Season opener designed to whet musical appetites

The first programme of the new season at the Bognor Regis Recorded Music Club was a medley of items chosen by its committee members.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Oct 2007, 16:48 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 19:10 BST

This resulted in an '˜overture' designed to whet the audience's appetite for the music to follow throughout the winter.

Club president John Herring is a knowledgable opera fan, and he chose a little-known aria from Saint-Saens' Samson and Delilah depicting the fallen hero Samson lamenting his fate before being chained to the temple pillars which he manages to destroy.

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The rich voice of Jose Carreras was ideal in this emotional piece.

Vice-chairman Jean Jarvis chose Schubert's Impromptus, D899, nos 2 and 3 sensitively played by Alfred Brendel. As Jean said, these works are sad but shot through with glimpses of sunlight.

A baroque concerto for viola came next. Club chairman Eric Garner found a seldom heard composer, Georg Philip Telemann, whose melodic concerto was given a lively performance by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, conducted by Neville Marriner.

Another complete work concluded the first half. Treasurer Rob Salmon selected Mozart's Piano Concert no 2.

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This early work by the very young genius was full of masterly touches, played by Ashkenazy and the London Philharmonic.

After the interval, Richard Ford, equipment officer, really rocked Mosse Hall with Don Ellis' Concerto for Trumpet, recorded at the Monterey Jazz Festival on September 18, 1966.

As Jacquey Billington, who filled the next slot, said: 'How do you follow that?' But the contrast of her choice, Poulenc's witty Trio for Bassoon, Clarinet and Piano, was delightful.

Vera Obey, like Jacquey a committee member, caused quite a murmur with Alkan's Concerto da Camera no1 '“ a virtuosic piano concerto reminiscent of Liszt or Chopin.

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Finally, secretary Maureen Wright signed off with joyful choral music, two choruses from Handel's well-loved The Messiah.

Dr Clive Bratt thanked the committee and Eric Bareham, programme secretary, for the entertaining and wide-ranging selection provided and hoped that a precedent had been set.

The club's next meeting will be held on November 1, when John Dixey will discuss Elgar and Nimrod.

For information, contact the secretary on 01243 827358.