LEICESTER MERCURY, JANUARY 1953

Julian Dealey, 13 year-old Leicestershire musician whose mark is already made in television has a date in Germany. And when he sails away to keep it in July, 80 other youngsters will sail with him…all of them from Leicestershire and, like Julian himself, all very competent instrumentalists.

These boys and girls, most of them still at school, are members of an orchestra which the County Education Committee’s music adviser (Mr. Eric Pinkett) founded four years ago. It can now muster well over 100 players when occasion demands. Mr. Pinkett's aim when he began was a combination which, in spite of youth, would be at home with any type of music.

With the children will go their seven teachers – Mr. Pinkett himself, who conducts the full orchestra; Mr. A. E. Neale, who takes the military band section when it plays alone; Mr. Philip Jenkins from Hinckley Grammar School; Mr. J. Smith (Hinckley Westfield Secondary Modern); Mr. B. G. Saunders (Market Bosworth Secondary Modern); Mr. M. Bale (Coalville Grammar); Mr. Vaughan Parker (Leicester) and Mr. T. Dwyer (Kibworth Grammar).

Part of the orchestra is also a choir which Mr. Jenkins conducts. It has broadcast as the Leicestershire Schools Madrigal Choir. Leader of the orchestra is Peter Lewis from Melton Mowbray Grammar School. He is the chief violin soloist and again, like Julian Dealey, has been recognised by the BBC. He has not been on the air yet but they have given him an audition and have promised him a broadcast. Julian, who lives at Fleckney and goes to Kibworth Grammar School, plays the cornet like an expert and is ready to face any adult audience. Two who will make the German trip are at the Royal Academy now – Margaret Wright (violin) and Malcolm Fletcher (cello), both from Coalville Grammar School.

LEICESTER MERCURY, APRIL 1953

In a week’s time, when boys and girls of Leicestershire return to school, they will begin a month of bustling activity preparing for the Leicestershire Schools Coronation Festival to be staged at the De Montfort Hall, Leicester on May 21 and 22. It will be by far the most ambitious programme of music and pageantry ever attempted by county schoolchildren.

For four days the De Montfort Hall will be taken over by 1,200 children from 120 schools in the county - the first two days being given over to rehearsals. Fifty buses will be needed each day to take the boys and girls to and from the hall. One master has been given the task of providing teas in the hall for 1,500 scholars and staff on the days of the public performances.

It was considered much too costly to hire 600 costumes so the children are making them under the supervision of masters and mistresses. At the back of the stage, behind the choir of 500, there will be large shields depicting devices from coats of arms of noble families connected with Leicestershire. The exits at either side of the stage will be disguised by medieval arches.

Elaborate souvenir programmes are being designed, explaining episodes of the county’s history to be enacted with a foreword by Sir Robert Martin. The pageant will portray a span of 500 years from Elizabeth to Elizabeth linking with it important people and events in the history of Leicestershire. The pageant will open with a village fair in the days of the first Elizabeth. One episode will be the visit of James 1 to Ashby Castle and another the eve of defeat of King Charles at Naseby. Another setting is the village of Fenny Drayton (then called Drayton in the Clay) famous for George Fox, founder of the Quakers. Music played by the 80-strong County Schools Orchestra will come into its own with the visit of Handel to Gopsall Hall, near Shackerstone. Lord Cromwell, Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire is to attend the first performance.

LEICESTER MERCURY, JULY 1953

Tra-la-la! And there was music in the air around Elbow Lane School, Leicester, when 70 young Leicester musicians boarded the two special Dover-bound buses on their first leg to Essen. There, the county musicians – 32 boys and 38 girls – will play before large German audiences. Already bookings of up to 2,000 have been made for the British visit to industrial West Germany.

Though a soloist at heart, the youngest and smallest member of the Leicester County Youth Orchestra was at home with the cheery band of girls and youths whose ages ranged from 12 to 22. He is 11 year old Terence Carter, 28, York Road, Loughborough and of Shelthorpe Junior School with the biggest instrument – the cello. Doubly happy was Terence for he had just passed his grammar school exams and a further hurdle towards his musical aim. He was the only soloist who played with the German orchestra when it was in Leicester.

LEICESTER MERCURY, JULY 1953

The scene was the Saalbau – the De Montfort Hall of Essen, Germany – and the audience were cheering an orchestra of English boys and girls who had just presented a programme of classical music.

Those cheers are echoing in Leicestershire in the hearts of proud parents and teachers for it was the Leicestershire school orchestra which, according to the German newspaper West-deutsche Allgemeine were applauded as much as their famous colleagues the London Philharmonic.

It was not just that the people of Essen remembered the recent visit of their own schools orchestra to Leicestershire some months ago although the exchange was described as bringing together two nations of the same race after many troublesome years. "Their little cello and trumpet soloists and the round-faced singer immediately won the hearts of Esseners," said the newspaper. "The same applies to the choir which sang canons, folk songs and simple madrigals."

