Cyril Rootham (1875-1938)

[Roasted Swan]

That CD looks a must Daniel! I'm also a great admirer of Stanley Bate, especially symphonies 3 and 4 and the Piano Concerto and Viola Concerto released by Dutton. Apart from CBR I also really like the music of Robin Milford whose music reminds me of Finzi and also Armstrong Gibb, whose 'Westmorland' Symphony in memory of his son killed in World War Two is very moving.

Slight tangent - with all the music that is being rehabilitated the orchestral works of Leonard Salzedo don't get a look-in.  The ballet The Witch Boy was presented as a suite on an old CFP LP years ago but there are numerous other pieces well worth hearing.  The Scherzo from his Concerto for 4 Percussionists used to be a party-piece for the RLPO percussion section years ago.

[DanielR]

"Slight tangent - with all the music that is being rehabilitated the orchestral works of Leonard Salzedo don't get a look-in."
But I did enjoy the Salzedo "Cantiga Morisca" on the recent CD "Idyll: The English Flute Unheard" (which also has Cyril Rootham's "Suite in Three Movements").  As a Cyril Rootham promoter I face similar problems: orchestral works are very expensive to record!  So I fall back on generated recordings - as an admittedly lame alternative to live music, but certainly better than nothing at all. For example, listen to Rootham's lively work "Four Impressions (Killarney)" Op.8 (1900).  It's an early work, it's not great music - but it's fun, and it certainly sounds convincingly Irish!  Here's the link:  http://rootham.org/playlist/opus_008/listen_opus008a_synth_mscore.html

To drag the thread back to Cyril Rootham's music in live performance, I wanted to mention a concert on Sunday 1 July 2018 by the Bristol Chamber Choir. Their programme includes works by Aaron Copland - and by Cyril Rootham (whose father Daniel Wilberforce Rootham was musical director of the BCC's predecessor The Bristol Madrigal Society).  The afternoon concert at St Stephen's Church, Bristol BS1 1EQ starts at 3 pm, and there is a concert flyer to download on the choir's web page:  https://www.bristolchamberchoir.org.uk/page11.html
Trains willing, I shall be there!

[vandermolen]

"Slight tangent - with all the music that is being rehabilitated the orchestral works of Leonard Salzedo don't get a look-in."
But I did enjoy the Salzedo "Cantiga Morisca" on the recent CD "Idyll: The English Flute Unheard" (which also has Cyril Rootham's "Suite in Three Movements").  As a Cyril Rootham promoter I face similar problems: orchestral works are very expensive to record!  So I fall back on generated recordings - as an admittedly lame alternative to live music, but certainly better than nothing at all. For example, listen to Rootham's lively work "Four Impressions (Killarney)" Op.8 (1900).  It's an early work, it's not great music - but it's fun, and it certainly sounds convincingly Irish!  Here's the link:  http://rootham.org/playlist/opus_008/listen_opus008a_synth_mscore.html

To drag the thread back to Cyril Rootham's music in live performance, I wanted to mention a concert on Sunday 1 July 2018 by the Bristol Chamber Choir. Their programme includes works by Aaron Copland - and by Cyril Rootham (whose father Daniel Wilberforce Rootham was musical director of the BCC's predecessor The Bristol Madrigal Society).  The afternoon concert at St Stephen's Church, Bristol BS1 1EQ starts at 3 pm, and there is a concert flyer to download on the choir's web page:  https://www.bristolchamberchoir.org.uk/page11.html
Trains willing, I shall be there!

The Four Impressions (Killarney) sound very enjoyable Daniel and entirely characterisic. Couldn't Dutton be encouraged to record it? It has potential wide appeal as immediately approchable and attractive music. Thanks for posting it.

[Christo]

Yes, look forward to hearing what you make of Symphony 2 - a completely different type of work with a wonderful closing section.

Played the Second often, over the last two months; wonderful and moving symphony, love it even more than the First. A pity that the sound quality of the 1984 radio recording leaves so much to be desired - a new recording would be very welcome.

[DanielR]

A quick New Year round-up of the Cyril Rootham project for those who are interested...

• We now have 72 works by Cyril Rootham typeset in digital form (mainly in MuseScore, some in Sibelius)
• In December 2018 we applied to St John's College Cambridge for permission to publish 20 Rootham works where we had used scans of the original manuscript in the College Library
• There are already four concerts with Rootham works planned for 2019: see https://rootham.org
• Where there is no performance recording for the Rootham website, we have started to use NotePerformer: for an example, listen to the generated MP3 for Op.18 Andromeda  https://rootham.org/playlist/opus_018/listen_opus018_1_synth_noteperf.html

Onward!

