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Collection Description
Collection name Oxford Subscription Concerts (1940-55)
Unique identifier MS.Top.Oxon.c.678/1
Description A largely complete collection of prospectuses and programmes for the Oxford Subscription Concerts, seasons 21 to 35, given principally at the Sheldonian Theatre and Town Hall, Oxford, between 1940 and 1955 (missing the prospectus for the 28th season).

All programmes are held individually within a single box.

With the exception of the concerts given on 20 and 21 May 1953 (at the New Theatre), all performances were given at the Sheldonian Theatre or the Town Hall, Oxford.

All programmes contain words and notes and many include a list of the orchestral ensemble, where appropriate. Prospectuses for certain years are accompanied by financial statements. There are additional handbills for certain performances and multiple copies for a few dates.

Unless otherwise stated below, all concerts involving the Royal Philharmonic Society were conducted by Thomas Beecham and all performances given by the Oxford Orchestral Society were conducted by Thomas Armstrong.

Where no other indiciation is given below, concerts given by the London Phlharmonic Orchestra during the 21-23rd seasons were conducted by Malcolm Sargent

From the 25th to 29th season, an additional performance was given each year by the Hallé Orchestra, conducted by Sir John Barbirolli.


21st season (1940–41)
24 October: London Philharmonic Orchestra.
7 November: Griller String Quartet.
5 December: London Philharmonic Orchestra, with Emily Boettcher (piano).
30 January: Menges String Sextet.
13 February: London Philharmonic Orchestra.
6 March: Oxford Orchestral Society with Frank Merrick (piano).

22nd season (1941–42)
There are programmes for both the morning and evening concerts given on 20 November and 12 February.
23 October: London Symphony Orchestra with Cyril Smith (piano), conducted by Sir Henry Wood.
6 November: Griller String Quartet.
20 November: London Philharmonic Orchestra.
29 January: Piano Recital by Kathleen Long.
12 February: London Philharmonic Orchestra.
5 March: Oxford Orchestral Society with Elisabeth Kitson (oboe) and Angus Morrison (piano).

23rd series (1942–43)
22 October: London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Constant Lambert, including the first performance of Lambert, Aubade Heroique.
5 November: London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Basil Cameron.
19 November: Philharmonia String Quartet.
28 January: Griller String Quartet.
11 February: London Philharmonic Orchestra.
4 March: Oxford Orchestral Society with Henry Holst (violin) and Anthony Pini (cello).

24th season (1943–44)
There are programmes for both afternoon and evening concerts given on each date from 25 November.
17 October: New London Orchestra, with Winifred Copperwheat (viola) conducted by Alec Sherman.
4 November: City of Birmingham Orchestra, conducted by W. K. Stanton.
25 November: London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by George Weldon.
27 January: Griller String Quartet with Malcolm Sargent (piano).
10 February: London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sydney Watson and Ralph Vaughan Williams.
2 March: London Symphony Orchestra with an Oxford choir, conducted by Thomas Armstrong.

25th season (1944–45)
26 October: London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Thomas Beecham.
9 November: French Chamber Music (single document containing programmes for an afternoon and evening programme).
30 November: New London Orchestra, with Pauline Juler (clarinet), conducted by Alec Sherman.
1 February: London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Heinz Unger .
8 March: Oxford Orchestral Society with Leon Goossens (oboe)
3 May: Violin Recital by Ida Haendel.
24 May: Hallé Orchestra.

26th season (1945–46)
25 October: London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Thomas Beecham.
15 November: Max Rostal (violin), Franz Osborn (piano) and Dennis Brain (horn).
29 November: Calvet String Quartet.
2 February: London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Ernest Ansermet.
14 February: Pianoforte Recital by Myra Hess.
28 February: Oxford Orchestral Society with Henry Holst (violin) and Gerald Finzi (additional conductor).
9 May: Hallé Orchestra, with Laurance Turner (violin) and Haydn Rogerson (cello).

27th season (1946–47)
16 October: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, with Betty Humby-Beecham (piano).
31 October: Violin Recital by Emil Telmanyi with Annette Schioler Telmanyi.
7 November: Griller String Quartet with Frederick Thurston (clarinet).
28 November: London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Eduard van Beinum.
6 February: Hungarian String Quartet.
20 February: Oxford Orchestral Society with Frederick Grinke (violin) and Bernard Shore (viola).
5 March: Song Recital by Peter Pears and Benjamin Britten.
4 May: Extra Concert by the Busch Quartett.
15 May: Hallé Orchestra.

28th season (1947–48)
23 October: London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Basil Cameron.
6 November: New Italian Quartett.
20 November: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
29 January: London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Trevor Harvey.
12 February: Griller String Quartet.
26 February: Oxford Orchestral Society with James Whitehead (cello).
11 March: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, conducted by George Weldon.
10 June: Hallé Orchestra, with Evelyn Rothwell (oboe).

29th season (1948–49)
14 October: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (strings and wind).
28 October: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
18 November: Boyd Neel Orchestra, with Kathleen Long (piano), conducted by Boyd Neel.
27 January: Hungarian String Quartet.
10 February: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
10 March: Oxford Orchestral Society with John Hunt (piano) and Robert Rowell (baritone).
26 May: Ginette Neveu (violin) and Jean Neveu (piano).
2 June: Hallé Orchestra, including the first Oxford performance of Vaughan Williams, Symphony in E minor.

