Spring Concert 2012

Saturday 24 March 2012

St Marys Church, Banbury

Programme 1

Banbury Symphony Orchestra is a Registered Charity. No. 239112

Welcome to our Spring concert!

Our spring concert begins with the Russlan and Ludmilla overture from
Glinkas five act opera. This overture is a joyful piece, brimming with
excitement to get the concert off to an exhilarating start. We then have two
tone poems by Delius; A Song Before Sunrise and On Hearing the First Cuckoo
in Spring evoking pastoral scenes reminiscent of the English countryside at
this special time of year when all is awaking. Parrys Symphonic Variations
completes the first half of the concert. Finally, and continuing the feeling of
awakening, our concert concludes with Dvoraks 8th Symphony, and
wonderfully lyrical work in which the composer makes great use of his
beloved Bohemian folk melodies.

Glinka: Russlan and Ludmilla overture

Delius: A Song Before Sunrise/On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring
Parry: Symphonic Variations
Interval
Dvorak: Symphony No. 8

Thanks again for being with us. 2012 is going to be an exciting year for us all,
with celebrations for the Queens diamond jubilee and the Olympic Games
hosted in London in the summer. To celebrate this, we have a British themed
family summer concert planned which will feature works by Elgar, Britten and
Vaughan Williams. Please make a note in your diary to join us again at St
Marys on Saturday 14 July 2012, at 6pm.

Paul Willett Conductor

Paul Willett studied violin, singing and piano
as a student but his main instrument was the
French horn. When Paul was 16, he gained
his Performance Diploma from The Royal
College of Music. Paul went on to read music
on scholarship at The Queens College,
Oxford, and studied for his teaching
certificate in Music and Physical Education at
Reading University.
For several years Paul combined teaching and freelance playing. He has given solo
recitals and performed concertos throughout the country. He was a member of The
Five Winds, a group that performed both at home and abroad, and also on BBC
radio. Paul also worked as a brass teacher for Oxfordshire Music Service and was
director of a Saturday Music School of 200 students.
Paul now combines class teaching with conducting various ensembles, both adult
and youth. He is also in demand as an adjudicator for both adult and student
competitions. Paul is Deputy Headteacher at Didcot Girls School.
Jenny Maynard - Leader
Sadly, our regular leader, Anna Fleming, broke her
wrist in January. We send her our best wishes for a
speedy recovery, and look forward to welcoming her
back as leader for the summer concert. Our leader
for this concert is Jenny Maynard.
Jenny started playing the violin at the age of eight.
She led her County Youth and University Symphony
Orchestras, and has subsequently always played an active part in local orchestras
and other musical ensembles wherever she has lived. She has recently studied the
violin with Roger Coull of the Coull Quartet. Jenny leads a busy life as Senior
Teaching Fellow in Accounting at the University of Warwick together with other
professional accountancy appointments, which includes plenty of playing, including
the Banbury Symphony Orchestra, the Cherwell Orchestra, Oriflamme and a quartet.
.

Glinka: Russlan and Ludmilla overture

Mikhail Glinka is considered to be the father of modern Russian music. His

nationalistic, Russian style was a seminal influence on all Russian composers who
followed, from Rimsky-Korsakov to Tchaikovsky to Stravinsky.
The director of the Imperial Theater in St. Petersburg suggested that Glinka adapt
Pushkin's epic poem, Ruslan and Ludmilla, as an opera. The poem tells of the
abduction of Ludmilla by an evil sorcerer, Chernomor, from a party given for
Ludmilla's three suitors, one of whom is Ruslan. Each suitor rides off to save the girl,
encountering a fantastic assortment of witches, hermits, magic castles, enchanted
gardens, magic swords, and so forth, rather in the style of the tales of the Arabian
Nights. The sorcerer is vanquished in the end by Ruslan, who revives Ludmilla from a
trance and wins her hand in marriage.
The opera is a musicological travelogue, with themes based on Russian, Finnish,
Tartar, and Persian music, all brilliantly orchestrated. Folk songs represent Ruslan's
Russia, while whole-tone harmonies depict the magical world of the sorcerer
Chernomor. Glinka's inspiration for the overture was particularly down-to-earth. He
attended a wedding dinner at the Russian court, and later wrote: "I was up in the
balcony, and the clattering of knives, forks and plates made such an impression on
me that I had the idea to imitate them in the prelude to Ruslan. I later did so, with
fair success." The overture consists of two main themes, the first driving and
rhythmic (one hopes the servants at the dinner Glinka attended weren't really
rushing at this speed!), the second more lyrical and reminiscent of courtly dances.

