Edward Heath1916 - 2005
Former British Prime Minister and lover of music A tribute from David Bridgeman-Sutton |
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“That’s Edward Heath,” said my aunt. “He’s done very well with a scholarship to Oxford, an army commission in the war, and now he’s a journalist in London. He’s an ambitious young man – I wouldn’t be surprised if he became Prime Minister.”
She said this as we left the parish church of St Peter’s in the Kent seaside town of Broadstairs, on that Sunday morning just after World War II. The future Prime Minister, for such he became, had had early lessons on St Peter’s organ (Walker III/24). Some years later, I should get my first feel of the King of Instruments there, too.
Edward Heath had won an Organ Scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford.(See footnote *1) Although he read Politics and Economics for his degree, he had, like most holders of a prestigious “Oxbridge” organ scholarship, considered becoming a professional musician. The infinitely kind and understanding Professor Sir Hugh Allen, who was organist of New College, had deterred him. The Heath family was poor – even with the scholarship, Oxford had been a financial struggle. Allen pointed out that it took years to make money in music – “and not very much then”. So young Heath cast around for some agreeable and paying occupation, a quest that continued until the world of politics beckoned. (See footnote *2)
Music was never far from the top of his list of priorities. While still at Oxford , he started – and conducted – the annual Broadstairs Christmas carol concert. He continued with this for many years – long after he had become a figure on a much larger stage. Richard Rodney Bennett’s carol What Sweeter Music was composed especially for this event. He also appeared, as guest conductor - others were Sir David Willcocks and Christopher Herrick - with London ’s Whitehall Choir. In later years, he conducted in many parts of Europe, the USA and Japan. He also founded and occasionally conducted the European Community Youth Orchestra.
Sir Edward did much to encourage young people and musical education. He introduced and conducted one of the Robert Mayer children’s concerts (part of this was available on CD) and was a patron of the St Alban’s Organ Festival, taking an active part in recruiting sponsors.
When he became President of the Board of Trade and a Cabinet Minister, Edward Heath was able to indulge his continuing love of organ-playing as he travelled throughout the country. Our then MP, the late Sir Malcolm Stoddart-Scott, was also churchwarden and he would tell me each Sunday which cathedrals, town halls and churches were listed among Mr Heath’s official engagements for the week! At one cathedral, his only free half hour coincided with Evensong. Accordingly, the service was put back an hour – for only the second time in 200 years, it was said. Our picture shows him at Beverley Minster (Hill/Snetzler - IV/78) c.1964. Later, organ lofts throughout the world would be open to him.
My aunt’s prediction was accurate. Her near neighbour was Miss Olive Raven – a redoubtable middle aged spinster of the clean-the-brass-do-the-flowers-cuff-the-choirboys-and-put-the-curate-in-his-place school. This lady had a niece, (whose name, alas, escapes me) to whom the young Edward Heath was attracted - a feeling that was mutual. For some reason this attachment didn't last. Miss Raven said, many years later, that he regularly enquired for news of her niece and hinted at her belief that both regretted the rift. Music – he had three Steinway grand pianos – and yachting were the comforts of his life.
It is possible that Sir Hugh Allen had realised that young Heath’s stiffness of personality and manner might militate against his reaching the very highest peaks as a performer or conductor. Like my aunt – and many others – he would have seen that the ambitious young man would have difficulty in settling for second best. The advice he gave and the terms in which he expressed it are entirely consistent with his character. He may have been wrong; many who experienced his work said that cast his shell when conducting and his organ playing was free of inhibition.
Although he himself never became the top-rate performer he would like to have been, Sir Edward worked tirelessly to ensure that others had the opportunity of scaling the heights of music.
*FOOTNOTES:
*1: EH's Principal Private Secretary during his time at Downing Street was Robert Armstrong, son of (Sir) Thomas Armstrong former organist of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford and EH's organ teacher at Balliol.
* 2: Heath's version as given in an address to students as heard by organist Martin Setchell, his Oxford tutor said words to the effect: "You've done well with politics and economics, so you could do that; on the other hand you've done well in music, so you could go into music. But you've got to think of the dodgy side of the profession. "
Then Heath said, that as he didn't want to do anything dodgy, he thought he'd better go into politics.
