FRANK Cooper, who has died aged 94, was a professional cellist of considerable ability who lived in Leeds for most of his life.
As a boy he lived in Mirfield and was taught the piano by his father. Frank soon showed promise and was sent to Arthur Haines for cello lessons.
Many older readers will remember Arthur as a cellist of prodigious ability and an inspired teacher wh
o produced many illustrious players.
When he was 15, he took himself off to the south coast and found work playing the cello in Bobbies Cafe in Bournemouth. The job also involved playing the saxophone on Saturday nights in a dance band.
Frank didn't let on that he couldn't play the saxophone and simply picked it up as he went along. He was dashingly handsome and was never short of admirers.
During the 1930s, he supported himself entirely by his skills as a performer. He played in a quartet at Powolyn's Restaurant in Bond Street, Leeds, which provided live music all day and was the place to be seen at. In the summer season, he played in seaside orchestras as far apart as Scarborough and Llandudno.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, he joined the Royal Marines as a bandsman and actually spent a few weeks in prison for being late back from leave and having missed his ship.
After the war, he arrived back in Leeds after a short spell playing in Rochdale. Accommodation was difficult to find and, for some years, he lived in a caravan in Shadwell.
In 1947, he was a founder member of the Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra and soon worked his way up to sub principle. When the orchestra was
disbanded in 1955, he found himself without a job.
He became a taxi driver and filled his spare time with freelance playing. He soon tired of that life and committed himself full time to freelance music.
In 1963 he joined the West Riding String Quartet and continued with them until he retired in 1979.
Apart from his music, Frank's other great interest was golf. After retiring, he played five days a week for the next 20 years. Eventually a stroke curtailed his physical activities, but he never lost his dynamic personality and enjoyed life right to the end.
Frank had contracted pneumonia as a boy and ever since had had a weak chest. A few weeks ago he developed a chest infection and was admitted to hospital. He died after contracting C.difficile.
Frank was an inspiration to everyone who knew him and will be sorely missed. He was a gifted cellist, he was easy to play with and he was happy to play music of all styles. He also had that rare quality of inspiring lesser players to give of their very best.
Frank is survived by a sister, Joyce.
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