Chapter Two - Formation and Founding Fathers, 1867

Summary

A preliminary meeting was held in the Working Men's Institute, but no one felt very sanguine about the success of the proposed Society except Mr Diemer, the idea being that musical people were a quarrelsome lot and could not hold together for any length of time.

The idea that Philip Diemer should form a new musical society was first suggested by Dr Herbert Barker, several years before the Bedford Amateur Musical Society was actually formed.2 His proposal is known from Philip Diemer's 1905 speech where he talked about the origins of the Musical Society. His speech, from which the extract below is taken, was reported in full in the Bedfordshire Times and Independent:

There was no Society in existence for some years, but there were private meetings, and there was one held on a Tuesday evening at the house in which the present Secretary (Dr Skelding) was now living, and the gentleman who lived in that house at that time was one of Bedford's greatest worthies, Dr. Herbert Barker (applause). He suggested that they might start another Society. He (Mr. Diemer) talked it over with a few friends, such as Dr Coombs and Mr. Fitzpatrick's father (The Rev. R. W. Fitzpatrick), who was one of his and Bedford's best friends (applause). The meeting to which Mr. W. L. Fitzpatrick had referred was called [in January 1867]. Dr. Coombs was also present, and one to whom the Society would ever owe a great debt.

The meeting at which the Bedford Amateur Musical Society was formed took place on the 16 January 1867 at the Working Men's Institute in Harpur Street. Details of the discussion were minuted in the first of the three minute books from the Victorian period. The minutes also list those present, who were Philip Diemer; the Rev. R. W. Fitzpatrick, chairman, vicar of Holy Trinity church; the Rev. F. M. Sadler, Mr Fitzpatrick's curate (who later became vicar of St Paul's church); Robert Rose; Mr H. C. Cooper, a music retailer whose premises were at 3 St Paul's Square (Mr Cooper was Philip Diemer's brother-in-law, having recently married one of his sisters, Louisa.