Review: MOZART AND BRAHMS CLARINET QUINTETS, Barbara Jane Gilby and friends. At Wesley Music Centre, August 26. Reviewed by TONY MAGEE

Barbara Jane Gilby brings to the stage an international class of playing and experience. With a sound reflecting Yehudi Menuhin both in intonation and tone production, she plays these days an exquisite 17th century violin made by the Guarneri family, which she says opens up an extra palette of tonal colours and dynamics more-so than any other instrument she has owned.

Photo - Peter Hislop

The Mozart and Brahms Clarinet Quintets are a marvellous coupling for a concert in so many ways. They share similarities in both the opening measures for two violins and also the opening phrases for the clarinet soloist. In addition however they are stylistically poles apart. The Mozart centres around beautiful melody, whilst the Brahms is more complex and polyphonic. Both quintets feature ample opportunity for the players of the inner parts to shine forth and this was one of the stand-out features of the pieces and the entire concert.

The Mozart “Quintet, K.581 in A Major” is a bright and joyous work. The first Allegro movement traded themes between all the string players and it was particularly nice to hear so many solo moments, albeit short, from the viola, played to great effect and with feeling and projection by Lucy Carrigy-Ryan. Gilby and 2nd violinist Pip Thompson played with excellent phrasing and unity during this movement. Thompson, an excellent violinist, projects a slightly darker tone than Gilby, but the contrast only served to strengthen the timbre and sonority of the blended sound.

The Larghetto and Menuetto-Trio movements both featured lengthy solo parts for the 1st violin (Gilby), who controlled the balance of her sound beautifully, so as to feature herself in these passages without up-staging the solo clarinet which would return later. Ah yes, the solo clarinet - played with wonderful depth of tone and projection by Eloise Fisher. It is a showcase part for the instrument and demonstrates how much Mozart loved the clarinet. Many of the passages in the piece remind the listener of the Concerto, also in A Major.

The final movement is a set of variations and once again highlighted the inner parts played by 2nd violin, viola and cello which combined created a beautiful foundation over which 1st violin and clarinet could soar and weave. On the cello was the youngest member of the ensemble, Samuel Payne, who has the honour and distinction of being fourth generation musical lineage to Pablo Casals, through Howard Penny/Julian Smiles and Nelson Cooke. He played with a light tone when bowed and a more projected tone in pizzicato phrases, with one tiny little moment of intonation wobble in the upper register during the variations. Overall, he is a fine player and at the beginning of what could be a wonderful music career if he so wishes.

Brahms’ “Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Op.115” is a dark and brooding work in many places, full of drama, intensity and complexity. Composed in 1891, towards the end of his life, it shares with Mozart the full extent of a composer in the maturity of their writing and musical thought. The two works are 102 years apart.

Fisher blossomed even more during this performance, delivering extraordinary dynamics, phrasing and variation in tone colour throughout the work. Each passage was sweetened into phrases of such delight with incredible tone production. Also notably different was Gilby’s tone and projection of the violin, which became darker and more intense.

Something went momentarily wrong towards the end of the first Allegro movement - an ensemble tuning blemish of some kind, which just marred the event in a very minor way. The positive side of this of course is that it humanises a performance. We are listening to real people, not robots and you take it in - warts and all. Larry Sitsky once said to me, “thank goodness for wrong notes”.

The final movement of the Brahms is also a set of variations and the writing calls for a sustained showcase solo from the cello, which young Payne delivered with conviction, projection and excellent intonation.

The piece finished with gentleness and delicacy. Throughout the entire concert, the ensemble playing was a stand-out feature. Everyone was together, musically almost as one, the sound and phrasing led so masterfully by Barbara Jane Gilby, who also allowed Eloise Fisher on clarinet to feature beautifully as the star soloist.

This review originally published in City News Digital Edition, August 27 2018

BEETHOVEN AND ELGAR, Canberra Symphony Orchestra. At Llewellyn Hall, July 18. Reviewed by TONY MAGEE

Beethoven’s Triple Concerto is the only piece in the classical repertoire for the combination of instruments specified. The “Triple” refers to the three solo instruments - piano, violin and cello - and the concerto format therefore includes a full symphony orchestra as support. A unique work in the history of music, but oddly neglected both in live performance and on record.

