Peter Mountain
Peter Mountain: Scraping a Living: Synopsis
Violinist Peter Mountain, born in Yorkshire in 1923 gives an account of a musician’s career in Britain during the 20th century, with fascinating insights concerning a wide range of musical personalities encountered, and memories of the spirit of the times.
Book 1 covers early life and training, with some family and ancestral background. This leads on to a more detailed look at life as a student at the RAM during the London Blitz, and wartime service in the Royal Marine Band, including the D Day invasion and later tour of the Far East with Lord Mountbatten. It also covers the return to civilian life, with membership of the Boyd Neel Orchestra and the Philharmonia; other freelance activities and work as soloist and chamber-music player; and marriage in 1945 to the pianist Angela (Muriel) Dale, with details of recital work together.
Book 2 starts in Liverpool in 1955, with appointment as Leader of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. This is followed by two years’ mostly freelance activity in London, beginning in 1966, with the LPO, Glyndebourne and coaching and chamber-music. It concludes with a move to Bristol in 1968 as Concertmaster of the BBC Training Orchestra, later renamed the Academy of the BBC.
Book 3 starts in 1975 with appointment as Head of Strings at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, and ends in 1990 with retirement. As well as the Academy, this book covers an extensive range of extramural activity, mainly centred on Scottish musical life.
Book 4 deals with post-retirement musical activity upon returning to family roots in Yorkshire.
Peter Mountain was born in Shipley, West Yorkshire in 1923 into a family of musicians. He was taught music by both parents and won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music when he was sixteen. He studied the violin with Rowsby Woof and played under the baton of Sir Henry Wood, arriving in London the day after the beginning of the German Blitz. During the latter part of hostilities and post-war he played in the Staff Band of the Royal Marines, and was among the first British troops to enter Paris. He also led a Symphony Orchestra sent to accompany Mountbatten on his re-entry into Singapore after the end of the Japanese war. During this tour of duty he played the Tschaikovsky Violin Concerto in Bangkok to an audience that included the King of Siam.
He later went on to study with the eminent Russian pedagogue Sascha Lasserson. He was a member of the Boyd Neel String Orchestra and the original Philharmonia Orchestra. From 1955 to 1966 he was leader of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Later posts include Concertmaster of the BBC Training Orchestra, Head of Strings at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and guest leaderships of many orchestras, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Scottish Orchestra and the Northern Sinfonia.
He has played concertos with many orchestras and led his own string quartet and other chamber ensembles, including a long-term sonata ensemble with his wife, the pianist Angela Dale. He has worked widely as an examiner and adjudicator; and as a coach for many Youth Orchestras, including the National Youth Orchestra and the Scottish National Youth Orchestra. He has served on the Board of the Scottish Arts Council, and was also Chairman of the Scottish Society of Composers. He has been awarded Fellowships by the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and an honorary Doctorate of Literature by Bradford University in recognition of his work in musical education.
Sunday, September 8th, 1940. A significant day for me. I was 16 years old and leaving home to start violin studies at the Royal Academy of Music, London. And a significant day for Britain - the London Blitz had started the afternoon before with fierce aerial bombing of the Capital, which was to last continuously until the following May.
That spring, my parents had stipulated that if I was successful in an application for a scholarship from West Riding Education Committee, I could leave school before doing “Highers” (now A Levels), and embark on a career as a musician. Otherwise I would stay on at school, go to University or get a job, and have my violin playing as a hobby. Now the die was cast. I had been accepted as a student by Rowsby Woof, the most reputable violin teacher in the country, and I was not going to let anyone divert me from this – not even Hitler!
