Beethoven’s 1st Piano Concerto & Mahler’s 6th Symphony, BBC Proms, Royal Albert Hall, 26 July 2000

This one has Pauline, Duchess of Castlebar’s fingerprints all over it. Not in terms of who paid for the evening, obviously, but in terms of who chose that concert.

Here is the BBC Proms stub for that concert.

A Wednesday evening (virtually guaranteeing a rush job for me and Janie after work), a large concert hall, big sound music…

…Janie does not much go for Beethoven orchestral works nor Mahler on a large scale. Mahler’s 6th would not be my first choice of Mahler symphony. I’m not sure it would even be my 6th choice.

Tim Ashley in The Guardian rated this concert “unmissable”. I always think that a bit harsh on anyone who wasn’t there at a concert, as they are by definition one-offs so anyone who wasn’t there missed it:

Jarvi Prom Ashley Guardian

Article from 28 Jul 2000 The Guardian (London, Greater London, England)

Rick Jones in The Standard also rated this one highly. He also informs me (25 years later) that this was Paavo Järvi’s first Prom.

Prom 16 Jones Standard

Article from 27 Jul 2000 Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England)

So, it was no doubt a seriously good concert, and in those days I still enjoyed the opportunity to hear large orchestral works…

…even if The Duchess was part of the price, both additional ticket-wise, plus the costly sense of nervous tension before and after the concert.

“Did the evening continue on to dinner with The Duchess, even after such a long concert?” I hear sympathetic readers cry, while sensing a wave of pity for me and Janie.

Yup, if Janie’s bookings diary is to be believed. Atlantis in Pitshanger Lane – one of the few restaurants in Ealing that would take such a late booking – probably still would 25 years later:

Welcome

No doubt The Duchess insisted on one more cigarette, one or two more anecdotes hurled in the direction of the tolerant…some might say sycophantic…waiting staff, and zero appreciation that Janie and I both had really early starts the next day.

At sparrow-fart the next morning, Janie headed off to Ham to visit patients, while I headed off crack of dawn to Bristol to visit a Children’s Society site. It was “just what we did” back then – we wouldn’t dream of packing it in like that 25 years later.

Art Nouveau 1890-1914, Victoria & Albert Museum, 24 July 2000

crowded!

That’s all he wrote, folks.

Janie and I concluded our culture vulture odyssey day (we had already visited the British Museum & the Tate Modern)…at the V&A.

It was clearly a well received show, if the following “review of reviews” from The Guardian is anything to go by:

Art Nouveau Guardian Review of Reviews

Article from 14 Apr 2000 The Guardian (London, Greater London, England)

That might explain why it was crowded.

A First Visit To The (New) Tate Modern, “Between Cinema & A Hard Place”, 24 July 2000

This was the second part of a culture vulture odyssey day out with Janie, visiting the British Museum, the (then brand new) Tate Modern and then the V&A.

I recall that we were both taken with the new Tate Modern generally. I recall the sense of hugeness and we both especially remember the Louise Bourgeois giant spider piece in the Turbine Hall.

This Richard Holliday piece from The Standard pretty much sums it up.

Tate Modern Opening Standard

Article from 11 May 2000 Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England)

As for the specific exhibition I was keen to see – Between Cinema & A Hard Place – my verdict in the log was pretty short and clear:

weird crap.

I suspect that we moved swiftly on to the V&A.

Burma And The Art Of Lacquer, British Museum, 24 July 2000

Janie and I went on a bit of a culture vulture odyssey that day, visiting the British Museum, the (then brand new) Tate Modern and then the V&A.

Of the three visits, this was the one that got the top rating from me…I’m pretty sure from both of us, in my log:

Marvellous.

This write up by Sue Arnold in the Observer provides some additional words of praise.

Burma Arnold Observer

Article from 11 Jun 2000 The Observer (London, Greater London, England)

But words can’t do it for for this type of exhibition. You’d either need some sort of virtual reality, metaverse retrospective…or you had to be there.

Mr Peters’ Connections by Arthur Miller, Almeida Theatre, 22 July 2000

In truth, I remember little detail about this piece. My impressionistic memory of it is that we found the piece impenetrable and sensed that Miller was, sadly, well past his prime when he wrote it. I didn’t write anything positive or negative about it in my log…which is a tad negative.

