While I’m following advice on staying at home, I thought it might be fun to plumb my musical ignorance. Ask me a question, any musical question.
Feel free to share this offer and stay well,
Best wishes
David
Splendid Isolation
RIP Barrington Pheloung
Barrington Pheloung (1954-2019)
Just heard the sad news of his death, aged 65. I met Barry at the Royal College of Music, where we both studied. Bright-eyed youthful Australian, fascinated by all kinds of music, not just the unreconstructed modernism that was expected of student composers back then. He also sang, conducted, played double bass and (principally) guitar. For someone who started out as a teenager playing R&B, the fact that he could mime many years later the left hand of the guitar part of Boulez’s Le Marteau sans maître (performed whilst a student) demonstrated his deep and unbiased musicianship. In 1994, Barry was one of those industry professionals who helped me convince the RCM that we should be providing a Masters degree in Screen Composition. He’d changed little in those intervening years, still cheeky and enthusiastic.
He was both amused and flattered when I was asked to write his biography for the 2001 edition of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. There was much more to Barry than award-winning TV music.
I saw him for the last time a couple of years back. A changed man by then. Rest in peace and thank you.
Musings on Music and More 