LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY SCHOOL

OF MUSIC

THE ERIC PINKETT ERA

An era unrivalled in musical education

MAJOR PRESS ARTICLES

FROM

1953 – 1980

MAJOR PRESS ARTICLES FROM THE 1950’s

LEICESTER MERCURY, JANUARY 1953

80 young musicians to play for the Germans

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

Busy month for schools on Coronation Festival

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

There’s music on its way abroad

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

Essen praises county schools orchestra

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

Orchestra had to leave Ian behind

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 week end 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 weekend visit to Essen. Their only free day will be on Tuesday week when they attend the opening of Parliament.

AARHUS STIFTSTIDENDE, AUGUST 1955

There was magic in The Magic Flute

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 a magic carpet for these youngsters

MAJOR PRESS ARTICLES FROM 1960 TO 1964

STAVANGEREN ATTENBLAD, AUGUST 1960

A pleasure to listen to the English school orchestra

One must be surprised at what can be achieved, when listening to the Leicestershire County School of Music Orchestra. Here, young people from 13 - 18 years old sit and give a performance which causes almost overwhelming enthusiasm. The Leicester school orchestra has been introduced in "Aftenbladet" and certainly the introduction raised expectations. We know that they are interested school pupils, who have practised and attained a standard of musical ability, under excellent tuition, and also with the necessary support and direction of the government. But, when one listens to such a performance, as at the concert in Sandnes yesterday, then it is necessary to bear in mind that there is something more to it - something connected with culture and tradition in its broadest context. This is more than a mere hobby for amateur players. The orchestra has reached an impressive standard and has above all a charm and a sustained tone which has long ago passed the stage of technical dilletantism. Considering the features characteristic of amateurs, yesterday's performance was a complete realisation of our expectations as to the manner of playing. But what created the greatest enthusiasm was the musical substance of the orchestra's playing. The programme gave an excellent opportunity of ascertaining what the young musicians had in them, and the standard of their interpretation.

The programme had a scope and standard of difficulty comparable with that of a difficult concert programme. From the large selection in the tour programme we heard, first of all, the overture to "Oberon" by Weber. It was played in a sensational sustained and lively manner. Then followed the first movement of Grieg's piano concerto with a 15 year-old girl, a very able pianist, as soloist; then Beethoven's Romance in F major with a fine violin solo and then followed one work after another, each with some particularly striking quality. It seemed as if the more modern note was more suited to their disposition. The glorious Divertimento from Arnold and the "Suite for Wind" by Holst sounded quite marvellous, with a precision and phrasing that was gay and skilful. And then suddenly the scene changed and some members of the orchestra performed as a mixed choir and gave an exquisite programme. It was a pleasure to listen to the whole programme, and to observe the command of the music which was evident in everything performed, now and then with a rendering above what might be expected. The evening was an extraordinarily fine experience. Turnhallen (the Gymnastic Hall) was filled to capacity by an audience that was not afraid to show its enthusiasm.

STAVANGEREN, SEPTEMBER 1960

The Leicester Orchestra in the Cathedral

The Cathedral was so full yesterday that very many people had to be content with seats, from which they could not see much of the young English musicians, who together with their instruments filled the whole choir. Every seat was taken, the church was too small, and everybody was listening. It was really gratifying to hear young people who sang and played so well. As in Sandnes it was a versatile concert, the orchestra in full being followed by the strings, then the wind, and then a mixed choir with the piano as obligato accompaniment, and then a capella choir. Where one missed the fullness of tone, and where one could disagree with some points of interpretation, the young people with their warm musicality and their versatility compensated for a lack of professional qualities. Also, because they were young people, it was fitting that some of yesterday's programme should be, for a church concert, unconventional, with surprising rhythms and yet with the beat of the Norwegian nature in the first movement of Grieg's piano concerto. But surely it is right that a work of God's creation should be performed in a church! To pick out any one thing as prominent is not easy, for it was so enjoyable to listen to both the singing and the playing. If anything it must be Bach's concerto for violin, oboe and strings, which was performed with true musical feeling, and let us also mention the charming composition, "Elizabethan Serenade for Orchestra". It was also a pleasure to observe among the audience lots of young people, with admiration written on their faces - it was easy to understand why. May a visit such as this be the stimulus which is needed in this town and in this country. It is possible for music to become something completely different from what it is at present, even with us. There is no lack of musicality and talent. These young Britons show the way.

LEICESTER MERCURY, OCTOBER 1960

School musicians quite astonishing

George Weldon, associate conductor of the famous Halle orchestra, described last night’s performance by the County School of Music as "quite astonishing and quite an achievement".

He had just left the rostrum in the De Montfort Hall after conducting the County Youth Orchestra and choirs of three local grammar schools through a formidable programme of music and song. "It’s quite astonishing what they did," he told me. "They were not playing simple music and the choir and orchestra only came together for the first time last Saturday," he added. The orchestra played works of Weber, Mozart and Haydn but the item I liked most was Malcolm Arnold’s Divertimento. They certainly put everything they had into this piece, whereas Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G minor seemed to me to be a trifle above them. Guest oboist Evelyn Rothwell (who is the wife of Sir John Barbirolli) was excellent with her polished rendering of Haydn’s oboe concerto and equally good in her solo spot later in the evening. The combined choirs of Lutterworth, Hinckley and Coalville Grammar Schools entertained with a charming Irish choral ballad and a delightful suite of well known British songs. Chairman of the County Education Committee, Sir Robert Martin, addressed the large audience during the interval. He mentioned the way the orchestra had been inspired by and responded to its distinguished guests and described the visits it had made abroad to Germany three times, Norway twice and once each to Denmark and Holland. "Their visits have been a wonderful contribution to international goodwill," he added. M. L.

LEICESTER MERCURY, MARCH 1961

Harp ends three year holiday with strings

A harp which was presented to Leicestershire County School of Music by Sir Robert Martin three years ago was featured for the first time in a concert at Birstall last night. It was used in

the school's first concert in its new home, the Longslade Grammar School which overlooks the village. Main reasons for the long delay have been the need to have it renovated and the difficulties in finding both a suitable player and teacher. Last night it was played for the first time by Hinckley Grammar School girl AnneCollis. The deputy chairman of Leicestershire Education Committee Mr. Alan Hilton and several of the committee attended. A large audience welcomed guest conductor Mr. Douglas Cameron, the cellist and conductor. He is a professor of the Royal Academy of Music, a member of the London String Quartet and an original staff member of the National Youth Orchestra. A varied programme was beautifully executed with special mention of the string quartet, John Stein, Marion Turner, David Banton and Nigel Pinkett. Marion Turner also had a big ovation for her violin solo and Mr. Eric Pinkett, county music adviser, forecast a great future for her. Longslade School is now the home of the senior section of the School of Music, who meet from all over the county every Saturday during term to practise under Mr. Pinkett. They are spending part of the Easter break at Buxton where they are giving two concerts in the Pavilion.

LEICESTER MERCURY, MAY 1961

Superb finale to schools’ festival

So moved with emotion were many among the audience packing the De Montfort Hall for last night's final presentation of Leicestershire schools' festival of music, pageantry and mime that moments after the show had ended with 500 voices raised in a paean of praise, they remained rooted to their seats. The tremendous ovation that followed for the more than 1,000 young performers and the scores of county teachers who had made this mammoth production possible was climaxed by cheers led by Sir Robert Martin. So ended a show which, equally in its scope as in the flawlessness of its presentation, was at once unforgettable, enriching and rejuvenating.

A string of superlatives would scarcely suffice to convey the beauty of the music, costumes or colour of the organisational achievement of welding together the individual contributions of schools from far-off parts of the county into a harmonious whole. Superlatives would convey nothing at all of the youthful spontaneity of the spirit of ecstasy that threaded through the two-hours production. The artistry of the County School of Music, under the baton of their director, Mr. E. Pinkett, would in itself have sustained the evening's enjoyment but their playing merely afforded the background to a series of dramatic or musical sequences contributed by a score of schools in a programme that had contrasts as its theme - contrasts between the bobbing toes of a Scottish reel and sombre gyrations to the Danse Macabre, the abandon of an Irish folk dance and the more staid rejoicing of a Chinese celebration. Highlighting a programme which ran with the smoothness of a professional show from the first curtain were, perhaps, Rolleston Junior School's interpretation of a circus, Lutterworth Grammar School's mock wedding and the chorus of massed voices which provided a memorable production with a beatific finale.

LEICESTER MERCURY, JUNE 1961

Orchestra 'Downed Tools' and Sang!

Continuing its series of summer concerts, the County School of Music orchestra played to a delighted gathering at the Garendon School, Loughborough, on Saturday in a programme that demonstrated the competence of each section in turn, the orchestra again showed the astonishing musical heights it has attained under its director, Mr. Eric Pinkett (County Music Adviser).

Indicating that they are pre-eminently music makers, as distinct from merely instrumentalists, the young performers twice during the evening formed themselves into a choir - a feat of versatility, surely, which not even the Halle itself could hope to equal! Miss Marion Turner, as soloist in the first movement of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, revealed a gifted mastery of the fingerboard but the highlight was probably the wind instruments' showing in Tschaikovsky's Capriccio Italien. It was the turn of the strings to demonstrate their skill and regard for exactness in A Simple Symphony by Benjamin Britten. The concert, which realised about £18, was sponsored by the Limehurst Natural History Society and was the County School of Music's way of helping to raise funds for the society's new bird island headquarters.

LEICESTER MERCURY, JANUARY 1962

A Worthy Memorial

It was a gracious idea that 85 young instrumentalists of Leicestershire County School of Music and a choir of 240 boys and girls from county grammar schools should give a concert to honour the memory of Sir Robert Martin, who, until a year before his death last June, was chairman of the County Council and of the County Education Committee for 36 successive years. But fine intentions do not succeed without good organisation, devotion, hard work, enthusiasm and a certain amount of luck. At Leicester De Montfort Hall last night all combined to present to a full audience a performance of music which was in every way worthy of the occasion, and of the man who, in the final phrase of an aptly chosen choral item, was "a very perfect, gentle knight."

