Children's Classical Music Concerts In London N The 1950's

[mikey4444]

As a child, I was brought up in North London, until the age of 10, in 1963. We had a Anglo-Indian schoolteacher in my Catholic Primary School, and she used to take us to some wonderful classical music concerts, in places like the Royal Festival Hall.

I have always thought that these were given by Sir Robert Mayer, but now I am not so sure.....can anybody remember these concerts ?

[aelmpvw]

http://haveringhavers.blogspot.co.uk/2008/06/robert-mayers-recipe-for-getting-kids.html

[mikey4444]

aelmpvw....yes, I think you are right, and I am not sure why I doubted myself really !

But I was listening to Radio 3 this morning and Zoe Wanamaker was being interviewed, and she said that she attended those concerts as well, but mentioned another name, other than Mayer.

These concerts were tremendous fun ! We listened to Tubby the Tuba, and Peter and the Wolf....ruddy wonderful. Without those concerts at an early age, I am pretty sure that I wouldn't have grown up with the deep love of classical music that I now have.

And thanks to Miss Wilkinson, of St Bernadette's, in Kingsbury, North London ! I wonder if she is still with us.

[Tilly2]

We had to do with the radio. I can't remember the name of the broadcast but we sat in class and listened.

[Tilly2]

It may have been 'Singing Together.'

[vulcan42]

Perhaps the other person mentioned was his first wife Dorothy Moulton. He had an interesting life.
http://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/20/world/sir-robert-mayer-is-dead-at-105-patron-of-british-youth-concerts.html

[mikey4444]

Perhaps Vulcan....I think now I must have misheard what Zoe Wanamaker said.

[Eleena]

Mikey, I agree, it's fantastic to introduce a child to music/ theatre/ the arts from a young age! I have taken my 3+ granddaughter to two amateur dramatic productions ( great starting point & not expensive) Also recently took her to a free Hungarian festival .. we sat in a tent and listened to a female classical singer, she was transfixed! It does spark a love of the arts!

[mikey4444]

Eleena....couldn't agree more !

Classical music has to be introduced at an early age. That is what happened to me. My Mum was an accomplished pianist, and I was born (1953) at a time when most houses still had a piano in the front parlour.

My School was very keen on music, and I was playing the recorder ( probably badly ! ) in the School Orchestra at an early age. Years later, at age 12, I was living in Somerset and joined the local British Legion Brass band, now called the West Somerset Brass Band, and played very happily and enthusiastically until the age of about 16. The band is still going strong :::

http://www.westsomersetbrass.co.uk/wsbbhome.html

These days, pop music will swamp every other kind of music, if it is allowed to do so. Have you noticed that when you are in a traffic jam, the car next to you is baring out pop music but never Mozart ?

A little effort when a child is young always repays itself later in life. I am so glad that my Mum sat me down at the piano all those years ago !

[Eleena]

Fantastic Mikey, what a wonderful childhood. It doesn't always have to cost much or anything at all, you just need to be up to date with what's happening locally, children soak it up, especially theatre it being visual.

[mikey4444]

Eleena...I think I went too far with my first Yorkie.....I played
Götterdämmerung in the car, on the way to Cornwall a few years ago......

Alfie was a wonderful little dog but no Wagner fan I fear !

[jim360]

Unfortunate URL clipping there... "Robert Mayer's recipe for getting kids" is presumably something altogether different.

[Eleena]

Ha ha! :0)

[mikey4444]

Jim....please go and it on the naughty step for 5 mins !

[Pat358]

A teacher used to take pupils from my primary school to the Robert Mayer children’s concerts held at the Royal Festival Hall on Saturday mornings. I went to the Christmas one in December 1952 - the last one of the year I think and definitely my last chance as I’d be going to secondary school the next year. It was a very enjoyable experience and I wished I hadn’t been too shy to put my hand up to be selected to go to earlier ones.