Delius: A Song Before Sunrise/On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring

A Song Before Sunrise. In the summer of 1918, with the Great War grinding slowly to its
end and the troubling symptom of syphilitic paralysis which over the next seven years
would turn the vigorous Delius into a helpless invalid the composer sought a cure in the
baths at Biarritz, where he composed A Song Before Sunrise. In its brevity (playing
about six minutes), keenness of orchestral detail, and evocative power, it might easily
make a third to the Two Pieces for Small Orchestra "On Hearing the First Cuckoo in
Spring" and "Summer Night on the River" from before the war. Indeed, it has the
character of "'Cuckoo' revisited," though where the latter and its companion exude an
elegiac, almost mystical, rapture, A Song Before Sunrise is redolent with tongue-incheek blitheness. Delius is even said to have likened the clarinet figure in the last bars
to a rooster's sunrise greeting. Dedicated to Philip Heseltine (known as Peter Warlock
to all lovers of English song) the piece was first given by Sir Henry Wood at a
Promenade Concert in September, 1923.
On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring was composed in 1912 and first performed in
Leipzig on October 2, 1913. The work opens with a slow three-bar sequence; its first
theme is an exchange of cuckoo calls, first for oboe, then for divided strings. The
second theme of the piece is scored for first violins, and is taken from a Norwegian folk
song, "In Ola Valley", which was brought to his attention by the Australian composer
and folk-song arranger Percy Grainger. (The theme was also quoted by Edvard Grieg in
his 19 Norwegian Folksongs, Op. 66.) The clarinet returns with the cuckoo calls before
the piece ends in pastoral fashion.

Frederick Delius was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, on 29th January 1862. 2012 is
therefore his 150th anniversary, and The Delius Society is giving as much support as
possible to publicising it, and securing performances of his music - particularly works
which are rarely performed.
For further information refer to http://www.delius.org.uk

Parry: Symphonic Variations

Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, 1st Baronet (27 February 1848 7 October 1918) was
an English composer, teacher and historian of music.
Parry's first major works appeared in 1880. As a composer he is best known for the
choral song "Jerusalem", the coronation anthem "I was glad" and the hymn tune
"Repton", which sets the words "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind". He was director of
the Royal College of Music from 1895 until his death and was also professor of music at
the University of Oxford from 1900 to 1908.
Influenced as a composer principally by Bach and Brahms, Parry evolved a powerful
diatonic style which itself greatly influenced future English composers such
as Elgar and Vaughan Williams. His own full development as a composer was almost
certainly hampered by the immense amount of work he took on, but his energy and

charisma, not to mention his abilities as a teacher and administrator, helped establish
art music at the centre of English cultural life. He collaborated with the poet Robert
Bridges, and was responsible for many books on music, including The Evolution of the
Art of Music (1896), the third volume of the Oxford History of Music (1907) and a study
of Bach (1909).
Parry's Symphonic Variations were doubtless partly inspired by Dvork's work of the
same name, by Brahms's "Haydn" Variations, and by the passacaglia finale of the
German composer's Fourth Symphony. In the concentrated complexity of its motivic
development, Parry's work constitutes a historical bridge between Brahms's variation
techniques and those of Schoenberg. Commissioned by London's Philharmonic Society,
Parry's work was premiered on June 3, 1897.

Dvok: Symphony No. 8

The Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88, B. 163, was composed and orchestrated by
Antonn Dvok within the two-and-a-half-month period from August 26 to November
8 1889 in Vysok u Pbrami, Bohemia. The score was dedicated: "To the Bohemian
Academy of Emperor Franz Joseph for the Encouragement of Arts and Literature, in
thanks for my election." Dvok conducted the premiere in Prague on February 2, 1890.