30th season (1949–50)
20 October: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
10 November: Piano Recital by Myra Hess.
24 November: Boyd Neel Orchestra with Frederick Thurston (clarinet), conducted by Boyd Neel and Gerald Finzi.
26 January: Leon Goossens (oboe) and the Carter String Trio.
9 February: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
2 March: Oxford Orchestral Society with Dennis Brain (horn).
27 April: London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Eduard van Beinum.

31st season (1950–51)
19 October: London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Adrian Boult.
2 November: Guitar Recital by Andres Segovia.
23 November: The New Italian Quartet.
25 January: Giaconda de Vito (violin).
1 March: Oxford Orchestral Society with Bernard Shore (viola).
10 May: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
17 May: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Leopold Stokowski.

32nd season (1951–52)
25 October: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
15 November: London Mozart Players, conducted by Harry Blech.
29 November: London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Trevor Harvey and Ralph Vaughan Williams.
31 January: Amadeus String Quartet.
28 February: Pianoforte Recital by Jan Smeterlin.
13 March: Oxford Orchestral Society with Joseph Cooper (piano).
29 May: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, with David McCallum (violin).

33rd season (1952–53)
23 October: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
6 November: Guitar Recital by Andres Segovia.
27 November: Hungarian String Quartet.
20 January: Hallé Orchestra conducted by Sir John Barbirolli.
19 February: Oxford Orchestral Society with Alan Loveday. (violin).
12 March: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone), accompanied by Hermann Reutter.
21 May: Pianoforte Recital by Claudio Arrau.

34th season (1953–54)
30 October: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
5 November: Pianoforte Recital by Edwin Fischer.
19 November: London Mozart Players, conducted by Harry Blech.
28 January: Melos Ensemble.
11 February: Oxford Orchestral Society with Amaryllis Fleming (cello).
25 February: Song Recital by Peter Pears and Benjamin Britten
6 May: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

35th season (1954–55)
23 October: Hallé Orchestra, conducted by Sir John Barbirolli.
4 November: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
18 November: Amadeus String Quartet.
27 January: Pianoforte Recital by Monique Haas.
24 February: Boyd Neel Orchestra with Leon Goossens (oboe), conducted by Anthony Collins.
10 March: Quintetto Chigiano.
5 May: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Bruce Boyce (vocal).
Date range 1940 - 1955
Associated People and Organisations Wood, Henry - Whitehead, James - Weldon, George - Watson, Sydney - Walton, William - Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra - Vaughan Williams, Ralph - Unger, Heinz - Turner, Laurence - Thurston, Frederick - Telmányi, Emil - Telmányi, Annette Schioler - Stokowski, Leopold - Stanton, Walter Kendall - Smith, Cyril - Smeterlin, Jan - Shore, Bernard - Sherman, Alec - Segovia, Andrés - Sargent, Malcolm - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - Rowell, Robert - Rothwell, Evelyn - Rostal, Max - Rogerson, Haydn - Quintetto Chigiano - Pini, Anthony - Philharmonia String Quartet - Pears, Peter - Oxford Subscription Concerts - Oxford Orchestral Society - Osborn, Franz - New London Orchestra - New Italian Quartet - Neveu, Jean - Neveu, Ginette - Neel, Boyd - Morrison, Angus - Merrick, Frank - Menges, Isolde 1893 - 1976 Melos Ensemble - McCallum, David - Loveday, Alan - Long, Kathleen - London Symphony Orchestra - London Philharmonic Orchestra - London Mozart Players - Lambert, Constant - Kitson, Elisabeth - Juler, Pauline - Hunt, John - Hungarian String Quartet - Humby Beecham, Betty - Holst, Henry - Hess, Myra - Harvey, Trevor - Hallé Orchestra - Haendel, Ida - Haas, Monique - Grinke, Frederick - Griller String Quartet - Goossens, Léon - Fleming, Amaryllis - Fischer-Dieskau, Dietrich - Fischer, Edwin - Finzi, Gerald - de Vito, Gioconda - Copperwheat, Winifred - Cooper, Joseph - Collins, Anthony - City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra - City of Birmingham Orchestra - Carter String Trio - Cameron, Basil - Calvet-Quartett (Paris) - Busch String Quartet - Britten, Benjamin - Brain, Dennis - Boyd Neel Orchestra - Boyce, Bruce - Boult, Adrian - Boettcher, Emily - Blech, Harry - Beinum, Eduard van - Beecham, Thomas - Barbirolli, John - Arrau, Claudio 1903 - 1991 Armstrong, Thomas - Ansermet, Ernest - Amadeus String Quartet -
Associated Places New Theatre, Oxford (Became Apollo, late 1970s; reverted to New Theatre, early 2000s) Sheldonian Theatre Town Hall, Oxford
Associated Times 20th century - mid 1931-1970
Associated Content Word books First performances Handbills List of orchestral players Programme notes
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Bodleian Library, Music Library
Broad Street,Music Library Oxford OX1 3BG Open Map
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Website http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk
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Collections Overview The collection has very strong holdings of British music and related material acquired in part by legal deposit. Many collected editions and scholarly series. Very strong periodical coverage, including major 19thC European journals. Largest collection of American song material in UK.
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