The Newbury String Players - Gerald Finzi as a champion of young composers

[britishcomposer]

Diana McVeagh gives in her biography of Gerald Finzi a list of all the performances of the NSP from 1940 to 1956.
The world premiere performances interest me very much. These are certainly not adventurous works but I would love to hear them, anyway:

1945: Robin Milford - Te Deum
1946: Anthony Scott - Prelude and Fugue
1947: Robin Milford - Elegiac Meditation for viola and strings (this has been recorded by hyperion; twice, I think!)
1948: H. Parry (arr. Finzi) - When I survey (Finzi wrote many works for string orchestra, so I wonder why this arrangement has never been included in any CD recording of his works! Has it?)
1949: Kenneth Leighton - Symphony for strings op. 3 (recorded by Chandos)
1950: Kenneth Leighton - Veris gratia op. 9 (recorded by Chandos; currently only available as download?! Is perhaps a new recording planned? Such a fine piece!!!)
1951: Robin Milford - The Forsaken Merman
1954: Robin Milford - Concertino for keybord and strings (most likely this is the Concertino in E op. 106, recorded by hyperion)
          Roy Teed - Such were the Joys
1955: Richard Arnell - Canzona and Capriccio op. 37 for solo violin and strings
          Francis Baines - Fantasia for strings
          Robin Milford - Fishing by Moonlight op. 96 (twice recorded by hyperion)
          Elizabeth Maconchy - Oboe Suite

Milford and Arnell have seen an ongoing revival though the former's 'Forsaken Merman' and the latters 'Canzona and Capriccio' still await recordings.

Maconchy, though hardly a household name, is respected, loved and performed regularly. However, I  couldn't find out anything about this 'Oboe Suite'. Has it probably been withdrawn?

Most tantalising are the 'forgotten ones':

Anthony Scott (1911-2000), who was Finzi's pupil, wrote a touching memoir about his teacher.
It's interesting to read what Finzi had to say about his music. He preferred his music to that of Kenneth Leighton. Contrasting the Scott's Sinfonietta ('thwarted inarticulate talent at forty-two') with Leighton's youthful Veris gratia ('mellifluous and beautiful', 'flowering genius') he said (about Scott): 'Talent allied to character is often more powerful and effective than natural genius' – a comment very typical of Finzi.
Vaughan Williams's comment about this piece (Sinfonietta, performed 1952 by the Boyd Neel orchestra) is also very characteristic: 'like the Grosse Fuge with knobs on.'
Here is a list of some published works:
http://soundandmusic.org/thecollection/resources/thecollection/browse/composer/12636

David Coram, has recorded two organ pieces. He seems to be engaged in reviving his works.
http://www.davidcoram.co.uk/scott.html

Music and Vision has a short 'musing' by basil Ramsey
http://www.mvdaily.com/articles/1999/02/musing03.htm


McVeagh has nothing to say about Roy Teed (b. 1928) or Francis Baines (1917-99?).

I suppose Baines is the subject of this obituary:
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituaries-francis-baines-1087679.html

Gordon Pullin has recorded a CD with songs of Roy Teed, which I haven't heard yet:
http://www.englishtenor.co.uk/teed.htm

And here is a short curriculum:
http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/t/13812/Roy%20Norman+TEED.aspx

Has anybody of you some personal recollections or further information about Scott, Baines or Teed?

[Dundonnell]

There is still a Suite for Oboe and Strings dated 1955-56 listed amongst Elizabeth Maconchy's complete works.

Over a long life she wrote a great deal of music.

[albion]

Thanks for this reminder about the NSP - I'd completely forgotten that there was such an appendix in McVeagh.



They also did sterling work in reviving works by William Boyce (1711-1779), John Stanley (1712-1786), Richard Mudge (1718-1763), Capel Bond (1730-1790) and Charles Wesley (1757-1834).