Where Are They Now

[Peter Allison]

I was just thinking last night of when the sub organist at Durham Cathedral, a Ian Shaw, came to dinner at my fathers house back in the late 80's, before he played a wonderful recital on a 1st gen Copeman Heart toaster (analoge). Whatever happened to him, does anyone know. He was a marvellous organist and played on some of the cathedrals recordings, including one that was re - released a short time ago. I do know that he left Durham and worked for Opera North, and that the Shakespeare pubs sales went down thereafter

regards

 

Peter

[Arp Schnitger]

I was just thinking last night of when the sub organist at Durham Cathedral, a Ian Shaw, came to dinner at my fathers house back in the late 80's, before he played a wonderful recital on a 1st gen Copeman Heart toaster (analoge). Whatever happened to him, does anyone know.

 

That's spooky. At the time you were posting this, I was trying to find out the answer to the same question. Perhaps I was prompted by the inclusion of an Ian Shaw in the list of FRCO conductors in the Richard Hickox tribute thread which I was reading.

 

From what my googling revealed, he is a repetiteur for Scottish Opera, though he did appear as organist in the recently released Priory CD by the Bede Singers of the best of Richard Lloyd's music which confirms this. On the sleeve notes it is said the Dean of Durham once described his work as 'sometimes amusing'! I'd agree about your comments about "The Shakespeare" as well!

Ian Shaw was Sub-Organist at Durham throughout my time at the University and I turned pages for him on a number of occasions; he certainly was an interesting character and a fine organist and improviser- indeed singing hymns was a pleasure at the time at Durham, as if it wasn't Shaw, it was Richard Lloyd, and he was an even finer hymn player and improviser; I shall well remember the year the choir and Organists gave up English Cadences for Lent and then proceeded to include them at every possible opportunity (and a few impossible ones) on Easter Day, normally highlighted on Tubas!

[Peter Allison]

When I first started to gain an interest in recording organs, I borrowed 2 simple mics from the"Emanuel Church", (where I attended),and along with a cassette recorder recorded Ian, playing at my fathers church in Witton Gilbert, Durham. I remember Ian playing the Liszt BACH, and hearing the clattering of the pedals. When he came to p-ractice a couple of nights before hand, he bought with him a big old fashioned alarm clock with the 2 bells on the top, (so he would wake up if he fell asleep I suppose)

I still have the original tape somewhere, also the then organist of St. Oswalds, the late David Higgins, Ralph Franklin, Christchurch, Harrogate ( at the time) and Andrew Christer from Darlington. Good days they were too

 

Peter