Description

Admin History:

Created by the Hull Philharmonic Society during the normal course of their business.

BACKGROUND TO THE COLLECTION

Formation of the Society

On 1 Jun 1881 a group of 17 men met at the George Hotel, Hull, for the purposes of establishing a society for 'the private and Public Performance of Orchestral Music at Hull be called the Hull Philharmonic Society' [C DSPH/1/1/1]. Membership was to be by subscription and subscribers were to be entitled to free tickets to orchestral concerts arranged by the Society and performed by its Orchestra. The Society was to operate on a seasonal basis, this season running from Autumn to Summer and thus spanning two consecutive years. The Society was to be led by a President, aided by Vice-Presidents, an Honorary Secretary, an Honorary Treasurer, and a Conductor. An Executive Committee was established to manage the affairs of the Society and regular meetings of this committee were held to agree the musical programme for the season and to make arrangements for concerts. The Executive Committee was composed of Executive Members and led by an elected Chairman. At meetings the Conductor would submit his suggestions for the season's musical programme for approval by the committee. AGMs were held each year at which ordinary and playing members were appraised of any occurrences during the past season, reports of the Treasurer and Secretary were presented, and audited accounts were given approval. A Ladies Committee was established in the early years of the Society's existence and its business included the arrangement of social events, the provision of decorations at concerts, and fundraising work in order to contribute to the social life and financial position of the Society. This Committee was led by the 'Lady President', and in time it became the practice that the holder of this office also served as a member of the Executive Committee.

Society Concerts

On 19 Apr 1882 Hull Philharmonic Orchestra held its first concert at the Public Assembly Rooms, Jarratt Street, Hull. During the early years of the Society's existence two concerts per season were performed by the Hull Philharmonic Orchestra. These concerts were usually held in November and January. In the early decades of the 20th century the number of concerts per season was increased to three, these being held in November, February/March, and April/May, and were referred to respectively as the first, second, and third orchestra concerts of the season. In its early years, the Assembly Rooms were used as a concert venue, excepting a brief period in 1892 when fire damage to the Assembly Rooms necessitated recourse to holding concerts at the Artillery Barracks. In 1910 the Society's usual concert venue was moved to the newly constructed City Hall. Since this time City Hall has been the permanent home of Society concerts, excepting a brief period during 1945-1948 when war damage sustained by City Hall forced the Society to hold its concerts at Queens Hall. Bookings for concerts were made through Gough & Davy until the automation of the bookings system at City Hall by the City Council in recent years. From the early years of the Society's existence, soloists of high reputation within the world of classical music have been engaged to play or sing with the orchestra at concerts, and the Society has operated a policy of engaging conductors of national and international standing.

Sponsored Concerts Scheme

From 1972 the Society began to present 'Sponsored Concerts' funded by a separately administered 'Sponsorship Fund'. The scheme was the brainchild of the then President of the Society Harold Needler, whose own personal efforts in conjunction with the then Musical Director of the Society Terrence Lovett were responsible for the scheme's success. The 'Sponsored Concerts' did not feature the Society's own orchestra but were instead intended to promote the visits of touring artists and orchestras of national and international renown. Each concert was sponsored by a commercial firm or individual who had signed a seven year Deed of Covenant agreeing to contribute at least £20 per annum to the Sponsorship Fund. Dinners were held on the occasion of these concerts adding to the sense of occasion. The scheme was abandoned in the late 1980s, the final concert being held 4 Feb 1989. Artists featuring in the Society's 'Sponsored Concerts' have included Fou Ts'ong, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, New Symphony Orchestra of London, Victoria de los Angeles, Artur Rubinstein, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Shura Cherkassky, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Henryk Szeryng, Rudolf Firkusny, Segovia, Sandra Browne, The Tortelier Family, Dmitri Alexeev, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Philomusica of London with Annie Fischer, Prague Chamber Orchestra featuring Boris Krajny, English Chamber Orchestra featuring Robert Tear and Anthony Halstead, Philharmonia Orchestra featuring Carl Pini, Mozcow Philharmonic Orchestra featuring Dmitri Kitaenko and Oleg Krysa, BBC Symphony Orchestra, The Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra featuring Jeno Jando, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, The Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra featuring Igor Oistrakh, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Peterborough String Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, Richard Baker, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Keith Latham, Christine Teare, Richard Pasco and Guy Wolfenden.

