New Season of Putney Music Talks
An evening of stories, insights and anecdotes from Andrew McGregor on his work in Radio 3
Putney Music has published the programme for the series of talks planned by the society for the next six months.
This next talk on 5th November, is one of the highights of the season with a visit from BBC Radio 3's Andrew McGregor. Andrew was brought up in a home ‘wallpapered’ by that station. His first musical explorations were as a child, picking out popular TV themes tunes with one finger at the piano. As his technique improved (thanks to some excellent teachers) he added violin, voice and organ to his musical gifts.
After spending school holidays ‘trying to pick up a girlfriend on orchestra and chamber music courses’, he ‘bluffed’ his way into the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain as a violinist, playing Shostakovich under Kirill Kondrashin, and Stravinsky under Riccardo Chailly at the proms. This was his first experience of live broadcasting on Radio 3. Nowadays this takes the form of presenting many of the proms and the Saturday morning programme Record Review. He has vague memories of providing string backing for rock groups, and studying Stockhausen, and his postgraduate year was spent as a violinist at the National Centre for Orchestral Studies. He has fond memories of studying music at Surrey University and of singing alto in Guildford Cathedral Choir.
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 £8. Annual membership is £35.
Putney Music: 2018-19 Season
2018
5 November * On and off the record
Andrew McGregor, a familiar Radio 3 voice as presenter of the
Saturday morning programme Record Review talks to Andrew
Keener.
19 November The Countertenor-Man’s Story 2
Iestyn Davies, one of today’s top young counter tenors and son
of the Fitzwilliam Quartet cellist Ioan Davies, shares some
highlights of his life and career with Martin Neary.
3 December The Genius of Leonard Bernstein
David Mellor reviews the life and work of Bernstein in this his
centenary year and asks whether you can have too much talent.
2019
7 January ‘Nothing is more beautiful than a guitar,
save perhaps two’
Chopin may have meant guitars, but he hadn’t heard the cellists
Raphael Wallfisch and Steven Isserlis. This evening the two
friends discuss life, careers and probably much else.
21 January Certainly Not Too Loud
Julius Drake, one of today’s most renowned piano accompanists
talks to Christopher Cook.
4 February A Life of Lucky Chances
Jane Clark Dodgson, harpsichordist and authority on Couperin
and Scarlatti and Trustee of the Stephen Dodgson charity which
is devoted to her husband’s music, talks to Peter Avis.
18 February 7.30pm start Annual Social
David Cairns and Martin Neary set the evening in motion with
reminiscences and a music quiz.
4 March Comparing Notes 3, Piano Partners
Jeremy Menuhin and his wife Mookie Lee-Menuhin reflect to
Piers Lane on life as solo pianists and partners in a successful
piano-duo team.
18 March Grande Dame
To close our season, Dame Janet Baker will talk to our vice-president
Ian Partridge about her life and career.
* 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 30, 2018