During his formative years Patrick was exposed to the delights of such people as Peter Pears, John Ogden and Owen Brannigan as well as concert performances from members of the D’Oyly Carte Company. He remembers seeing Norman del Mar conducting, which might have sown the seeds of his interest in conducting. Later, he played trumpet with a youth orchestra in Suffolk and recalls a Fanfare written for the orchestra and conducted by Imogen Holst – the daughter and only child of composer, Gustav Holst.

There was always live music at home and Patrick was encouraged to have singing lessons, which led to taking part in local Gilbert & Sullivan productions; on one occasion he sang in Dvorak’s ‘Requiem’ at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in the presence of Princess Caroline of Monaco. He progressed from singing to playing in a brass band and later took piano lessons and started saxophone. This latter skill led to his joining the Sillars Light Orchestra’s saxophone section where he might have expected to remain; that is, until he was given the opportunity to put his life-long enthusiasm for conducting into practice.

 

Patrick Meehan was appointed Musical Director and Conductor of the Sillars Light Orchestra in January 2008.

 

Patrick Meehan’s ambition was always to conduct. In his words it was “a long-held interest in ‘realising’ music through conducting and ‘finding’ music through listening and playing”, and he believes nothing compares with live music.

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