Golden fanfare for Music Service

Photo: Tim Bradley

PHOTOGRAPHIC memories: Music Service director Gerard Booth, Dr Eileen Bentley and Music Service deputy director Jonathon Leedale look at the display to celebrate the golden anniversary.

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OLDHAM Music Centre hit the golden high notes with a weekend of events to mark its 50th anniversary.

The two-day celebration included a ceilidh and gala dinner on Saturday and a display of photographs from the centre’s archives. A room was unveiled the centre’s home, the Lyceum in Union Street, in honour of Dr Eileen Bentley.

Dr Bentley joined the Oldham Schools Music Service in 1971 as one of the country’s first peripatetic singing teachers, was its director for 30 years and was awarded the MBE for services to music in 2006.

The festivities ended on Sunday with a concert by groups made up of current and former students, conducted by Dr Bentley and other former staff.

Oldham Schools Music Service, along with a music centre, was set up for the council by James Wild, starting life with £100 and four brass instruments, it now offes 11,000 lessons a year in the centre and in local schools.

Countless students have developed a love of music over the last 50 years with the help of the service, and many have gone on to play professionally. Oldham Music Centre is one of the country’s leading youth music organisations, with 1,000 young people a week attending one of 45 different music groups.

Highlights of the service have included playing for the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret during royal visits to the borough.

Dr Bentley said it was a “great honour” to have a room named after her: “The Lyceum has been part of my life since I was a little girl. I went there when I was nine and started piano lessons, singing lessons, oral and theory.

“Then I went to the Royal College of Music and I had just come out of college when two of the teachers I had lessons with at the Lyceum retired and asked me if I wanted to take over. I found myself going back on the other side of the fence - which felt rather strange!”