Harry Berly was a British violist, saxophonist, clarinetist and violinist, who played with a number of British Dance Bands in the 1920s and 30s.
12 Facts About Harry Berly
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Harry Berly appeared at the Proms and played with the International String Quartet.
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Harry Berly had lessons on the violin with Ethel Martin at the Tower House School of Music in East Sheen, before gaining a scholarship, at the age of 14, to study viola at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Lionel Tertis.
4.
Tertis stated that Harry Berly was the best student he ever had, and had high hopes for him as a viola soloist.
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Harry Berly received the Ada Lewis Scholarship at the RAM in 1920.
6.
In December 1924, Harry Berly performed the slow movement from Berlioz's Harold in Italy at the Queen's Hall with the conductor Henry Wood.
7.
Harry Berly played and broadcast with the Music Society String Quartet with John Barbirolli, Andre Mangeot and Boris Pecker and the London Pianoforte Quartet with Barbirolli, Samuel Kutcher and Ethel Bartlett.
8.
Harry Berly appeared at the Proms in 1925 and 1926, at the Queen's Hall.
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Harry Berly played with the Laurance Turner String Quartet, with Walter Price and Jack Shinebourne, the Daventry Quartet and the Leslie Bridgewater Quintet.
10.
Harry Berly was an accomplished jazz musician and multi-instrumentalist and played with a number of British Big Bands in the 1930s, mainly on saxophone and clarinet.
11.
Harry Berly regularly performed with recording artists such as Al Bowlly and Nat Gonella.
12.
Harry Berly jumped in front of a train at Oval tube station.