Jacksons, Monk & Rowe and the Brodsky Quartet - the formative years

A thoroughly enjoyable read. The genuine childhood delight in performing classical music expressed in the diary entries is captivating. It’s hard to imagine how an ordinary Boro born lass could succeed in such a privileged world, yet in the pages of this book you learn that with the right mix of raw talent, determination and support Jacky managed to do just that.

If you've ever heard the Brodsky Quartet play (and if you haven't, you should) and been spellbound by the otherworldly beauty of the music they produce, don't assume it's from God-given talent alone This fascinating memoir documents relentless hard work, dedication, passion and self belief from such a tender age it's awe inspiring. Dipping in and out of childhood diaries with the amusing observations and attitudes of growing up in the 1970's, it's an intriguing and entertaining read.

This is a fascinating story of a child set alight by music and driven from very young to work at her chosen art form; the string quartet. She is the youngest of a large eccentric family and benefited from growing up in Teesside at a time when music was given a high profile in schools with peripatetic instrumental tutors and instruments available on loan to pupils. Jacqueline Thomas is passionately committed to the importance of music at the centre of the curriculum and the benefits it brings. This is demonstrated by the high number of professional musicians coming from her generation in Middlesbrough. Her writing is engaging and and is particularly enhanced by the use of extracts from her childhood diaries which as she acknowledges are sometimes amusing in their self importance and highly emotional sense of her musical mission. The passion is there from the start. This is a most entertaining and instructive read demonstrating as it does the hard work and dedication which is required to become a musician and the drive and attention to detail that needs to be there from the start. It is extraordinary that four children were playing Shostakovich! Although the book tackles serious issues such as gender bias in music it is at times very funny particularly in the occasional character studies of people she comes across in her musical journey. If you are a fan of the Brodsky quartet or even if you have never yet heard them play I am sure you will find this book a most revealing and enjoyable read.

This is a fascinating story of a child set alight by music and driven from very young to work at her chosen art form; the string quartet. She is the youngest of a large eccentric family and benefited from growing up in Teesside at a time when music was given a high profile in schools with peripatetic instrumental tutors and instruments available on loan to pupils. Jacqueline Thomas is passionately committed to the importance of music at the centre of the curriculum and the benefits it brings. This is demonstrated by the high number of professional musicians coming from her generation in Middlesbrough. Her writing is engaging and and is particularly enhanced by the use of extracts from her childhood diaries which as she acknowledges are sometimes amusing in their self importance and highly emotional sense of her musical mission. The passion is there from the start. This is a most entertaining and instructive read demonstrating as it does the hard work and dedication which is required to become a musician and the drive and attention to detail that needs to be there from the start. It is extraordinary that four children were playing Shostakovich! Although the book tackles serious issues such as gender bias in music it is at times very funny particularly in the occasional character studies of people she comes across in her musical journey. If you are a fan of the Brodsky quartet or even if you have never yet heard them play I am sure you will find this book a most revealing and enjoyable read.

karuna555 5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating story of an internationally famous string quartet cellist Reviewed in the United Kingdom (Amazon) on 7 October 2022 A must-read for anyone even remotely interested in music and musicians, this is the tale of Jacqueline Thomas, cellist and founder member of the famous Brodsky String Quartet, and her early years growing up in the 60s and 70s as a passionate exponent of classical music in the unlikely setting of industrial north Yorkshire. A fascinating insight into a golden pre-Thatcher age when music lessons and instruments were available to all school children in the UK for free, this is the engaging account of how four string-playing children from deeply un-posh homes, united in their love of classical music, made it onto the international stage as one of the most acclaimed British string quartets of our time, a lasting bond of many decades and still going strong. Battling the deeply-ingrained sexism of the classical music industry of the time, plus age-ism and class prejudice, Jacqueline takes us on a fascinating backstage tour of some of her formative struggles and triumphs as a young female cellist in a man's world, always told with a light touch ("Baggy was a twat" is one of my favourite lines), paying homage to many well-known musician colleagues along the way. This wonderful little book is shot through with her deep commitment to sharing the music she loves with as wide an audience as possible, and to music education for all. Highly recommended. Some nice photo pages too : )