1. LATEST NEWS ON OUR SECOND CD OF MUSIC BY KAREL KOMZAK. At last the news we have all been waiting for! Recording sessions for our second CD of works by Karel Komzak (on the Marco Polo label) were held in Bratislava in June 2005, with the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Christian Pollack. The programme consists almost exclusively of rarities never before recorded. It is expected that the completed product will be on the market in time for the 100th anniversary of Karel Komzak II's death in November 2005.
2. VACLAV VACKAR and ANTONIN BOROVICKA. Detailed biographical articles on these two composers can be found in the current issue (December 2004) of our Journal "Ceska muzika".
3. We are delighted to announce that Professor Hans Schadenbauer, who recently retired as chief conductor of Austria's foremost military band - the Wiener Gardemusik, has kindly agreed to become a a patron of the Society.
4. Additions to the ADOLF LOTTER discography on page 9 of "Ceska muzika" vol 9, no 1:
- "Gallant Serbia March" is currently available on a SOUNDLINE CD number SLB 4016 entitled "Marches for the Collector" played by The Band of the Royal Logistics Corps.
- "Entry of the Bulgars" (played by the Royal Artillery Band) may now be obtained on a CD entitled "Musket, Fife and Drum" which is available from the Midland CD Club under ref no. mb0321.
5. The FUCIK SYMPOSIUM which was held at Innsbruck, Tyrol, from 23-25 July 2004, was an outstanding success. Papers were given by leading experts on the composer and his music from Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and Slovakia. Many of Fucik's works were performed by the bands participating in the Innsbruck Promenade Concerts which were attended by an estimated total audience of 20,000 people. It is hoped that the proceedings of the symposium will be published. For a full report on the Symposium please see the current issue of our Journal "Ceska muzika".
6. An INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CZECH MILITARY MUSIC was held in Prague from 28th to 30th April 2005. It was organised by The Ethnological Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Department of Musical History, whose address is: Puskinovo nam. 9, 160 00 Praha 6, Czech Republic. It is intended to publish the proceedings of this Conference at a later date. Meanwhile further details can be obtained from Dr Mrs Jitka Bajgarova whose e-mail address is: bajgarova@imus.cas.cz
7. The PRAGUE CASTLE GUARD AND POLICE BAND celebrated their 60th anniversary by giving a gala concert in the sumptious Spanish Hall of Prague Castle in connection with the above event.
8. We regret to annouce the death of FRANTISEK MANAS, the outstanding Moravian composer of popular marches, polkas and waltzes, on 21st December 2004 at the age of 83. He is reputed to have written over 400 works, many of which have been recorded commercially and have been performed by leading bands in various central European countries.
9. To celebrate 80 years since the birth of ERNST MOSCH, leader of the world-famous Original Egerlander Band, a double CD has been released by the Koch Universal company. Mosch was born on 7th November 1925 in Zwodau, near Falkenau (Czechoslovakia) and died on 15th May 1999 in Kaufbeuren, Bavaria. The discs contain works by Skabrada, Vejvoda, Borovicka, Valdauf and many other leading composers in this field, as well as a few pieces by the maestro himself. Recordings by Mosch's own band are interspersed with others by the present-day Egerlander Musikanten under Ernst Hutter.