Paul Dilkes

Violin

Following a near 47 year career with a major global bank as a Relationship Director for Large Global Corporates, I am now retired.

Since 1975

When I was at secondary school, I really wanted to play the classical guitar. However, my school was able to offer lessons on most instruments, but not the guitar! Then in year 2, it was suggested that I could be provided with a violin and have lessons so that is what I did and the rest is history so to speak!

I was determined to continue with my music after leaving school and with my school having been strong on Orchestral studies, I decided that Orchestral music was what I wanted to do and I needed to look for a good Orchestra to join. The head of brass at school happened to know the BPO principal trumpet in those days and he made the introduction. I came along to what was last rehearsal of the 1974/75 season and returned in September 1975 and decided very quickly that the BPO was exactly what I was looking for. Sunday rehearsals and Sunday concerts have always been a key factor in me being able to continue as a member of the orchestra. 

Having been a member of the Orchestra for 48 years, I have several but if I have to narrow it down to one then it has to be the series of events that celebrated his silver jubilee as Musical Director of our then Conductor Kenneth Page (sadly no longer with us). This series of events was particularly memorable because I was closely involved in the administrative arrangements, raising sponsorship for the culmination of the celebration and frankly, my most memorable event with the BPO, was our performance of Mahler's Symphony No 8 (The Symphony of a Thousand) at The Royal Albert Hall in London in 1984. In the run up to that concert we had also performed the work at The Great Hall Aston University and appeared on BBC television.

Two occasions when we were left without a conductor; once when Kenneth Page left suddenly and we were due to perform at Cheltenham Town Hall; and secondly when we were playing at Ledbury and due to illness we had to find a conductor at short notice. I also don’t miss playing in cramped and cold churches and school halls with poor acoustics which seemed to be so much a feature of my early days in the Orchestra – one particular concert at the Birmingham Oratory with Julian Lloyd Webber playing the Elgar Cello Concerto (in shirt sleeves) was the coldest concert I ever remember.

Favourite: Mahler. Least favourite: there are a few but Stravinsky is at the top of the list.

We have played such a huge variety of music whilst I have been a member of the orchestra such that I would rather answer this question by saying that I hope to continue playing as a member of the orchestra for many more years to come.