Friends and family mourn loss of King's Lynn music maestro
News of the death of a well-loved music maestro has come as a shock to his friends and family.
Michael Hankinson, who lived in Lynn, had had health problems for some time.
Following a couple of visits to Queen Elizabeth Hospital he became ill with pneumonia and died at the age of 75 on Friday.
Mr Hankinson had a fascinating career in music after studying at Trinity College.
Born in Liverpool he was an organ scholar at Liverpool Cathedral, a resident conductor at South Africa's Pretoria State Theatre and worked at the Cape Town City Ballet and Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra.
Over the years music had brought him into contact with everyone from Sir Tim Rice, Lord Richard Attenborough and Nelson Mandela.
His involvement with Shakespeare's Guildhall Trust (SGT) and the West Norfolk Gilbert and Sullivan Society made him a prominent part of the music and arts scene in Lynn.
Mr Hankinson also became musical director of the King’s Lynn Male Voice Choir and founded the King’s Lynn Sinfonia, which staged its inaugural concert at Lynn Minster in 2015.
A spokesperson for SGT said: "We're very sad to bring the news of the untimely death of Michael Hankinson, who passed away yesterday.
"Michael was a founding trustee of SGT and a hugely supportive and enthusiastic advocate of SGT's vision to deliver a sustainable future for St George's Guildhall.
"Michael will be deeply missed by us all and our heartfelt condolences go to Michael's family."
Friend Amanda Arterton, also an SGT trustee, said: "It is really sad, we became staunch mates. He was always championing people that needed a lift. He hated anything that wasn't fair.
"He'd help anyone and was a go-getter and wasn't scared of anything. "He still had more that he wanted to do."
His son John said: "We were not expecting it. He wasn't well with a nasty chest infection and had popped in to hospital trying various things.
"We had a video call with the grand kids but his oxygen levels were quite low and he never came back."
His funeral will take place on Wednesday, November 17 at Mintlyn Crematorium at 1pm.
