Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra

The Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra (LSSO) is a youth orchestra based in Leicester, England. The players, aged between 15 and 18, are all drawn from secondary schools in the county of Leicestershire and the City of Leicester.

The Leicestershire County School of Music was founded in 1948 by the county's first Music Adviser, Eric Pinkett O.B.E., with the backing of the Leicestershire education committee headed up by a visionary Director of Education, Stuart Mason, who was deeply interested in music and The Arts in general.

By the mid 1960s, Eric Pinkett - supported by the inspirational patronage of Sir Michael Tippett - had managed to put the LSSO well and truly on the UK musical map. The orchestra also established an enviable international reputation due to its regular concert tours of major European cities, an annual tradition that started with visits to Essen in 1953, The Hague in 1954, Aarhus in 1955 and Oslo in 1956.

Eric Pinkett published his memoirs in 1969 by way of a 21st anniversary tribute to the Leicestershire County School of Music in a book called "Time to Remember" and this can be read on-line or downloaded. [http://www.lsso.co.uk/ericsbook.html Read "Time to Remember" here]

"Eric Pinkett and a group of LSSO players at Longslade Grammar School, Birstall in 1964. Foreground (l to r): John McGregor, Christine Whitfield, Pamela Torrance, Eric Pinkett, Rolf Wilson, John Price and Robert Howes."

The Patronage of Sir Michael Tippett

Sir Michael Tippett had a strong association with the LSSO and was a regular guest conductor, joining the orchestra on overseas tours to Belgium and Germany and generally supporting the state-funded musical education programme that had produced an orchestra of such high standards. He conducted the LSSO almost exclusively in twentieth-century music - Holst's "The Planets", Charles Ives' "Three Places in New England", Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" and "An American in Paris", Hindemith's "Symphonic Metamorphoses", Delius' "Brigg Fair", Constant Lambert's "Rio Grande", Copland's "Quiet City", Elgar's "Cockaigne" Overture and "Enigma Variations", Britten's "Four Sea Interludes", many of his own works and several new commissions by British composers.

"Tippett conducting his "Suite in D" in Fairfield Hall, Croydon 1967"

In one of his earliest concerts with the orchestra, at the 1965 Leicestershire Schools Music Festival in De Montfort Hall, Leicester, Tippett conducted a performance of "A Child of Our Time" with massed school choirs. Orchestral rehearsals for the 1965 festival took place in a local secondary school near Tippett's home in Corsham, Wiltshire. The intensive week of rehearsals was captured in an ATV television programme "Overture with Beginners" (see video links below). Under Tippett the LSSO made broadcasts on BBC radio and TV and established new standards for music-making in an educational context. Tippett himself often remarked that the playing of the LSSO was comparable to that of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. Many leading British performers had their first experience of orchestral music in the LSSO under Tippett. He composed "The Shires Suite" for the orchestra between 1965 and 1970 and was its patron from 1965 until his death in 1998. Tippett also made two commercial gramophone records with the LSSO for the Pye and Argo labels in 1967 and 1970 respectively (see discography below).

Sir Michael Tippett and "The Shires Suite"

"Some recollections of rehearsals and performances by former LSSO player John Whitmore"

"The Shires Suite" was written for the LSSO over a period of six years starting in 1965 and culminating in the finished work's first performance at the Cheltenham Festival in 1970. The suite consists of five movements: "Prologue, Interlude I, Cantata, Interlude II, " and "Epilogue" but the movements weren't composed in this order. The following article charts the progess of the suite's composition in the actual order that the movements were added.

In May 1965, the Leicestershire Schools Music Festival included a specially commissioned symphony by Alan Ridout and two new pieces for chorus and orchestra composed by Sir Michael Tippett specially for the occasion: "Prologue" and "Epilogue". These pieces were used to open and close the festival.

