The International Byron Societies 2009-2010
- The International Byron Societies 2009-2010
- The Byron Society
We had our Annual Dinner at the House of Lords in January when our guest speaker, Edna O'Brien, spoke about her book, Byron in Love. This talk was in the form of a Question-and-Answer session chaired by Geordie Greig, editor of the Tatler. We all enjoyed this presentation and members were able to ask many pertinent questions. In April, in conjunction with the Friends of Shakespeare's Globe, we had the great enjoyment of hearing the actors of The Globe give a 'Rehearsed Reading' of Byron's anti-war play, Sardanapalus, which also involved some audience participation. The last time this play was performed in London was over one hundred years ago.
Peter Hunter kindly invited us to visit Harrow School in May. We had lunch in the Park, where Byron was a boarder, and then proceeded to the Byron Exhibition on show in the Old Speech Room Gallery, where Peter gave a short introduction to the school's collection of Byron memorabilia. We were also able to visit the fourth form room, Harrow's original Jacobean form room, on the walls of which Byron engraved his name.
This year's Annual General Meeting was held in June at The Naval Club and many members were able to attend. In July, Mr Bernard Beatty came and talked to us, again at The Naval Club, on 'Byron's Thoughts on the Horrors and Insights of Old Age', which members found very thought-provoking. A lively question time followed.
Our late-summer visit was to the fifteenth-century St Mary's House in West Sussex, home of Peter Thorogood and Roger Linton, who made us very welcome, conducting a tour of the house and gardens. In the library we were able to see Peter's prized first edition of Byron's works. At the end of the day we arrived in the Poetry Garden, dominated by a portrait bust of Byron, and had the pleasure of hearing Alison Skilbeck reading a short selection of Byron's poems. The weather was kind to us and we all enjoyed our day at St Mary's.
Professor Richard Cardwell spoke to us in October at The Naval Club on '"A Lazar House of Tyranny": Byron's Venetian Tragedies, Marino Faliero and The Two Foscari'. Professor Cardwell's masterly talk on Byron's view of justice, the law, oppression and tyranny was very well received and appreciated, and Professor Cardwell took many questions put by members.
In November, Dr Alan Rawes gave an extremely interesting and erudite talk on 'Byron and Calvinism'. Members responded with a great number of questions afterwards. The meeting, at the Westminster Arms, was well attended and members showed their appreciation at the end. We finished the year with our Christmas Lunch at The Polish Club on Exhibition Road, and we were very pleased to once again greet Mr Bernard Beatty, who gave a witty and informed talk on 'Byron - Scrooge or Jarndyce?'. We all greatly enjoyed Bernard's talk, which contained many references to the present day and members responded with appropriate questions. [End Page 106]
- Australian Byron Society
2009 began with our Lord Byron's Birthday Lunch, held at The Athenian Greek restaurant in Sydney. On 25 April, courtesy of the Greek National Tourism Organisation, we met to hear Cantos I and II of Don Juan superbly performed by Will Christie, of the University of Sydney, and stage and screen actress Elaine Hudson. Refreshments were served in the interval and copies of the 2008 edition of The Byron Bulletin were distributed to the members after the meeting.
On 26 July, the Society was invited to attend a memorial service, and to lay a wreath, for the victims of the July 1974 Cyprus crisis, organised by the Justice for Cyprus Committee and held at the Cenotaph in Sydney's Martin Place. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Federal and State Governments and other dignitaries. Our society was represented by Judith Mitchell and Ekaterina Obuchova.
The 2009 Annual General Meeting was held on 7 November. The meeting began with a brief...
