Promenade Concert British Novelties for 1920 Part 2

York Bowen completed his Violin Concerto in E minor, op.33 in 1913. It had to wait seven years before its premiere at a Proms concert on 28 September 1920. The soloist that evening was Marjorie Hayward, with the composer conducting the New Queen’s Hall Orchestra. It will be noted that the key is the same as Mendelssohn’s well-known concerto with which the present work has some affinity. Another source of inspiration must be Elgar’s Violin Concerto in B minor which was completed only a few years previously. Michael Cookson at MusicWeb International (6 June 2006) has suggested that the ‘predominant use of the instrument’s higher register, the soaring melodies and the warm and summery mood provides [the listener] with several connections to the sound world of Walton’s Violin Sonata (1947-50), Viola Concerto (1928-9, rev. 1961) and the Violin Concerto (1938-9); later scores that would undoubtedly be considered as being far more sophisticated and fashionable.’ The most impressive part of this work is the lyrical slow movement, but the finale is a tour de force in virtuosic display.

York Bowen’s Violin Concerto in E minor was released on Dutton Epoch (CDLX7169) coupled with the Piano Concerto No.1. The soloists were Lorraine McAslan, violin and Michael Dussek, piano. I guess that listening to the only recording of this Concerto one can safely ignore allusions and prefiguring’s and just enjoy the romantic and tuneful ‘gem.’

Crossings Frontpiece Dorothy Lathrop

It is only quite recently that listeners were able to hear the Suite: Crossings by Cecil Armstrong Gibbs. This was music written for a play by Walter de la Mare. It was first performed at The Wick School (sadly gone) during June 1919 in Brighton, with Edward J. Dent producing and Adrian Boult conducting.  Armstrong Gibbs originally scored the music for flute, string quintet and piano. There were also several songs, sing by various characters.

The play by today’s standards would be regarded as naïve although Lewis Foreman has suggested that it is in a trajectory from J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan and Algernon Blackwood’s Starlight Express, (nothing to do with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘take’ on the title) with a delightful score by Edward Elgar. Crossings features four children who are sent to a large country house, called, funnily enough, Crossings. It is just before Christmas. Unexpectedly, the children need to look after themselves whilst there, but are in contact with a sociable ghost and myriad fairies. Throughout the play, friends, neighbours, and tradesmen pop in and out.  One of the children, Anne, is lost, but later turns up on Christmas Eve, complete with fairy retinue and splendid feast.

There are five movements. First is the ‘Overture’ which is a pot-pourri of tunes used in the play. This is followed by the dreamy, almost Delian, ‘Arrival’ scene, where the children enter the empty house and begin to fall under its spell. The third movement introduces the jovial butcher, Mr Budge, the ‘morose’ Mr Honeyman the baker and finally, the dreamy Candlestick Maker, who is inspired by fairy lore. This is folksy music worthy of the pastoral revival in full swing at this time. The scherzo, ‘The Snow Tea’ sounds more like Rimsky Korsakov, than Holst or Vaughan Williams. Here, Anne, one of the little girls is lost to the party but is in fact safely ensconced in an igloo ‘made earlier.’ The finale is ‘Christmas Eve’. After the children’s disappointment that no-one has turned up for their party and worry about their missing sister, the fairies arrive, provide a feast, and restore the girl to her siblings. The piece ends with the arrival of the carol singers, and the disappearance of the fairies. (They are Pagan so cannot brook the Christmas message).

The Suite from Crossings was first hear at the Queen’s Hall on 16 September 1920. Despite the apparent naivety of this work, the Daily Telegraph reported that the music ‘found great favour with the public.’ The great merit of this music is ‘its melodic and light-hearted simplicity (Musical Herald, 1 October 1920). The work was issued in Dutton Epoch CDLX 7324.

To be continued…