1) "Prologue"

The "Prologue" is a setting of "Soomer is i-coomen in":

"Soomer is i-coomen in, Loode sing cuckoo, Groweth sayd and bloweth mayd and springth the wood-e new. Sing cuc-koo, A-we blay-teth after lamb. Lowth after calve coo, Bullock stair-teth book-e-vair-teth. Mirry sing cuckoo, Cuc-koo, cuc-koo, Well sing-es thoo, cuckoo, Nay sweek thoo nay-ver noo".

2) "Epilogue"

The "Epilogue" has real significance for the LSSO because it is a setting of Non Nobis Domine by William Byrd and this used to be sung in the state schools of Leicestershire as a Grace. Michael heard Non Nobis Domine performed a capella by the orchestra at Corsham during a week of intensive rehearsals for the 1965 festival.

"Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, Sed nomini tuo, da gloriam".

The "Prologue" and "Epilogue" would eventually become the opening and closing movements of "The Shires Suite".

3) "Interlude II"

In 1969 the second phase of "The Shires Suite" was unveiled at the LSSO's Easter residential course in Cirencester. Orchestral parts, in manuscript, for "Interlude II" turned up at sectional rehearsals one morning. The first full orchestral rehearsals for "Interlude II" were directed by Norman Del Mar. Sir Michael joined the orchestra later in the week and a BBC television crew also arrived to film him conducting "Interlude II" and Ives' "Putnam's Camp" for a BBC-2 programme called "Music Now". Looking back, the rehearsals for "Interlude II" were absolutely riotous mainly due to the hand written orchestral parts and the novel inclusion of an electric guitar. The purely orchestral "Interlude II" is based on the music which introduces the characters Dov and Mel at their entry in Act I of Tippett's opera, The Knot Garden, which was written at the same time (1966-69) as this suite. "Interlude II" also incorporates the canon 'Great Tom is Cast' which appears three times, scored first for 3 trumpets and finally trumpets and trombones in octaves.

The new trilogy of "Prologue, Interlude II and Epilogue" received its first public performance at the Bath Festival on June 21st 1969 where the LSSO was conducted by Sir Michael.

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uilr-pMsf8Y Bath Festival performance 1969] In 1970, the LSSO's Easter residential course was held at Oxford and rehearsals were held by Sir Arthur Bliss, Bryan Kelly, Herbert Chappell and Sir Michael Tippett. The preparations this time were focused on rehearsing for an appearance at the Cheltenham Festival in July and a new gramophone record for Argo, which would include the "Introduction and Allegro" by Bliss, conducted by the composer and Tippett conducting his own "Interlude II and Epilogue". During this week at Oxford, Michael introduced the final two movements of "The Shires Suite" - "Interlude I" and "Cantata".

4) "Interlude I"

The slow, purely orchestral "Interlude I" is a kind of chorale prelude, based on the canon 'The Silver Swan'. The three melodic lines of the canon are presented at different speeds: Trumpet and trombone (normal speed), strings (decorated and much transformed, twice as slow) and bells and woodwind (clusters, one-a-half times as slow).

5) "Cantata"

The "Cantata" is a setting of three canons, before each of which the choir sings, 'Come let us sing you a song in canon.'

First comes a hunting canon by William Byrd:

"Hey, ho, to the Greenwood, Now let us go, Sing heave and ho. And there shall we find both buck and doe. Sing heave and ho. The hart and hind and the little pretty doe. Sing heave and ho".

Second, a drinking catch by Purcell to the words:

"Fie, nay prithee, John. Do not quarrel man, Let us be merry and drink about. You're a rogue, you cheated me, I'll prove before this company, I caren't a farthing, Sir, for all you are so stout. Sir, you lie, I scorn your word, Or any man that wears a sword, For all your huff, who cares a fig or who cares for you?" Third, a canon by Alexander Goehr to an epigram of William Blake, presented to the composer as a 60th birthday present.

"The sword sung on the barren heath, The sickle on the fruitful field: The sword he sang a song of death, But could not make the sickle yield".

