The Arts Society Enfield: 'The Very Model of an English Entertainment' – The Savoy Operas of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan

Lecture programme

Thursday, 31 October 2024

The Obsession for Spanish Art in Britain

Isabelle Kent

In the 18th and 19th century British collectors were obsessed with Spanish art, particularly the paintings of Murillo and Velázquez. This lecture considers the development of that taste and the downfall of Murillo's popularity initiated by Ruskin. We will also explore many of the great collections in Britain, from the Duke of Wellington’s at Apsley house, to Pollok House in Glasgow and Kingston Lacy in Dorset.

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Thursday, 28 November 2024

"THE VERY MODEL OF AN ENGLISH ENTERTAINMENT” – THE SAVOY OPERAS OF W.S. GILBERT AND ARTHUR SULLIVAN

Roger Askew

This lecture will examine how the peculiar geniuses of these two very different men, W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, came together under the guiding hand of the impresario, Richard D’Oyly Carte, to create one of the most individual and enduring forms of theatrical entertainment. The Savoy operas, with their gentle satire, celebrate the quirks and foibles of the British nation, and are as alive today as in the 1880s.

The lecture is fully illustrated with musical examples.

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Thursday, 19 December 2024

DISCOVER THE MUSIC OF THE LATIN AMERICAN BAROQUE

Graham Griffiths

Many Arts Society members will recall the emotional film The Mission (1986) starring Robert de Niro. This startling presentation revisits the remote Jesuit communities of Bolivia portrayed in the film which Dr Griffiths knows personally from his concerts there in 1998 - given at the invitation of UNESCO. In ornate churches built by hand by the Chiquitos communities over many years the villagers regularly celebrate the achievements of their ancestors. For these were the true creators of the real music of the Latin American Baroque - not the Hollywood imitation! Remarkably, South America’s native composers were completely self-taught: the result is nothing short of miraculous for blending the solemnity of the European Baroque with the joyful energy of popular South American culture: including theatrical villancicos, operetta, and folk dances in an invigorating celebration of life - and eternal life.

Outstanding is the music of José Mauricio Nunes Garcia (1767-1830), a Brazilian priest of mixed race based in Rio de Janeiro whose music was acclaimed even in Vienna. (In 1992 Graham conducted the European premiere of his choral masterpiece OFFICIUM 1816 for Danish Radio.) Discover the wonders of this unique musical expression: the so-called Latin American Baroque! (Illustrated with sound recordings and images.)

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Thursday, 30 January 2025

Who Dunnit: Agatha Christie's Life and Crimes in London

Simon Whitehouse

In this lecture we play armchair detective and follow trail of clues to discover more about the London life of the “Queen of Crime”. Although Dame Agatha Christie is closely associated with Torquay in Devon, the world’s best selling author left a trail of clues for us to follow all over London. Living in various London properties during her long (and eventful) life, she penned 16 out of 66 novels from one London address alone! It was at University College London that she further developed her knowledge of her preferred method of murder; poison!

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Thursday, 27 February 2025

John Singer Sargent: The Private Radical

Gavin Plumley

Whether drawing duchesses or portraying princes, John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) was high society’s leading portraitist. Flaunting a consummate technique, his luxurious canvases mirrored his subjects’ wealth. Yet beneath the dazzling veneer of works such as Madame X, The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit and Lady Agnew of Lochnaw lurks a much rawer world by far. Sargent certainly scandalised Parisian society and the city’s Salon with his frank depictions of human sexuality, yet he was even more modern than they might have feared. This talk charts the artist’s life and his prolific output, showing that, like the era he came to represent, Sargent was always on the cusp of seismic change.

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Thursday, 27 March 2025

The First Atlantic Liner: Brunel's 'Great Western'

Helen Doe

The first liner to establish a regular service by steam across the Atlantic. The Concorde of its era, it carried the rich and famous, including stars of the London stage.

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Thursday, 24 April 2025

Carnations, Tulips and Hyacinths: The Story of Turkey's Iznik Ceramics.

Antonia Gatward Cevizli

Immerse yourself in a world of carnations, tulips, hyacinths and roses as you discover the history of the famous Turkish Iznik ceramics. From its origins imitating Chinese porcelain to its 16th-century heyday and subsequent decline.

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Thursday, 29 May 2025

The World of Homer

James Renshaw

This talk examines the history and cultural legacy of the two earliest works in the western literary canon: the Iliad and the Odyssey. After an outline of each plotline, the talk will focus on how and why these poems have cast such a spell on artists and writers ever since, from ancient Greek tragedy and vase painting, through renaissance artists such as Botticelli and Bernini, and up to modern authors such as James Joyce and Madeleine Miller. Understanding the world of Homer is an essential element for understanding the history of western art.

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Thursday, 26 June 2025

Pop-Up Pyramids & Lift-the-Flap Anatomy: The Pleasures of Print in Early Modern Europe

Christine Farraday

In this lecture we'll consider the incredible array of interactive prints produced in sixteenth-century Europe, from the original 'pop-up body book' to lift-the-flap satirical imagery and immersive mathematical text books.

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Thursday, 31 July 2025

Catherine the Great: the World's Greatest Collector

Andrew Prince

In 1745, a Princess from the minor province of Anhalt-Zerbst in Saxony, married Prince Karl Peter Ulrich of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf, heir to the Imperial Russian Throne. She was Princess Sophie Auguste Frederike and by 1762 she had deposed her, was crowned Empress Catherine II and became the sole ruler of the Russian Empire.

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Thursday, 25 September 2025

Banksy: Fraud or Genius

Pepe Martinez

The lecture will trace the story of Banksy’s humble beginnings as a tagger on the streets of Bristol in the 1980’s to one of the most recognisable names in the art world.

We will examine the reasons behind his incredible rise, looking at some of his famous stunts and discuss what his influence has been on the art market today and look at what his legacy, if any, might be.

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Thursday, 30 October 2025

Shakespeare's Monarchs: Power or Progress?

Gabriel Chanan

Are Shakespeare’s depictions of English kings all variations on the same theme of a battle for the crown, or do they in some sense progress?

Using images, quotations and thematic diagrams, this lecture shows first how the eight core history plays join up into a continuous story. We will then look at the way the focus moves from battles and revenge, triumph and defeat, to questioning of the justification and accountability of power by looking at them in the order in which they were written.

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Thursday, 27 November 2025

RESURGAM - the Music of St Paul's Cathedral

Patrick Craig

The last time St Paul’s Cathedral was deprived of music for a long period was after the devastating Fire of London in 1666. In 1697 Christopher Wren was able to triumphantly declare RESURGAM as the phoenix rose from the ashes.

Patrick will look at music from either side of this momentous event. He will also guide us through the finest repertoire from across the Cathedral’s liturgical year. Escorted by a selection of his favourite photographs, music and videos he will aim to convey the glories of twenty-five years of singing in this extraordinary building.

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