July 2020

Frank Moore

By Tony Mansell

 

Frank Moore was born in India in 1907 and joined the St Agnes Band when he was about 13 years old. As a euphonium and bass player he is remembered for his technical ability and his knowledge of music which stood him in good stead when he took up the baton.

Frank and May (Mamie) Moore lived at Trenoweth, Trevellas, near St Agnes, with their son, David, and I recall spending time there practising and playing chess, a game he taught me. Mamie’s maiden name was Ichet, a family who were very involved in Mithian village life.

Joining Frank in the band were his two younger brothers, Gerald and Leslie, and later, after he became musical director, his son David and nephew, Desmond.

St Agnes Town Band circa 1922 – Frank Moore seated on the extreme right of the centre row (Photo: courtesy Clive Benney)

St Agnes Town Band 1926 – nineteen-year-old Frank Moore is second left front row (Photo: courtesy Clive Benney)

In 1926, Frank transferred to euphonium, an instrument he played for the next 13 years. During his time as a player, brass bands played a huge part in the social life of the community and at St Agnes, Frank would have played at tea treats, carnivals and fetes as well as the more serious aspects of band life, the concerts and contests.

St Agnes Silver Band 1939 – Frank Moore is on the extreme left in the second row, holding his euphonium (Photo: courtesy Clive Benney)

Many bandsmen left to fight in the Second World War but it seems that St Agnes Band struggled on, at least for a while. Frank, as a market gardener, was in a reserved occupation so he joined the Home Guard where he was made a captain.

Following the cessation of hostilities, the band re-formed and on the 4^th June 1945, it resumed rehearsals under its new musical director – Frank Moore. Many former players returned and soon they were enjoying a growing programme of engagements. It was a period of re-building for the band with a great emphasis placed on bringing in young players.

St Agnes Band gained a reputation for producing a fine tone and this was certainly due to Frank Moore’s insistence on regularly practising long notes and slow hymn tunes. It paid dividends on the contest stage and was rewarded by a steady climb through the sections. Perhaps, though, a more ambitious band and conductor would have tested their skills on the national stage but I can only find one occasion when St Agnes Band successfully negotiated a qualifying round to compete in a national final. Regrettably, and perhaps a little un-ambitiously, they withdrew due to lack of finance.

During the 1950s, an increasing amount of Frank’s time was spent with brass bands. He still ran his market garden but the balance of involvement had changed and from the state of his greenhouses it was clear which aspect he enjoyed most. I was a playing member of St Agnes Band at this time and during school holidays, I helped him with the planting and weeding.

Frank often became a little frustrated when rehearsals were not going well and on one occasion this boiled over and he stormed out of the band room. The players listened as he started his Morris 8 car and drove away but no one moved from their seat. A little later they heard him return and he walked in and said, “Right, we’ll start from the second movement.”

Frank was strict, particularly with the young members, and there were many who left the band room in tears. My own relationship with Frank was variable. Outside the band room he was friendly, but when wielding the baton his personality changed. Looking back, I can now see that my lack of dedication in the first few years of my banding career probably irritated him as did my rebellious teen years. After all, he was someone who devoted so much of his energy to music and probably found it difficult to tolerate those who did not. However, as my interest and playing ability improved, so did our attitude to each other and our mutual respect.

In 1966, the West Briton ran a report of his retirement party. The following week it printed a retraction after they were advised it was Frank Moore’s 21^st anniversary as conductor and that he was not stepping down.

In 1969, the band took first place in the Championship Section at the Cornwall Brass Band Association Contest, but this was to be the zenith of its achievements under Frank Moore. At that time, they were also competing in the top section at the West of England Bandsman’s Festival (Bugle Contest) but unfortunately failed to make an impression on the top bands.

Frank Moore receiving the winner’s trophy in 1969

During late 1969, Frank intimated that he would be retiring and, in 1970, he stood down as musical director of St Agnes Band. He had held the post for 25 years and was the most successful in terms of competition results. In a speech marking his retirement, Henry Mills, the Cornwall Music Advisor, referred to his role as a peripatetic teacher and gave him much of the credit for the success of brass banding in Cornish schools.

