Emily White / Sally Garden
Center of Huntly
Music celebrating life and work of Ronald Centre
Emily White is a violinist and trombonist from England who came to Huntly for a four months residency to research the provenance of Ronald Center, a yet to be fully discovered composer who lived in Huntly most of his adult life. During 2008, Emily developed a comprehensive project to include the first performance and a recording of Center's string quartets.
Parallel to this Musicologist Sally Garden researched Ronald Center's ten surviving art songs and 26 Scots song arrangements through her project Secret Center. For more information check: www.monsgraupius.org.
Born in Aberdeen in 1913, Ronald Center was the youngest of a distinguished musical family. He studied with two eminent musicians of the day Julian Rosetti (piano) and Willan Swainson (organ). Center went on to build his life as a musician and was much in demand as a performer, accompanist, teacher, church organist and choral conductor. At the age of 30 Center settled in Huntly with his wife Evelyn, where he remained until his death thirty years later in 1973. During this time he taught music for six years in the Gordon Schools and then devoted himself to private tuition and composition. From as early as 1944 many of his piano compositions and songs were performed on the BBC Home Service in the Modern Scottish Composers series. His symphonic poem The Coming of Cuchulain was played by the Scottish Orchestra, conductor Warwick Braithwaite and other works were publicly performed and broadcast to acclaim. As a composer he wrote for voice, solo instruments, strings and full orchestra. In the orchestration of his musical scores he was greatly aided by his wife, herself a notable soprano. He was her accompanist when she was on tour or broadcasting and together they formed a musical partnership.
Since Center’s death his music has been very little performed despite his undisputed skills and the compelling beauty of his art. However, his work has never ceased to be admired and efforts are now being made to bring his compositions to a wider audience. The Deveron Arts project Center of Huntly is a major part of this movement.
After the success of this first performance, Emily decided to make a recording of Center's music. Local composer David Ward typeset Ronald Center's original manuscript to provide a more readable score and a practical set of parts. Click here for an interview with Ward. In collaboration with the Isla Quartet and pianists Joseph Long and Richard Evans, Emily White recorded Center's string quartet to CD, along with his sonatas written for the violin and piano. This CD was launched in Huntly on the 29 August, at St Margarets Catholic Church, and is now available from our office and the online shop.
After the success of this first performance, Emily decided to make a recording of Center's music. Local composer David Ward typeset Ronald Center's original manuscript to provide a more readable score and a practical set of parts. Click here for an interview with Ward. In collaboration with the Isla Quartet and pianists Joseph Long and Richard Evans, Emily White recorded Center's string quartet to CD, along with his sonatas written for the violin and piano. This CD was launched in Huntly on the 29 August, at St Margarets Catholic Church, and is now available from our office and the online shop.