'The British Symphony' – an ongoing chronology

[Wheesht]

Browsing a German book, "Lexikon der musischen Künste" from the 1980s, which aims to show connections between music, painting and literature, I stumbled across the name Harold Darke in the entry on Switzerland and his symphony from 1910-14  entitled "Switzerland". A search for more information led me to this ongoing chronology of British symphonies which may be of interest to other members.

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks for the link - very interesting.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Yes indeed. Thank you very much.

[Justin]

I stumbled across the name Harold Darke in the entry on Switzerland and his symphony from 1910-14  entitled "Switzerland".

An article from "The New Music Review," dated 1920, briefly describes Darke's symphony:

"Well, an Englishman, Mr. Harold Darke, has written a symphony entitled 'Switzerland.' The three movements are 'Zermatt, Gornergrat, and Ripplealp,' and there are quotations from Poe to enable the hearer to dilate with the proper emotion. A matter-of-fact Englishman thought that 'The Englishman on a Holiday' would be as good a title as any for the symphony."

[Wheesht]

How interesting, thank you. All three movements are named after places in the same part of Switzerland, the last ought to be Riffelalp, though.

[Revilod]

I didn't know Harold Darke had written a symphony. He is best known, of course, for his setting of "In the Bleak Midwinter", once voted the greatest Christmas carol of all time. In 1909 Darke dedicated it to the grandmother of a neighbour of mine who still has the original manuscript.

[Wheesht]

Fascinating, thank you. Is there a recording that you would particularly recommend?

Re Darke's symphony, I wonder if it was ever performed after 1920, if the article in "The New Music Review" does indeed refer to a performance. According to an article about Darke in the Dundee Courier on 1 May 1931 (where he is mentioned as "outstanding in the list of adjudicators new to Dundee Festival), the symphony was unpublished. The British Symphony chronology website says the full score is at the RCM library, presumably that refers to the manuscript.

[Revilod]

I couldn't recommend a particular recording of Darke's "In the Bleak Midwinter" though there are numerous excellent ones by British cathedral choirs. I don't own one myself. Once Christmas is over, lovely as it is, it has been done to death and I'm not sure I want to hear it again until next Christmas!

Although my friend wouldn't sell the manuscript, I can't help but think that there are people who would pay a fortune for it!

[Wheesht]

Thanks. I may have a look for a recording nearer that time of the year, meanwhile I'll see if any more info about Darke's symphony comes to light. It was his son, Michael Harold Darke, who presented his father's manuscripts to the RCM library in January 2000. I'll start a separate thread on Darke so as to stick to the original topic of this one.

[eschiss1]

Is this thread about the book specifically, or about a chronology of the British Symphony, or... ? With apologies, I am a mite confuzzled. (Not to be confused with being a midge vampirically confused.)

[Wheesht]

The thread is/was meant to be about the chronology of the British symphony. The book was mentioned, not to confuse but to explain how I became aware of that website in the first place.

[semloh]

Many thanks to Wheesht for the link to the "ongoing chronology of British symphonies".
I like chronologies. They help put things in context, they enable one to trace influences and trends, and they appeal to the anankastic streak, typical of historians! 

[MartinH]

I couldn't recommend a particular recording of Darke's "In the Bleak Midwinter" though there are numerous excellent ones by British cathedral choirs. I don't own one myself. Once Christmas is over, lovely as it is, it has been done to death and I'm not sure I want to hear it again until next Christmas!

Although my friend wouldn't sell the manuscript, I can't help but think that there are people who would pay a fortune for it!

Completely off topic, but:


Was this vote for the Darke version? or the Holst? or was it just the lyrics? I've never heard the Darke, but found a nice organ/voice version on Youtube. But I really prefer Holst's setting.

[Wheesht]

@ semloh: Thank you for adding a new word to my vocabulary. I have long known that I have

the anankastic streak

but didn't know what to call it...

[Revilod]

It was Darke's setting which was voted the "greatest carol of all time". I'm amazed that there are, it seems, parts of the world where it is "unsung".  In the U.K. it could hardly be more "sung"!