Old Farnhamians' Association
First Farnham
Festival in 1961
Your webmaster recalls how Alan
Fluck started talking within FGS about the possibility of a grand schools music
festival for Farnham in 1960 with the novel idea of commissioned music
sponsored by private individuals and local businesses. It all seemed a bit pie
in the sky to his pupils who couldn’t understand why people would put up money
for such a project. Alan’s enthusiasm was undaunted by our scepticism. He and
the Rector, Rev Hedley Wilds, gathered together a large body of supporters in
the town, many of them musicians themselves, others music-lovers and supporters
willing to help in practical ways. Local music teachers and conductors of
choirs cooperated very willingly in what was deemed to be a pilot project with
a view to creating a regular music event in Farnham.
The result was a great
success and the cuttings below testify to the great impact this festival had.
They come from Alan’s collection of memorabilia. Unlike the other events he
masterminded, we seem to have no proper photographs. He kept scrapbooks across
the years neatly set out, but not of this. The reason is probably the fact that
he depended on the Farnham Herald for his record of this, but he does not seem
to have actually bought any original copies of the photos.
Ian Sargeant
_________________________
The Farnhamian
Magazine – July 1961
Alan Fluck’s Music Report for the school year
_________________________________
Farnham
Herald
|
|
|
|
February 1961 |
Probably March or April 1961 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
May 5, 1961 |
May 12, 1961 |
Click pages to enlarge
Return to 1960’s Photographs Page