Interview with Ian Fox
When did
you join the Society?
I first became
conductor in September 1981.
Why did you
join?
At the end of my
six years as Assistant Organist of Chichester Cathedral, I moved to take up the
post of Director of Music at The King’s School,
What was
your first concert?
Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle
Why did you
choose that piece to conduct?
I think that the
piece had already been earmarked by the committee.
What do you
enjoy about conducting the Society?
It is always a
thrill to help amateur singers work at and build up to a concert, which, in the
end, sounds professional. This is, for me the great reward; making something
near to perfect from the raw materials.
How do you
choose the material to conduct?
There are many
factors. One has to keep a balance between the various periods in musical
history: Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern. Also, there are only a
limited number of works, which are possible and these, inevitably come round on
a rotation basis. When the committee and I are choosing works, we often find
out when a particular work was sung before. If this was some time in the past
it is top of the list for a repeat. One has to choose works, which will attract
an audience. This is essential otherwise the Society would soon fail
financially. One also has to have the support of the chorus and choose works
which they will enjoy learning. This is why we often ask the chorus for their
suggestions. One also has to choose pieces in the same concert, which use
similar accompanimental forces. It is no use having
one work, which uses a full orchestra and another which uses just the strings.
With orchestras costing perhaps £120 per player, it is essential to use each
player to the full. One has to be practical about the difficulty of pieces and
the forces required. It is no use choosing the Verdi Requiem with a small group
of singers or Britten’s War Requiem, which needs
unusually and exceptionally skilled singers. Finally one has occasionally to
choose works, which can be accompanied by just piano and organ. Orchestras are
increasingly expensive and we have to recoup our funds sometimes.
What is
your most memorable moment in the past 25 years?
I have had the
privilege of conducting all three of Elgar’s great
oratorios The Kingdom, The Dream of Gerontius and The
Apostles. The Dream was particularly memorable for a number of reasons.
Three things about the piece.
Firstly because it is Elgar's
greatest oratorio and we live in Elgar country. One
has to have a special relationship with the work and I lived it for months. I
also had a lesson in conducting it from John Sanders. Two organs were used, the
Abbey Organ, played by a pupil of mine at the King's School and with
closed circuit TV and a stereo audio link, both of which I set up. The
other organ used was my 1939 Hammond Organ. I remember it was transported to
There was also a Messiah which started 20 minutes late
because the orchestral leader had locked her violin in the car. We had to get
the police to help break in.
Another memorable moment was in 1999 when we commissioned a
30 minute piece for
the Millenium from my composer friend Derek Bourgeois
who then lived in the
It is a memorable piece and was well performed and received.
What are
the challenges of conducting choral work in The Abbey?
Although the
Abbey has great acoustics for unaccompanied choral music, it is very unkind to
choral music with orchestra. The orchestral sound is amplified and the chorus
is often seemingly drowned to anyone not sitting either at the very front or
right at the back. When we are singing at the west end, the sound heard from
the lady chapel is superb. I have actually gone there
during a rehearsal to experience this. It is unfortunate that so many of the
audience have to sit in the choral “blind spot”. I have performed the same
works in other buildings with the same orchestra and the same number of chorus
and there is never a problem. This is the big challenge.
The other factor
is that any allegro singing has to be non troppo as
the details would become lost in the generous acoustic.
Why have
you decided to conduct Rossini’s work for your 25th anniversary?
Again, the works
are not just my choice but between me and the committee. A number of the
reasons laid out earlier influenced the choice. Having said
that, it is always a good sing and is fun, with its harmonium and piano backing
and the often jolly and sometimes emotional solo writing.
What are the challenges of conducting the Rossini?
The challenges of the Rossini are first of all finding a
player and a suitable harmonium. Few people appreciate the workings and playing
of a proper instrument.
Chorally there are moments which require great emotion and
there are also one or two entries which come from nothing and require great
confidence and strength.
What are
your hopes for the future?
It would be good
to see the numbers increase so that one or two of the larger works would again
be possible.