Further Scrapings: More Musical Memories Book

Further Scrapings - Synopsis This book is a sequel to the author's previous volume "Scraping a Living", the memories of a typical British violinist in the latter part of the 20th century, and here he delves more deeply into earliest childhood memories. The 'dark, satanic mills' were then still belching forth plumes of black smoke, painting every building in the industrial West Riding a forbidding black, but it was relatively easy to escape into the unspoilt beauties of the Yorkshire Dales. Family life is remembered, from the special standpoint of a household where both parents were working as professional music teachers, and music was the centre of their existence. They were his sole music teachers until he won a scholarship to the RAM London aged sixteen. However, to grow up in the twenties and thirties meant a gradually increasing awareness of threatening times ahead - a grim counterpoint to an otherwise happy existence. This led to the outbreak of war, and the student days in London began exactly when the wartime Blitz started. Three years of study, was followed by service in the Royal Marines Staff Band, under Colonel Kenneth Ricketts, alias K.J.Alford, composer of "Colonel Bogey", the most successful march tune of all time! After the war came membership of the Boyd Neel String Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra, playing under the greatest conductors of the century. From 1955 to 1966 he was leader of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and later held the post of Concertmaster of the BBC Training Orchestra. There are appendices and other chapters; giving Mountain's views on orchestral leadership, conducting, teaching and general music education which should interest musicians and lay readers alike.Read More