R.I.P. Denys Darlow and Oliver Rackham

[Guest]

Two recent departures who in their time must have given pleasure to many. I was lucky enough to join the Tilford Bach Choir for several concerts including a St. John at the Parish Church. I recall a young man called Stephen Roberts who was on the verge of wider fame at the time singing in the choir and soloing.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/11449760/Denys-Darlow-organist-obituary.html

"The History of the Countryside" is a book I have returned to several times with interest. He is supposed to have invented the term "Wildwood" and it is clear what he meant but surely Kenneth Grahame got there first! I know for a fact that active commercial coppicing was still going on in the 1970's as, during my stint as cook on the 4th form's week at St. Marylebone Grammar School's Camp near Leith Hill (now in the hands of William Ellis School), the local woodman supplied us with coppicings for the fire on which the meals were cooked.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/feb/20/oliver-rackham

[Roehre]

...
"The History of the Countryside" is a book I have returned to several times with interest. He is supposed to have invented the term "Wildwood" and it is clear what he meant but surely Kenneth Grahame got there first! I know for a fact that active commercial coppicing was still going on in the 1970's as, during my stint as cook on the 4th form's week at St. Marylebone Grammar School's Camp near Leith Hill (now in the hands of William Ellis School), the local woodman supplied us with coppicings for the fire on which the meals were cooked.

http://www.theguardian.com/environme...oliver-rackham

The passing away of Oliver Rackham was a personal loss to me.
During my studies we got to know each other, especially through his Ancient Woodland , a book (the 2nd edition even more so) which is of more importance than his History of the countryside.
The last Forest is a worthwile book too, btw. We discussed the lot and we prepared e.g. lectures together for a summer course in Prato, Italy, in 1995. There he made quite a [for southern Europeans] shocking remark: if you don't want extended bush fires in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean, pleased don't use pine trees. It's the raisins these produce naturally which are quite inflammable.....
We had very nice professionally sometimes very heated discussions, but we remained all those years on an amicable foot.
I miss him, as friend and as colleague.

RIP Oliver Rackham

[MickyD]

I have many happy memories of Denys Darlow conducting Handel oratorios at the London Handel Festival during the 80s at Handel's own church, St George's, Hanover Square. His orchestra always included some of the best period instrument players of the day. It was a great way to discover hitherto unheard Handel pieces.

[Keraulophone]

Love the video clip about Tilford in the online Telegraph obit, where (for the camera) DD conducts an outdoor orchestra of two!

He was a very influential pioneer of the Early Music scene in London and the Home Counties, with Handel in the city and Bach in the country.

Tilford remains an idyllic Surrey village, with pub overlooking cricket ground, and it's good to see the Tilford Bach Society still flourishing there.

R.I.P. D.D.

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Such an observation could to apply to many organists who find themselves in front of an orchestra (though it doesn't say much for Stanford Robinson's tuition!):

'The critics were generally kind, although one...did suggest that “it would gain a great deal in crispness if the conductor used his stick instead of merely holding it in his hand”.'

[mercia]

interesting link in that Telegraph obit. to the obit. of Christopher Morris, Darlow's predecessor at Hanover Square

[Keraulophone]

obit. of Christopher Morris, Darlow's predecessor at Hanover Square

Christopher Morris - originator and publisher of Carols for Choirs
Elder brother Gareth - principal flute in the Philharmonia
Younger brother James - writer Jan Morris

Trio con brio

[umslopogaas]

I studied botany at Cambridge in the late sixties/early seventies and have fond memories of Oliver Rackham on his bike with an axe in the front basket. Everyone thought him an amiable eccentric, but obviously brilliant. The comment about "supporting himself" with grants is a bit confusing. Like other Cambridge academics, he was a fellow of a college and also had an academic position with the university, in this case the botany department. As such he was eligible to apply for grants from the Natural Environment Research Council and the like. The money would, I think, have gone to the department for his use, not to him personally. As an established academic he would also have been able to apply for grants to support research students, but I dont know if he ever had any; some academics supported many students, others avoided them like the plague. You'd have needed to be a very independent thinker to survive supervision by Oliver, he wouldnt have had much time for the mundane administration.