[cilgwyn]

Played the Second often, over the last two months; wonderful and moving symphony, love it even more than the First. A pity that the sound quality of the 1984 radio recording leaves so much to be desired - a new recording would be very welcome.

I prefer it to No1! With due respect! I wish I could compose!   A lovely,new Chandos recording of No 2,would be highly,desirable!

[vandermolen]

A quick New Year round-up of the Cyril Rootham project for those who are interested...

• We now have 72 works by Cyril Rootham typeset in digital form (mainly in MuseScore, some in Sibelius)
• In December 2018 we applied to St John's College Cambridge for permission to publish 20 Rootham works where we had used scans of the original manuscript in the College Library
• There are already four concerts with Rootham works planned for 2019: see https://rootham.org
• Where there is no performance recording for the Rootham website, we have started to use NotePerformer: for an example, listen to the generated MP3 for Op.18 Andromeda  https://rootham.org/playlist/opus_018/listen_opus018_1_synth_noteperf.html

Onward!

Great news Daniel.
Happy New Year to you and thanks for the update.

[cilgwyn]

I'll have to write,or email,Chandos and suggest Rootham's Second Symphony. I think I will try and write one about Ruth Gipps,too. If you enclose an sae,I think it gives them some kind of incentive to reply? I could enclose some money,like Henry Root (remember those books of letters,anybody? The first one was funny!) A fiver,perhaps?!! I don't think they have a forum,anymore,have they?! I think they got fed up with all the wierd requests;ie  A recording of all three operas in Holbrooke's Cauldron of Annwn cycle! "Now,I do realise it could be expensive,but............?!!"

[vandermolen]

I'll have to write,or email,Chandos and suggest Rootham's Second Symphony. I think I will try and write one about Ruth Gipps,too. If you enclose an sae,I think it gives them some kind of incentive to reply? I could enclose some money,like Henry Root (remember those books of letters,anybody? The first one was funny!) A fiver,perhaps?!! I don't think they have a forum,anymore,have they?! I think they got fed up with all the wierd requests;ie  A recording of all three operas in Holbrooke's Cauldron of Annwn cycle! "Now,I do realise it could be expensive,but............?!!"

Very funny! Yes I remember the Henry Root letters. Didn't he write to Sir Adrian Boult asking him to conduct a school orchestra? Yes, a Rootham letter to Chandos sounds like a great idea. I find the end of Symphony 2 almost unbearably moving.

[DanielR]

For the organ buffs, there is an interesting series of of Sunday Afternoon Organ Concerts run by Paul Carr at Holy Trinity Church in Wordsley DY8 5RU, West Midlands.

His concert no. 186 on Sunday 3rd March 2019 (https://www.classicalevents.co.uk/concerts/holy-trinity-church-wordsley/03-march-2019/15-00/sunday-afternoon-organ-music-no-186) includes not one but two works by Cyril Rootham.  Thank you, Paul!

[cilgwyn]

This symphony seems to have been on rotation here for the last few days! I just love the atmosphere and flavour (Yes,I know that sounds peculiar!) of the piece! I'm like vandermolen,now! "I can't stop playing it!" It reminds me old British movies like,A Canterbury Tale & Gone to Earth (in particular). I'm referring to the photography of the english landscape,and atmosphere,I should point out;not the film score. I only wish Chandos would record the Second,now! The performance on the Lyrita cd is very good;but it would benefit from a state of the art recording in modern sound. They could even pair it with the First symphony. I had them both on a cd-r;so they would fit! Or with an unrecorded work,by Cyril Rootham. There must be something,good?!!

[vandermolen]

This symphony seems to have been on rotation here for the last few days! I just love the atmosphere and flavour (Yes,I know that sounds peculiar!) of the piece! I'm like vandermolen,now! "I can't stop playing it!" It reminds me old British movies like,A Canterbury Tale & Gone to Earth (in particular). I'm referring to the photography of the english landscape,and atmosphere,I should point out;not the film score. I only wish Chandos would record the Second,now! The performance on the Lyrita cd is very good;but it would benefit from a state of the art recording in modern sound. They could even pair it with the First symphony. I had them both on a cd-r;so they would fit! Or with an unrecorded work,by Cyril Rootham. There must be something,good?!!

