Coventry School of Music

On 1st Aug 2014 12:57pm, Slash1 said: 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.

On 1st Apr 2016 1:45pm, Little Nut said: What a find!! My husband and I were members of the band until 1971, so know quite a few of the people in the photo. However it is a surprise to see who isn't there as well. My husband played B flat bass and I played percussion. He was first taught trumpet by Len Pepper, who visited local schools and played in the first ever band group who met at Caludon Castle School. Some of the older lads were young apprentices from the Jaguar Band, but Len's band was classified as a youth band. Their first engagement was at the National Savings Annual Dinner played at the Police Assembly Hall in New Union St. They played the March from Scipio and the March from Alsace. I joined in 1963 when percussion was allowed for the first time in 4th division competitions. I was having lessons at the School of Music and my teacher played in the Coventry Theatre pit orchestra with Len, so we were encouraged to join! Many years later after spending every summer weekend either playing in various parks around the West Midlands or at competitions we decided to leave. We left in November 1971 just after the band had qualified to play in the championship section - it was a bit like football, you had to win a national competition to go up, but unlike football now the championship was the premiership for bands. We were both approaching final exams with our marriage planned for March 1972 so something had to go and unfortunately it was the band.

On 2nd Nov 2014 1:34pm, Czechchick63 said: I sang with the Coventry Schools' Choir in the 1970s under the inspirational musical direction of Alan Biddle. You had to pass an audition to join. I was at Earlsdon Junior Girls' School where we listened to and sang with the BBC Schools' broadcast 'Singing Together'. Our music teacher was Irene Bliss and she instilled a love of singing that's lasted a lifetime - and encouraged me to audition for the Coventry Schools' Choir, which in those days rehearsed in Percy Street. There was also a recorder group and a schools' orchestra at Percy Street, both of which I performed in. Again, I seem to remember auditions for both. My violin teacher at Earlsdon was Mr Moriarty.

On 4th Jan 2018 6:10pm, Billy Bolton said: In response to some of the previous posts here are three photos that I think are of members of the Youth Orchestra. The only name I am certain of is Brian Llewellyn. Can anyone help with the others? The photos were taken in the early 1960s

On 8th May 2011 1:06am, dutchman said: 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?

On 24th May 2016 5:48am, ghlee said: Hello Slash1. I was also a member, 1956/57. My class teacher at Stoke Heath School, Mr Knight, recommended that I join as two girls in the class - Diane Gilway (the younger sister) and Linda Oughton - were already members and that the choir would benefit with the addition of my soprano voice. I recall that the weekly practice gatherings were at the Town Hall and that we gave one concert that year for families and friends. I discontinued when I attended secondary school the following year.

On 7th Feb 2021 1:56pm, MarvelJo said: I'm afraid I don't recall the name Billy Bolton, but maybe I should if you were on the youth orchestra's European tour in 1962, as I was. I'm pretty sure these photos were taken on that memorable trip. You are right that Brian Llewellyn was our conductor. Great to see these faces again. The ones I recall are: 1st picture, l to r: Lyndon Thomas (double bass), Les Berger (violin), ?, Mick McMullen (violin), Paul? Smith (oboe) 2nd picture, l to r: Pete Warner (violin), ?Adrian *** (cello), Paul (oboe), someone hiding at the back, Ken Cox (flute), Les Berger, Mick McMullen, Lyndon Thomas, Phil McConnell (violin, seated) 3rd picture, l to r: Phil McConnell (standing), Lyndon Thomas, Les Berger, ? (possibly the same as the one hiding in the previous picture), me (Martin Jones, cello), Brian Llewellyn (viola), Paul (oboe). I remember a few others on that trip: Keith Dronfield (violin), Angela Smith (now Orgill, she played violin in Slough Philharmonic for a while), Margaret Glass (piano), John Tyler (horn). Where are they all now? Lyndon played bass professionally, starting in Bournemouth, I believe. I live in Reading and play in Windsor and Maidenhead SO and Ealing SO. Happy Memories. Thanks for the pictures.