Back to 1996/7 season

The Lancashire Connection (Archie Wilkinson, Dec.6th,1996)


ComposerMusic
Walton"Crown Imperial"
Armstrong GibbsSymphony No.3 - "Westmorland" (one mvt) (See Note 1)
Paul McCartney"Liverpool Oratorio" (excerpt)
Gavin Bryars"The Sinking of the 'Titanic'" (excerpt) (See Note 2)
ChabrierTwo piano pieces (See Note 3)
Gershwin"Rhapsody in Blue" (See Note 4)
ElgarTwo test pieces for the Morecambe Festival (1903)
BrahmsSymphony No.3 (one mvt) (See Note 5)
Rimsky-Korsakov"Scheherazade" (one mvt) (See Note 6)

NOTES. Should the Lancashire connections of some of the above items be less than obvious, the following notes should clarify matters:

(1) Cecil Armstrong Gibbs was a wartime evacuee, first to the Lake District, then to Lancashire.

(2) Wallace Hartley, bandleader on the 'Titanic', came from Colne, Lancashire.

(3) The Chabrier pieces were played by Kathryn Stott, who is Nelson-born.

(4) The pianist in "Rhapsody in Blue" was Michael Davenhough (who is from Manchester) and the orchestra was conducted by Simon Rattle (who is from Liverpool).

(5) The Brahms was played by the Hallé Orchestra.

(5) "Scheherazade" was conducted by another Lancastrian; Sir Thomas Beecham.