Music Webmaster Len Mullenger

PATRIC STANDFORD

By David C. F. Wright

© David Wright Ph.D
This article, or any part of it, must not be reproduced in part or in whole in any way whatsoever without prior written consent of the author.

Patric Standford was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire on 5 February 1939 at the time when the scene was being set for the Second World War. His mother died in 1943 and when his father returned from the war he started a new life and family and Patric was adopted by a cultured Halifax spinster. At the age of six he began piano lessons and made tentative attempts at composition. He entered the Quaker boarding school at Ackworth in 1950 and took up the violin in addition to the piano. His science master had enthusiasm for the Second Viennese School and when he was only twelve Patric found Berg's Der Wein fascinating and from there he learned to explore Wozzeck and early Schoenberg including the mammoth Gurrelieder. Bartok and Stravinsky also had their appeal during his adolescent years. A few years earlier he had been taking note of a wide range of music from the BBC signature tunes, operetta, light music to Brahms, Grieg and Delius. There were also visits to Sheffield to hear the Hallé Orchestra under Barbirolli. Patric was loaned a copy of Ernst Krenek's Studies in Counterpoint and assiduously applied himself to its study. His other academic strengths at school were English literature and modern languages but it was probably not until his late teens that any literary works made any real impact upon him; that has since been remedied with the appreciation of Dylan Thomas, Beckett, Ionesco, Kerouac, Ginsberg and a wide range of 'new writing' especially from American presses.

On leaving school Standford worked in a solicitor's office as an accountant. His subsequent military service in the Royal Air Force seriously hindered his musical creativity but his National Service with the RAF Hospitals reinforced his already compassionate and diligent character. His urge to express himself led to his writing a novel about this time entitled One Year's Turning.

He entered the Guildhall School of Music in 1961 where he studied composition with Raymond Jones and Edmund Rubbra. Jones was a talented commercial composer who had had the distinction of studying with Benjamin Frankel, himself a very underrated composer. His own film scores, West End shows and music for television showed some versatility, stemming from his thorough knowledge of widely varying types of music, ranging from Palestrina to Ravel and Schoenberg. Standford found Rubbra 'a most delightful gentleman both positive and helpful who managed to make each pupil feel important and who was most concerned to achieve linear clarity and structural strength. As for harmony he would say, "that is your concern, not mine!" Playing the violin and viola in chamber ensembles helped Standford attain Rubbra's objective. In 1962 he won the Royal Philharmonic Society prize for A Comedy Overture and in 1963 the third year composition prize at the Guildhall School of Music in recognition of his accumulated work as well as the Carl Neyer prize for general achievement in composition.

His first work performed before the general public took place at the Guildhall School of Music in 1962. It was the Stabat Mater for soloists, chorus and small orchestra which, like the Comedy Overture, the composer believes should remain in the archive.

A year's schoolteaching of various subjects in Wiltshire ended with Standford winning the Mendlessohn Scholarship in 1964 with the submission of works now discarded including a piano concerto, a symphonic movement, a string quartet and a mass. This enabled him to go to Venice in 1965 for a year to study with Gian Francesco Malipiero who, like Rubbra, was especially concerned with musical clarity; to him Standford's orchestration tended to be 'too thick' and the harmonic texture had 'far too many notes'. He insisted on pieces being written in a single line first. There were long discussions in German about opera; Malipiero being concerned about its future development. Standford found him 'always courteous, extremely generous, hospitable and possessing a dry sense of humour'. Whilst in Venice Standford wrote his  String Quartet no. 1 which is dedicated to his teacher. It is conceived in a single movement partly built upon the song, 'Now, O now, I needs must part' by John Dowland. The Dartington String Quartet broadcast it in September 1967 and this was the first work of Standford to be performed by professionals. It is an intense work, predominantly slow but with a presto middle section and ending in calm repose; the work is aurally accessible, rich in texture and of translucent clarity. Meeting Witold Lutoslawski at the Dartington Summer School in 1965 led to a period of study with this remarkable and modest man. This twentieth-century master was a great influence passing on his excitement of the discovery of the flexibility in music. He was the inspiration of Standford's Nocturne for orchestra commissioned by the London College of Music and Peter Turton for their Summer Exhibitioner's Orchestra in 1968; the Polish master also stands behind Standford's Notte: a poem for chamber orchestra which also uses aleatoric devices. This was first performed at the Malta Festival in December 1968 conducted by James Stobart to whom the composer owes much. Stobart was a fellow student at the Guildhall School of Music who, with Standford, formed the New Cantata Orchestra and gained a reputation as a conductor travelling widely. It was Stobart who premiered the Suite for small orchestra in a Canadian broadcast by the Halifax Symphony Orchestra in 1967. Back in Britain The Times of 21 December 1967 called it 'an agreeable enough piece but of insufficient voltage'. Felix Aprahamian wrote that it 'bore the hallmark of a musician absolutely sure of what he has to say and how to say it'.

