Sumptuous Was the Feast.

[Nick Armstrong]

I'm bumping this up as it's about the programme on R3 which certainly interested me. Participants from the dramatized performances in the 20s and 30s recalled the fun and musical pleasure in dressing up as squaws and warriors. Still available on iPlayer.

Hello saly - I caught up with this programme this afternoon, and found it a very interesting and in a number of ways touching programme. ST-C's family story (racist attacks in Croydon and no royalties ), the recollections of participants and others (inc. as others have said, Sir Malcolm's secretary) and detail such as the recording of 'Buffalo Bill' were fascinating.

Also, there was a family interest too, in that I was always aware of 'Hiawatha' as a result of time spent with my grandmother when I was younger - it was referred to in conversation, I think there were vocal scores 'upon the pianoforte' in their Yorkshire home, and she used 'Minnehaha' as a nickname whenever she couldn't instantly summon to mind the name of young ladies in the family - so my sister would sometimes be asked 'come on Minnehaha, lay the table please...' &c.

I was intrigued to work out whether they attended the London shows... but we've worked out that it was more likely to be the performances in Scarborough Open-Air Theatre in Peaseholm Park - the grandparentals usually went over to Scarborough in the summer to spend time with their best friends (who spent a fortnight there every summer - very musical, singers in t'Bradford Choral - their Bechstein grand was left to me and is 3 feet behind me as I type, bless them). I'm sure they would have attended the 'Hiawatha' show/s which I see were on there both in the 30s and after the war.... notably in 1947 as evidenced by this which I found on the internet:



The music, rather like Novello's songs which my granny also loved, seems very quaint to my ears, even more so the words - I'm not tempted to source a recording.

But saly, thank you very much for flagging this one!

[salymap]

Thanks Cali for an interesting post. I've found a mono 45rpm record which I'm not sure will play on my player.
Wedding Feast only, -The Alexandra Choir and Sinfonia of London conducted by Charles Proctor. I'll give it a spin soon.

A Bechstein Grand - do you live in the flats where Edward Heath lived? wow Just remembered he name The Albany.

[Nick Armstrong]

Thanks Cali for an interesting post. I've found a mono 45rpm record which I'm not sure will play on my player.
Wedding Feast only, -The Alexandra Choir and Sinfonia of London conducted by Charles Proctor. I'll give it a spin soon.

A Bechstein Grand - do you live in the flats where Edward Heath lived? wow Just remembered he name The Albany.

Good heavens, no!

I am just very lucky (i) to have inherited the instrument from the two maiden sisters in question, not relatives but my granny's best friends, and (ii) to have space at the end of the living room to accommodate it - it's not a massive concert grand, it's an 'A' grand (exactly like this one http://www.besbrodepianos.co.uk/pian...rosewood-3.htm I love the russet rose-wood finish and the 'sunburst' music stand). It was made in 1911, and is in need of a big expensive overhaul, but tunes up ok... so I can play Debussy and Ravel and Scriabin pieces (the slow, easy ones!) and feel terribly HIPP!!

Back on topic: I learnt on the phone today that my dad also attended the Scarborough Open-Air "Hiawatha" performances after the war - he remembers the braves on horseback referred to in the R3 programme, and the canoes on the lake between the stage and the audience. He also remembers the Peaseholme Park duck community being blithely unaware of the dramatic proceedings, and how in the most sensitive moments, they would sail past quacking loudly, regardless!

[salymap]

Good heavens, no!

I am just very lucky (i) to have inherited the instrument from the two maiden sisters in question, not relatives but my granny's best friends, and (ii) to have space at the end of the living room to accommodate it - it's not a massive concert grand, it's an 'A' grand (exactly like this one http://www.besbrodepianos.co.uk/pian...rosewood-3.htm I love the russet rose-wood finish and the 'sunburst' music stand). It was made in 1911, and is in need of a big expensive overhaul, but tunes up ok... so I can play Debussy and Ravel and Scriabin pieces (the slow, easy ones!) and feel terribly HIPP!!

Back on topic: I learnt on the phone today that my dad also attended the Scarborough Open-Air "Hiawatha" performances after the war - he remembers the braves on horseback referred to in the R3 programme, and the canoes on the lake between the stage and the audience. He also remembers the Peaseholme Park duck community being blithely unaware of the dramatic proceedings, and how in the most sensitive moments, they would sail past quacking loudly, regardless!

Lucky you! it sounds a lovely piano. My old upright piano had its own small room until we were bombed out.
It never really fitted into the bungalow we moved to and I can see my dad folding his newspaper with a resigned look and leaving the room when I started practising. It finally went when I realised I would never be Moura Lympany

And the Scarborough Hiawatha sounds more fun that the London Ones.

[Nick Armstrong]

I think it's a shame that the programme wasn't broadcast before Coleridge-Taylor was CotW because I think I would have listened to CotW more attentively.

That's a good point Anna! I haven't listened to my podcast of the CotW on old Sam yet! I must do so, after all this! Thanks for the reminder!

[EdgeleyRob]

Peaseholm Park brings back memories of family holidays in Scarborough when we were kids.
The mock battles on the lake there using model ships and planes were always the highlight.(mid to late 60's).
Happy days,wonder if they still take place?.

[Nick Armstrong]

Peaseholm Park brings back memories of family holidays in Scarborough when we were kids.
The mock battles on the lake there using model ships and planes were always the highlight.(mid to late 60's).
Happy days,wonder if they still take place?.

You might find out in the next hour on BBC1 - Scarborough's just popped up again, on the telly as the venue for Antiques Roadshow...

[Mary Chambers]

I have happy memories of singing second soprano in Hiawatha's Wedding Feast at school, a horrifyingly long time ago - about 1956 or 7. I still have the rather tattered vocal score, "Arranged for female or boys' voices by H.A. Chambers" (no relation!), Novello, 5/6d. It's SSAA, 58 pages, and we sang it from memory with no difficulty. We all adored it. It looks very easy to me now, but I still have a great affection for it.

We didn't dress up - pity!

[mercia]

programme repeated today

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01nj6s8

actually, like other "music features" it has probably been available since first broadcast

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0081wb1/episodes/player

[mercia]

The Song of Hiawatha, from the 3 Choirs, this Thursday 7:30pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b039q13l

[salymap]

The Song of Hiawatha, from the 3 Choirs, this Thursday 7:30pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b039q13l

Thanks for that mercia,I've ringed itin the RT. I shall sing along, like Mary possibly.

[amateur51]

Thanks for that mercia,I've ringed itin the RT. I shall sing along, like Mary possibly.

I'd pay money to see this. What about it Roger?!