Beethoven from Peter at the start of the recital.

The acoustics are far from perfect and Silverman Hall, Nelson, was not crowded on Thursday evening, 24th July 1975, when Peter Dobson gave a piano recital, but an appreciative audience more than compensated for minor snags. Burnley's talented young pianist played classical music to raise money for the Burnley branch of the British Red Cross Society. He is the son of Mr and Mrs John Dobson of Meadow Close, Reedley, and his mother, Joan a former Burnley Express employee, is the Red Cross branch secretary.

Peter recently returned from London, where he is studying at the Royal College of Music, and hopes to become a concert pianist. He acquired excellent examination results at the end of his second year, with a grade 4A rating, second only to the top award. On Thursday, Peter played Beethoven's Sonata No. 17 in D minor, Schumann's "Papillon," and Rachmaninoff preludes opus 23, 5, 4 and 7. He played several pieces by Chopin, including Berceuse in D flat, Nocturne in C sharp minor, and Scherzo No. 2 in B flat minor.

Before playing Chopin, he told members of the audience that he wanted to play one piece by Chopin in memory of the late Miss Elizabeth Woodhead (Mrs Robert McGuire), of Burnley. Peter said: "Miss Woodhead taught me to appreciate music, and she put me on the right tracks, and many more of her pupils have reason to be very grateful to her." He thanked the local Red Cross group leader, Mrs Betty Hindle, and others who helped to make his charity concert a success. Peter, who is a former pupil of Barden School, will give three more concerts in the area shortly, one at Burnley Central Library and two by invitation of the Mid-Pennine Association for the Arts.