*/
Bar Musical Society, Middle Temple Hall, November 2016
It has been a fine tradition of the Middle Temple to put on a concert for children towards Christmas every year.
The concerts are not confined to members of the Inn and their guests, and we are very happy to have members of the other Inns and their families. In the past, we have had small ensembles performing music aimed at a young audience and, frankly, small attendances.
Last November, with the valuable collaboration of the Bar Musical Society, we were more ambitious and more successful. We staged performances of Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite and Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. We had a full orchestra, most members of which were the barrister members of the Bar Musical Society. It is remarkable how many barristers and judges are fine musicians – as witness Lord Dyson’s piano recital on 31 January 2016. The orchestra was ably conducted by Nikolas Clarke and led by Damian Falkowski, the Hon. Secretary and Chairman of the Society respectively. The stories were narrated by Sir Richard Stilgoe, songwriter, lyricist and musician – a great actor who was perfect in his role.
The star piece was, of course, the story of Peter and the Wolf. Each character, young Peter, his old grandfather, the panicky duck, the sly cat, the bird, the hunters and of course the hungry wolf, is represented by a different instrument of the orchestra, which gives each of the players a starring role as well as introducing the audience to the distinctive sounds of each instrument. All ends happily at the end, apart from the wolf, of course, and the poor duck.
The concert set a record: we had no fewer than 197 children in the audience, accompanied by about 170 parents and grandparents, members of all of the Inns of Court. It was a sell-out. As I said when I introduced the orchestra, never in the long and glorious history of Middle Temple Hall have we had the pleasure of the presence of so many children.
The concert was a great success. The children, of all ages, listened attentively. After the concert, many came to view the instruments up close, to touch and to try them. In addition to giving pleasure to so many children and their parents and grandparents, the concert raised over £1,200 for the Orpheus Centre, a charity supported by Richard Stilgoe that provides accommodation and support to young disabled adults. A very worthwhile cause.
I am extraordinarily grateful to the players and other members of the Bar Musical Society for making this concert possible, and in particular to Nikolas Clarke for his organising the event. We are aiming for a repeat next November. I remain ambitious: I would like to have a performance of Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals – with two grand pianos plus the orchestra of the Bar Musical Society. Please put 19 November 2017 in your diaries. Keep an eye out for the booking dates: book early to avoid disappointment, since I am sure the concert will sell out again.
The next concert for the orchestra is Mozart’s Requiem with the St Genesius Choir and Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor K.466 with Varvara Tarasova on 20 July 2017 in Inner Temple Hall.
Reviewer Sir Stanley Burnton is Master of the Music, Middle Temple. www.barmusicalsociety.com
Sir Stanley is Master of the Music, Middle Temple. He retired as a Court of Appeal judge in 2012 and returned to One Essex Court to practise as an arbitrator.
The concerts are not confined to members of the Inn and their guests, and we are very happy to have members of the other Inns and their families. In the past, we have had small ensembles performing music aimed at a young audience and, frankly, small attendances.
Last November, with the valuable collaboration of the Bar Musical Society, we were more ambitious and more successful. We staged performances of Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite and Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. We had a full orchestra, most members of which were the barrister members of the Bar Musical Society. It is remarkable how many barristers and judges are fine musicians – as witness Lord Dyson’s piano recital on 31 January 2016. The orchestra was ably conducted by Nikolas Clarke and led by Damian Falkowski, the Hon. Secretary and Chairman of the Society respectively. The stories were narrated by Sir Richard Stilgoe, songwriter, lyricist and musician – a great actor who was perfect in his role.
The star piece was, of course, the story of Peter and the Wolf. Each character, young Peter, his old grandfather, the panicky duck, the sly cat, the bird, the hunters and of course the hungry wolf, is represented by a different instrument of the orchestra, which gives each of the players a starring role as well as introducing the audience to the distinctive sounds of each instrument. All ends happily at the end, apart from the wolf, of course, and the poor duck.
The concert set a record: we had no fewer than 197 children in the audience, accompanied by about 170 parents and grandparents, members of all of the Inns of Court. It was a sell-out. As I said when I introduced the orchestra, never in the long and glorious history of Middle Temple Hall have we had the pleasure of the presence of so many children.
The concert was a great success. The children, of all ages, listened attentively. After the concert, many came to view the instruments up close, to touch and to try them. In addition to giving pleasure to so many children and their parents and grandparents, the concert raised over £1,200 for the Orpheus Centre, a charity supported by Richard Stilgoe that provides accommodation and support to young disabled adults. A very worthwhile cause.
I am extraordinarily grateful to the players and other members of the Bar Musical Society for making this concert possible, and in particular to Nikolas Clarke for his organising the event. We are aiming for a repeat next November. I remain ambitious: I would like to have a performance of Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals – with two grand pianos plus the orchestra of the Bar Musical Society. Please put 19 November 2017 in your diaries. Keep an eye out for the booking dates: book early to avoid disappointment, since I am sure the concert will sell out again.
The next concert for the orchestra is Mozart’s Requiem with the St Genesius Choir and Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor K.466 with Varvara Tarasova on 20 July 2017 in Inner Temple Hall.
Reviewer Sir Stanley Burnton is Master of the Music, Middle Temple. www.barmusicalsociety.com
Bar Musical Society, Middle Temple Hall, November 2016
It has been a fine tradition of the Middle Temple to put on a concert for children towards Christmas every year.
The Chair of the Bar reports back
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, explains how global events can influence the performance of pensions and ISAs, and why taking a long-term approach to investing is often the most effective strategy
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, discusses what family law professionals need to know about hallucinogens, from the main hallucinogenic drugs encountered in family proceedings, to their effects and the testing options available
Harmony Christian Ministries is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
By David Green
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
At the start of her term, Chair of the Bar 2026 Kirsty Brimelow KC set out a series of priorities for the year ahead. One of those priorities was children in the justice system
As the world becomes more digital, Barbara Vinagre Mota examines international research into the mental health consequences of judges’ exposure to graphic and immersive evidence, highlighting the importance of support systems
In an era of patient-centred care and growing concern over misconduct in medical settings, why do women still lack the right to choose women consultants for examination and treatment? Charles Davey investigates
Reviewed by Daniel Barnett
James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain until 27 September Rothko in Florence at Palazzo Strozzi until 23 August Reviewed by Stephen Cragg KC
