An honour indeed.

[Dave2002]

I heard Barry Guy once a long time ago. Wild double bass playing - not sure if it counted as jazz, but one of a series of events at South Hill Park, Bracknell. Perhaps I should listen to some of his music again. I also recall Orphy Robinson, but not necessarily at the same time.

[Chris Newman]

The first time I heard Barry Guy on the double bass was at the 1969 Proms as part of a jazz trio and soloist. At the time he led a double life in the Johnny Dankworth Band and the London Mozart Players. He was performing in Yeibichai by Wilfred Mellers which included the Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Symphony Chorus, a coloratura soprano, a scat singer, the aforesaid improvising jazz trio, tape and the whole caboodle was conducted by Sir Alexander Gibson. At the last moment some unofficial audience participation was called for.

It happened that the manager of the Albert Hall, Frank Mundy, attended the preconcert rehearsal in the late afternoon. The libretto included the words "bear-shit". He insisted that the performers had to leave out that expression or the performance was to be cancelled as the owners of the hall (the seat-holders) would be offended. Mellers and Gibson solved the problem by persuading the queuing Promenaders (who...er...were not performers...cough) to shout the missing words which were printed in the programme. Sometimes rules are there to be broken: I admired the musicians' ...how can we call it?... Dumb Insolence? Thus I took part in the premiere of Yeibichai.

Barry Guy was electrifying as a performer.

[Bryn]

Barry Guy was electrifying as a performer.

He still is. Now based in Switzerland he is one of the most versatile musicians around. In 2006 he was the featured composer of that year's Huddersfield Festival of Contemporary Music.

http://www.barryguy.com/discography/...isc/index.html

[Oddball]

This coming Saturday (22 Jan) on Hear & Now, there is the second episode of music from last November's Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (first episode in the iPlayer until then).

Thanks for reminding me about Hear and Now. If it weren't for iPlayer, I think I would have given up on Radio 3 some time ago!

I agree with the other posters on the music in the last episode, particularly Enno Poppe's work, which was the highlight of the programme.

Michael Finnissey's 'Gedachtnis-Hymne' I found uninteresting, having only a limited appetite for Choral Works. I just wasn't in the mood.