The performance of The Gothic Symphony, composed by Stoke-on-Trent born Havergal Brian, created huge interest both locally and nationally. Much was written about it during the build-up to the performance, and then afterwards. Here's what the papers, and others said. (click on the images to enlarge them for easier reading)
HAVERGAL BRIAN SOCIETY - Newsletter, NL 17, 1978
Review written by Mr. David J Brown, Vice President of the Havergal Brian Society.
"It cannot be said too often and too insistently that the Gothic is not only one of the largest, but also one of the most fantastically difficult compositions to perform which has ever emerged from this country or any other. It is, in truth, hard enough for a professional orchestra to play Beethoven’s fifth properly; to organise a performance like this, as Paul Shaw, Trevor Stokes and their assistants did, with performers who mostly had not worked together before and who had no previous experience of this or any other work of Brian’s, nor any idea of tradition to fall back on, and then not merely get through, but give a real performance of, this musical Everest, was a feat which perhaps almost began in its way to rival the actual composition of the symphony itself. If the worst had happened - the performance ground to a halt or broken apart - it would still have been a magnificent failure; if they had merely struggled to the end and kept together, it would have deserved to be called a great success. What in fact happened - and it should have resounded from end to end of the Potteries that this was so - must be called a triumph." Extract courtesy Havergal Brian Society. David J Brown 1978
Complete review here > on the Havergal Brian Society website.
DAILY TELEGRAPH - 22 May 1978
"The hero of the performance was clearly the conductor, Trevor Stokes"
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| Daily Telegraph 22 May 1978 Review of the Stoke Gothic by Paul Dewhurst Many thanks go to Eddie Hewison for finding this |
SUNDAY TIMES - 28 May 1978
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| Sunday Times 28 May 1978 Review of the Stoke Gothic by Felix Aprahamian Many thanks go to Eddie Hewison for finding this |
MUSIC AND MUSICIANS MAGAZINE - MAY 1978
Havergal Brian's Gothic "because it's there."
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| Music and Musicians May 1978 Review of the Stoke Gothic by RD Many thanks go to Eddie Hewison for finding this |
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| Classical Music Weekly 10 June 1978 Review of the Stoke Gothic by Lyndon Jenkins Many thanks go to Eddie Hewison for finding this |