By 1970, Michael had made some close friendships at the County School of Music and he kept in regular contact by telephone. On one famous occasion he was chatting to the orchestra’s PR manager, Jack Richards about the problems he was having with the percussion scoring in the "Cantata" of "The Shires Suite". Jack's tiny office was situated next door to the school canteen and as the conversation progressed a careless dinner lady dropped a tray of cutlery. This sparked the composer's imagination and Jack spent the next quarter of an hour or so dropping various combinations of forks and spoons onto the floor from different heights until the correct sound was achieved to the satisfaction of the composer. Who suggested the title given to the completed work? Jack Richards.

The Cheltenham Festival concert took place in the Town Hall on July 8th and the podium was shared by Sir Arthur Bliss, who conducted his own "Piano Concerto" with Frank Wibaut as soloist and Sir Michael, who directed Ives' riotous "Circus Band", "Rhapsody in Blue" by Gershwin and the first public performance of "The Shires Suite". It must be mentioned that in the early hours of July 8th, Michael was involved, as a passenger, in a serious road traffic accident whilst he was travelling from the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Despite this he continued his journey to Cheltenham, took a three hour rehearsal in the afternoon and then directed the concert in the evening. Sir Arthur referred to the concert as the best one of the 1970 festival.

"Interlude II and Epilogue" were recorded by Sir Michael and the LSSO on August 31st, 1970 for Argo Records. The session took place in Decca Studio No.3, West Hampstead and the disc was released in April 1971.

In September 1998, during a project to fully update the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra archives, a tape recording from Cheltenham resurfaced in an attic some 28 years after the event. It had been recorded in stereophonic sound of excellent quality. The performance is highly accomplished - beautifully captured as it took place that night in Cheltenham Town Hall and a permanent reminder of the special relationship between the Leicestershire County School of Music and Sir Michael Tippett.

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AHmzm7H_kM Cheltenham Festival performance 1970 Part 1]

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQABf7Gl5Ho Cheltenham Festival performance 1970 Part 2]

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiU1FgwSWfk Cheltenham Festival performance 1970 Part 3]

"First performance of Tippett's "Epilogue" in the De Montfort Hall in 1965"

New commissions, major concerts, broadcasts and recordings

Over the years the orchestra's repertoire has included a number of specially commissioned works by composers such as Sir Michael Tippett ("The Shires Suite" - see previous section), David Bedford ("Alleluia Timpanis"), Bryan Kelly ("Sancho Panza, Sinfonia Concertante"), Anthony Milner ("Te Deum"), Alan Ridout ("Concertante Music, Symphony No.2, Funeral Games for a Greek Warrior"), Brian Bonsor ("The Pied Piper of Hamelin"), William Mathias ("Sinfonietta"), Herbert Baumann ("Variations on an Old English Folk Song"), and Herbert Chappell (Overture "Panache").

Since the late 1950s, many illustrious musicians have conducted the orchestra and these have included Sir Michael Tippett, Alan Ridout, Sir Arthur Bliss, Sir Adrian Boult, Sir Malcolm Arnold, Sir Charles Groves, Norman Del Mar, George Weldon, Rudolf Schwarz, James Loughran, Laszlo Heltay, Herbert Chappell, Bryan Kelly, Alan Ridout, Herbert Baumann, Douglas Cameron, Lesley Woodgate, Stanford Robinson, Oivin Fjelstad, Bernard Keeffe, Alexander Goehr, Russell Burgess, Uri Segal, Havelock Nelson, Willy Gohl, Dan Vogel, Maurice Handford, Pierre Cao, Myung Whun Chung, Douglas Young, William Mathias and Andre Previn.

"A gallery of conductors in action with the LSSO"

"Sir Arthur Bliss rehearsing his "Piano Concerto" (soloist: Frank Wibaut) in 1970"

The orchestra has broadcast regularly on radio and television both at home and abroad, including an appearance in the BBC "Omnibus" programme "The Other LSO" with Andre Previn rehearsing them in works by Glinka, Beethoven and Rachmaninov and a series of programmes for BBC televison in the mid 1980s called "Music Time" (see video links below).Several television programmes have featured Sir Michael Tippett and the orchestra and in 1968 a chamber group drawn from the LSSO appeared in the television series "Sounds Exciting" to perform Herbert Chappell's "Dead in Tune" with the composer conducting and Robin Ray narrating. In 1970 a studio recording of "Dead in Tune" was also released by Argo. Other commercial recordings by the LSSO have been issued on Pye, Argo, CBS, Unicorn, Cameo Classics, Virgin and Performance labels.

