Documentary on musician Eric Fenby - Delius' right-hand man - is ‘coming home’ to Stephen Joseph Theatre
In a year that has seen a revival of interest in the music of Bradford-born composer Frederick Delius – including a BBC Prom – there comes an opportunity to attend a cinema screening of the acclaimed documentary about Delius and Eric Fenby, the young musician who helped Delius complete his life’s work.
The acclaimed documentary with Scarborough-born Eric Fenby is called Song of Farewell and is coming home in a special screening at the Stephen Joseph Theatre.
Produced by Yorkshire Television and first screened on ITV in 1982, the film follows Eric Fenby as he tells the story of his musical upbringing and his collaboration with the blind and crippled Frederick Delius, one of England’s greatest composers, recognised as an achievement unparalleled in the history of music.
Eric was more than 70 years old when he agreed to place on record his final thoughts on music of Frederick Delius and to describe the part he played in the composition of his final works.
The film’s producer/director Nick Gray will introduce the screening.
Nick said: “This will be a homecoming for Song of Farewell. Filming started in Scarborough 44 years ago, in November 1981, with Eric describing his musical upbringing in the town.
“At the time there were high winds and tumultuous seas, which suited both Delius’s music and Fenby’s description of, as he says in the film, ‘catching these last notes of Delius before they flew away.’
"It was a deeply emotional experience for Eric to re-visit the locations of his story = Scarborough, Paris and London - and to recall his occasionally stormy relationship with Delius.”
Song of Farwell is on at the Stepjen Joseph Theatre cineam on Saturday November 22 at 2.45pm.
Tickets are available from the box office on 01723 370541 and online at www.sjt.uk.com