Last term both conductors challenged us. First, John with Prokoviev's Romeo & Juliet Suite stretched us all  upwards and into keys we had scarcely seen before, yet to some effect in the selected movements at FALO, while Steve's Bartered Bride saw Don leading nobly into that opening scurry on the second violins, and we all had to look to our laurels to follow him in our own nimble passages in this famous piece, even if we won no speed record.   Elgar's Bavarian Dances were a delightful discovery and instantly warming, though there were problems to contend with in the final fast movement, and Sibelius' Karelia Suite is always a magnificent piece to end with, though it remains hard to sustain with all that passage work for the strings and long phrases for the wind.

We faced our audience differently this time at FALO with the orchestra rotated eastward. They seemed to enjoy the result, getting a better balance and hearing the woodwind as never before, and the brass were safely behind us and able to let rip without blasting any ear drums. Indeed we all seemed to hear one another better, but we have a problem in such a narrow room for access from the door for late-comers and to the coffee queue, and we need to find the best positions to see the conductor and yet not be too far away from him. Patsy has used the room obliquely and this might worth trying too. We intend to continue with the eastward arrangement, trying to refine the positions, but would like your comments.

We have been delighted to welcome Elizabeth French on oboe and cor anglais and Gill Hopkins on bass clarinet and we hope David Johnson and Jen Kelland will come again to play trumpet when required, but we must keep on the lookout for more violins. We are grateful to David Wilcox for taking over management of our website that may find more recruits.

There was an excellent response to John Tim's offer of a string session in the Easter break, when a Mozart Divertimento and Grieg's Holberg Suite were played.

Meanwhile I welcome a contribution from Don Browne of his musical experiences. It would be good to hear from others of you in future.

Recent Committee Meeting

The Treasurer reports a satisfactory balance in hand, so we can continue to be adventurous in hiring music.

Under Library, we must regret that not all parts are always returned. Could you please be careful to keep track of them for they are expensive to replace.

David Wilcox has taken over as Website manager after Shirley, and Daphne agreed to be our note-taker, and we are grateful for their contribution.

The Social events are in the Diary above. Lynne has reserved the Gardeners' Arms in Caversham for skittles on May 13 and we do hope many of you will be there with your partners. Also Sue and I would be delighted to welcome you all to another end-of-term lunch on Sunday June 19^th, the day after FALO.

The question was raised whether it should be strings only in the Easter break, or whether the whole orchestra would like to have started a week earlier.

Summer Term Programme Notes

WEBER - DER FREISCHÜTZ OVERTURE

Weber's der Freischütz had a huge influence upon all later operatic writing in terms of its subject matter, atmosphere, orchestration and other musical aspects. It was first performed in Berlin in 1821 and was hugely popular from the outset. Weber's opera is a fine example of the early romantic treatment of the sinister and the supernatural and is about a pact between a huntsman and the devil. All of Weber's most successful music is to some degree dramatically inspired and touched by German folklore. However, Weber was not overtly nationalistic, despite his love of German folksong, and his determination to create a new and specifically German opera was tempered by the knowledge that Germany had much to learn from other cultures. Weber once said "I am in favour of quality, wherever it comes from".

Weber's music is much closer to the Classical style of Haydn and Mozart than it is to Wagner. Weber was a pioneering figure and is seen by some as the first true romantic composer. Some of Weber's most sinking orchestral effects are to be found in "Der Freischütz". He portrays sinister elements with "the lowest register of the violins, violas and basses, and particularly the lowest register of the clarinet, the mournful sound of the bassoon and the lowest notes of the horns".                

Steve Wellman

CARL NIELSEN - SYMPHONY NO 1 IN G MINOR, OP 7.
Carl Nielsen (1865 - 1931) spent most of his life as a violinist in the Copenhagen Royal Opera orchestra. His music was virtually unknown outside Denmark before 1945. The first symphony, completed in 1892, although only Opus 7, already shows the complete mature Nielsen. It is probably the first published symphony that starts in one key and ends in another. It is a splendid piece and one which I know we will enjoy working on.

MODEST MUSSORGSKY (1839 - 1881) - DAWN ON THE MOSCOW RIVER This is actually the prelude to Mussorgsky's opera 'Khovanschina'. Khovanschina is concerned with the struggle between the old traditional Russian values and the modernist state espoused by Peter the Great on his accession to the throne. It is a complex opera, but the prelude we are going to play is pure mood music, picturing the 17 -century city of Moscow awakening in the early morning.      

John Tims

'A Short History of an Old Fiddler' by  Don Browne was included in this bulletin and can be found on the Individual members page

Envoi

I look forward to another stimulating term and hope the gardens are not too distracting-

Antony

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