Music

St Mary's, Melton Mowbray. As well as being a fine church, the famous conductor Sir Malcolm Sargent was once an organist and choir master here.

Mr Brownlow: In those days we used to have a lot of buskers, you know, German bands especially, used to get a lot of German bands going round the streets. And I always used to run after them when they were there. Never knew where I’d gone, and someone’d say ‘I know where he is, there’s a German band’s on, so I’ll bet he’s there.’ And I was.

Interviewer: These were little brass bands were they?

Mr Brownlow: That’s right, yeah, like buskers as we get them today, yes.

Interviewer: Now you were telling me that you, in fact, your career was early on tied up with that of Dr Malcolm Sergent as he was in those days.

Mr Brownlow: That’s right, yes, I was the head boy at the parish church while Dr Malcolm Sergent was there – well he wasn’t a doctor then, he was just an ordinary organist and he got his doctorship while at Melton Mowbray. And I became his head boy.

Interviewer: And what did that entail you doing?

Mr Brownlow: I was singing most of the solos, you know, the different services and ceremonial things. Now then, I started as a probationer you see, a little lad, I don’t know how old I’d be I’m sure, somewhere about eleven I’d imagine, and I stayed there until my voice broke, you see. Now I’ve got no voice at all after it broke!

Interviewer: Did you have any inkling that Sir Malcolm Sergent would, you know, became as famous as he in fact did as a conductor?

Mr Brownlow: I wasn’t a bit surprised really, because he was so outstanding. I mean, he was such a wonderful musician, a marvellous organist and choir master. I wasn’t at all surprised. Nobody was really, he was too good for Melton, put it that way, he really was.

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