THE ALUN HODDINOTT TRUST
[1929 - 2008]
The Alun Hoddinott Trust, established with the blessing and permission of Alun's widow, Rhiannon, will exist to provide financial assistance to aid young Welsh composers to study privately with established composers outside formal education.
Having studied with Arthur Benjamin, Alun was very supportive of his own students and took every opportunity to introduce them to other composers who might be of benefit to their development.
Christopher Painter writes:
"The choice of mentor and teacher is a very important matter in the training of a young composer and I, along with many others, have been extremely fortunate to come under the influence of Alun Hoddinott. When considering my options for further education, and having decided to pursue a career in composition, my music teacher suggested that I should apply to study at University College, Cardiff. “You should study at Cardiff,” he insisted, “Alun Hoddinott's there and he'll be good for you.” Very prophetic words indeed which began an odyssey that continued until Alun's passing in March of this year.
It was during my postgraduate years that I came into regular one-to-one contact with Alun for composition tutorials. His style of teaching was very supportive and, once I had got over my initial shyness with him, was informal and relaxed. Lessons were filled with advice, confidence building, constructive criticism and a wealth of practical examples drawn from Alun's own experiences. I am unable to recall any occasions when Alun's comments were negative or anything less than encouraging even when, in my opinion, the works shown to him were less than perfect. When it would have been so easy to pull a work to pieces Alun's approach was always to encourage and only to refer to the bad points in a casual way in a manner that seemed to assume that I already knew that the passages in question were not all they should be.
As well as his nurturing style of teaching, Alun has always made an effort to include me in events that might benefit my development or to introduce me to other composers and performers. As a student composer it was a marvellous opportunity to be taken to events such as the Cheltenham Festival and to be introduced to composers of the stature of Peter Racine Fricker in an atmosphere where one could talk and ask questions informally. In addition to this, Alun has always been practically supportive of his students and is always ready to put their names forward when the opportunity arises.
As a student at Cardiff one was doubly blessed by the annual Cardiff Festival of Music as Alun was able to persuade some of those taking part in the festival to take part in events in the music department. It was as a result of this that I was able to have composition lessons with the American composer, Samuel Adler, head of the Eastman School, and to take part in a series of conducting seminars with Stanley Saunders from the University of Guelph, Canada.
Alun didn't confine his efforts on behalf of the students to just the period of the festival. He used his extensive contacts to bring both composers and performers to the music department to enhance the opportunities of the students. During my time at Cardiff the composition students were exceptionally priveledged having lectures and masterclasses from established composers such as George Benjamin, Robert Saxton and Robert Simpson as well as from Marek Stachowski, a contemporary of Lutoslawski who taught at the Warsaw Conservatory.
It is difficult to say what might have become of my compositional ambitions if I had not been lucky enough to study with Alun Hoddinott. He, in his self-effacing way, would probably have argued that it does not make much difference in the long run who one's teacher is but I do not agree with this. I feel that Alun had a great effect on me, both musically and philosophically, without submerging my personal style. To me, Alun's approach epitomised the essence of good composition teaching - nurturing a talent and teaching the craft whilst not imposing one's style and method on an embryonic and fragile voice. What is most important in a musical world where the majority will say that it can't be done and that no-one wants new music is to have a rock-like support for whom one has total respect and whose word one can trust. I have been most fortunate to have this in Alun Hoddinott and for this I will be eternally grateful."
It cannot be overstated just how important the presence of a mentor is during the early years of a composition career and the Trust hopes to be able to provide the financial support to enable young composers to build on their formal education and to form lasting working relationships with established composers.
In order to provide operating income for the Trust, a fund has been set up which will be invested to provide an annual income from which the Trustees will in order to establish be able to make awards upon consideration of suitable applications.
In order to establish the Trust on what would have been Alun's 80th birthday in August 2009, there is to be an extended period of fund-raising. Although the Trust will be a separate and totally independent entity, the Welsh Music Guild will hold the monies on its behalf until the Trustees are appointed and the Trust is formally established.
Oriana Publications are supporting this project and will be donating, in perpetuity, a percentage of royalties and fees received for performances of Alun's music to the Trust.
Anyone wishing to make donations to the fund should make cheques payable to the Welsh Music Guild, writing “Alun Hoddinott Trust” on the reverse, and send to the Secretary at 71 Broad Street, Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, CF62 7AG.
