In praise of FP

Last night I heard that FP my school music master had died earlier this week. He was in his mid-90s. Music was compulsory for two years at school but by the age of 13 those of us who had clearly demonstrated a complete inability to sing and no ability with an instrument were allowed to drop the subject. Most of those boys were directed to extra mathematics lessons. The lucky few whose standard in maths was deemed acceptable, were given the option of  'musical appreciation'. Once a week we (at most six) boys decamped to the boarding house lounge (it was a boarding grammar school) where there was a record player. FP would arrive and talk to us about a piece of classical music which we would then listen to on the record player. He started us off with programmatic music. I remember the first piece he played for us was 'Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition'. It was bliss, especially in winter when there would be an open coal fire burning in the grate. No homework, no essays, no exams, just listening to music with a kindly guide. By the time we got to the sixth form we were devouring Shostakovich, Bruckner and Schoenberg. A wonderful teacher and a great inspiration. I've been thinking about those 'lessons' all day and it seemed appropriate to seek out and photograph this stained glass window by Joseph Nuttgens for today's blip.