Coventry School of Music

Does anyone out there remember, The Coventry School of Music? Was situated just beyond where the inner ring road is now. I attended, 1955/56 time.

Whereabouts exactly was it located? Was it in the rather ornate building formerly used by St John's School or was it a separate building further along Dover Street?

Yes it was the Old St John's School on the corner of Gloucester Street and Dover Street. The building was refurbished by the Council in the late 60's and the entrance was moved to the rear. The playground was turned into a car park with access via Percy Street. Prior to that, brass tuition took place at Cheylesmore School in Mile Lane and the Coventry School of Music Corps of Drums used to rehearse in the playground.

Ah, thanks for clarifying that for me. Despite living very close to it I had very little knowledge of the area until comparitively recently! I did however remember seeing from the Ring Road many years ago the large sign which at one time indicated the presence of the Coventry School of Music. This is a picture of the Ring Road/Holyhead Road junction under construction in the early 1960s: The unmistakable silhouette of St John's School is on the left with Dover Street just to the right of it. The imposing watchmakers houses and workshops on the North side of Holyhead Road (right of centre) have long since disappeared. My understanding is that the original St John's School was very much larger than the surviving building having housed as many as 500 pupils at one stage.

I was a member of the Coventry School of Music Junior orchestra, run by Brian Llewellyn. I also attended one or two reheasals of the main orchestra. I remember that we rehearsed in a school hall just off Mile Lane. I can't remember the name of the school nor the road and, unfortunately, the whole area has now been redeveloped. After Friday evening rehearsals, we used to thunder down Mile Lane on our bicycles, then along St Patricks's Road and Queens Road to the Butts chip shop, close to St Thomas's Church (now also long gone). They were the best fish and chips in Coventry!

That particular chip shop - which at one time I visited twice a week - is now a pizza parlour.

My dad was in the Coventry School of Music playing the trumpet. I'll have to have a chat with mum about dates etc. but I know she has photo of him in their very smart red and black uniform. I recall him telling me about playing in St Mary's Guildhall - Laurie 'Jack' Yardley if anyone recalls the name.

I attended the Coventry School of Music 1973/74. We used to often play concerts at lunchtimes in Coventry Cathedral and I remember performing The Heavens are Telling at St Mary's Hall, I sang 'Gabriel'. In lunch and break times we sat in the entrance hall of the building (in Percy Street) drinking hot chocolate etc. from the vending machine. Hence the name I have used! I have recently stumbled across another person that was there at the same time. He is now teaching. Although I did not pursue a musical career I have played in our local brass band since 1975. It would be good to find anyone else that was there too.

I was a member of the Coventry School of Music Brass Band from 1949 till 1957, except for 2 years National Service. The Band Master was Jack Major, who I knew quite well as had previously played tenor recorder in his recorder band whilst he was a teacher at Moseley Avenue School. I played tenor horn and travelled about the country with the band playing in contests, also in many concerts including at the Coventry Hippodrome, one being a Birthday Show in 1953 with Diana Dors, Beverley Sisters (Joy bought me a pint and gave me her autograph, which I still have), Semprini (pianist), Jewel & Warriss. Started dating a chorus girl, lasted about six months. Here am I getting carried away. A great time I had with CSM.

Hello to you both Hotchocolate & 130batsford, Gosh, two new members on consecutive posts. Welcome to you both.

I attended an extra curricular music course there, probably about 1985ish, before the building was sold to a private company. The music classes moved to Ullathorne.

I was in the School of Music orchestra 61 to 63 playing flute, lead by Brian Llewellyn. In August 1962 we went on a tour of Holland, Germany (including the then East Germany), and Austria, playing 6 or 7 concerts on the way. Bit of an adventure in those times - I think the East Germans were building the Berlin wall right then and I remember the border crossings took for ever - but we visited Dresden and played a concert there. I still have a clay medal thing they awarded to all the kids in the orchestra. Would love to hear from anyone who might have been on the tour also.

I was in the Coventry School of Music Corps of Drums for a while. We played at various Summer Fetes in Coventry and Little Park St. Police Station Parade Ground plus the Carnival & headed the Remembrance Day Parade. The only name I remember was Adrian Spivey because we attended the same school. I certainly remember Mr. Rose.

Thank you! I was a contemporary of "hotchocolate" & the vending machine in 1973/74 before pursuing a career in nursing and interest in music therapy. My grandmother attended the same school in the 1920s for her primary education. Structurally, not much had changed. I too remember singing 'The Heavens are Telling' in St. Mary's Hall. I continue to play the flute (badly) and now sing with a "cathedral music" chamber-choir - occasionally in Coventry Cathedral. I'd also like to hear from other students from our era/cohorts.

Just to say, this point was never made clear at the beginning, I was never aware of a band, I was a member of a choir. With a couple of young ladies, Marilyn Gilway and her younger sister, they lived in Dennis Road, we were sent from Stoke Heath School at about the age of 9 years. In those days I think that I was a reasonable singer, from Caludon, in the first year a couple of us were sent to sing in choir of the church that was at the end of Corporation Street. We were sent by our music master, Mr Matthews, whom we obviously called Mozart! Was the church, Christ Church? Sure that someone will tell me.