She said this as we left the parish church of St Peter’s in the Kent seaside town of Broadstairs, on that Sunday morning just after World War II. The future Prime Minister, for such he became, had had early lessons on St Peter’s organ (Walker III/24). Some years later, I should get my first feel of the King of Instruments there, too.
Edward Heath had won an Organ Scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford.(See footnote *1) Although he read Politics and Economics for his degree, he had, like most holders of a prestigious “Oxbridge” organ scholarship, considered becoming a professional musician. The infinitely kind and understanding Professor Sir Hugh Allen, who was organist of New College, had deterred him. The Heath family was poor – even with the scholarship, Oxford had been a financial struggle. Allen pointed out that it took years to make money in music – “and not very much then”. So young Heath cast around for some agreeable and paying occupation, a quest that continued until the world of politics beckoned. (See footnote *2)
Music was never far from the top of his list of priorities. While still at Oxford , he started – and conducted – the annual Broadstairs Christmas carol concert. He continued with this for many years – long after he had become a figure on a much larger stage. Richard Rodney Bennett’s carol What Sweeter Music was composed especially for this event. He also appeared, as guest conductor - others were Sir David Willcocks and Christopher Herrick - with London ’s Whitehall Choir. In later years, he conducted in many parts of Europe, the USA and Japan. He also founded and occasionally conducted the European Community Youth Orchestra.
Sir Edward did much to encourage young people and musical education. He introduced and conducted one of the Robert Mayer children’s concerts (part of this was available on CD) and was a patron of the St Alban’s Organ Festival, taking an active part in recruiting sponsors.
When he became President of the Board of Trade and a Cabinet Minister, Edward Heath was able to indulge his continuing love of organ-playing as he travelled throughout the country. Our then MP, the late Sir Malcolm Stoddart-Scott, was also churchwarden and he would tell me each Sunday which cathedrals, town halls and churches were listed among Mr Heath’s official engagements for the week! At one cathedral, his only free half hour coincided with Evensong. Accordingly, the service was put back an hour – for only the second time in 200 years, it was said. Our picture shows him at Beverley Minster (Hill/Snetzler - IV/78) c.1964. Later, organ lofts throughout the world would be open to him.
My aunt’s prediction was accurate. Her near neighbour was Miss Olive Raven – a redoubtable middle aged spinster of the clean-the-brass-do-the-flowers-cuff-the-choirboys-and-put-the-curate-in-his-place school. This lady had a niece, (whose name, alas, escapes me) to whom the young Edward Heath was attracted - a feeling that was mutual. For some reason this attachment didn't last. Miss Raven said, many years later, that he regularly enquired for news of her niece and hinted at her belief that both regretted the rift. Music – he had three Steinway grand pianos – and yachting were the comforts of his life.
It is possible that Sir Hugh Allen had realised that young Heath’s stiffness of personality and manner might militate against his reaching the very highest peaks as a performer or conductor. Like my aunt – and many others – he would have seen that the ambitious young man would have difficulty in settling for second best. The advice he gave and the terms in which he expressed it are entirely consistent with his character. He may have been wrong; many who experienced his work said that cast his shell when conducting and his organ playing was free of inhibition.
Although he himself never became the top-rate performer he would like to have been, Sir Edward worked tirelessly to ensure that others had the opportunity of scaling the heights of music.
*FOOTNOTES:
*1: EH's Principal Private Secretary during his time at Downing Street was Robert Armstrong, son of (Sir) Thomas Armstrong former organist of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford and EH's organ teacher at Balliol.
* 2: Heath's version as given in an address to students as heard by organist Martin Setchell, his Oxford tutor said words to the effect: "You've done well with politics and economics, so you could do that; on the other hand you've done well in music, so you could go into music. But you've got to think of the dodgy side of the profession. "
Then Heath said, that as he didn't want to do anything dodgy, he thought he'd better go into politics.
David Bridgeman-Sutton,
August, 2005
August, 2005
Picture credit: Yorkshire Post Newspapers.