Do you know this CD of shorter works cilgwyn?
I suspect that you'd like it. One of the last new release LPs I bought in 1987:

[cilgwyn]

This symphony seems to have been on rotation here for the last few days! I just love the atmosphere and flavour (Yes,I know that sounds peculiar!) of the piece! I'm like vandermolen,now! "I can't stop playing it!" It reminds me old British movies like,A Canterbury Tale & Gone to Earth (in particular). I'm referring to the photography of the english landscape,and atmosphere,I should point out;not the film score. I only wish Chandos would record the Second,now! The performance on the Lyrita cd is very good;but it would benefit from a state of the art recording in modern sound. They could even pair it with the First symphony. I had them both on a cd-r;so they would fit! Or with an unrecorded work,by Cyril Rootham. There must be something,good?!!

To Rootham,naysayers! For what it's worth;it's taken me quite a few years to feel this enthusiastic about this symphony! I can remember,actually,giving up halfway,and disposing of the cd-r I'd made!!

[vandermolen]

Excellent cilgwyn! I'm sure that Daniel Rootham will be pleased to hear this as well.

[Papy Oli]

To Rootham,naysayers! For what it's worth;it's taken me quite a few years to feel this enthusiastic about this symphony! I can remember,actually,giving up halfway,and disposing of the cd-r I'd made!!

there's hope for me then  ....I'll revisit for sure 

[DanielR]

. . . I'm sure that Daniel Rootham will be pleased to hear this as well.

Oh yes, Dan is delighted! I love Symphony No.1 for its exuberance, but my heart belongs to Symphony No.2 for its intensity.

[vandermolen]

Oh yes, Dan is delighted! I love Symphony No.1 for its exuberance, but my heart belongs to Symphony No.2 for its intensity.

[DanielR]

I have quite a story to tell... After several years of laborious research and typesetting work by Alistair Jones, a forgotten work by Cyril Rootham is about to be revealed.

At the Charles Kingsley 200 Festival in Eversley (Hampshire), Rootham's dramatic cantata "Andromeda" Op.18 will receive two evening performances on 14th and 15th June 2019.  You can read the full story on the website of the production company (Cantata Dramatica):
http://www.cantatadramatica.com/andromeda

I have just heard that these performances will receive Arts Council funding, which is vindication of our long struggle to get this 65-minute work back into the repertoire. Composed in 1905, "Andromeda" has not been performed since its premiere at the Bristol Music Festival in 1908 - welcome back!

For those who would like to hear and see this work performed live at the Festival, here is their box office link:
https://ck200.live/viewevent/andromeda-outdoor-opera-spectacular-world-premiere

[relm1]

I have quite a story to tell... After several years of laborious research and typesetting work by Alistair Jones, a forgotten work by Cyril Rootham is about to be revealed.

At the Charles Kingsley 200 Festival in Eversley (Hampshire), Rootham's dramatic cantata "Andromeda" Op.18 will receive two evening performances on 14th and 15th June 2019.  You can read the full story on the website of the production company (Cantata Dramatica):
http://www.cantatadramatica.com/andromeda

I have just heard that these performances will receive Arts Council funding, which is vindication of our long struggle to get this 65-minute work back into the repertoire. Composed in 1905, "Andromeda" has not been performed since its premiere at the Bristol Music Festival in 1908 - welcome back!

For those who would like to hear and see this work performed live at the Festival, here is their box office link:
https://ck200.live/viewevent/andromeda-outdoor-opera-spectacular-world-premiere

Sounds like my cup of tea.  Do you know if it will be recorded?

[DanielR]

Sounds like my cup of tea.  Do you know if it will be recorded?

I am hoping for some worthwhile extracts: a professional will be recording the event with video.  Given that it's an open-air performance, we can't expect studio quality.

But within a week from now I will be posting on the rootham.org website the recorded rehearsal held on 2nd March this year. It's only voices and piano, but it has been professionally edited and gives a fine impression of the work. 

It would have been too complicated to use an entire symphony orchestra and large chorus for the actual performances in June, which is a shame.  So the performances at the Charles Kingsley 200 Festival will use a special arrangement by Dan Keen for reduced instrumental forces and small chorus. The arrangement has no doubled instruments and omits the bassoon, tuba, harp and double bass - but it still sounds very faithful to the original full score.  The attached PDF shows the reduced orchestra.