The greatest piece of good fortune that overtook the organisers of the concert, I'm sure, was the decision of Sir Adrian Boult to accept an invitation to conduct. The very news of his acceptance must have been a boost to the morale of instrumentalists and singers. Under his careful and wise guidance the music they produced last night must have been of their very best. It was clear that his prime requirement from his impressive ensemble of young musicians was refinement of tone. Numerical strength was converted into acceptable tone over a dynamic range from a nicely balanced, whispered pianissimo to a full round forte. Noise had no place in his malleable tonal palette. Precision of attack came high on Sir Adrian's priority list and the performance of all items was well blessed by clear and positive entries and by admirable unanimity of thought and feeling in phrasing and on points of stress. Note values were well heeded and there was always evidence that the performers kept an attentive ear for what was happening in other musical departments. This was particularly true of the orchestra, whose members achieved a remarkably high standard both in their accompaniments to the choral works and in their ambitious instrumental programme. They were strong where most orchestras of the kind are weak - in the brass and woodwind departments. Clarinets, bassoons, oboes, flutes all proved they were competent to stand up to exposure and of the principals, the blonde oboe player (one of the predominant company of girl instrumentalists) was an outstanding contributor to a reed band that had something like professional poise about their work. The brass, which included seven trombones, packed a punch and thrived on Sibelius (Karelia Suite) and Beethoven’s last movement (5th Symphony) but euphony was their watchword and their tone was solid but pure. Trumpets triple-tongued articulately and horns were commendably smooth. The strings were well intoned and played intelligently and were the basis of some well contrived crescendos in which discipline and restraint were in evidence. Altogether a collection of young musicians whose coherence is all the more surprising in view of the fact that, geographically, they are distributed over the length and breadth of the county - poles apart. Details of the concert programme would not be complete without mention of Benjamin Britten's setting of the National Anthem. It amounts to an unorthodox re-harmonisation of the traditional tune for choir and orchestra. Quite new, very effective and one up to the County Music Department for being the first to have it performed in Leicester. R.A.P.

LEICESTER MERCURY, JANUARY 1963

"High standard of orchestral play in County" - Malcolm Arnold

"That was good, very good," boomed composer-conductor Malcolm Arnold. And nearly one hundred young county musicians relaxed for a minute as Mr. Arnold explained what he wanted for the next passage. He was taking a rehearsal for a concert performed by the senior orchestra of the County School of Music, which he is to conduct at De Montfort Hall on January 29. Included in the programme are two items of his own composition - Tam O'Shanter Overture and the Second Suite of English Dances. This concert is the third of its kind and the second in successive years. In 1960 the orchestra was conducted by George Weldon, associate conductor of the Halle Orchestra with Evelyn Rothwell (Lady Barbirolli) as the guest artist. Last year the baton was in the hands of Sir Adrian Boult for the Sir Robert Martin Memorial Concert. Such was the success of these two performances that Mr. Eric Pinkett, the county adviser for music, now hopes that similar concerts will become an annual event. Rehearsals took place last week at the Longslade Grammar School, Birstall, during a special holiday course. Mr. Pinkett was in charge of practice on Wednesday and Thursday morning until Mr. Arnold took over on Thursday afternoon and Friday. Mr. Arnold will not see the orchestra again until the day of the concert. Mr. Arnold was loud and generous in his praise of the county's young schoolboy and schoolgirl musicians. He was very surprised, he said to find that an orchestra of young people, still at school could play "to such a high standard." "There must be a tremendous amount of musical talent in this part of the country to produce an orchestra like this," he added. The rehearsals had also been successful. "They are doing marvellously," he enthused. Mr. Arnold went on to say that the kind of training pupils at the school were receiving was much more beneficial than concert-going. The programme for the concert, besides the two compositions of Mr. Arnold, includes Benjamin Britten's "A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra," the Grieg piano concerto, "Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks" by Richard Strauss and Et Incarnatus from Mozart's C minor Mass. Soloist for the Grieg concerto is Dennis Matthews, while ex-pupil of the school Jean Hammond takes the same role in Et Incarnatus. The programme was chosen jointly by Mr. Pinkett and Mr. Arnold. This is the first time that Northampton-born Mr. Arnold has conducted the Leicester County School of Music orchestra. Better known perhaps as a composer he will be remembered for his film music, particularly "The Bridge on the River Kwai". "I am looking forward, however," he said, "to conducting two of my own compositions." Mr. Pinkett then told me a little about the school he virtually founded in 1948. Children meet at a central point every Saturday morning for instrumental instruction and practice. Between them they make up a symphony orchestra of about 85, a military band and choir, individual lessons, group practices and chamber music rehearsals taking place the whole of the morning and children are extracted from the full orchestra to take part in whichever section requires them. Thereby acquiring varied experience much more rapidly. The school is split into three orchestras divided roughly into age groups, their exact composition decided mainly by ability. In the junior orchestra, therefore, there is always a small group of players on the "fringe" of the senior orchestra. Some of these have been brought in to add to the senior orchestra for the coming concert. Pupils are drawn from all the secondary schools in the county and are taught during the week out of school hours in area schools of music by Mr. Pinkett, his deputy, six full-time instrumental teachers who are specialists in their field and individual staff from schools who are qualified teachers. Entrance to the school therefore is based solely on playing ability. Further experience is gained each Easter when the senior orchestra goes to a holiday resort for a week’s practice and concerts. A similar course is held for the junior orchestra during the summer holiday. This Easter the orchestra goes to Scotland and later in the year pays a reciprocal visit to Germany. Mr. Pinkett stressed the hard work that is necessary for the children to reach the required standards. "It is particularly heartening to see these youngsters doing so much good, when all one seems to hear of their generation nowadays is detrimental". The aim of the school is to stimulate music-making throughout the country to raise the standard of orchestral playing in the schools and to exemplify to the schools what can be achieved in the sphere of music by young people if they are given the incentive and opportunity". By the sound of Mr. Arnold's remarks, they have certainly succeeded. - Pat Cursley

LEICESTER MERCURY, JANUARY 1963

Orchestra responded to Composer

Leicester De Montfort Hall was filled last night for the Sir Robert Martin symphony concert given by 100 instrumentalists from the County School of Music and conducted by Malcolm Arnold, two of whose compositions were included in the programme. Judging from the quite remarkable standard of playing achieved by these talented school-age musicians there seems no doubt at all that this memorial concert is firmly set in the local music calendar. The inaugural concert was given last year under Sir Adrian Boult shortly after the death of Sir Robert Martin who was chairman of the County Council for many years. School leaving has forced inevitable changes in the composition of the orchestra in the meantime but such is the upsurge of talent invoked by the enthusiastic County Music organisation that Mr. Arnold had the services of excellent principals and in Marion Turner an outstanding young leader. Mr. Arnold the conductor visibly reflects Arnold the composer and his platform style turns readily to choreography when the rhythm is infectious. The children loved him and responded with alacrity in Britten’s Young Person’s Guide, gave an excellent showing in Strauss’s Till Eulenspiegel and romped through the conductor’s second set of English Dances with professional aplomb. Wonderful! They gave intelligent and well poised support to Denis Matthews who was the soloist in the Grieg piano concerto. Jean Hammond, a former member of the County School and now a soloist of growing reputation sang the Et Incarnatus Est from Mozart’s Mass in C minor with great warmth of feeling and fine phrasing. Her singing was graced by string playing of rich quality and by the notable performance of the wind trio, Joan Clamp(oboe), Lesley Brundell(flute) and John Price(bassoon). The concert opened with Arnold’s overture Tam O’Shanter. R. A. P.

LEICESTER MERCURY, APRIL 1963

Wigston Civic Concert for Hunger Fund

The visual side of orchestral playing is rigidly excluded, it is said, from the musical purist's approach to the art. But how much pleasure would have been lost at Wigston, last night, without the actual spectacle of young people making music. The occasion was a civic concert in aid of Wigston's Freedom from Hunger appeal given in the hall of Bushloe High School by the Symphony Orchestra of the Leicestershire County School of Music. From a ringside seat one could both see and sense the power of concentration and the seriousness of purpose from the tiniest violinist, little more than a bow's length high, to the manful application of a mature young cellist chewing quietly and continuously and whose strong fingering and resolute bowing bore the unmistakable sign of competence and assurance. Somehow, too, one shared in the weight of responsibility that goes with the heroic task of producing a cymbal crash at a precise moment in time and in the breathless tension that filled the silence before a sforzando tutti. The real pleasure contained in this feeling of sharing in performance was heightened by the quality of the playing which did musicianly service to the Brahms variations on a Haydn theme, which brought commendable clarity and alacrity to Strauss's Till Eulenspiegel and which was riotous in the wittily and richly scored four English dances by Malcolm Arnold. Rolf Wilson played the solo violin in the Rondo Capriccioso by Saint-Saens, which was interpreted with a delightful touch of virtuoso aplomb. The overture to Glinka's Russlan and Ludmilla opened the programme which included the attractively played Divertimento No. 11 by the wind septet. The conducting was shared by Mr. E. Pinkett (County Adviser), and Mr. D. R. Petit. R.A.P.

LEICESTER MERCURY, APRIL 1963

Four young Leicestershire musicians and one from Rutland will be playing in the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain when it gives a concert in the presence of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother at the Royal Festival Hall, London, on April 25. They are Nigel Pinkett (18), of Barrow-on-Soar, cellist, Sylvia Walker (18), of Leicester and Rolf Wilson (16), of Birstall, both violinists, James Wortley (16) of Loughborough, trombonist, and David Takeno (16) of Oakham, who plays the violin. The Queen Mother, patron of the orchestra for the past 10 years, last heard it play in 1961. Sir Malcolm Sargent, president of this world-famous orchestra for exceptionally talented young British musicians, will conduct it in a programme which includes works by Elgar, Mozart, Rimsky-Korsakov and Dvorak. A week before the Royal Festival Hall concert the orchestra will assemble at a Tunbridge Wells school for their Easter term. Here they will work under the guidance of some of the world's leading musicians and teachers.

