Music Notes - September

Well, the promised release from virus restrictions for amateur musicians has come to pass and rehearsals are starting, but there is an inevitable time-lag before concerts can be produced. My researches show that Maidstone Symphony Orchestra has a concert planned for 9th October and Maidstone Choral Union has a concert planned for 30th October. Maidstone Singers’ deferred concert takes place on 20th November. September however is too early for the amateurs although we can look forward to the professional Leeds Castle classical concert on 4th September. The last night of the proms is 11th September and you can see it on BBC2 (first half) and BBC1 (second half).  Twenty of the proms will be available on BBCiplayer until 11th October.

Meanwhile I continue to search out anniversaries; here they are for September: 

8th Sept: 180th anniversary of the birth of Antonín Dvořák, Czech composer 

10th Sept:80th anniversary of birth of Christopher Hogwood, English conductor, harpsichordist and musicologist

11th Sept: 310th anniversary of birth of William Boyce, English composer and organist.

22nd Sept: 20th anniversary of death of Isaac Stern, American musician

27th Sept: 100th anniversary of death of Engelbert Humperdinck, German composer

I will select William Boyce for details: 

Born in 1711 he was a choirboy in St. Paul’s cathedral and went on to hold a number of posts in church music before being appointed as Master of the King’s Music in 1757. His compositions varied widely – from songs for the Vauxhall Gardens to oratorio, from instrumental sonatas and opera to Garrick's 1759 pantomime Harlequin's Invasion which contained what became Boyce's most famous song, Hearts of Oak. 

As “Master of the King's Musick” Boyce had the responsibility of writing music for royal occasions. He, however, refused to make a new setting of Zadok the Priest for the coronation of George III in 1761 on the grounds that Handel's setting of the anthem was unsurpassable – as a consequence of which Handel's setting has been played at every subsequent British coronation.

BJH