Occasions of Note

The Society has celebrated a number of significant occasions over the years. To mark its first concert both J.W. Hudson and Henri Hartog composed overtures for the Hull Philharmonic Society which were performed by the orchestra on 19 Apr 1882. On 8 Feb 1936 the Orchestra played a newly composed 'Fanfare' by Sir Henry J. Wood written in memory of King George V. During the 1956-1957 season the Society celebrated its 75th anniversary by commissioning a work by composer and Hull University lecturer John Jubert. The 1962-1963 season saw a celebration dinner and concert held to mark the 80th anniversary of the Society. On 25 Nov 1971 the orchestra performed a specially commissioned work by Dr Wilfred Josephs, this being his 5th Symphony, to mark the Society's 90th anniversary. However, the landmark celebration in the society's history to date was the 1981-1982 season which saw Centenary celebrations including a dinner, concerts, and the performance of a specially commissioned work by local composer Anthony Hedges. In addition to these personal milestones, the Society has held concerts and dinners marking occasions including the Sir Henry J. Wood centenary in 1969, the bi-centenary of Beethoven's birth in 1979, the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in 2007, the 90th Anniversary of Sir Malcolm Arnold in 2011, and most recently the Society took part in the city's cultural olympiad celebrations by commissioning and performing a new work titled 'Sounding the Deep' on 17 Mar 2012.

Individuals Associated with the Society

Chairmen

The first Chairman of the Society was Algernon Sydney Ayre and he has been succeeded by John Young, Frank Ferraby, W.E. Hare, Cyril Townsley, Dr Lionel Rosen, Calman Rosen, E.A. Hickson, and William Hunter. The Chairman was supported in his work by the Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer, and other members of the Committee included the Honorary Conductor and Honorary Librarian. The Executive Committee, in conjunction with the Conductor, was responsible for the selection of concert programmes and the arrangements for concerts.

Presidents

The first President of the society was Lt. Co. Pease, who has been succeeded by Lord Herries, Sir Seymour King, T.R. Ferens, E. Dumoulin, Sir Reginald Mitchell-Banks, Arthur Wilson-Filmer, Cyril Townsley, Lt. Col. Rupert Alec-Smith, Harold Needler, and Mrs Hilary Needler.

Lady Presidents

The first President of the Ladies Committee was Betty Dufton and she was succeeded in this position by Mrs B. Ashton, Mrs H. Roach, Mrs C.H. Ashburn, Mrs E.W. Fraser, Mrs Philip Priestman, Mrs Sydney Harrison, Mrs P. Scott, Miss D.A. Hudson, Miss H. Drasdo, Mrs H. Scott, Mrs N. Strafford, Mrs E. Hudson, Mrs C. Hardy, Miss Edna Wilson, and Miss K.E. Wilson.

Conductors/Musical Directors

The first conductor appointed by the Society was Henri Hartog, and he was succeeded by J.W. Hudson, Sir Henry J. Wood. Basil Cameron, Albert Coates, Clarence Raybould, Herbert Menges, Vilem Tausky, Norman del Mar, Walter Goehr, Walter Susskind, John Hollingsworth, Lawrence Leonard, Sir Charles Groves, George Weldon, Richard Austin, Terence Lovett, Dr Walford Davies, David Haslem, Antony Hopkins, Brian Stait, Nicholas Smith, Richard Hickox, Meredith Davies, Maurice Handford, and Andrew Penny.

Deputy Conductors

The first deputy conductor to be appointed by the Society was Evelyn Alexander who was succeeded by Harold Ellis, A. Porter, Norman Dixon, Peppino Santangelo, Robert Marchant, Graham Watson, Geoffrey Heald-Smith, Majorie Matthews, John Beagle, and Brian Paynes.

Leaders

The first leader of the Orchestra was W. Hillerns and he was followed by Norman Rouse, Whitby Norton, H.S. Parker, E.G. Walsh, Charles Cox, C. Fawcett, T.G. Buffey, Evelyn Alexander, Lawrence Turner, Leonard Hirsch, Norman George, Trevor Williams, Diana Booth, Douglas Hall, Arthur Davison, Irene Richards, Reginald Morley, John Trusler, Harvey Marsden, and Patricia Mitchell.

Patrons

The Society has had a great number of patrons over the years. Of particular note is Countess Marion Harewood, later Mrs Marion Thorpe, who was the Society's Grand Patron between 1960 and 1978.

Hull Junior Philharmonic Orchestra

The Hull Junior Philharmonic Orchestra was formed in 1952 by Miss Elizabeth Curtis, a peripatetic music teacher in the East Riding of Yorkshire and a playing member of the Hull Philharmonic Orchestra. The intention was to create a nursery for the Society's Orchestra, and the Junior Orchestra held annual concerts at Hymers College, Hull. The first conductor was John Beagle who was also rehearsal conductor of the main Orchestra. Since the formation of the Junior Philharmonic Orchestra its more advanced players have been invited on occasion to perform with the main Orchestra, for which it has been seen as a training ground.

Description:

THE RECORDS OF HULL PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY (FOUNDED 1881).

Records within this collection include minutes, reports and accounts, correspondence, photographs, programmes, lists of members, publicity material, ephemera, books, press cuttings, and members papers. Please note that correspondence, reports, and accounts relating to the decades prior to the 1950s are not present in the collection, and that the same relating to the period 1950-1970 is very patchy. Please also note that the only records relating directly to the Hull Junior Philharmonic Orchestra are a number of programmes [CDSPH/5/4], although references to the Junior Orchestra can be found within other records in this collection.