Dorothy Howell

[Gareth Vaughan]

Tucked away in this year's Proms Programme is a concert by the Ulster Orchestra on Sunday 5th September in which is included the first public performance by a professional orchestra, for a very very long time, of Dorothy Howell's sumptuously beautiful tone poem "Lamia". So three cheers to Roger Wright for unearthing this masterpiece.

Her piano concerto will be given its first performance in about 70 years in a professional concert which I am organising at The Cadogan Hall on 11th November this year. Valentina Seferinova is the soloist. Please put the date in your diaries. Other delights of British music featured in the concert are: Holbrooke's Variations on "The Girl I Left Behind Me" and Lilian Elkington's wonderful "Out of the Mist". I hope some of you this side of the pond will be able to make it.

[Marcus]

Hello Gareth,
I concur with your remarks re Dorothy Howell's  Tone Poem Lamia.(Cameo Classics #CC9037CD). It is an excellent example of the quality English romantic music, which  remains unheard &  unknown and awaiting discovery. I look forward to hearing the Piano Concerto -  it should be a revelation !
Marcus.

[masterclassicalmusic]

can anybody give me her piano concerto?

[Gareth Vaughan]

Do you mean the score or a recording?

[masterclassicalmusic]

Do you mean the score or a recording?

recording !!!!!! i can't buy any CD. many thanks if you help me

[Gareth Vaughan]

There is no commercial recording currently available, but there probably will be soon. That's all I can say at present.

[jerfilm]

The Cameo Classics recording of the piano concerto is now available at Records International here in the colonies.  Lovely piece, too.   

The couplings are interesting, however, the Scott harpsichord concerto starts quite nicely but seems to degenerate into a lot of noise.  The Jadassohn Serenade is a pleasant piece.

Jerry

[Gareth Vaughan]

the Scott harpsichord concerto starts quite nicely but seems to degenerate into a lot of noise. 

What an extraordinary thing to say about this brilliant, though I admit challenging, piece! Do give it another chance.

[jerfilm]

Guess I'm beyond the challenge.   Audio beauty, like visual, is in the ear of the beholder.
It's just not my thing.

Jerry

[Gareth Vaughan]

Fair enough.

[eschiss1]

As to Howell, listened to her G minor violin fantasy just lately and was quite pleased with it...

[Klaatu]

Only just become aware of Dorothy Howell via a "YouTube" video celebrating British composers......

I understand that Dorothy is buried at St Wulstans in Malvern - the same churchyard that houses the bones of Sir Edward Elgar.

And, as I only live about 500 yards away from the aforesaid churchyard, I really must make a another pilgrimage to see Sir Ted and try to find Dorothy while I'm at it!

[Jimfin]

Oh how lovely to live near there. It's a wonderful spot: I've been once, though I was also unaware of Dorothy Howell at the time. It's about 8,000 miles from where I live now, though.

[Klaatu]

Yes, it's a lovely place. Sir Ted's grave 500 yards up the A449 and his former home, "Craeg Lea", about a quarter-mile in the opposite direction; views from my bedroom window out to the Vale of Evesham. Never tire of the view, changing weather makes it different every morning - especially when the autumn mist hangs low in the vale and all you can see are church spires poking through, and Bredon Hill looming like an island out of a sea of fog ......No wonder Elgar felt inspired!

[giles.enders]

Dorothy Howell spent many years tending Elgar's grave so this might be why she is buried in the same cemetery.