Notte is a far more important work. The Financial Times of 8 May 1969 called it 'a curious mixture of conservative materials and imaginative writing; also, within the modest lines it undertakes, a very successful piece... it is an impressionistic work in much the same style as his Ave Maria for soprano and organ... it has the same surprisingly clear sense of contrast'. Aprahamian wrote in the Sunday Times, 'I believe this work is very imaginative and extremely beautiful. It will outlive new scores by his better-known contemporaries'. High praise indeed which does not, however, tally with the neglect this work has suffered.

Standford's first acknowledged orchestral work is the Symphonic poem:Saracinesco, which also had its first performance in Canada. It was written in 1966 and premiered in Halifax in February 1969 by the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra under Klaro Mizerit. Its first BBC broadcast was in May 1971 by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by George Hurst. Saracinesco is the title of a painting by the Cornish artist Peter Lanyon which the composer saw at an exhibition of his work. It is a work that appeals to the composer and I can understand the composer's response to it. He has, however, seriously thought about renaming the piece and making its title sound more appealing. The existing title has a fascination in itself. The music and theatre critic, journalist, writer and actor, Denys Corrigan, says of Saracinesco, 'it is a thoroughly characteristic work which makes absorbing and enjoyable listening. It is music and not manufactured sound and the technique applied is consistently sure. Yet it is by no means hidebound, or simply academically correct'.

In 1967 Standford married Sarah Blyth Hilton, a music graduate from Cardiff University. They have three children: Rupert who was born in 1969 is in banking; Sophie, born in 1972, is an art historian; and Tobias, born in 1976, is still at school. None are particularly interested in a musical career but all are discerning listeners.

In 1969 Standford was appointed professor of composition at the Guildhall School of Music where he remained until 1980, when he became Head of Music at Bretton Hall, a College of Leeds University. The years of his London professorship saw the composition of many interesting works from the Cantata 1 for voice and strings to the Mass for chorus and band. This decade included five symphonies; those numbered one to four and the Christmas Carol Symphony of 1977.

The Symphony no. 1: The Seasons dates from 1971/2 and is a work of tremendous presence. The first movement, Spring, is compelling and involves the listener at once; it is busy and full of interest, well-argued, often noisy and exciting; there are, however, moments of repose. Occasionally, the music seems to lose direction, but its power, energy and stamina are breathtaking. Summer is for strings alone and inhabits the world of droning bees and the heat that saps human energy. It is a carefully thought-out movement, creating a sumptuous aural sensation; it is almost a faultless movement. Autumn is a scherzo depicting boisterous winds and the decline into winter. The finale begins with grey music and is briefly vitiated by hints of Elgar. The string writing leads the music to a more European style, devoid of sentimental wallowing. It is a movement which is, in the main, calm or resigned with some splendid touches including those that recall ice or a tap dripping water into an aluminium sink. The cold is chillingly portrayed. When the music does become agitated it is really exciting, the horn writing is thrilling and the climaxes stunning. The glowing warmth of Berg's Violin Concerto is matched in the final section of the concluding part of this impressive symphony. The brass punctuation at the end exemplify the composer's predilection for the mood of the requiem. This symphony is not just music but a transcendently rewarding experience; thankfully neither academic nor harnessed by the restrictions of form or predictability. The work won the Premino Citta di Trieste prize.

