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How
the Concerts began
Ray Law has planned and
run these concerts for 33 years. It started with a question: "Dad, have
you any suggestions as to where we might take our College Choir for a
concert?" "Well Julie, why not bring it to our little village church?".
They did and that was how these concerts began, with a recital by The
Choir of Malvern Girls' College in 1971.
The concerts were slow to start, due to Ray's many other commitments in
the parish. But in 1980, when he had more free time, he turned his
attention to this project. They increased from 2 to 5, in 1981 to 6, in
1983 to 7, and a record in 1995 to 8!
Support
from the Village
The essential
characteristics of the concerts were established at the very first
performance. The Malvern College magazine commented: "The trip
to Leamington Hastings was particularly enjoyable owing to the
friendliness of the villagers, who took small groups of the Choir for
lunch before the recital." This generous hospitality
has remained a central element to the concerts ever since.
"The Villagers" have opened their gardens and the courtyard for the
audience to enjoy during the interval, and made the bathrooms in their
homes available. They have received an invasion of cars into their
lanes and fields, made a rough orchard suitable for car parking and
summer and winter have been out in the lanes helping with the parking.
The church has seen several versions of the stage built over the years,
and hundreds of chairs being carted from the Village Hall and back
again, for each concert. Several thousand programmes are sold each
year, and wonderful flower arrangements created each time. And finally,
the hot dogs and chicken legs provided at the Christmas concerts, are
cooked and served with the utmost enthusiasm!
Ray
and Brenda's Hospitality
Ray and Brenda's
personal attention to every visitor to the concerts, whether performer
or audience, is the secret to this sense of community. One member of
the audience wrote: "It must be a unique experience to go to a
musical event with international artists and be greeted in person."
Ray has gone out of his way to get to know
as many people as possible. He sends out thousands of letters a year
keeping in touch with the audience, visiting if they are sick,
supporting the bereaved and celebrating their joys with them.
His care of the performers is no less, he is always in the church ready
to welcome them to rehearsals, taking them back home afterwards for a
delicious tea. Some spend the time playing the piano, some lie on the
floor, and one, rumour has it, stands on his head in their sitting
room! On a number of occasions, when Ray has learnt that one of the
performers is to be married, he has produced a wedding present like a
'rabbit out of a hat'. In 1993, there were 3 such events: Mary Wu,
Tasmin Little and Evelyn Glennie. Evelyn had won such a unique place in
the audience's affections that they contributed to a canteen of
cutlery. "I was absolutely speechless to receive such a
beautiful gift for our wedding. ...Leamington Hastings is one of those
venues that you want to continually appear at. It is unique! The real
support of the people and the genuine care and love of the concerts is
always projected so profoundly to the musicians, which in the end makes
the concerts a celebration Thank you for your warm hospitality, which
never wavers." Evelyn Glennie.
International
Performers who treasure Leamington Hastings
In 1982 the Yehudi
Menuhin School made the first of many visits, bringing among their
number Tasmin Little and Mary Wu, who have continued to delight
audiences ever since.
"Over the years concerts at Leamington
Hastings have had the happy knack of helping young artists on their way
tot he top. ...Certainly 2 examples come to mind: violinist Tasmin
Little and percussionist Evelyn Glennie, both of whom appeared at
Leamington Hastings early in their careers. Tasmin who pays a return
visit in 1994 has forced her way the top with some stunning recordings,
and Evelyn Glennie's achievements have been well chronicled the world
over. But she continues to visit Leamington Hastings.!"
Coventry Evening Telegraph 02.04.1993
In 1983 the Bochmann Quartet played here for the first time. They were
so impressed with the acoustics that in 1985 they returned to make a
commercial recording. Other performers, who have become 'regulars'
include Alan Schiller, Ian Caddy and Mary Hegarty, Clare McFarlane,
Philip Smith and Julius Drake. Alan Schiller wrote to Ray: "I
want to say that last night's concert was possibly the most enjoyable
of my life." Julius Drake added: "I have heard form so
many colleagues what an exceptional society you manage and they really
were not exaggerating. The Church is exquisite and has a wonderful
natural acoustic for chamber music. The piano was first class and you
and Brenda were marvellous hosts."
Appropriately, the Borodin Quartet's first visit was in a flurry of
snow. Their agent had rung Ray: "please can you put on a Concert
for the Borodin Quartet in February 1995 as part of their Golden
Jubilee Celebrations?" They must have enjoyed themselves very
much, as they returned the following year, giving one of the only 4
performances 4 in the UK (the other 3 being at the Wigmore Hall).
In Conclusion
All these performers and
more have made Music at Leamington Hastings an adored venue. All thanks
to Ray Law's vision and commitment, which we are very pleased to say
has been rewarded with an MBE for services to music.
This brief history of the concerts is
produced in synopsis from "The Story of 25 years of music making in All
Saints Church Leamington Hastings." By the Revd John Stevinson, with
grateful thanks. |
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