We leapt in early and saw a preview on 22 July.

Here is a link to the Theatricalia entry for this production. The production toured subsequently.

Susannah Clapp compared it unfavourably with the Steppenwolf production that was touring at the same time.

Peters’ Clapp Observer

Article from 30 Jul 2000 The Observer (London, Greater London, England)

David Benedict slammed the piece directly in the Independent:

Peters Benedict Indy

Article from 27 Jul 2000 The Independent (London, Greater London, England)

While Kete Bassett Telegraphed her antipathy in the ehadline:

Peters’ Bassett Telegraph

Article from 28 Jul 2000 The Daily Telegraph (London, Greater London, England)

Nicholas de Jongh gave it a dreaded Standard blob rating, with words of damnation and occasional faint praise:

Peters’ de Jongh Standard

Article from 27 Jul 2000 Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England)

Would our friend, Michael Billington, rescue this one with his trademark kindness and positivity? The almost unheard of two star review says, “no”.

Peters’ Billington Guardian

Article from 28 Jul 2000 The Guardian (London, Greater London, England)

Even Arthur Miller, even the Almeida (which was terrific back then) could muster the occasional dud and this was one of those.

Janie and I quietly agreed that we’d think twice before again booking to see plays written by great writers once they were quite so deep into their dotage.

The Brandenburg Consort, Wigmore Hall, 17 July 2000

Janie really was on a Baroque kick at that time – we even booked a Monday evening concert on a working day. Janie had cunningly arranged to see Carita, our dental hygienist, around the corner in Cavendish Square, but then ended up having to move that appointment. Once again, in the end, I recall that Janie hot-footed it (if you can hot-foot in a car) to the Wig, after making a late client visit.

But it was worth it.

I had encouraged Janie to see Roy Goodman and The Brandenburg Consort, as her treasured recording of the Brandenburg Concertos is their 1992 recording – and jolly good it is too.

Anyway, this concert focussed more on CPE than JS Bach, and was mostly an opportunity for Rachel Brown to show off her flute skills, which she did with aplomb.

We heard:

  • Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach – Flute Concerto in G Wq 169
  • Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach – String Symphony in C Wq 182/3
  • Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach – Flute Concerto in D minor Wq22
  • Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach – String Symphony in G Wq 182/1
  • Johann Sebastian Bach – Sinfonia from Cantata “Non sa che sia dolore” BWV 209

Here is a link to the album of CPE Bach Flute Concertos that this consort, including Rachel Brown, recorded, in 2001.

Below is a link to Rachel Brown performing some utterly delightful Quantz with Roy Goodman and his other lot – The Hanover Band.

Here is the JS Bach Sinfonia from BWV 209 which we heard at the end of the concert:

You’ll get the idea – the concert on 17 July 2000 was a feast for our ears – we metaphorically floated home.

Stolen by Jane Harrison, Tricycle Theatre (Kiln Theatre), 15 July 2000

The following cutting, which I found inside my programme, explains the story depicted in this play.

This might have been our first visit to the Tricycle – latterly renamed Kiln Theatre, in Kilburn.

Clare Colvin in the Standard was moved by the story:

Stolen Colvin Standard

Article from 5 Jul 2000 Evening Standard (London, Greater London, England)

Kate Kellaway felt somewhat over-tear-jerked, but still felt that the piece worked:

Stolen Kellaway Observer

Article from 9 Jul 2000 The Observer (London, Greater London, England)

This piece certainly won us over to the Tricycle, where we saw many more interesting plays and films over the years.

My First Ever Book Signing, Clean Business Cuisine (the book), Actors’ Workshop Halifax (the venue), Yet Something Was Missing, 5 July 2000

Clean Business Cuisine, Released 30 June 2000

Michael Mainelli and I, (through Milet, our publisher and Tanya Aslan whom we assigned to the promotion task), organised an intensive promotion campaign around the book, starting with an opportunistic book signing in Yorkshire 5 July.

