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Harry's Our
Champion.
Subsequently retiring in 1958, Mr.
Howell was replaced by Alan Gibson who remained in charge for one year.
"He didn't seem to settle, but was quite a good organist,"
Harry comments. "Then along came Charles Western who was one of
the Western brothers, the famous radio act. He was there for 17 years
until 1976 with a choir of boys only. It was limited in choice but a
very good choir." Harry adds: "In 1976 he had a difference
of opinion with the then Vicar John Borrill." But the next organist and choirmaster
only stayed for three months. he was Ronald Withers, a teacher of chemistry
at Middlesex Hospital School. Harry recalls that Mr Withers also left
after having a disagreement with John Borrill. "Then came Richard Morrison,"
Harry jubilantly states, his voice fired up with enthusiasm "The
standard he has got is amazingly high. It's quite outstanding and always
under control. We are very fortunate having a man like Richard. Being neighbours in Sunny Gardens
Road, Harry had popped by for a chat the other day. One question I felt
I had to ask was who does he remember most over the years and began
by jogging his memory with his long-time friend Len Warner. "We
all know what a character Len was," he smiles. "I do have
vivid memories of a group of men who all died in their seventies. There
was Commander Robinson who had one of his legs shot off at Jutland.
Then there were the famous Flanagan brothers, Fred and Pat." Bringing back the memories as we
talked, Harry recalled Henry Winsdale who he described as a 'staunch
singer' but left in 1980 following the death of his wife. he went to
live with his daughter in a village near Christ Church, not far from
Bournemouth, Harry recalled. There was a pause as Harry's face
filled with sadness. "I was very sorry indeed about Richard Belton,
the finest soloist baritone I have ever heard," he said. Harry describes his own voice as
a tenor but really a high baritone - a quality recognised by the BBC
and the New Philharmonia Chorus. He was a member of both, working alongside
some of the greatest names in classical music and performing at some
of the most prestigious venues throughout the world. "When in the
BBC choir, the singing rarely conflicted with my work at St Mary's,
or indeed my occupation," states Harry. "But the Philharmonia
Chorus conflicted a bit and I was in that for seven years. My
wife Doreen was a founder member of the Philharmonia Chorus." Eventually
Harry found the commitment needed for the Philharmonia Chorus was interfering
with his work. "I managed to get into the
BBC Chorus which in those days, 1959-1965 was under Malcolm Sargent
and Rudolph Schwartz," he reveals. "We were busy during the
summer months rehearsing and performing at the Proms and I even took
part in a last night which is a grand jamboree. In
'65 my office hours changed and I was allowed to perform with the Philharmonia
Chorus. We played concerts at the Royal Festival Hall and Royal Albert
Hall and made records, some of which have now become available on CDs.
These were with Giullini and Otto Klemperer
and have sung under dozens of conductors including Raphael Fruhbeck." One of the greatest moments with
the Philharmonia Chorus was performing Elijah in Madrid with the Spanish
National Orchestra. A fellow choir member was Guardian art critic Paul
Jennings. Paul, writing in the Guardian in December 1968, said: Raymond
Herinck and Norma Procter sang as never before; but even humble chorus
members were besieged for autographs. ' I felt like a Beatle' said one
of our bearded tenors. "The best choir
in Europe," said ABC, (a Spanish newspaper). "They performed
a thousand feats of true virtuosity" Ah, it was a great flight
back. And we've been asked to go again in February." Giving
a review of the performance, Paul Jennings described Fruhbeck's interpretation
of Elijah as "passionate, dynamic and whole." Although an obvious major highlight
in Harry's musical journey through life, it was certainly not the only
one. "Other great occasions were under
Giullini in a Roman amphitheatre near Marseilles," enthuses Harry.
"It's an enormous amphitheatre. The Romans built it to house 30,000
but it has been reduced to seven or eight thousand." Away from the music Harry was a
chartered secretary for much of his working life, employed by Witton-
James Ltd, a subsidiary of GEC. "The firm made driving equipment
and feed equipment for newspaper presses," explains Harry. "Customers
included the Daily Express, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph and the Russian
paper Pravda, but they were all over the empire. I
was there between 1946 and 1976 but then they merged my job and I was
redundant. I continued to work as an accountant for GEC at North Wembley
for five years, finally retiring in 1981." Not that Harry took it any easier.
Quite the opposite in fact. "For a few years after retirement,
Charles Western who used to train youngsters for opera roped me in to
take a party of children to Carmen," Harry quips. "That
of course was just one of the jobs I had with him, showing youngsters
behind the scenes, but he got me to help him generally." Meeting Doreen during World War
II led the couple to marriage, the wedding taking place in her home
town of Brighouse, Yorkshire. "Doreen
and I were in set-up intercepting and deciphering the enigma,"
he muses. "We were both in the Signals. I was at an outstation
known as Station X at Bletchley where I did the prelimary sorting and
coding. We weren't allowed to know too much." Harry grew up in the Victoria Park
area of South Hackney, almost opposite St Augustine's Church. It was
there, at the age of eight that he became a choir boy, before becoming
organist and choirmaster in 12 years. "I have been just about good
enough to deputy at St Mary's all the time I've been here," Harry
modestly tells. "In 1938 I moved to South Woodford but carried
on at St Augustine's." Harry's early musical influences
were band leaders Jack Hylton and Henry Hall - then he heard a classical
work which was to change his life. "I heard the London Symphony
by Haydn and that was it ," he confides. " That led me on
to more serious music. I learnt to play
violin and carried on after school with the Leyton Municipal Orchestra
and I also got roped in for some church organ work. The small salaries
paid for fees at the Trinity College of Music." He continues: "In 1936 I took
over at St Augustine's where they asked me to tackle it as a raw beginner.
That was quite an accolade." Without
the encouragement he had from his piano playing mother, we may never
have had the privilege to enjoy Harry's musical talents. As it is, Harry has had the best of both worlds - the enjoyment of music and a successful career in accounting - altogether a very good balance.
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