Music, the Phillips Period.
Mr. Gordon Phillips, the present music master, joined the staff in
September 1957. Instead of the, by this time, almost traditional combined
School, Staff and Old Boys and Girls Gilbert and Sullivan production
(or home-produce on similar lines), he decided to change the whole style.
In 1959 he and Mr. J. C. Chamberlain presented"Let's Make
an Opera" by Benjamin Britten. This work called for audience participation
and was thoroughly enjoyed. The total attendance reached nearly 1000
on the three nights it was performed - some of whom came every evening.
Angela Bradley (then in the V1th) wrote"The casting was excellent
and the use of purely school talent was a welcome change and entirely
suitable for such a production. The children were so natural and unaffected
that the audience was ‘caught up' in their gaiety and enthusiasm
for the opera and seemed only too willing to help out as the chorus".
Indeed the whole performance depended on the co-operation of the audience
and they were inspired by Mr. Phillips' enthusiasm. He himself
says that without his co-producer's work it would never have reached
the stage.
Angela went on to add"Sheila Turley made a most efficient old girl.
Her voice was distinct and natural and she completely filled the part. Yvonne
Turley really shone as Rowan.; her clear soprano voice was a delight to everyone.
Robert Gwilliam's acting was outstanding. He has a very distinct speaking
voice and his deep bass tones well filled the role of the sweep. David Merrett
his ‘partner in crime' was also excellent. Carol Brown was very
confident and her voice well filled her role of an amateur dramatic singer,
whilst Anthony Davis sang like an angel - we really did not hear enough of
him. Jane Akrill and David Pitt acted well and sang strongly."
To these I would specially like to mention not only Leslie Aston and John Houle
as the twins but also Bernard Sims who all sang very well; but the producer
himself has a special word of praise for Christopher Nelmes who, to quote him
verbatim,"had a lovely natural voice of choir-boy timbre". Angel
concluded"Mr. And Mrs. Fowler of the Art School must not be forgotten
for the originality and modern style of the scenery which was well in keeping
with the new opera. The support given by Mr. H. T. Pitt and David Hoult on
the piano was unfailing and polished and Dr. H. Howells and Denis McKernon
on the percussion made an admirable partnership. In fact the opera was a success
in every way and the participants were justly pleased with themselves".
In spite of this successful venture it was felt that this kind of musical occasion
employed only a small percentage of the entire school because of the special
talents required of the performers. Consequently in 1963 the first school concert
under the direction of Mr. G. Phillips took place and in this over one-third
of the school performed as members of the Junior and Senior Choirs, or the
chamber string orchestra, or as individual performers. These concerts were
to become, with few exceptions, annual occasions which followed the same general
pattern: in the first half the Junior Choir was the mainstay between whose
groups of items came solos and duets on a large variety of instruments, including
the piano, cornet, oboe, horn, violin, clarinet and euphonium. The human voice
was not forgotten and there were many solos and duets. Without exception these
items reached a very high standard indeed. There were also many instrumental
ensembles and on a number of occasions, particularly towards the end of the
series, the school orchestra (which now has twenty-five players consisting
of strings, brass and wood-wind sections) gave several items. Here again both
groups performed with great skill; the second half of the programme was devoted
principally to some major work given by the Senior Choir and, depending on
the length of this work, the performances of the ensembles and school orchestra
were given in the first or second half.
..missing section here...
Lydney Observer")"with
the style of professionals, by two talented Sixth Formers, Lynne Gurney and
Richard Fry, one item of which,"Whispering Wind", Mr. Fry composed
himself." The critic went on to add"Much appreciated by
the audience was the performance of the school orchestra, and the playing
of
the clarinet
by Richard Kirk, who has been accepted as a student of the Royal College
of Music."
To return, finally, to the concluding item, Bach's Easter Cantata: the
general high quality of the evening's entertainment - if one may use
such a word for such a solemn and moving work - was well maintained. Indeed
as one listener remarked it was a fine ending to a very rewarding evening.
Some people do not enjoy audience participation, but for the final"Chorale" such
was the enthusiasm engendered by the conductor that he not only managed
to teach the audience what he wanted them to sing but they joined the
choir with
enthusiasm and enjoyment. Their response showed how much everyone had
thoroughly enjoyed the whole concert which was a fitting climax to the
musical work
done at Lydney Grammar School over the seventy years of its existence
.J. H.
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