But even more impressive is the Symphony no. 2: Christus - Requiem written during 1971/2 for the choral and orchestral forces of the Guildhall School of Music and for St Paul's Cathedral, where it received its first performance on 28 March 1973 under the direction of John Alldis with an audience of over two thousand. It could be said to be in the line of the famous Bach Passions yet, as it is devoid of the affectations of the Baroque style and its fussy ornamentation, it is far more realistic and convincing. This 'symphonic oratorio' describes the crucifixion of Christ so effectively that a genuine listener can almost believe he is present and personally involved in the proceedings. 'The music possesses a powerful energy the sheer stamina of which is electrifying', writes Denys Corrigan. As with the first symphony this work is a musical experience which could hardly be abated. It must be a contender for the finest British choral work on a religious subject; it is certainly the very finest British choral work on a Christian subject. The symphony won the Yugoslavian Solidarity Award in 1973 and the Oscar Espla Prize from Spain in 1974 the year of Standford's first visit to Hungary, which indicated his growing interest in the music of Eastern Europe. In 1981 he wrote his Dialogues for cimbalom and chamber orchestra for Agnes Szakali, the Hungarian virtuoso.

Travelling is, as it happens, one of Standford's hobbies. A visit to South America in 1977 produced his second set of Folksongs for string orchestra based on Venezuelan songs. The first set were East European folk-songs and the third set are six British folk-songs.

The four-movement Christmas Carol Symphony dates from 1977 and is 'classical' in design. It is attractive enough but there may be some listeners who will concentrate on trying to identify all the carols and Christmas songs employed and thereby miss the composer's skills or be infuriated that not one of these familiar tunes is played in its complete and original form with the benefit of Standford's evident orchestral expertise.

The Symphony no. 3: Towards Paradise dates from 1975-82 and is subtitled Requiem Symphony. Like the Christ us - Requiem, it is inspired by Dante and is a rewarding but, perhaps, uneven work. Its strength is that it is music of discovery, exploring new worlds. Yet, at times, it is ambiguous contrasting serious music with percussive interruptions which may be macabre or convey the sense of laughing at death. There is that melodic warmth and compassion which is a feature of this composer. The craftsmanship is impeccable, but perhaps the continuity of this work leaves something to be desired. The eerie entry of the chorus sets Bach's Passion Chorale with a different and potent harmony. This ends the first movement. The second is rich in texture and often stimulating whereas the third is almost frenzied, highly imaginative and superbly coloured; it is full of living atmosphere, and is often compelling but, again, where is the music going? It is like a mosaic of uneven stones. All this is forgotten, however, with the appearance of a section in which the strings suggest weeping and lamentation. The entry of the chorus with its rich and ethereal harmonies is very telling. The employment of bell-ringing and choral devices occasionally takes the piece out of the present century and back in time. The concluding 'Amen' sequence is irresistibly sublime and mystical. The climax is astonishing. This symphony won the 1983 Ernest Ansermet Prize awarded by the city of Geneva and the première was given by the chorus and orchestra of the Suisse Romande in June 1986 conducted by Richard Hickox.

It is some achievement for any composer to win a prize for his first symphony; it may be unique for a composer to win three separate and disparate consecutive prizes for his first three symphonies. The Symphony no. 4: Taikyoku is scored for two pianos and percussion and evolved from the composer's interest in Japanese music. It dates from 1975 and is dedicated to Lutoslawski who had opened Standford's ears to the sounds of other worlds. The work is an ideal example of the true meaning of the word 'symphony' and would make an ideal coupling, on disc, to Bartok's superlative Sonata for two pianos and percussion. Standford's work again may, at times, lack direction, yet there are superb moments such as the cascades of sound in the second movement and the evident virility of the opening one.

