Havergal Brian symphonies

Hi Brianites.

You may have already seen that Naxos is bringing out a limited edition of the original recording of Brian's Gothic to coincide with the prom performance. July release.

Partsong

Hi Brianites!

Anyone going to the Gothic tomorrow night fancy meeting up for a glass of wine after the concert?

Shall we say at 9.15 ish as the concert is scheduled to end at 9.00. Presumably there will be several minutes of encores!

North Circle Bar - I can't remember the names of all the bars. I shall hold a piece of paper up with Partsong on it!

Couldn't agree more 33lp.

I thought the performance of the Gothic was outstanding. I think 'Gargantuan' might have been a better title for it. Talk about a cast of thousands - I think it was c. 1000 - with two orchestras and the massed choirs. I counted six sets of timpani! It must have been a heck of a difficult task to co-ordinate all the musicians and singers to come in on cue. Martyn Brabbins is a maestro! The three children's choirs I have to say were superb and well deserved their cheers at the end. Not one of them so much as fidgeted!

Well people can say what they like about Brian. I might concede that his symphonies are not exactly full of sing-a-long-a tunes, but the mastery of structure and orchestration were clearly evident in this work. Each of the six movements had a fairly complex structure.

There was a thrilling moment of drama when the four soloists descended the steps two from each side while the musicians were playing to begin their singing of The Te Deum setting (4th movement). The 5th movement with its insistence upon the theme of judgement was suitably disconcerting (gives even the Dies Irae in Verdi a run for its money).

The huge finale was impressive in the extreme. 'Aw-sum' in Americanese. I did pity the German gentleman next to me who, alas, had I think an acute sense of hearing. He covered his ears and winced several times as the timpani and trumpets blasted out in forthright splendour as Malcolm McDonald said they would in his programme notes.

Well I made it an hour and 55 and it has to be said, that without a bar break, it was probably not for the faint hearted or those new to Brian.

I am sure all you Brian fans have already seen Guy Rickards' review of Brabbins' 10th and 30th for Dutton Epoch in the August edition of Gramophone. These are heady days indeed for Brian fans as Guy says.

Unfortunately, I did make my way to the North Circle Bar at 9.10 ish needing a stiff brandy after the reminders of my fallen human state in the 5th movement, only to find that the bars were closed after the performance.

I didn't feel like standing around outside the bar with my piece of paper saying 'Partsong' and looking like a plonker, well more of a plonker than I normally look which is saying something.

Anyone new to Brian, the Naxos recording of the 11th and 15th is well worth the modest price. Both these two have clarity in their structures. And both are, of course, considerably shorter than the Gothic.

All the best

Partsong

Good to hear from you again Johan.I wondered what had happened to you recently! Never mind (I am just trying to work out where the Queen's Arms is) because as you say the concert was magnificent.

Yes I will check out your clips. I am also looking forward to the Brabbins' Dutton CD! Is it out now?

Best wishes