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Viscount Jubileum 232
Located in the Tebb Room |
Robert Tebb |
Rogers 520
Located in The School chapel |
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Director of Music Mr Andrew Wheeler asked Anthony Bogdan Organs to
source two pre-owned organs for practice purposes for the pupils.
One was for the School Chapel and one for the Tebb Room, the main
reharsal room in the school. Anthony was
able to supply a Viscount Jubileum 232 and a Rogers 520 for the
chapel. Robert Tebb is a benefactor of the school and has donated a
scholarship award. A potted history of Roberts career is outlined
below.
Anthony Bogdan Organs Ltd.
is proud to be associated with such a fine music department grooming
our next generation of organists at such an excellent school
A Benefactor of
Leeds Grammar School Robert Tebb
Known as Bob Tebb, he started piano lessons age 7 and sang in all
male choir at Headingley Methodist Church Leeds. Took organ lessons
at St.Chads Parish Church, Leeds from the then Organist Percy
Richardson on the Harrison and Harrison three manual organ At a
later stage learnt from Herbert Bardgett, former Chorus Master of
the famous Huddersfield Choral Society. Herbert Bardgett was music
master at
Leeds Grammar School during the second world war.
Bob was evacuated with the school to the dales village
of Burnsall in 1940 aged 13. where he played the harmonium at
Burnsall Methodist Church with boys from the school forming the
Choir.
With Brother Brian and pupils from the school he gave a concert
party in the village hall in aid of The Lord Mayor of Londons
Freedom from Hunger Campaign.This was his first venture on stage.
Returning to
Leeds
he was organist at Belle Vue Methodist Church and at that time the
youngest regular church organist in Leeds. He played at two
performances with The Negro American Choir visiting the district.
In 1943 just after leaving school he was on fire watching duty every
Friday Night at
Leeds
Grammar School and used to play the piano in the blacked
out school assemble Hall. The art master Reggie Brittain liked to be
on duty these occasions to listen to his playing. Many sing-songs
around the piano with pints of beer placed on the top for Bob-but he
was strictly teetotal and never drank during his army days and ever
since never had a liking for the taste of beer, just the occasional
Gin and Tonic.
In
20th December 1944 Bob joined the army in
Lanark,
Scotland. As a raw recruit of only four days he was invited to play
the piano in the Sergeants Mess on Christmas Day.
Moving to Larkhill no Salisbury Plain Bob regularly played the organ
at the Garrison Church and also at Amesbury Methodist Church.
In 1948 returned to
Leeds
and back to Headingley Methodist Church where in 1950 he started a
concert party named The Headingley Players formed from members of
the youth group and thus became a self taught Musical Director.
After ten years of annual performances for five nights and 200
capacity schoolroom sell out he moved in 1961 to Leeds Civic
Theatre and founded Headingley Amateur Operatic Society.
In 1964 started ‘Sounding Brass and Voices’ concerts in
Leeds Town Hall with a choir of 200 voices and well known local
brass bands .The concerts had an invited celebrity singer and
Compere. These concerts ran for 25 years together with Annual
Christmas Concert, both always a sell-out
Bob played two weeks each year at the Civic Theatre with Saturday
matinees to capacity audiences, finally taking the big step to move
to Leeds Grand Theatre in 1972 with a production of Merrie England
playing for a week to a capacity nightly audience of 1500
Bob, now aged 81, retired from the theatre and concert hall in 2000
having conducted 50 different musicals and over 500 performances in
the theatre and in the concert hall.
For twenty five years he was Chairman of Leeds College of Music and
Deputy Administrator of The Leeds International Pianoforte
Competition.
Bob conducted Songs of Praise from Leeds General Infirmary on BBC1
and directed The English Summer School of Light Opera at Girton
College, Cambridge,
As an old boy of Leeds Grammar School he was Treasurer of the Old Leos for
thirteen years and Secretary of the Old Leos Rigby Club and
founder executive of the Old Leos Club. At their fourth Centenary
Celebration in 1952 organised events which raised £2800 in two days
and also organised their Annual Summer Balls for many years.
The Robert Tebb Trust provides scholarships and prizes for
young muscians at
Leeds Grammar School, Leeds College of Music and other
educational organisations.
The organ in the assembly Hall at The Grammar School at
Leeds was funded by the Bartlett Trust and The Robert Tebb Trust as
a joint venture after which the organ was named ‘The Bartlett Organ’
and the main rehearsal room in the School ‘The Robert Tebb Room’.
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