2004

As usual, we start our new season with a presentation by the well known writer and music critic MICHAEL JAMESON. This year, he is taking the unusual step of focusing on a single work - Mahler's Symphony No 2 (the "Resurrection"). Michael will be giving us a musician's insight into the structure of this much-loved symphony.

2004

TERRY BARFOOT is Senior Lecturer in Music at South Downs College and a regular guest speaker at SRMS meetings. His topic this year is the music of Antonin Dvorak (1841 - 1904) in recognition of the centenary of the composer's death. An extra charge of £1 is payable for this meeting.

Chairman of the Forest Recorded Music Club, JOHN COTTRELL, plans to select a range of pieces he feels are due an airing - half of which will be familiar and half rather less well known. However, he promises that none of his choices are likely to frighten the horses!

JIM NICOL presents a programme of music by Paul Hindemith (1895 - 1963), the foremost German composer of his generation. Jim intends to devote the first half of his programme to relatively familiar works such as excerpts from his symphony Mathis der Mahler, followed by a selection of lesser known pieces in the second half. 

SRMS Secretary DAVID CHEALE has been busy identifying significant musical anniversaries in 2004, e.g. Dvorak died 100 years ago, Janacek was born 150 years ago and both Biber and Charpentier died 300 years ago. It is also now 70 years since the death of Delius, Elgar and Holst, while Stanford died 80 years ago. These and any other anniversaries he may find will provide the inspiration for David's choice of music tonight.

As always, we are privileged to enjoy another evening with our President, Professor DAVID BROWN MA DMus PhD LTCL, who never fails both to entertain and educate us no matter what musical topics he chooses to present. As one of the highlights of our season, no members will wish to miss this meeting.

Note that our next meeting is on the following Friday

Once again, by popular demand, this social event follows the pattern of an ‘American Supper’ (i.e. bring your own food & drink) combined with an entertaining Musical Quiz compiled by SRMS Chairman Roy Gage. It is guaranteed to bring the year to a very enjoyable conclusion.

HAROLD BAGUST has declined to clarify the title of his programme, perhaps in deference to his wife Audrey. Be that as it may, Harold has certainly lived long enough to love many women - from Boadicea to Margaret Thatcher. We are left to guess the meaning for ourselves, and must hope that there is a musical connection in there somewhere!

New member GRAHAM BALMAIN invites us to share his memories of a lifelong fascination with the sound of music (appropriate for a retired sound engineer!). His choices range from William Herschel through Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Jørgen Jersild to Herbert Howells and his contemporaries. Graham hopes to show how his enthusiasm for each of these composers arose.

SRMS Treasurer DAVID ANDERSON presents a programme devoted to music from the silver screen, some written specifically for soundtrack purposes, some not. It is likely that you will be challenged to identify the film that matches each piece of music - there may even be the prize of an SRMS Academy Award for the winner!

SRMS Chairman ROY GAGE is well known for his enthusiasm for the music of Respighi - a composer best known for his Roman Trilogy. Roy's programme is likely to include some of Respighi's lesser known choral works, such as his Lauda per la Nativitá del Signore.

The famous baritone of the Metropolitan Opera dominated the operatic stage in many parts of the world up to his untimely death in 1960. ALBERT-LAURITZ RASMUSSEN will introduce us to this vocal giant, with examples of his phenomenal voice.

... and Bohemia. JIRINA MILLER will 'Czech' out music from or connected with these two regions of central Europe. Composers born there include Mahler, Janacek, Gluck, Korngold and Martinu. Schubert and Lehar also had family roots there. The youthful Mozart lived briefly in Olomouc, the ancient capital of Moravia and where Mahler had his first conducting post.

ANN MATTHEWS presents a second programme on the music of Australia and New Zealand. Composers such as Douglas Lilburn (1915 - 2001) and Peter Sculthorpe (b1929) will be featured, along with other even less familiar names from down under.

Following his excellent opening programme this season, MICHAEL JAMESON returns to give us a presentation on the music of Hector Berlioz and Richard Strauss. An extra charge of £1 is payable for this meeting.

NEVILLE GREEN presents his inaugural programme for the society - which he describes as a journey through the discoveries of a music collecting addict.

DAVID HEWITT, Vice President of the Forest Recorded Music Club, makes a welcome return visit to our society. This year, he will be presenting a selection from the music of cosmopolitan genius, George Frideric Handel.

GEOFFREY WRIGHT explains his rather obscure title by saying that The Spanish Hour was written by Ravel and Oliver had Knussen to do with it. That might be a clue about some of the content of Geoffrey's presentation. For the rest, we'll just have to wait and see.

BRIAN BISHOP of CD Book & Video Selections makes his annual visit - this time with a selection of Russian music drawn from their huge catalogue of bargain CDs. As usual, Brian and his colleagues will be selling the CDs used in the programme, along with many others, priced from £1 upwards.

DAVID PEARCE may give us the answer, in connection with Le Bal de Béatrice d'Este by Reynaldo Hahn. This work, and the Villa d'Este at Tivoli near Rome, provides the starting point for a loosely related Italian programme. The Pines of Rome are likely to be stirring tonight and the 'Liszt' of musical connections could be long ...

Note that our next meeting is on the following Friday

Note that our next meeting is on the following Friday

To end the season, SRMS Vice-President PETER POWELL invites all members to his home to enjoy an evening of music, food and wine. 7:30 pm at ‘Amberley’, 192 Weston Lane, Woolston.