LEICESTER MERCURY, MAY 1963

Children’s pageant had sparkle

Months of preparation and hours of patience and hard work were rewarded last night by the tremendous success of Leicestershire Schools' Music Festival, a sparkling cavalcade of music and mime by youngsters from 130 schools in the county. "For'ard 1963" portrays cleverly the character of the Engishman in the different periods if his life. It is a dynamic pageant by hundreds of talented youngsters. For more than two hours, the De Montfort Hall stage was transformed into a kaleidoscope of blazing colour as the children swung through their paces with the ease and confidence of real professionals. During the past six months scores of staff and pupils have worked like Trojans in preparation for just two nights of glory -last night and tonight. Supported by the massed choirs of a hundred junior schools and expertly accompanied by the senior orchestra of the County School of Music, under Mr. Eric Pinkett - the man largely responsible for the organisation and arrangements of the whole show - the Youngsters tripped gaily through more than two hours or ambitious song and dance routines. Of the eight Portraits of the Englishman, I was particularly impressed by the thought and ingenuity that went into "The Englishman in Spring" (by Brockington School, Enderby) and "The Englishman at Christmas" (Mountfields Junior School, Loughborough). If anything, the show was just a little too drawn out. It tended to fade slightly towards the close and lacked a punchy conclusion. But the producers did extremely well to cast more than a thousand children, aged between nine and 18, into such a mammoth Pageant. M.L.

LEICESTER MERCURY, MAY 1964

Colour and warmth from young county violinist

The fine assured playing of the Max Bruch G minor violin concerto by Rolf Wilson was the highlight of an excellent concert given at the De Montfort Hall last night by the Leicestershire County Youth Orchestra and Choir conducted by Rudolph Schwarz. This was the third in the series of Sir Robert Martin symphony concerts and the link with his name was visibly strengthened by the presentation of a £ 400 set of three pedal timpani which were bought by the Friends of the County Youth Orchestra as a tribute to his memory. Rolf Wilson is the leader of the orchestra and a capacity audience gave him a wonderful ovation for his warm and penetrative performance of the Max Bruch. This is not surprising for this young player possesses not only a sure technique but the much rarer quality of communication. This he had when I first heard him over a year ago. He has made much progress since then and it was good to hear last night that the refining process of improvement as at no way been at the expense of his innate feeling for music or his instinct for transmitting the heart and the spirit of a score to an audience. To him, quite obviously, music is about something and this was amply demonstrated in the last movement which, though exacting, was never made to sound like a technical exercise. His attack was confident and vigorous and throughout he maintained a good sense of style and shape. His playing of the slow movement was eloquent and quite moving – rich in colour and in warmth and intensity of expression. His future seems bright, he has the knack of making people want to listen and I am sure that as he develops more and more people will want to listen to him. Rudolph Schwarz enhanced Rolf Wilson’s assured interpretation with sensitive and co-operative handling of the orchestra, whose members gave excellent support. The concert opened with Berlioz’s Roman Carnival Overture which, with the conductor’s well judged tempi, built up excitingly in its sparkling climax and left the audience clearly amazed at the high level of performance attained by this young and exceedingly well rehearsed orchestra. Alan Ridout’s Three Pictures of Picasso (commissioned by the National Youth Orchestra) were a great success. Just the stuff, this, for youthful players – modern in the nicest sense, evocative, rhythmically exhilarating in the outer movements and overall exhibiting a highly developed sense of orchestral colour. The harsh pulsating first picture depicts Picasso’s revengeful Guernica and the beautifully scored second represents Child with a Dove. In the final picture The Tumblers the composer keeps the listener playfully on the wrong foot with alternating 7/8 and 8/8 time signatures before crystallising his thoughts in an ingenious interlude for percussion instruments. There after the excitement quickens and suddenly and with great verve, the show is over. The County Youth Orchestra handled the work’s complex rhythms and counts with aplomb and, by their eager response to Rudolph Schwarz’s direction, earned an ovation in which composer Alan Ridout was obviously pleased to share. The pleasing textures of Butterworth’s rhapsody A Shropshire Lad were well realised in a nicely balanced performance and the strings of the orchestra made a noble effort in Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro whose interpretive demands are high. Orchestra and choir joined forces for a delightful rendering of Vaughan Williams’s In Windsor Forest – the choir comprising singers from Ashby Boys and Ashby Girls Grammar Schools who combined also in Benjamin Britten’s Psalm 150 conducted this time by Miss E. C. Bungard (Ashby Girls music mistress). The work has a lightly scored accompaniment and is typical of the composer’s potency of style and economy of means. It was well done. So, too, Pergolesi’s Fac ut Ardeat (from the Stabat Mater) excellently sung by the Ashby Grammar School Girls Choir and efficiently directed once again by Miss Bungard. R. A. P.

LEICESTER MERCURY, SEPTEMBER 1964

Youth Orchestra is selected to represent England

Leicester County Youth Orchestra, who leave for a 14-day Northern Ireland tour today and tomorrow, have been chosen to represent England at the 25th anniversary of "Jeunesse Musicale" in Brussels in January. This was revealed yesterday by the County Music Adviser,

Mr. Eric Pinkett, on the eve of the departure of the first half of the orchestra for Northern Ireland. "We are giving a chamber concert on Tuesday in Belfast, so the chamber orchestra, who are a section of the full orchestra, are leaving a day early. "We are giving 25 concerts in Ireland, including one in St. Anne's Cathedral, Belfast on Sunday. On Monday week we are to play in the Ulster Hall and the chairman of the County Council, Alderman P. H. Lloyd, is flying over to hear us." Mr. Pinkett said that the 82-strong orchestra had intended to visit Northern Ireland next year but had asked their hosts to bring the tour forward because of the Brussels event in January. "It is a great honour for us to be chosen to represent England at Brussels," he said. "The Organisation who are running it, 'Musical Youth' are very strong on the Continent."

LEICESTER MERCURY, OCTOBER 1964

Boost for the county's musical significance

The signs are that next year's Leicestershire schools music festival is going to give the County School of Music its biggest prestige boost ever. First performances of a new symphony and a festival prologue and epilogue - all specially written for the occasion - will contribute to an event of nationwide importance and a competition open to student composer throughout Britain will further enhance Leicestershire's growing musical significance and provide yet another new work for first performance during festival week. The festival will occupy six hectic and exciting days from May 9 to 14 and will revolve around the name and personality of the famous British composer Michael Tippett whose enthusiasm for the Leicestershire enterprise is boundless.

He has agreed to compose a prologue and epilogue and, as the festival's conductor-in-chief, he will direct the first performance of a symphony written specially for the County Youth Orchestra by his distinguished ex-pupil Alan Ridout, who is well- known for his series of BBC music talks.

Mr. Ridout heard the orchestra earlier this year at their De Montfort Hall concert when his "Three Pictures of Picasso" formed part of a programme conducted by Rudolf Schwarz. He was so impressed with their playing that he had no hesitation in agreeing to write a symphony specially for them. Exciting, too, is the prospect of a festival production of Mr. Ridout's recently written opera. Its title is "The Rescue" and its setting in a Paddington coffee bar bears testimony to its contemporary theme. The Leicester presentation will, in fact, be its fourth performance.

The idea of the 1965 festival is both courageous and imaginative and of particular value at a time when the need for the encouragement of active participation in music is considered to be of prime importance.

The festival supplants the memorable Pageants which, in past years crowned the county's school music and drama activities from time to time. As good as they were, the need was for something different. This was the view of Mr. Eric Pinkett, county music adviser and the main inspiration behind the venture. By the very magnitude of the festival’s programme it seems he has proved himself right in deciding it was time for new ideas for a bigger conception and a broader horizon. But he admits that luck has been running with him and that his first stroke of good fortune was Tippett's instant enthusiasm for the festival enterprise and his ready acceptance of the principal role. It so happens that the festival will gain still more in significance from the fact that it will take place in the year of Tippett's 60th birthday (he was born on January 2, 1905) and at a time when anniversary programmes will give particular emphasis to his name and to his music.

His double concerto for orchestra will be included among the works he will conduct during the festival. So, too, his delightful oratorio "A Child of our Time" which will be performed by a full complement of young Leicestershire musicians including vocal soloists, instrumentalists and a choir of 500. R.A.P.

MAJOR PRESS ARTICLES FROM 1965

LEICESTER MERCURY, 1965

Youth Orchestra Impresses Michael Tippett

Michael Tippett travelled from his home in Corsham near Bath on Saturday to listen for the first time to the Leicestershire County Youth Orchestra - the orchestra he is to conduct during next May's Festival of Music. For members of the orchestra and the music staff it was a normal Saturday rehearsal at Longslade School, with the exception that there was an extension from the usual one o'clock finishing time to three o'clock. Mr. Tippett who arrived just after midday was thus able to make a good assessment of the playing standard and also to judge their response to his own conducting. His verdict: "They are very good but you know that already. " But for Mr. Tippett there apparently was an earlier moment of doubt about the wisdom of his decision to become associated with the orchestra. The whole school area was alive with the sounds of music- making when he arrived and it so happened that the first sound that Mr. Tippett heard came from the smallest and rawest recruits. He said nothing, but the expression on his face indicated his fear that this was the orchestra he had been invited to conduct. A member of the County music staff was quick to sense the situation and to restore Mr. Tippett's mental calm. "This way, Mr. Tippett", he said, directing the composer's footsteps away from the juniors’ amiable cacophony. "The senior orchestra's rehearsal hall is further on". And so Mr. Tippett's features resumed their remarkably youthful look. As he listened to the seniors polishing up a section from Britten’s "Sea Interludes" orchestral suite, he was smiling.

LEICESTER MERCURY, MAY 1965

Inspiration of first festival

Michael Tippett’s specially composed Epilogue brought the Leicestershire School’ s Festival of Music to a close at last night's choral and orchestral concert at the De Montfort Hall. "Non Nobis, Domine, non nobis. Sed nomini tuo da gloriam." The music, with its central theme by Byrd, represented a final act of thanksgiving. And how appropriate the sentiment for the 1965 Festival, the first of its kind, has been a wonderful and inspiring success. The choice of Tippett as the Festival's conductor and central figure proved to be extraordinarily well made. His popularity with members of the County School of Music was self evident. And it is equally true,

I think, that their affection for him was due not only to the guidance he provided in the technical business of playing and singing but also to the insight he gave them into the profounder side of music. The main work in last night's programme was his own oratorio "A Child of Our Time." It is a work which reveals both the composer's deep understanding of the human dilemma and his simplicity and directness of expression. He wrote the text as well as the music and the creation of the oratorio was motivated by the reprisals that followed the shooting of a Nazi official by a Young Jewish boy. The incident, however, is universalised and the child of our time, the "scapegoat", appears as Christ. "The simple-hearted shall I exult in the end." Thus Tippett paraphrases the Bible and reaffirms the eternal hopefulness of naive and humble faith, the essence of which he underlines by his introduction into his score of four Negro spirituals. It was touching to hear the work so excellently and so intently performed by the young singers and instrumentalists of the County School of Music. The soloists from the Royal College of Music were- Glenda Russell (soprano), Kathleen Pring (contralto), James Griffett (tenor) and Lionel Fawcett (bass). "Mars" and "Jupiter" from Holst's "Planets" suite and Shaun Dillon's prize winning divertimento for strings completed the programme the latter work being conducted by Mr. Eric Pinkett (County Music Adviser). R. A. P.

