In 1935, aged 14, Ivor entered the Royal Artillery in Woolwich and gained a scholarship to the Royal College of Music, where he studied oboe with Léon Goossens and made friends with Malcolm Arnold.
In 1935, Ivor joined the Royal Artillery at the age of 14 and subsequently enrolled in the prestigious Royal College of Music to study oboe, where he collaborated with Léon Goossens and developed a close friendship with Malcolm Arnold.