Page 42 - ASMF Marriner 100 Coverage Book

We are Five

Sir Neville Marinner

Working with the ASMF musicians shows me that Sir I first met Neville in my teens, when my mother, violinist Ursula
Neville Marriner’s legacy lies in the culture he created, Snow, played with the Academy. Sometimes I would go along to
which lives both on and off-stage. Through releasing listen to rehearsals. Neville was always genial and welcoming,
players from the traditional hierarchies he allowed them to and even once asked me to turn pages for the harpsichordist
collaborate and create as equals: every player gets a say, during a recording session. I think my mum probably told him
they all have skin in the game and each person both offers that I composed, and in 1985, when I joined the Academy as a
and receives support. It’s this environment that allows the viola player, he asked me if he could hear something. I gave him a
musicians to create the outstanding performances they do. cassette, and a year later, he wrote to me, apologising for taking
The giving and receiving extends off-stage into our work so long, and inviting me to write something for the Academy.
with London’s homeless community and our new SoundWalk It was a fantastic request, but I knew instinctively that I wasn’t
which was launched as part of the Marriner100 celebrations. ready. I asked if I could defer this opportunity, and contacted
These initiatives reflect the environment of the rehearsal him a couple of years later, by which time I was living in Scotland,
room, an atmosphere Sir Neville created. composing full-time, and no longer playing. He commissioned
Those we work with come from a variety of me to write for the 35th anniversary celebration concert in the
circumstances, including being homeless, sofa-surfing or Royal Festival Hall in 1994, and I wrote Walking Back, about
living in temporary or insecure accommodation. Day-to-day returning to my Scottish roots.
life looks very different for them and safety, connection and Several more commissions followed over the years, including
feeling valued are irregular. The chance to explore and create Variations on a Theme of Benjamin Britten. Britten’s Frank Bridge
offers an escape from the pressures of everyday life and a Variations were close to my heart, having heard the Academy
chance to feel productive. I was speaking recently to one of perform them when my mum was playing, and later often
the participants who helped us create the SoundWalk, and performing them myself with the smaller bands directed by Ken
she told me what she thought of the music sessions: “It’s Sillito and Iona Brown.
different to school where we’re told what to do. The Academy was notable for its early inclusion of women in
We’re given lots of help initially, but from there we can the ‘60s, and this continued. Neville only cared about finding the
develop our own ideas.” Feeling empowered connects musicians who would bring something to the band. He assembled
directly to the foundations of the orchestra. an extraordinary alchemy of personalities, who interacted with
Freedom, openness and vulnerability comes from the humour and respect. He was always open to ideas but did not
trusting relationships the musicians have built up over time, defer to anyone.
which enables them to bring their all. In our homelessness When Neville invited me to be the Academy’s first Composer-
work, building trust slowly with the participants helps them in-Residence, it seemed a culmination of his support and trust,
create alongside us. Our participant said this too: “Taking and an opportunity to acknowledge the inspiration he had
part in the group is helping me learn to communicate with provided since my childhood. However, the meeting I had with
other people and know that people are there for you. Neville about the residency, in December 2015, was to be the last
They show me that we’re all together, I’m not alone, and time I saw him [he died in October the following year at the age of
that will be helpful if I go to work again.” 92]. We decided on a chamber orchestra work, and a string octet.
Great things come from being surrounded by people The orchestral piece, Hover, is dedicated to Neville’s memory.
who support and encourage you in equal measure. These It’s inspired by Gerard Manley Hopkins’ poem The Windhover,
attributes are well honed in our musicians, and they are which describes a falcon – and in many ways the music describes
experts in creating that environment wherever they go. Neville. There is warmth – even oblique references to Britten,
That, for me, is what Sir Neville has left behind: a beacon for Walton, Vaughan Williams – but also moments of sharp focus.
providing the conditions in which people can flourish. Neville was a free spirit, who knew what he wanted, and
Callum Given missed nothing.
Head of Social Purpose, Academy of St Martin in the Fields Sally Beamish OBE
ASMF Composer in Residence (2019-20) and Marriner 100
Committee Member