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Leo Solomon
Grimsby trailblazer who took the town, its music and its education to his heart
August 20, 2021 12:00
Grimsby trailblazer who took the town, its music and its education to his heart
August 20, 2021 12:00Music and Judaism were the twin passions of Leo Solomon, and in 2011 he received an MBE for his services to music. He taught maths at various schools in the Grimsby area but he was also a pioneer in computerised music, winning a New Scientist prize with computer-written tunes.
Modest, gifted and humorous, Solomon, who has died aged 90, was also a superb jazz pianist, and became the town’s best known local jazz musician. His Leo Solomon Trio played at virtually every venue in the port, some more salubrious than others. The trio accompanied more than 100 jazz artists.
Leo Solomon was Director of the Lindsey School’s sixth form for 22 years, in its former role as a girls’ grammar and then as a mixed comprehensive school. He was dedicated to teaching and was known to be very caring and supportive of his students. It was interesting to follow him around the town as he would be stopped every few yards by grateful students, all of whom he seemed to remember.
He was generous with his time and managed to talk to everyone. He resisted many offers to leave his beloved Grimsby, including for the USA, and only left to spend three years at Sheffield University.
To many people Solomon was the Grimsby Jewish community, having been President of the synagogue for some 55 years until his death. This made him the longest serving President in the 150 years of the shul’s history. Arguably worthy of an entry in The Guinness Book of Records. He cared for the beautiful, small synagogue with great enthusiasm and took most of the services, alternating the High Holiday services with Jonathan Arkush, former President of the Board of Deputies.
Solomon held a variety of synagogue roles, including chazan, warden, community leader and even DIY chief. In his cantorial role he reprised the beautiful melodies of the shtetl-raised cantors who were the chazans of the community in his youth. He played a wider role in the religious affairs of the town; he undertook dedicated interfaith work with the Christian and Muslim communities and regularly spoke at events on Jewish issues. He was also involved with religious education and showed many local school-children around the shul.
Leo Solomons was the son of Bertha and Philip Solomon, a master tailor. When Leo was eight, a customer could not pay for repairs to his suit so he gave Philip a piano instead, which led to Leo’s ultimate success as a jazz musician.
He took an active part in civic affairs and was at various times Chairman of the League of Friends, The Grimsby Youth Orchestra, and New Waltham Parish Council. He was a Freeman of North East Lincolnshire, and Musical Director of both the Silhouettes and the Grimsby Symphony Orchestra.
Leo died in a care home on the site of his former school. It will be difficult for the small community to survive without him but we will try, as he would have wanted. The tributes paid to him on his death were a quite extraordinary outpouring of emotion.
His wife Margaret, twice Mayor of Cleethorpes, predeceased him. He is survived by his daughter Ruth, her husband James and her two children Molly, 14, and Toby, eight.
JOHN BOWERS, QC
Leo Solomon: born 7 September, 1930. Died 11 May , 2021
