Shock of the Year
This year has seen a significant number of celebrities join the choir invisible, singer Cilla Black, actor George Cole, actor Stephen Lewis, conductor Claudio Abbado, Southwark Catholic Cathedral’s Nick Gale, of whom we have already written, and those whose family members leave the world and a big hole behind them.
Organists worldwide, both professional and amateur, can hardly fail to have been shocked by the sudden death at the too young age of 59 of John Scott on 12 August 2015 from a major heart attack, following his return to New York from a successful European tour. The organ world is deprived of one its best and most loved players. He leaves a widow, Lily, who is about to give birth to their first child, and he is survived by his son Alexander, daughter Emma, and by his sisters Judith and Helen.
I first met John in 1974 in Cambridge. He was the new junior organ student at St John’s College, and in addition to his college chapel duties, was appointed as accompanist to the University Choral Society under its then, new conductor, Philip Ledger, who died in 2013. It was obvious to all from the very first chord he played that his musicianship was of a very high order. Rounds of applause and cheers for doing a stunningly good job were frequent. The one I remember the most clearly was the start of the Gloria of the B minor Mass of Bach, together with the interludes. We all wondered if he was sightreading, but it was utterly compelling playing, sightreading or not. When playing the Mass in rehearsals I have the memory of John playing these passages in mind in the vain hope that one might recapture that same electric atmosphere.
After graduation John went to London, taking up assistant organists’ posts at St Paul’s and Southwark Cathedrals, but he also had other ambitions, going on to win the Leipzig and Manchester Organ Competitions. To prepare for one of these, he gave a recital at Bolton Parish Church in the series I organised, gently asking if I minded if he played the same programme as a try out. It was a thrill to hear him. He stayed with us, bringing along his mother whom we also liked enormously. She was, like John, modest, and a wonderful house guest, very excited about and proud of his achievements thus far. Later honours included the gift from the Queen, the title of Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order for his work as Director of Music at St Paul’s Cathedral which spanned 14 years; his whole assocation lasted 25 years.
We kept up a Christmas Card correspondence with John, and it felt good to be receiving season’s greetings with one of the great and good. He didn’t forget any of his acquaintances. We heard him play at the Royal Albert Hall and the Royal Festival Hall in recent years. He gave stunning performances, and the last performance we were so glad to have attended. This was at the Opening Recital at Christ Church, Spitalfields when John played a programme of eighteenth century volunataries on the newly restored Richard Bridge organ. The recital was immaculate as well as being just lovely. Whilst one thinks of John as a serious virtuoso, some 18th century repertoire is a mixture of the not very tricky and rather hard. John had everyone sitting on the edge of their seats.
Recordings from St Paul’s will become collectors’ items before too long. They include organ repertoire but also choral works and the psalms from St Paul’s Cathedral. Attention to detail was paramount. No -one could get away with being sloppy.
SSLSO extends its deepest sympathies to Lily and to John’s family here and in America. There are already columns on the St Paul’s website, the St Thomas’ New York website, also The Gramophone, Classic FM. As his passing is an unexpected shock the tributes will come later. Watch out for them, there will be performances and tributes in St Paul’s and elsewhere in the coming months.
Marilyn Harper