"The Other LSO" with Andre Previn in 1973"

The Welsh composer William Mathias composed his "Sinfonietta" for the LSSO in 1966 and also conducted the orchestra on a 1967 commercial recording of the work for the Pye label. This Pye recording also features another LSSO commission, "Concertante Music" by Alan Ridout conducted by the composer and the first commercially available recording of Sir Michael Tippett's "Suite in D (For the birthday of Prince Charles)" conducted by Tippett. For full details please refer to the discography section below.

The orchestra has given concerts in some of Europe's major concert halls including the "Musikverein" in Vienna, the "Mozarteum" in Salzburg, the "Beethovenhalle" in Bonn, the "Haydnsaal" in Esterhazy Palace (Eisenstadt), the "Palais des Beaux Arts" in Brussels, the "Philharmonie" in Berlin, the "Robert Schumann Saal" in Dusseldorf, the "Hans Sachs Haus" in Gelsenkirchen, the "Fairfield Hall" in Croydon and London's "Royal Festival Hall". In a press review of one of the concerts given by the orchestra during their 1969 tour of Germany with Sir Michael Tippett and Richard Rodney Bennett the LSSO was hailed as "Britain's best cultural export".

Press Review: Berliner Zeitschrift 15/9/69

"The LSSO and Tippett in the Philharmonie in 1969"

The LSSO Havergal Brian recordings

The LSSO created their own place in musical history when they made the very first commercial recording of Havergal Brian’s music. To understand how this recording actually came about it's probably a good starting point to refer to an article that appeared in the local newspaper at the time:

Press Article: Leicester Mercury, 1972

"County schools orchestra to make first recording of Composer’s work"

Symphonies Nos.10 and 21, conducted by James Loughran and Eric Pinkett respectively, were recorded at the De Montfort Hall, Leicester in 1972. The producer was Robert Simpson and Angus McKenzie was the recording engineer. The LP was released by Unicorn Records to great critical acclaim in 1973. A special edition of the television programme "Aquarius" called "The Unknown Warrior" gave considerable coverage to the recording session and a camera crew also joined members of the orchestra during a visit they made to the composer’s home in Shoreham (see video links below).

Press Article: Sunday Express, 1972

Four direct quotations of comments made by Alan Watkins in January 2006:

The thoughts of J.Z. (Johan) Herrenberg, a member of the Havergal Brian Society, October 2007

Following the success of the Unicorn issue, a second Brian album was recorded by the LSSO in 1974. Hove Town Hall was the venue for the 22nd Symphony and the 23rd Psalm sessions where the orchestra was conducted by Laszlo Heltay. Eric Pinkett completed the disc with his account of the English Suite No.5 ("Rustic Scenes") which was set down at Leicester De Montfort Hall. Both recording sessions were produced by Robert Simpson and the disc was issued by CBS in February 1975.

Press Article: Leicester Mercury, April 1974

"LSSO puts four more works on record"

The LSSO following Eric Pinkett's retirement

Eric Pinkett retired from his post in 1976 and died in 1979. His memorial concert, held at the De Montfort Hall, Leicester in 1980, was conducted by Norman Del Mar, who had worked regularly with the orchestra since 1966 and inspired them to produce some astonishing performances both at home and abroad, notably their concert in the Vienna "Musikverein" in 1968.

"Norman Del Mar conducts the LSSO in Mahler's "Symphony No.1" in 1980"

Eric Pinkett was followed by Peter Fletcher (1976 - 1984), Stuart Johnson (1984 - 1993) and Don Blakeson (1993 - 1997). The orchestra is currently conducted by Russell Parry who took over from Don Blakeson in 1997.

