June 23: Fond memories of concerts that bridged divide

WITH reference to the letter from Keith Jowett entitled “A love for the Classics” (The Yorkshire Post, June 19), I would also like to add my very happy memories of going to the concerts that the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra gave in Leeds Town Hall in the 1950s. Alan Bennett has also praised them in his memoirs.

I was a boarder at Fulneck Girls School, Pudsey, in the 1950s and the music teacher at that time was Miss Mayhew, who was somewhat eccentric. But she was a marvellous teacher and was responsible for taking groups of girls to the concerts in Leeds on Saturday nights during the season. Miss Mayhew gave us a preview of the music that we would hear so that we would have some understanding of it before we went. Her teaching of music and choral singing has had a long standing effect on my life as I’m still singing at the age of 75 and enjoying classical music.

As boarders at an all-girls school the concerts also gave us the opportunity to see boys. Fulneck Boys School was close by but there was very little contact. We might have to chance to talk to one or two of them if we joined the ballroom dancing classes which they were allowed to come to or we could see them in church on Sunday mornings but with the aisle creating a big divide!