Just two years later, in 1972, Frank came out of retirement to temporarily take charge of the band as the position had become vacant again.

 

Youth Bands

It was probably Frank’s success at Truro School which prompted the Cornwall Music Service to employ him as a peripatetic brass teacher, a job which took him into secondary schools across Cornwall. Many players developed under his baton including some who went on to carve out a career in music and who had good reason to be grateful to him.

His teaching role took him to Helston during the late 1950s where he taught the youngsters of that area. I am unclear if this was a part of his job with the Cornwall Music Service but I do recall that he took a group of youngsters from St Agnes with him. Each week we travelled there in Frank’s rather ancient jeep.

 

Cornwall Youth Brass Band

Frank’s involvement with the Cornwall Youth Brass Band began in 1955. There were two bands at that time: the senior group led mainly by Freddie Roberts of Camborne and the training section under Frank. These two men were significant in getting the organisation off the ground and in developing the young players.

In 1959, however, there was some concern regarding the direction in which the band was heading and the then Cornwall Music Advisor, Mr W Pearson, invited the famous conductor, Dr Denis Wright, to a meeting to discuss its future. Frank Moore was at that meeting and was to become an important figure as the band moved into the second phase of its life.

The first event for the re-constituted band was a residential course. It took place in 1959, at Pentewan, and following this, the courses were held at St Austell Grammar and Fowey School.

1959: The Cornwall Youth Brass Band residential course at Pentewan with the course director, Dr Denis Wright, tutors and officers – Frank Moore is second from right in the third row. (Photo: CYBB Archive)

Membership presented the youngsters with the opportunity to meet and make music with players of other bands and, of course, to play under guest conductors from both the brass band and the orchestral worlds. And what a privilege it was – a unique opportunity. With no other reward than the satisfaction of making music, Frank Moore and his colleagues arranged the courses and undertook all the administrative aspects. These men played an enormous part in developing the young players and Frank’s contribution was recognised when he was presented with the Gorsedh Kernow award for services to Cornish Music.

 

Frank Moore died in August 1979 after a short illness. A newspaper eulogy referred to him as, “One of Cornwall’s best-known brass bandsmen.” It continued, “Under his baton, the St Agnes Band made consistent progress up to first-class status in competition festivals.”

Henry Mills, the Cornwall Music Advisor, referred to his wider involvement adding, “With his passing, Cornwall has lost one of those irreplaceable people to whom banding owes a great deal. He has done more for brass bands in general and young players in particular than anyone else in the county. He was a teacher par excellence, and many of our older players who have now moved all over England owe their prowess to him. He will be sadly missed.”

It was a fitting tribute to a man who had contributed so much of his time and energy to the Cornish brass band movement and to the Cornwall Youth Brass Band in particular. He had attended every course from 1959 to 1979 and had still been playing an active role until just prior to his death in August of that year. The band’s continued success is his legacy to the young brass players of Cornwall.

If it were possible to meet him now, I would shake his hand and say, “thanks for the experience.” The record book speaks for itself; Cornish banding would have been much poorer without him.

 

Further Reading:

Pages on this website:

Cornwall Youth Brass Band – the early tutors

Cornish Brass Bands – Cornwall Youth Brass Band

Cornish Brass Bands – St Agnes

The book “St Agnes and its Band” by Tony Mansell

 

Acknowledgements:

David Moore (Frank’s son and former member of St Agnes Silver Band) for information provided.

Desmond Moore (Frank’s nephew and former member of St Agnes Silver Band) for information provided.

Past and present members of St Agnes Silver Band for information provided for the book “St Agnes and its Band”

All organisations and individuals, whether named or not, who have provided information and photographs for this brief biography. If you own the copyright to any of the photographs included, then please let us know and you will be credited, or the photographs removed.