In 1998, some 50 years after Eric Pinkett had founded the orchestra, the LSSO won the prestigious "Sainsbury Youth Orchestra of the Year" award in conjunction with Classic FM. Following this award, Classic FM broadcast a concert given by the LSSO and Russell Parry in Leicester's De Montfort Hall that included Rossini's "William Tell" Overture and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No.6 ("Pathetique").

In 2001 the orchestra won the "Masterprize" competition for the best performance by a youth orchestra of a new composition. Coincidentally the composition that won the composition competition turned out to be the composition played by the LSSO - "In Aeternam" by Pierre Jalbert. The LSSO went on to give this piece its British premier at the Edinburgh Festival. Since then the LSSO has toured twice in Germany (2002 & 2004), twice in France (Angers 2005 & Strasbourg 2006) and Belgium in 2007 and plans to visit the Czech Republic in 2008.

"Russell Parry rehearsing Hindemith's "Symphonic Metamorphoses" in 2004"

The LSSO continues to perform regularly in Leicester, and since 1994 has played for joint projects with the dance wing of its managing organisation, Leicestershire and Leicester Arts in Education. Productions have included Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" and "The Sleeping Beauty" and "Romeo & Juliet" by Prokofiev.

Over the last 30 years a number of other ensembles have evolved to provide a long term training ground and inspiration for young people in the area. Children can audition to join 3 different string orchestras and 2 symphony orchestras younger than the LSSO, and there is a similar route through 4 wind bands, the oldest of which is of gold award standard. All these ensembles rehearse on Saturday mornings and there are other specialist ensembles rehearsing on weekday evenings. In 1993 most of the funding for these ensembles was cut by the county council. Now most of their activities are paid for by parents and carers.

Discography and record reviews

1) PYE GOLDEN GUINEA COLLECTOR SERIES GSGC 14103

Michael Tippett "Suite in D", Alan Ridout "Concertante Music", William Mathias "Sinfonietta", Malcolm Arnold "Divertimento". Conducted by Sir Michael Tippett, Alan Ridout, William Mathias and Eric Pinkett.

Press Review: Watford Observer, January 1968

"Feeling like a tonic?"

Press Review: Records & Recording, March 1968

Press Review: The Guardian, March 1968

Press Review: Gramophone, March 1968

"Tippett recording his "Suite in D" in De Montfort Hall in 1967"

2) ARGO ZDA 134

Herbert Chappell "Dead in Tune" and "George and the Dragonfly". Narrators: Robin Ray, Susan Stranks and John Kershaw. Conducted by Herbert Chappell.

Press Review: Gramophone, June 1970

"The "Dead in Tune" recording session, Decca studio No.3, West Hampstead, London in 1970. Left to right: David Thompson, David Stevens, Philip Monk and John Turner"

3) ARGO ZRG 685

Arthur Bliss "Introduction and Allegro", Andre Previn "Overture to a Comedy", John Ireland "Downland Suite: Elegy", Herbert Chappell "Overture Panache", Bryan Kelly "Cuban Suite", Michael Tippett "The Shires Suite: Interlude II and Epilogue". Conducted by Sir Arthur Bliss, Andre Previn, Sir Michael Tippett and Eric Pinkett.

Press Review: Gramophone, April 1971

4) UNICORN RHS 313

Havergal Brian "Symphonies Numbers 10 and 21". Conducted by James Loughran and Eric Pinkett.

