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Newsletter for May 2009

This is an edited version of the Havant Orchestras newsletter which is provided in printed form to players and Friends of the Orchestra.

From the Chairman ...

First the good news:  Our Musical Director’s hip replacement was successfully achieved and he is well on the way to full recovery and ready for action.

Second more good news:  We are extremely fortunate that Jason Lai has agreed to stand in for Peter for this concert.  Many of you will remember Jason from his time with us as Bob Harding Bursary Holder, others from the exhilarating HSO concert he conducted recently at Hayling Island and still others will know him from his television appearances.  He has fitted the rehearsals round his current work with the BBC and we are most grateful to him for stepping in to conduct what promises to be a very attractive programme.

At this concert we traditionally reveal next season’s programme and invite season ticket holders to renew.  I think you will find plenty of tempting musical offerings in the 2009-2010 season.  If you do not have a season ticket at present I strongly urge you to take advantage of the considerable savings.  A season ticket could also make a long-lasting present.  Don’t worry if you are not sure whether you can attend every concert – we encourage you to lend your ticket to someone else so that they can enjoy the music and this is how many of our staunchest supporters were recruited.

There being a limited number of Saturdays in the year our concert clashes with a number of other events.  We like to perform to a full hall so please come along, bring your friends and don’t forget Evelyn’s tip to e-mail anyone whose memory might need jogging.

I look forward to seeing you all there on Saturday....and by the way don't be frightened of the Gade Symphony.  Having just heard it in rehearsal I can assure you that it is an absolutely delightful piece.

Tony Gutteridge

Ferneham Hall, Saturday 16 May

6.30 The Pre-concert talk by Pauline Buzzing introducing Gade and his 4th Symphony in the auditorium – all welcome
7.00 Interlude by Horns in Harmony
and
Books and CDs for Sale in the Meon
7.30 The Concert
with Guest Conductor Jason Lai
Overture Egmont  Beethoven
Pastoral Suite  Lars-Erik Larsson
Violin Concerto No 1 in G minor 
Soloist: Alexander Sitkovetsky 
Bruch
Interval - 20 minutes
Romance in C for Strings  Sibelius
Symphony No 4 in B flat  Gade
9.30 approx end of concert

... then have a safe journey home

The Musical Interlude

Horns in Harmony was formed by Bridget Bartholomew as a result of the 2008 Portsmouth Music Festival.  After watching a talented group of young players perform solos, she thought it a pity that they didn't get a chance to play together.  They are all so busy during term time that the obvious answer was to meet in school holidays.  A tentative suggestion was greeted with great enthusiasm and they were off!

The players range from 12 -18 years but despite this work well together.  Parts are varied so that everyone plays in different positions.

The group rehearses every holiday and raised over £300 for charity by busking at Christmas.  Apart from that the Portsmouth Festival 2009 was their first opportunity to perform and they were thrilled to win two trophies!

Future engagements include ‘guesting’ with the Highbury Area Band on 10th May and at a wind quintet concert for Waterlooville Music Festival on 18th June, then on 13th September, they will be presenting a Sunday afternoon concert for the Farlington Music Festival.

The name came from a rehearsal with Prebendal School Horn Group when Bridget found herself remarking that, ‘horns on their own are great but I do love horns in harmony!’.

Notes from ‘Not the Conductor’ ...

Just a brief word about the minor change in Saturday’s programme content.  As mentioned in the last Newsletter we cannot locate the score and parts of the little Arietta of Norman dello Joio which are hiding somewhere in our vast orchestral library – despite the valiant efforts of our Librarian, Helen Gutteridge, to run them to ground.  If or when the material re-appears I shall re-programme this beautiful little piece.  Meanwhile I have chosen the equally eloquent Romance in C of Sibelius to take its place – similar length, also for multi-divided strings and also deeply expressive.

I was eagerly looking forward to directing the 4th Symphony of Niels Gade whose Piano Trio in F was one of the first pieces of chamber music I ever played and whose charm and tunefulness I still recall.  I do hope that you – audience and players – enjoy his 4th Symphony which is hardly ever played and undeserving of such neglect.

