As our Chair, James Wetz, stands down after 25 years of involvement with Wiltshire Music Centre, he remembers some of his favourite times
The opening of Wiltshire Music Centre in 1998
This marked a significant milestone, providing for a dedicated space for music education and performance in the region. I have been proud to have been involved with this astonishing project from the very beginning when our modest ambition to build a rehearsal hall for the Wiltshire Young Musicians turned into an ambition to build a Concert Hall here in Bradford on Avon.
Winning an amazing National Lottery grant
As the Lottery Champion in those early days, it was with absolute delight for me that we were able to secure funding of £1.8million from the National Lottery – one of the earliest major funding grants from the Lottery.
Remembering original supporters
This was a project that involved many for whom music and young people was a passion. The early advocates for the Centre included: Sir Maurice Johnson who made the Charity the focus of his period as High Sheriff, Joan Main, Jean Horsfall, Philip Scott, Patrick Squire, Richard Aylwin, Vicky Landell Mills, Caroline Kay, Harriet Feilding, Keith Bennett, M’Lou Llwellyyn, Diana Youle, and Helen Starkie. There was also the essential support of Wiltshire County Council and the Governors of St. Laurence School.
Wednesday 29th April 1998
It was a huge thrill to see the commitment to young people and music demonstrated with the centre’s first major orchestral concert on Wednesday 29th April 1998 with over 60 young musicians from Wiltshire and Swindon Youth Orchestra under the baton of Malcom Binney, playing to a full house in the presence of the Princess Royal. Early Patrons who gave support were Sir Edward Heath and Sir Charles Mackerras, underlining what a significant project we had taken on. Major and generous legacies which have secured the Centre’s financial viability were and continue to be crucially important. Our current Patrons, John Cullum and Jeremy Thring, have been very supportive of my recent Chair’s Appeal.
Building the building
At every turn over the past 25 years, my memory is that the enthusiasm for this project has never dimmed. We were astonished by the work of the architects Feilden Clegg Bradley from Bath, and in particular with lead architects Gill Smith and Peter Clegg with particular input on the design brief from Philip Scott in delivering a building of such quality, and with the finest acoustic with what seems today an impossibly modest budget.
Knowing Keith Nimmo
Above all, along with so many others associated with the Wiltshire Music Centre there was one person who deserves the accolade of securing the quality of the work the Centre delivered. This was Keith Nimmo – his leadership and passion in these early and middle years as the Chief Executive and Artistic Director was such an important factor in the establishing and securing the Centre’s reputation for excellence. Always modest, a friend who is now much missed by so many who knew and worked with him. The Arts Council’s endorsement of the Centre as a National Portfolio Organisation was also a key moment in the development of the Centre and was a significant achievement by Keith Nimmo.
Introducing educational outreach
At an early Board meeting in my first period of Chairing the Board, we took a decision as a Board of Trustees to widen our work to include the introduction of educational outreach programmes and build further on the work with Special Schools which was so important to Keith Nimmo. We took a decision at a time when the budget was extremely tight to set aside funds to deliver this wider focus for the Centre. The capacity for our small organisation to take risks on this scale and on major refurbishment and expansion projects have ensured that the centre continues to offer state-of-the-art facilities to performers and audiences alike.
Watching Purcell’s Fairy Queen
I have always believed that the Wiltshire Music Centre is above all a Community Asset that needs community support and endorsement. As well as hearing national and international artists there is also the responsibility to ensure musical opportunities for all including programmes such as ‘Celebrating Age’, Dementia support programmes and opportunities for young people with a range of additional needs. This was deeply important to me and there were times when I was exceptionally moved by these programmes such as at a performance of the Purcell’s Fairy Queen in 2022, animated and supported by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and involving nearly 200 primary aged children from local schools and special schools. As I sat in the audience of the Hall engaged with the performance, I had to ask myself “how is this happening here?” and marvelled at the skill and commitment of the staff teams that had brought this together. On this occasion I was moved to tears.
Working with talented people
I have had the honour and privilege to Chair the Board of Trustees of the Wiltshire Music Centre for almost half of its life and during my time as Chair I have worked with so many really talented Staff and Trustees whose passion for the project has added such value. I would like to thank them for their support, guidance, and friendship and for sharing my belief and passion that music is so central to us all and especially to the young.
Honouring our original mission
Let me allow Keith Nimmo, the inspirational founding Artistic Director the final word as I remember what the Music Centre means for so many:
‘Is there another place like this anywhere? A sympathetic space where students and teachers, amateurs and professionals and music enthusiasts of all ages, backgrounds and abilities can come together to explore, share, create and recreate, actively join in or simply enjoy the broadest range of Music’