Press Review: Records and Recording, May 1973

Press Review: Leicester Mercury, May 1973

"Fascinating – but this disc has a touch of tragedy"

Press Review: Penguin Stereo Guide

Press Review: Leicester Mercury, December 1973

"Distinction for LSSO"

cquote|It is quite an accolade to get into the Best Records of the Year, a list published annually by E.M.G. in its monthly letter, so there is a look of the cat licking the cream on the faces of the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra. Their record is of Brian's Symphonies Nos. 10 and 21 and is one of the 60 selected out of thousands produced during the year 1973.In case you may never have heard of the composer Brian the Briton, you need feel no shame for he has been woefully neglected and this is the first recording of any music by one of this country's most remarkable composers. Havergal Brian died last year at the fine old age of 96. He wrote 32 symphonies and five operas. The review of the record says: "Brian's music is among the most original to have been written in this century and it is doubly exciting and satisfying to hear the verve with which this remarkable youth orchestra attacks the formidable task set by these two difficult but very rewarding scores." Symphony No. 21 was composed when Brian was 87 and was one of 22 symphonies he wrote after the age of 80. Late flowering if you like! And pleasant to record that in this triumph of youth and age, Leicestershire has played a significant part.

"The 1972 Unicorn recording session at De Montfort Hall, Leicester. Robert Simpson (right) with engineer Angus McKenzie (left)"

5) CBS CLASSICS 61612

Havergal Brian "Symphony Number 22", "Psalm 23", "English Suite Number 5". Conducted by Laszlo Heltay and Eric Pinkett.

Press Review: Leicester Mercury, February 1975

"New disc provides key to unlock a musical language"

Press Review: Penguin Stereo Guide

"The 1974 recording session for CBS in Hove Town Hall with Laszlo Heltay rehearsing Brian's "Psalm 23" (The producer, Robert Simpson, is to his left)"

6) VIRGIN V2090

David Bedford "Instructions for Angels". Conducted by Eric Pinkett.

7) UNICORN UNS 267

Michael Tippett "The Shires Suite", Douglas Young "Virages - Region One". Conducted by Peter Fletcher and Douglas Young.

Press Review: Gramophone, June 1981

8) CAMEO CLASSICS GOCLP 9019

Douglas Young "The Hunting of the Snark". Narrator: Peter Easton. Conducted by Peter Fletcher.

Press Review: Gramophone, July 1982

9) PERFORMANCE PER 84061

Iannis Xenakis "Jonchaies", Douglas Young "Third Night Journey under the Sea" and "Rain, Steam & Speed". Conducted by Peter Fletcher.

Press Review: Tempo, 1982

ound archives: Radio broadcasts and concert recordings

1) Tippett "The Shires Suite" (Cheltenham Festival, 1970) conducted by Tippett. BBC Radio Leicester interview with Eric Pinkett (1974) including musical excerpts, running for 35 minutes.

Press Review: "Wide elan in Shires Suite"

2) "A Composer and an Orchestra". A 60 minute documentary about Tippett and the LSSO including musical excerpts and interviews with Eric Pinkett and Sir Michael Tippett.

3) Brahms "Violin Concerto" (first movement) and Elgar "Enigma Variations" (Pinkett farewell concert, 1976) with Wagner "Mastersingers" Overture conducted by Peter Fletcher (1981).

Press Review: Leicester Mercury, June 1976

"Young musicians stunning in swan song concert"

4) Haydn "Trumpet Concerto", Tchaikovsky "Romeo & Juliet" conducted by Norman Del Mar (Pinkett memorial concert, 1980) with Richard Strauss "Don Juan" and Rimsky-Korsakov "Capriccio Espagnol" conducted by Peter Fletcher (1981).

Press Review: Leicester Mercury, January 1980

"A musical bequest to be proud of"

5) Mahler "Symphony No.1" conducted by Norman Del Mar (Pinkett memorial concert, 1980)

Press Review: Leicester Mercury, January 1980

"A musical bequest to be proud of"

6) Haydn "Sinfonia Concertante" (Pinkett farewell concert, 1976) [Gershwin] "Rhapsody in Blue" and Ives "Circus Band" (Cheltenham Festival, 1970) conducted by Sir Michael Tippett with Alford's "The Two Imps", Walton's "Facade" and "Roman Carnival" by Berlioz from a 1964 Hinckley Grammar School concert conducted by Bert Neale, John Westcombe and Eric Pinkett.

