Content area
Full text
Kenneth Mobbs, performer, musicologist, collector and scholar of keyboard instruments passed away, aged 92, on 29 October 2017. Born on 4 August 1925 in Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire, Kenneth's musicality became apparent at an early age. In 1941, aged just 16, he was awarded the Licentiate Performing Diploma of the Royal Academy of Music (L.R.A.M.) before going up to Clare College, Cambridge, on an organ scholarship and state science bursary, from where he graduated with degrees in both Natural Sciences and Music. After being awarded the Fellowship Diploma of the Royal College of Organists (F.R.C.O.) with the Turpin Prize for practical work in 1949, Kenneth became a post-graduate student at the Royal College of Music, where he studied piano, organ, conducting, viola and orchestration. In 1950 he was appointed to the staff of the Music Department of Bristol University where he remained as Senior Lecturer in Music until his retirement in 1986.
Kenneth Mobbs' contribution to the West Country music scene over a period of 60 years was significant and far-reaching. As a lecturer, Kenneth was beloved of his students and he maintained lifelong connections with many of those he taught; his musical influence has been truly lasting. He was an active member of the 114-year-old Bristol Music Club and a sought-after accompanist and conductor who collaborated with many esteemed artists and ensembles, including the Dartington String Quartet, the Bristol Sinfonía and the Bristol Opera School. Kenneth broadcast frequently on BBC radio as a soloist, duettist, accompanist, and as an ensemble and continuo player. His catholic musical taste is...