Tribute to town's musical heritage (From Stroud News and Journal)

Tribute to town's musical heritage

MUSICIAN, conductor and composer Jonathan Trim is leading Stroud Symphony Orchestra in a concert to celebrate Stroud 700 on July 3.

Katie Jarvis spoke to him about the pieces and their local connections which include a specially-commissioned work written by Jonathan and inspired by Stroud.

Composer Jonathan Trim's latest piece of music has been written to capture the spirit of Stroud.

First, there's a hauntingly beautiful melody, like the journey of one of Stroud's streams or rivers running underneath as a constant current. Then there's the hurly burly of the town centre with folk influences as the melting pot of people who make up Stroud bustle by.

There's a train, trundling through the valley and even a monumental tribute to Hill Paul with its great industrial heritage. Jonathan's composition, 'Stroud - Heart of the Five Valleys' - is a soaring orchestral work; which will be heard for the first time at a Cotswold Concert to Celebrate Stroud 700 on Saturday, July 3.

"What first inspired me was the idea of walking across to Rodborough Fort and looking down onto Stroud," explains Jonathan, who lives with wife Esther and seven-year-old twin sons Michael and Joseph in Bussage. "If I've been away from home, I walk on the common to recharge my batteries.

"At the centre of the piece is a very simple theme that winds around itself - like the journey of a river, or water going towards the mills. Then there are other elements that enter in, such as a dance tune representing the folk element of Stroud."

It's a fitting tribute to a town that's helped shape Jonathan's love of music from an early age. Educated at Minchinhampton School and Marling, his obvious abilities were nurtured through local youth orchestras and some inspirational teaching of the violin and piano.

Now a teacher himself, he's intent on giving back the same dedication that benefited him, by conducting such groups as the Gloucester Area Youth Orchestra, and the Stroud Symphony Orchestra which will be playing at the 700 concert.

As well as Jonathan's own work, the orchestra will perform other music with Cotswold connections: Wasps Overture by Vaughan Williams; Clarinet Concerto by Gavin Sutherland who lives in Cheltenham and who will just have married Verity Butler, soloist for the piece; and Perfect Fool by Holst.

But Jonathan's got another treat up his sleeve. The final piece is Holst's Cotswold Symphony. It's an anniversary year for Gustav Holst, the composer of The Planets was born 130 years ago - in 1874 - in one of Cheltenham's Regency terraces, but amazingly, his Cotswold Symphony is barely known, let alone played.

"I was looking for works for the concert which had a local connection and I was reading through a catalogue when I came across this early piece of Holst's," said Jonathan. "I discovered there was just one recording of it - by the Munich Symphony Orchestra; it's not at all known."

A detective trail followed to track down the score but even Cheltenham's Holst Museum couldn't help. Eventually, Jonathan managed to find it through Douglas Bostock, an English conductor who works with the Munich orchestra.

"It was quite an early piece, written while Holst was playing the trombone and touring in an orchestra; he got it played at the Winter Gardens in Bournemouth in 1902 and it hasn't been performed since."

Jonathan's theory for its lack of fame is that Holst's daughter, Imogen, was far more keen to promote her father's later works, written when he had developed his distinctive style. "It's really exciting: a charming little work. The second movement is called Elegy In Memoriam William Morris who was a friend of Holst and who, of course, also lived in the Cotswolds; they shared a lot of ideals. The elegy is a very deeply felt, passionate piece," said Jonathan.

Following Jonathan's 'rediscovery', Faber is now intending to publish the whole symphony and the classical label Naxos wants to record it.

That's not just a success for music; it's a success for the area itself. For as far as Jonathan is concerned, it's no co-incidence that the Cotswolds have spawned so many artists in all kinds of fields.

"I think there is a connection between the landscape and artists," he says. "But when it comes to Stroud itself, it's not simply about the trees and the countryside. There's some sort of grit; a heritage; a character. There's something extremely special about the town.

It's a real melting pot, and that's where much of the art comes from," said Jonathan. And he added: "As artists, a lot of us are very defensive about where we live. People can be disparaging about Stroud - but it's a lively, lovely place to be."

*Stroud Symphony Orchestra will be performing in A Cotswold Concert to Celebrate Stroud 700 on Saturday, July 3, 7.30pm, at Holy Trinity Church (next to the general hospital), Stroud.

The conductor will be Jonathan Trim, with leader John Woodward, and soloist Verity Butler. Tickets (£7, concessions £5; £1 reduction if purchased in advance) are available from Stroud Tourist Information, members of the orchestra, and Bill Trim on 01453 762318. There will be a retiring collection for children's charity Interlynx.