Vincent Walsh
I learned to play violin from the age of nine to sixteen, giving up when my aged teacher, a kindly, patient Edwardian gentleman, went into care upon the death of his wife. At school, for homework, our music master once set us to find names of any composers for the next lesson. I found three. I got as far as telling him ‘William Byrd, sir,’ and before I could offer Tallis and Palestrina, he declared: ‘Oh! Not really. Very primitive! Crude! We wouldn’t call that music now.’ …And he, a church organist! Ah well. From then on, my only music was via vinyl records of Haydn symphonies and Buddy Holly.
I went to teacher training college at the age of 26, and while I was there, I got a bad dose of tonsillitis and stayed at home for a day. I had plenty of college work to get on with and no tutorials that day anyway. Wanting some music to work by, I selected a different LP from the record cabinet: Music of Their Royal Courts, with the English Consort of Viols – never heard of such things – and Sheila Armstrong, soprano. Music by composers I’d never heard of -except that ‘primitive’ Byrd. The old BSR deck gently whirred into action and the disc dropped onto the turntable and the magic began! I’d never heard such music. I stood there to listen. Twenty minutes later, when that side finished, I realised that I’d remained there; not gone back to my chair to work. I resolved that I’d try to find out more about viols and wondered what they were like to play. Meanwhile, a music student, one-day-to-become-my-wife, suggested that I might join the college choir. And at the very first rehearsal, I realised that I could still read and sight sing ‘dots and words’ after all this time, not having tried since leaving school. Anyone who says kind things about my singing now must remember that but for Christine, I’d be mute!
After college, we married and while we were teaching, we suddenly benefitted from a large, back-dated pay rise. All bills were up to date: mortgage, gas, electric, rates. I spent my share of the windfall on a Ubel treble viol. And Francis Baines’ book on how to play.
Soon after that, we met John and Mary Cousen, who invited so many folk to their house in Huddersfield to sing madrigals and Tudor church music (Sunday evenings) and to play viols (one evening in the week). Through their kindnesses and encouragement we have met so many more friends who find early music most definitely worth calling proper music!
Vincent Walsh, Bradford
Published in September 2026 Newsletter