LEICESTER MERCURY, MAY 1965

Musical miracle – Child players were inspired

Courageous and imaginative enterprises seem inevitably to get the success they deserve. And so it happened last night, that the opening concert of Leicestershire Schools Festival of Music at the De Montfort Hall, was an exhilarating triumph for all concerned in it and, in particular, for Michael Tippett whose inspiring direction and warm personality evoked playing from his young orchestra that, at times, had a touch of miraculousness about it. The programme was both ambitious and cleverly designed to display visually and aurally the two extremes of the gamut of musical education organised and run by the County School of Music. Massed choirs from nine county schools represented the beginnings of musical experience and they sang, confident and clear-voiced, and produced a proliferation of sounds from recorders, dulcimers, guitars, bells and an assortment of percussive instruments. They numbered in their hundreds and they made an impressive stage backcloth of white skirts, coloured ties and shining bright faces. The fine playing of the senior County Youth Symphony Orchestra demonstrated the quite amazing progress in individual skill and corporate response that are achieved in relatively few years.

The music they played, with the exception of Elgar's "Cockaigne" overture, was all written by composers who are still living and the same contemporary emphasis typifies the programmes of the whole festival week. A wise and fitting concept this for a generation which, more than any other, perhaps is very much concerned with its own age. Last night's concert began with Michael Tippett's specially written prologue - a short arrangement for choir and orchestra of the traditional tune "Soomer is i-coomen in" which impressively established a mood of youthful well-being and energy. An eagerly awaited first performance was that of Alan Ridout's second symphony in three movements, dedicated to his former teacher Michael Tippett as a 60th birthday tribute and written especially for the County Schools' Symphony Orchestra at the request of the indomitable Friends of the County School of Music. The symphony may well have been an expression of the view that serialism can be fun. It has a not inflexible 12-note system and, in its outer movements, displays a wealth of lively rhythmic and melodic ideas whose natural and uninhibited flow and bustling good humour belie their tight organisation. The last movement with its extended centrepiece for solo percussion, is a sort of concentrated Young Person's Guide designed to reveal the technical strength of all sections of the young county musicians.

The slow movement for strings only provides an excellent and finely proportioned contrast, its brooding and tense atmosphere being ingeniously and assuredly created and quite moving. Alan Ridout has an orchestral vocabulary that is very much his own and, apart from the exciting sounds he invents, it is typified by the unusually precise and clean- edged textures that are an important element of his attractive style. Tippett's direction was superb and the orchestra played with professional maturity and with the obvious pride of co-ownership. Tippett's own concerto for double string orchestra was splendidly performed with a quite amazing acceptance of its technical difficulties and with a beautiful realisation of the slow movement's elegantly discursive melodic line. Even more exacting were Britten's Four Sea Interludes from "Peter Grimes" in which the full orchestra rose to the very heights of their achievement. There must have been many people in the audience who occasionally pinched themselves (as I did) as a reminder that this assured, virtuoistic performance was by schoolchildren. Incredible! The primary choirs charmed the whole audience with their delightful singing and playing - sometimes with the help of their seniors in the orchestra and sometimes wholly self-supporting. Indeed, it might be said that their rumba with full orchestral support was tile show stealer! Mr. Tippett danced on his rostrum with obvious pleasure and, when it was all over, turned to the audience and said: "We'll have that again!" This was, indeed, typical of the exuberance and the eternal youthfulness of the man. The last words of praise must go to him for the energy and devotion with which he directed the programme and for the affection and the wholehearted response which he drew from every performer. The ovation he received was generous and enthusiastic and no one clapped more vigorously than the beaming army of primary school choristers. R.A.P.

THE GUARDIAN, MAY 1965

Leicestershire schools music festival

Assembled at the De Montfort Hall, Leicester, on Monday for the opening concert of the Leicestershire Schools Music Festival, the 400 or so singers and instrumentalists looked alarmingly young. What from a distance had seemed adventurous looked more like foolhardiness from close to. Even the entry of the conductor, Michael Tippett, did not quell all apprehensions, but the events of the rest of the evening finally condemned all fears as unjust and groundless.

In fact, this was one of the few concerts that can be classed as an experience. It was not an entirely musical experience, for no one could fail to be touched by the spectacle of one of this country's most important composers devoting so much care and energy to a concert by schoolchildren. But there was more to it than this. Tippett conducted the first performance of the Prologue he had written for the Festival and was rewarded by some very bright brass and percussion playing, although this did tend to divorce itself from the voices, partly because the composer had failed to integrate the texture and partly because the performance was not properly balanced. His Concerto for Double String Orchestra was rewarding, too. The strings of the Senior Orchestra of the Leicestershire School of Music do not possess the strength or brilliance of tone that the Concerto really needs, but the rhythms are the main thing and these were skilfully dealt with and as the composer rightly refused to relax the tempi the performance maintained its essential impetus and vitality. The counterpoint was not often obscured, the antiphonal effects came off and intonation was never so bad as to be disturbing. Perhaps the most surprising performance of all was that of Alan Ridout's Second Symphony, the other work commissioned for the occasion. It is not a great work, but it is a pleasing one with considerable rhythmic interest. Again, the orchestra was equal to this aspect of the music even in the most tricky metres, and the whole performance was admirable for its discipline, its lively colouring and its purposefulness. In comparison with this, Elgar's "Cockaigne" Overture and Britten's Four Sea Interludes seemed mere child's play.

THE GUARDIAN, MAY 1965

With a skilful and spirited performance of Michael Tippett's oratorio "A Child of our Time" the several hundred school children who have this week been rehearsing and studying with Tippett brought the first Leicestershire Schools Festival of Music to a satisfying conclusion at the De Montfort Hall, Leicester, on Friday. It was a performance which in spite of the inevitable deficiencies must have given the composer, who directed it, pleasure for there was no mistaking the commitment of these young singers. For them the conditions which permitted the enormities of the last war are history but they clearly appreciate Tippett's passionate protest against injustice and his consolatory optimism and faith in humanity's potential for goodness and decency. They sang with an intelligent liveliness which belied their youth and inexperience, dealing valiantly with the awkward accents and wicked cross-rhythms. By way of relaxation they intoned the measures of the Chorale-like spirituals with a warm religious fervour, remembering the composer's injunction to "swing" it a little. It was a performance which proclaimed Tippett's natural control of emotional tensions and a grasp of spiritual fundamentals which override questions of time and location. In short, a very creditable effort. The soloists, all of them students at the Royal College of Music, were Glenda Russell (soprano), Kathleen Pring (contralto), James Griffett (tenor) Lionel Fawcett (bass). Shaun Dillon's " Divertimento for string orchestra," which won him the first prize in the festival's composition section, was included in the programme, conducted by Eric Pinkett, director of the County School of Music. It is a commendable piece

of graceful writing.

THE GUARDIAN, MAY 1965

Eleven plus festival

Leicestershire Education Committee is holding next week a characteristically adventurous Festival of Music. There will be thirteen concerts on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in all parts of the county, and on Monday and Friday there will be two important choral and orchestral concerts in the De Montfort Hall, Leicester. The events in the county Include three performances of short operas by Alan Ridout ("The Rescue ") and Arthur Benjamin ("Prima Donna"), recitals by the Northern Sinfonia Trio and the Camden Wind Quintet, and a programme of prize-winning compositions in a specially arranged competition. More than two thirds of the cost of these concerts (£1,500) has been returned in advance subscriptions and it is expected that ticket receipts will cover the rest including the two concerts in the De Montfort Hall which should be well filled on Monday and Friday. At the first of these Michael Tippett will conduct the first performance of his own Prologue and of Alan Ridout's Second Symphony (both of them written for the occasion) together with Elgar's "Cockaigne" Overture, Britten's Four Sea Interludes from "Peter Grimes," and Tippett's Double Concerto. On the Friday he will conduct another work he has written for the Festival - an Epilogue - Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for four wind instruments, and his own "A Child of our Time."

Now, these programmes are to be performed not by any body of professionals, who would find them challenging enough, but by the boys and girls of the Symphony Orchestra of the County School of Music and its junior and senior choirs. None of this music has been composed especially for children - even those pieces written for the occasion show no sign of writing down.

Dedicated to his former teacher, Michael Tippett, Ridout's Second Symphony is noticeably Tippettian in style and so includes the consequent rhythmic complexities and contrapuntal texture. It does not call for individual virtuoso technique, but it does call for considerable corporate skill in sustaining a clear texture so that the interweaving melodic lines are audible on all levels (as in the slow movement for strings and percussion), for precision and a sense of the dramatic in the interpretation of the dynamics and for advanced rhythmic command to deal not only with the frequent syncopations and off-beat entries but also the many asymmetrical metres. Tippett’s Prologue ("Soomer is icumin in") and Epilogue ("Non nobis domine") are based on familiar settings of the words, but in neither case has he restrained his individuality in cross rhythms, tricky polyphony and tonality merely in order to spare his young singers.