How lucky for us that Jason Lai was free to take the rehearsals and to conduct Saturday‘s concert.  My very best wishes to him and to the Orchestra.  I’m sure you are all in for a real treat.

Peter Craddock

Book your Season Ticket NOW!!!

Make sure of your favourite seat at Ferneham Hall by completing your booking form (enclosed in the printed copy of the May Newsletter – let Sandra know on 023 9248 3228 if it isn’t) now and sending it to our Seasons’ Secretary Margaret Packe.  The brochure will be available on Saturday (barring accidents!) but you are welcome to take a chance on all the exciting music and players our Musical Director has lined up for you.  Just wait ‘til you see the new brochure - all the Committee members gave it the ‘wow’ factor on first sight!

If you prefer to look at the brochure before ‘buying’ your seat, do remember to bring your booking form, cheque(book) and SAE with you to give to Margaret in the Meon area from 7.00pm onwards on Saturday.

The 2009-10 Brochures ...

will be out on Saturday; please take some for your friends.

A message for The Friends

Dear ‘Friends’

I do hope you all enjoyed the last concert.  I was so disappointed not to be with you but had an unexpected call away from Havant that day.

The plans for our next social get-together are proceeding and I shall be in touch quite soon with the details.  It’s very complicated to co-ordinate a date, a venue, the personnel, the catering etc especially during the summer months.

As we are almost at the end of this season, it is time to invite you all to renew your very welcome and generous support for our wonderful Orchestras.  There should be a letter and donation renewal form enclosed for each ‘Friend of the Orchestras’ with the printed copy of the May Newsletter.  If it is missing, please let Sandra know.  (Or if you would like to become a Friend and assist in the funding of the Orchestras as well as enjoy social meetings with existing Friends, please ask for a form at the Table in the Foyer.)

I am looking forward to seeing you all at Ferneham Hall on Saturday.

Kindest regards,

BH, Friends’ Secretary.

UPBEAT

Hello Everyone!

Thank you for taking part in our Questionnaire exercise at the last concert.  There was a tremendous response and we are STILL tabulating the replies!  We shall base our plans for next season on the results and announce them at the July concert so, please WATCH THIS SPACE.

Becky Hill
Upbeat Leader and principal viola, HSO.

P S  I hope you all know about the Portsmouth Schools’ Music Festival at the Guildhall on 1st, 2nd and 3rd July – it will be great fun and super music-making by lots of Portsmouth schoolchildren.  Details are on our website – www.schoolsmusic.org or please pick up a leaflet in the foyer on Saturday

An Important Announcement

We were very surprised and somewhat puzzled by the small response to the Study Session planned by our President, Pauline on Saturday afternoon which has been cancelled for this reason.

If you would like to take part in these sessions, exploring the works the Orchestras play, but the suggested days/times/locations are not agreeable, please let Pauline know so that she can re-organise them to more favourable times, etc.  An ideal time to do this would be during the Interval on Saturday in the Octagon Lounge when she will be either at the table on the right of the entrance or circulating among the assembled company! 

Alternatively, you can e-mail or write to her using the contact details in the printed newsletter, or contact Sandra (see Contacts page).

Another Important Announcement

The July Concert Soloist will be Alexander Karpeyev – Gold Medal finalist at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama 2008, playing Brahms’ 2nd Piano Concerto which he will play with HSO on 4 July.

He is forecast to be one of the next generation of top-flight soloists and has received RAVE NOTICES for all his recent performances including a recital in Horsham when the news report said: ‘From the first note of the Bach Siciliane it was obvious that this pianist has a superb touch that produced total concentration in the audience, so hard to achieve at the start..’

And his mentor told us that …‘he certainly has huge amounts of musical charisma, he was mobbed at one of the concerts by ladies in fur coats and dripping with diamonds!’

He really is a sensation and this is definitely a CONCERT NOT TO BE MISSED!  Tell all your music-loving friends to reserve their seats asap and for his performance with HSO in March   see details in the new brochure.

The programme note for Brahms’ 2nd concerto and Alexander’s biography will be included with the next Newsletter.

