Jack Major - Music fame

I too remember Jack Major at both Moseley Avenue and at Woodlands. I am in fact in the first picture of the Woodlands School orchestra playing of all things the French horn!! I hadn't played one before or since but was recruited to make up the numbers and fill a chair!!! In the first school concert he played a duet with Bryan Fernyhough who went on to be a renowned composer and I believe still teaches at Stanford Uni in America. I too was in the school choir and can clearly remember we sang "12 days of Christmas" and on each day the requisite number would stand and sing, so on day 5, 5 of us would stand, problem was I kept forgetting to stand and simply stood at whatever number was on and sang with them. The audience found it funny! Jack never!

I played in the Woodlands School Orchestra when Jack Major was music teacher and also in a youth orchestra he had at a youth centre just off Spon Street on a Friday evening. I did try and play in the Silver Band but a euphonium was a lot different than the flute I played at school but I would help the band when they went carolling at Christmas time.

Jack Major was in the Salvation Army in his early years, but when I spoke to him in later years he said he left because he was no longer convinced of there thoughts and practices, Jack was a socialist but he understood that others have different leanings, I found him a very honest, trust worthy and a true friend to myself and my family

Lovely to see some old photos of my dear friend Jack Major

The Coventry Festival Band. In 1944 Jack Major founded an Air Training Corps Band and this was the foundation from which the present band grew. At the end of 1947 the band was demobilized and became the Coventry Boys Band. This with the Corps of Drums, formed the basis of the Coventry School of Music, which grew into the wide based musical organization that it is today. However, disagreements over policy led to the entire brass band deciding to leave the School in 1957 and set up an independent band under its present name. This was greatly assisted by the support of Mr B W Stephenson, who bought the band a set of instruments and became its first President. Throughout this period .and until his retirement in 1970, Jack Major worked tirelessly to build the band and was responsible for instilling a love of music into many young people. On the death of Mr Stephenson, Jack became President of the band. Although it is 10 years since his retirement The Coventry Festival Band can still be called "The Band that Jack built". Notes from from the program of the Concert to Commemorate the Musical Life Of John Richard Major 1903-1980.

Just come across this topic. I remember Pop Major during my time at Woodlands (1961-66), but with not much affection. He told me to keep quiet on the only time I ever went to choir practice and gave me a "tone deaf" on one of my school reports.