He was preparing to go to America when in 1947 his brother in London sent him an advertisement for a post in Bournemouth. After the trial concerts, the orchestra voted unanimously for his appointment in 1947 to lead the newly reformed Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, despite objections from the Musicians' Union which tried to prevent his appointment on the grounds that there were already too many émigré musicians in the country. He was central to rebuilding the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra, with notable performances of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, Mahler's "The Song of the Earth" with Kathleen Ferrier and Richard Lewis, and Arnold Bax's 3rd Symphony at the Festival Hall in 1951. The workload was immense, as Schwarz was required to lead 150 concerts in his first season.