A legacy of musical excellence

Jack Pickford

JACK Pickford is hanging up his baton as director of music at Crompton House School after 24 years.

The 58-year-old taught in Derbyshire and at South Chadderton School before joining the Church of England secondary.

He was also organist at Oldham Parish Church from 1982 to 1987.

Mr Pickford has inspired countless students and worked tirelessly to give Crompton House a national reputation for school music. He was instrumental in helping the school gain specialist arts school status and has also been involved in initiatives working with other institutions, schools and professional musicians.

Other highlights have included conducting the school orchestra at the Schools Prom at the Royal Albert Hall, while the choir has also sung at Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral.

“It has been great — absolutely brilliant,” said Mr Pickford: “The joy for me is having had so many wonderful students to work with, the support of their parents and music being held in such high regard here. The importance of music to a rounded education is strongly valued by the school.

“What I have really valued is having so many different music groups and having strength and depth. A lot of schools have one really good group, maybe a brass band that’s fantastic, but we have managed to run and keep to a very high standard an orchestra and several bands and choirs which are still going strong.

“I have also been really lucky to work with fantastic colleagues. Many have gone on to run their own music departments and former students have gone on to be music teachers and professional musicians.”

Mr Pickford has taken up the post of director of music at Holy Trinity Church, Hereford.
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