The concerto was brought to the attention of the modern listening public through the 1970 release by EMI of a recording featuring David Oistrakh on violin, Mstislav Rostropovich on cello, Sviatoslav Richter on piano with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karajan. What a cast!

Interestingly, controversial classical music author and commentator Norman Lebrecht, rates this recording as No. 2  in his essay “Madness: Twenty Recordings that Should Never Have Been Made”. Really? The reason he cites is that no artistic unity could have been possible from the four great musicians due to their reported constant squabbling and heated debates over the interpretation of the piece.

It went on to become one of the top selling international classical music releases for 1970 and 1971 and is still sought after in various reissued formats both on LP, CD and most recently as an MQA download from streaming services.

Julian Smiles

Now to the performance in Canberra featuring Dimity Hall on violin, Julian Smiles on cello, Piers Lane on piano, with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra conducted by Nicholas Milton AM. Milton began with light, whispering phrases from the double basses and cellos, barely discernible over air-conditioning and breathing. And then the dynamics lifted to a grandiose introduction before the three soloists burst forth with a flourish. Yes we have arrived! Balance between the three was excellent and the trio format worked as though they were only that, without an orchestra. It was very closely aligned to the balance required for something like the “Archduke Trio”, another Beethoven masterpiece. The interpretation of piano trio with orchestra, as opposed to three soloists with orchestra worked brilliantly and served to highlight the real point of the piece. The three soloists must work as a union.

Dimity Hall

Having said that, the opening of the slow movement is scored as a violin concerto, and Dimity Hall made the most of the exquisite violin solo opening, later joined by the piano and cello, again forming a homogeneous unity. Each of the three solo instruments however are all given opportunities to shine through as individuals at various points during this work and this is something that is open to interoperation from the players themselves. In this case, Hall, Smiles and Lane all brought out lines and phrases of beauty and imagination whilst supported by sensitive interplay from the other two soloists. The orchestral interludes in this piece are just that. Most of the solo playing is done just as a trio format.

It was wonderful to hear this neglected work given new life and the result was world class playing followed by richly deserved applause from the enthused audience.

Piers Lane

Sir Edward Elgar’s “Enigma Variations” are one of the most popular pieces in both the recorded and live performance repertoire, not only for their ever-changing melodic and rhythmic beauty, but also because of the fascinating and mysterious story behind their creation and the ongoing speculation about the original theme upon which the variations are based as well as the people represented in each movement. It is a series of character portraits, each variation depicting one of Elgar’s family members or friends.

Elgar took the mystery of the theme to his grave, this conversation having been frustratingly diarised by his friend Troyte Griffith in 1923:

“Can I have one guess? Is it ‘God Save the King’?”

“No of course not! But it is so well known that it is extraordinary that no one has spotted it.”

“It” - yes we always spoke of the hidden matter as “it”, never as tune or theme.

On an earlier occasion, Elgar asked me, “Haven’t you guessed it yet? Try again!”

“Are you quite sure I know it?”  “Quite!”

And on a final occasion, “Well, I’m surprised. I thought you of all people would guess it.”

“Why me of all people?”

                                                 “Ahh - that’s asking too may questions!”

Sir Edward Elgar

Nicholas Milton took the opening measures of the theme at a very slow pace, just a pulse, almost as if a rusty squeeze-box being coaxed into life. As the embers started glowing a little more brightly, we could hear the semblance of a melody, or perhaps it is a counter-melody, taking form. This is all part of both the allure and the illusion that Elgar wants to put across. Mystery, a little confusion, not sure what’s happening next. Perfect.

The orchestra was actually able to capture a slightly different sonic mood for each of the variations, which is way more than is often heard. It’s one thing to play music as directed on the page, even to follow the tempos and phrasing of the conductor. But to capture the essence of each variation, actually depicting real people, with tone production, tone colour and intonation requires great skill, sensitivity and musical understanding. The Canberra Symphony Orchestra did this marvellously well.

During “Nimrod”, which is the ninth variation in the piece, I saw people around me visibly moved by the beauty and majesty of the performance. It is the most famous part of the entire work and has of course been used in everything from Monty Python through to many film scores, TV commercials, awards ceremonies and more. Most recently, Nimrod was used to stunning but veiled effect during the final scenes of Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, played at a quarter pace at first and then at half pace. It is a unique piece in that it can equally reflect sadness, defiance, joy and pride. One of Sir Edward Elgar’s crowning achievements and something that stands proudly amongst the best British contributions to the arts world.

