Ernest Tomlinson MBE

Acclaimed composer and musician Ernest Tomlinson MBE died on the 12th June at the age of 90. Ernest attended BRGS after Manchester Cathedral Choir School disbanded during the war. At the time there was no music teacher at BRGS so Ernest informed the headteacher that he would teach himself! He formed an orchestra & played piano duets in assemblies with his brother.  After BRGS he won a scholarship to Manchester University and the Royal Manchester College of Music where he studied organ, clarinet and composing.

Ernest was recipient of the Composers' Guild Award in 1965 and won the Ivor Novello Award twice.  He led the Rossendale Male Voice Choir between 1976 and 1981, after his father retired as Musical Director after a period of over 50 years.  With Ernest as leader, the Choir won the BBC's 'Big Sing' competition three times.

Ernest founded the Library of Orchestral Light Music which houses over 35,000 orchestral scores.  He was also the first person to perform symphonic jazz in Russia when he led a perofmrance of his Symphony '65 at Moscow's Tchaikovsky Hall.