More premieres of Stanford and Parry on BBC Radio 3

[Albion]

Neither the Overture nor Fairy Day, Op.131 has ever been performed as far as anybody is aware.

According the Jeremy Dibble, Fairy Day, written for Victor Harris and the St Cecilia Society of New York, was premiered by it's dedicatees in 1913 and later performed by Horatio Parker in Philadelphia. Paul Rodmell, however, is of the opinion that the work was "apparently unperformed by [the St Cecilia Society]".

More likely somebody has sponsored the performances in some way. I've seen no other signs of Auntie suffering a Pauline conversion.

The broadcasts are taken from performances during last year's BBC Invitation Concerts at the Ulster Hall: I've found all the relevant dates and will put these into the file information when they're uploaded, together with the text of Fairy Day.

[ahinton]

A pianist who I know once told me that he named his son Stanford because he wanted to ensure that he wouldn't be a musician. Stanford ***** is now an adult and is not a musician.

Sorry.

I'll get my coat.

As you were...

[petershott@btinternet.com]

Most naughty of you, Alistair! But fine by me for I'm liberal enough to smile at opinions different from my own (apart from my intolerance of enthusiastic views of a recent musical composition involving four string quartets and a bowl). I sometimes seriously upset people through outrageous (but sincere) comments on Mozart - and your view of Stanford isn't perhaps as upsetting to others as mine!

But, please, hang the coat back on its peg and stay with us. I always especially enjoy your sharp and often very witty observations. Besides, you have something to do with a certain Altarus CD identifiable by the number CD9066(3) - and that is a treasured CD on my shelves.

Peter

[Albion]

Both of today's very significant Stanford broadcasts are now to found in Folder 6 of BMB.

Fairy Day, beautifully performed by the Ulster forces, has perhaps the most immediate appeal, but the Overture in the Style of a Tragedy repays repeated listening and emerges as an unexpectedly substantial composition from Stanford's maturity.

[jerfilm]

Thanks for uploading all of this wonderful music.  Please continue to do so.

Jerry

[Albion]

Thanks for uploading all of this wonderful music.  Please continue to do so.

Smith, Parry and Howell today! 

There's a wonderful moment in Fairy Dawn when it seems as though Stanford's fairies have just spotted something shiny from the banks of the Rhine. 

[Mark Thomas]

The Stanford works are wonderfully worthwhile works: the Overture a powerfully dramatic piece, the choral one an utter enchantment. Thanks so much for the uploads.

[Albion]

I was hugely impressed by the Symphony in A minor (1876) by Alice Mary Smith which was broadcast this week - vigorous, tuneful and elegantly scored. Besides this and the earlier C minor Symphony (1863) recorded by Chandos I think that she might have produced another Symphony in G major (mentioned in several on-line references).

Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of Ian Graham Jones' biography (http://www.mellenpress.com/mellenpress.cfm?bookid=8209&pc=9) - does anybody know if a G major Symphony is still extant and where the manuscript might be?

[eschiss1]

I was hugely impressed by the Symphony in A minor (1876) by Alice Mary Smith which was broadcast this week - vigorous, tuneful and elegantly scored. Besides this and the earlier C minor Symphony (1863) recorded by Chandos I think that she might have produced another Symphony in G major (mentioned in several on-line references).

According to RAM library OPAC Smith seems to have produced quite a few other things including either 3 or 32 string quartets and several other chamber works, possibly some of them lost but some newly republished, some just in manuscript, and I'm sure there's much there by her and others awaiting revival of course.