The Society is holding a weekend residential conference from Friday 6 – Sunday 8 October 2023. The venue will be the Alma Lodge Hotel in Stockport, well known to many as home to a number of recent Conventions of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society.
The highlight of the conference will be the launch of our Chairman, Elaine Richardson’s, new book The Untold Story of Herbert Sullivan. Copies will be on sale, and Elaine will give a talk on Herbert. Her researches have revealed Sullivan’s nephew to be an altogether more interesting and important figure than had been thought, and he was a great champion of his uncle’s work.
There will be talks by Stephen Turnbull on Sullivan and Germany; Prof. Ian Bradley on Sullivan’s love of life; and from Martin Yates and Dr. Anne Stanyon (topics to be announced later). There will also be live music, including a recital by the Lydian String Quartet (leader Sally Robinson). Their programme will include Sullivan’s Romance in G and String Quartet in D, as well as the first known performance since the nineteenth century of the First String Quartet in A Major, opus 246, by Hamilton Clarke. Clarke (1840-1912) was one of Sullivan’s assistants and responsible for preparing the overtures to The Sorcerer, The Mikado and Ruddigore. Apart from this he is a forgotten figure and this will be a very rare chance to hear an original work by this prolific composer.
In addition, there will be a Sullivan-friendly vocal recital by Matthew Siveter (baritone) accompanied by Martin Yates.
We will commence with a welcome dinner on the Friday evening and conclude after lunch on Sunday. The Society’s sales department will be in attendance, and there will be a live auction of better quality Sullivan-related memorabilia.
The cost of the weekend, to include two nights bed and breakfast accommodation in a twin or double room, Friday and Saturday dinner, Saturday and Sunday lunch, admission to all the events and a copy of the Conference brochure, will be £260 per person sharing a twin or double room. Single room packages are £295, and single occupation of a twin or double is £315. Non-residential and partial packages are available – just email with your requirements.
A full booking form with the complete programme will be available shortly. You can reserve your place(s) now for a deposit of £30 per person. Either send a cheque, made payable to Sir Arthur Sullivan Society, to Stephen Turnbull, Crossways, 1 Tremeddan Lane, Liskeard PL14 3DR or send a direct payment to the Society’s bank account 90849987 at sort code 207405. Please quote the reference FEST DEPOSIT and send a confirmatory email to shturnbull@aol.com.
Any questions, please email shturnbull@aol.com or ring 07563-539394.