Tag Archives: To celebrate to commemorate

LGBT+ History Month Spotlight: Dame Ethel Smyth

Posted on 17 February 2023 by Meg

As we reach the mid-way point of LGBT+ History Month, it certainly feels like the right time to do a spotlight on one of the communities’ most significant female figures: Dame Ethel Smyth. During her lifetime she received critical acclaim … Continue reading →

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1823 — 1963 — 2023 : William Henry Monk, Abide with me, football and rugby

Posted on 3 February 2023 by mj263

In 2022 we celebrated the anniversaries of Ralph Vaughan Williams, Doreen Carwithen, and Caleb Simper. No doubt Vaughan Williams’ Lark Ascending will reappear in Classic FM’s Hall of Fame at Easter this year (it has appeared every year since the … Continue reading →

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From Ukraine to the UL

Posted on 11 March 2022 by mj263

Over lockdown one of our more unusual acquisitions was a collection of manuscript music by the Ukrainian composer, Stefania Turkewich-Lukianovych. Stefania lived an extraordinary, music-filled life, growing up in Lviv, in what was then Galicia. Born in 1898, at the … Continue reading →

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To celebrate, to commemorate : George Crumb

Posted on 11 February 2022 by mj263

The death was announced on February 6th of the influential American composer, George Crumb. Crumb is one of those composers that I have heard of, and I’ve catalogued plenty of his music, but not listened to his work in any … Continue reading →

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To celebrate, to commemorate: South with Shackleton

Posted on 14 January 2022 by mj263

The latest mini exhibition in the Anderson Room celebrates the centenary of the death of the great polar explorer, Ernest Shackleton, with music inspired by Shackleton and his expeditions to Antarctica. There’s a surprising amount of music, and books about … Continue reading →

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To celebrate, to commemorate: Saint-Saëns (1835-1921)

Posted on 26 November 2021 by sw508

Better late than never, we are catching up with marking the centenary of Saint-Saëns’ death in 1921 (I always forget how far into the twentieth century he lived). He will forever be remembered for the Carnaval des animaux and especially … Continue reading →

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To celebrate, to commemorate: Pauline Viardot at 200

Posted on 15 October 2021 by mj263

As for Mme Viardot, her performance is worthy of a study by itself. Her gifts are so complete and so varied, they touch on so many aspects of music and combine such fine technique with irresistible spontaneity, that they inspire … Continue reading →

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To celebrate, to commemorate: Hugh Wood (1932 – 2021)

Posted on 17 September 2021 by mj263

“He was never blessed with self-confidence – and it makes his music so good. He gave it so much care and attention. He embraced life in all its dimensions – physical, mental and intellectual.” Thus writes Professor Edward Venn in … Continue reading →

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To Celebrate, to commemorate: Thurston Dart 1921 – 1971

Posted on 3 September 2021 by sw508

“Music…has no enemy save ignorance”. Thus ends Thurston Dart’s seminal book The Interpretation of Music published way back in 1954 by Hutchinson [M606.d.95.1]. And it was this “ignorance”, particularly in performance practice and editorial methods which Dart strove throughout his life … Continue reading →

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To celebrate, to commemorate: Dennis Brain

Posted on 9 July 2021 by sw508

Dennis Brain, perhaps the greatest horn player of the 20thcentury, would have celebrated his 100th birthday back in May. Sadly and tragically, he died in a car accident on 1st September 1957 at the age of only 36 travelling back … Continue reading →

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