Dates with our Orchestras – 1

Our traditional HSO concert at Hayling Island will be on Saturday 19th September this year and Jessica Cottis will be the conductor.  At present she is selecting the programme and it will be announced in the July Newsletter with tickets on sale at Ferneham Hall on the concert day.

We are very pleased that she has recovered from the illness that prevented her conducting at the March concert and look forward to seeing her in action in July.  She has been taking rehearsals while Peter has been recuperating which has been very helpful.

Thank you for holding the fort, Jessica.

Dates with our Orchestras – 2

HCO have accepted a very special invitation - to give a concert to celebrate Gosport and Fareham Music Society’s 40th Anniversary on 12 June next year.  Full details are in our new brochure and please book the date NOW although tickets will not be on sale until 1 April!

CDs for the July concert

Sourced by GE

Balakirev  Overture on 3 Russian Themes
USSR SO  /  Svetlanov 
c/w Symphonies Nos  1 and 2 and various overtures
Melodiya 74321 49608-2  price not known

Brahms  Piano Concerto No 2 in B flat
Kovacevich/ LPO / Sawallisch
c/w Concerto No 1 and Lieder Opp 91 & 105
EMI 575655-2  2 discs ?Mid price

Berwald  Symphony No 3 ‘Singuliere’
Helsingborg SO / Okko Kamu
c/w Symphony No 4 & Piano Concerto
Naxos 8.553052  Bargain price

CDs, BOOKS, ETC
FOR SALE

On Saturday in the Meon Area

10% of Sale Price to Orchestra Funds

News of Previous Bursary Holders

Leo Hussain (02-03) conducted Ligeti’s opera Le Grand Macabre recently at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, prior to performances next season by ENO.  The Sunday Times reported ’he made a remarkable job of his international debut in Ligeti’s fiendish score’.  It’s not clear if he will conduct in London.

Toby Purser (00-01) conducted the Orion Orchestra of which he is Artistic Director at the Cadogan Hall on 30 March - VW’s Serenade to Music, Shostakovich’ 9th Symphony and excerpts of Fleischman’s ‘Rothschild’s Violin’ - The Independent’s report was positive.

Ben Pope (91-92)  see Other Music in our Area

Other Music in our Area

Friday 29 May, 7.30pm

The Cathedral, High Street, Old Portsmouth
Bones Apart - Trombone Quartet

Gounod  Overture to Romeo and Juliet 
Bernstein  West Side Story 
Mendelssohn  Suite from MSND 

Plus much more!
Tickets £13.50/£11 concs. from 023 9284 3757

Sunday 7 June 3.00pm

St John’s Chapel, Chichester
The Consort of Twelve

Music in London...

Arne  Overture No 6 in B flat 
Purcell  Music from Abdelazer 
Handel  Trio for 2 oboes and continuo 
Stanley  Concerto Op 2 No 1 

...and the Provinces

Avison  Concerto Op 9 
Weldon  Suite in D minor for 2 violins 
Mudge  Concerto No 3 in G 

Tickets £10 from Bastows Classics, Chichester or by post from 01243 371128

Saturday 20 June, 7.30pm

The Capitol, HORSHAM
Horsham Symphony Orchestra

Strauss  Overture Die Fledermaus 
Mozart  Piano Concerto No 21 K467
Soloist: Benjamin Pope 
Dvořák  Symphony No 7
Soloist: Benjamin Pope 

Tickets: £12 / 10 / 5 from 01403 750220

Saturday 27 June, 7.30pm

The Cathedral, High Street, Old Portsmouth
Portsmouth Festival Choir and Maritime Brass Ensemble
Serenade to Music

Purcell  Funeral Music for Queen Mary 
VW  Shakespeare Texts 
Britten  Rejoice in the Lamb 
Runswick  Five American Folk Songs 
Rutter  Gloria 

Tickets £12, conc £10, Students £8; from Mike Bement 01243 371527 (accompanied children free)

Society Contact Details are on Page 46 of the Programme Book.

Contact information can also be found on the Contacts page within this web site.


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