Mr. Eric Pinkett was described as "not at all a crusty conductor but a very captivating and dynamic master of his baton." The orchestra is giving concerts at Duisberg, Dusseldorf and Cologne this week.

LEICESTER MERCURY, SEPTEMBER 1954

With his thoughts tonight in The Hague, 13 year-old Ian Robinson of Lutterworth is the most disappointed boy in Leicestershire.

Ian is confined to home with chicken pox while his 78 fellow members of the County Youth Orchestra are in Holland – playing in The Hague little more than 24 hours since they left Leicester. Ian is a pupil of Lutterworth Grammar School. He is a versatile musician at present specialising in the clarinet. He contacted chicken pox over the weekend and is at his home in Leicester Road, Lutterworth.

Twelve year old Terry Carter of Loughborough (first cello) cast a veteran eye yesterday afternoon on 11 year old Brian Birks (fourth cello) – a fellow pupil of the Humphrey Perkins School, Barrow. Terry went to Germany with the orchestra last year while Brian, the baby of the party, has never been abroad before.

Carrying their own instruments, the youngsters left in two coaches for Harwich. A formidable programme faces them over the next two weeks; there are daily concerts, a broadcast from Hilversum and a return week end visit to Essen. Their only free day will be on Tuesday week when they attend the opening of Parliament.

AARHUS STIFTSTIDENDE, AUGUST 1955

The British opera youth gave Aarhus an experience in music. You would not have thought it possible. The Magic Flute by Mozart performed by schoolchildren 13-19 years of age. But the 100 girls and boys from Leicestershire did the impossible. They made magic with the famous magic opera by Mozart in a way that made it an experience, no, a fairy tale story to the Danes who last night – in spite of heat, thunder and showers – filled the seats of the Aarhus Hallen. Of course there were errors, defects and weaknesses but that all disappeared in the complete musical understanding, skill and love of the task. Yes, it really was Mozart. It was really so that the listeners did forget time, place and people and got caught up by the magic.

The orchestra and the choir were the greatest experience. They knew their lessons, these young musicians. Strings who were in a pleasant majority made the instruments sing, hornists gave a completing abundance and colour. There were excellent soloists. The choir reached the standard of the orchestra and created a colouring which made one forget any weak solos and incomplete decorations. But also the soloists knew their parts very well. The Night Queen was small of size and voice but had an imposing technical skill. The Princess Pamina and the Prince Tamino bravely fought the dramatic problems and were above average in their singing. The Pontiff Sarastro was just seventeen but had dignity and was equal to the bass arias, so beautifully that you were listening fascinated. And the joyful bird catcher Papageno, who was the best one, I think, took everyone by storm. The conductor, who was the only adult, had all the actors in the palms of his hands. He has been working hard with his young friends – and they conquered, all of them. You anticipated the success at once when the orchestra started playing the Danish National Anthem, King Kristian, and God Save the Queen. Rarely has a foreign orchestra played the Danish National Anthem more beautifully and the three – hour performance confirmed the anticipations. The president of the opera club in town, Mr. Barnow, welcomed the English guests and gave before each Act a short and useful Danish translation. The conductor, Mr. E. Pinkett, finally thanked the audience for the very hearty applause by which they had expressed their delight in the performance.

LEICESTER MERCURY, JULY 1956

Music is a magic carpet for nearly 90 young Leicestershire musicians, members of the County School of Music, for it has so far taken them abroad to Germany, Holland and Denmark and in six weeks’ time they will be setting off to Norway for a two week season of performances in Oslo. The youngsters, aged 12 to 18, are certainly versatile for their schedule includes two operas and two ballets.

This year’s programme is the most ambitious of all, because ballet is included in their repertoire for the first time.

The 150 members of the school are drawn from all over the county. A few are ex-school children now attending college or training to be teachers but most are still in their early teens. Practice sessions are held during the week at Ashby, Hinckley, Loughborough and Melton and then the whole school congregates on Saturday mornings for combined rehearsals at their headquarters, Stonehill Secondary School, Birstall. Lessons include orchestral playing, strings, madrigals, ballet, cello tuition and harmony. In the airy spacious hall the conductor, Mr. Eric Pinkett, puts his orchestra through its paces. From a nearby room comes the soaring sound of young voices trilling the scales in unison. The finer points of bowing are demonstrated in another room by a member of the eight-strong teaching staff, while from yet another corner somewhere comes the plunk of a cello. So keen are these youngsters that some of them set off from home at seven in the morning in order to be at rehearsals for ten. Mr. Pinkett, the County Music Adviser, started the orchestra soon after he arrived in 1948 and it has gone from strength to strength.

While in Norway the children and teachers will stay with hosts, parents of Oslo school children, and will give a total of nine public performances. There will be 87 children and eight staff.