Listen to the orchestra: excerpt from Polka from 'Schwanda the Bagpiper' (Weinberger), recorded at the School Concert 27-2-61.


Listen to to the choir (accompanied by myself) in an excerpt from The Peasant Cantata (J.S.Bach), recorded at the same concert.

      One of Warwick's strengths was the Music Society. E.G.Holmes, who took over from T.N.Tunnard in 1958, put a lot of effort into building up the orchestra (and persuading the headmaster to fund practice instruments). There was a concert at the end of every term, with orchestral pieces, choral items (at Easter and Christmas usually chunks of an appropriate oratorio) and solo or group items. In summer 1958 we even had a skiffle group and I played a couple of jazz piano solos, but the next term the Headmaster indicated to E.G.H., who had now taken over, that he did not wish to see this repeated (in those days jazz was regarded as being far from respectable).

      I can't remember all the names in the picture: here are those I can. I am at the first violin desk with C.Grayer to my right: the violinist behind me may be C. Chapman: between us you can see M.Beevers, trumpet. In the front - P.Mundey and D.Robinson (flutes), K.Passmore (oboe): I can't identify the two violinists in the front of the picture or the other violinists at the back . In the second row, G.Price (bassoon), two clarinetists I can't identify & D.Bainbridge (clarinet): at the back, L.Fogg (double-bass), A.Sandwell and Evans (cello), and Bennet (viola). (If the names look a bit formal, remember that boys at this sort of school almost never addressed each other by their christian names - it was either surnames or nicknames).

 

All photographs © R.F.Wilmut
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