I had a long association with Mike Ward and The Actor’s Workshop (as it was then called), mostly through my song lyrics.

Mike had started writing plays by 2000. As coincidence would have it, the first of these; The Elland Affair, was due to launch around the same time as Clean Business Cuisine.

Further, I had written some extensive programme notes for The Elland Affair – click here or below:

Programme Notes For The Elland Affair by Mike Ward, I Wrote The Notes 9 May 2000

So, Mike and I hatched the plan that my first book signing would be on the night of the gala premier of The Elland Affair; 5 July 2000.

This would have been a grand plan, had advance copies the book arrived when expected; a couple of weeks before the big night. But of course…

…anyway, the publishers pulled out all the stops, had a box or two of the first batch of books diverted to me for Halifax purposes and I went off on a mini road trip, most of the details of which are lost in the physical diary scrawl and only limited use of e-mail back then.

I know I went via my alma mater, because this e-mail from Professor Lawrence survives:

Dear Tanya,

Thanks for diverting Ian to Keele – it was good to see him and hear about the book. He left me with copies for colleagues and this email is partly to let you know how to chase me up- this is better than the phone!

Take care,

Peter

Janie must have joined me by train to Halifax, as my diary scribble shows that I booked bed and breakfast for two at the Imperial Crown, Halifax, £95. (The price has barely changed in 18 years, I note, while writing in September 2018). We went on to The White Swan, Pickering afterwards – our first visit there – the following year we made our second visit there ahead of visiting Mike’s next production of his own work.  

Anyway, I am pretty sure I met Janie at the hotel where I changed into my evening suit (Gala Evenings at The Actors’ Workshop were black tie affairs) and Janie changed into her glad rags.

Then off we set to get to the theatre early, for my first ever book signing and the show.

Mike Ward had kindly arranged a small stack of my books on a prominent table for me. I sat at the chair and a small queue of eager locals (is there no word for people from Halifax? Hartlepool folk are known as Monkey Hangers, for example), formed to procure and have their en primeur book signed.

I reached into my jacket pocket and discovered…a vacancy. I had no pen in my pocket.

I had turned up to my first ever book signing, without a pen.

Strangely, just to add to my embarrassment, finding a suitable pen for book signing at a place like the Actors’ Workshop was a non-trivial matter. Plenty of marker pens and thick felt tip pens to be found, but it took a while for someone to find a regular type of pen that would look right for book signing.

Still, once that initial (albeit existential problem in the matter of book signing) had been resolved, the rest of the evening passed very successfully. Not only the signing, but the play was well received and I seem to recall a most excellent meal at Mike and Lottie’s place late in the evening, once all of the theatrical excitement was over.

The Elland Affair by Mike Ward, The Actor’s Workshop, 5 July 2000

I have described the book signing aspect of this event in excruciating detail in a separate piece – click here or below.

My First Ever Book Signing, Clean Business Cuisine (the book), Actors’ Workshop Halifax (the venue), Yet Something Was Missing, 5 July 2000

I have also set out the programme notes I wrote for The Elland Affair – click here.

But what of the show itself?

Well, it seems I gave it a rave review at the time and also assembled some other reviews electronically. I have no idea how or why this information ended up in a “miscellaneous” file on my computer – it looks like a scrape from an on-line something-or-other from back in the mists of time. Anyway, I have just (11 Match 2023) discovered/recovered it, dated 19 July 2000, so here is the contemporaneous reviews of many:

Nicola Sedgefield
Play: The Elland Affair

The Actor’s Workshop Youth Theatre’s latest production, Mike Ward’s ‘The Elland Affair’ is not for the squeamish or sexually repressed.

This orgy of rampant testosterone exposes the physical abilities, acting skills as well as most of the flesh of a group of Yorkshire lads (I presume) who would win hands down in any contest of entertainment against ‘The Chippendales’. With the Workshop lads, what you see is clearly what you get.

Gore as well as sex is plentiful as our fearless heroes plot and ultimately exact revenge on the dastardly Sir John Eland and his thugs. If these lads had been on hand to fight the later Wars of the Roses, Henry VII and all those Tudors would never have made it.

It was a long show, but I wouldn’t have missed it.