This review first published in Canberra Critics Circle blog, July 22nd 2018

BLOCK SOUNDS GOES FOR BAROQUE!, Block Sounds Recorder Ensemble. At Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture, August 12. Reviewed by TONY MAGEE

Family of recorders, photo courtesy Yamaha, Japan

Baroque recorder music is somewhat neglected today, partly because there are so few really skilled players. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, David Munrow led the charge for revival with his Early Music Consort of London and a few ensembles today continue with early music recordings and performances, notably Jordi Savall’s Hespèrion XX and (since 2000) XXI.

Canberra’s Block Sounds directed by Robyn Mellor contains just four members, all recorder players and they are very skilled indeed. Combined with special guest artists Rachel Walker on viola da gamba and Peter Young on harpsichord, this concert presented an excellent variety of Baroque recorder music with basso continuo.

Scarlatti’s Sonata for 3 Recorders opened the program. The “three” were all trebles, played by Olivia Gossip, Elana Leske and Shae Leske, plus a fourth bass recorder played by Mellor, which combined with the harpsichord formed the basso continuo. The ensemble displayed excellent tuning and intonation, delicately shaded dynamics and superb phrasing.

Bass in F by Kunath
Fulda, Hesse, Germany.

Mellor’s bass recorder is worth mentioning here. It is a modern instrument manufactured by Cumath, after a design by Paetzold and is a unique and stunning looking instrument - very 21st century.

The Deuxième Suite by Telemann saw the addition of Walker on viola da gamba, actually a cello sized instrument with seven strings, and bowed. One of the treble recorders switched for tenor and the ensemble sound was certainly rich and full, although I found it obvious that the piece was not originally written for recorders. It is an arrangement by someone else and something about the harmonic balance didn’t quite gel with me.

Molter’s Concerto No.11 is written in the style of call-and-response like an antiphon choir setting, with two treble recorders on one side and another two on the other, plus basso continuo. This was an excellent showcase for the dynamic capabilities of the ensemble.

The Suite No. 3 by Matthew Locke was one of the most charming and delightful pieces in the concert, delivering sounds of extraordinary beauty and filled with frequent Tierce de Picardie cadences, the tenor recorder delivering the robust major thirds.

Telemann’s Trio in F major brought forth Walker’s viola da gamba as a solo instrument, contrasting well with Mellor’s solo treble recorder, supported by harpsichord continuo from Young. The piece was very well played and beautifully balanced, the recorder and viol parts weaving in, out and around each other in varied textures.

Walker’s instrument is a fascination too. Made in 1998 by Melbourne luthier Ben Hall, it is a re-creation of the Renaissance and Baroque viola da gamba, a member of the ancient viol family and quite rare these days. During Easter 2019, Canberra will host a national symposium of viol playing and manufacturing, including concerts, venue to be announced.

viola da gamba. Photo courtesy Aston Magna Music Festival

J.S. Bach’s Trio Sonata in B flat was the most difficult of the pieces presented, containing multiple melodic parts contained within a complex polyphony, and was less successful. The piece is not originally written for recorders and had to be transposed to suit their range. Pitch was variable at times and in addition, phrasing and rhythmic precision were occasionally ragged, although the basso continuo held things together admirably. 

Little know composer Johann Schickhardt’s Concero V in E minor closed the program. Purpose written for recorders, it gave the group a final opportunity to showcase their excellent ensemble playing, phrasing and dynamics, with very tight harmonies. It was a highly successful finale. 

Throughout the concert, the group was tuned to Werckmeister temperament I / III, governed by the harpsichord, which is an authentic baroque temperament giving a pleasing sound in all keys, but also revealing unique and distinct tonal qualities and textures, giving each key a musical “flavour”.

This review first published in Canberra Critics Circle on-line blog.

An ensemble of superb phrasing

Salut! Baroque Ensemble. Photo supplied.

reviewed by Tony Magee

ITALIAN composer Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) almost single-handedly established the musical form of Concerto Grosso, with a little help from his predecessor Alessandro Stradella, greatly influencing Vivaldi, Handel, Telemann and Bach amongst others who refined the style into the standard three movement format of fast-slow-fast. Corelli’s earlier achievements contained up to seven movements. Ultimately, this all paved the way for the classical solo concerto.

