Evensong on Sunday 22 January, when the choir sang the Mozart Vespers, was followed by the Annual General Meeting of the Friends of the Music. Highlights of another successful year had included Voices from the (not so distant) Past, a third selection from the Vicar’s wonderful collection of opera recordings, and a particularly well attended summer garden party, at which Paul Daybell’s tombola broke all previous records. The Treasurer’s report showed that whilst subscriptions and income from events had remained stable, there had been a significant increase this year in the money raised through the provision of concert management services. Daphne Johnson-King and Ed Price reported the encouraging development of the junior choir, and the continuing stability of the senior choir. The meeting took the opportunity to thank both Lee Ward and Helen Swift for all their hard work, and to welcome the appointments of Ruth Trawford (alto) who had replaced Chrissy Kinsella, and Lewis Brito-Babapulle who had succeeded David Gostick as assistant organist.
The Chairman thanked Jenny Macdonald Hay, who was now leaving the committee, having launched the Friends’ concert management activity with such admirable commitment and professionalism. Peter Loyd, Debra Bryan and Elizabeth Stradling were also thanked for many years of sterling service, and Robin Saikia and Howard Hudson were welcomed onto the committee. Over the past 30 years Elizabeth and Gerald together had probably done more than anyone else to put the Friends of the Music and the Church Music Trust onto a sound financial footing, whilst also fostering and catering for the social events for choristers and supporters which together created the unique blend of support from which the church and its music drew so much strength. Elizabeth would be sorely missed, but it was fitting that their share in the gift of the piano would help us to remember them together.
After completing the formal business of the meeting, the Chairman welcomed Jenny Nex, curator of musical instruments at the Royal College of Music and Dr Lance Whitehead, a musicologist now working for the Metropolitan Police, to speak about burglary, fraud and sex in the musical instrument workshops of Georgian London. Drawing on their extensive research into contemporary Court records, they gave us an entertaining and illuminating account of various malpractices in a flourishing young industry, ranging from the theft of tools and materials and even horse-rustling to the fraudulent use of maker’s names and the rage of the workshop proprietor whose 14-year old daughter had fallen in love with the apprentice. Whilst the circumstances of criminal activity had changed, and the terms of the accusations were engagingly robust, human nature had changed rather little. The 40 members or so who were present plied the speakers with questions and thanked them warmly for a scholarly and entertaining glimpse into a different world.
Handley Stevens
Friends of the Music AGM
Handley Stevens