manx celtic music and dance

On Maughold Head - an update by Maurice Powell

11 Oct 2013

On the July 12th this year, the Isle of Man Symphony Orchestra gave the first performance since 1946 of the recently unearthed Fantasy-Overture ‘The Magic Isle’ by J E Quayle, whose long career the Rolls office masked a full and active musical life as a pianist, organist, violinist, conductor and composer. Unbelievably, just two weeks after that performance, J E Quayle’s grandson, Ewan Davidson, discovered the autograph score of a second orchestral work of his grandfather’s in the attic of his Winchester home, another orchestral work entitled Fantasy-Overture no. 2 ‘On Maughold Head’.

The front cover of the autograph score bears the address of the Quayle family home from 1935: ‘Summerland, Brunswick Road, Douglas’, and the date 1.5.0 which I am reasonably sure indicates 1st May 1950. This date is supported by the reminiscences of Ewan Davidson who clearly recalls this period when his grandfather was composing in his study, whilst he and his brother attempted to play quietly and not disturb him. ‘On Maughold Head’ is thought to evoke the many happy weeks that J E Quayle and his family enjoyed in Maughold village and the surrounding area on their summer holidays during World War 1, when civil servants were not permitted to leave the Island.  

The autograph score is written on 69 pages of eighteen stave manuscript paper, stitched together with a light blue thread and bound by sticky tape into a conductor’s score. The notation, in black ink but with the final five pages, minor alterations, some clefs and dynamic markings in a lighter blue ink, is extremely neat with very few crossings out. On the very last page are sixteen bars of a revised section (figure 7 to 8) of the very florid harp part. Manx music specialist Dr Chloe Woolley, of the Manx Heritage Foundation, has identified the haunting melody that steals in at the very beginning of the work on the cor anglais over a quiet bass drum roll, as the Manx melody ‘Jemmy as Nancy’, which continues to run like a thread all through this fascinating piece. ‘On Maughold Head’ is more variedly structured than the earlier Fantasy –Overture ‘The Magic Isle’; the scoring is bolder and more assured as can be heard from the introduction, Andante un poco lento, which is scored almost entirely for wind and brass over pizzicato ‘cellos and basses. The Allegro ma no tanto, 2/4 time, introduces a typically energetic ‘fiddle tune’ and the full orchestra for the first time. There are many changes of pace and mood throughout the work, none lovelier than the L’istesso tempo, 3/4 time, at figure 7 in the score, with a gorgeous oboe cantilena over a rippling harp, or the rich interweaving string writing at figure 10, poco tranquillo. Like the cliffs of Maughold Head itself, the final pages are powerful and imposing.

The Isle of Man Symphony Orchestra will be giving the World premier of ‘On Maughold Head’ during their 2014 concert season.           by Maurice Powell
 

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