Gilbert Vinter (4 May 1909 – 10 October 1969) was an English conductor and composer, most celebrated for his compositions for brass bands.

Life

Vinter was born in Lincoln. As a youth, he was a chorister at

Lincoln Cathedral Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln Minster, or the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lincoln and sometimes St Mary's Cathedral, in Lincoln, England, is a Grade I listed cathedral and is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Lincoln. Construc ...

, and eventually became Head Chorister there. He later became a

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuos ...

ist, playing in

Thomas Beecham Sir Thomas Beecham, 2nd Baronet, Order of the Companions of Honour, CH (29 April 18798 March 1961) was an English conductor and impresario best known for his association with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic and the Roya ...

's newly-formed

London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symp ...

. In 1930, he joined the BBC Military Band, where he did much of his early conducting. It was during that time that he also began to compose. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Vinter played in

The Central Band of the RAF The Central Band of the Royal Air Force is an RAF regular band and is part of Royal Air Force Music Services. The motto of the band is ''Aere Invicti'' (Latin for "Invincible with the Brass"). History The Central Band of the RAF was formed in ...

and later led several other RAF bands. He was the first principal conductor of the

BBC Concert Orchestra The BBC Concert Orchestra is a British concert orchestra based in London, one of the British Broadcasting Corporation's five radio orchestras. With around fifty players, it is the only one of the five BBC orchestras which is not a full-scale sym ...

, from 1952 to 1953. In 1960, The '' Daily Herald'' newspaper and sponsors of brass band contests, commissioned Vinter to write his first major work for brass band, the result of which was ''Salute to Youth''. Vinter was an adjudicator at the British Open Championships at

Belle Vue, Manchester Belle Vue is an area of Manchester, England, east of the city centre, bordered by the Hope Valley Line on the east and the Glossop Line on the west. Belle Vue is part of the electoral ward of Longsight. Belle Vue railway station lies on the ...

, in 1969 where his ''Spectrum'' was the test piece. Midway through the contest, however, he was forced to retire from 'the box' due to his failing health. His position at the contest on the day was taken by Tom F Atkinson. Vinter died in

Tintagel Tintagel () or Trevena ( kw, Tre war Venydh, meaning ''Village on a Mountain'') is a civil parish and village situated on the Atlantic coast of Cornwall, England. The village and nearby Tintagel Castle are associated with the legends surroun ...

, aged 60.

Major Works

Vinter wrote a number of works for brass band, including: Vinter's other works include three brass quartets: * ''Elegy and Rondo'' (written at the request of the GUS (Footwear) Band Quartet to play at the 1966 National Brass Quartet Championship) * ''Fancy's Knell'' (written for the 1967 Championship) * ''Alla Burlesca'' (written for the 1968 Championship).

References

External links

The Brass Herald, page on Sounds of Brass Programmes in honour of Gilbert Vinter

BBC Concert Orchestra history page

4BR wonders what Vinter would have thought: Salute to what Youth?
1909 births 1969 deaths 20th-century English composers 20th-century classical musicians Brass band composers English conductors (music) English classical bassoonists Light music composers People from Lincoln, England Royal Air Force airmen Royal Air Force personnel of World War II {{UK-composer-stub