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THE TRADITION OF MUSIC AT CORPUS CHRISTI
Early days
Music played a part in the life of the church from the time it opened in 1896 and, at first, consisted of a quartet of voices accompanied by Baroness von Hugel at the harmonium. The first professional organist and choirmaster to be appointed in about 1901 was Clinton Evelyn Hoste who formed a choir of boys and men.
In 1912, on the death of Mr Hoste, the post was temporarily filled by a Mr Bertini until Mr Arthur Mayo VC, BA took over and replaced the choir with a male quartet. In 1915 Mr Mayo resigned and his place was taken by Mr A H Groves who reinstated the choir of boys and men. He held the post for four years until he resigned in 1919.
Charles Leo Leeson ARCO.
Charles was born in Coventry on 22nd February 1893. His interest in music began at a very early age. Encouraged by his father and a close family friend, he took over the family music books adding his name and compositions to them.
His earliest dated work was a 'Fantasia on airs by various composers' composed in April 1905 when he was just 12 years old.
The Dictionary of Organs and Organists (probably a 1920's edition) lists him as Deputy-Organist at St Osburg's Church from 1909 - 1912 and Organist at St Mary's Church from 1912 - 1919. It was during that period that he began composing church music including an anthem for 'double choir' 'O, Clap Your Hands' from Psalm XLVI.
This was later performed by the Coventry Choral Society at its Annual Concert at the Empire Theatre on 21st March 1916. Charles, by then in the final stages of his training as an army signaler, attended the concert.
On 5th August 1916 Charles left England for France and, in three days, found himself in the trenches at the 'front' and his War Diary records his harrowing experiences. However, at the end of the year he was appointed pianist to the Divisional Concert Party.
In reality he became the Musical Director of 'The Frolics' which was to entertain the troops close to the frontline for the remainder of the war. When not performing, he was busy composing and arranging music for the concerts or carrying out his other duties as medical orderly tending the dying and wounded as they were stretchered out of the trenches.
Charles returned home in 1919 and set up as a piano teacher from the family home in Coventry. This business prospered until, seeing an advertisement in 'The Universe' for an Organist and Choirmaster at Corpus Christi Church, Boscombe, he applied for and obtained the post his appointment taking effect on 1st December 1919.
His duties included that of Music Master at the Convent of the Cross. On 1st December 1929 Charles was presented on behalf of 'the Rector, the Fathers, the Choir and the Congregation' with an illuminated address 'To Commemorate the Tenth Anniversary of Devotion and Service'.
The choir he 'inherited' was of boys and men but because, it is recorded, 'the boys had got somewhat out of hand owing to lack of proper supervision' after six months he decided to experiment with a mixed choir of ladies and gentlemen.
With the help and encouragement of Father R. Baines, he began training boys who subsequently took over the ladies' role. This choir was heard for the first time at Midnight Mass for Christmas 1933.
As part of the church extension plans which came to fruition during 1932 and 1934, the old organ was removed to the Convent chapel to make way for a replacement instrument which had previously been in use at St George's Cathedral, Southwark.
Whilst it was a bigger and better organ than its predecessor Charles was always disappointed that the sound was marred by the need to mount the pipes on opposite sides of the choir loft so that they were 'speaking' across at each other.
At 7pm on Easter Sunday, 1st April 1934 he gave an organ recital to mark the 'Opening of New Organ'. The programme contains an appeal for the £607-18s-6d debt on the organ with an invitation to the congregation 'to subscribe generously to the silver collection'.
When he wasn't involved with his work for the church, Charles applied his musical talents locally in a number of ways including as pianist with the Bournemouth Wireless Orchestra at the local BBC studios, with the Boscombe Arcade Orchestra, arranging and playing music for silent films and as guest organist at two Bournemouth cinemas.
In 1925 Charles married Vera May Willis (née Avery) a professional singer (contralto) whom he met at the BBC studios and who was a frequent soloist at the many recitals held at the church both before and after the 'new' organ was installed.
On the evening of 19th November 1940 one of two bombs, probably jettisoned by an enemy bomber returning home, buried itself in the soft sand beneath the corner of the 'music room' at Tregenna and exploded. Little apparent damage was done to the fabric of the house but it was declared unsafe.
The family moved to an empty house on Southbourne Overcliff Drive barely a hundred yards from Tregenna and it was there, on 9th May 1941, Charles passed away at the age of 48 after a short illness. The cause of death was recorded as septicaemia and the Death Certificate shows that the 'informant' was Father W Gibbons.
Not surprisingly in view of the premature nature of his death, no arrangements had been made to preserve the considerable 'library' of his music and it is known that much of it was removed from the church some with and some without the family's permission.
The relatively small amount that was left remained out of sight in one family loft or another until 1999 when John undertook the task of cataloguing it with a view to finding it a permanent resting place.
This was spurred on by the reappearance of Charles's diaries, letters and artifacts from the Great War which were readily accepted into the Coventry City Archives.
The obvious place for his music seemed to be the church for which most of it had been written and, on 20th July 2006, Father Michael Beattie S.J., in the last week of his incumbency as Parish Priest at Corpus Christi, kindly accepted it for preservation in the parish library.
Included with the music was a brief supporting dossier and a copy of the aforementioned illuminated address.
John & Tony Leeson