This delightful concert by Salut! Baroque was programmed to feature the master Corelli in the grand finale, but beginning with his lesser known contemporaries and also showcasing some of his more famous disciples.

Concepts that set this group apart from others include a constantly changing sound stage, where different groups of musicians move to new locations, enhancing both the desired effect of placement and balance. Also, they tune to a Baroque pitch of A415, which is a full semi-tone lower than today’s mostly used A440. Thirdly, the recorders, one treble in particular, seem to use a tempered scale of an antique origin, thus creating an unusual tuning system within the group. These things combined make Salut! one of the most authentic period instrument ensembles both in choice of repertoire, but even more-so in sound and tone production.

Beginning with the “Sinfonia Funebre in F minor” by Locatelli, which served as a bright opener, the concert progressed with an aria from J.S. Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio”, beautifully sung by soprano Amy Moore. Her voice is perfectly balanced for this repertoire – not as light as Dame Emma Kirkby, but not as heavy as Cecilia Bartoli – both world famous exponents of the Baroque vocal repertoire. Moore’s interpretations in all her pieces were controlled, dynamic and delivered with impeccable diction. A very beautiful and rapturous sound that filled the Albert Hall with ease, without overpowering.

Telemann’s “Corellisierende Trio Sonata No.1” featured strings and harpsichord and as the name suggests is an homage to Corelli, stylistically almost undetectable from the older composer and a testament to his influence on these later Baroque composers.

William Topham’s “Sonata in D major Op.3, No.6” followed and was a display of charm and courtly dance, featuring the entire ensemble.

Amy Moore returned for the first of the really revealing and delicately balanced pieces, an aria from Act II of Vivaldi’s opera “Ottone in Villa “. Here, the ensemble divided into call-and-response sections, not unlike antiphon choirs, with the two violins and viola forming one section and two treble recorders forming the response with Moore in the centre delivering a delicate and sensitive vocal line. Excellent continuo support was played by Tim Blomfield on cello, Valmai Coggins on Viola and Monika Kornel on harpsichord. An unusual piece which also served well to vary the program.

The second half opened with a Chaconne by little known composer Johann Pez which was a delightful piece, moving into the Psalm “In te, Domine, speravi” by Johann Rosenmüller for vocals, strings and harpsichord.

Throughout the concert, violinists Matthew Greco and Julia Russoniello captured every nuance of musicality possible. They play together almost as one, with such feeling and depth of beauty of sound and are a joy to watch as they communicate through glances, gestures and nods, projecting the majesty and passion of everything they play.

An aria from Antonio Bononcini’s Cantata “Mentre in placido sonno” was the penultimate offering, particularly showcasing treble recorders played exquisitely by Sally Melhuish and Hans-Dieter Michatz, before the finale of Corelli’s “Concerto Grosso in F major Op.6 No.7” which showcased the superb ensemble phrasing of Salut!, another of the highlights and strengths of this remarkable group.

First published in Canberra City News, August 12, 2018

Review: LISZT AND BEETHOVEN. Marcela Fiorillo, piano. At Wesley Music Centre, June 16 2018, reviewed by TONY MAGEE

Marcela Fiorillo has a formidable left-hand technique, and this was showcased to the max in a difficult and taxing program of the piano music of Franz Liszt and Ludwig van Beethoven in her performance at the Wesley Music Centre in Canberra.

Photo courtesy Marcelo Ragnone

Other strengths in her playing include great clarity of line and phrasing, where every note counts and an ability to extract beauty, tenderness and expressiveness from slow and lyrical passages.

Fiorillo’s playing is also eclectic in style. Sometimes she produces a hard, percussive, almost metallic sound from the piano - this can be appropriate, sometimes, particularly in Liszt. At other times she creates a much more beautiful sound, more closely aligned with the Leschetizky tone production school. This was particularly evident in the “Soneto del Petrarca No. 104” of Liszt and also in parts of his “Ballad No.2 in B minor”, plus the slow movement of Beethoven’s “Appassionata Sonata”.

