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T H E WO R S H I P F U L C O M PA N Y O F M U S I C I A N S

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On 10 May our Company Open Day,the first for six years, will be held at

The Charterhouse, one of the greatbuildings of the City. It has an adventurousand colourful history stretching back to the14th century. Naturally, all Companymembers are welcome!

Yes, this is a day for all Liverymen,Freemen and Yeomen to attend. It will be aday to learn more about the Company, itsachievements, aims and future plans. Youwill have ideas to share, other members tomeet and questions to ask. This is your day,your opportunity.

The principal benefits of the day are:

(i) Networking – to enable our membersto get to know each other, to mix, meetand talk in a way that is seldompossible at our other functions, and

(ii) Information – to stimulate members’interest in the Company’s developmentand initiatives and to encourageparticipation in all our activities.

Among the topics to be addressed are:

News about the Company’smembership, its structure andforthcoming social events

Recent developments in finance, and theenhancement of our charitable activitiesin support of young musicians

Our Company’s links with theMayoralty and the City Corporation

The development of our increasinglysuccessful Outreach programme withschools in London boroughs

An introduction to the Company’s newInnovations, Improvements andSuggestions Committee

The Company Open Day

The day will include refreshments onarrival, a light buffet lunch with soft drinksand tea and biscuits in the afternoon. Therewill be the opportunity to take a tour (freeof charge to those attending the Open Day– usual cost £10) at the close of the mainsessions. Any who wish may also stay for5.30pm Evening Prayer in the beautifulChapel.

The Charterhouse is situated offAldersgate Street, near Smithfield Market,between Barbican and Farringdon Stations.

This will be an important day for allCompany members. Booking forms withdetails of the cost and other informationhave already been sent so, if you have notalready booked, please do so now or callthe office for a form!

Tuesday 10 May 2011: 10.00 a.m. – 4.30 p.m.

www.wcom.org.uk

What an opportunity – and onedefinitely not to be missed!

Charterhouse Great Chamber

Charterhouse Cloister

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Editorial teamEditors Adrian Davis

Jeff KellyChris LawrenceAdrian Mumford

Designer John HawkinsPR Committee David Cresswell

(Chairman)Simon BloomfieldSimon GoodwinJudith Rich

Clerk Margaret Alford

Magazine co-foundersJohn Iles and Adrian Davis

The Worshipful Company of Musicians6th Floor 2 London Wall Buildings London EC2M 5PP Tel 020 7496 8980 Fax 020 7588 3633E-mail clerk@wcom.org.ukWeb www.wcom.org.ukRegistered numbers of the CharitableFunds 310040 and 264303

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My year as Master was one of themost memorable years of my life. I

am very grateful to the Company forgiving me the great honour of electingme. I met people, visited magnificentlivery halls and other venues, that in myregular life would never have happened.Of course I have to accept my year willalways be remembered as – ‘Oh – youwere the one whose MidsummerBanquet was burnt out.’ However I dohope, in time, my year will beremembered for much more than that.

One of the big highlights of my yearwas my installation banquet. My guestincluded the great guitarist JohnWilliams and famed pop recordproducer Trevor Horn. The Eden Stellguitar duo performed the worldpremière of Latin Serenade for the Cityof London composed by the greatArgentinian composer Jorge Morel. Icommissioned the work, which isdedicated to the Worshipful Companyof Musicians, as a gift to the Company.The original manuscript is now in theCompany’s archives.

I attended our excellent ConcordiaFoundation and Maisie Lewis concerts

at the Wigmore Hall and the stimulatingPMAP conference at the Guildhall Schoolof Music and Drama in January. I wasprivileged to be able to present theCobbett Medal to composer StephenDodgson and the Sir Charles SantleyMedal to Dame Emma Kirkby and SirJohn Tooley. I also presented medals andawards at St Martin-in-the-Fields(Beethoven Medal), the Barbican ConcertHall (GSMD prize) and the BirminghamSymphony Hall (Iles and Mortimermedals). My visit to Glyndebourne toselect this year’s John Christie Awardwinner was also memorable, as was thejazz evening at the Pheasantry where Ipresented the Company’s jazz medal toNorma Winstone.

As a guest of other livery companies Iattended many excellent dinners andluncheons. Highlights were lunching withthe Sheriffs and Judges at the Old Baileyand participating in a Swan Upping withthe Vintners on the Thames atMaidenhead. Our Saint Cecilia service atSt. Paul’s on 29 September was a veryspecial evening – one that was muchadmired by other livery companies.

I was particularly pleased that during

feasibility of computerizing the estimate,job-costing and invoice side of thebusiness.

In 1981, together with Graham Wylie,an undergraduate from NewcastleUniversity’s computing department, theydevised an integrated hardware andsoftware package for the printing industry,which they claimed to be ‘best of thebreed’ on the market at that time. In thefollowing two years, this “side-line” hadled to the sale of 80 systems around thecountry and had become an increasinglycentral part of his work. At about thesame time, there were major upheavalsoccurring within the printing industry.With his characteristic decisiveness, David closed Campbell Graphics,throwing all of his energies into SageSystems – as it was then.

He decided to sell the printing softwarepackage, in its entirety, to Vickers Groupusing the proceeds to develop a financialaccounting system for small businesses.From the outset, the emphasis of thecompany was on marketing – being driven

Immediate Pastmaster MauriceSummerfield explains thebackground to one of theMusicians’ Company’s mostrecent and important Awards.

David Goldman MBE, DBA was theCo-Founder, CEO and Chairman

of the Sage Group (LSE: SGE) and theformer Chairman of BATM AdvancedCommunications (LSE: BVC). Born inSunderland in 1937, David began hisworking life by taking articles inaccountancy, quickly moving into salespromotion, advertising and publicrelations. In 1963, David changeddirection by joining Campbell Graphics.He quickly became the managingdirector of this previously family-runbusiness and continued running thecompany until the early eighties. It wasin this position that he became aware ofthe market potential for businesssoftware. Along with Paul Muller, anAmerican consultant, he investigated the

The David Goldman Award

A Year to RememberDiary 2011

10 May Company Open DayCharterhouse 10.00am

20/23 May Livery Club Yorkshire Visit Weekend

12 June Jazz Winner’s Gig Dean Street. Jazz Club 7.00pm

22 June Midsummer Banquet Carpenters’ Hall 6.30pm

11 July Musicians’ Company Concert, Wigmore Hall 7.00pm

14 July Informal Lunch Middle Temple Hall 12.00 noon

13 September Bach Cantata

28 September Company Evensong St Paul’s 5.00pm

9 November Installation Dinner Carpenters’ Hall 6.30pm for 7.00pm

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my year the Company’s Outreach hasestablished itself as one of our mostimportant activities. I was also pleasedthat the Corporate Membership drive isseeing success following our specialCoopers’ Hall reception at which ourguest speakers included Sir Peter MaxwellDavies, Dame Cleo Laine, Liveryman TinaMay and Yeoman Amy Dickson.

Of course in its own way theMidsummer Banquet at the Stationers’Hall was a highlight – even though it

came to an early end. The good humourof the guests who ended up in nearbyWarwick Square, where they wereentertained by the Aquarelle GuitarQuartet, will always remain in my mindas will the generosity of the liverymenwho donated their refunded ticket moneyto the Company’s new SBF Award. Thisnew annual award will ensure that atalented young musician will receivefinancial assistance.

