Farewell by Outgoing Chairman, Nicolas Chisholm, MBE

Brighton & Hove Philharmonic Society (14 January 2020)

Nicolas Chisholm at the Society’s AGM, Sunday 1 December 2019

 

“As I come to the end of nine years as a member of the Board of Management of the Brighton Phil I can look back with pleasure at some extraordinary highlights: Holst’s The Planets, Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring and all those Brahms and Dvorak symphonies – to name but a few.

This season we have already enjoyed the marvellous talent of Christian Garrick and the BPO Strings which created a buzz around the whole audience and which still echoes in my ears. We have rarely witnessed such an enthusiastic response. The second concert of the season delighted us with a magical performance of Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending played by the rising star Thomas Gould. You could have heard a pin drop in the Dome as the music disappeared into the ether.

There is still so much to look forward to in the second half of the season. Many of you will remember the dazzling talents of Worbey & Farrell a couple of seasons ago when they delighted us with their performance of the Carnival of the Animals. I cannot wait to enjoy their solo programme. Before that our stunning brass section steps to the front of the platform to give us music from across the centuries and to continue to showcase our wonderful professional musicians.

The traditional finale features our Conductor Laureate Barry Wordsworth and one of our favourite soloists, the cellist Thomas Carroll in that masterpiece from almost 100 years ago, the Elgar Cello Concerto. I am sure that this will be another highlight in the history of the BPO. Sadly our long term leader John Bradbury is unable to be with us this season and we will miss his stylish playing and huge enthusiasm for the BPO.

We have come on quite a journey over the past nine years and entertained some 65,000 music lovers during that time. I am sure that we will continue to be a cultural beacon in Brighton and Hove beyond our centenary in 2025 and I wish the new Chair Andrea Cifelli and the Board of Management every success in steering a course towards this momentous anniversary.”

Nicolas Chisholm, MBE

BHPS Board Member 2010-2019, BHPS Chairman 2014-2019

In the months leading up to the AGM Nicolas gave interviews about the orchestra and his hopes for the future to local magazines Town & County and Viva Lewes/Viva Brighton and to the Brighton & Hove Independent newspaper, which you can read via the links below:

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/62887912/viva-lewes-issue-158-november-2019

https://www.brightonandhoveindependent.co.uk/whats-on/entertainment/retiring-chairman-leaves-brighton-philharmonic-orchestra-in-fine-fettle-1-9154513