Tributes paid to prominent musician and teacher from Abertillery

Dr William Donald Hoskins MBE was born in the Abertillery area in June 1932, the son of William and Olive Hoskins. He was delivered by the local midwife Granny Poore, who was paid two shilllings and sixpence (12.5p today).

He attended nursery school on the mountain side near his home and accompanied his Aunt Annie Dowden to the Methodist Chapel every Sunday.

He was a pupil of Six Bells Junior Mixed, obtaining a scholarship to Abertillery Grammar School. His parents were determined for Donald to pursue his dreams and bought a second-hand grand piano, with his piano lessons beginning at the age of seven years. Theory lessons were often at the local coal pit.

His first performance was at the age of nine and was followed by many prizes at local eistedffod. At 16 he first played the Grieg Piano Concerto with the Monmouthshire Youth Orchestra and many years later he conducted the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra at the Abertillery Market Concert Hall.

At Cardiff University he obtained the B.Mus. degree followed later by an MA and PhD.

Following university he spent an obligatory two years in the army for National Service.

After this he then began a career in education.

Donald’s first post was in Solihull Grammar School, the second at Hayes Grammar School, Middlesex and then in 1966 into higher education at Eastbourne Teachers’ Training College.

He later became senior lecturer and head of the Music Centre at Barking Regional College of Technology, later to become the University of East London.

For more than 30 years he arranged lectures and promoted a wide and varied field of music in the three local boroughs, including the University of East London Concert Band, first conducted by the renowned Harry Mortimer CBE and after by Donald, who took the band to Germany for four performances. Donald and the band gave two concerts at the Richmond-based Royal Star and Garter Home for disabled servicemen and women who also enjoyed his piano playing on several occasions.

Donald was a gifted pianist also giving recitals at home and abroad including Paris, Athens, and Moscow, where he played at the Conservatoire.

In 1985 Donald formed his own professional orchestra - The Aminta Chamber/Concert Orchestra of London.

Many performances took place with renowned soloists and were attended by dignitaries of the local boroughs. Sixteen open-air classical concerts were performed in the grounds of Barking Abbey, with donations given to the Mayors’ charities.

Also at UEL Donald was a guest conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, the BBC Concert Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Choir.

This choir also performed with the Aminta Orchestra at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on London’s South Bank, where Donald also celebrated with a 75th birthday concert.

The Church of St. Martin-in-the Fields, Trafalgar Square was also a popular venue and the orchestra performed annually here for 23 years. In 2014, Donald conducted the last performance of the Aminta Orchestra at St James's Church, Piccadilly.

Donald shared a loving and fulfilled life with his wife Dinah, whom he married in 1972 in Chiswick, London. Holidays in many areas of the world were enjoyed by them both, many European countries, always exploring by car various states of the USA and large areas of Australia and New Zealand, and finally on the island of Mauritius in 2018.

In 2006, Donald was awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Barking and Dagenham and in 2007 the MBE for his services to Music.

His legacy was a love of life, a gifted gentle man full of humour, fun and music which he shared with his wife and so many thousands of music lovers, both young and old.

Although Donad's career took him away from Wales, his visits with Dinah were numerous, either to family and friends or on holiday.

His love for his homeland remained constant and it is therefore fitting that Donald be buried with his parents at Brynithel Cemetery, just a short distance from the home where he was born and spent so many happy years.