinny for the 10 years preceding that. The orchestra means a lot to me as I know it does to all of you and I am happy to take up the challenge but also humbled to be in such a position.
David
The webmaster apologises to Mike Cooney for being unable to retain the format of the printed bulletin.