A wonderful end to my year came with

the gift to the Company from the goodfriend of my wife and myself, CynthiaGoldman. To mark my year as Master,Cynthia donated £50,000 to theCompany to establish the ‘DavidGoldman Award’, in memory of her latehusband. The proceeds of this fund willensure that an annual award of at least£2,000 is given to a deserving youngmusician. I had a long businessassociation with David and a warmpersonal friendship with Cynthia, Davidand their family. A love of music hasalways been a major part of theGoldman family’s activities and theirgenerous philanthropy is often directedto worthy music causes, including theoutstanding music education complex inthe Sage Hall, Gateshead on Tyne.

To conclude; a few words of thanksto my guest speakers during the year –author and music scholar ProfessorGraham Wade, the great flamencoguitarist Juan Martin, composer DebbieWiseman and academic and composerProfessor Stephen Goss – a very bigthank you to all for gracing theCompany with your presence andexcellent words. And last – but not least– my thanks go to the Clerk, Wardensand to members of the Court; theirsupport during my year was invaluable.Immediate Pastmaster Maurice Summerfield

by the needs of the customer rather thanthe technology. The year 1984 saw amajor turning point for the company asAmstrad launched its PCW. Identifying theopportunity offered by cheap andavailable computing power, Sage adoptedits software to the new hardware platformand saw its sales leap from 30 copies solda month, to 300.

By December 1989, and with about 50employees, the company was floated onthe London Stock Exchange, with aturnover of £9m, profits of £2m and amarket capitalization of £21m. Inrecognition of this achievement, theNewcastle Journal and Tyne TeesTelevision named Sage as “Company ofthe Year”. This was the first of manyawards both for the company and also toDavid personally – including an MBE forservices to the computer industry,Entrepreneur of the Year and also anhonorary Doctorate in BusinessAdministration from his hometownuniversity – Sunderland. In 1994, DavidGoldman stood down as CEO, whileremaining Executive Chairman of thecompany until 1997, when he retired fullyfrom Sage due to ill health.

David took a company of his owncreation and extremely modest beginnings

and built one of the most successfulcompanies in the UK. Sage’s success wasbased broadly on his ability to identifygaps in the market, creating productsand services to fill them. In his“retirement,” David became the non-executive chairman of BATM AdvancedCommunications – an Israeli high techcompany listed on the London StockExchange. He remained chairman untilhis death in October 1999, beingactively involved until the very lastmonths of his life.

David Goldman is survived by hiswife, Cynthia, who now resides inLondon, and their two sons, Andrewand Daniel, both now living in Israel. Inthe legacy of David Goldman, thefamily continues to support numerouscauses through its active philanthropicactivities. The new Musicians’ CompanyAward with endowments already madeat the Sage Gateshead in the North Eastand the Jerusalem Music Centre inIsrael, to make the recipients of theMusicians’ Company Award the latestyoung musicians to be helped by theGoldman family. Music and educationwere great loves for David Goldmanand these endowments are a fittingtribute to his life and interests.David Goldman

Debbie Wiseman MBE with the Immediate Pastmaster and Mrs Summerfield

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The Master writes…

Those liverymen who attended the adjudication at the Royal

College of Music in January wererewarded with a range of enviableperformance standards, illustrative of fine instrumental and vocalattainment by the contestants. Their individual and challengingprogrammes provided a wonderfulvariety of music, which most of uswould be unlikely to encounter in the course of only one evening.

Given the technical standards, ofwhich none present could be indoubt, the observations of theadjudicators – Liverymen ProfessorChristopher Hogwood, Ronald Corpand Freeman Christopher Orton –were understandably directedtowards the communication skills ofthe competitors: Oscar Fernandez (Cello), Konstantin Lapshin (Piano), Duncan Rock (Baritone), Kathryn Rudge (Mezzo–soprano) and James Turnbull (Oboe).

The outright winner was DuncanRock. The Audience Prize in memoryof Mrs Prudi Hoggarth, presented tothe finalist achieving the highestnumber of votes cast by the audience,was awarded to Kathryn Rudge.

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Liveryman Professor ChristopherHogwood CBE is one of our most

distinguished musicians. He is bestknown for his immense contribution tothe field of period music specializing inbaroque and classical music. He iscurrently the Gresham Professor ofMusic and giving a series of wonderfullectures focusing on many dimensions ofthe interpretation and performance ofperiod repertoire. The Gresham Collegeweb page sets out admirably the sheerscale and scope of his activities,achievements and honours. CourtAssistant Christopher Lawrence enjoyeda wide-ranging conversation with hislong-term friend and colleague onbehalf of Preserve Harmony.

Chris and I have known each otherfor longer than either of us care toremember, so conducting a formalstructured interview was always goingto be a challenge. And so it proved.Each question prompted responses thatrapidly developed into wide rangingdiscussions on and around the topics.

One of the hallmarks of greatinnovators and original thinkers such asChris is that they constantly challengeconventional thinking and wisdomsforcing us to consider anew what hasbecome taken for granted as the “right”way to approach familiar things.

We looked back over the last 40 yearsto the early 70’s when the period

instrument movement began in earnest inthis country. He feels that the initialcampaign for acceptance has now largelyrun its course. What was sensibly shoutedabout early on no longer has to be. Thereare very few dissenters. He feels that theconcept and practice of period scholarshipand approach has been absorbed aswidely as possible in the US and Europe.It is now mainstream.

We have a come a very long way, hesaid, from the time when Julian Breamwas not allowed to study the guitar as hismain instrument at the Royal College as itwas then considered a folk instrumentwith no real repertoire! Furthermore,Julliard in New York has at last started totake period performance seriously, albeit30 years after most other leadingconservatoires.

He now finds that he no longer has abattle working with large symphonyorchestras about different playing styles.Time was when in the US, he was told: “Ididn’t go to Julliard to play withoutvibrato!”

Chris related a recent experience withthe Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, where heperformed two Haydn symphonies in thesame programme. First, The Philosopher,an extraordinary early work with two coranglais using a very small string sectionand then one of the London symphonies.The London work required the full bandbut, interestingly, not as many fiddles as

An interview with

ChristopherHogwood

THE PRINCE’SPRIZE 2010

The Master and Kathryn Rudge

Duncan Rock

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were available to Haydn. He got themusicians not playing in the earlysymphony to listen in the hall and askedfor their feedback and impressions. Theresponse was very positive and everybodycould, at last, hear the cor anglais! Theysaw how rebalancing the forces to matchthose available to Haydn in Esterhazy,changed the music and theirunderstanding of it.

Chris has recently been conducting TheMarriage of Figaro in the Zurich OperaHouse. The pit orchestra has players whoare equally able to perform on modern orperiod instruments. There is no need to“import” a period band such as happensat Covent Garden.

The battle has now largely been won. He feels strongly that now is the time

for the period approach to be integratedfully into Conservatoires’ core curricula;that it should no longer be a “special”subject but one that should form part ofevery student’s course of study. He argues,very cogently, that no pianist performingclassical concerti should do so withouthaving had some experience of theinstruments for which the composerswrote.

Learning about the wider historical,social and musical context of the period,what other composers were writing andconventions for performing styles,including articulation and ornamentation

transforms and enhances the way aperformer or teacher will approach andinterpret this repertoire. To play earlymusic, he said, you need to understand itin context.

This reflection on the expansion ofperiod instrument performance andpractice led to a discussion about China,where Chris has recently been conductingmaster classes at the Beijing conservatoire.There are sixteen million Chinese learningthe piano – quite something when youthink of the one child per family regime!However, there are only six harpsichordsin the whole of China, two of which arein Hong Kong. China is catching up fastfollowing the repression of classical musicduring the Cultural Revolution. However,the teaching model is focused very muchon technical accomplishment. He heardsome wonderful string playing - but it allsounded like Tchaikovsky.