However, to have trusted this music to instrumentalists and singers of school age is not as unwisely ambitious as it might seem. For 17 years now Leicestershire's Adviser for Music has been Eric Pinkett, and it is he who rescued school music in the county from a state of post-war inertia -and so developed it that the orchestra regularly plays abroad, gives full-scale symphony concerts in Leicester (with conductors like Schwarz and Boult), and has taken part in six previous (and less ambitious) Leicestershire Schools Festivals. The centre of activity is the County School of Music, a meeting for rehearsal every Saturday morning at the Longslade Grammar School on the outskirts of Leicester of the most promising musicians from the surrounding county schools. The orchestra, which naturally loses many of its members every year, is sustained by a junior orchestra and the supply of instrumentalists is kept up in the schools by a carefully planned teaching programme, the basis of which is the county's seven peripatetic instrumental tutors. It is a thorough, highly developed, and apparently effective arrangement that must be the envy of most other education authorities. Perhaps the most inspired example of Eric Pinkett's planning is that this year the senior orchestra took its annual Easter vacation course at Corsham, Wiltshire, where Michael Tippett lives. Here they stayed, with a "Tempo" camera team and other fascinated visitors, near the home of the composer who rehearsed them twice a day for a week. The teachers present were impressed by Tippett's way with the children, Tippett was impressed by their orchestra, and the children have benefited enormously by this close and prolonged contact with such an original musical mind. A symptomatic story was told to me by the secretary of the Festival, Jack Richards: At the end of the week members of the orchestra spontaneously made a collection between themselves, went to Bath, sought out a respectable tailor, inquired if he were Mr. Tippett's tailor (which he was) and bought him a waistcoat. No doubt he will be wearing it in Leicester next week. Gerald Larner

MAJOR PRESS ARTICLES FROM 1966

DAILY MAIL, MARCH 1966

Young artists to be proud of

Thanks to the vigorous training scheme that Leicestershire has pioneered since 1948, this educationally go-ahead county now has a Schools' Symphony Orchestra to be proud of. In fact, there are three orchestras - Junior, Intermediate and Senior - and a travelling staff of teachers under county music adviser Eric Pinkett, working a system of individual tuition, group practices and area rehearsals, with weekly main rehearsals and longer courses during school holidays. Results speak for themselves. The 100-strong senior orchestra which I heard last night has been good enough to go abroad for the past 13 years. It went to Berlin last summer, toured Belgium in January and will visit Germany again in June. Last night's conductor was no less a musician than the composer Michael Tippett who has taken a keen practical interest in the orchestra. His rare gift for lighting a vital musical spark in children showed all through a 20th- century programme that ranged from Walton and Elgar to Gershwin. Like many of its professional confreres the orchestra is rich in woodwind talent, has good brass and percussion, but a more modest standard in the strings. The young player’s strong sense of rhythm was enjoyably evident in Tippett's intricate Fantasia on a Theme of Handel and still more so in a remarkably assured performance of Lambert's The Rio Grande. A 300-voice choir from the county's grammar schools with Helen Attfield as contralto soloist did much to evoke the haunting nostalgic atmosphere of the Lambert. Two guests from London, Frank Wibaut, 21, and Anthony Mott, 16, were brilliant piano soloists in the Lambert and Tippett respectively. The strings, which had intonation troubles in the Enigma Variations, gave a vigorous account of the Tippett and positively revelled in the Blues of Gershwin's American in Paris. Now will other counties please

mark, learn and copy.

LEICESTER MERCURY, JANUARY 1966

Belgian tour by youth orchestra

In the early hours of Monday morning the 100 members of Leicestershire County Senior Youth Orchestra will set off on one of the most important foreign tours in its history. They have been invited by the Belgian organisation "Jeunesses Musicale" to give a series of six concerts in Belgium and their chief conductor will be Michael Tippett the composer, whose association with the orchestra and with the County School of Music began in the early part of last year, when he agreed to be the central figure of the Leicestershire Festival which was such a great success. This will be the first time that the orchestra has travelled abroad with so distinguished a musician. Among the concerts he will conduct will be that next Friday when he and his young instrumentalists will spend a day in the Brussels television centre to prepare for the scheduled evening's broadcast. The return journey will be on Sunday week. For Mr. Tippett, this will mark the beginning of vital final rehearsals with the famous German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, the B.B.C. Symphony Orchestra and chorus for the first performance of his cantata "The Vision of St. Augustine", which was commissioned by the B.B.C. and which the composer will conduct on January 19 in the Third Programme. His fantasia for piano and orchestra on a Handel theme will be one of the items on the Belgian programmes and the solo part will be played by 17-year-old Anthony Mott, of Middlesex, who studies with Louis Kentner and whose link with the County youth orchestra's trip is that he was born in Belgium. A young Chinese girl who will augment the orchestra, however, has no Belgian association but owes her place on the tour to the fact that the County orchestra has no harpist and that she is a competent performer and able to travel. Her name is Tay Boon Yen. Her home is in Singapore and she has been studying for three years at the Guildhall School of speech and drama. Members of the orchestra in the outlying parts of the county will have to be in their coaches as early as three o'clock on Monday morning to rendezvous at St. Margaret's bus station, Leicester, for the 4 a.m. departure of the full party for Dover. Their concerts will be in Mons, Bruges, Blankenberge and Brussels and their programme will include, in addition to the Tippett fantasia, Alan Ridout's second symphony (written especially for the senior orchestra), Elgar's Enigma variations, Walton's Portsmouth Point overture and Britten's "Four Sea Pictures." Mr. Eric Pinkett, the County music adviser, will be the second conductor.

LEICESTER MERCURY, JANUARY 1966

Belgian Acclaim for County Youth Orchestra

Leicestershire County Youth senior orchestra re turned from a week's tour of Belgium last night with memories of some of the largest and most enthusiastic audiences in their experience. The orchestra were guests of Belgium's Jeunesses Musicale Organisation and three of their six concerts were conducted by Michael Tippett, the composer. Saturday was the occasion of their greatest success. Two concerts in the Brussels Beaux Arts drew tremendous applause for the instrumentalists, the 17-year-old Belgian-born piano soloist Anthony Mott and Mr. Tippett. Mr.Eric Pinkett (County music adviser), who conducted the other three concerts, spoke of Mr. Tippett's wholehearted approval of the venture and of his being "very moved" at the orchestra's fine playing for him of Elgar's "Enigma" variations at the final concert, which was filmed for television.

Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra

LEICESTER MERCURY, MARCH 1966

Surprising maturity revealed by county youth orchestra

AACHENER NACHRICHTEN, JULY 1966

The Leicestershire Schools' Symphony Orchestra concert on Thursday evening in the new Kurhaus made a deep impression. These 100 school girls and boys from this English School of Music attain a level of performance which is surprising in times when we suffer from a dearth of qualified up-and-coming players. The large number of string players is particularly astonishing (they included 10 cellists and 4 double basses), as orchestras in Germany are particularly worried about obtaining string players. However, the situation in England, where in musical education the emphasis has always been more on performance, may well be a different and happier one. The performance naturally impressed us more than the large number of players. In this Symphony Orchestra from Leicestershire we have a musical group which has all the essential characteristics of a professional orchestra. Eric Pinkett, the Conductor, has trained his youthful players to a remarkable level, astonishingly so in fact. A number of things struck one; the subtly differentiated variations of dynamics, the sharply defined contrast between forte and pianissimo, the disciplined and firm synchronisation of bowing. Yet there was not only their perfect technique; one warmed to the magnificent obligato, the precise and elemental rhythm, the continually exciting full-blooded vitality making an unusual blend of simple direct music-making and sophistication. All these points of excellence, combined with the programme content, directed as it was towards controversial effects, produced an overall effect which was both convincing and intensely exciting. This was true of the rendering of the modern works admittedly chosen for their middle-of-the-road appeal. But it also went for the versions given of the romantic works of Weber and Brahms. They gave an interpretation of the contemporary Ridout 2nd Symphony which brought out the essentially urbane characteristics of this witty and inventive composition. And Kelly's Cuban Suite came over in a way that brought out its exotic 'folk' character and made a fiery and glittering end to the evening. One got much enjoyment from the Enigma Variations by the English composer Elgar, the distinguishing mark of whose style is the pleasing contrast it offers between its traditionally romantic-classical derivation and an already forward-looking originality. The young visitors from England paid tribute to the great German musical tradition whose path has not infrequently crossed that of English music to the benefit of either, by their performance of the Brahms Academic Festival Overture, with its skilfully incorporated student songs, and with the Weber Clarinet Concertino which was performed with a most attractive playfulness. Its solo part was brilliantly rendered with a subtle feeling for romantic nuance and a sense of classical proportion.

RHEINISCHE POST, JULY 1966

English Youth Symphony Orchestra

An English orchestra consisting of schoolboys and girls from Leicestershire

came across convincingly to the audience in the Konigsburg as a fully-fledged symphony orchestra, both in terms of quality and of the scale of instrumentation. It was the only Symphony Orchestra to take part in the Sixth International Youth Music Festival. It was conducted by Norman Del Mar, for five years conductor of the B.B.C. Scottish Orchestra. David Pugsley was the talented clarinet soloist in Weber's exacting Concertino. This fine orchestra, with 66 girls and 33 boys, including 40 wind players, filled the entire stage and followed their conductor with well-rehearsed discipline. They began with Brahms' Academic Festival Overture executed with brilliance and formal precision. In the Weber Concertino the orchestra showed their well-practiced skill both in accompaniment and in the tutti passages. Just what high standards are expected of the orchestra emerged in the tricky Second Symphony of Alan Ridout, dedicated to the composer Michael Tippett, who sometimes conducts the orchestra, for his 60th birthday, and first performed at Leicester in the De Montfort Hall. This work appeals through its rhythmic and harmonic individuality and its instrumentation. The strings were at no point overwhelmed even by some heavy brass passages and a few mighty drum rolls. The composer of the interesting Cuban Suite, Bryan Kelly, was himself present, and the excellent performance of his work won his full approval. The first two movements are more in Central European than in Latin American style; the scherzo of the second movement introduces a fugato; the third movement and the rhythmically "taut" finale are typically Spanish. Probably the most ambitious offering came last - Elgar's Enigma Variations. The composer (1857-1934) characterises in each of the variations different friends of his. They are described personally too in Elgar's own notes on the work. The melodic, harmonic and orchestral debt to Brahms is unmistakable. The difficult passages for brass, woodwind and strings were magnificently managed by the youthful orchestra. The audience - which could have been larger - paid homage to conductor, soloist and orchestra with enthusiastic applause.

