A Year to Remember

By Richard Brewer 

It’s been an extremely busy month for us here at Southern Sinfonia; our Birthday concert on 31^st October in Newbury, two concerts on 8^th November in Wells and Romsey, another on 22^nd November in Bath and then finally tomorrow evening back in Newbury. Phew! With it being the 100^th anniversary since the start of the First World War, a lot of music performed in these concerts commemorated those who lost their lives.

A few of the pieces chosen have cropped up more than once. One that has recurred twice, in Romsey and in Bath, was Dona Nobis Pacem by Vaughan Williams. Translated as “give us peace”, the composer uses the phrase along with American poet Walt Whitman’s poem, Dirge For Two Veterans. The piece is extremely atmospheric, with the title frequently set to a haunting semi-tone fall. The final moments of the piece are given to the solo soprano who sings the semi-tone fall gradually lower and lower, dying away to pianissimo. When performed in venues like Romsey Abbey and Bath Abbey, the haunting feeling is accentuated; “give us peace” sounds like a strong heartfelt plea from soldiers on the frontline during the First World War.

Another piece that has occurred twice is Edward Elgar’s The Spirit of England, more specifically the final movement “For the Fallen”. Elgar was reportedly extremely affected by the events of World War One. His good friend, Sir Sidney Colvin, suggested that the composer set music to the poems by renowned war poet Lawrence Binyon. In a similar way to the aforementioned Vaughan Williams, the music and text evokes strong imagery from the battlefield. The text used is particularly striking in its solemnity. This is interesting given that the piece was premiered in 1917 when the public would perhaps have been expecting something rousing to raise their spirits during an awful time in their lives. Instead, they were presented with something of a remembrance; an elegy of those who had already fallen, and those who continued to fall in the war.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn,

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

Music is such a powerful tool for evoking past memories. They can be in the form of people, places, events; I would go so far as to say that music could evoke memories of anything. But music that is used as a tool of remembrance for those who have died in the war is extremely poignant. The Last Post is perhaps the most striking pieces of music in this sense. Such a simple melody based on only harmonics, albeit extremely difficult to play, is heard at remembrance ceremonies and services all across the country. I travelled to see the poppies at the Tower of London a couple of weeks ago, as many of you may have done too. When I was there, a guardsman started playing the last post just as the sun was setting; everyone around me, of which there were huge crowds, fell silent. It really struck a chord with me, and demonstrated just how powerful music can be.

We have been extremely lucky to be able to perform music like this in venues as beautiful as Romsey and Bath Abbey. The Choral Societies did a fantastic job putting concerts on, with healthy audiences too. Long may music continue to evoke powerful memories for us all. 

If you would like to find out more about Southern Sinfonia, please click here for our website. You can also view images and find out the latest news by visiting our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. 

Finding your feet in the arts - come & work with Southern Sinfonia!

By Julia Hudson

As many of you will have noted, we are advertising for an Intern. Although not the most glamorous job title, we are looking for a gap year student, graduate or someone looking to start their journey in the world of arts management. While, inevitably, they will prove their worth by a deft music stand manoeuvre at a critical moment, we hope that they will also learn a great deal by working with us for a season.

Quiet coffee moment before rehearsal at Greenwich

Now on the other side of the proverbial table, I feel able to comment on the usefulness of such a position because I started off my career in a similar position. Working in artist management with some concerts and festivals thrown in, I received enough money to cover approximately half an M&S sandwich a day and never worked so diligently in my life. I lived for six months with a very generous family of friends and commuted with the besuited bankers, spending a couple of evenings a week tutoring a lovely AS-level student to make some extra cash. At work, I learned extremely rapidly about everything from how to use (and clean) one of those complex-looking coffee machines to the ins and outs of contracts and A1 forms (don’t ask). The six months flew by, in a whirl of after-work drinks, concerts in some of the most prestigious venues in London – where the artist afterwards hugged and thanked you for booking his taxi there – and a mind-alteringly improved understanding of Microsoft Word.

Most crucially, I learned a great deal. Having already worked in a different sector, I thought I knew how to be organised, how to respond to emails and how to get the most out of a day at my desk. But here were new challenges – working towards others’ proclivities and timetables, answering the phone and the door (often simultaneously) and remembering that a lack of attention to detail could mean a ferry for twelve singers heading in the reverse direction to that which it was intended. Behind the glamorous veneer of concerts, recitals and festivals, there is an underworld of less exciting overseas travel logistics, tax, VAT, contracts, percentages and electronic diary management, which is time-consuming and often complex. In the orchestral world, the challenges vary slightly but still include tight schedules and similarly tight spaces in cathedrals, social media, publicity, printing, cataloguing and a wide range of admin tasks. It's a eye-opening introduction into something most of us never contemplated.

Typical concert-day rehearsal, in Bath Abbey

Most importantly, though, you’ll be learning constantly – surrounded by an experienced team of orchestral managers (ours also travel the world with artists as varied as Neville Marriner, Michael Buble and the Monteverdi Choir), our projects manager Natasha who is also one of our wonderful oboists (see her post here) and many more, your journey will be an informative and enjoyable one. Highlights for me include days spent in some of the most beautiful buildings our country has to offer, working with professional musicians, the local community and schoolchildren all in the same day, and trying to find extra chairs for our recent sold-out concert – I hope you find your own.

Our 13-14 intern James celebrating a place at Oxford with MD Kay

Southern Sinfonia is offering a three days per week, ten month voluntary placement in its small Administration and Management team. Based in Newbury, Berkshire, the Administration and Management internship offers the opportunity to gain experience of how a world-class and busy team works, in the areas of orchestral management, education and participation, artistic planning and administration. The successful candidate will work within the main office, music library and in venues throughout the South of England, working closely with a number of colleagues and musicians across the organisation. To apply, email julia@southernsinfonia.co.uk for a job description.