Ian Cugley: A Tribute
Peter Sculthorpe
Ian was one of the most gifted students that I’ve ever had the privilege of teaching. Actually, I didn’t regard him as a student: he was a friend. When I was in the United States in the mid 1960’s, he and Jenny even looked after my house. Ian and I remained in close contact until the time that he left for England. I last saw him in Hobart, with his young and boisterous family.
Many years later, Ian wrote to me from England and we then corresponded from time to time. While I was deeply concerned about his health problems, his letters, always quirkily-expressed, were remarkably cheerful. He kept me abreast of the music that he was writing and the physical difficulties involved with it.
Ian’s orchestral work Pan, the Lake was recorded by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Joseph Post, in 1968. A meditative work, Ian dedicated it to Donald Peart, founding Professor of Music at the University of Sydney. He chose to base it upon a theme from a piece of mine, Irkanda IV, written in memory of my father. Now, whenever I hear this piece, thoughts of Ian will come flooding into my heart.
Mavis told me that Ian had recently managed to write a guitar solo for his son James. He also wrote a string quartet for a friend. All his life, he took joy in writing music for those who were dear to him. I treasure the fact that he wrote his Little Adagio for Strings especially for my fiftieth birthday, in 1979. He was a special composer and a special friend. Dear Ian: may you rest in peace.
Peter Sculthorpe
Ian was one of the most gifted students that I’ve ever had the privilege of teaching. Actually, I didn’t regard him as a student: he was a friend. When I was in the United States in the mid 1960’s, he and Jenny even looked after my house. Ian and I remained in close contact until the time that he left for England. I last saw him in Hobart, with his young and boisterous family.
Many years later, Ian wrote to me from England and we then corresponded from time to time. While I was deeply concerned about his health problems, his letters, always quirkily-expressed, were remarkably cheerful. He kept me abreast of the music that he was writing and the physical difficulties involved with it.
Ian’s orchestral work Pan, the Lake was recorded by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Joseph Post, in 1968. A meditative work, Ian dedicated it to Donald Peart, founding Professor of Music at the University of Sydney. He chose to base it upon a theme from a piece of mine, Irkanda IV, written in memory of my father. Now, whenever I hear this piece, thoughts of Ian will come flooding into my heart.
Mavis told me that Ian had recently managed to write a guitar solo for his son James. He also wrote a string quartet for a friend. All his life, he took joy in writing music for those who were dear to him. I treasure the fact that he wrote his Little Adagio for Strings especially for my fiftieth birthday, in 1979. He was a special composer and a special friend. Dear Ian: may you rest in peace.
hi nice to meet ur blog
ReplyDelete