Press Review: Leicester Mercury, June 1976

"Young musicians stunning in swan song concert"

Press Review: The Sunday Times, July 1970

7) "Hark the Herald Angels Sing". Sound recording of the BBC television programme from Christmas Day, 1975

8) Glinka "Ruslan & Ludmilla" Overture, George Butterworth "Banks of Green Willow" and Iain Hamilton "Scottish Dances" conducted by Eric Pinkett (1969). Tippett "The Shires Suite: Prologue, Interlude II & Epilogue" (Bath Festival 1969). Herbert Chappell "Dead in Tune" sound recording from the TV broadcast (1968).

Press Review: The Guardian, June 1969

9) "Eric Pinkett’s Personal Choice". A "desert island discs" style interview (1969) and a programme about the Pye record (1968) from the archives of BBC Radio Leicester.

10) Vivaldi "Recorder Concerto (The Goldfinch)", Joseph Horovitz "Trumpet Concerto", Glinka "Russlan & Ludmilla" Overture (Pinkett farewell concert, 1976). Brahms "Violin Concerto" conducted by Peter Fletcher (1981).

Press Review: Leicester Mercury, June 1976

"Young musicians stunning in swan song concert"

11) Bryan Kelly "New Orleans" Suite, Bliss "Lady of Shalott" Suite conducted by Eric Pinkett (1975). Elliott Carter "Pocahontas" Suite, Douglas Young "Lament on the Destruction of Forests" conducted by Peter Fletcher (1984)

12) Rossini "William Tell" Overture, Tchaikovsky "Symphony No. 6 (Pathetique)" conducted by Russell Parry (1999)

13) "Masterprize 2001". Live concert with performance award presented to the LSSO by Sir Colin Davis. No actual LSSO performances are included - just interviews and the award ceremony.

14) Verdi "Requiem" conducted by Jonathan Tilbrook (2002)

15) Rachmaninoff "Piano Concerto No.2", Rimsky-Korsakov "Scheherazade" conducted by Sir Charles Groves (1982)

Press Review: Leicester Mercury, February 1982

16) Mahler "Symphony No.5" conducted by Peter Fletcher (Germany, 1981)

17) Ives "Circus Band", Bartok "Miraculous Mandarin", Tippett "Piano Concerto", Berlioz "Benvenuto Cellini" Overture (Germany, 1981) conducted by Peter Fletcher. Glinka "Russlan & Ludmilla" Overture (1982) conducted by Sir Charles Groves.

18) Tippett "A Child of Our Time" conducted by Peter Fletcher (1982).

19) Tippett "A Child of Our Time" (Part 1) conducted by Willi Gohl (1976), Wagner "Tannhauser" Overture conducted by Stuart Johnson (1990)

20) Ives "Putnam's Camp" and "Five Pieces" arranged by Douglas Young, Messiaen "L'Ascension" conducted by Peter Fletcher (1978)

Press Review: Times Educational Supplement, June 1978

21) Gershwin "Porgy and Bess", Elgar "Falstaff" conducted by Russell Parry (2007)

For further information about these archived recordings and other LSSO memorabilia items please visit the Eric Pinkett Era website (link below).

External links

* [http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/education/community_activities/artsined/arts_performance/youth_music_page/youth_music_bb.htm Official LSSO website (Leicestershire County Council)]

* [http://www.lsso.co.uk/ Eric Pinkett Era website (1948 - 1976)] Articles, photographs, audio clips, videos and memorabilia items.

The "Eric Pinkett Era" website

* [http://www.lsso.co.uk/webmusic/tippettshiressuiteweb.html Tippett "The Shires Suite"] Audio excerpts from various LSSO performances
* [http://www.lsso.co.uk/webmusic/tippettsuiteindweb.html Tippett "Suite in D"] Audio excerpts from the LSSO's 1967 Pye recording
* [http://www.lsso.co.uk/webmusic/mathiasweb.html William Mathias "Sinfonietta"] Audio excerpts from the 1967 Pye recording.
* [http://www.lsso.co.uk/webmusic/havergalbrianweb.html Havergal Brian and the LSSO] Audio excerpts from the 1970s LSSO recordings.

