WILLIAM HENRY FLINT
DEATH OF MR. HENRY FLINT GREAT SERVICE TO MUSIC IN NEWBURY

The death took place at Eastbourne of Mr. W.H. Flint, of 9 Donnington-square, Newbury, at the age of 71. For many years it had been his custom to spend his holidays at Eastbourne during the autumn tennis tournament. He did so this year and his death occurred there suddenly, following a heart attack. Mr. Flint had not been in the best of health for some time past. When the Newbury Operatic was due to produce "The Gondoliers" last April he was taken ill with an attack of phlebitis. He bravely carried on conducting the orchestra and the chorus, but it was evident that he was in pain most of the time. He recovered so far, but he has never been the same man since.
Henry Flint will long be remembered for his services to music in Newbury. He was a violinist of considerable ability, studying under the late J.S. Liddle, Mus. Bac. He must have been the oldest member of the Newbury Amateur Orchestral Union, which he first joined as a playing member when a young man, afterwards becoming leader and also deputy conductor, at times conducting the orchestra. Upon the completion of 50 years association with the society in December 1936, Mr. Flint was presented by the members with a wireless set.
He had a wide and varied musical experience, having played in London, Oxford, Cambridge, Bath and Bristol, and under such well known conductors as Sir Charles Stanford, Sir Hubert Parry, Randegger, Coleridge Taylor, Vaughan Williams, Dr. Malcolm Sargent, Sir Adrian Boult, Sir Henry Wood, and Sir Hugh Allen. This wonderful record helped him considerably to be the tower of strength he was in the orchestra.
When the Newbury Operatic Society was formed in 1923, it was a natural choice that Henry Flint should be called upon to act as musical director and he filled this capacity at each of the Society's productions. If there was one thing in which the Newbury Operatic Society's productions excelled it was in the adequacy of the orchestral support. Mr. Flint always insisted on this, no matter the cost. The Society's orchestra, greatly helped by the members of the N.A.O.U., was a feature of the productions which always appealed to visitors and the musically minded. Then Mr. Flint was as particular in the training of the chorus and soloists, and his advice in the selection of principals also was most sound. His work for the Society was recognised during the last production when a presentation was made to him of a cheque for £50, subscribed for by past and present members and vice-presidents. Another of Mr. Flint's contributions to music in Newbury was the male voice quartette which he got together many years ago, consisting of himself, Giffard Wells, Harry Wells and John Ward. The quartette was run on the lines of the famous Meister Glee Singers who first introduced this delightful form of entertainment in the country and will be remembered by older townspeople as one of the most popular items in the programme of concerts and entertainments given under the auspices of the Newbury Literary and Scientific Institution at the old Town Hall getting on for 60 years ago. The Newbury Glee Singers' repertoire contained many of the items which the Meister Singers made popular. For many years Mr. Flint was organist and choirmaster at the Newbury Congregational Church. Henry Flint was the second son of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Flint, of Donnington-square. He was educated at Brighton House, Clifton Bristol. His father, who was a strong supporter of Newbury Cricket Club in its palmy days, was head of the coal merchants' business of that name in the Wharf, and Henry Flint carried on the business after his death up to the present time. A clean cut, spare figure with a rather solemn demeanour, Henry Flint had a reserve of dry humour and was a delightful companion, a good friend and useful townsman in his own quiet way.
H.T.

APPRECIATIONS "AN OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY"
Through the passing of Henry Flint the musical life of Newbury has lost an outstanding personality who, even up to the time of his death was still actively engaged in music. For 61 years he was a member of the Newbury Orchestra and for 50 years was its leader. He was always ready to „conduct rehearsals at short notice, and indeed to help any musical events in the town, as was shown by his willingness to accept musical directorship of the Newbury Operatic Society when it was formed. In his earlier days he played with orchestras as far afield as Bath and Cirencester. Many of the memories which come to my mind of the happy times I had with Henry on these occasions. Music was his first love, but by no means his only one. In his prime he was a fine tennis player, making full use of his tremendous reach. Golfing and skating were also his hobbies and one could always be sure of seeing his tall figure among the first of the skaters. But it is with music that one chiefly associates him, and we, the members and friends of the Orchestra, shall miss him very, very much.

A.P.D.
Mr. D.F. Cameron, chairman of Newbury and District Amateur Operatic Society, writes "In the passing of Henry Flint the Newbury and District Amateur Operatic Society have lost a very dear friend. It can truthfully be said that the Operatic Society was Henry Flint. He never spared himself and during last year's rehearsals and production he was always at his post, although it meant trudging through deep snow at a time when his health was not too good. Again on production he conducted the Orchestra when perhaps he should have rested. In these troublesome days we do indeed lose a fine musician and a natural gentleman.