The program began with Liszt’s “Funérailles”, which is the seventh and arguably most famous of the pieces from his collection “Poetic and Religious Harmonies”. Like so much of Liszt’s piano music, it is a musical depiction of a scene, the times and the people. In this case, muffled bells ring out over a forlorn battlefield, filled with themes of sadness and later, defiance. A tribute to Chopin is evident in the central section where he pays homage with left-hand octaves recalling the E major section of the “Heroic Polonaise”. Fiorillo is skilled at bringing out the emotion of this piece, juxtaposing left-hand and right-hand themes with balance and subtlety whilst at other times expressing tremendous rage and defiance through her playing.

The “Ballad No.2 in B minor” is Liszt at his most poetic, very similar to his Swiss “Years of Pilgrimage”. It makes use of the Wagnerian style of Leitmotif, in this case recurring themes appointed to a woman imprisoned in a tower, a man who comes to rescue her and nature’s obstacles placed in his way, most notably, torrential floods. Fiorillio captured the emotion and drama of these themes and motifs with grace and style, particularly reflecting the water surges with the left-hand and the delicacy and gentleness of the distressed maiden with flowing and lyrical right-hand passages.

The second half of the program was devoted in entirety to Beethoven’s “Piano Sonata Op.57, No.23 in F minor”, subtitled “Appassionata” and was less successful. A monumental work which requires a very different style of playing, Ms Fiorillo was still locked into the Liszt style, with massive use of the sustain pedal in the first and third movements. I felt this blurred the texture and clarity of the piece. The slow movement was beautiful and expressive however, a welcome contrast. Towards the end of the third movement, the pianist was tiring and the structure of the piece collapsed somewhat, the right hand often faltering. It was a most taxing program and perhaps too much fire and fury for one evening. However, from somewhere deep within, Ms Fiorillo summoned extra strength and recovered, to finish the piece convincingly.

Very appreciative applause from the audience. This was a most interesting program and the works chosen do couple well together, however they need a pianist of incredible stamina and endurance to sustain the intensity and drama necessary for an entire performance.

This review first published in City News Digital Edition, June 16 2018

Audio: IT WASN'T JUST THE CHARIOTS THAT WERE BURNING! by Tony Magee

In December 1982, I was working at Kent HiFi Canberra, aged 22, and the owner Rudi Langeveld flew to Japan and brought back a Sony CDP-101 Compact Disc player (the world's first CD player) so we could generate interest prior to the Australian release (June 1983), by hosting after-hours demonstrations for the listening public in our shop.

Sony CDP-101, world's first CD player

This went well and there was enormous interest, although a great deal of scepticism from some quarters as well. One such group was the Canberra Audio Society who invited us to demonstrate the new digital wonder machine to them at a private house, to which Rudi agreed. Myself and one other staff member (also named Tony) went along with the player and found about 20 guys, all audio enthusiasts, in a lounge room ready to listen and either be amazed or tear it to shreds. Pitched against our Sony deck was a Sota Sapphire turntable with a comparable arm and cartridge - perhaps a pinnacle of analogue LP record playback equipment of the time and probably still is. The contest was on and the room fell silent as we compared the Chariots of Fire soundtrack on both LP and CD.

The person in charge of switching machines and adjusting volume etc did so on multiple occasions and each time the function switch was changed, various cries of delight or scorn could be heard. The volume was turned down and then up again at each change.

Then, later in the evening, a change was initiated once again, or so we thought, with people saying "oh yes, the highs are very clinical on the CD", or "greater depth of bass there" and a myriad of other audio observations, when the operator suddenly announced that he hadn't changed anything and that both previous times it had been the LP record.

Pandemonium erupted, as many people suddenly felt cheated and betrayed - their golden ears had failed them! I really thought things were going to turn violent, so we packed up our Sony CDP-101 and bid them all adieu.

As it turns out, things are coming into full circle 36 years later and vinyl has made a triumphant return. I must admit, that I gain enormous pleasure from spinning records, but for convenience, most of the time, my hand reaches for a CD.

BTW, that first Sony machine retailed for AU$1,300 in 1983. Oh, and the world’s first commercially available CD was Billy Joel 52nd Street!

