Music shop to play its last note

Harmony Music, in West Street, will have its last day of business as a retailer on Saturday, March 25. Its music school, which is based at the same location, will continue.

Harmony Music opened as a music school in High Street in 1984, evolving to include a shop in 1986. It relocated to West Street in the early 1990s to the site now occupied by Wickes. A move to its current home came in 2000.

The business is run by Alan and Moira Ellis, husband and wife of 27 years and former fellow pupils at St Nicholas CofE Primary School.

Alan, 62, was working as a professional musician when he started the business; Moria came on board when she and Alan got together as a couple.

Moira, 63, said: “I had to learn it all from scratch because apart from learning the recorder at school I had done nothing as far as music was concerned.”

With Alan’s help, Moira got up to speed on music (including learning to play the piano and saxophone). With Moira having a background in retail, meanwhile, the shop flourished.

Alan said: “I was a musician and had never done retail so it was the ideal match. It was like two marriages.”

The business has since won trade as far afield as the Isle of Mull, Anglesey, the Isle of Wight, and even Spain.

The shop is closing due to a failed operation Moira had undergone which has limited her mobility. They both spoke of sadness at this time, although Moira said she was looking forward to travelling and playing the piano and saxophone more in her retirement. Alan is carrying on with the music school, although he says he may have the odd weekend off.

They thanked their ‘loyal customers, friends, and fellow traders’ who have formed part of their lives over the years.