NEWCASTLE'S MUSICAL HERITAGE AN INTRODUCTION By ...

A History of Music in Newcastle upon Tyne
© Joseph W. Pegg
INTRODUCTION
This book presents, for the first time, a comprehensive account of Newcastle’s
musical history. My original intention was to write an essay on the musical life of
Newcastle during the Victorian era but that would have meant passing over
Charles Avison. I decided, therefore, to begin at the beginning and take the mid
nineteen fifties as an end date. In the circumstances it should be unnecessary to
remind readers that all my references and comments, unless otherwise stated,
are to musical activities in Newcastle prior to the nineteen fifties. .
Culture in its higher forms was never to the fore in Newcastle’s rich history and
in the past Newcastle was never perceived as a cultural town let alone a musical
one, but behind its sooty industrial facade the region managed against all odds to
build up an impressive musical culture, which suffered only as the 20th century
progressed and by mid century it was all but forgotten. Newcastle was reborn in
the mid-20 th century but in spite of its new and exciting image as one of Europe’s
leading cities its past musical heritage has remained buried and largely forgotten.
Newcastle and the North East Region has always been steeped in culture,
culture in the sense of rituals and custom that seal the bond of membership in a
community rather than the culture we associate with art and music. Growing up
in the town in the nineteen forties I felt constantly frustrated but then there was a
war on. After the war there were concerts at the City Hall by visiting orchestras,
the odd ballet week at the Theatre Royal and a recital now and then but none of
it was homegrown. I well remember a Sunday concert by the Northumberland
Orchestral Society in March 1946, conducted by Arthur Milner, one time
professor at the Newcastle Conservatoire, that opened with the Overture ‘The
Hebrides’ by Mendelssohn played without trombones. Apparently they couldn’t
find any trombonists free that afternoon! Such was the state of affairs.
I used to wonder why other big industrial towns, such as Birmingham,
Liverpool and Manchester, could support professional orchestras - orchestras
they were proud of - when the best my home town could do was assemble an
assortment of professional, semi-professional and amateur musicians into an adhoc
symphony orchestra to give a once a year concert to a half empty hall. Little
did I realise then that I was echoing the words of Ald. Ellis at a council meeting in
1896 when he said ‘Let the council look for a single moment at what was being
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