1917

Summary

There are no surviving letters from Bantock to Newman between 1914 and 1916 (none may have been written), and the only reference to Newman in Bantock's diaries in this period is of a discussion on 18 December 1916 with ‘Mr Forty’ over ‘Newman's article in today's Post attacking my Memorandum’. In the meantime Bantock had published the vocal scores of his ‘Choral Ballet with Orchestra’ The Great God Pan (1914) and the Choral Symphony A Pageant of Human Life (1914), along with the Scenes from Scottish Highlands for strings (1914) and the Celtic Poem for cello and piano (1916). Newman had published his book Wagner as Man and Artist (1914), and Wallace had also been busy, publishing The Musical Faculty (1914). In 1917 Bantock completed his Hebridean Symphony (premiered on 1 February in Manchester) and spent much time rescoring Lalla Rookh as ballet music. He also had visits from Marjorie Kennedy-Fraser (over his opera The Seal Woman) at Birmingham and (with her daughter Patuffa) in Harlech. Newman's writings included articles on Mussorgsky and Glinka in the New Witness. The significance of this first letter to Newman of 20 February is confirmed in Bantock's diary: ‘Wrote letter to Newman in morning, offering to bury the hatchet’.

269 GRANVILLE BANTOCK TO ERNEST NEWMAN

30 ELVETHAM ROAD

EDGBASTON.

Feb 20. 1917

Dear Newman

It would be a relief to the present situation, a source of gratification to our friends, and again to the musical interests of the town if we could agree to sink all our personal differences, and allow bygones to be bygones. With this aim in view I appeal to the generous side of your nature, and express my willingness to bury the past, in order that we may work together and in a better understanding for the present and future of music in Birmingham. Time is the best healer of grievances, and we have both surely much to gain and little to lose by a voluntary sacrifice. The prospects are favorable, [sic] and much can be achieved by our mutual co-operation for the public service. I am convinced that our differences arose originally in a series of unfortunate misunderstandings.