The Pinkett Years

Highlights from early memories - Bill Littlejohn

In 1946 Melton Mowbray was still living in its past. The aristocratic pre-war world of hunting lodges, Royal visits and 1930's high life pervaded the town; despite the election landslide it still returned a Conservative MP. Music was the preserve of the upper class, it was cultured, refined and respected, matching the folklore which surrounded Malcom Sargent's ascent from church organist to World Famous Conductor.

The Pinketts arrived in this environment and Eric set off on his quest to make children play music. The Grammar School pupils were largely from artisan families, about half of them living on the surrounding farms. To them music was 'cissy' so his first task was to overcome their prejudice. Under Mr Anderson the school was beginning to develop a good cricket team and my first memory of Mr Pinkett is an appearance in the 'Under 14' nets after school. In his book he attributes his appointment to an aptitude for sport and his left arm spin bowling was certainly good enough to challenge even the best players of that age. Music soon had some respected advocates with several years of schooling ahead! The first instruments arrived almost immediately and after the next net he distributed them - one to each cricketer. My allocation was a violin but that raised objections at home. However I had been convinced that I should be involved and next day discussed the problem with him. He had probably given all the instruments away and the outcome was that I borrowed his trumpet. That is the instrument I am holding in the centre of the first photo taken of the Melton School orchestra, by which time I could play some music. That photo was taken after the second delivery of instruments and for several of the 'players' it was the first time that they touched their allocated 'tools'.

Availability of a full complement of instruments was always a problem both in the Melton orchestra and, later in the early stages of the LSSO. The major shortages in the woodwind were oboe, bassoon and to a lesser extent clarinet and in the brass the french horn. I think there were different reasons for the deficiencies. Mr Pinkett was primarily a violinist with the trumpet as his second instrument, so he was never as ardent an advocate for the woodwind as he was for the strings and brass. Despite his efforts to cover the problem the woodwind shortage persisted until Mr Neale came on board. The horn shortage was probably cash driven, even piston valve horns were too valuable to be given to schools and rotary valves were out of the question. Sometimes the brass band tenor horn appeared but the transpositions, culture and range made difficulties. These shortages were emphasised by the 'custodians' of local music and I can remember comments like 'how could you play that without an oboe?'. Our first counter to that one was in the Melton school Gondoliers in 1948 when, as part of the Melton Town orchestra I played the oboe solos on the muted trumpet. The tactic was steadily expanded so that in LSSO concerts in 1950/51 I would have four parts - trumpet, oboe, french horn and bassoon - playing the relevant solos on my Bb/A trumpet and transposing, usually on sight because we never knew who was going to turn up! The effect on the purists when a bassoon solo appeared two or three octaves higher and with at least a few wrong notes can be imagined. Still we gave the concerts and children made music.

Eric Pinkett's ability as a motivator is a matter of history but from a personal perspective it was only much later in life that I realised just how good it was. After one of the early Melton School orchestra concerts which drew comment from some members of the audience I remember him saying quietly to me 'Don't they think I know it was out of tune?'. He said it in a way that made me take it as a joke. Much later I realised he must have felt he had to say it to someone who would understand and as a senior pupil I fitted the bill. His musical competence was being questioned and, although he raises the point differently, much later, and less stressfully in his book, he must have been dismayed at the reaction. He could turn even that depression into something to encourage me to continue with the cause. It was a criticism he must have encountered many times. His legacy justifies his courage.

WGL/2000