| Description | Papers of Herman Bantock, a violin and viola player, comprising notebooks, account books, concert programmes, leaflets and brochures, engagement contracts, photographs, news cuttings and correspondence relating to his career as a provincial musician.
Bantock lived and largely worked in the north-west of England. His career is well documented in four receipt books which not only give amounts earned but also say for which orchestra he was playing, where and when. An idea of the repertoire he was expected to perform can be gleaned from nearly 200 programmes, brochures and flyers of concerts at which he performed. A significant item is a bound volume of programmes from the 1899 and 1900 series of Sunday concerts given at the New Brighton Tower. These concerts became nationally known for their innovative programming and many were conducted by Granville Bantock. Herman Bantock came into contact with many famous performers, conductors and composers, some of whom are represented in the collection either in photographs or in letters. They include Hamilton Harty, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Hans Richter. The collection also includes some programmes and press clippings relating to the career of Bantock's second wife, Mabel, a cellist. The collection as a whole gives a remarkable picture of a life in music. |
| Administrative History | Herman Bantock (1874-1965), cousin of Sir Granville Bantock, the composer, and the father of Geoffrey Bantock, Professor of Education at the University of Leicester. Bantock made his living as a professional violin and viola player, initially in sea-side orchestras such as on Blackpool's North Pier and in the Rimmer String Quartet, and later in the Hallé and Liverpool Philharmonic orchestras. His long performing career spanned sixty years. His second wife, Mabel (née Whymark) was also a performer, a cellist in the Hallé. Bantock was a keen sportsman, with some skill in cricket and lacrosse.
Reference: University of Birmingham Research Libraries Bulletin ( Number 7, Spring 2000 ). |