1964-5 My first year at the RAM with Harvey (3)

There is just one more page about my first year at the RAM with Harvey.

It’s all about the crucial aspect of ‘performance’, and the enormous range of music-making which opened up for us during this year.

(The Duke’s Hall, RAM, where orchestra and choir rehearsal were held)

Harvey was required to take me to Monday afternoon rehearsals of the Academy’s ‘Second Orchestra’, in the Duke’s Hall, playing with the Second Violins.  All kinds of orchestral pieces were introduced to us – many of which were new to me. Surprisingly, I had never played Stravinsky’s ‘Firebird’ Suite or Tchaikovsky’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ overture until now.

Harvey was also required to attend rehearsals of the RAM Choir, singing with the Basses. The most exciting memory there was a performance of Elgar’s ‘Dream of Gerontius’ in St Paul’s Cathedral conducted by the great conductor Sir John Barbirolli. He was introduced to J S Bach’s ‘Mass in B minor’, Mahler’s ‘Symphony of a Thousand’ and Poulenc’s ‘Gloria’ and much more.

(Sir John Barbirolli)

The Chorus Master of the Choir, Professor Frederic Jackson, was also the Chorus Master of the London Philharmonic Choir, and he encouraged Harvey to join the LP Choir and he sang in many concerts in the Royal Festival Hall, mainly under the leadership of the conductor John Prichard.  Two occasions stand out – a performance of Britten’s ‘War Requiem’ and a concert of French masterpieces conducted by Constantin Silvestri, a brilliant Romanian musician who had recently defected to Britain.

(The London Philharmonic Choir)

Countless numbers of visits to concerts in London became a regular activity for Harvey, too.

In these ways, our knowledge of the musical repertoire grew to great heights, and Harvey was able to witness at first hand the art of orchestral conducting with all its demands, challenges, thrills and spills!

During this time, one of his few fellow students became very friendly, and all this music-making was caught up with strong sexual emotions. He was having to grow up very quickly, and this affected the way he approached and played me.

After the close of the Summer Term in 1965, Harvey took me to Burford, an Oxfordshire village, to take part in a small orchestral music workshop with about 20 other student musicians.  Harvey had the chance to conduct a few rehearsals of Mozart’s ‘Prague’ Symphony, and I could see he was in his element.  Also, he was preparing himself for a performance of G F Handel’s ‘Messiah’ which he was to conduct in his Methodist Church in Watford in September.

Looking back over the years, now that Harvey has been a Methodist preacher for over 50 years, a question keeps occurring to me – was Harvey’s dream of becoming an orchestral conductor intricately connected in any way to his later ‘performance’ as a minister in the Christian Church?

This question keeps resonating through my body, and I suspect through his, too.

Performing the scriptures?