Jim, Charis and Michael Peto are a family not yet mentioned in this story.
By this time both Jim and Michael had attended several Musicamps and Charis
was always ready to offer suggestions and advice as well as placing her home
at the Committee's disposal when we met in Harare. Jim was elected Vice Chairman
in 1984; he has conducted the choir and the madrigal group, he has been responsible
for travel arrangements and recruitment in Harare, accommodated visiting conductors,
organised some of the Evening Entertain-ments-and has proved quite invaluable
to the smooth running of Musicamps in this period.
Michael follows in his father's footsteps in his enthusiasm and enterprise: few have worked as hard as he in advertising Musicamp, encouraging others to attend and fund -raising. In addition to helping with the running of the Camp Tuckshop he became our official photographer!
In 1984 we went to Victoria High School in Masvingo and David Hooke was our Guest Conductor. Numbers rose to 75 and remained at that figure for the three years that David was our conductor. Maysie Wilson, who for many years was the conductor of the Victoria Singers and a piano teacher in that town, paved the way for us; the fact that all arrangements ran smoothly was due to her.
This was the Year of the Bees and many of us will remember the dash we had to make from one room to another top avoid being stung; the Masvingo variety gave us more to remember than the "innumerable murmur of the bees" hailed in romantic verse …. Fortunately Mrs Vera Cary was at hand to administer to those who had been badly stung-although she had retired form the nursing service. Mrs Cary came every day to check up on her patients, who were most grateful to her.
A name that was now coming to the fore in Musicamp was that of Paul Bourdillon. Paul and his brother Jonathan had been attending Musicamps for some years now-Jenny was i/c Catering at this Camp-and, with encouragement from Davis Hooke, Paul conducted the wind band. The idea of delegating the role of conductor of the string orchestra, wind band and choir to young, competent people proved successful-for who would challenge the competence of Paul, Corrado Trinci and Shirley Smith?
David Hooke proved to be a hit with all Musicampers: he was a dedicated conductor, a first-rate trumpet player, he introduced us to many new compositions, he took an enthusiastic part in all out activities-including leisure-time soccer! - and it was the unanimous decision of the Committee and Campers that he be asked to return in 1985.
Musicamp in 1985 was again held at Victoria High School in Masvingo. Jenny Bourdillon agreed once again to be responsible for the catering with assistance from Mrs Clarkson-Fletcher. Apart from catering, Jenny now supervised the activities of the younger campers, with the assistance of Meg Heap and Wendy Kaatze.
For the first time we had an extra Final Concert, in the Anglican Cathedral in Harare, and this we continued to do for the next two years. This had a double purpose: it provided an opportunity for more people to hear the works performed that we had rehearsed during the week, and it provided a source of revenue. Jim Peto volunteered to organise this concert in Harare, which he did with his customary meticulous attention to detail, and although it was not possible for the Bulawayo contingent to attend, the majority did and accommodation was arranged for them.
A welcome break in the daily routine of the Masvingo camps was lunch and an afternoon spent at Great Zimbabwe, where the more energetic and adventuresome climbed the Acropolis, whilst the others took advantage of catching up with some sleep!
It was at the AGM of this Camp that tribute was paid to Robert Sibson, who had died in October 1984. He had missed only two Musicamps, when he and Dorothy were on holiday, and to all those that he attended he gave unstintingly. He gave of his time, experience and knowledge, and although Musicamp was only one of his many musical interests, he set us an example of loyalty and dedication for all to follow.
At the 1985 AGM David Hooke presented
me with a crystal goblet commemorating the seventh centenary anniversary of
Peterhouse, Cambridge, and this was to mark my retirement from Peterhouse,
Marondera, after only 28 years! At this meeting it was suggested and agreed
that the Mashonaland campers should pay a transport levy to assist those travelling
from Bulawayo. Many conductors have commented on the dedication of campers
towards their work at each Camp,
and here we had an expression of service to others spontaneously given-is
it surprising that those of us associated with Musicamp are so proud of our
Association?
The venue for Musicamp in 1986 was Peterhouse, Marondera (based on the Springvale-Lower School side) where, twenty one years previously, we had held our second Musicamp. Marimbas, which had featured in previous Camps, now became spotlighted with the daily visit of players from Rakodzi Secondary School in Marondera. David Hooke, who returned as our guest conductor, and Vaughn Fransch, gave a remarkable and thoroughly enjoyable jam session with the marimba players one day before lunch, much to everyone's delight.
Because the number of small afternoon groups organised this year, we decided to split the Group Concert into two sections (on either side of supper) the following year. Another concert was held the Anglican Cathedral, and the organist distinguished himself by playing the introduction to The King shall Rejoice instead of Mozart's Ave Verum!We returned to the Lower School at Peterhouse in 1987 and Walter Klauss, an organist from the USA, was our Guest Conductor. The Lower School was, in the minds of many, an ideal place for Musicamp: it had ample accommodation-dormitories for younger campers and smaller rooms for adults-and the catering could be undertaken by the resident caterer and his wife, Chris and Jean Crane, thus allowing Jenny Bourdillon more time to take part in the musical side of the Camp (and how grateful we were that she "offered" to take over the junior orchestra), the recreational facilities were many and varied, and Peterhouse-with pipe organ, music concert hall and its fine theatre-lay only a few minutes away across the road. The fact that all the Musicamp equipment was housed there anyway eliminated the wearisome (and costly) movement of music, instruments, music stands and trunks of bar equipment and Musicamp T-shirts. Immediately adjacent to the Lower School site, too, was the recently-established Peterhouse Game Park (a school conservation project) where we were able to spend an enjoyable afternoon on foot in countryside ablaze with colourful msasa trees.
Walter Klauss brought with him from New York an orchestral work composed for Musicamp by Raoul Pleskow; this orchestra played with both aplomb and gratitude. Memories of that year included the challenging work of Parry's Blest Pair of Sirens-and in eight parts! The evocative Magnificat of Buxtehude, the singing of Janine Welch at the Group Concert, the Respighi Ancient Airs and Dances, Paul Bourdillon's wind band playing Jubilance, Corrado Trinci's string orchestra playing the Geminiani Concerto Grosso, the debut of the junior orchestra, the very "select" choir singing The Magic Carpet and Toch's Geographical Fugue, the confusion first experienced when Walter referred to measures instead of bars and half-notes instead of minims … these are but a few of the highlights-there were so many more.
The enthusiasm and dedication that Walter
was able to put across to all of us made him the obvious choice as Guest Conductor
for our Twenty Fifth Anniversary Musicamp in 1988