We had an aside about the recentcontribution he made to the Mozart feston Radio 3. During his talk they playedGundula Janowitz singing Ach ich fuhl’sfrom The Magic Flute with Klemperer andthe Philharmonia. We both agreed that itwas beautiful but that it sounded morelike Die Rosenkavalier than Mozart. Butthat is a measure, I said, of how far wehad come both in our understanding ofstyle but also our expectations.

Coming back to Beijing, as yet, the styleand language of the eighteenth century areunknown to the students and theirteachers. They are all striving to besoloists. They have all listened to the samerecordings and are seeking to develop thesame soloistic sound, underpinned by thedevelopment of virtuoso technique. Rarelydo they learn to sight read, developorchestral experience and techniques,teaching methods and approaches. Hesummed it up very effectively saying theyare still thinking horizontally rather thanharmonically.

Clearly, only a very small percentage ofthe sixteen million students will build solocareers and this broader approach tocareers and progress in music will be veryimportant. There could well be a parallelwith Japan where the distance that hasbeen travelled in the last 30 years or so is

immense. It is remarkable how Japanhas embraced period

performance with Suzuki,for example, well known

through his Bachrecordings, nowchallenging the best.

There is noreason why this

will not happen in China as well. Afterall, Chris informed me, the first everrecording on a baroque lute, many yearsago, I suspect, was made by a Japaneselutenist.

We moved on to his recent experienceof our own Prince’s Prize. His instinctiveand heartfelt reaction was that this was avery good thing and (he) gave full marksto the Company for creating it. He likedvery much that, as a prize forprizewinners, it was something he saw asan acknowledgement and recognition ofattainment as much as confirmation offuture potential. The context of the recitalfor the contestants distinguished it frommany mainstream competitions. He wasparticularly struck by Duncan Rock’schoice of the Ned Rorem song – A NightBattle. It was really tough to deliver butwas performed with great conviction thathe felt really communicated.

This brought us back to the currentChinese teaching approach of higher,faster and louder and an agreement thatthis had very little to do with the art ofperforming, of reaching out to andcommunicating with an audience. Chrisfeels that many pupils are pushed in to acontinuing sequence of competitions thatcan become a raison d’être in and ofthemselves. However, the world outside isnot based around competitions. The skillsthat lead to competition success will notreally help build a sustainable musicalcareer.

He believes fervently that there is realneed to teach and advise young musicianshow to understand their strengths andplay to them; how to build programmesand recitals; how to create links toaudiences, how to talk to them, how toenter and leave a stage, how toacknowledge applause. He comes acrosstoo many talented young musicians wholack these basic skills. This lack alsoextends into what are now the essentialareas of demonstration recording,uploading videos onto Youtube, web sitemanagement, basic business and tax skills.

There are, of course, many greatteachers who do this but, he argues, weshould be considering making this part ofthe core curricula in our conservatoires inthose where it is not. He feels that this isan area that we as a Company with ourfocus on young musicians will have muchto contribute. As always, Chris “walks thetalk” and his offer at the end of ourdiscussion was to lead a debate with us onthis important topic.

(To be continued.) Phot

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There are several ways in whichCorporate Members (CM) and the

Company will interface. Corporatemembers’ staff of all grades are welcomeat our musical events, such as theMusicians’ Company Concerts inWigmore Hall, classical and jazzcompetitions, the annual Bach Cantataand St Paul’s Evensong besides manyother one-off events. A number of CMrepresentatives may attend the Company’sgrand occasions such as the InstallationDinner and Midsummer Banquet, wherethey would have unique networkingopportunities with members from theWCOM, other City livery companies,many distinguished professionals from themusic world, as well as with otherCorporate Members. A CM may beinvited to provide a speaker at our annualCompany Debate where its staff are alsowelcome to attend and CMs will becredited on our website, in our magazinePreserve Harmony, the annual yearbookand concert programmes.

CM subscriptions are used specificallyto fund the Company’s HonoraryFellowship which supports a project by aprominent professional musician each yearin a variety of different genres includingthose not currently embraced, such asmusic therapy, music theatre or filmmusic. Funds from CM subscriptions willalso be used to support a new “Musicians’Company Corporate Members’ Award”for needy young musicians working in avariety of genres, or recent graduates in themusic business who need extra training orstudy to further their careers. Each year adifferent purpose for the Award will bedetermined by the Company’s CorporateMembers’ Committee.

The distinction of being our first CMgoes to Boosey & Hawkes. Founded in1930 from a merger of two respectedmusic companies, Boosey & Company

and Hawkes & Son,its history in fact goesback much further.Boosey & Company

traces its roots back to a bookshop at 4Old Bond Street in London established byThomas Boosey in about 1792. Hawkes& Son, initially a rival to Boosey’s, wasfounded in 1865 by William Henry

Hawkes selling orchestral sheet music.The company also made musicalinstruments and spare parts such asclarinet reeds, and by 1925 Hawkes hadset up an instrument factory in Edgware,North London. After the merger, the newcompany set about establishing one of themost significant and valuable cataloguesof music by contemporary composers.Bartók, Leonard Bernstein, Britten,Copland, Kodály, Mahler, Prokofiev,Rachmaninoff, Richard Strauss andStravinsky are just a few of the majornames whose works are owned orrepresented by B&H. The company alsohas substantial interests in printed sheetmusic and new media, commissioning andproducing music for television, film andradio use.

The second CM to subscribe was theMusic Sales Group, one of the world’s

leadingindependentmusic

publishing companies. With head-quarterstoday in London, the firm was originallyestablished as a printed music company inNew York in 1935, chiefly producingclassical and tutorial material. Since then,it has expanded into an internationalfamily of wholly owned companies withinterests in copyright promotion, sheetmusic and book publishing, musicretailing, and digital exploitation. Thegroup’s global network of publishinghouses includes brands such as Bosworth,Chester Music, Novello, J. Curwen, G.Schirmer, Edition Wilhelm Hansen,Campbell Connelly, The Sparta FloridaMusic Group, Edition Choudens andUnión Musical Ediciones. Between themthese imprints own over 200,000copyrights spanning every musical genre.An unrivalled back catalogue ofcontemporary composers such asStravinsky, Poulenc, Sibelius and SamuelBarber is complemented by leading livingcomposers including John Tavener,Michael Nyman, Richard Rodney Bennett,Philip Glass, Gabriel Yared and LudovicoEinaudi. In the field of printed music thecompany represents clients such asUniversal Music, Sony Music, The ReallyUseful Group, Peer Music, and Chrysalis.Consequently Music Sales produces and

distributes contemporary pop materialfrom leading artists such as Abba, TheBeatles, Bob Dylan, U2, Led Zeppelin,Oasis and Lady Gaga to name but a few.All the company’s products can bepurchased through a worldwide networkof independent music retailers andwholesalers, as well as online and througha chain of Musicroom stores in the UK.Liveryman Chris Butler is Chief OperatingOfficer of Music Sales.

Following a successful reception in June2010 for potential CMs, two furtherbusinesses immediately subscribed.Liveryman Robert Wilson founded SoundTechnology Ltd in 1978, and the companyof which he is now Chairman is one of the

largest independentdistributors of musicinstruments and

professional audio products in the UK andEire. Representing a number of high-profile brands in the UK, the companyprovides sales, marketing and supportservices. It is one of the few companiesbridging the worlds of musicalinstruments and professional audio,supplying ‘everything audio’. Its portfolioof products ranges from acoustic andelectric guitars to digital stage pianos,studio microphones to recording software,live sound consoles to ceiling speakers,audio networking to festival PA systems.

