The very early years...`

I was a pupil at Settle High School, when my clarinet teacher, Mr
Ronald Birkbeck, asked me to join a small orchestra which was
being started in Settle. At first rehearsals were held in the Old
Courtroom with, I think, Mr Birkbeck as conductor and his wife,
Amy Birkbeck as leader. Before long, however, Mr Maurice Pearce
took over as conductor and Mr Birkbeck joined the viola section.
Having only played in the school orchestra, I was very much in awe
of the adults - some, like John Frankland and Clifford Haygarth,
had been involved in Settle music for many years, but they were all
very welcoming to the young players.

Alongside the more experienced musicians, several of my fellow
pupils had been asked to join - I remember Elizabeth Lambert,
Elizabeth Frankland and John Ridgway at first, soon joined by Jill
Seggar, Catherine Frankland, Andrew Clapham and others. This
policy of encouraging and including young musicians has always
been a feature of Settle Orchestra.

In 1968, just over a year after its foundation, the orchestra took
part in a production of 'Merrie England' in Settle High School - for
this I had my first 'grown up' black blouse! Many well-known local
singers appeared in this production, some of whom are still around!
This is the only concert of which I have a clear memory, though I
think one of our concerts included Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.

As the repertoire expanded, my father, who sat in on rehearsals
while waiting to take me home, was invited to become the librarian.
I was a member for about three years, but about fifteen years later
my daughter Sarah, a pupil of Howard Rogerson, joined the flute
section and is still there. Looking to the future, my four-year-old
granddaughter Hannah has recently attended her first concert -
and declared that when she joins the orchestra she will play her
recorder! I'm sure that when she becomes old enough, the
orchestra will still be flourishing and continuing to give great
pleasure to my family and to the wider community...

Julia Glossop (née Fairbrother)