Newsletter – November 2014
November 6th, 2014Bartolomeo Cristofori called his invention of 1709 the “Arpicimbalo del piano e forte” and fortunately for subsequent generations this soon became shortened and today we know it as the “piano”.
The Story of the Piano was the subject of our speaker this month Andrew Crabtree. However, this was a story with a difference because Andrew is an accomplished musician and with his electronic keyboard it was more an intimate concert than a talk. He played us twelve pieces ranging from the Romantic music exemplified by the middle movement of Beethoven’s Pathétique Sonata through Schubert, Schumann and Chopin to the Jazz age with Scott Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag. We are hoping that Andrew can be persuaded to return for another presentation next season and perhaps he will include a bit of George Gershwin and maybe Ludovico Einaudi and Michael Nyman.
Our monthly Sunday afternoon walk in November was through Hagley Park. Nineteen members and visitors were blessed with a mild and sunny late autumn afternoon to view the renovated cascades which were in full flow due to the heavy rain of previous days.
Our meeting on Tuesday 6th January at 8pm sees Tim Booth presenting ‘The Mills on Dowles Brook in the Wyre Forest’. He will takes us back to the start of the Industrial Revolution and how ironworking brought employment and affluence to a rural backwater. Visitors are most welcome at all our events – see hhfs.org.uk for details and contacts.