Our other new CM is The MusicIndustries Association (MIA), the UKtrade association that represents the musicmanufacturing industry. It has the missionof “Creating and Encouraging MusicMaking”. MIA members include themanufacturers, distributors, publishersand retailers of instruments and associated

products. It alsoembraces educatorsfrom within the

industry. Member companies range fromABRSM to Yamaha and Classic FM toFender, covering all instrument types andmusical genres, and including music shopsthroughout the breadth of the UK. TheMIA also runs the industry charity, Musicfor All, which helps people of all ages andbackgrounds to be able to start playing aninstrument. Freeman Paul McManus is theCEO of the MIA.

In welcoming all these companies to theMusicians’ Company family (and notforgetting Pastmaster MauriceSummerfield’s own music instrumentcompany, which enjoys the status ofhonorary CM for its provision ofextensive services in kind to the WCOM),we hope that other industry CEOs will beinspired to join us in our mission tosupport young musicians at the start oftheir careers. Together we can make adifference.Pastmaster Leslie East Corporate Members’ Coordinator

Corporate MembershipThe Worshipful Company of Musicians may be over 500 years old but itcertainly doesn’t live in the past. Instigated by Pastmaster Andreas Prindlin 2006, corporate membership has enabled the Company to engage withsome of the leading commercial businesses in the UK music world. Thereare now five corporate members of which the first was SummerfieldMusic Industries, and the Company is looking to recruit more to what willbe a select, dedicated and very relevant group of Company supporters.

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For seventeen years I have swum five orsix mornings a week – having tried

jogging and hated it, I felt I must dosomething to offset the constant round oflunches and dinners. Until I remarried in2000 this meant a swimming pool, usuallythe RAC in Pall Mall. Jennie thenpersuaded me to join her as a member ofthe Serpentine Swimming Clubin Hyde Park. Members canswim between 6.30 and 9.30every day of the year, withhandicapped races everySaturday and the big race onChristmas Day – an event thathas taken place every year since1864.

The club has swimmers of all abilitiesand, inspired by some of the memberswho have completed a channel relay,friends suggested that we should swim asSerpentine Swimming Veterans. Qualifiedchannel pilots have to be booked a yearahead and it didn’t seem a bad idea lastAugust. When May came round itsuddenly dawned that we had better findout what we needed to do. The answerwas that to be allowed to go we had topass a medical and then do a qualifyingswim of two hours continuous in DoverHarbour, while the water was below 61degrees. To be formally accredited, relayswimmers have to swim for an hour at atime, always in the same sequence, untilyou reach the other side. The rules ondress, or rather lack of it, are very simple– bathing trunks and one ordinaryswimming cap only, no neoprene caps, nowetsuits or any other aids.

Out team went to Dover on fourweekends, together with a couple of other

sea swims, but most of our training was inthe Serpentine, in my case doing an hourmost mornings from the beginning ofJune. Our slot was for the seven daysstarting September 14th but two otherswimmers ahead of us had booked ourpilot so the waiting started. On September18th we were told to be at Dover to start

at 04.50 the followingday. I packed all mykit, only to be calledat 7.30 that eveningand informed that thewaves the next daywere forecast to be 4to 5 feet and we must

wait – not advice Ifelt like disputing.On Mondayevening we weretold to be at Doverat 6am the nextmorning and at6.50 our firstswimmer enteredthe sea. We were a team of six but onceon board the official observer said thatour travelling reserve could swimproviding we were not trying to beat theofficial record – not something we everenvisaged.

The conditions were perfect, very littleswell and bright sunshine so at 11.50,when it was my turn to swim, we were inthe middle of the shipping channel,listening to the Dover coastguard pointingout to the ferries and freighters that wewere in the water and unable to changecourse. I was covered in rather noxiousgrease and a special sunscreen containing

jellyfish repellent, which was only testedonce in my case. We made steady progressso that when I went in for my secondhour at 18.50 the French coast began tolook within range. However, as the sunsank below the horizon the air rapidlybecame chilly, added to which the pilotinformed me that if we didn’t get there inthe next three and a half hours the tidewould take us past Cap Gris Nez and itwould take us four hours or more to getback. Nighttime swimming was a newexperience, with lights attached to one’scap and trunks, but the main problem wasthe cold. The rules allow a drink to bethrown to the swimmer after half an hourand I was grateful for the warmth, whilealways careful to stay well clear of theboat, as touching it would meandisqualification. At 21.50 our bestswimmer finished his third hour and wewere within a few hundred yards of the

beach by Cap Gris Nez lighthouse.Our next man waded ashore after15 hours and 12 minutes. The tripback was rather shorter, underthree hours, and was the occasionof a double celebration as ourleader reached his 70th birthday atmidnight.

I discovered why Jennie hadbeen so keen for me to do it when

she suggested, a couple of weeks beforewe went, that I should use it to raisemoney for Riding for the Disabled whichshe still supports in London. My targetwas £8,000, which, with Gift Aid, Iexceeded!

Asked whether I would want to do itagain. I think the answer is ‘no’, not somuch because of the swim on the day butbecause I think success depended on the100 miles or so I did in practice.Court Assistant Sir Anthony Cleaver

The Channel ChallengeWe always feel that our readers enjoy hearing occasionally aboutmembers of the Livery’s activities that don’t involve musical pursuits. Sowe invited Sir Anthony Cleaver to enlighten us!

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We are thrilled to have been recognisedby the Worshipful Company of

Musicians for ArtsEd’s Musical Theatretraining, and we would like tocongratulate Abigail Brodie on being thevery first recipient of this new Award.

Abigail says, “I am honoured to receivesuch a prestigious award from such arecognised institution.” While training atArtsEd Abigail starred in Jerry Springerthe Opera and excelled in her performanceas Etcetera in Cats. Since finishing herdegree she has returned to Plymouthwhere she appeared in a professionalproduction of Lend me a Tenor.

As Principal of ArtsEd, I was delightedto be a guest at the Installation Dinner inNovember, and all my colleagues feelprivileged to be the first performing artsinstitution to have a student recognisedfor her contribution to Musical Theatre asa discipline. I am looking forward to along and happy relationship with theWorshipful Company of Musicians.

Established in 1919, we are now aworld renowned, leading training providerfor the performing arts. Based in the leafysuburb of Chiswick in the heart of theBedford Park Conservation Area, theschool will have been based at its currentpremises for 25 years in September.ArtsEd now comprises four schools, aSchool of Musical Theatre and aSchool of Acting offeringundergraduate and postgraduate

courses, the Independent Day School (11-18yrs) and an established Part-TimeSchool offering evening, weekend andholiday courses.

Chris Hocking, Director of the Schoolof Musical Theatre and Deputy Principalhas developed the School of MusicalTheatre over the last 11 years and is nowleading the UK in musical theatre trainingwith 100% agency representation ongraduation from the BA Hons MusicalTheatre course. This year Chrisintroduced the first MA in MusicalTheatre Creative Practice in the UK,training directors, musical directors andchoreographers.

Our musical theatre programmes developstudents as ‘triple threat’ performers,offering multiple skills in singing, actingand dancing. Students have theopportunity to work alongside prominentindustry figures, including directors,musical directors and choreographers tobuild their skills to become confidentperformers ready for the professionalindustry and further education.

The Musical Theatre course isstructured to take each student on acreative learning journey that allows themto develop individual and group skillsrequired to become intelligent, imaginativeall-round performers. They will discover

how to develop their own personalitiesto perform with confidence, character,musicality and style.

