Tuesday 1 October 2019 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kenneth Heath – one of the most distinguished British players of the violoncello ever.
A memorial concert and accompanying exhibition are planned for the day of his anniversary. The concert programme will include performances of orchestral works which Heath recorded, as well as solo cello pieces and chamber music. The exhibition will include a resume of Heath’s life and career, with photographs, concert programmes, LP record sleeves and a listening booth. Heath was also an accomplished visual artist and some of his work in this field will be on display.
In his heyday with the London Symphony Orchestra and as a founder-member of the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Kenneth Heath was a principal orchestral player and unrivalled as continuo player and chamber musician.
Heath participated in virtually every recording made by the Academy, from its first vinyl LP on the Oiseau-Lyre label in March 1961 to sessions for music by Warlock and Vaughan Williams for Argo in January 1977 – nearly 150 albums in total. This period includes the early days when the Academy played under the leadership of violinist Neville Marriner and was rapidly forging its reputation as one of the leading ensembles in the world, and stretches to the Academy’s period of almost constant recording activity, chiefly for the Argo (a Decca brand) and Philips labels, by which time Marriner had taken up the conductor’s baton.
As well as contributing his peerless musicianship to the ensemble, Kenneth Heath was a key member of the team in the recording studio, where the views of (particularly senior) players were valued and acted upon.
As a chamber player, Heath can be heard on recordings of octets and a wide variety of other music with Academy colleagues, also in early Beethoven trios – sadly just the one LP’s-worth – with Christopher Hirons (violin) and George Malcolm (piano).
In his obituary for Kenneth Heath in The Times newspaper in 1977, George Malcolm wrote: “He wanted no more than to be what he was: an absolutely first-class professional cellist, whose musicianship, technique and artistic sensitivity had survived, uncorrupted and unflawed, after years of orchestral dogging. The love and respect of his fellow professionals was his reward.”
Further information from Nicholas Heath (nick@operaalacarte.com) or Giles Dawson (gilesvdawson@gmail.com)