Review by: Ian Harris
Play: The Elland Affair

I enjoyed the play immensely. Before taking the world by storm with it, I think Mike Ward would do well to reduce the length by some 30 to 45 minutes. But even in its full length form, there’s enough really good stuff to maintain one’s attention throughout.

The Elland Affair is not for the squeamish or prudish, as other reviewers have no doubt pointed out. But then 1327 probably wasn’t a good time for squeams and prudes to be alive.

A tough but worthwhile assignment this, for a small youth theatre. The broad sword fighting scenes alone must have needed an enormous amount of rehearsal (and muscle building) but were pulled off with great aplomb.

Other youth theatres should take a look at this play and, if suitably ambitious, should do well with it.

Superb programme notes, I thought. (He would say that, wouldn’t he?)

Seriously, well done to author, director, cast and crew.

Review by: Mr G Phillips
Play: The Elland Affair

Yet again the actors workshop has pulled off another excellent performance – ‘The Elland Affair’, superbly written and superbly performed, and it does not cease to amaze me.

Although one or two mistakes were made, and it showed to a certain extent, it was understandable because of all the lines that needed to be learnt.

Kristian Wilkinson played an excellent part as Adam, also Thomas Vickery as Hugh, and they both worked well together showing that they had put a lot of time and effort into the production.

The one character that didn’t really stand out was Harry he could have been played a lot better, Christopher Cockroft did not prove to be much as there was no ‘umph’ behind his lines.

My wife thinks that the the one person that did stand out, even though he did not have a big part, was Aaron. He stood out with his witty humour on how he thought that he was a ‘sex god’ – very well played by Shane Gough. The thing that made him stand out is that he would always turn up at the right moment.’Hope to see him again’ she says.

Which also shows how well the play was written. Even though it was a bit long, there is not a single scene which I can think to leave out, one or two lines maybe, but none of the scenes.

Well done to Mr Ward and I can’t wait for your next one – I assume you are going to write one.

P.S don’t listen to Margaret Woods, you guys are doing a fantastic job and some of you could be the future of television.

Review by: Steve Cattell
Play: The Elland Affair

This was about my fourth outing to an Actor’s Workshop production, and by far the most enjoyable yet.

I had been fore-warned about the length of the play, but felt that the length was justified to contain the full story – a story which has been excellently written by Mike Ward.

Full marks to Kristian for learning so many lines !! What this must have done to his social life over the past two months is anyones guess !! and also a great performance by his right hand man who put in a blinding performance – a natural on the stage.

And of course, I have to mention the star of the show (although I am slightly biased !!!), Grace Siddall – who proved once more that a career in acting is definately looking promising…..

Keep writing Mike, it keeps us entertained…..

Review by: Mr F Smith
Play: The Elland Affair

I must say that my evening at the Actors Workshop was superb whilst seeing the ‘Elland affair’.

I thought that everyone took on the challenge of being 13th century teenagers very well and it was obvious that they had all completly focused on the task.

My only fault was that occasionally the play was disrupted by loud backstage noise.

I also thought that the role of Harry De’lacey slightly lacked confidence.

Review by: A. Ward
Play: The Elland Affair

A great world premiere.

A highly enjoyable swashbuckling tale of revenge, treachery, and humanity – one that will surely see future stagings throughout the country.

A trifle long – particularly the second Act – but this was a mere flesh wound to the body of work as a whole.

Some fine performances and some intriguingly insightful writing touches.

I suggest a sequel – ‘Confessions of a Miller’s Wife’…….

Review by: J.B.W.Summerskill
Play: The Elland Affair

I sat in awe last week as I watched the Mike Ward work ‘The Elland Affair’. I thought it was the best show the company performed that I have seen.

With its carefully woven themes of loyalty, love, friendship and hatred thumping into the audience with welcome regularity, I was kept on my toes laughing and gasping throughout. Many congratulations to all on an exciting and provocative story which could be adapted into a blockbusting production on stage or screen were it to fall into the “wrong” hands.

No doubt Janie and I also enjoyed lavish hospitality at the hands of Mike and Lottie Ward after the show that night…

…after I had returned the pen(s) to their rightful owner(s).