In Years One and Two the three

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Jane Harrison,the Masterand Abigail

Brodie

The Company Silver Medal was inaugurated in 1890 and has subsequentlybeen awarded annually to nominated students of distinction at theprincipal British conservatoires and to young musicians in the ArmedForces. Last year the Court agreed that a Silver Medal would in futurealso be awarded each year to a student from the Arts EducationalSchools in Chiswick and the first recipient, Abigail Brodie, received hermedal at the Installation Court in November. The Principal of ArtsEd,Jane Harrison, writes:

A Silver Medal for the ArtsEducational Schools

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Above: My Favorite Year, 2009. Left: Abigail Brodie in 'Cats', 2010

core skills required by a musical theatreperformer are developed in dance, singingand acting. The weekly dance classescover the many different disciplinesrequired by today’s performers; Jazz,Classical ballet, pas de deux, Tap, StreetJazz and contemporary dance. Everystudent receives weekly one to one singingand repertoire tuition: weekly ensembleclasses, weekly performance and actingthrough song classes. The actingworkshops build students’ confidence inperformance, learning a wide range ofacting styles and techniques alongsidegaining important tools needed to developa well supported and expressive voice.

The third and final year of the course isa production year aimed to get studentsready for the professional environment.Students will perform on a regular basis

and participate in full scale publicperformances, equipping each studentwith the stamina to go straight intoprofessional productions. The trainingculminates in a West End showcase for aninvited audience of industry figuresincluding casting directors, agents,producers, directors and choreographers.

We welcome you all to experience thehigh standard of our training and come tosee one of our exciting public productionsin our Summer Season. Our final yearactors and musical theatre students willfeature in Grand Hotel, by Luther Davis,Music & Lyrics Robert Wright andGeorge Forrest, Arcadia by Tom Stoppardand Victoria by David Greig. For furtherinformation of our productions and manycourses offered, please visit:www.artsed.co.uk

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Marcus Farnworth Royal Academy of Music

Elsa Bradley Bulgin M

Justina Gringyte Royal WelshCollege of Music

BM WO1 Peter Brydon RoyalMilitary School of Music

Ben San Lau Royal College of Organists

Musician Ian Shepher

Snr ACW Rebecca WorthingtonRoyal Air Force

Brian O’Kane Guildhall School of Music

The Master and Wardens with this year’s medallists

Musician Russell Baker Royal Marines

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Medal Tom Poulson Royal ScottishAcademy of Music

Sophie Rosa Royal NorthernCollege of Music

rd Musician Dawid Venter Sgt Andrew ChettleburghRoyal Air Force

Jack McNeill Birmingham Conservatoire

Laura Pou Trinity College Laban

Musician John Walker Royal Marines

Abigail Brodie Arts Ed the new medal

Bd Sgt Matt Weites Royal Marines

Jiafeng ChenRoyal College of Music

Snr ACW Kim Lagos Royal Air Force

12

Up until the late nineteenth century,sheet music was produced by a

laborious and inflexible process such thateditions of musical works were beyondthe means of most people. In 1867, MaxAbraham, owner of C.F. Peters MusicPublishers in Leipzig, grasped theopportunity offered by a new rotary pressand, in a burst of creative energy,established “Edition Peters” as the firstcollection of major musical works bondedtogether by consistent brand identity anda consistent approach to music editing,typography, and – best of all for theaverage musician – a thoroughlyaffordable pricing policy. Other publishersjoined in and the world of sheet music aswe know it today exploded across Europe.Some might say that this was the last timethat classical music publishers embraced atechnological challenge with enthusiasmand imagination.

As it happens, classical publishers facemany challenges at the moment. Each isalso an enormous opportunity. We cannot

expect to use a nineteenth century modelof music publishing in the twenty-first –although some industry colleagues hankerfor this. Here are a few of some publishers’least favourite things and suggestionsabout how we might face them.

In the UK, collecting society subsidiesthat used to support the kind of music wemay personally love, but are jolly difficultto explain to those who think their ownmusic equally deserving, have been largelydismantled. Similar issues are arising inother countries. There is also substantialscaling back of governmental support ofthe arts in many European countries –certainly in our own. Contemporaryclassical music is frighteningly dependenton this kind of subsidy. Besides wailing,gnashing our teeth and rending ourclothes, how should publishers react? Sofar, the wailing approach has been thefavourite.

Rather than wasting time moaningabout cultural vandalism, we shouldidentify and build relationships with

wealthy individuals and organizationswho can exercise personal choice in whatthey support. This is, after all, hardly anew model for classical music: Haydn &Esterházy, Palestrina & the Church,Tchaikovsky & Madam Nadejda vonMeck.

Computers have taken over “engraving”music – now an endearingly old-fashionedand physically inappropriate term. This isa huge benefit, because most composersnow send in ready-engraved scores.However, this raises the dread possibilitythat some composers might self-publishtheir music and have no need of us.

We need to ensure that we are offeringother professional services to composersthat they also value and need, so thatbeing attached to a reputable publishinghouse really opens doors for them.

Music shops across the world have beengoing out of business. There is now nonein Birmingham, for example. Some havenot kept up with contemporary retailstandards, while others are being beaten

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Issues in Classical Music Publishing TodayLiveryman Nicholas Riddle is CEO of the Edition Peters Group, formed last August from firms in the UK,Germany and the US that owe their origins to the publishing house founded in Leipzig in 1800. He has been atPeters Edition in London since 1993 after a career in the computer industry. He is a Director of the MusicPublishers’ Association and of the International Confederation of Music Publishers, a Trustee of the KathleenFerrier Awards, and is an organist and choral director.

Nicholas Riddle

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My appointment at the RoyalNorthern College of Music as

“Research Fellow in Composition andImprovisation” officially started lastautumn and some of the brief is to adaptmy compositions and arrangements tosuit the ensembles of students wishingto perform there. So far? A positionbursting with potential and all roundedification!

For some time, an increasing numberof students were becoming interested inensembles of a “hybrid” nature. That isto say, at the risk of falling between thegaps in traditional curriculum for one ofthe Royal Colleges: string playerswishing to team up with non-classicalplayers; larger percussion groups insearch of repertoire that resonates alittle more with what got them sold ona life in music; and more.

This I always believed to be a naturalexpansion of the listening intake ofcreative music students everywhere, notjust nationally but throughout theworld. I studied composition at theGuildhall School and quickly got intojazz and its addictive improvisationalfreedom. There is no more welcomingstarting point when looking at theenormous eclecticism in today’s musicand making some kind of sense of it!

I’ve been able to perform asaxophone concerto with a students’string ensemble in which the soloistimprovises, and the group have to bethat much more autonomous when itcomes to taking charge of their writtenmaterial, there being no conductor andwith a soloist who plays somethingdifferent at each run-through! I’ve takena group of saxophonists and written ina section where the group en-masse,have co-composed their way back to theoriginal theme. It is a joy to be givingthese talented young players such alarge slice of the action; as thecomposer, I can encourage quite a lot of“controlled freedom” and (endeavourto, at least) maintain an overall sense inthe composition. Is this jazz? No, notreally, but I’d say it takes the approachof jazz, and delights in bringing theworlds of the performer and the actualcomposer closer together.

Does this belittle the notion of ourwonderful heritage of notated music?Quite the opposite, I feel, as throughthis process many students are helped tosee why the composers’ choices in theirexisting repertoire are so utterly rightand it gives, at least I hope, a feeling ofempowerment to players that will helpthem give commanding performances oftheir mainstream repertoire.

