Eric Pinkett O.B.E. (1910–1979), was the founder of the internationally famous

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. History Th ...

. He established the Leicestershire County School of Music in 1948 and continued to conduct the orchestra (as well as being the county's principal music advisor) until his retirement in 1976. His memoirs were published in 1969 by way of a 21st anniversary tribute to the LSSO in a book called ''Time to Remember''. A regular visitor to the recording studio, Eric Pinkett conducted works by

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and

David Bedford David Vickerman Bedford (4 August 1937 – 1 October 2011) was an English composer and musician. He wrote and played both popular and classical music. He was the brother of the conductor Steuart Bedford, the grandson of the composer, painter ...

with the LSSO for the CBS, Unicorn, Pye, Argo and Virgin record labels. During his involvement with musical education in Leicestershire, he was known as "Mr Music". In April 2007, a new housing development by ''Rippon Homes'' was opened in Thurmaston on the site of Eric Pinkett's family home. The new development has been named ''Symphony Gardens'' in his honour.

References

External links

Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra website
contains articles and a few photographs of Eric Pinkett and also of Sir Michael Tippett, who was the orchestra's patron and conducted them regularly in the UK and Europe. There are also some interesting memorabilia items on this site.

Information and short audio excerpts from various LSSO recordings

Information and short audio excerpts from the 1967 Pye recording

1910 births 1979 deaths Music promoters {{UK-music-bio-stub