THE BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY of NORTHERN IRELAND SEASON 1966-67 A SERIES OF EIGHT RECITALS IN THE SIR WILLIAM WHITLA HALL (Under the auspices of Queen's University) at 7.45 p.m. Subscription 2 Guineas

Monday October 17th 1966 TAMAS VASARY Pianoforte Tamas Vasary was born in August 1933 at Debrecen in Hungary. He made his orchestral debut playing a Mozart Concerto when only eight years old. After having graduated from the Budapest Academy of Music, he returned there as a theory teacher at the age of twenty. Zoltan Kodaly gave him half of his class and went so far as to buy him a new Steinway piano as a gift. Before leav- ing for Hungary in 1956, Vasary played in Eastern European capitals, including Moscow and Leningrad. Since his London debut in 1961, Vasary has undertaken tours in Europe, the United States and Africa, and has played with major Symphony Orchestras in London, Berlin, Paris, Vienna, Brussels, Stockholm, New York and Cleveland, under many famous conductors, including Ernest Ansermet, Andre Cluytens, Ferenc Fricsay, Rudolf Kempe, Georges Solti and George Szell. He has just returned from a most suc- cessful World Tour, including Australia, Japan, the United States of America and Mexico, both with orchestra and in recital work. His recordings, made for the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft, have had great success, and were elected among the 'Critics. Choice' in London (1958, 1960, 1964). In 1960 he received the Bach and Paderewski Medals in London. (Programme to be arranged)

Monday, October 24th, 1966 BIRGIT FINELLA NINA WALKER Birgit Finellä was born in West Sweden and began to sing at an early age. When she was seventeen, she went to Gothenburg where she studied singing with Ingalill Linden and later with Roy Henderson in London. She made a sensational debut in Gothenburg in 1963 and has since sung with the most important orchestras and choral societies in Sweden, Finland and Norway. Recently she performed the Brahms 'Alto Rhapsody' with the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra in Stockholm, having returned. from a tour of Saudi-Arabia, where she performed in Handel's 'Messiah', with members of the Vienna State Opera. Contralto Pianoforte Her first London appearance took place in the Wigmore Hall in March of this year. The concert was memorable as it was the last appearance of her accompanist, Gerald Moore, on the plat- form of that hall. The critics of 'The Times' and the 'Daily Tele- graph' were agreed that she was an artist of sufficient stature to match this historic occasion. Probable Programme : Schubert: Fahrt zum Hades; Ganymed; Gretchen am Spinnrade; Rastlose Liebe. Schumann: Frauenliebe und Leben (Eight songs). Brahms: Der Tod, das ist die kühle Nacht; Regenlied; Von ewiger Liebe; Die Sonne scheint nicht mehr. Wolf: Der verlassene Mägdlein; Verborgenheit; Klinge, klinge, mein Pandero; Du denkst mit einem Fädchen. Grieg: Med en vandlilje; En Svane. Sibelius Den första Kyssen; Demanten; Svarta Rosor. Monday, November 7th, 1966 THE ALLEGRI STRING QUARTET ELI GOREN Violin PETER THOMAS Violin PATRICK IRELAND Viola WILLIAM PLEETH Cello It is now five years since we last had the Allegri Quartet, but the recollection of their playing, especially of the 4th Shostako- vitch quartet, is still a vivid memory with many of us. Eli Goren is one of the numerous Viennese musicians who settled in England

between the wars and who have made a splendid contribution to the musical life of their adopted land. He is now a Professor at the Guildhall School of Music and has done much solo and record- ing work. Peter Thomas is Welsh, a pupil of David Martin and Eli Goren, and has appeared as soloist with the Royal Philher. monic and BBC Northern Orchestras. He has won the Yeh di Menuhin TWW prize at the Bath Festival. Patrick Ireland, ban in Cornwall, was a choir-boy of St. Paul's Cathedral and educated at Wellington and Worcester College, Oxford. He has partnered Menuhin as soloist in works by Bach and Mozart. He too is un the staff of the Guildhall School. William Pleeth has for a considerable time been one of the best known figures in English chamber music and prominent as a soloist. He is an Honorary Fellow as well as Professor at the Guildhall School. Probable Programme : Haydn Quartet in D major, Op. 55 No. 1. Mozart Quartet in D minor, K. 421. Brahms: Quartet in C minor, Op. 51 No. 1. Friday, January 6th, 1967 THE BUDAPEST TRIO NICHOLAS ROTH Violin JOSEPH WEINGARTEN GEORGE ROTH Cello Pianoforte This is a trio that was active and renowned before the war; the disturbance of hostilities broke up for a time the partnership, but its distinguished members were not to be kept from chamber music and they now bring a finely matured experience to enhance their competence as players. George Roth became the pupil of the famous Emile Sauret at the age of eight. He finished his studies at Budapest with the composer Hubay. With the trio he founded he has played all over the world, and was for seven years head of the Chamber Music department of AVRO-Dutch Radio-Hilversum. His brother George started his career as a soloist in London at the age of sixteen. After study at Budapest and further solo work he joined in the formation of the trio. Joseph Weingarten, now a British subject, was born in Budapest, and he studied there under Kodaly, Dohnanyi and Weiner. He won the Franz Liszt Prize twice. He joined the trio after the war. Probable Programme : Beethoven: Trio in B flat, Op. 97 (Archduke). Martinu Five pieces for trio. Dvorak: Trio in E minor, Op. 90 (Dumky).