Today there is such mutual respectbetween notated, and less notated,musical idioms in so much of ourindustry and equally, from our post-iPod generation, earnest youngmusicians. They have, generally speaking,all the facility that students in oldergenerations had, but their tastes can bewildly broad. Today’s musicians willthrive more easily anyway if they canaccommodate a broad base. It need notinhibit their growing area of specialism;I would hope that it would help themcelebrate a certain unity that all musicshares.

I am honoured to be both teaching,and learning, at this great and forward-looking establishment.Freeman Tim Garland

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by online music retailers with dramaticallylower overheads. Some of these are nowhuge, concentrating a lot of market powerinto very few hands.

There is still life in music retailing, andwe need to foster that, but it will probablybe at a lower level and only in majorcentres. We need to be much moreimaginative about how we get oureditions into the hands of musicians andbuild first-class on-line relationships withthem. The internet means above all anexplosion in individual choice, after all.

Sheet music is being shared on theinternet, sometimes illegally but oftenentirely legally, because there is nocopyright element in an older edition ofmusic in the public domain. Some music isalso being made available by publishersand retailers for paid download. Theconvenience of this should not be under-estimated. Even if you don’t want to getyour Beethoven Sonatas that way, youmay find it acceptable for a Schubert songyou need in a hurry. What does this do tothe cost of printing the “real thing”? Willit become uneconomic to print music“properly”?

Just as in Max Abraham’s day, there is aprinting revolution going on, this timewith digital printing technology that isturning the economics of printing musicupside down again. We should make themost of that. It is also crucial we don’tleave the best tunes in the hands of thefree or illegal downloaders and get outthere with technologically innovative waysto get music into the hands or onto thescreens of musicians who want it thatway. This means investment.

For decades, most major musicpublishers have published the kind ofcontemporary music that a colleague ofmine describes as “yet another dose ofpost-Second World War alienation”. Theaudience for this is modest. In the nextyears, a huge swathe of composers likeRichard Strauss, Bartok, Rachmaninoff,Prokofiev and others will come to the endof their copyright protection. Are theregiants of the same stature lurking inpublishers’ lists? The musical public doesnot seem to be validating as many as itdid in the past.

We had better just face up to this one.Publishers have had two illusions for toolong: (1) if we wait long enough, thismusic will be accepted; and, (2) ourpromotion departments will be able tochange public taste. None of us hasanything like the resources to do this, andthe truth is that most successful music wasalready significantly accepted in itscomposer’s lifetime. If we want tocontinue publishing intellectuallychallenging music, we’d better find a newfinancial model for it, part of which mightinclude looking at what does actually

excite audiences.Compared with us, pop music

publishers world-wide are busier with,and more aware of, issues such asrationalizing the expensive Europeancollecting society network, easingrestrictions on licensing music for legaldownload or streaming, mash-ups, and soon, and warding off governmental

slipperiness on protecting the rights ofcreative artists. Classical publishers needto move beyond parochial issues, startbehaving more with the innovative flairthat characterized our forefathers, andcontribute to these crucially importantissues.Liveryman Nicholas Riddle

Beyond More TraditionalBoundaries?

Tim Garland

Boddy, and the lessons read from thelectern by selected officials. Traditionalalso were the congregational items: weonce again sang ‘that glorious song of old’,attentive to the tidings of the Christmasangel. Nine interpolated choir items wereadventurously eclectic, ranging from theearly 16th-century John Sheppard to asmany as three 21st-century commissionsdating from 2004, 2006 and 2010.

Most striking amongst all theconfidently delivered and firmly led choircontributions was the first performance ofCome to your Heaven, ye heavenly choir,

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Question: When is a copy not a fake?Answer: When the copy is by

Constable for a Royal Academy masterclass. Interestingly the original painting ofLandscape with Windmills near Haarlemby Van Ruisdael has subsequently beenrestored and is no longer as close toConstable’s copy. A figure, found to havebeen added, was removed during therestoration but remains in the Constable.

This was amongst some of theinteresting information we heard duringour tour of the Dulwich Picture Gallery(DPG) guided by the Gallery’s director,Ian Dejardin. Livery Club PresidentVirginia Harding, who is also a WorkingFriend of DPG, organized the Februaryvisit. Included in the tour was a look atone of Ian and Virginia’s favourites in thecollection, of a charming bull, which alsoturned out to be deceptive. Painted by theFlemish Ommegank (1755-1826), it looksas though it was painted in seventeenthcentury Holland.

DPG is England’s first public art gallery.It was founded in 1811 when Sir FrancisBourgeois RA bequeathed his collection ofold masters under the terms of his will“for the inspection of the public”.Bourgeois left another condition in hiswill: that the architect for the new galleryshould be his friend, Sir John Soane. Thebuilding has influenced the design of artgalleries ever since. The pioneering roof-lanterns diffuse a natural top light,creating an even wash of light over thewalls, ideal for viewing paintings. Theoutstanding collection of seventeenth andeighteenth century old masters includesmajor works by Rembrandt, Van Dyck,

Murillo, Poussin, Watteau, Gainsborough,Rubens, Tiepolo and Canaletto. Aroundthree hundred and fifty works are onpermanent display. The Gallery also mountsa series of international loan exhibitions,which contribute to its reputation as animportant venue for art lovers.

With limited time for his tour of thepermanent collection, Ian concentrated onpicking out some favourite and moreunusual exhibits that whetted our appetiteto return and spend more time. Our tourended at the Norman Rockwell

Mother Nature played her part inproviding seasonable cold and

frost for the Company’s annual CarolService. The hard-working home teamprovided all the music, with the tenadult voices of the choir under thedirection of Pastmaster JonathanRennert, the indefatigable OrganScholar Gregory Drott being at thenewly restored Nicholson organ.

The familiar format of Nine Lessonsand Carols was adopted, with theBidding Prayer read by the CompanyHonorary Chaplain, the Reverend Alan

LIVERY CLUB VISITS

exhibition. NormanRockwell’s heart-warmingdepictions of everyday lifemade him the best-knownAmerican artist of the 20th

century. He lived andworked through one of themost eventful periods inthe nation’s history, and hispaintings vividly chronicledthose times. The exhibitionincludes all 323 SaturdayEvening Post coverscreated between 1916 and1963, along withillustrations foradvertisements, magazinesand books.

The DPG celebrates its200th year with aninternational loanexhibition featuring aMasterpiece a Month. Ourvisit coincided with DiegoVelasquez’s El bufon donSebastian de Morra onloan from The Prado.Future months will featureworks by Vermeer, vanGogh and David Hockneyamongst others.

Supper in the GalleryCafé, an opportunity for friends to chatand new acquaintances to be made,followed the tour. During supper theLivery handed a donation to the Friendsof DPG to help with the fees of the artistsfor the evening’s concert. In helping toorganize the concert, Virginia again had adual role as she is on the Gallery ConcertCommittee.

We returned to the Gallery for a recitalby the winner of the 2008 Prince’s Prize,cellist Brian O’Kane. An avid chambermusic player, Brian has toured in the Far

last year’s commission, fulfilled byFrederick Stocken. The words by StRobert Southwell – the short-lived Jesuitmartyr – were enlivened with a highlydemanding organ part, which would putthis setting beyond the bounds of possibilityfor an average choir and organist.

Dr Stocken was less technicallydemanding in the choral writing butalways effective in sympathetic setting ofthe chosen poem. What made thecomposition immediately accessible to thecongregation even at a first hearing wasthe sense of tonal progression andpredictable phrase-length. If only morecontemporary composers knew how toengage the willing attention of their

Carol Service at St Michael’s Cornhill

Visit to DulwichPicture Gallery

'El Buffon' Don Sebastian de Morra

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listeners, ensuring that a first-performancewas not a one-and-only rendering, neverto see the light of day again.