Review: ELGAR CELLO CONCERTO, National Capital Orchestra directed by Leonard Weiss, The Q Theatre, August 5, by TONY MAGEE

Somerset county provides a rich tapestry of musical heritage and Gustav Holst explored this when he composed his “A Somerset Rhapsody” in 1907, using themes drawn from the collected works of his friend Cecil Sharp, who had amassed over 1500 folk songs from the region.  Also home to the Glastonbury Festival, Somerset is a Mecca for musicians and music-lovers from around the world.

Somerset County, UK (photo PD)

So began the National Capital Orchestra’s concert at Queanbeyan’s beautiful “Q” Theatre. A fine opening piece and well played by the orchestra with particularly melodious work from the combined unison violas and cellos.

Second on the program was the world premiere of “Autonomy” by Canberra composer Chloe Sinclair. The work was marred by a disastrous tuneup which left the orchestra struggling to find any common pitch. It is a rhythmically challenging work and tested the orchestra to its limits, sometimes a bit beyond. The work itself is admirable and showcases Sinclair’s passion and talent for unusual polyrhythms and block chordal writing contrasted with complex polyphony. It must have been quite a thrill to hear her new work performed by a full orchestra for the first time. More rehearsal would be a great idea and hopefully there will be another and more successful performance in the near future.

The Symphony No.8 by Ralph Vaughan Williams is a brilliant showcase for an expanded percussion section and of particular note in this performance was the beautiful doubling between woodwinds and vibraphone and later in the final movement, the inclusion of celeste. The woodwind section is of a high standard in this orchestra and actually carried the sound for a great deal of the entire concert. Unfortunately, due to stage limitations, the gong had to be placed in the wings and I could’t hear it from the centre of the theatre. Perhaps other listeners in different locations could.

Cellist Chris Pidcock (photo Facebook)

Tuning was poor to start the symphony, although it did improve. Not enough care and attention to detail was placed on this critical part of preparation for a performance. This is something that could be corrected easily in rehearsal. Spend an entire rehearsal or more just on tuning practices if necessary.

In the final movement the orchestra projected the power and drama of the piece very well and in particular the strings captured the essence of the Vaughan Williams sound with the classic sweeping parallel octaves and fifths (a huge “no-no” in classical harmony!), sometimes reminiscent of his “Tallis Fantasia”. Violin solos were nicely played by orchestra leader Thea Lau, reflecting themes from “The Lark Ascending”.

Elgar’s “Cello Concerto” with soloist Christopher Pidcock closed the concert and was a stand-out performance. The orchestra transformed as Pidcock, dressed in a stunning pale blue linen jacket over white T-shirt, led the way with a masterful reading full of conviction, emotion, fire and delicacy. He plays a 12 year old Schnabel cello, especially made for him in Germany and uses a modern French bow. His powerful projection of pitch and intonation seemed to pull the orchestra together and the sound was beautifully harmonious. Of particular note was the fine ensemble playing and intonation from the quartet of French Horns. Which just proves that the National Capital Orchestra can do it, if only they would concentrate on details, pay more attention to their conductor and listen to what is happening around them.

To quote Sir Thomas Beecham in a 1961 interview for BBC Television: “In rehearsal, I pinpoint the details - all the little tricky bits. We go over those a few times. The rest generally falls into place. Or as my father used to say, referring to his Pills empire, ‘If you look after the pennies, the pounds will take care of themselves’”.

This review first published in City News Digital Edition, August 6th 2018

Short story: BACK TO BACH - ON THE MOUNTAIN!

by Tony Magee
August 2018

The late Professor Walter Stibbs (1919 - 2010), one of the world’s most distinguished and lauded astronomers, was in the habit of accompanying his celestial viewings during the 1940s from Mount Stromlo, with the organ music of Johann Sebastian Bach. These magnificent musical offerings were played via a wind-up gramophone using 78 rpm shellac records.

Albert Schweitzer

But these were not just any records. The performances were by the great theologian, organist, writer, humanitarian, philosopher and physician, Albert Schweitzer, also the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952.

Professor Stibbs made some of the world’s most significant discoveries in our solar system and beyond, over a lifetime spent both here in Canberra at Stromlo (from 1939 to 1951) and at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, where he became the Napier professor of astronomy and director of the university observatory, a position from which he retired in 1989. Returning to Australia, he secured an Emeritus Professorship at the ANU, also receiving a new facility on Mount Stromlo.

