David Fisher's Multi-Media Presentation

Appreciation by Ron Mitchell

In winter meetings the weather is always a risk and unfortunately David Fisher's talk on 'The View From The Podium' fell on the worst evening of the winter so far, with frozen snow and ice making the Springfield Road pavements especially treacherous. Notwithstanding, the respectable audience which did brave the conditions was treated to a fascinating insight into what a conductor's life is really like.

Long ago (mid '70s it must have been), Andre Previn on one of his 'Music Night' television shows (transmitted on BBC1 – classical music on prime-time TV!) -- showed viewers how essential the conductor was. He set the LSO off at a terrific rate on a complicated piece – I think it was 'Ruslan and Ludmilla' -- and after a few seconds stopped conducting, put the baton down, folded his arms, and walked off the podium. And the LSO carried on playing perfectly well without him!

David's talk, with its fund of entertaining anecdotes, showed conversely how the great majority of his work as a conductor work is done before he appears immaculately garbed in front of the band or choir on performance night. There were stories of a stroppy bassoonist who refused to play as directed, then walked out, 'trying it on' with the then novice conductor; the performer whose agent was particularly difficult to deal with as she was married to him; last-minute indispositions necessitating heroic efforts to find replacements and equally heroic performances by the replacements sight-reading difficult parts. But on the other hand, when it did all come together, as it usually did, the glorious feeling of making great music to be shared by an appreciative audience, which David illustrated with a wealth of recordings. Some of these showed the particular generosity and stellar virtuosity of Emma Kirkby, patron of the Derby Choral Union whom David conducted on many occasions.

Not only recordings: this talk was very much a multi-media experience. There were videos, posters of performances given in England and Germany, and large format photographs of venues, which David used to demonstrate how he disposed his 'resources' and why. All this must have taken a tremendous amount of preparation, and more than one member remarked on it to me as we were clearing the chairs.

It is a pity that some of our regulars missed this excellent talk due to the weather and other commitments. Perhaps David may be persuaded to repeat it, or something like it, in a future season? I would quite happily listen again.