Review of 'Songs Remembered ' : Classical Music on the Web .... The now out-moded practice of an evening's gathering of family and friends around the drawing-room piano when members contributed their particular party-piece is something I have always longed for again. With its apt title, this evocative disc from Haining Records goes a long way to recreating these lost evenings. There is sentiment here - but nothing of sentimentality. Handel (the most popular 'Art Thou Troubled' and the Minuet from 'Berenice', the latter to English words by Clifford Bax) sits easily with Martin Shaw, Thiman, Armstrong Gibbs, and Rowley - and the magic of Head's 'Little Ships of Arcady' and Ireland's little known 'the Ferry', the whimsical 'Second Minuet' and 'Serenade to a Beautiful Day' provide just that touch of 'pop' - and the songs are sung with unaffected charm by the Edinburgh mezzo Joan Busby, accompanied by John Grundy. If the sound is slightly 'boxy' no great matter, - just imagine the candle-light, the warm fire, and hot buttered crumpets to come. Reviewer Colin Scott-Sutherland Joan Busby writes:- These are songs remembered from the 1940s and early 50s, and this CD is dedicated with love and affection to my family and friends from those days. This is how I came to sing them:- I was born in the industrial town of Middlesbrough, at that time part of Yorkshire. I first started to sing in the 1940s, just after the war. One of my mother’s friends, Mrs Bentley, happened to hear me at a Sunday School Anniversary and suggested that I might take some singing lessons with her. She had a fine contralto voice and under her professional name of Madame Edna Hall was a well known oratorio singer in the North East of England. I began to take part in the several local competitive Music Festivals, where success was rewarded with cash prizes. I remember well one outing to Saltburn Music Festival – a long day, travelling from Middlesbrough in the early morning by steam train, taking part in the heats, waiting for the finals and eventually singing again late in the evening. But what a triumph – three first prizes of ten shillings and a third prize of 2/6d – enough for a whole term of singing lessons! 'Come see where golden hearted Spring' was one of the test pieces. Soon the cash prizes became illegal and we competed for medals instead – not nearly so gratifying to our hard-up family. Another memorable event followed the singing of a solo – 'The Lamb' – in Linthorpe Road Methodist Church during a Sunday morning GLB (Girls’ Life Brigade) parade service. A member of the congregation enquired who was the singer and what he might give as a thank you present. The Captain suggested that all little girls liked chocolate – and Mr Meredith was the proprietor of a local cake and confectionary business. So one day I returned from school to find a large flat silver box FULL of chocolates. This was the most extraordinary treat in those days of a few ounces-per-person-per-week sweet ration. I had no recollection of ever having SEEN a box of chocolates, except in a pre-war catalogue that my sister and I used to pore over each week when we went to Sunday tea at my grandparents house in Acton Street. I made my first visit to London representing the North East in a singing competition at an International GLB Rally held at Central Hall, Westminster. No prizes here, but I remember the incredibly long time it took to get anywhere within London, and the very short time it took to sing the set piece – 'Cuckoo'. We belonged to Grove Hill Methodist Church, where I was a member of the choir, and sang as soloist in many services and concerts. Of all composers the most revered was Handel – parts of Messiah were performed every year at Christmas and at Easter. Handel’s 'Art Thou Troubled' was one of my father’s favourite songs, and so is included here, sung as it was sung then, as written and without ornamentation. Then of course there was the Annual Methodist Youth Eisteddfod, in which all the young people in the churches were encouraged to take part. There were classes for solo singing and for choirs, for piano duets and solos, for reciting poetry and telling a Bible story, for verse reading at sight and extemporary speaking, for junior and senior plays, for cookery and woodwork and all kinds of handwork. The Methodist ethos was to encourage everyone to develop his or her full potential, following Jesus’ parable of the talents. This buoyant outlook helped people through the restrictions of rationing and flourished in those post-war days of rising expectations and increasing opportunities. I feel very fortunate to have been a part of it all. Following success in winning a major medal at Newcastle, I was invited to make my first broadcast. This was for BBC Children’s Hour ’Young Artists’ programme. My song was ‘I love all graceful things’. It was at about this time that careers were being discussed at school. My headmistress, Miss Hutt, called me into her study and we set up a sensible plan to follow the maths and science subjects at which I did well. Music was not taught as a subject in the school at that time, and was regarded, as were drama and games which I also enjoyed, as purely recreational. As I was leaving I remember saying, ‘Of course, what I would really like to do is to sing’. We both smiled at such a strange notion. JOAN BUSBY was born in Yorkshire, and sang from an early age, both in choirs and solo. A science graduate of Edinburgh University, she studied singing with Ena Mitchell and Laura Sarti, with coaching from Paul Hamburger. She sang with Scottish Opera and in several ensembles, notably the John Currie Singers, the Hill Square Consort and Trio Felice. She appeared on STV and BBC Radio and in many recitals and concerts. She especially enjoyed devising themed programmes for special venues with Music is Pleasure. Having a particular love of Handel, in 1992 she initiated and became Festival Director of the Handel at Hopetoun Festival, which won critical acclaim for an outstanding production of the opera Rodelinda. Joan has taught singing for many years at the Ian Tomlin Academy of Music, Edinburgh Napier University. She holds certificates for Estill Voice Training and for Core Singing. Interested in all aspects of voice, she is also a Tutor for the Voice Care Network UK, and leads voice workshops for public speakers. She was a founder and Director of Oxenfoord International Summer School for Singers, which continues to meets annually Joan is married to the artist John Busby. After study at Edinburgh University and in Rotterdam, JOHN GRUNDY worked in Scotland for a number of years, as a teacher, player of chamber music,accompanist and conductor. He directed the Edinburgh Bach Choir,the University Singers and Edinburgh Grand Opera, and in 1984 became Music Director of the Edinburgh International Festival’s production of Ane Satyr of the Three Estaites. This led to furtherFestival commissions and much work with the Scottish Theatre Company. In 1988 John was appointed Musical Director of Sydney Philharmonia, and for seven years he worked extensively throughout Australia, but especially at the Sydney Opera House, where he was the Director of the Sydney Opera and Ballet Orchestra, and also of the City of Willoughby Symphony. Work with young people brought him the honour of being a Patron of the Australian Inter-varsity Choral Association, and much demand to work as an adjudicator and with youth orchestras. In addition he was a member of the Australian Government’s arts-funding body, the Australian Council, and the Cultural Council for the City of Sydney. Conducting and playing tours of Australia, New Zealand and Japan were frequent, as were recordings and national broadcasts. In 1989 he inherited the Directorship of St Andrew’s Cathedral Festival from Barry Tuckwell. John returned to Scotland in 1995 to work at the Music Centre of St Andrews University, at St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh, and as a freelance accompanist and conductor.