The 2003 Canberra bushfires destroyed Stibbs's study at Mount Stromlo containing all his historic and irreplaceable books and papers. Luckily, the Schweitzer Bach recordings were stored safely at the Stibbs home in suburban Canberra, although four houses were lost in their suburb, two in the same street.

Margaret and Prof. Walter Stibbs

In 2017, his widow Margaret Stibbs donated the prized Schweitzer Bach recordings to the music library at Duratone Hi-Fi in Canberra, where they are in the care of owners Charles and Fay Cull.

I was in London in September 2017 and visited All Hallows-by-the-Tower, an ancient Anglican church on Byward Street founded in 675, overlooking The Tower of London. I noticed a plaque at the entrance which stated “Albert Schweitzer recorded Bach organ works here in 1936”. Now, it was only two months previously that I had been to visit Margaret Stibbs and collected her husband’s recordings and I immediately wondered if they were the ones done here at All Hallows! A quick email back to the shop and the next day I had a reply from a staff member that the recordings said “Columbia Gramophone Co. Ltd. London. Recorded at All Hallows, Barking by the Tower.”

Six of Bach’s organ works in all are preserved on the Schweitzer All Hallows recordings: Prelude and Fugue in C major; Fantasia and Fugue in G minor (the Great); Prelude and Fugue in G major; Prelude and Fugue in F minor; Little Fugue in G minor and finally and perhaps most famously, Toccata and Fugue in D minor.

Here I was standing in the oldest Christian Church in London, dating from 675AD, in front of an historic pipe organ, on which Albert Schweitzer had recorded the organ works of Bach, a composer who dedicated much of his life celebrating the glory of God through his sacred musical compositions and from which recordings Professor Stibbs had found inspiration, solace and comfort as he explored the celestial heavens from atop our Mount Stromlo in the 1940s. It all seemed such a marvellous and wondrous set of circumstances that had collided together. I was absorbing what I could and wanting to know more on all fronts. In fact, that day was the most special for me during my entire stay in England.

All Hallows by the Tower, Barking, London UK

After my return to Australia, Fay and I attended a performance at Wesley Music Centre by soprano Louise Page OAM, pianist Philippa Candy and clarinetist Rachel Best-Allen. One of the pieces on the program was by Canberra composer Michael Dooley. After the concert I was chatting with Michael and I mentioned my All Hallows / Bach / Schweitzer/ Stibbs experience in London and he said “Oh yes, I knew Professor Stibbs. He and my father lived and worked up on Stromlo together in the 1940s.” Michael’s father was the astronomer Jim Dooley. Along with fellow astronomers Ben Gascoigne, Richard Woolley and Ernst Frohlich, they were dubbed ‘The Bachelors on the Mountain’. They were also noted athletes and keen bicycle riders. Stibbs, Woolley and Dooley organised The Great Bicycle Race of 1941, from the foot of Stromlo to the top and back again, partaken by all these gentlemen of science and music.

I had previously found myself on the other side of the world, making these connections by pure chance only to have even more information and another local thread intertwined into an already overwhelming set of circumstances. It all seems destined somehow to be brought together as a celebration of life, the cosmos, the elements and music.

Perhaps someday, a grand concert will take place up on Stromlo, showcasing the music of Bach and where guests can remember the work of Stibbs, Dooley and their colleagues and reflect on the humanitarian, religious, philosophical and peace activist teachings and musical artistry of Albert Schweitzer.

Addendum:

A "grand concert on Stromlo" did indeed take place the following year, 2019, when the theme for the Canberra International Music Festival, conceived by director Roland Peelman, was "Bach on the Mountain".

Centre label from one of the Schweitzer All Hallows 78 records. Since the retirement of Fay and Charles Cull (from Duratone), the records have passed on to me.

This is the audio setup I provided on the day for the event at Stromlo as part of the 2019 Canberra International Music Festival, directed by Roland Peelman. The theme that year was "Bach on the Mountain" and upon telling Roland of the Stibbs / Stromlo / All Hallows / Bach / Schweitzer records and story, he insisted we combine the experience for guests that morning. I played the 78s using my old HMV wind-up gramophone (pictured at centre), and then as a contrast played through an old valve radio/amp (on right of table) using my Technics SP-10 / Syntec S-220 turntable (on the gold table), which had the 78 speed and finally through my KEF 104ab speakers.