Gervase Phinn: The magic of musiv

Carey directed a flourishing school orchestra, a large brass band and various well-attended choirs and produced a range of operas, operettas and musicals including The Magic Flute, The Marriage of Figaro, The Pirates of Penzance as well as contemporary pieces such as Oliver! and Grease. He was a real enthusiast and spent many hours before and after school teaching and rehearsing.

Rehearsals proved to be great fun. He would wave his arms about and shout in his deep booming Welsh accent, sometimes in encouragement, at other times in frustration.

At one rehearsal, a pupil asked him, "Excuse me sir, what is the next piece we're playing?" "The Saint Saens," replied Carey. "Oh heck!" exclaimed the boy. "I've just been playing that!" On another occasion, he remonstrated with the boy playing the tuba. "John, for goodness sake, will you keep up. You're playing two bars behind everyone else." "I know, sir," replied the pupil, somewhat peeved, "but I can soon catch up if I wants to."

When the school underwent an Ofsted inspection, the visiting HMI music specialist, sitting in on a rehearsal of the orchestra, was asked by Carey what instrument he played and when informed it was the violin, the instrument was thrust into the inspector's hands and he was told to play along, which he duly did. When the lead inspector attended a rehearsal the following day and admitted sadly that he didn't play any instrument, he was given a triangle.

"I will tell you when to come in," said Carey, with a twinkle in his eye.Needless to say, the subsequent report was glowing.

Pupils in the school performed throughout the country and abroad. On one memorable visit to United States, Carey acquired a sousaphone, that great curved-bodied brass instrument favoured in the American marching bands. Not unsurprisingly, Carey was stopped when entering the country. The intrigued customs officer began examining the instrument.

Having satisfied himself that the strange-looking instrument was not used to smuggle illegal drugs into the country, the customs officer asked Carey how one would play such a thing. To the delight of the people at the airport Carey proceeded to demonstrate.

Sadly, in an increasing number of schools, music has been marginalised. In some primary schools I visit, children sing half heartedly to taped music because no teacher can play the piano or has any musical expertise. Recent research at secondary school level has revealed that the over-emphasis on literacy and numeracy and the obsession with testing, league tables and targets has led to a decline in such subjects as music.

Few local authorities have music advisers any more and there has been a reduction in peripatetic music teachers who visit schools to teach children to play instruments. One headteacher described music to a colleague of mine as "decorating the margins of the serious business of study". Perhaps he needs a Carey Williams on his staff to convince him otherwise.

Carey Williams will be directing A Feast of Words and Music at the United Reformed Church, Hallgate, Doncaster on January 16.