A new music society is being formed devoted to the music of Sir Arnold Bax. Richard R. Adams, the society’s chairman, explains why it is needed.
Aside from a handful of CD releases and a smattering of live Tintagel performances and one symphony (the Second) performed at the Proms in 2011, recordings and performances of Sir Arnold Bax’s music have dwindled significantly in the years since 2003 when the 50th anniversary of the composer’s death was commemorated. That was the year that also saw the release of Vernon Handley’s historic set of the symphonies released on Chandos as well as the completion of David Lloyd-Jones’ symphony set on Naxos. Since then, no new recordings of any of the numbered Bax symphonies have been recorded.
So, what is behind this decline in new recordings and performances? Interest in the composer appears to be increasing judging from the numerous postings and discussions on social-media sites such as Facebook, X and YouTube. A likely explanation may be the lack of any trust or society dedicated to promoting Bax’s music. A composer with a society or trust is going to have an advantage because a healthy society has the resources and dedicated trustees to advocate for its composer by assisting musicians and concerts planners in gaining access to the music as well as subsidising performances and recordings.
The lack of a trust or society is a recent phenomenon. The first of its kind was formed in 1955 by a young Clifford Gillam who had corresponded with Sir Arnold a couple of times and consequently became a devoted champion of the composer. Clifford Gilliam invited Jean Sibelius to become the Society’s first President; an honour the great composer warmly accepted. The Society continued through the first great resurgence of interest in Bax that occurred in the 1960s and 70s when the labels Revolution and Lyrita were recording the symphonies and selected chamber works for the first time.
This was also a golden age for broadcast performances of Bax’s music; often conducted by such champions as Vernon Handley, Norman Del Mar, Stanford Robinson, Sir Charles Groves and Maurice Handford. The Society issued a newsletter and did much to keep interest in Bax’s music current during that era but, regrettably, the Society folded just as the second great resurgence was occurring in the 1980s when Chandos initiated its near complete recorded cycle of Bax’s music on CD.
It was another organisation that served the composer’s cause during that era and that was the Sir Arnold Bax Trust, which was set up by the Bax family and administered by Bax’s great biographer, Lewis Foreman. The Trust was instrumental in helping fund many of the Chandos recordings and it’s unlikely those recordings would have been made without the support of the Trust. However, new recordings don’t generate royalties, and the Trust eventually exhausted its funds and became inactive in the 2000s, not long after Handley’s landmark set of the Symphonies for Chandos was released in 2003.
Not all activity, however, ceased when the Trust folded as the independent label Dutton Lab issued several wonderful recordings of rare Bax works conducted by Martin Yates and Chandos made a beautiful orchestral disc with Sir Andrew Davis. Otherwise, the past 20 years have been a rather dismal period for Bax when it comes to concert performances and new recordings.
This perceived lack of interest in his music by concert organisers and recording companies isn’t shared by a growing community of young conductors, instrumentalists and musicologists who have expressed on social media their interest to perform his work. In an age of greater connectivity and broader access to recorded material on streaming services, now is the time to create a new society for one of Britian’s most overlooked composers.
We believe the next great resurgence of interest in Bax’s music is now. As the Sir Arnold Bax Society, we hope to bring together musicians, academics, and audiences to support those who are ready and eager to bring his music forward into the wider public.
In the summer of 2024, the Society’s trustees and chairman were selected, and the team has been meeting regularly to plan out the Society’s aims with the priority being the creation of a new editions of scores that will be made available for purchase to the public and to performing musicians at subsidised rates. All income earned will be invested back into the creation of new scores as well as the support of concert performances of the music. Membership is open to all who love Bax’s music with a minimum fee of £3 per month (free for students). “Members” will be updated on the latest news, interviews and articles about Bax through its member’s area of the website and bi-annual newsletters. Future ambitions include sponsoring concerts and symposiums in association with affiliated music groups and universities. The Society also encourages organisations and individuals working or volunteering in the music industry to become an “Affiliate Member.” In return, the Society will support affiliates through promotion via our newsletter and social media outlets as well as financially where possible.
Bax has always stood just outside the realm of composers favoured by concert programmers and recording companies. At one time, he was acknowledged as one of the most important composers of his generation, but a reaction set in against his music after his death and his reputation has never fully recovered. That said, it’s been the determined efforts made by a group of dedicated musicians and music lovers who have kept his music alive and relevant. We believe Bax deserves better and that his whole output needs to be heard by a wider audience in both online and live music settings.
So why a Bax Society? The reason is because we believe there are many music lovers the world over who share this same devotion to Bax’s music and who are willing and ready to support his cause by supporting the Society’s aims.
For more information, visit the society’s website.