Holst: St Paul's Suite

Mozart: Piano Concerto no 23 in A  K488

Handel: Concerto grosso in G Op 6 No 1

Mozart: Symphony No 35 in D "Haffner"  K385

Gustav Holst (1874–1934):
St. Paul Suite Op. 29 no.2

Although best known for his composition “The Planets”, scored for a very large orchestra Holst was much more at home writing chamber music, for small orchestra or unaccompanied voices. He possessed the rare talent of writing attractive and satisfying music for non–professional musicians, the work with which we open today’s concert being written (in 1913) for the orchestra of St. Paul’s Girls’ School, Hammersmith, where Holst had been director of music since 1905.

The Suite begins with a Jig, a sturdy dance using the characteristic rhythms and the modal nature of English folk music. The second movement is entitled Ostinato, Italian for “obstinate”, which denotes a theme which is repeated over and over, the musical texture being elaborated in the other parts. There follows an Intermezzo. The exotic character of the solo violin theme is explained by its origin in Holst’s 1910 “Beni Mora Suite”, inspired by a visit to Algeria while the contrasting faster section shows Holst’s fondness for five beat rhythmic patterns.
The finale returns to the English folk style and uses “The Dargason”, a “circular” folksong that Holst then combines with “Greensleeves” giving a beautiful, cross rhythmic effect.

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756-1791):
Piano Concerto no. 23 in A Major K488

Completed on the 2nd of March, 1786, this piano concerto was intended for the composer’s own performance at a series of subscription concerts in the Lenten season of that year. In fact only one of the concerts took place, showing Mozart’s waning popularity with the fickle Viennese public. Whether this concerto was played on that occasion is not recorded.

Mozart is well known for his association of tonalities with particular moods. If C is his ceremonial key and G minor his tragic one, A major must be his radiant key. Though relatively few major instrumental works are in this key (the 29th symphony, the clarinet quintet and concerto) Mozart often uses this tonality for love duets in his operas. The orchestration of this concerto is bright and transparent and is further refined by the substitution of clarinets for the (more usual) oboes and the omission of trumpets and drums.

The concerto opens with a warm, limpid theme played by the strings very simply then answered by the wind. The eloquent second theme, which is also announced by the strings, has a dancelike quality with perhaps a hint of sadness. The soloist enters simply without virtuosic display – throughout the movement the dialogue of piano and orchestra feels more in the manner of chamber music than a bravura showpiece.
The slow movement, starting with the unaccompanied piano is a siciliano of tragic poetry and passion. Unusually marked Adagio rather than Mozart’s customary easy-going Andante this is the only movement in Mozart’s entire output in the dark key of F sharp minor.
Back in the sunlight, the buoyant rondo finale, also introduced by the piano, displays an astonishing profusion of exhilarating melodies tumbling over each other to the exuberant conclusion.

George Friderik Handel:
Concerto Grosso in G Major, Op. 6 No. 1

The originator of the concertino form was the Italian composer Arcangelo Corelli whose classic set of 12 concerti grossi were published in 1714 (shortly after his death) as his Op. 6. Each of these works was scored for strings, with solo parts for two violins and cello. Handel implicitly paid tribute to Corelli by composing his own great set of 12 concerti as his Op. 6.
These 12 concerti were composed in just over a month, in a single burst of creative energy during the Autumn of 1739. Handel’s speed of composition is partly explained by the fact that several of the concerto movements were recycled from other works (of his own and other composers).  Following Corelli’s example, Handel employed a concertino group of two violins and a cello in the bulk of his own Op. 6 set, the one exception being the seventh concerto which is a concerto for string orchestra without concertino parts.
Op. 6 no.1 opens with a beautiful prelude juxtaposing the orchestra and concertino parts. There follows an energetic allegro given energy by it’s ascending baselines and rhythmic precision. The third movement adagio focuses on the concertino group with the two violins playing in imitation creating wonderful harmonic clashes. The fugal fourth movement is announced by the lead violinist and is followed by a rambunctious 6/8 finale.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791):
Symphony no. 35 in D "Haffner" (1782)

Sigismund Haffner was a friend of Mozart’s from their childhoods and a patron of the Mozart family. In the summer of 1782 Leopold Mozart wrote to his son, then living in Vienna, asking for a new work to enhance the celebrations for the conferring of a title on Haffner’s son. Mozart, despite protesting that he was too busy, wrote the piece at breakneck speed, sending the movements off piecemeal. On reviewing the work Mozart pronounced himself surprised and delighted with it. He revised the symphony, writing new inner movements and adding flutes and clarinets to the outer two, as these instruments were standard in Vienna but unavailable in Salzburg.