The organ contribution wasdeliberately to the forefront in order todemonstrate the success of Nicholson’srestoration, the first comprehensivework executed since 1929. All thosewho attended the Service would wish tocongratulate Jonathan Rennert inachieving what must be a great delightto him, to have the much-cherishedinstrument in excellent playing order.There is – and was ‘In the bleakmidwinter’ – much to be grateful for atSt Michael’s, Cornhill.Liveryman Graham Matthews

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East, Australia and Europe andcollaborated with a wide variety ofdistinguished artists. Pianist AlasdairBeaston is highly regarded as a distinctiveand accomplished musician. His careerincludes solo recitals at the Wigmore Halland Purcell Rooms and chamber musicperformances in New York andAmsterdam.

The programme started withBeethoven’s Sonata number 2 for pianoand cello in G minor op 5 no 2. A largeintroductory movement, with unusualdotted rhythms and sudden dynamiccontrasts, gave prominence, to Brian’slyrical capabilities with his ’cello withbeautifully poised and delicateaccompaniment from Alasdair Beatson.The faster tempos of the followingmovements were a wonderful virtuosoexercise for both performers. Schumann’sAdagio and Allegro for cello and piano inA flat op 70 is a work of optimism datingfrom a time when Schumann was in goodhealth and spirits.

After a short interval in Suite PopulaireEspagnole by Manuel de Falla, we heardpizzicato chords on the cello imitatingcastanets and invoking Latintemperament. Finally Fauré’s Suite for’cello and piano in G minor op 117showcased both performers and theirinstruments ending with a sparkling finaleof ’cello pizzicato and piano semiquavers.

The musicians demonstrated a range ofemotional contrasts displaying sensitivityto the differing characteristics of theworks and their composers. The eveningended with a glass of wine and furtheropportunity to visit the gallery and chat.Our thanks to Virginia Harding fororganizing a memorable evening of finemusic-making to round off a stimulatingand educational visit.Freeman Ann Redfearn

BOOK REVIEWA life in music: conversations with Sir David Willcocks and friends, ed.William Owen, with foreword byHRH The Prince of Wales (Oxford, ISBN 978919 3360631)When David Willcocks was a chorister inWestminster Abbey, he used to turn pagesfor the organ voluntary after the service.On one occasion the organist had on themusic desk a motoring magazine whosepages he signalled to be turned, while heblithely played the voluntary from memory!

This is one of many anecdotes to befound in a delightful and revealing volumedevoted to the long life of the Company’s91-year-old Gold Medallist Sir DavidWillcocks. A large part of the text ispresented in the first person by Sir David ininterview form, supplemented by interviewswith several of his colleagues and family.

One learns about his time at CliftonCollege with the one-armed director ofmusic Douglas Fox, his years as an armyintelligence officer during World War II andhis experiences as organ scholar at King’sCollege Cambridge under Boris Ord. MaybeI am being unfair when I say that I shouldhave liked to read more about Ord, who isstill a legend in Cambridge, more than fiftyyears after his death. He is described byDVW as a ‘disciplined choir trainer …punctilious over detail’; on the other hand,later in the book the record producerChristopher Bishop refers to him as“immensely emotional… There’s muchmore precision with David”.

As organist of Worcester Cathedral, hebecame one of the Three Choirs Festival

conductors, as well as taking on theconductorship of the City of BirminghamChoir. Later he directed the CUMS chorusand The Bach Choir, and worked closelywith Britten and Howells, amongst others.Sir Philip Ledger comments: “He can standin front of any group of singers in any partof the world, and they respond because he encourages them, he makes them laugh,and they want to give of their best.” RoyMassey adds: “His total commitment to the job in hand became [the singers’] total commitment, and this resulted insuperb singing.”

One of his crowning legacies is his fineseries of choral recordings from King’s(where he directed the music from 1958 to1973). Another must be his carolarrangement in the Carols for Choirscollections, which will continue to be usedby church choirs and choral societiesthroughout the English-speaking world.Thirdly, his influence on generations ofsingers and organists has been enormous. Imyself have reason to be grateful to him forseveral real kindnesses over the years.

I was a little disappointed that the book’seditor, William Owen, though himself a choirtrainer in the USA, refrained from probingSir David’s methods of training boys’ voices.DVW himself briefly mentions that heprefers a ‘pure’ treble tone in Elizabethanmusic, though he will accept ‘a little bit ofwarmth or very slight vibrato’ occasionally ina solo. He says he realises that ‘some peoplefound King’s too effeminate and theywanted a more robust sound’. The nearestto analysis of method is contained in aslightly flippant throwaway remark: “I have

always felt that you learn choirtraining best by watching others,and then by personal experience.”

It is appropriate that David’ssuccessor at King’s, LiverymanStephen Cleobury, is interviewed.In a discussion of his predecessor’schoral performances, Stephenrefers to ‘intonation and blend –two areas in which David isalmost unsurpassed’. Another ofour Liverymen, Leopold deRothschild, calls him ‘dapper [and]upright’. Brian Kay notes that “hecan charm the birds off the treesand fantastic singing out of anynumber of singers… but… youdon’t mess about with him”.

The CD which accompaniesthe book includes extracts fromrecordings by the King’s choir andThe Bach Choir, as well as aHowells psalm-prelude for organ(played with real fire), togetherwith spoken explanations by SirDavid.Pastmaster Jonathan Rennert

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Sir David Willcocks CBE MC

16 Published by The Worshipful Company of Musicians 2011. Registered at Stationers’ Hall. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of either the Court or the editors. Printed by Bakershaw Limited, Tyne & Wear NE12 9SZ

Unless otherwise stated, individual contributors retain their copyrights, and no part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission.

IN MEMORIAMWe record with regret the deaths ofthe following liverymen:Dr Peter AndryLeonard Birkenshaw

COURT NEWS

News

A JOY TO WATCHSteward Suzie Pool is soenthusiastic about the Company’sOutreach programme she just hadto tell us about the recentOutreach session with LambertScholar Jessica Grimes at StJoseph’s RC Primary School.

I have attended a few outreach sessionssince becoming involved with theCompany programme at the start of thisacademic year. They never fail to amazeme. The quality of our Yeomenperformers is quite remarkable and theirability to engage and inspire the childrenis joyful to watch.

The outreach session at St Joseph’sPrimary in Highgateat the beginning ofFebruary stands outthough. Jessie’scareful planning andthought to the eventwere clearlydemonstrated – shehad brought notone, but fourinstruments to thesession. The

children’s love of music was clearly builtupon and the finishing of the session withthe Pink Panther theme an inspired touchto leave the memory of the event fullyimplanted with the children.

In these times when access to musicaleducation is being restricted by an ever-tightening budget, the Company’sOutreach programme provides an accessto music and live performance that maynot otherwise be available. The primarychildren are attentive, often watching andlistening with their eyes wide and gleeful –clapping and moving along to the music. Iam delighted to have the opportunity toparticipate in this most worthy (and fun)of activities and look forward hopefully toseeing more of you at our events!

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SILVER SWAN AWARDLiveryman Patricia Norland Prindl

THE QUEEN’S BIRTHDAYHONOURS.Congratulations to:Liveryman Professor Thompson OBE

Liveryman Nicholas Chisholm MBE

EXTERNAL APPOINTMENTLiveryman Dr Richard Fenwick, Dean

Stephen Dodgson and the Immediate Pastmaster

of Monmouth, has been elected Bishopof St Helena

CHARITABLE DONATIONSLotherton HallMozart Singing CompetitionSt Alban’s Composition CompetitionGresham’s Music SchoolLord Mayor’s AppealLord Mayor’s lunch in aid of the ArmyBenevolent Fund.

