Oxford and Cambridge Musical Club

Music Committee

Report on 2003

A year ago we were commemorating the anniversaries of Corelli and Prokofiev, and also remembering John Elton, a long-standing Club member. The year has also sadly included a memorial concert in September to Sheena Booth, a tragic loss to her family and to us all.

There were two other anniversaries last year: first, the centenary of the birth of our former president Lennox Berkeley, notably represented by his violin concerto elegantly played by Gudrun Edwards in the chamber orchestra concert in July conducted by Edward Kay. Another was the 50^th of the death of Arnold Bax, whose 1^st string quartet was heard in a concert in July, also including the astonishing cello playing of Cecilia Bignall, Camilla’s nine-year old daughter.

As usual, a fixed point in the year was the opera in October, this time Mozart’s Idomeneo, which I was delighted to conduct in place of Chris Fifield, who was unable to conduct it as advertised. The large group of chorus, orchestra and soloists were complemented by Colin Pinney’s narration, making a spectacular effect, much enjoyed. Appropriately scaled-down, but still substantial, groups were also involved in another opera, Arne’s The Cooper (newly edited and arranged by John Beasley) conducted by Lyn Parkyns in June and an enterprising baroque concert arranged by Jane and Norman MacSween, including Bach’s so-called ‘Coffee’ cantata, in December. We also were also led back by Hugh Rosenbaum and Evelyn Bercott to a ‘pre-baroque’ programme in November. Evelyn also organised a new members concert in May, introducing five refreshing new talents.

The other fixed point of the Gala concert, to the continuing credit of Percy Timberlake successfully winkled out a breath-taking contribution from a Cambridge string quartet, as well as items from University College and ourselves – Oxford still proved elusive however.

Eastern Europe was unusually represented by a delightful group of Russian parlour songs in Keith Daley’s May concert, which also included Britten’s remarkable Lachrymae ‘meditations’, more familiar Dvorak and Schumann, and a group of ‘Night’ songs sung by our chairman. Hungarian music was idiomatically explored by Katinka Seiner in October, with songs by Liszt, Kodály and Bartok (folk-song arrangements) suitably matched with instrumental works by Liszt, Bartok and Kodály’s pupil Matyas Seiber. Light relief was provided by equally idiomatic performances of early Irving Berlin songs in Gillian Noakes’ May concert, a group of ‘schmaltz and nostalgia’ from Oenone Forrester in February and a quirky programme of ‘transcription, paraphrase and pastiche’ organised by Tom Radice just before Christmas.

If I have omitted to mention your favourite item from the 19 programmes since last year’s AGM , please forgive me – as usual, a lot of music, one way or another.

Two final points: although we have held two successful Open Concerts in the year, I would like to remind everyone that this is a guaranteed opportunity to perform, so please don’t say you’re never asked! I even had to include myself in the last one to make up a programme, which is not the idea. Lastly, I think it is time for a new Music Secretary – I have done it for about 15 years, and I would like to hand it over – perhaps after a joint year next year – offers welcome.

Alan Reddish (Music Committee Chairman)
27^th March 2004