President |
Sir Richard Rodney Bennett |
|---|---|
Vice - Presidents |
Lord Harewood - Prof. Ian Parrott Patrick Mills (founder) Benjamin Luxon - Fred Tomlinson Dr. Peter Heseltine - Dr. Barry Smith - Malcolm Rudland |
Chairman |
Graham Dinnage |
Hon. Secretary |
Malcolm Rudland (see membership page) |
Hon. Treasurer |
John Mitchell |
Hon.
American |
Richard Valentine (see membership page) |
Our Society, founded in 1963, works steadily to increase knowledge of his work. Events include an annual Birthday concert at one of the music colleges around 30 October, jaunts to Ruddles Brewery and to places with Warlockian legends. A Newsletter is published at least twice a year.
Our project for all Warlock's music and writings to be in print is almost completed. After the centenary celebrations at his birthplace The Savoy (October 1994) we organised a Warlock and Bartók celebration in London in March 1997.
Largely influenced by other composers - Delius, van Dieren, Quilter, and Bartók - he had little formal training. A deep poetic insight prompted particular sympathies for Yeats, Robert Nichols (a friend), the Elizabethans (especially Shakespeare) and, at the end of his life, Bruce Blunt. A strong Celtic affinity caused him to study Cornish, Welsh, Irish, Manx and Breton.
His musical activities fall fairly tidily into three periods. After a contemplative year in Ireland c.1917-18, early mature works (such as Corpus Christi, As dew in Aprylle and My gostly fader) were written between 1918-20 whereafter composing briefly gave way to journalism. He edited The Sackbut from 1920/21 and wrote, inter alia, articles on Elizabethan song, Hungarian music, and chromaticism. He continued to promote Delius's music, transcribing some of that composer's work for piano as well as writing the Serenade, a 60th birthday tribute. Travels in north Africa and Europe reached Budapest; he met Bartók, plans for whose London début were initiated.
The next three years, the most settled and prolific of his life, centred on Cefn-Bryntalch, his family home in Wales. He finished The Curlew, produced some of his finest songs (such as the Lillygay cycle), made numerous transcriptions of early music and completed a biography of Delius (Bodley Head 1923) still thought significant.
In 1925 he moved to Eynsford, Kent. Three years there were the last really fruitful ones. He wrote (with Cecil Gray) a study of Gesualdo, more piano songs (the Belloc pieces, Cradle Song, Robin Goodfellow, etc.) and choral settings of Webster and others. Back in London he edited MILO and organised the 1929 Delius Festival with Sir Thomas Beecham. Friendship with the poet Bruce Blunt inspired a few pieces (including The Fox, and The Frostbound Wood) among the best British music of that era.
In under two decades, he wrote about 150 songs, two dozen part-songs, a dozen items of vocal chamber music, and half a dozen instrumental works as well as 600 transcriptions, some vast undertakings. Journalism - books, articles, prefaces, reviews, and programme notes - amounts to c.300,000 words.
On May 11 1994 the composer's centenary was launched at the British Library. Events included a Warlock in Didbrook tea, concert and wine party, a Gregynog weekend, a Song Prize, a Chelsea ChronotopograPHical Crawl, culminating at The Savoy on 30 October, his birthplace and day, with a service in the chapel, a lunch in the Lancaster Room, and a concert in the Theatre.
The Society has access to extensive archives and can hire out choral and other material. The Hon. Secretary is pleased to advise any members in their quest for Warlockiana and to arrange loans from the library.
Chris Sreeves
Jubilee Cottage
30 The Hill
Garsington
Oxfordshire OX44 9DG
Tel: 01865 368461
Mobile: 07880 780484
E-mail: Chris Sreeves
+ 44 (0)171 589 9054
One volume of songs.
Boosey & Hawkes
+ 44 - (0)171-580 2060
One volume of songs and "The Curlew".
Stainer & Bell
+ 44 (0)181-444 9135
Saudades, Lilligay, and Peterisms Set 1.
Chester
+ 44 (0)1284 703097
In conjunction with the Warlock Society, a complete edition of Warlock’s music : eight volumes of the solo songs, two volumes of Sociable Songs (sponsored by Ruddles Brewery), two volumes of carols (unison and SATB), three volumes of partsongs (unison, SATB, 3-part). Two Cod-pieces (arr. for piano duet, organ and saxophone quartet). A Warlock Suite for violin or clarinet, & piano (arr. David Cox), An Old Song arr. for clarinet & piano, Folksong Preludes for piano, and a study score of The Curlew.
Dr Ian Copley’s "The Music of Peter Warlock" is published by Dobson Books
+ 44 (0)191 378 0628
Of the many devoted Warlockians over the years, none has ever contributed so much effort, knowledge and enthusiasm as Fred Tomlinson.
I wish to offer my sincere thanks to the following people
for being very helpful and supportive in this endeavour.
Barry Smith,
Betsy Fowler, Tim Harrison, Tim Haillay,
Rhian Davies, Brian Collins, Malcolm
Rudland, Robert Beckhard.
Thank you!