History of The SLRO - The 1980s
From Place To Place
In the early 1980's, Eugene Genin was awarded the MBE in recognition of his services to music in Liverpool. But 1983 was a watershed year. In early July, days after the successful summer concert in which Bertha played her harp most movingly, Eugene suddenly died. Leo Bryne bravely took over the baton at extremely short notice so that the Grasmere Orchestra (renamed the Rydal Orchestra) which many SLSO members attended and which had by then transferred to Rydal Hall, was able to proceed as planned at the end of July.
The Byrnes (with Bertha's help) then took over running the SLSO at the beginning of the 1983 Autumn season. Leo had been leading the SLSO on Tuesday evenings, following Bill Jenkins' retirement some years before on grounds of ill-health. Agnes Frengley who was a Liverpool LEA peripatetic violin teacher, moved from leading the Second Violins and took over the leadership at that point and was joined on the front desk, by Matthew, Catherine's & Leo's eldest son. Sadly, a few players left the SLSO then, some joining the newly formed Metropolitan Cathedral Orchestra which also rehearsed on Tuesday evenings.
That summer of 1983, La Sagesse School closed prior to demolition. The Orchestra moved to the School Hall at New Heys Comprehensive in Heath Road, L19 with the Byrnes having to transport the music, the timps and the tea things from their home in Hoylake! This proved to be an unsatisfactory venue as the poor lighting was made even less effective on account of the hall's dark green ceiling. Despite paying a watchman for a couple of hours, members' cars were interfered with on several occasions so after three or four years, the Byrnes arranged for the Orchestra to transfer to the Benedict Arts Centre of Liverpool Institute of Higher Education (LIRE) on Woolton Road, L16 (previously Christ's, St Katharine's and Notre Dame College) with support from Ray Guinee, Head of Music. When the Music Department moved from that building, the College authorities allowed the Orchestra to transfer to its current venue, the Music Salon, adjacent to Taggart Road in what is now called the Hope Park Campus of Liverpool Hope.