Vox Humana Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 I have just seen this on another forum. What an immense loss this is to the world of organ and church music. My thoughts are with his family.http://www.saintthomaschurch.org/about/news/342/john-scott-1956-2015?preview_key=83778 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madorganist Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Very sad news Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolsey Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 I find this shocking and devastating, and am typing this with moist eyes. May he rest in peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Drinkell Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 This is truly sad. John was a stunningly gifted musician and a truly nice man. From his wonderful psalm accompaniments to the scope of his vision which he carried through in the music of the establishments in which he served, he was an example to us all. Our thoughts will be with his family, and may he rest in peace and rise in glory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Geoff McMahon Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Very sad and shocking. Our thoughts really must be with his family and his wife who is expecting their baby. Absolutely tragic. Some of us heard him play at Spitalfields in June. Who would have thought it would be the last time we heard him play here in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shropshire Lad Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 This is such sad news. John Scott was one of the very top organists in the world without a doubt. I heard him play two recitals at the RAH a few years back. I remember saying to my father who was with me that this was the best recital I had ever heard and that I doubted even then that it would ever be bettered. It still hasn't and I doubt it ever will. it was one of those rare moments you wish you could have captured. Condolences to all his family but the wonderful memories will remain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Oakley Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 What a way to start the day when I switched on Radio 3 this morning to learn of the untimely death of the great organist, John Scott. I am deeply shocked and saddened by this news. To my mind he ranked amongst the top five organists I have ever had the privilege of hearing live. In fact I would put him right at the top. His directorship of the music at St Paul’s was equally outstanding. RIP. John. Memory eternal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edbowie Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Sad news indeed !. At the very front rank of organists and, on his day, none better ! I recall attending a summer recital at St Pauls some years ago when he played List's 'Ad Nos'. Absoultely stunning !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
undamaris Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Shocking news. The world has lost one of the most consummate musicians whose talents as a choir master & organist were incalculable to the life & worship of the Anglican tradition. To say he will be greatly missed is a huge understatement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcnd5584 Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Indeed - this is tragic and shocking news, particularly for his family. As others have said, he was a superb musician and a gentleman. In paradisum deducant te Angeli; in tuo adventu suscipiant te martyres, et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Ierusalem. Chorus angelorum te suscipiat, et cum Lazaro quondam paupere æternam habeas requiem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handsoff Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 I echo, sadly, the sentiments expressed here. How I wish now that I had gone to John's recital at Hereford Cathedral during this year's 3 Choirs Festival. It was a date which was mildly inconvenient for me and to my regret I gave in to laziness. We are fortunate to have many recordings and his Dupré and Duruflé discs from St. Paul's Cathedral for me represent the pinnacle of the organist's art, especially the former which is accompanying this keyboard as I type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirusnantwich Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 I knew John so well this is a great overwhelming shock I was at Catz the same time as he was at Johns We had some great laughs together one of which was playing football against the Kings and John's choral scholars we always won RIP Scotty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aeron Glyn Preston Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 How I wish now that I had gone to John's recital at Hereford Cathedral during this year's 3 Choirs Festival. It was a date which was mildly inconvenient for me and to my regret I gave in to laziness. I went to this recital, having heard some of the St John's choral scholars speak of him in glowing terms when I studied there - quite a number had been choristers at St Paul's under his direction. It did not disappoint. The playing was superlative, though I wasn't all that keen on the Lemare that he played - a bit cheesy for my taste! What impressed me particularly was his kindness and patience in talking to the very long line of people (including me!) waiting to speak to him after the recital. To me, this spoke volumes about his character. I feel honoured to have met him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveHarries Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 Very sad to hear this. John Scott was one of the organists I had always wanted to hear play live: sadly I will never get that chance. Although there are a few clips of him on YouTube there is nothing quite like hearing an organist play live. I would echo the sentiments written at the end of pcnd5584's post which, for those of us unfamiliar with Latin, translate as: May the angels lead you into paradise; the martyrs receive you in your coming, and may they guide you into the holy city Jerusalem. A choir of angels welcome you, and