Lancaster Royal
Grammar School

Thank you for the Music Paul Froggatt

The LRGS Music Department is very sorry to see long standing woodwind teacher and band leader, Paul Froggatt, retire after 34 years of teaching at LRGS.

 A dedicated teacher and talented musician, Paul has always been generous with his time and has encouraged many of the LRGS students over the years to achieve their best – many moving on to become professional musicians in no small part because of him.

Paul has always been a performer – as you can see from the photo of him as ‘Oliver’ in a school production back in 1965. He still takes great pleasure in performing regularly and this features in his plans for his retirement. 

“It’s been quite a strange way to end my School teaching career. I’ll be carrying on playing, of course and providing consultation lessons for musicians interested in improvisation. However, hopefully, I’ll be spending more time travelling.”

Paul is not particularly sentimental, but is massively proud of the LRGS Big Band and all they have achieved over the years under his baton. He's delighted with all their performances over the years and of the all clips that have been posted on LRGS Music Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, and they will always be there. During his time leading the band there have been many recording sessions, and the Big Band‘s latest CD was recorded in March 2019. As Paul himself would say – “a bargain! One for £10 and 2 for £20!” Please do contact elamb@lrgs.org.uk if you would like a copy!

Most people are unaware that Paul is also an OL. He came to LRGS for 6th form and took his A levels in Music, Geography, Biology and General Studies at LRGS in 1980, before moving on to Leeds College of Music. It was during his early days in Lancaster whilst at LRGS that he met many of the people that he still plays with today – as you can see in the newspaper clipping in the gallery here. Many of you might recognise a few names and faces featured in the article.

Music Tours have always played an important part in the development of the LRGS Big Band members and staff and pupils have many fond memories of Paul on these trips – meeting some ‘interesting’ businessmen in their restaurant in Poland, to his French schoolgirl fan club in Barcelona (see photo!) and, most recently, the epic journey back from Catalonia in 2018 when the brand new bus broke down twice, we missed two flights (one to Manchester and one to Birmingham) and ended up flying back to Southend. The bus (with all the instruments still on board) made it back a week later!

Mr David Prescott, former Director of Music at LRGS, says: I think Paul was almost always up for a challenge. But I imagine the most original was a live concert I’d arranged to take place on an old style open tram whilst travelling on the Ringstrasse through Vienna!! This also involved some ingenious electrical supply problem solving in order to power the bass guitar Amp. We solved it by carrying a couple of car batteries linked to a 240 volt inverter! Not the easiest kit to cart through the city centre! Memories, memories!

Another is of a ‘cabaret ‘concert aboard a North Sea Ferries vessel on our return from a tour in Germany. Our coach driver Kirsty was guest vocalist singing ‘Summertime ‘This was quite a performance and very brave of her as she had never sung before. Paul and I had of course spent odd moments during the week coaching her - no pun intended!”

He takes much pride in hearing about the achievements of past pupils and we are pleased to send him these video messages from some of them to wish him a very happy retirement.