Page 7 - HGS Suburb News 150 - Summer 2022
P. 7

S U B U R B
          CULTURE








    The June Masque



    COLIN GREGORY              Good Hampstead
                               Garden Suburb Trust, so
      ocal resident Dani Solomon  the elves and fairies can
         recently submitted some  continue to dwell
    L fascinating photos of the  happily in the woods and
    1913 June Masque. A drama group  fields among the new
    was one of the first societies to be  houses. It was written by
    established in the new Suburb and  Paul Jewitt, an English
    the presentation of plays began in  teacher at William Ellis
                                                                                Photos supplied from the collection of the Hampstead Garden Suburb Archives Trust
    1908. The earliest performance of  School, who lived in
    which we have any record is The  Temple Fortune Lane. Pageants in  Gazette’s critic noted that after a  children – girls played flowers and  St George was staged in 1914 –
    Masque of Fairthorpe performed  1911 and 1912 were followed by  conflict between the Winds, the  boys played mushrooms, who the  with St George riding in on a real
    on the ‘old pageant ground’ near  the June Masque in 1913, also  Sun emerges to be opposed by a  critic thought played their parts in  horse – but then World War I put
    where the Free Church Hall now  written by Paul Jewitt. The  Barometer – “a dismal individual  a “whimsical wayward fashion.”  paid to further pageants until in
    stands. The Masque of Fairthorpe  characters included the Sun,  wrapped in a dressing gown” – but  After the show the performers  1920 the drama group built their
    was an allegory about the founding  Summer Winds, Flora marshalling  the Sun sends him packing so the  passed through the Suburb in  own open air theatre in Little
    of the Suburb, where the wicked  her flowers and several  inhabitants can enjoy their revels.  procession, carrying lanterns. A  Wood where they have performed
    Jerry Builder is defeated by the  mushrooms. The Pall Mall  Many of the performers were  pageant based on the legend of  ever since.
    Echo Ensemble world


    premiere of Babel



    SHELLEY-ANNE SALISBURY
        he Suburb’s multi-talented Noah Max treated Suburb residents to
        the first live performance of his latest oeuvre, Babel. The free       Noah Max (4th from left) and the Echo Ensemble (Photo: Shelley-Anne Salisbury)
    Tevent was held at Fellowship House as a thank you from Noah and
    the Ensemble for its kindness and support in making the Ensemble’s
    musical activities possible during the pandemic.
       The Ensemble played Glière, Handel, Rózsa and Beethoven before           XUL Architecture is an  33 Belsize Lane
    presenting Noah’s Babel. A powerful piece, inspired, says Noah, by the      imaginative architecture  London NW3 5AS
    canonical Biblical text, retelling the story of Babel using an open score   practice inspired by  +44 (0)20 7431 9014  Chartered Practice
    to allow fluidity and greater interpretation by the musicians. It was       natural light     xularchitecture.co.uk
    certainly impactful, even unsettling, and the audience discussed their
    myriad thoughts afterwards with Noah and the rest of the Ensemble
    over a glass of bubbly in the courtyard of Fellowship House. A delightful
    evening and one to remember as Noah’s career ascends ever higher.

    ACS appoints new


    Director of Music



    DIANE LANGLEBEN
        lison Smart Fisher, professional singer, choral director and music
         teacher, has taken up the baton to conduct Alyth Choral Society
     A (ACS). Alison studied at Cambridge University, the Royal Northern
    College of Music and Trinity College of Music. She has enjoyed a most
    successful career both as a solo performer and conducting choirs. Until
    recently, she sang with the BBC Singers.
       Since its inception in 1983, ACS has performed not only in North-
    West London, but also at such illustrious venues as the Royal Festival
    Hall, Barbican, St John’s Smith Square, St Martin-in-the-Fields and St
    Paul’s Cathedral. ACS has also sung at venues in Germany, the
    Netherlands, France and the North of England.
       The choir’s main repertoire comprises choral works with Old
    Testament themes, as well as non-religious music. In April ACS
    celebrated the Queen’s 70th jubilee year with a concert including songs
    from the four home nations of the United Kingdom.
                               The next choral work will be a
                            performance of Handel’s stunning
                            oratorio, Jephtha on 3 July. At the end
                            of the year, 11 December, the choir
                            will perform Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas.
                               Alyth Choral Society is based at
                            the North Western Reform Synagogue
                            in Alyth Gardens, Temple Fortune.
                            The choir welcomes new members of
                            any denomination (or none) who enjoy
                            choral singing.
                               Further information can be found
     Alison Smart Fisher
                            at: alythchoralsociety.wordpress.com.
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