The festive brilliance of the opening movement shows the celebratory origins of the work, the wide leaps of the opening rhythmic motif dominating the movement. There follows an easy-going, flowing and summery Andante. The trio section of the minuet is in A major, a key synonymous with radiance in Mozart. The witty rondo finale (“the first movement must be played with great fire, the last as fast as possible” wrote the composer) contains a typically Mozartean joke as the theme is approached differently for each of its appearances.

Mozart felt the symphony would “make a good impression” and it always has.

Allegretto con spirito – Andante – Minuetto – Finale: Presto

Martin Davies was Head Chorister and Organ Scholar at Worcester Cathedral under Sir Ivor Atkins in the 1940s, and gained admission to university by taking (without getting) an organ scholarship to Christ Church, Oxford.

But he has earned his living as a teacher of English, at two very musical schools – Canford School, and the King's School, Canterbury – and at Stirling University, where his research interest was in the melody of speech.

In retirement, he plays in various informal chamber music groups in the Dunblane area and at Canford Summer School of Music in Sherborne, Dorset.

We are delighted to welcome our first guest conductor, Mark Wilson.

Mark Wilson comes from a musical family: his violinist grandmother was one of the first women members of the Philharmonia orchestra whilst his mother played violin with the Bournemouth and BBC Scottish orchestras. Mark's father was a fine accordionist who helped foster his son's love for folk and salon music. Mark studied at London University, the RSAMD and the RAM under three distinguished professors: Frances Mason, Miles Baster and Maurice Hasson.

On graduating from the RAM, Mark co- founded the Solaris Quartet with whom he played first violin for eight years. He then accepted an invitation to become the concertmaster of the Orquestra de Câmara do Estado de Mato Grosso in Brazil and went on to give several concerto appearances with the ensemble, as well as featuring on the orchestras DVD releases. Mark toured extensively throughout Brazil and Bolivia during his time with the orchestra, yet perhaps the most rewarding experience (along with learning Portuguese) was the work he put in developing the playing of the many talented young musicians in the orchestra's home city of Cuiabá.

Since Mark’s return to the UK in January 2008, he has been in high demand as a freelance violinist (playing with, amongst others, the Birmingham Royal Ballet orchestra, the RTE Concert Orchestra and the Scottish Ballet orchestra), chamber musician and a soloist.

In recent years Mark has gradually become more involved with conducting. He is as happy directing orchestras from the leaders’ position as he is on the conductors' rostrum. He is also in high demand as a coach for strings sectionals.

Mark’s recent conducting experience includes:

• Lanarkshire Youth Orchestra (Principal Conductor 2008)
• Orquestra de Camara do Estado de Mato Grosso (rehearsal conductor, 2006-2007)
• Orquestra Jovem do Estado de Mato Grosso (coaching)
• London College of Music Chamber Orchestra: (various projects, 2000-2007)

22 June 2008
Dunblane Cathedral Hall

Our sellout first concert "A Little Night Music"
with Simon Rendell oboe
Alistair Warwick conductor

• Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik
• Morricone: Gabriel's Oboe
• Elgar: Serenade for Strings
• Pergolesi, arr. Barbirolli: Oboe Concerto
• Britten: Simple Symphony

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"Congratulations on an excellent concert which we hope marks the launch of a successful future. The orchestra deserves every encouragement, which the audience certainly provided on Sunday evening."

9 November 2008
Victoria Hall, Dunblane

Our second concert "Nocturnes for an Autumn Evening"
with Carron Shankland clarinet
Alistair Warwick conductor

• Grieg: Holberg Suite
• Mackenzie: Benedictus
• Mozart: Clarinet Concerto
• Mozart: Serenade in C minor
• Schubert: Symphony no 5 in B flat

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"Totally enjoyed Nocturnes for an Autumn Evening."

28 June 2009
Victoria Hall, Dunblane

Our third concert "Midsummer Fantasy"
with Grant Golding trumpet
Alistair Warwick conductor

• Mozart: Divertimento in D  K136
• Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a theme of Thomas Tallis
• Telemann: Trumpet Concerto in D
• Copland: Quiet City
• Haydn: Symphony No 85 in B flat "La Reine"

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"Just to say what a great concert - pity the audience was a bit on the thin side, the others missed a treat. The trumpet was really superb!"

"There were moments [in the Tallis Fantasia] when it was hard to realise that this was an amateur orchestra."

20 September 2009
Victoria Hall, Dunblane

Our fourth concert "Mainly Mozart"
with Martin Davies piano
and Mark Wilson our first guest conductor

• Handel: Concerto grosso in G Op 6 No 1
• Mozart: Piano Concerto no 23 in A  K488
• Holst: St Paul's Suite
• Mozart: Symphony No 35 in D "Haffner"  K385

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"What a breathtakingly exciting performance!"