The Society of Recorder Players - Edinburgh

The Branch learnt with deep sorrow of the death, on 27 December 2006, of John Higgitt who had been a member of the Edinburgh Branch for over twenty years.

The Branch had 33 members, 4 more than the previous season (7 new members, 1 returned member and 4 non-renewals). We met on 36 Monday evenings from September to June for combined playing. One-to-a-part groups met in each other’s houses.

We were delighted to welcome Fabian Setznagel, a music student at Edinburgh University, as our new conductor.

On Saturday 4 November we welcomed Adam Dopadlik, from Cambridge, as our visiting conductor. We were joined by visitors from other Scottish branches and from the Evening Class. Adam Dodpadlik arranged a Mozart string quartet especially for the occasion and later presented a copy to the branch.

Our Christmas Evening was on Monday 11 December, when we played to an audience of family and friends in Augustine United Church. The conductors from the Branch were Fabian Setznagel, Peter Wraith and Andrew Short and we were joined by members of the Edinburgh Community Education Evening Class conducted by Margaret Hall. Fabian brought along his choir to perform Austrian and medieval Christmas songs. The collection made a profit of £259.30 which was sent to Marie Curie Cancer Care.

On 29 January we hosted a joint meeting of the Branch and the Edinburgh Community Education Evening Class conducted by Margaret Hall.

The National Recorder Festival took place on 31 March and 1 April at Mount School, York. On 1 April, Eileen Finlayson attended the Society’s Annual Conference as the Edinburgh Branch’s delegate. The meeting was chaired by Andrew Short. The full minutes, reports and accounts of the Conference can be found at www.srp.org.uk/documents/ A summary of the minutes follows. All officers were prepared to stand for re-election with the exception of the Chairman, Andrew Short. Alistair Read said that he would be standing down as Secretary at the 2008 Conference. Dick Pyper (Committee & Guildford) was elected Chairman nem. con by Conference for a term of one year. Caroline Jones (Birmingham) and Jane Sellek (West Riding) were elected to serve on the Committee for three years replacing Sandra Foxall (Cleveland) and Dick Pyper (Guildford). Eileen Silcocks succeeded Helen Hooker as Musical Adviser on the Committee. Dick Pyper reported that, as the result of an initial claim for Gift Aid tax refund, the Society had received just over £700 for Central Funds and a further £1,800 was anticipated. He thanked members for completing the Gift Aid forms. The central subscription rates were set at £17.50 for full members, £28.00 for household members and £13.00 for student members. Subscriptions are due by 30 November. Conference was pleased to ratify the new Wales Branch which had opened with 16 members. Conference ratified the dissolution of Plymouth and Milton Keynes Branches.

Future Festivals
2008 Kent/Weald of Kent (19–20 April at The Weald of Kent School, Tonbridge)
2009 Cleveland (confirmed) (18–19 April)
2010 Suffolk (confirmed)
2011 Somerset/Devon (provisional)

Honorary life membership was bestowed on Andrew Short. Taking the chair briefly, the Secretary told Conference that Andrew Short, who had been in post 11 years, had given selflessly to the post of chairman and in particular through his guidance, energy and enthusiasm had seen NYRO come into being.

Several members attended Special Playing Days in Glasgow on 17 February and Newcastle on 21 July.

On Friday 1 June, a one-to-part consort from the branch played at a wedding on the island of Inchcolm.

On Saturday 2 June, the Edinburgh Branch hosted the Scottish Recorder Festival at Mayfield-Salisbury Church in Edinburgh. The Festival Committee consisted of Mabel Cooney (Secretary), Rosemary Byde (Treasurer), Eileen Finlayson (Chairperson) and Peter Wraith. The guest conductor was Moira Usher, who directed sessions of massed playing at the beginning and end of the festival and also offered a conducting session. For the rest of the day there was a choice of music, graded easy to difficult, conducted by Ethel Allan, Stuart Forrester, Sandra Foxall, Ed Friday, Marg Hall, Fabian Setznagel and Eileen Silcocks. Shops displaying instruments and music were open throughout the festival. There were performances by Flauti Animati Scotica and the Scottish Recorder Orchestra, and visitors to the festival were welcomed by a Scottish folk band playing in the foyer. The event was a great success with over 70 bookings taken, and we are very grateful to all those who helped both beforehand and on the day.

On Sunday 17 June, two groups from the Branch played at the Early Music Forum of Scotland’s Performance Day at the National Museum of Scotland. A large group played two short fugues by Pachelbel in the Hawthornden Court conducted by Fabian Setznagel, and a smaller one-to-a-part group played a sonata by Boismortier.

On Monday 18 June, the Edinburgh Branch held its 50th anniversary concert at Augustine United Church. Former members and friends of the Branch gathered to listen to a varied programme of music, much of which was associated with the last 50 years. The conductors were Fabian Setznagel, Andrew Short, Peter Wraith and Margaret Hall, who directed members of her recorder evening class in Ein Frölich Wesen by Paul Rebhun and Three Czech Dances arranged by Walter Bergmann. The centre piece of the concert was a performance, conducted by Fabian Setznagel, of Intrata giocosa for recorders and strings written in 1958 by Hans Gál. Hans Gál was President of the Edinburgh Branch from its foundation until his death in 1987 and Intrata giocosa was last played by the Branch at its 25th Anniversary Concert in 1982 when the composer himself was in the audience. On this occasion we were delighted to welcome Hans Gál’s daughter, Eva Fox Gál, her husband Tony Fox and Hans Gál’s granddaughter, Tanya Fox. Another piece by Hans Gál, his Divertimento for two treble recorders and guitar, also featured in the programme. As well as the music, there were reminiscences from Mina Brown, a founder member of the Branch, who brought to life the minutes of the first meeting with her memories of those who took part. Mina also cut the celebration cake during the interval. Peter Wraith brought the concert to a lively conclusion by conducting a performance of Mock Baroque: A Suite of 20th Century Dances by James Carey, former conductor and Musical Director the Edinburgh Branch, who was also in the audience. The collection made a profit of £110.91 which was sent to Quarriers.

We must warmly thank our conductors Fabian Setznagel, Andrew Short and Peter Wraith for giving us such an enjoyable year of music making and we look forward in anticipation to the coming season.

E. Finlayson September 2007

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