Three concertos were written in the Guildhall decade. Of these the Cello Concerto is a homage to Brahms and was written whilst on holiday in Brahms's summer home in Baden-Baden. It quotes extensively from the German Requiem. Standford's regular use of material of other composers in several of his works may raise a problem and be a worrying factor to some, particularly its over-dependence in the Symphony no. 5 of 1984. None the less the Cello Concerto is very beautiful in parts and follows in a long line of British concertos for this instrument which are neglected in favour of the saturation of performances of the one by Elgar. Walton's is arguably superior to all of them but those by Moeran, Finzi, Bax, Bliss and others are worthy and, thankfully, not self-indulgent or mawkish. Standford's is a very compassionate work, as indeed are his second and third symphonies; compassion which springs from the composer's personality and general sensitivity and may be largely due to his Quaker upbringing and constant concern about the reactions of others before his own concerns. It is this selflessness which may explain or justify his homage to the work of other composers whose material he borrows, reworks or re-employs to some measure, in some of his own works.

The Violin Concerto was completed in December 1975 which was written for the Bulgarian violinist Mincho Minchev. To date it remains unperformed, whereas the Piano Concerto, written to celebrate the seventieth birthday of the Finnish composer, Olavi Pesonen in 1979 and at the request of the Australian pianist Rhonda Gillespie, has been performed by her and by Keith Swallow. The employment of a small orchestra may owe something to the influence of Malipiero.

While Standford's orchestral music is of undeniable skill and technique there is music of equal worth in other genres. There is a jazz ballet Autumn Grass for pop instrumental group and six 'cellos. There is a successful excursion into light music with the ballet Reflections of 1980, which is a companion piece to Celestial Fire written for the Stafford Arts Festival of 1968. Felix Aprahamian described the music as 'sheer technical wizardry'.

There are some splendid songs of the very highest order which many British composers find a different genre in which to work, particularly in the wake of Gurney, Quilter and Butterworth. The Nursery Songs of 1979 for soprano, baritone, oboe and piano are especially fine and imbue the children's verses with both dignity and a translucent texture. The baritone songs Wayward Thoughts date from a decade earlier and show an admirable and effective vocal skill. The choral music is rewarding and overdue for recognition. Ancient Verses for chorus and percussion was commissioned by the Birmingham Festival Chorus in 1978 and recorded in the Soviet Union by the Ellerhein Chamber Choir of Tallin, Estonia, conducted by Tonu Kalyuste in 1983. The Mass for chorus and brass band was commissioned in 1980 by the Redcliffe Concerts for the Inner London Education Association Youth Choirs and the London Collegiate Brass Ensemble. These forces make an unusual combination which enables the listener to attend to the text with renewed interest. The Piano Trio of 1970 is an interesting chamber work in a medium not favoured by British composers. It received much praise including that from Lennox Berkeley and Alan Rawsthorne. The Daily Telegraph of 17 December 1971 said of the Trio for flute, 'cello and harpsichord, 'The influence of Britten could perhaps be discerned in some of the melodic writing of this agreeable, well-constructed work.' The String Quartet no. 2 was written in 1973 to the memory both of Malipiero and Standford's brother-in-law, both of whom died on the 1 August that year. It won the Clements Memorial Prize in 1976. The Sonata for solo violin was written for the 1974 Carl Flesch International Composition at the request of Yfrah Neaman; the first London performance was given by Mincho Minchev, which event inspired the composition of the Violin Concerto. There are three substantial works for piano, the Variations of 1969, later orchestrated, the Six Preludes of 1970 and the Sonata of 1979/80.

His interest in composers' rights led Standford to become concerned in the Composers' Guild of Great Britain of which he was chairman between 1977 and 1979. His involvement in improving musical education led to a series of reviews in the Musical Times which convey a thorough understanding of the needs and giving sensible and practical advice. In 1979 he established his own publishing firm with fellow composer, Francis Routh and in 1992 his book on composition entitled Projects was published by Stainer and Bell.

