Bringing birdsong to the concert hall

At the 53rd AGM of the Bognor Regis Recorded Music Club held on April 28, chairman Eric Garner paid tribute to all who work hard to ensure the club's success. Eric thanked committee members and made especial mention of secretary Maureen Wright, treasurer Rob Salmon, who makes sure the club's funds are carefully managed, Richard Ford, the invaluable equipment officer, and programme secretary Eric Bareham, who came up with an amazing list of presenters during the season.

Eric also singled out many who help behind the scenes such as Lloyd Storr-Best, who keeps the membership list up to date; Gerry Warren who takes care of the popular visits to the Guildhall, in Portsmouth, by hiring a coach and buying blocks of tickets, and his wife, Laura, who makes sure coffee and biscuits are available at every meeting.

Eric extended sympathy to Margaret Middleton, whose illness this past winter prevented her from enjoying the meetings. He thanked Jean Jarvis who is taking over from Margaret as vice-chairman.

He also thanked Jacquey Billington for standing for election as committee member, and appealed to the audience to join her, as there are still two vacancies. After the AGM business was over, the traditional chairman's programme was given by Eric.

His music, he said, was '˜strictly for the birds'.

Everybody sat back to enjoy this light-hearted entertainment, which included Rossini's Overture The Thieving Magpie, Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending, Saint-Saens' The Swan, a movement from Haydn's String Quartet op 64, no 5 The Lark, and a flute concerto by Vivaldi called The Goldfinch.

A vocal interlude was provided by Walter Berry singing Papageno's two arias from Mozart's The Magic Flute, and from Respighi's Suite The Birds we heard The Cuckoo and The Hen. The latter bird featured again in Haydn's Symphony no 83 in G min, The Hen, and before that melodious work, Eric played an unusual, striking and fiendishly difficult piano solo '“ Messiaen's Petites esquisses d'oiseaux.

The club's president, a knowledgable bird-watcher, made a witty thank-you speech, commenting that he would not have recognised Messiaen's birds '“ but of course, they were French.

He also thanked Jacquey Billington and Vera Obey for standing for election as committee members.

Meetings will resume on, October 4, at the Mosse Hall in Aldwick. In the meantime, members can keep in touch with Thursday evening concerts. For more details, contact secretary Maureen Wright on 01243 827358.