Stan Meares

As someone who goes to musical events by invitation of the Bucks Free Press and then writes up reviews, I feel greatly honoured to be asked by Freetime to write a short personal note about Richard Hickox, whose untimely death has just occurred while recording rare Holst in Swansea. Whenever he conducted the City of London Sinfonia at the Wycombe Swan, one could guarantee certain things.

First there was the presence of a large, amiable “teddy-bear” type figure who simply oozed bonhomie to both his audience and his orchestra (which, incidentally, he founded).

Secondly there were highly professional and sensitively interpreted performances of whatever works he selected to conduct, ranging from the baroque and classical to the modern.

And thirdly there was an obvious rapport with his audience. Indeed, with his enormously busy international opera, concert and recording schedule, it was a wonder that he managed to make appearances (usually about once a year) at the Swan. His loyalty to his home town was remarkable.

I personally can vouch for his personal charm when I met him at Gloucester (Three Choirs Festival) about three years back, at a social gathering prior to his mould breaking performance of Vaughan Williams’s London Symphony in its original version. One can but hope that the recording projects he left undone with Chandos (Sullivan’s Ivanhoe for example) are honoured in his memory.

And somehow, when one goes to hear the orchestra he founded at the Swan, that bouncy figure will be in our minds for many years to come.

Peter Robson, former Wooburn Festival director

Many of us in this area who sang in concerts or church choirs or who played in orchestras with Richard Hickox will have been devasted by the news of his sudden and untimely death.

Although Richard had long since moved on from local events to an international stage, he had still returned to conduct concerts locally.

As director of the Wooburn Festival from around 1970 to 1993, I worked with Richard in the ’70s while he was developing his musical experiences and conducting many concerts in the area.

He was such an optimist at all times, very demanding at rehearsals, but all the time making them enjoyable and involving everyone in a very personal way. The Wooburn Singers either alone, with orchestra or augmented for the big choral works or performing at a Prom in the Royal Albert Hall, had a strenuous time keeping up with Richard’s energy.

So many of us have reason to be grateful for Richard’s mission to explore the repertoire and enjoy making music.

On the occasion of the Wooburn Singers’ 40th anniversary concert, just last year, after conducting a demanding concert in the prestigious Newbury Festival, ending around 10pm, Richard drove to Marlow to be present at the celebrations, showing a wish to continue his links with his musical roots.