The Eighth Symphony is performed fairly frequently, but not nearly as often as the
more famous Ninth Symphony ("From the New World"). In this regard the Eighth enjoys
a similar status to the Seventh Symphony, despite the two works' marked differences.
While the Seventh is a stormy romantic work, the Eighth is cheery and draws its
inspiration more from the Bohemian folk music that Dvok loved.
A typical performance of the Eighth lasts about 36 minutes, making it one of Dvok's
shorter symphonies.
The work is in four movements:
1. Allegro con brio (G major) The first movement is a powerful and glowing
exposition characterized by liberal use of timpani. It opens with a lyrical G minor
theme in the cellos, horns, clarinets and bassoon with violas and double basses
pizzicato. This gives way to a "bird call" flute melody. The general cheery nature
of this movement is contrasted sharply by the more ominous minor-key sections.
2. Adagio (C minor) Despite being marked Adagio the second movement, in
reality, moves along at quite a reasonable speed. It begins with a typically
beautiful clarinet duet and ends quietly, but contentedly.
3. Allegretto grazioso Molto vivace (G minor) Most of the third movement is a
melancholy waltz in 3/8 time. Near the end, the meter changes to 2/4, and the
music ends in a manner not unlike that of the second movement.
4. Allegro ma non troppo (G major) The finale (formally a set of variations) is the
most turbulent movement. It begins with a fanfare of trumpets, then progresses
to a beautiful melody which is first played by the cellos. The tension is
masterfully built and finally released at approximately two minutes into the
piece, with a cascade of instruments triumphantly playing the initial theme at a
somewhat faster pace. From there, following an enormous flute solo, the
movement compellingly progresses through a tempestuous middle section,
modulating from major to minor several times throughout. After a return to the
slow, lyrical section, the piece ends on a chromatic coda, in which brass and
timpani are greatly prominent.

Banbury Symphony Orchestra

Management Committee:
Jonathan Rowe (Chair), Kathryn Whiteway (Secretary), Jennifer Hubble
Rachel McCubbin, Lyn Gosney, Anna Fleming, Andrew Waite
Conductor - Paul Willett
Violin I

Piccolo

Tuba

Jenny Maynard (Leader)

Geoff Kent
Marianne Robinson
Penny Tolmie
Heidi Robertson
Jo Sandy
Graham Buckner
Kathryn Whiteway

Nick Planas
Claire Humphries

James Bolton-King

Euphonium
Oboe

Rory Cartmell

Emma Wahlen
Diana Lewis

Percussion

Christine Griggs

Justin Rhodes
Sue Woolhouse
Liam Halloran

Ian Smith
Rachel Sansome
Trish Evans
Andrew Waite
Rachel Saunders
Gill Walker
Rosemary Wilson

Cor Anglais

Timpani

Malcolm Rowson

Keith Crompton
David Martin

Antony Allen
Claire Thomas
Sue Shields

Harp

Viola

Bass Clarinet
Alice Palmer

Celesta
Nia Williams

Bassoon

Soprano Voices (Planas):

Ian McCubbin
Rachel James
Cathy Gray

India Shaw-Smith
Kayleigh Manley
Kelly Hampson

Bass Oboe

Violin II

Gill Barbour
Jonathan Rowe
Conrad Woolley

Cello
Miranda Ricardo
Jennifer Hubble
Janet Parsons
Peter Button
Ruth Mankelow
Chris Seddon
Graham Appleton

Double Bass
Robert Gilchrist
Jo Hammond
Jane Martin
Sarah Turnock

Flute
Rachel McCubbin
Sue Wain

Alto flute
Nick Planas

Clarinet

Contra Bassoon
Ian White

Horn
Bob Powell
Simon Mead
David Settle
Richard Hartree
Helen Barnby-Porritt
Raymond Joyce
George Bone

Trumpet
Tony Chittock
Ron Barnett
Martin Mills
Catherine Underwood

Trombone
Paul Macey
Gary Clifton
Malcolm Saunders

Anna Lockett
Karina Bell

Dates for your diary

Our next concert in 2012:

Saturday 14 July 2012, 6.00pm
St Marys Church, Banbury.

Elgar: Cockaigne overture

Britten: Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes

Vaughan Williams: London Symphony

Website
Please visit our website for more information
www.banburysymphony.org
Patrons of Banbury Symphony Orchestra
Mrs H. M. W. Rivett

Lady Saye and Sele

We are very grateful to our patrons for their financial support.

If you would like to make a donation, please send a cheque made payable to
Banbury Symphony Orchestra to The Chairman, Jonathan Rowe, 5 Rectory Road,
Hook Norton, Oxon OX15 5QQ or e-mail him on rowe4jkt@fastmail.fm

Please also fill in a Gift Aid declaration that can be obtained from Jonathan, which
enables the orchestra to claim an additional 25p for every 1 donated by taxpayers.
All programme notes taken from Wikipedia

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