Following The Lord’s Test Match In The Car, Then Bach At The Wigmore Hall With The Duchess, 1 July 2000

This memory was triggered by this charming piece on the King Cricket website in late May 2020:

Watching (and missing) a dramatic day of England v West Indies in 2000 – a match report

Janie (Daisy) and I weren’t there for the tense ending of that match either. But we were nearby – there in spirit if not in body.

We had been eagerly following the match all day.

But that day was also the birthday of Daisy’s mother, The Duchess of Castlebar. I had bought tickets for the three of us to see a Bach concert at the Wigmore Hall for that evening.

Janie had quite recently acquired a taste for chamber concert halls and baroque music, perhaps a year or two earlier. The Duchess tended to prefer large scale concerts of the Proms variety; we mostly booked those for her. But the Proms don’t get going until a bit later in the summer and it was the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death that year. So Bach at The Wig it was to be.

Anyway, that afternoon the Lord’s Test Match was beautifully poised and/but for reasons I cannot recall – had there been a lot of overnight rain? – the day’s play had been delayed and was playing out until quite late.

The Duchess is an avid follower of the cricket as well as a music aficionado. We called her to let her know that we were on the way to collect her. We could all listen to the ending of the cricket match together on the car radio on our way to The Wig.

As we drove to the Duchess’s residence, England wickets fell and the match seemed to be drifting in The West Indies direction. Daisy and I anticipated a dark mood and we were not disappointed.

Thrown it away, they’ve thrown it away…

…said The Duchess. We set off for Marylebone (the southern end thereof).

The Duchess explained to us, as she had several times before, that Denis (Compton), Ted (Dexter), Colin (Cowdrey) Ken (Barrington), Geoffrey (Boycott) and players of that ilk – whom she had met together with her late husband in the good old days- would not have thrown it away like this.

We arrived at The Wigmore Hall. England hadn’t lost a wicket for a while. Was it possible that they could snatch victory from the very jaws of defeat?

Daisy parked up – it was a warm sunny evening so we sat in the car with the roof open and the car radio on, listening to the denouement of the cricket match.

The Duchess Of Castlebar

Try to imagine the scene, dear reader, as it must have looked to passing tourists who understand little or nothing about cricket. A distinguished-looking septuagenarian with her family sitting in a car leaping around in their seats, oohing and aahing every 45 seconds or so as the commentator spoke.

Then, those same seemingly dignified folk whooping with joy for a while, before sealing up the car and entering the Wigmore Hall. Tourists: meet the English.

Here’s a link to the scorecard and the Cricinfo bumf about the match.

Then the concert.

Basically it was an organ recital of JS Bach works by Jennifer Bate. When you click that preceding link you get some eye candy as well as the organist in question, as Jennifer Bate shares her name with a subsequent Miss England and sporting WAG.

Click the pic to read about the organist Jennifer Bate

It was a fine concert of mostly well-known Bach organ works. An example of one of the pieces (Bach after Vivaldi as it happens) can be seen and heard below.

To be precise, extracted from my log, we heard:

  • Johann Sebastian Bach – Chorale Partita BWV 767
  • Johann Sebastian Bach – Prelude and Fugue in D Minor BWV 539
  • Johann Sebastian Bach – Sonata No 4 in E Minor BWV 539
  • Johann Sebastian Bach – Chorale Prelude BWV 740
  • Johann Sebastian Bach & Johann Ernst – Concerto No 4 in C BWV 595
  • Johann Sebastian Bach & Antonio Lucio Vivaldi – Concerto No 2 in A minor BWV 593
  • Johann Sebastian Bach – Pastorale in F BWV 590
  • Johann Sebastian Bach – Chorale Prelude BWV 645
  • Johann Sebastian Bach – Fugue in G BWV 577

A sad coda to this Ogblog piece was the discovery that Jennifer Bate died in March 2020, just a few weeks before I wrote this piece.

Here’s another video of her playing one of the pieces we heard that night; Concerto in C BWV 595 (Ernst arr. Bach).

Below is the sort-of programme handed out on the night – it wouldn’t be an organ recital without an organ appeal, now would it?