Colin Horsley RIP

[salymap]

I've just heard on Breakfast that Colin Horsley, a fine pianist, has died aged 92.

I had several of his records in 78 and early LP days and he was an advocate of British music and I think recorded the Ireland Piano Concerto.

I think he was born in New Zealand, there will be more on him later I expect.

RIP

[Pianorak]

[DT] Colin Robert Horsley was born in Wanganui, New Zealand, on April 23 1920. His grandfather had emigrated there in 1880 and both his parents played piano and sang ballads, to which Colin attributed his gift for lyricism.

Several composers considered Horsley to be the finest interpreter of their works, among them Ireland, Alan Rawsthorne and Lennox Berkeley, whose Six Preludes (1945), widely regarded as the composer’s finest keyboard music, were written for him. Horsley gave the premieres of Berkeley’s Piano Concerto at the Proms in 1948 (with the LSO under Basil Cameron) and his Horn Trio with Brain and the violinist Manoug Parikian in 1953.

[Bryn]

He did indeed record the Ireland Piano Concerto, and if any recording of the work might be considered definitive, it is his. Sorry to read of his passing, though he did have a good innings.

[salymap]

[DT] Colin Robert Horsley was born in Wanganui, New Zealand, on April 23 1920. His grandfather had emigrated there in 1880 and both his parents played piano and sang ballads, to which Colin




attributed his gift for lyricism.



Several composers considered Horsley to be the finest interpreter of their works, among them Ireland, Alan Rawsthorne and Lennox Berkeley, whose Six Preludes (1945), widely regarded as the composer’s finest keyboard music, were written for him. Horsley gave the premieres of Berkeley’s Piano Concerto at the Proms in 1948 (with the LSO under Basil Cameron) and his Horn Trio with Brain and the violinist Manoug Parikian in 1953.

Thanks, I've asked ff to adjust my headline as my shiftlock etc let me down. I remember him well and actually thought he had left us some time ago.

[cloughie]

Thanks, I've asked ff to adjust my headline as my shiftlock etc let me down. I remember him well and actually thought he had left us some time ago.

I remember him as a soloist with the Halle in the sixties.

[mercia]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/music-obituaries/9447748/Colin-Horsley.html

I met Mr Horsley a couple of times when he was on the staff at RNCM - a kind gentleman.

[antongould]

I have only discovered him very recently with my Heffer inspired focus on British music. I have and much enjoy his Ireland PC and Berkeley Horn trio. As an aside I hadn't realised until listening to the Proms the other evening what an almost constant the Ireland PC was at the Proms - I presume Horsley featured on a number of occasions.

[mercia]

I presume Horsley featured on a number of occasions.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/archive/search/performers/colin-horsley/1

two concertos in one evening!
those were the days

[salymap]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/archive/s...olin-horsley/1

two concertos in one evening!
those were the days

They were the days, you're right. I think I saw/heard him from 1948 onwards. As I've said [many times] my mother thought th garden shed was the best place for mountains of programmes and concert notes. The shed leaked and everything was thrown away having gone mouldy. Sad for me.

He was a musician's musician, if that makes sense. But I liked him a lot.

[amateur51]

They were the days, you're right. I think I saw/heard him from 1948 onwards. As I've said [many times] my mother thought th garden shed was the best place for mountains of programmes and concert notes. The shed leaked and everything was thrown away having gone mouldy. Sad for me.

He was a musician's musician, if that makes sense. But I liked him a lot.

That's mother's for you, salymap

He sounds a nice man - I was aware only of his recordings until today.

[Ferretfancy]

I've just listened to Colin Horsley's beautiful performance of the Ireland concerto with the RPO and Basil Cameron, and still find it the most satisfying, with particularly gentle playing in the reflective passage just before the last movement coda. The early stereo shows its age a little, but no matter. It was interesting to see the list of His Proms performances, as I was a regular attender in the late forties and early fifties and certainly must have heard him. I had a bit of a passion for this concerto while at school, where we had the Eileen Joyce 78s with the Halle and Leslie Heward, which I remember as a slightly lighter performance, but I haven't heard it for quite a while.

Coiin Horsley was one of a number of fine pianists of the immediate post war period who were rather neglected later. Dennis Mathews was another example. Good memories.

[salymap]

I've just listened to Colin Horsley's beautiful performance of the Ireland concerto with the RPO and Basil Cameron, and still find it the most satisfying, with particularly gentle playing in the reflective passage just before the last movement coda. The early stereo shows its age a little, but no matter. It was interesting to see the list of His Proms performances, as I was a regular attender in the late forties and early fifties and certainly must have heard him. I had a bit of a passion for this concerto while at school, where we had the Eileen Joyce 78s with the Halle and Leslie Heward, which I remember as a slightly lighter performance, but I haven't heard it for quite a while.

Coiin Horsley was one of a number of fine pianists of the immediate post war period who were rather neglected later. Dennis Mathews was another example. Good memories.

I quite agree ferret. I think we both started promming around 1948, although you must have started younger than I did [17]. I also remember Jean Pougnet, violin and many more whose recordings are never broadcast now.