with Lazarus once poor you have eternal rest. Whether that is taken from an anthem or not I have no idea. But how I wish I had been aware of the concert at Hereford: the trip from Bristol would doubtless have been worth it and I would certainly have made it. There is a very good and quite entertaining obituary in today's edition of "The Times" which, for those who haven't heard of it, is a newspaper here in the UK: sadly you can't view said obituary unless you have a subscription. No doubt Choir & Organ will come up with something lengthy in its next edition. Meanwhile, in addition to the websites of St. Thomas (New York) and St. Pauls Cathedral (London) the websites of Hereford Cathedral, Wakefield Cathedral and the 2015 Three Choirs Festival also carry tributes. Nothing on the website of St. John's, Cambridge: looks like they haven't got round to posting anything yet - or haven't heard. The one from St. Pauls can be found at https://www.stpauls.co.uk/news-press/latest-news/john-scott-st-pauls-organist-and-musical-genius-dies-aged-59 and includes a YouTube clip at the end of JS conducting choir, orchestra and congregation doing "Hark The Herald Angels Sing". RIP John. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vox Humana Posted August 15, 2015 Author Share Posted August 15, 2015 The text is from the Requiem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Drinkell Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 The Daily Telegraph carries an obituary (available free online) and there is a particularly well-written one on the St. Paul's Cathedral website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Oakley Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 I am surprised that there are apparently few obituaries to John Scott, given his status as one of the world's leading organists. There is a piece on Choir & Organ's website but it looks to have been cobbled together. Is it too much to expect that the BBC will perhaps do a tribute to John? I listened earlier today to one of his Hyperion recordings I have in my collection of works by Dupre. Made in 1998 at St Paul's, It was magic listening to it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolsey Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 I am surprised that there are apparently few obituaries to John Scott, given his status as one of the world's leading organists. There is a piece on Choir & Organ's website but it looks to have been cobbled together. Is it too much to expect that the BBC will perhaps do a tribute to John? I listened earlier today to one of his Hyperion recordings I have in my collection of works by Dupre. Made in 1998 at St Paul's, It was magic listening to it again. Apologies for duplicating earlier on what DaveHarries had mentioned. The finest obituary so far is Ruth Gledhill's in The Times. If you are able to, do rush out and get a printed copy now, if you can, as the version circulating on Facebook which is said to come from that newspaper (online version?) is missing three moving paragraphs. It is to be hoped that there will be a mention on next Friday/Sunday's BBC Radio 4's Last Word. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolsey Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 In the USA, Michael Barone has altered his Pipedreams schedule, and the next two-hour programme is in John's memory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Drinkell Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 It's a bit short notice, but I think I will make my lunch-time concert tomorrow (Wednesday) a tribute to John. Do any pieces come to mind that were particularly associated with him? (I don't play the Reubke sonata!). My wife says that Facebook mentions several performances last Sunday of the Thalben-Ball Elegy, including one by John's ex-brother-in-law, Andrew Lumsden at Winchester. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Pykett Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 In an earlier post John Mander mentioned John Scott's recital at Christ Church, Spitalfields only a few weeks ago, and coincidentally I have just finished reading Andrew Benson-Wilson's review of it in the latest Organists' Review which arrived only yesterday. He describes more of the instrument than the pieces played, but he includes a link to his website where he amplifies the latter aspect: http://andrewbensonwilson.org/2015/07/01/john-scott-gala-opening-recital/ This might provide some leads, especially in the direction of the Georgian organ music in which John Scott was interested. Bridge's Adagio in E might also be appropriate for the occasion, which he himself plays on youtube. CEP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscar_rook Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 John Scott had a soft spot for the music of Percy Whitlock and was President of the Percy Whitlock Trust. I believe the last solo CD he recorded before leaving St Paul's Cathedral was of Whitlock's music, including the marvellous Organ Sonata. Any Whitlock work would be very appropriate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJJ Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 There was also the link with Kenneth Leighton in that both came from Wakefield and sang in the Cathedral choir there when young. I heard JS play Leighton on a number of occasions and there is a Hyperion CD of KL's choral music from the St Pauls choir under JS. A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirusnantwich Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 David hi Whitlock sonata was a memorable piece played by John I was talking to Andrew Reid earlier this evening about John and Andrew said this was one of the best performances of this piece he had heard when John played it at Westminster Cathedral and Andrew commented that John used no generals and just went up and down the divisionals as necessary Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirusnantwich Posted August 18, 2015 Share Posted August 18, 2015 I gather his funeral details in the U.S. Are now known Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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