In May 1980 Standford became Head of Music at Bretton Hall and began writing the libretto for his opera Villon, completed in 1985 and from which was to evolve his second novel. Villon awaits a performance. The 1980s saw the appearance of the BBC commission, Symphony no. 5, premiered in January 1986 by the soprano Joan Rodgers and the BBC Philharmonic under Brian Priestman, a Concertino for piano, oboe and string trio (1986), the charming Suite Humoresque for piano, oboe, clarinet and bassoon (1987) and the Piano Quartet (1988).

The Symphony no. 5 was completed in February 1985 and is another work which borrows material from other sources (this time in greater quantity) and raises the problem of originality and eclecticism. This symphony's third movement is built entirely upon the opening movement of Mozart's Symphony no. 40 in G minor. This will offend the purists; to others the purpose of this reworking may be neither obvious nor purposeful and therefore infuriating. The second and fourth movement are two soprano arias setting poems from the Carmina Burma. The composer admits that their idiom is 'deliberately derived from Howard Jones and his calmer pop-music successes of 1984'. The fifth movement is described by the composer as 'a series of vulgar little variations reminiscent of Glazunov and Tchaikovsky'. The finale inhabits an already nightmarish world which then worsens. Quotations from Dvorak and Beethoven give way to Elgar and Land of Hope and Glory which is either intentionally crude or an attempt to be provocative. Or, perhaps, it questions some pieces or composers. Whatever one's personal response (and it is a controversial work) the composer's skill and technique are not in question; the first movement is particularly fine but there will be many who will always regard this work as a frustrating enigma. The composer has told me that Beethoven was a remarkable inventor but often his music is tiresome; his praise of Elgar may be excessive when he says that 'he makes me proud to be British, the Enigma Variations is the outstanding European masterpiece of its time'. Yet one has to admire Standford's honesty. He says that Bach is 'academic and heavy'; Mozart is 'of remarkable clarity and economy, the ideal narcotic Schubert's long pieces are 'too long'; Brahms is a 'remarkable and ideal combination of structural and melodic genius'; Mahler is 'grand but has rather shallow gestures, a fine orchestral technician but not having much to say'; Bruckner, on the other hand, is 'profound but no longer relevant'; the leaders of the Second Viennese School were 'neurotic, an extremely interesting but vastly overrated trio' .This, with his assessment of British music, indicates Standford's considered conservatism. Perhaps all composers and, indeed all artists, want public approval which is both very satisfying and encouraging. No composer can please everyone although the history of music has produced some shallow composers who have attempted this and got away with it! To Standford criticism is worrying for a while and he is quite sensitive to it but its effect wears off quickly. To him, praise is not very interesting and talking about his own music is rarely enjoyable unless there is some definite purpose in it, as there is in the context of teaching. Perhaps the underlying truth is that the composer is highly self-critical and would probably confess that of all his works few are really good. He did admit to me that among his own works those that give him the most pleasure are 'parts of the Symphony no. 5, Quartet no. 1 and sections of the Christus - Requiem. When I asked him which was his best work his reply was, 'The one that technically works best throughout is the Christmas Carol Symphony '. This modesty is only part of this positive, optimistic, genial personality who has a particular interest in other people and an enjoyment in causing them to feel significant. He would wish to be remembered for some work that makes some feel the better for having heard it.

But that is the point. His music needs first to be heard. A composer's neglect is only yards away from its being totally forgotten. Standford now has three string quartets to his name and is planning a sixth symphony. Yet in his symphonic repertoire to date there are, at least, three symphonies which give truly profound satisfaction, an experience music only rarely offers and, in my judgement, the Christus - Requiem is, indeed one of the three very finest British choral works of the last hundred years or so (the others being Walton's Belshazzar's Feast and Fricker's Vision of Judgement ). The earnest desire of music-lovers should be that this monumental masterpiece may become universally admired, thus preventing this composer from being neglected as well as bringing into circulation the best works of this compassionate man.

Copyright David C.F. Wright 1992

CD Review Christmas Carol Symphony

Since December 1998 you are visitor number

These pages are maintained by Dr Len Mullenger.
Mail me.