Première recording of Percy Sherwood's Double Concerto

[Alan Howe]

Well, I don't know about the recording project, but the work is being performed at the English Music Festival (Dorchester Abbey) on Saturday May 28th:
https://www.englishmusicfestival.org.uk/programme.html

[Gareth Vaughan]

And recording dates of 22-23 June 2016 at the Watford Colosseum are given on Rupert's website here: http://www.rupertmarshall-luck.com/en/future-events.html

[Alan Howe]

Oh, that is good news. Watford Colosseum has a splendid acoustic.

[eschiss1]

The rest of the festival looks interesting too. Of course, I'm over -here-...

[Rupert Marshall-Luck]

The disc of works by Frederick Cowen and Percy Sherwood is to be recorded this week for the label EM Records.

Sherwood's Concerto for Violin and Cello (which received what is believed to be its World Première performance at The English Music Festival a few weeks ago) will be recorded alongside Frederick Cowen's Fifth Symphony at the Watford Colosseum by the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by John Andrews.  The soloists for the Sherwood will be the violinist Rupert Marshall-Luck and the cellist Joseph Spooner.

Fund-raising efforts to cover the costs of this recording are ongoing and there are still opportunities to subscribe to the disc.  If you'd like to make a donation, please visit the project's dedicated website: http://www.sherwood-cowen.com/donate.html.  As you'll see,  there are various benefits on offer, including the chance to attend the recording sessions and complimentary copies of the disc upon its release.  All donors will be acknowledged in the CD booklet unless anonymity is preferred.

So far, we have raised over 43% of the funds needed, so much has been done - but further donations are very welcome in order that this rare repertoire may be brought to public attention.

[Alan Howe]

Thanks for the update, Rupert.

Perhaps you could tell us something about the Sherwood when you have time...?

[Alan Howe]

Further news:
https://www.em-records.com/index.html

Last month we returned to Watford Colosseum to record Cowen's Symphony no.5 and the magnificent Concerto for Violin and Cello by Percy Sherwood with the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by John Andrews, and with violinist Rupert Marshall-Luck and cellist Joseph Spooner. The Sherwood is a big-boned, substantial, intense, passionate and romantic work, bursting with energy and vigour, which dates from the early years of the twentieth century. It was given its première performance at the 2016 English Music Festival, at which it was clear both from the highly virtuosic performance, and the reception with which the work was accorded (including a spontaneous round of applause at the end of the first movement), that its erstwhile neglect has been wholly unjustified, and that we have discovered a truly romantic masterpiece.

[Mark Thomas]

Very appetite whetting.

[Alan Howe]

The crowdfunding seems stuck, however. Wonder what that means for the actual release?

[Mark Thomas]

The press release says "Last month we returned to Watford Colosseum to record Cowen's Symphony no.5 and the magnificent Concerto for Violin and Cello by Percy Sherwood", so the works have obviously now been recorded. There must have been the finance available to do that and that's the lion's share of the cost. I suppose EM Records have enough funds to manufacture and market a recording - that's what they're there for. The only steps between the two are the editing and writing the booklet which, relatively speaking, shouldn't cost a great deal. So it sounds very promising. The project's own website promises "news and updates will be provided on a regular and frequent basis", and you'd think that the fact that the recording sessions have taken place would be headlined there, but it isn't.  As far as I can see there have been no updates at all since it was launched, so I suppose it might just be that the funds were also raised in full but that important news didn't make it online either. 

I'm afraid that, much as I'd like to see both works recorded, I haven't supported the project by donating to it because I don't like the uncertainty which has surrounded it. Initially we were asked to support the recording of the Sherwood concerto without knowing what the coupling on the CD would be. Then, once the Cowen Fifth coupling (which is good news) was confirmed, the conditions under which donations are sought are, to me at least, way too open-ended. Unlike Kickstarter, where donations are only debited if all the target amount is reached within a specified time period, it appears from the project's website that there is no target date, donations are debited immediately and could sit there for an indeterminate time, during which there is no news of any progress. I'm sorry to sound so critical, because I am sure that all involved are committed and sincere people, but this isn't how to go about crowd funding. If I had donated money towards the recording I'd be pretty miffed now, notwithstanding the welcome news that it is now in the can.

[Alan Howe]

That's exactly how I feel, Mark.

[musiclover]

It's a shame about the ambiguity of the funding. It may simply be a case of not thinking through the funding situation. I didn't donate either for the same reason, but I will probably buy the CD as I rather liked the Sherwood Piano Conceto that came out on Dutton a few years ago.

[Mark Thomas]

Oh, the CD is certainly a must buy for me, and I would have made a donation to the project were it not for the funding issues I've already aired.

[Alan Howe]

Exactly, Mark.

[Alan Howe]

Despite the lack of recent updates, the recording is announced here as 'forthcoming':
http://www.johnkandrews.com/discography/

Details:
Sherwood: Double Concerto for Violin and Violoncello, Cowen: Symphony No. 5
BBC Concert Orchestra, Rupert Marshall-Luck (violin), Joseph Spooner (violoncello)
John Andrews, conductor

The project now has its own website:
http://www.sherwood-cowen.com/index.html