Thursday, January 19th, 1967 THE CREMONA STRING QUARTET HUGH MAGUIRE Violin TREVOR CONNAH Violin Chamber music owes much to the determination of distinguished orchestral players to find a fuller expression for their own artistic powers than is to be found by continually sitting at an orchestral desk. Hugh Maguire, who may claim without risk of much rivalry to be Ireland's most distinguished string player, after a meteoric career in Dublin, Bournemouth and with the London Symphony Orchestra, in each case as their leader, now leads the BBC Orchestra. He is Professor at the Royal College of Music. Trevor Connah, a Lancashire man and a pupil of Henry Holst, has been Co-Principal Second Violin in the BBC orchestra since 1963. He is a member of the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Only the extremely young will need to be told who Cecil Aronowitz is, one of the most highly esteemed violists in the history of chamber music, and one of the best loved. He came from South Africa to the Royal College of Music, where he is now Professor of Viola and of Chamber Music. Terence Weil is a name well known in several ensembles. He was for many years cellist of the Hurwitz Quartet and, like Mr. Aronowitz, is a founder member of the Melos Ensemble. Probable Programme : CECIL ARONOWITZ Viola TERENCE WEIL Cello Haydn: Quartet in C major, Op. 74, No. 1. Shostakovitch: Quartet No. 3. Beethoven Quartet in F major, Op. 59 No. 1. Monday, February 6th, 1967 JOHN SHIRLEY-QUIRK MARTIN ISEPP Bass-baritone Pianoforte The violent break with tradition occasioned by two world wars and by the development of a type of vocal music far removed from the styles for which singers had formerly been prepared led to a great dearth of competent singers, especially of English singers, who could sustain the merciless demands of recital work. The situation is certainly improving, and one of the brightest figures on the horizon is that of John Shirley-Quirk, who comes to his task with the odd preparation of a study of the violin and later of chemistry at the University of Liverpool. As a singer he studied with Roy Henderson, and has now at his command an

impressive repertoire of opera, oratorio and Lieder. We welcome back Martin Isepp, an excellent accompanist as befits the son of that well known singing teacher, Madame Isepp. Probable Programme : Haydn Four canzonets. Beethoven: An die ferne Geliebte, Op. 98. Schubert: Des Sängers Habe; An die Leier; An den Mond (Goethe, 1815); Wilkommen und Abschied. Vaughan Williams Songs of travel. Ravel Don Quichotte à Dulcinée Monday, February 13th, 1967 CHRISTIAN FERRAS Violin JEAN CLAUDE AMBROSINI Pianoforte Christian Ferras was born on June 17th, 1933, at Le Touquet. His father had already studied the violin with Marcel Chailley, a well- known French teacher. At the outbreak of the war M. and Madame Ferras fled from Le Touquet to Nice with their three children. Christian, who was 7, fell ill and the family looked for ways to amuse him, but all toys lost their interest when he was given his first violin. It was a revelation. The following year after receiving lessons from his father he entered the Nice Conservatoire and two years later at the age of 10 he was awarded first prize for his interpretation of the Saint-Saens violin concerto. At the age of 11 he was leader of the Nice University Orchestra but left to enter the Paris Conservatoire and at the tender age of 13 (in 1946) he was universally acclaimed winner of the first prize for violin, playing the Brahms concerto. Since then concerts and tours have followed one another with increasing rapidity and he has won many prizes for violin playing throughout the world. At the age of 26 he had already toured almost every country in the world, and Europe held no secrets for him as he had travelled widely in his powerful sports car. By choice in fact he would be an enthusiastic sportsman, but sports which endanger his arms and hands are naturally forbidden. He has played with many ductors, amongst whom are Karajan, Keilberth, Kubelik, Maazel and Munch. Since 1954 he has used the famous 'President' violin made by Stradivarius in 1721. Probable Programme : Beethoven: Sonata in F major, Op. 24 (The Spring). Serge Nigg: Unaccompanied Sonata (first British per- formance). Debussy: Sonata; Pièce en forme de Habañera. Ravel: Tzigane.

Thursday, February 23rd, 1967 MARISA ROBLES Harp When Marisa Robles was announced to play for us on her previous visit in 1962, some members stayed at home on the ground that a whole evening of the harp was a bit too much. Those who had the good fortune to hear her came to the conclu- sion that it was hardly enough, such was the variety, the brilliance and the artistry of this distinguished artist. Born in 1937, she was educated at the Royal Conservatoire of Music in Madrid, finishing off at the advanced age of sixteen with the Grand Premier Prix of the Conservatoire; she still graces this institution as Professor of Harp. Her reputation has steadily increased and she has recently entered the ranks of LP soloists. After her marriage her home life was based on Fleetwood, Lancashire. (Programme to be arranged)

GUEST TICKETS will be available for each recital at a cost of 10s. 6d. Guest tickets must be purchased in advance from the address below as payment cannot be accepted at the Hall. A member may invite any number of guests, but a particular guest may not be introduced more than twice during the season. SCHOOLS AND TECHNICAL COLLEGES. Special terms are available to students in organised parties from Schools and Technical Colleges. NEW MEMBERS are most welcome. At present no formalities are necessary to join the Society, other than payment of the subscription at the address below. ALL ENQUIRIES, payment of subscriptions, tickets, etc., should be made to : WOODS & HEANEY (Music) LTD. 56-58 UPPER QUEEN STREET BELFAST 1 Telephone 28449