Music
Grange always had an excellent reputation for music during our time there. The choir, especially, was highly regarded and always seemed to be winners at the Wharfedale Festival etc.
Richard Darke writes: “At one time a very eminent musical scholar, Watkins Shaw, was a pupil and a younger contemporary of his was Frank Mumby who was for many years Senior Lecturer in Music at Leeds University. My own brother, Malcolm, who was in the Sixth Form in 1957-58 remembered a music master who had the delightful name of Meanwell Henton. He in turn produced programme notes for years of Halle concerts at St George’s Hall. His successor was John Victor Pollard who subsequently moved to Ilkley Grammar School just before Keith Rhodes came to Grange. Keith, like so many of his colleagues, was an Old Granger himself. Brian Baines, onetime Assistant Music teacher and later of “Look North” was a pupil at the same time as Keith, as was Hedley Teale, who for many years was Music Master at Belle Vue Boys’
1958 School Magazine Report
During the past year members of the school have been engaged in musical activities of various kinds, ranging from the choirs with a total membership of over 70 to the Music Club with some half dozen enthusiasts.
Grange is better equipped with instruments than many schools and thus special opportunities are afforded for boys to learn to play an instrument. Many do take advantage of the opportunities, and though a small number fail to realise that hard work is necessary if they are to make any progress and abandon the attempt, there are some each year who do well and graduate to the orchestra. The usual wisecracks directed towards school orchestras in general and amateur string players in particular have not been merited this year by our own school orchestra. Indeed, when tuning up, they sound just like the Halle. Especially successful have been their performances of movements from a Purcell Suite, given at the Speech Day and at the School Concert. The string section is much indebted to its “associate” members - Mr Mitchell, Mr Jackson and Andrew House.
A new venture this year has been the formation of a Junior Choir consisting of form one boys only. What the boys have lacked in vocal maturity they have made up for by their general keenness, and have provided a serious rival to the Senior Choir. Both choirs performed together at the Speech Day and separately at the School Concert.
The Semi-chorus, which has been in existence for over a year, now consists of first and second trebles, altos, tenors and basses. The more difficult type of music which this group tackled has necessarily limited membership to those with special experience and musicianship. The performance of the Dowland part song and “Strange Adventure” from “Yeomen of the Guard” at the School Concert was well done and well received.
There has been a notable increase in the number of boys attending the Halle Orchestra and Bradford Festival Choral Society concerts. Grange has, in fact, taken a larger number of student tickets than any other boys’ school. The school has also provided a larger number of tenors and basses for the Bradford Youth Choir than any other single school.
19/2/10
© 2007 GDB & LDC
I am hugely indebted to Hector Hill (Grange 59er) for passing on copies of the Grange Boys’ Choir singing, he thinks, between 1959 and 1963. Please click on a link below which will take you to the appropriate piece of music hosted on YouTube.
1957 Magazine Report
The ancient Greek philosopher Plato, describing what he considered to be an ideal training for young people, attached particular importance to 2 subjects - music and physical training. Pursuance of these 2 subjects, he said, would inculcate a love of goodness and beauty along with moral and physical strength. It is certainly very doubtful whether any parents would send their children to a school where only these 2 subjects were taught; but conversely, a school where neither subject appeared on the timetable would not be a very good school. It is very often true to say that the “tone” of a school can be measured by the quality and extent of its music-making.
There are ample opportunities at Grange for boys to take part in musical activities either as instrumentalists, singers or listeners, and many do take advantage of the facilities available. For example, almost 40 boys are learning to play instruments at the school instrumental classes. It might be useful to mention here that we should be most grateful to receive from old boys and others gifts or loans of orchestral or brass band instruments.
The school orchestra is a small and select body. It is small because it is select. However, its numbers are growing, and as its members are rather on the young side, they are likely to remain with us for a year or two. At a concert given during the summer the orchestra played the Minuet and Trio movement from Haydn’s 104th Symphony.
The Music Club has held a number of meetings throughout the past year, mainly to listen to records. We have a very fine and extensive collection of records along with modern equipment for playing them. It is hoped to include more “live” concerts during the coming year.
Last but by no means least there is the choir. In the forefront at several important events of the school year, the choir is representative of the school and the school must to a certain extent be judged by the singing and general bearing of members of the choir.. The Jubilee celebrations brought with them a heavy programme for the choirs. On the Sunday afternoon at the Jubilee service the choir led the singing and gave a performance of Purcell’s fine verse anthem, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Only 2 days later came the Jubilee Speech Day at St George’s Hall at which the choir again played a prominent part. The 4-part choir sang again at the Carol Service, the trebles being joined by tenors and basses from the staff and senior boys. Some of the finest carol tunes come from France and 3 of the carols sung this year - “The Infant King,” “Whence is that goodly Fragrance” and “Ding dong merrily on high” - were set to French tunes, the latter being a 16th century dance tune. The main item, however, was not a carol but the chorus “And the Glory” from the Christmas music in Handel’s Messiah. It was given a “spirited rendering” and marked a fitting conclusion to the service.
The choir is hoping to go to Ilkley again this year to join battle with other choirs on the occasion of the Wharfedale Festival.
May we express a hope in conclusion that as many boys as possible in the school will take part in musical activities during the coming year and that they will find an increasing interest and enjoyment in making music and listening to it.