MAJOR PRESS ARTICLES FROM 1967

CROYDON ADVERTISER, MAY 1967

Sceptics Confounded

With a programme of five works, all scored for full orchestra, by contemporary British composers - this sort of programme can never have been given at Fairfield before! -Wednesday evening's exceedingly impressive concert by the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra certainly lacked nothing in ambition. Indeed, despite the advance publicity that described the orchestra's achievements and their tours abroad, even the most optimistic, non-partisan Croydon concert-goer might justifiably have queried in anticipation: "Well, just how good are they?" His answer came in definite terms right from when the 100 or so players between the ages of about 14 and 18 launched into their virile realisation of the National Anthem. Of the five works, only two, Rawsthorne's second piano concerto and the ballet suite "Checkmate" by Sir Arthur Bliss, were likely to be known to the audience. Except for the Rawsthorne which - to judge by the orchestra's own superlative standards - found a few detailed deficiencies in the playing, the items threw out just that right kind of challenge to fire the enthusiasm of the young musicians. Starting the programme, Robin Orr's Symphony in One Movement made a most acceptable impression on a first hearing: this in itself speaks well of the performance. It is full of verve, with interesting and very imaginative use of the thematic material and cleverly-worked counterpoint and juxtaposition of motifs. Herein did the expertise of the brass and percussion - an excellent timpanist in particular - show itself immediately. In many ways, the orchestra were heard to their best advantage in the " Suite for the birthday of Prince Charles " (Suite in D) by Sir Michael Tippett. Since 1965 Sir Michael has taken an active interest in Leicestershire schools' music, and on Wednesday he was present to conduct his own work. Where the strings had previously been slightly overshadowed by the rest of the orchestra, they really shone in this suite, especially in those full-bow unison passages. This is a delectable set of pieces, which involves a not too subtle use of traditional tunes. The oboe solo in the "Berceuse" was handsomely wrought and elsewhere arose some deft and artistic playing from the first horn. Bryan Kelly's three-movement Sinfonia Concertante, one of the six new works commissioned for this year's Leicestershire Schools Festival of Music, appeared to rely very much upon rhythmic impetus rather than thematic growth for its impact. Thus did the firm tone and zestful attack of the orchestra suit the highly-strung and tightly-knit character of the score. In the Rawsthorne piano concerto, Norma Fisher provided a very assured account of the solo part. She interpreted the "piacevole" indication for the first movement with nicely flexed rhythm. The martellato octave sections throughout the concerto resounded unequivocally, even if the forte finger passages were not comparably steely. The intermezzo built up quite an effective atmosphere, the poco allegro portion moving with happy lightness. In the "Checkmate" suite, the instrumental balance sounded convincing even in the "Dance of the Four Knights". The whole effect was most evocative and the high pressure thrust of the music was exciting and vivid. Primary honours for this stimulating concert must go, of course, to the members of the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra. But, presumably, they could not have achieved their triumph without sterling training from their conductor Norman del Mar who, though he has been closely associated with the borough in the past (as one-time conductor of the Croydon Symphony Orchestra), was making his first appearance in Fairfield Hall. His ardent, clear-cut style brought out the maximum potential of the orchestra. Credit is unreservedly due, also, to the enlightened administration in Leicestershire.

DAILY MAIL, MAY 1967

Schools music swings into mambo rhythm

Leicestershire Schools' Festival: De Montfort Hall, Leicester

The second Leicestershire Schools' Festival of Music opened last night with a concert consisting entirely of first performances. Four of the five works had been specially commissioned and each was conducted by its composer. For the county's 100-strong Schools' Symphony Orchestra Bryan Kelly supplied a restless Waltonian Sinfonia Concertante and William Mathias an adroit, extrovert Sinfonietta. This, in particular, received a remarkably assured performance. Junior singers, recorder players and percussionists got their chance in Robin Stephenson’s The Listeners, and Brian Bonsor's The Pied Piper, which twice had them swinging into mambo rhythm. Finally and most ambitiously a legion of youngsters took part in Funeral Games for a Greek Warrior, a dance-spectacle imaginatively choreographed by James J. J. Clarke, with strong, colourful music by Alan Ridout which the symphony orchestra played with near professional aplomb.

LEICESTER MERCURY. APRIL 1967

Five new works for County Music Festival

The second Leicestershire Schools Festival of Music begins at the end of the month and will be more ambitious, even, than the highly successful first venture two years ago. As then the week's music activities - beginning with an inaugural service in Leicester Cathedral on April 30 - will be under the active patronage of Sir Michael Tippett whose stature as a composer and whose personal interest played so large a part in making the first festival nationally known.

LEICESTER MERCURY, DECEMBER 1967

Focus on County schools orchestra

B.B.C. television cameras will be at Longslade Grammar School, Birstall next Tuesday to do a feature about the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra, whose four day Christmas rehearsal course began yesterday. Sir Michael Tippett will be taking rehearsals on Monday and Tuesday and the B.B.C. television filming team will be there to gather material for a forthcoming programme entitled Music International. The 100 members of the orchestra have become quite used to cameras and microphones by now, so Tuesday's recording is unlikely to create much excitement. It will be the third time that British television has been interested in them and within recent years all their overseas tours have included recordings for subsequent broadcasts.

The orchestra's disappointment in the cancellation (for reasons of economy) of a projected American visit has been alleviated if not wholly eclipsed by the prospect of a trip to Vienna to give important concerts in this the most famous and certainly most glamorous European music centre. The approach to the Leicestershire School of Music for the orchestra's services was made while the American trip was still on and the answer then, of course, had to be "Sorry". Prophetically the reply was: "If America falls through, then come to Vienna." The trip is likely to take place in the late summer. In July the orchestra will play in The Guildhall under the auspices of the organisation Youth and Music of which Sir Robert Mayor is the head. Their conductor will be Sir Michael Tippett. Their biannual concert in Leicester's De Montfort Hall will take place on April 3 and, more immediately, they will their give their first concert in Corby Festival Hall next Friday.

LEICESTER MERCURY, JULY 1967

Young musicians cut first record

A surprise visitor at yesterday's recording session at Leicester De Montfort Hall, where the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra made a twelve-inch commercial disc was the distinguished Norwegian conductor, Oivin Fjeldstad. The story of his presence there is quite romantic. The County School of Music had been trying for some time to get in touch with Mr. Fjeldstad, who is music director and chief conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. Their purpose was to coax him to agree to conduct the schools orchestra during their two weeks visit to Denmark next September. Eventually, a telegram was received from Mr. Fjeldstad in which he displayed interest. It was addressed from Uppingham. Just over a year ago his actress daughter, Lisa, married Mr. Gordon Braddy, housemaster at Uppingham School. He was visiting them for the first time. "And so," he said, yesterday, "in order to listen to the Leicestershire orchestra I had to travel only 18 miles." He was given the opportunity also to direct them in a short work by the Danish composer Nielsen - "Masquerade". Apart from the fine quality of their playing, he was impressed by the fact that it had been possible to produce sufficient young musicians of so high a musical standard from so relatively small area to form a full size symphony orchestra of such excellence. He extended his hands in an encompassing gesture. "What if this were done throughout the country?" he asked. His initial reservations about conducting a schools orchestra had been dispelled, he said, and he was in the process of amending his plans in order to be able to conduct them at least once or twice during their visit to Denmark. Yesterday's recording session began at two o'clock after a morning of rehearsal and sound balancing. Television equipment added to the technical array confronting the young members of the orchestra and amid the flowers in the gardens facing the De Montfort Hall entrance, were lights, cameras and microphones where interviews were filmed and recorded for insertion into a half-hour documentary programme about the making of a disc. The feature will be for eventual network broadcast by Associated Rediffusion who, because of their enthusiasm for the occasion, decided to treble the viewing time they had originally planned for it. Three composers were present to conduct their own works, including Sir Michael Tippett whose suggestion it was that the orchestra's standard justified the making of a commercial record. The record will comprise Sir Michael's "Prince Charles" suite, William Mathias's Sinfonietta, Alan Ridout's Concertante Music and Divertimento by Malcolm Arnold which will be conducted by Eric Pinkett, music adviser for Leicestershire. The Ridout work was the result of a telephone call four weeks ago from Mr. Pinkett to the composer with a request for an orchestral piece to fill up ten minutes of recording time. "I had an idea before I put the phone down", said Mr. Ridout yesterday. "The work was composed within 24 hours - that included sleep - and there remained the job of preparing a full score. That's navvies' work and it took four days." The result of his labours and of the tough and exacting schedule undergone with cheerfulness and professional calm by the hard working young musicians of the orchestra will soon be available for all to hear.

LEICESTER MERCURY, JUNE 1967

County School Orchestra to make a record

The senior orchestra of Leicestershire County School of Music, on the advice of Sir Michael Tippett, is to make a commercial record. The recording session will take place at Leicester De Montfort Hall on July 5, when the conductors will be Sir Michael Tippett, William Mathias, Alan Ridout and Eric Pinkett, Music Adviser for Leicestershire. The record will be a natural sequel to the high standard of performance which the orchestra has attained and which was enthusiastically acclaimed by London music critics at the recent Schools Music Festival.

Two of the works played during the Festival will appear on the disc - Mathias's "Sinfonietta" (commissioned for the event) and Tippett's Suite for the Birthday of Prince Charles. The third work will be "Divertimento" by Malcolm Arnold who has conducted the orchestra both in this country and abroad. The fourth work has all the excitement of a Stop Press rush. Ten minutes of playing time remained to be filled and after discarding the idea of isolating a movement from a larger work or padding out with a "pot- boiler", it was decided to find a composer who possessed the speed and the flair for dashing off a piece capable of displaying the special qualities of the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra. The result is Alan Ridout's "Concertante Music" written in less than two weeks and which will have the remarkable distinction of proceeding from conception, writing, copying, rehearsing to recording in exactly four weeks. Ridout says it is one of the most exciting compositions he has produced. He was responsible for the music to the successful ballet-mime "Funeral Games for a Greek Warrior" which received its first performance at the festival. His newest work has been commissioned by Dr. H. L. Haslegrave, Vice-Chancellor of Loughborough University. Both the recording session and the previous all-day rehearsal in the De Montfort Hall will be watched by television film cameras. Later, "The making of a disc" will be included in an Associated Rediffusion programme directed at young people.

LEICESTER MERCURY, MAY 1967

Schools festival reveals fund of musical talent

Last night's opening concert at the De Montfort Hall of the 1967 Leicestershire Schools' Festival of Music triumphantly proved that with courage, enterprise, tenacity and a little luck, it was possible to build upon and expand an exciting idea which found its first expression two years ago. In his introduction as patron, Sir Michael Tippett said the 1965 festival had shown what an almost inexhaustible fund of musical talent lies hidden among young people at school, waiting to be developed. "The exciting thing is that Leicestershire has developed that talent," he added.

