| Lady
Bliss took a personal interest in the Choral Society over many
years. This came about through her meeting one of its members,
Gerald Towell, at the Cheltenham International Festival of Music
in 1976. In that year the Meditations on a Theme by John Blow
was included in the programme as a tribute to the man who had
done so much for the Festival and who had died the previous year.
In our Society's
first Newsletter (published in the Spring of 2003), Gerald -
now the Chairman of this Society - tells the story of how the
deep impression that this music made on him at that performance
led to a treasured friendship with Lady Bliss that lasted until
her death.
Out of this,
a close affinity between Lady Bliss and the Choral Society grew,
and Sir Arthur's music has featured in the Society's programmes.
They have twice performed Pastoral, once in the presence
of Lady Bliss and her family. In November 2001 the Society performed
Morning Heroes at Cheltenham Town Hall, with Peter
Ainsworth MP as Orator. That programme also included the march
from Things to Come, and the Concerto for cello
and orchestra, with the Cheltenham Chamber Orchestra conducted
by Denise Ham, and Emma Denton as soloist.
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