The group consisted of Pougnet, Hugo Rignold as second violin (later a celebrated conductor), Harry Berly (a distinguished pupil of Lionel Tertis) as viola and Douglas Cameron (cello).
[4] Like Hugo Rignold, for several years Jean Pougnet made his career in light orchestras and bands as well as through Wigmore Hall classical recitals.
Jack Hylton's orchestra was first augmented by the Pougnet String Quartette (with Eric Siday in place of Hugo Rignold) in early 1926 at the Kit-Kat Club.
[5] In October 1928 Jean Pougnet and his Orchestra (a Jack Hylton unit) were performing at the Green Park Hotel Piccadilly.
[8] As opportunity arose during the 1930s, Pougnet left the band scene to concentrate on recitals, concerti, chamber music, broadcasts, recordings, and work in film studios.
[9] His classical reputation in this period is shown in a preserved 'live' recording of the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante with Bernard Shore (principal viola of the BBC Symphony Orchestra) in a Queen's Hall Promenade concert of 8 September 1936, under Sir Henry Wood.
In 1943 (6 November) he performed the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante with Maurice Ward (viola) under Sir Adrian Boult for the Royal Philharmonic Society.
[12] At the outbreak of War, Pougnet was chosen to lead the BBC Salon Orchestra, which did much useful work for public morale until it was dissolved in 1942.
His recording of the Bach double concerto with Arthur Grumiaux (Philharmonia Orchestra under Walter Susskind[17]) had a restricted life.
His provincial work remained largely focused on southern England (he lived at various times in Ferring (West Sussex), and in Worthing), and until 1956 he led the Eastbourne Grand Hotel Palm Court Concerts.
His 1951 recording of the Dittersdorf concerto for violin, harpsichord and strings, was with Lionel Salter and the London Baroque Ensemble under Karl Haas.
71 with Reginald Kell (clarinet), Paul Draper (bassoon), George Eskdale (trumpet) and Anthony Pini under Walter Goehr, and in April 1955 broadcasting the (1950) Flute Trio in A minor of Harold Truscott on the BBC.
A promising development began when Pougnet formed a trio with Wilfrid Parry (piano) and Dennis Brain (horn), which toured Scotland twice.