The five specially commissioned new works which comprised last night's programme not only provided pleasing variety and balance (a little luck), but seemed each in its own way to contribute to the spirit of adventure which characterises the festival idea whose motivating force is the concerted achievement of the seemingly impossible. The concert had the distinction (and the authoritative touch) of having each work conducted by its composer. They were, in order of appearance: Bryan Kelly ("Sinfonia Concertante" for orchestra); William Mathias ("Sinfonietta" for orchestra); Robin Stephenson ("The Listeners" a setting for voices and percussion of Walter de la Mare's poem); Brian Bonsor ("The Pied Piper of Hamelin" for primary schools singers and instrumentalists); and Alan Ridout ("Funeral Games for a Greek Warrior" a ballet-mime with full orchestral accompaniment). The Ridout work was the largest in scale and occupied the whole of the second half of the concert. It comprises seven ritualistic sequences contained within opening and closing processionals of impressive dignity and solemnity. The scenario and choreography was by James J. J. Clarke, a teacher at Ferneley High School, Melton Mowbray, who showed himself to have an unquestionable talent for devising movement and action of a widely expressive range and whose freedom and vitality of line - even in the work's more uninhibited moments - never overstepped the dignified bounds of a self-imposed formal and classical discipline. Ridout's fine score was immediately successful in establishing atmosphere with its huge pillar-like opening chords and in the spaciousness of the music with which he accompanied the slow and stately filling of the stage with 150 costumed children, pupils of junior and high schools in the county. Among some really effective and evocative instrumental writing (like the volatile brass and percussion in the wrestling sequence) Ridout secured sincere beauty and gravity of utterance it the "second lament".

The choreography was interpreted with unfailing confidence by each member of the large company. But the secret of their enthusiasm, of course, was the inspiration of a choreographer who was able to supply the type of thing that young people would both be able to do well and would want to do well. The Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra who produced so polished a realisation of Ridout’s score gave further evidence of their excellence in the two orchestral works, where, with technical and musicianly assurance, they effectively presented the contrasting styles of Kelly and Mathias. The Kelly work employs the concertante style with considerable resource and as a piece of music of structural soundness and compactness and much to say. The first movement neatly prepares the ear for the veiled mood of the second and the percussive aggressiveness of the last movement with its ingeniously worked three-quaver motif, finds ultimate triumph in an explosive and youthfully optimistic finale. The composer himself draws attention to the strong dance element in Mathias's "Sinfonietta." This, too, has an exciting climax, the starting point being the trills and tremolandi that announce the last movement’s mighty summing up of ideas. Instrumental colouring is an individual characteristic of the work and particularly attractive was the slow movement's nebulous and diffuse colouring - stemming, it seemed from the peculiarly ambiguous tone-quality of the vibraphone which was part of a large percussive array. The supreme assurance of some 250 junior singers was reflected in their singing from memory the whole (with the exception of two short cuts) of Browning's "Pied Piper" in Brian Bonsor's delightful and witty setting accompanied by a piano, recorders and Orff Instruments (played by a group of young performers) and the symphony orchestra's percussion section. If Bonsor did not quite have the instrumental resources to eke out with complete satisfaction the lengthy story, he deserves credit for applying ingenuity so well. The exodus of the rats to Latin-American rhythm was a deft and swingy touch; so too the lugubrious Mayor-and-Corporation theme and the early exclamation from 250 voices- RATS! A much-needed piece, this, for the young folks' repertoire. Finally, I acknowledge the rare innocent beauty of "The Listeners" sung with clarity and charm by children from Coalville Broomleys Junior School. Robin Stephenson's setting, with its simple accompaniment combines in a remarkable way economy of means with moving effect. A short work, but the memory of it is lasting. R.A.P.

LEICESTER MERCURY, MAY 1967

Incredible performance by 100 Young Musicians

1967 Leicestershire Schools Festival of Music ended on a spectacular note at the De Montfort Hall last night with Norman Del Mar conducting the County Senior Symphony Orchestra in a quite electrifying account of Bliss’s Checkmate ballet suite. This was fine playing by any standard but from 100 Young musicians all still at school - incredible. The strings had praiseworthy intonation and flexibility and alacrity of phrase, and from all other departments there was technical assurance and excellence of ensemble. The Bliss work was the final item in a well balanced programme, decidedly modern in bias (quite rightly) and which included a splendid account of Rawsthorne’s second piano concerto with Norma Fisher as soloist. Rawsthorne's orchestral palette is lavish and so subtle in its exploitation of instrumental timbres that a pianist without a comparable sense of colour would seem as flat as stale beer. But Miss Fisher was conspicuously successful in producing variety of touch and tone and contributed to a wonderfully integrated performance. There are few conductors (as the Rawsthorne showed) with so sensitive a feel for rhythm and so keen an ear of orchestral sound as Mr. Del Mar. These qualities abounded in his moving interpretation of Robin Orr's Symphony in One Movement.

It is a work of considerable stature and whose strong and succinct argument demands and holds the attention throughout. Its final peroration, beginning with a lyric solo for the oboe is placid and quite beautiful. The orchestra seemed to share their conductor's affection for the work and their response was splendid. There was, indeed, no blemish that came between the listener and the music. Praise to the timpanist for his intelligent and musicianly handling of a key role in the symphony. In Brahm's St. Anthony Variations, Mr. Del Mar brought to bear on a traditional work some of the virtues which have gained him a reputation as an interpreter of moderns. His performance was always clear-textured, and his tempo in the fifth variation together with his delicate pointing of phrases did justice to Brahms's delightful interplay of cross rhythms.

Sir Michael Tippett, the Festival's patron, was loudly applauded for his conducting of his own popular "Suite for the birthday of Prince Charles" and no-one applauded him more vigorously than the members of the orchestra with whom he is a great favourite and something more besides. Sir Michael and Mr. Del Mar made a joint platform appearance at the close of the concert and were simultaneously presented by the orchestra with (respectively) a silver baton and a pair of silver cufflinks - both the products of Loughborough College of Art. Thus was a tribute made to two famous musicians who have added their inspiration and skill to the sterling work of the County School of Music staff in producing a memorable festival.

LEICESTER MERCURY, MAY 1967

Top Composer praises schools orchestra

Alan Rawsthorne the composer was full of praise for the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra whose playing at the Fairfield Hall, Croydon last night was enthusiastically received by a large audience. The programme with one exception was a repeat of that with which the 1967 Leicestershire Schools Festival of Music concluded last Friday and the conductors, once again, were Norman Del Mar and Sir Michael Tippett with Norma Fisher the soloist in Rawsthorne's Second Piano Concerto. Rawsthorne joined soloist and conductor on the platform to share the generous ovation for an excellent performance of his concerto. Later, he told me how impressed he had been with the standard of the orchestral playing. He had been both surprised and delighted with their realisation of his own work. "They showed remarkable subtlety in their playing", he said "particularly for such young musicians". Another composer to hear his music performed and to join Mr. Del Mar on the platform was Bryan Kelly, whose Sinfonia Concertante especially commissioned for the Schools Festival, was played in place of Brahms's "St. Anthony" variations and thus received its second performance. The Fairfield concert hall is part of Croydon's fine new cultural centre. Its acoustic is somewhat brittle and demands exacting performances. But the Leicestershire County Schools Symphony Orchestra were fully equal to the task and played throughout with sharpness and precision of attack and excellent balance.

R.A.P.

LEICESTER MERCURY, SEPTEMBER 1967

Student’s study of an orchestra

A 20-year old Birstall student has combined his old hobby of music with his present interest in photography to produce a pictorial study of the Leicester County School of Music. Bearded Paul Stokes, 18 Sandgate Avenue, Birstall has been compiling a photographic record of the schools' orchestra since Easter. Paul played clarinet with the orchestra for seven years but is now studying photography at Leicester College of Art. He says: "I knew many of the people in the orchestra and this made my project easier- they soon got used to me crawling around the stage taking photographs while they practiced." Paul's book, which he plans to present to the orchestra on Monday, is divided into six topics - instruments, rehearsals, conductors, on the road, back stage and concerts. To gather material, he accompanied the orchestra to a concert at Fairfield Hall, Croydon. Here, some of his work was exhibited along with some paintings by local artists. Among the famous faces that appear in Paul's book are Norman Del Mar, Alan Ridout and Sir Michael Tippett. The latter is at present writing a foreword for the book. Paul, formerly of Loughborough College School, has a year to go at the College of Art. Recently he passed the finals of his City and Guild photographic exam. Eventually he hopes to make a career of photo-journalism, but at present Paul is working on an ice-cream van earning money for more equipment.

LEICESTER MERCURY, SEPTEMBER 1967

County Orchestra 'An Inspiration' to Danes

The Leicestershire Schools Senior Symphony Orchestra is establishing an excellent reputation in the Danish towns which it is currently visiting. Concerts given by the orchestra have been of such a high standard that, according to newspaper reports, audiences were "astonished" that young people aged between 15 and 18 could give such professional performances. One critic wrote:

"At certain times the performances were exceedingly beautiful." Another said: "The English orchestra is a result of teaching music in schools. We do not pursue this field of teaching to our full extent, but this Leicestershire orchestra should inspire us to do more." With conductor Mr. Eric Pinkett, the orchestra, comprising 65 girls and 36 boys, arrived by the liner Sir Winston Churchill at the port of Esbjerg on Friday. They spent the weekend in Danish homes and on Saturday an organised sightseeing tour, including a visit to the home of the world-famous fairy tale writer, Hans Andersen, was arranged. In the evening the orchestra gave its first performance in the town hall at Odense.

LEICESTER MERCURY, SEPTEMBER 1967

Nothing psychedelic about these musicians

Members of the Leicestershire Schools Orchestra have every reason to be thoroughly pleased and proud of themselves today after the admirable way they acquitted themselves on television last night. In an early evening programme on ITV called Come Here Often viewers were given a fascinating glimpse of the county's young orchestra preparing to make a record in the De Montfort Hall, Leicester. The youngsters absolutely brimmed over with a contagious enthusiasm for their music, much of which has been specially written for them. What a change it was to see and hear teenagers talking about the satisfaction and fulfilment they get from music, to hear how hard they are prepared to work and practice to make their orchestra one of the most highly regarded youth groups in the country. These young people needed no stimulants like drugs and psychedelic trappings to help them enjoy their music, which to some will quite obviously become their lives. There was such a refreshing modesty and eagerness about these musicians who spoke frankly of their aspirations to Cliff Morgan, that it was a great pity the feature didn't last a good deal longer and that we didn't hear a lot more of their playing. Alan Ridout summed up the orchestra when he said how happy it was and how gay the youngsters made everything. It was a tribute to them that he also thought they took more readily to playing complex irregular rhythms than adults. Sir Michael Tippett, the composer and conductor, who has written for the Leicestershire orchestra did not stint his praise of our young people, either. He said they were making the record because they wanted to show everybody what it is possible to do with young people in one musical society. The young people had a tremendous instinct for music. The record, a long player, which the orchestra recorded last July, is due out in November and on the basis of the orchestra's performance - short though it was last night, it ought to sell exceedingly well in the circles at which it is aimed. Only one thing was blatantly wrong with the programme - it was its timing. One would hardly have thought that those most interested in it - parents, friends, teachers, etc. - would have been in a position to watch it at 5.25 p.m. It seemed to me it was of sufficient interest to be televised at a more popular time. Even though it was a youth orchestra it certainly wasn't kids' stuff. M.R.W.

