Season of Putney Music Talks Continues
Mark Wigglesworth former music director at ENO in conversation
The next talk in the Putney Music series takes place on 17 October and is entitled Knowing the Score 2. It features the former music director of the English National Opera, Mark Wigglesworth, who will be in conversation with Peter Avis.
Mark Wigglesworth
Mark Wigglesworth’s conducting appointments have included positions with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. His resignation from ENO earlier this yea, gave rise to many column inches in the press, and will no doubt be touched upon during the evening.
Putney Music has published the programme for the series of talks planned by the society for the next six months.
Forthcoming highlights of the Putney Music season of talks include a visit from Sir Mark Elder and Simon Callow as well as regulars such as David Mellor.
Putney Music is a society of music lovers who meet fortnightly from September to April to hear some of the world’s most celebrated musicians talk about their lives and work. Guest speakers come from all fields of music – the concert hall, recital platform, opera, ballet, television and film; and also include producers, broadcasters, critics and writers.
Meetings usually take place fortnightly on Monday evenings at 8.00 p.m. at the The Dryburgh Hall, Putney Leisure Centre, SW15 1BL from September to April. They last for about two hours with a short interval when tea, coffee & wine are available. Members & young persons are admitted for free with visitors charged £5.
Putney Music: 2016-17 Season
2016
31 October Comparing Notes 1. Vocal Memories
A feast of an evening, with a trio of singers reminiscing onstage. Sheila Armstrong, a familiar and much-loved soprano until her retirement in the mid-1990s, joins the baritone Stephen Roberts, whose distinguished career encompasses the operatic stage and concert platform. Putney Music’s Vice-President Ian Partridge keeps order.
7 November * Master of Voices
The choral conductor, composer and arranger Louis Halsey has been associated with such illustrious names in Twentieth Century music as Britten, Stravinsky, Tippett and Vaughan Williams. Here he talks about his career with recordings both private and commercial.
21 November Hampton Court Amazing
Carl Jackson, Director of Music at the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court, talks to Putney Music’s Vice-President Martin Neary about his career as an organist, working with singers and the protocol of his directorship at Hampton Court.
5 December Travels with my Violin
One of today’s most renowned international violinists, Alina Ibragimova, talks to her recording producer Andrew Keener about her career, working in the recording studio and performing both as soloist and chamber musician.
2017
16 January Rhodes to the Piano
The pianist James Rhodes’ story is one of the most remarkable among today’s performers. A traumatic and damaging childhood (described in his autobiography, ‘Instrumental’) overcome by obsession with music and enormous determination has been followed by a renowned and successful career both as soloist and communicator. In a conversation with Andrew Keener, expect some passionate reflections on music and trenchant views on the music industry.
30 January 7.30pm start Party Music
President David Cairns and Vice-President Martin Neary introduce their choice of music for Putney Music’s New Year social.
6 February * Comparing Notes 2. Pen or Sword?
Hugh Canning, Chief Critic of the Sunday Times, and John Allison, Editor of Opera magazine, talk about the role of today’s music critic.
20 February Speaking for myself
Our Vice-President, Ian Partridge, takes the Putney stage for reminiscences and wisdom, covering a career as one of Britain’s best-loved tenors for half a century.
6 March ‘ph’ and ‘v’
The great pianist and polymath Stephen Hough, talks to his friend, Putney Music’s Vice-President Steven Isserlis, about performance, their nicknames for each other (the clue is in the title) and finding time for a multi-faceted career which might seem to necessitate two lives.
20 March Friends and Places
To end our season, Putney Music’s President, David Cairns, looks back over a career encompassing music scholarship and association with some of the most illustrious figures in the world of music of the past seventy years.
24 April 7.30pm start
Annual General Meeting followed by wine, buffet and a raffle.
* Please note only 1 week between meetings
Putney Music was founded in 1950 by the critic and writer, Ralph Hill. It began as a Gramophone Society, and now provides a place where members and visitors can meet internationally renowned musicians in an informal setting.
The Society enjoys a membership of over two hundred members, some of whom have a considerable knowledge of music while others have very little, but all share a great love of music.
Additional donations to the Society are always welcome.
October 12, 2016