Sir Andrew Davis dies 20th April

[Alan Howe]

I'm sorry to report the passing yesterday (20th April) of Andrew Davis who went to my school in Watford, although he was ten years older than me so I never met him. He was one of a number of distinguished musicians that the school produced, including Adrian Leaper (French horn and conductor) and Michael (Mick) Thompson (also a French horn player). My violin teacher was a Pole named Stefan Fragner who had been a prisoner-of-war in WW2 and was a very fine player. It was quite an era for music - although I never figured as a musician myself!

[tappell]

That is sad news. Sir Andrew Davis has always been my go to conductor for Elgar, after I purchased and grew to love, his 5 cd box set with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, now on Warner. I also have a treasured DVD of Sir Andrew Davis conducting the Enigma Variations, and explaining and referencing each variation. A sad loss.

[eschiss1]

How's the Holst series he did for Chandos, with such underrecorded works as the Choral Symphony e.g.?
(I'm going to go listen to his premiere of a symphony by R Simpson, a work I've heard under other hands. Would that more fine conductors -now- cared about great unsung music.)

[semloh]

Much loved in Australia, of course, as Chief Conductor and subsequently Conductor Laureate of the Melbourne SO, and as a champion of Grainger (whom we claim as our own!). Sadly missed.