Video: 1999 Concert in Leicester

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMIU4O4WWNI Russell Parry conducts Prokofiev's "Romeo & Juliet"]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwWvmQ2QZ3w Russell Parry conducts Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony]

Video: 1998 Reunion (Guthlaxton School, Wigston)

"LSSO Reunion Orchestra with conductor Mark Fitz-Gerald"

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0rrk9-xh4A Havergal Brian 10th Symphony rehearsal part 1]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih2GhprNuIo Havergal Brian 10th Symphony rehearsal part 2]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2qMRMPfZLE Havergal Brian 10th Symphony rehearsal part 3]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPxMlwjFVeM Max Bruch Violin Concerto No.1 rehearsal]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2rhwDrRtWY Max Bruch Violin Concerto No.1 slow movement performance]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npBpBEV8XSo "Candide" rehearsal]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFv7uSbkY1M "Candide" performance]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iqjmvOHoCY "Russlan & Ludmilla" Excerpt from the evening performance]

Video: 2004 Reunion (Bedworth Civic Hall)

"LSSO Reunion Orchestra rehearsing Glinka's "Russlan & Ludmilla""

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkOO5E7Vm34 Russell Parry rehearses Dvorak's "New World" Symphony]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKPDIKkNRLM Malcolm Fletcher rehearses Elgar's "W.N. and Nimrod"]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4D_pOBioL4 Malcolm Fletcher rehearses "Russlan & Ludmilla"]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpbomidGmbo Russell Parry rehearses Hindemith's "Symphonic Metamorphoses"]

Video: 1965 "Overture with Beginners"

"Overture with Beginners" In 1965, the LSSO spent a week in a secondary school in Corsham near to Sir Michael Tippett's home. "Overture with Beginners" features Tippett rehearsing the orchestra in his own "Concerto for Double String Orchestra", Elgar's "Cockaigne" Overture and Alan Ridout's "Symphony No.2".

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4MEzl6Sqr4 Part 1] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmtBhPTJfZQ Part 2] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqJ7eHj31yo Part 3]

Video: 1972 Havergal Brian - "The Unknown Warrior"

"The Unknown Warrior" A documentary about Havergal Brian featuring the LSSO recording session of symphonies Nos. 10 and 21 with Eric Pinkett and James Loughran plus an informal interview with the composer at his home in Shoreham.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsHbjY8HbcE Part 1] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh92aJJOw_Y Part 2] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfM0X77MH2I Part 3]

Video: 1975 Sir Arthur Bliss - "Girl in a Broken Mirror"

thumb|left|">"The Lady of Shallot"

"Girl in a Broken Mirror" A documentary featuring the ballet "The Lady of Shallot" performed by school pupils from New Parks School, Leicester and the LSSO conducted by Eric Pinkett.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahjMWnT60HU Part 1] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHoFBSizQFA Part 2] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbq5-9MzznE Part 3] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BNoAf1Q9Pk Part 4] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo1qgKMhUm8 Part 5]

Video: 1984 "Music Time"

Recorded at the BBC Pebble Mill Studios in 1984 this edition of the educational music programme for children "Music Time" features the orchestra performing excerpts from Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty" conducted by Peter Fletcher.

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA1uGyPY62s Part 1] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf3i3jlJNKY Part 2] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubiYxjhy8sQ Part 3]

Video: Eric Pinkett - "Time to Remember"

A 60 minute tribute to the Eric Pinkett Era of the Leicestershire County School of Music (1948 - 1976).

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZbd36PXiGU Part 1] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTP4D6Nk4GE Part 2] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqmr50zNP7U Part 3] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxhs0dmtx1E Part 4] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QkPR-sOQQs Part 5] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEcl1BQKcCI Part 6]

Video: Other footage on "YouTube"

There are numerous videos of the LSSO to be found on "YouTube". Here is the link to the LSSO playlist which currently contains 116 videos:

[http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=E257A91BD004D835 LSSO video playlist]