APPOINTMENTCongratulations to LiverymanAlistair Telfer who has beenawarded an Honorary Doctorateat the University of WestLondon. Alistair is a graduateof the University and receivedthe honour in recognition ofhis considerable contributionto the life and work of the

University as well as his professionalachievements in hospitality, most recently,as Secretary and Chief Executive of theOxford and Cambridge Club.

EVA KARELLSpace restrictions in our last issue meantthat we could make but scant mention ofthe appointment of ourown “Swedishnightingale” as anadministrative assistantto our indefatigableClerk, Maggie Alford.

Eva’s formal trainingconcluded with anaward of an HonoursDegree at the RoyalCollege of Music in 2009. However, herCV encompasses a far wider breadth ofaccomplishments. Apart from a variedrange of musical skills – first and foremostas a singer – she possesses some years’teaching and diverse administrativeexperience in the field of performing artsfrom which this Company will surelybenefit.

Welcome!

WALTER WILLSONCOBBETT MEDALThe 2010 award was presented to thedistinguished composer Stephen Dodgson– but a perhaps lesser-known fact is thathe is a relative of Lewis Carroll. While hehas written music for a wide range ofgenres he is arguably best known for hisguitar music. It was therefore especiallyappropriate that the presentation wasmade by then Master MauriceSummerfield, given his well recognisedcommitment to that instrument.

Alistair Telfer

Eva Karell

Yeoman Jessica Grimes

ST MICHAEL’SCORNHILLThis booklet is a fascinating anddisarming tale of a long line of interestingand dedicated church musicians some ofwhom were Masters of our Company.These include the author, the presentdirector of St Michael’s, who clearlydelights in the church’slong and distinguishedmusical ministry whichhe continues to foster.

This book is full ofunexpected facts,delightful red herringsand thoughtfulinsights. If you areinterested inchurches, organsor choirs in the Cityof London, this is for you…

Copies available from: St Michael’s Church Vestry Cost £10.00 including p&pPayment to: St Michael’s Church Organ Fund

1

There is nowhere quitelike the Royal Scottish

Academy of Music andDrama. Entering throughthe doors of the Glasgow-based conservatoire opensup a world teeming withlife. It’s often described as‘the jewel in Scotland’scultural crown’ and that’sa very well deservedaccolade.

2011 is set to be anotheroutstanding year for theAcademy. Each year thestandards of productionand performance continue to rise, togetherwith the number of memorableexperiences created for students, staff andaudiences alike. Of more long-termsignificance, and following extensivepublic consultation and parliamentaryapproval, will be the change of name fromthe Royal Scottish Academy of Music andDrama to the Royal Conservatoire ofScotland. Having recently added coursesin Dance to the Academy’s portfolio, thismeant that the current name no longercovered the breadth of what is on offer. Italso meant that RSAMD became the firstUK conservatoire to offer degree coursesin all three performing arts.

“What’s on offer here in Glasgow isdiverse and specialist across drama, dance,and music,” says Principal of theAcademy, Professor John Wallace CBE.“Composition, classical and traditionalmusic, jazz, opera, ballet, musical theatre,acting, digital film and TV, technical andproduction arts and contemporaryperformance practice are all crucial

elements to ourcurriculum. We arestrong in performance-based research andcelebrate innovation,collaboration andcreativity in all we do.We even teach theteachers through our BEd.With all of this going onit was no longer realisticto have the RSAMDname. So, comeSeptember we will be theRoyal Conservatoire ofScotland.”

Since taking over the helm at theAcademy in 2002, John Wallace has beenan inspirational leader. From the verybeginning, he recognised that to remainsustainable in an ever increasingcompetitive world, the Academy had toposition itself as a world-class centre ofexcellence. And that’s exactly what he’sdone. With more than 800 students from48 countries enjoying a unique high-levelconservatoire experience in theperformance and production of music,dance and drama, the Academy is fullyimmersed in the cultural and economicwellbeing of the country. Students enjoyworld-class facilities that nurture theirindividual development in a supportiveatmosphere where collaboration withprofessional organisations and individualsis encouraged and facilitated. TheAcademy is in a unique position.Glasgow is home to most of the nationalperforming arts companies and as a resultof much hard work over the years by JohnWallace and his team of high calibre

teaching staff, close working relationshipshave been forged with the BBC, theNational Theatre of Scotland, ScottishBallet, Scottish Opera, the Royal ScottishNational Orchestra and a range of otherperforming companies both in and beyondScotland.

As Professor Wallace has said, “theintensive training at the Academy enablesour graduates to contribute to the worldas artists, cultural leaders and globalcitizens. Our alumni are testament tothis,” and students coming to theAcademy learn from and perform with thebest in the world. Internationallyrenowned conductors such a VladimirAshkenazy, Ilan Volkov and DonaldRunnicles have graced the stage with theRSAMD Symphony Orchestra. Added to

The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama

1

this exceptional list of visiting artists, theAcademy has more full-time staff than anyBritish conservatoire, an exceptionallystrong international reach and with theappointment of International Fellows theAcademy is, without doubt, the place tolearn. The sharing of resources to developyoung people, adults and the widercommunity is a crucial aspect of theAcademy’s strategy to inform both thefuture identity and health of our society.The RSAMD’s Dance, Drama &Musicworks programmes, specialist shortcourses, summer schools and JuniorAcademy of Music, reach many thousandsannually, and continue to thrive andflourish.

With such an influential and highcalibre staff and young players ofoutstanding talent, is it any wonder thatthe Academy is one of the most vibrantplaces in the country. The world premièreof the original version of Prokofiev’s Warand Peace in 2010, in which Academystudents performed side by side with theOrchestra of Scottish Opera, to anaudience of 4445 over four nights, was amonumental success. This year alone theAcademy intends to stage around 500events, selling more than 47,400 tickets to

a customer base of around 7200, makingthe Academy one of the busiestperformance venues in Scotland.

And with the growth and continueddevelopment of the curriculum at theAcademy, so too has the estate. The stateof the art facilities in the centre ofGlasgow have been augmented by theaddition of the Malcolm Fraser-designedSpeirs Locks Studios, which give staff andstudents four exceptionally appointeddance spaces and wonderfully spaciouscreative technical and design studios.

As stated at the beginning of this article,the Academy is an exceptional place. Thebuildings, the people, the passion forexcellence are at the centre of everything.

Academy Facts:We are the biggest cultural employer inScotland and, therefore, our contributionto the Scottish economy is considerable

We are in the top three in the UK forMusic & Drama Education (Guardian

League Tables of Specialist Institutions2010)

We are 2nd in UK for Graduateprospects (Times University Guide 2010)

We are 3rd for music research in theUK, with 40% classified as world-leadingand 45% classified as of internationalsignificance (Times Higher EducationInternational League of Excellence basedon RAE for single subject Institutions)

The Conservatoire is no stranger tochange. It began life in 1847 as theGlasgow Athenaeum. In 1929 it becamethe Scottish National Academy of Music,followed by the Royal Scottish Academyof Music in 1944. Just six years later thecollege diversified and began dramatraining, thereby becoming the College ofDramatic Art. And it was in 1968 thatthe Royal Scottish Academy of Music andDrama was born. Katie BellMedia Relations ManagerRSAMD