Sir Andrew Davis

[S_L]

I have been away from both my home in France and from the UK and was shocked to hear, when, briefly, arriving back in the UK, that Andrew Davis had died. He was 80 years old.

His 'very model of a modern music festival' sung at the 1992 (?) LNOTP will go down in orchestral musicians folklore. And his moving tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, Sir Georg Solti and St. Mother Teresa at the end of the 1997 'prom' season showed a man who deeply cared about his craft and its effect on our emotions.

He made his name as an International Orchestral Conductor but, of course, he began his career at the RCM followed by his appointment as Organ Scholar of Kings College, Cambridge from 1963 to 1966.

May he rest in peace. 

[peter ellis]

He was an excellent conductor, but I think suffered from being pigeonholed as the Proms man. I remember a televised Belshazzar’s Feast from Leeds that was off the charts dramatic and exciting. 
 

And yes - also a fine organist.