MAJOR PRESS ARTICLES FROM 1968

AUDIO AND RECORD REVIEW, MARCH 1968

We are hearing much just now about the low standard and bad conditions of music education in England, and I think it is true, especially in so far as financial support is concerned; yet hearing this record it is clear that despite all difficulties and official backslidings there are certainly bright spots in the result, and may be taken as evidence of heartening progress. This would hardly have been thinkable thirty, or even twenty, years ago. In fact, Leicestershire appointed its first Music Adviser in 1948, but since then developments have been swift and positive. There are three orchestras of the County School of Music - Junior, Intermediate and Senior. This of course is the Senior, comprising around 100 members between the ages of 14 and 18. I haven't heard them before, and I am considerably impressed. Other counties have their music activities too but Leicestershire has made a particularly thorough job of it. Of the works here recorded, Tippett's Suite was written for the birthday of Prince Charles in 1948; Malcolm Arnold's Divertimento was written for the National Youth Orchestra in 1959; William Mathias's Sinfonietta dates from late 1966 and Alan Ridout's Concertante Music was specially composed for this recording, to a commission from the Loughborough University of Technology, in July 1967. They make a well varied group, style and orchestral requirement aptly contrasted. Though all the music is technically resourceful, demanding resource from its players, nothing is wildly or wilfully complex in the abstruse sense. Sir Michael Tippett's Suite uses a number of traditional tunes, including Crimond and Early one morning and a French one in the Berceuse, for a work that is at once simple yet full of original and imaginative elements. Ridout's Concertante Music and Mathias's Sinfonietta are excellent vehicles for young orchestral players in their different ways, and so predictably is Arnold's Divertimento. The Ridout has some intriguing rhythmic juxtapositions, and the Mathias is said on the sleeve to make use of popular rhythms of our time, though I see but little direct evidence of that, or else the note writer does not mean by popular rhythms what I mean by it, and if the slow movement has the character of a 'blues’, then again the connection escapes me. But that says nothing against the music itself, which is, like the rest, attractive to listen to and I've no doubt interesting to play. The orchestral playing has in general the natural exuberance and technical caution characteristic of very young musicians. Brass, woodwind and percussion are especially enthusiastic, and if the strings sound rather less so, and slightly less assured, that is to be expected, especially in England. The recording is generally good, but I hardly know how to give a performance rating in the context. What is the relevant standard of reference? The crack national and international orchestras, or something vaguely described as 'youth' or 'schools'? The former is obviously absurd, but the latter may seem patronizing or indulgent. What is not in question is that this is a useful and enterprising issue for which all concerned-deserve praise, for content and execution as well as its basic idea.

BURNETT JAMES

GUILDHALL CONCERT, JULY 1968

Tippett's young players excel

If I had been writing about a professional, adult symphony orchestra, I should have been making minor quibbles about its performance. But I am writing about the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra, creation of county music adviser Eric Pinkett. It is composed of Leicestershire schoolchildren between the ages of 14 and 18 who get together each Saturday morning during term time and also for an annual Easter course. Unlike the members of some other youth orchestras, they are ordinary schoolchildren and not full-time music students. And as such they are extremely good. It is enormously to the credit of a composer of world eminence like Sir Michael Tippett, who conducted the larger part of Saturday's concert, that he takes the time and trouble to rehearse and direct them. No other youth orchestra, surely, has the inspiration of being associated with a contemporary composer of like stature. Its Guildhall programme of well-chosen English music was better than I had any right to expect.

Concert by the young

The more hopeful visits one makes to Guildhall, the more distressing it is to realise afterwards that the hall's acoustic conditions and seating arrangements are hopeless for orchestral concerts. That time and time again they prove the dominant feature, and that the sooner the City Festival stops squandering some of its most promising events on them the better. However, last Saturday's concert was a much happier occasion than most. This was a Youth and Music concert given by the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra. All things considered, young string players are helped by acoustics like these, especially in the c.1900 repertory, which provides the best material for them. On Saturday it gave their playing body and warmth, turned enthusiasm into confidence and freshness into style. Delius's Brigg Fair, Vaughan Williams's Greensleeves and most of Elgar's Enigma Variations sounded very well indeed. In another hall I think I would have been disappointed by their playing after such dazzling reports from last year's Leicester Festival and remembering comparable orchestras such as the London S.S.O. and the Kent County Youth, whose performance of Walton's First Symphony still astonishes me. A surprising amount of makeshift bowing and fingering was going on in the strings and though some of the wind playing was very good indeed some also was much less so. Nor did Sir Michael Tippett's nervously indecisive conducting seem to help them and the highlight of the concert was the spirited performance of Walton's virtuoso showpiece, Partita, the one item conducted by their trainer, Eric Pinkett. G. W.

LEICESTER MERCURY, APRIL 1968

Film Date for County Schools Orchestra

Having been televised, broadcast on radio and put on gramophone record, there seems only one form of mass communication that the Leicestershire Schools Orchestra has missed.

But that will be rectified next week, writes the Leicester Mercury music critic, R.A.P., when the 100 members of the orchestra will take part in a film entitled "Music! " which is being made for the National Music Council. Tomorrow, the orchestra leave Leicestershire for Chippenham where their Easter course of intensive rehearsal will be directed by conductor Norman Del Mar. Sir Michael Tippett, patron of the enterprising Leicestershire School of Music, will take part in the filming, which will occupy the final two days of the eight day course. The ultimate in artistic achievement in "Music!" will be represented by the B.B.C. Symphony Orchestra under its conductor Colin Davis who is acting as Musical Adviser for the film project. The B.B.C. orchestra's co- leader Trevor Williams will be one of two specialist tutors at Chippenham during the Easter course. The other is Ambrose Gaultlett, senior cello professor at the Royal Academy. "Music!" will also feature Leicestershire schools. Excerpts from the many and varied activities that are part of the County's musical growth were filmed last month at Birstall, Quorn, Thurmaston, Thurcaston, Coalville and Burton-on-the-Wolds. Nichola Gebolys, the gifted young pianist who has already played with the Leicestershire Schools Orchestra, will also be there to rehearse for forthcoming concerts in Leicester De Montfort Hall (May 1), Fairfield Hall, Croydon, and during the Vienna trip in the early Autumn.

LEICESTER MERCURY, MAY 1968

Youth and maturity in orchestra’s style

This orchestra, now deservedly famous, has the rare privilege of enjoying at one and the same time perennial youth and increasing maturity of style. The 100 young musicians who filled the stage of Leicester De Montfort Hall last night, for instance, were no longer wholly the same as those whose excellent playing has been permanently captured on a 12-inch record issued earlier this year. But departures at the top end of the age-range are annually compensated for by replenishments supplied via the County School of Music's two other symphony orchestras - the Junior and the Intermediate. The process is continual and it is worth mentioning because one item in last night’s programme reflects the rate of advancement that has been achieved in very recent years and the confidence that the orchestra attracts and enjoys. Walton's Partita was written expressly to show off the paces of one of the world's most virtuoistic orchestras - the Cleveland. It was first performed a decade ago at which time nobody - not even in Leicestershire - would have conceived of its being attempted by a schools orchestra. But played it was, last night, fearlessly and with evidence of a genuine instinct for Walton's characteristic rhythmic energy in the outer movements and with good solo work in the central Siciliana. In a different way and without the technical battles to remind us of sheer difficulty of execution, the Delius was as fully revealing of orchestral quality and more, of mature orchestral thinking. Under Eric Pinkett's direction, this was a highly successful performance in which the various sections of the orchestra used intelligence and excellent ensemble sense to fill out with fine balance and tone the composer's rich harmonic textures. There were some really sumptuous sounds to be heard. In an evening's music which set out to be entertaining the high comedy spot was lbert's Divertissement with its Keystone Cops finale. It was extremely well played by chamber orchestra with percussion and the 25 performers relished its sharp wit without loss of musicianly restraint. Eric Pinkett generously and wisely allowed the beautiful playing of Nichola Gebolys to inflect the course of the Franck Variations. She is a pianist of quite exceptional gifts among which (a rarity nowadays) is her capacity for making the instrument sing. She has a beguiling legato, an alert rhythmic sense and (as in the lento section) the ability to sustain lengthy expressive paragraphs. A word of praise here to the cellos for their sympathetic response. There is space only to mention the robust and vigorous orchestral playing that, in breezy contemporary American-idiom, opened and closed a concert that was sponsored by the Friends of the County School of Music with the aim of helping towards the cost of the orchestra’s Autumn trip to Vienna, Salzburg, Graz, Linz and Munich. R.A.P.

LEICESTER MERCURY, MAY 1968

Young county musicians in Royal Premiere

The full-length colour film "Music!" which will feature Leicestershire County School of Music is likely to have a Royal premiere in September. Leicestershire's contribution will be completed at Birstall on May 25 when the sound of the Leicestershire Schools Orchestra will be recorded for "dubbing" on to the film made during the orchestra's Easter course at Chippenham.

Earlier in the year, film and recordings were made of the musical life of six Leicestershire schools. "Music!" whose musical director is Colin Davis (conductor of the B.B.C. Symphony Orchestra) is planned as a prestige film which will be shown at international festivals.

The record made by the Leicestershire Schools Orchestra has had very favourable reviews since its issue earlier in the year, writes Leicester Mercury music critic R. A. P. and the standard of playing has won enthusiastic praise. There have been one or two mild criticisms of the disc's quality of sound and having been present in the De Montfort Hall during the recording I can confirm that the orchestra's characteristic vitality has not been perfectly captured. The young instrumentalists technical achievement, of course, speaks for itself but the aural effect of my particular copy improved enormously after I discovered that a stereophonic disc had been mistakenly put in a mono sleeve!

LEICESTER MERCURY, NOVEMBER 1968