RSM People: Jane Manning and Anthony Payne
Composer Anthony Payne and soprano Jane Manning were at the very centre of British musical life for decades, thanks not only to their individual careers and the work they made together, but also for their incredible support for fellow musicians, which is now continuing at RSM thanks to a generous gift they have left the Society.
Tony, known for his modernist take on English Romanticism and completion of Elgar’s Third Symphony, and Jane for her performances of contemporary classical works and as the founder of group Jane’s Minstrels, the pair married in 1966 and were inseparable from then on, eventually passing away just a month apart in the Spring of 2021.
“Anyone who met them will tell you what champions they were of musicians, encouraging those around them, especially young people, to fulfil their potential. Whether it was as a part of Jane’s Minstrels, or just a sympathetic ear, both Jane and Tony always wanted the best for the musicians they met.
The great affection in which they were held can be seen in the many wonderful tributes that have been given for them both, read two from those closely associated with RSM below:
“I first met Jane properly in January 1979 when she was to give the world premiere of a song cycle written for her and Richard Rodney Bennett by John Casken. I was promotions manager at Schott Music London and John was one of our exciting new signings. So the occasion was auspicious and – as always with the first performance of a new work – slightly breathless with a touch of anxiety. I picked Jane and Richard up (they both lived in Islington) and off we went in my battered little Mini. Richard said in his beautiful drawl that Jane would have to sit in the front because she would talk all the time and he needed some sleep, so he folded himself into the back of the mini and – he was right! Jane did not stop talking ONCE. I nearly drove into the safety barrier on the M1 more than once as I listened to her hair-raising but entirely gentle gossip/remarks/observations/thoughts. She opened my eyes to all sorts of fascinating things.
Of course, she, with Richard, gave the most magnificent, unforgettable performance of John’s piece, Ia Orana, Gauguin, to a sea of ladies in hats at the Leicestershire Museum and Art Gallery (they subsequently recorded it).
Like everyone Jane met, I was taken under her wing, swept along to suppers with Tony at their wondrous, tiny house which contained worlds and was peopled always with musicians and composers talking and exchanging ideas. Jane and Tony presided, inseparable and yet so totally different. And I came to work with Tony at the RVW Trust, where he served as a wise and hugely knowledgeable trustee. His support for other composers, no matter how different to him, was unswerving.
Like so many in our profession, I owe Jane and Tony so much for their generosity of spirit and their loving kindness.”
“I first met Jane and Tony on the stairs backstage at the Purcell Room in 1976, after a not-very-important young composers’ concert. They immediately treated me as a colleague, and soon also as a friend. It amazed me, and still does, that these two, whose lives were already full of music – performing, writing, touring and teaching – could find so much time for students and unknown, emerging artists.
They were always available at the end of a phone, affable and generous, like ideal family members. I learned so much from them, about a huge range of music, and about the business of writing and performing it. They were such good company, but also very serious about the almost moral importance of good music. In my head when composing (especially for orchestra) I often hear Tony’s wry and self-effacing remarks about his own working processes. And I still find myself quoting some of Jane’s trenchant observations about right and wrong in music, and in the world more generally. They were unusual, original people, and I continue to feel their influence.”
That legacy of helping musicians, wherever they find themselves in their careers, has been continued thanks to the huge generosity the couple showed when considering RSM in their wills, having both been Members for many years. Not only did they did leave funds for RSM to distribute where there is most need, but they also signed over the rights to some of their most popular music, meaning RSM will continue to receive income from royalties for years to come.
Already, £28,000 of the funds has been distributed amongst 16 musicians, helping to fund physiotherapy, medical equipment and tests, and living expenses, among others, with plenty more to follow.
We cannot thank Jane and Tony enough for their generosity. Their commitment to music and musicians will see the health of the profession protected for a long time.
If you would like to offer your support to fellow musicians in need, please consider leaving RSM a gift in your will. However, large or small, every penny counts.
Visit www.rsmgb.org/legacy to find out more.