Robert Ashfield centenary

[DHM]

Today is the centenary of Robert Ashfield's birth. We will be marking the occasion as part of our annual Rochester Composers' celebration this weekend, together with the Southwell Minster Chorale (the voluntary choir of Nottinghamshire's cathedral, which Bobby served before coming to Rochester in 1956).

More info here: http://gundulf.org.uk/html/summer_2011.html.

 

Board members may be interested to know that, in addition to his choral and organ music, much of which is fairly well-known, he also left a large quantity of orchestral and chamber music including a symphony, a violin concerto, some string quartets, an opera (based on the same plot as Les Miserables) and much, much more - almost all unpublished and mostly unperformed, written after he retired in 1977.

 

I am preparing to write a research thesis on Ashfield's music, and would be glad to receive any anecdotes or reminiscences that may be thought relevant.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Douglas.