MANY AT THE FUNERAL

Minister's Tribute
Many members of the local musical societies in which Mr. Henry Flint figured so prominently, attended the funeral service at Newbury Congregational Church, on Tuesday afternoon. The service was taken by the minister, the Rev. John Wilding, who in a personal tribute, said Henry Flint carried into this hasty, crude, mechanical age something of the dignified courtesy and the culture of a more leisured society. His musical gifts and musical achievements and all he meant in the musical life of the community for half-a-century, formed the salient feature of his life. He loved music. He delighted to share in its performance. Nothing pleased him more than to talk about it; he found rich enjoyment in his listening. The musical societies of this town would be for ever in his debt. As the congregation assembled, the organist Mr. C.L.P. Hutchings, played Choral Preludes by Brahms, Parry's "Elegy," Fidelis" and "Lantana" by Percy Whitlock, and a piece by Charles Macpherson from "A Little Organ" written in memory of Sir Hubert Parry. At the conclusion of the service, he played Walford Davies' "Solemn Melody." The family mourners were: Miss I. Flint and Mrs McCall (sisters), Mrs Mizen (cousin), Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Flint (cousins) and Mrs Mary Evans.

The congregation
Mr. A.P. Davies and Mr. P.J.M. Davies represented the N.A.O.U.; Mr. H.T. Hines and Mr. D.F. Cameron, Newbury and District Operatic Society; Mr. G.H. Keen, Mr. W.H.H. Court and Mr. A. G. Sampson, Newbury Choral Society; Mr. G.A. Sellick, a fellow musician,also represented the Royal College of Music.

There follows a very long list of those present.

Also attached to the newspaper tributes is a photograph of Mr. Flint which has not reproduced clearly.

Newbury Weekly News 25th September 1947

Mrs P. p. 18 W95

Died 19 September 1947

Buried 23 September 1947

Burial Book 1917 Page 268 no. 11737

(WILLIAM] HENRY FLINT
FIFTY YEARS OF MUSIC PRESENTATION TO MR. HENRY FLINT
LAST NIGHT'S CONCERT

To mark his fifty years' association with the Newbury Amateur Orchestral Union for forty of which he has been leader, the members of the Society made a presentation of a wireless set to Mr. Henry Flint at their concert in the Corn Exchange last (Wednesday) night. Mr. A.P. Davies, hon. Treasurer, made the presentation on behalf of past and present members. He said that during Mr. Flint's fifty years with the orchestra nothing but illness or avoidable absence from Newbury had ever prevented him from attending practices, rehearsals and concerts and by his keenness and musical ability he had played a large part in helping Newbury and district to attain the high position it now held in the musical life of the country. Their sister society, the Newbury Choral Society, knew him well. He had played in the orchestra in connection with the Newbury Musical Festival ever since its inauguration. He had acted as honorary conductor to the Newbury Operatic Society since its formation some 14 years ago with phenomenal success, and he had held the post of organist and choirmaster in the town. Many in the hall would remember the Nomad Glee Singers — those fat, full, low bass notes of his, such as in "Tom, Tom, the Piper's son," were a sure and solid foundation on which to build the harmonies and melodies of a male voice quartet.
WIDE EXPERIENCE
But it was the orchestra which had claimed Mr. Flint's chief interests and activities. He had a wide and varied musical experience, having played in London, Oxford, Cambridge, Bath and Bristol, and under such well known conductors as Sir Charles Stanford, Sir Hubert Parry, Romdegger, Coleridge Taylor, Vaughan Williams, Dr. Malcolm Sargent, Dr. Adrian Boult, Sir Henry Wood and Sir Hugh Allen. That was a wonderful record, and had helped him considerably to be the tower of strength he was to the orchestra. Seven years ago the orchestra celebrated its jubilee so that Mr. Flint joined it in its early days. Ten years later he became leader, which position he had held for forty years.
Mr. George Weldon, the conductor, also spoke of Mr Flint's qualities as leader, and then Mr. Davies asked Mr. Flint to accept the wireless set as a small token of appreciation, esteem and affection. We wish you a long and happy life, full of good health and good music, and we hope we shall be in the happy position of playing in this orchestra with you as leader for many years to come" added Mr. Davies, amid applause.

MR. FLINT'S FIRST CONCERT
Mr. Flint, in thanking the members for their gift and expressions of good will, said that to be confronted with the fact that he had played with the orchestra for half-a -century was in respects rather alarming, but when he looked back to his first concert, he could not help feeling that he had much to be thankful for> In those days, the late 80s, the facilities for music-making and music-listening were not so good as at the present time, and he counted himself fortunate that the town of Newbury had quite an efficient orchestra which he was able to join after learning the fiddle for about a couple of years.
Mr. Flint held in his hand a programme of the concert fifty years ago, and recalled that the conductor was Mr. Dines Eatwell, the accompanist Mr. Liddle, and there were three soloists. The items were varied, the principal classic being Haydn's Clock Symphony, and the programme also contained the Queen's Jubilee March, and a phantasy, "Gems of England." The orchestra numbered 46 players. Millions of semi-quavers had been put across to hundreds of audiences since then, added Mr. Flint, but the mist gratifying feature of all was that the Newbury Orchestra was in a healthier condition than it had ever been in its long history.
Many names came to mind when he looked back, in particular Mr. Liddle, who conducted the orchestra for over thirty years, Dr. Marian Arkwright and Mr. Joseph Hopson, one of the founders of the Society. As for the present, they had in Mr. George Weldon a conductor after their own hearts, and one under whom they were proud to play.

Newbury Weekly News 17 December 1936