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Bill Kenny has retired as Editor and developer of Seen and Heard, the live review section of MusicWeb International. We owe him and his team a deep debt of gratitude for making S&H truly International and deeply respected. Please read Stan Metzger's tribute to Bill. Len Mullenger

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In February 2012 the esteemed British violist Lawrence Power begins his tour with the Scottish Ensemble in which he will give seven performances of Alwyn’s Pastoral Fantasia for viola and string orchestra. Other works on the programme include works by Haydn, Mozart, and Luke Bedford (New Commission). All concerts commence at 7.30pm except where stated. Dates and venues are as follows:

17th February – One Touch Theatre, Eden Court, Inverness commencing at 8pm

18th February – The Music Hall, Aberdeen

19th February – The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh

20th February – St. Paul’s Cathedral, Dundee

22nd February – Perth Concert Hall, Perth

23rd February – City Halls, Glasgow

24th February – Wigmore Hall, London

On 24th March a concert of English music in memory of the former Chairman and co-founder of The Rawsthorne Trust John Belcher who died last October will be given at St. Andrew’s Church, Grinton-in-Swaledale, Nr. Richmond, N. Yorks commencing at 2pm. Admission Free. Alwyn’s Autumn Legend for Cor Anglais and Strings will be performed alongside works by Alan Rawsthorne, John McCabe, Philip Wood, Elgar and Delius. Artists taking part are Richard Simpson (cor anglais), Linda Merrick (clarinet), John Turner (recorder), and the Lonsdale String Ensemble conducted by Ian Thompson.

On 23rd June the World Premiere concert performance of Alwyn’s Violin Concerto will take place at St. John’s Smith Square, London commencing at 7.30pm. The renowned British violinist Lorraine McAslan will be accompanied by the Ealing Symphony Orchestra conducted by John Gibbons.

THE ENGLISH MUSIC FESTIVAL June 2012

This is to inform you that the EMF programme has now been published at http://www.englishmusicfestival.org.uk/programme.html At this stage it is still provisional and subject to change (it does not, yet, for example, list the series of talks), however we hope it will give you a good flavour of the delights to come this June – including, yet again, some intriguing world premières by major composers such as Vaughan Williams. Booking will open on 15th March and, for the first time ever, will be run exclusively through the EMF as an online and / or postal booking service. Full programme and booking leaflets will be sent out at the start of March, so please do let me know if you’re not already on our mailing list but would like to receive this. Tickets will be available from our website at www.englishmusicfestival.org.uk/boxoffice.html.

Also: an early plea for stewards and / or helpers for the EMF – we’d love you to become more involved, so please contact me if you feel able to help out, whether by distributing a few leaflets, helping me with administration, or stewarding at the Festival.

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APPEAL FOR FUNDS FOR THE NEW ALAN BUSH CD At present, as many of you know,
we are engaged in an Appeal for funds for the forthcoming new all-Bush CD. I
have recently written to you, as a Supporter, to request your help to
finance this expensive project with a donation of at least £20 in return for
a copy of the CD when it is issued. Many of you have already sent us a
generous donations, but we still have a long way to go. The Trust believes
that a new CD of three of Alan Bush's well regarded works - the Dance
Overture, Op. 12 (1935), Dorian Passacaglia & Fugue, Op. 52 (1959) and the
Lascaux Symphony, Op. 98 (1982-83) will help to make Alan Bush's
compositions more widely known and more readily available.
The Lascaux Symphony, less well-known that the other compositions, was first
broadcast by the BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Sir Edward Downes, on 25
March 1986 - it has four movements. Alan Bush found his inspiration from a
visit he made to the Lascaux caves in 1986. He found in them a very
impressive symbol of the need of Man for art and a need to leave a memorial
of himself. He was excited by the details depictions of animals, such as the
gigantic pre-historic oxen and the frieze of swimming stags. Thanks to those
who have sent contributions, if not, I would welcome your support.
Rachel O'Higgins, Hon. Secretary, Alan Bush Music Trust.
info@alanbushtrust.org.uk

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Greetings from the States. My bio-bibliography of William Alwyn and his works is due to be released by Routeldge/Taylor & Francis on August 16th. I am very glad to have that project finally nearly ‘born’. I learned quite a bit by doing it, and I hope it will be beneficial to many.

I am trying to help Dr. Stewart Craggs of the William Walton Trust as he prepares the next edition of the Walton catalogue. It seems that Gerrard Williams made a military band arrangement of Walton’s Portsmouth Point Overture after 1932. He’s trying to determine the date of the first broadcast performance of it. Sadly, Denis Wick tells me most of those BBC Wireless Military Band arrangements by anyone were chucked out over the years. The BBC Written Archives tells me probably the only way to find that information is to start turning pages of Radio Times…and as you can imagine I’m trying to avoid that.

I found a biographical article about Williams in a 1987 issue of the British Music Society Journal written by William’s only child, Barbara Parker. She does not go into the BBC arrangements at all (he worked there for 20 years: 1927-1947) but I am trying to find who might be in charge of his estate or where his manuscripts, drafts, sketches might now be. I’m wondering if Barbara is still living for me to write to, but of course her article appeared 20 years ago now.

I’d welcome any ideas about how to possibly find out more information about Williams’ arrangements for the BBC. His office was supposedly near Bliss and Boult, so he must have been quite well thought-of.

Thanks!

Best,.

John

John C. Dressler, D.Mus.
Professor, Horn and Musicology
Department of Music
Murray State University
Murray KY 42071-3342 USA
Office: 270.809.6445
Fax: 270.809.3965
John Dressler e-mail <john.dressler@murraystate.edu>

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Dear Sir,
I wonder if you can help me? I am trying to locate the orchestral material for Percy E. Fletcher's orchestrations of Samuel Coleridge Taylor's 24 Negro Melodies.

Can you give me any advice - please?
Jonathan Butcher. 0208 654 9306
From: Jonathan Butcher <jonathanbutcher@blueyonder.co.uk>

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Sir,

I obtained your email address of the web page and wonder if you could assist.

I am trying to obtain copies of "The Wild Swan"(Eb) by Graham Peel and "Garden of Happiness")Ab) by Daniel Wood.

Do you know who holds the copyright for these composers or has it been allowed to lapse since their deaths.

Kind regards,

David Cowley
Secretary
Manx Music Festival

reply to david_cowley@hotmail.com

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