Preece Family Tree

A BRISTOL 'CELLIST.

Amongst the instrumentalists now in Bristol is Mr Handel Taylor, son of Mr F. G. Taylor (organist of Redland Grove Chapel and conductor of the Choral Society formed in connection with the church). Mr Taylor, jun., is now at home for a short vacation, after finishing a course of study in Belgium. The manner in which he "took up" the 'cello was rather interesting. During the war, whilst quite a youth, he came into touch with Henri Martin, a Belgian, who was a 'cello player of some note before the war, but who has been obliged to abandon the instrument in consequence of wounds received during the war. M. Martin was at Bath undergoing treatment at the time Mr Handel Taylor met him. Previous to that, the Bristolian had done some practice with the 'cello, and had taken lessons under Mr Algernon Salter, but after he had rendered some slight service to M. Martin, the latter took an interest in his 'cello playing, and not only advised him to undertake more serious study of the instrument, but (after his return to Belgium), facilitated his admission to the examination necessary before he could enter the Conservatoire at Mons. Mr Taylor passed the examination, and was received into the Conservatoire, where he was the first Britisher who had been there as a student. An initial difficulty was the language, but Mr Taylor applied himself to French so assiduously that in a few months he was able to converse freely with the professors and fellow-students - a feat upon which he was complimented publicly at the ceremony of presenting the diplomas, of which he obtained one with second mention in his section. Subsequently, he obtained a premier mention as the result of a competition of solo 'cello playing, and his diploma bears the inscriptoin "Mention a l' unanimite." After a year at Mons, Mr Taylor went to the Royal Conservatoire at Brussels, where he studied for two years. At the end of the first year, he obtained the diploma for "lecture instrumental," and was successful with the premier award at the end of the second year (1924), when the award was presented to him by the famous Burgomaster Max. Meanwhile, Mr. Taylor had studied the 'cello under Prof. Mari Lobensohn, and was under the instruction of M. Albert Sarly for harmony and composition.

Speaking of his experiences, Mr Taylor said that he received considerable kindness from the Belgian people, who openly recognised their indebtedness to the British Army during the war.