Brief news item http://www.gramophone.co.uk/newsMainTemplate.asp?storyID=3079&newssectionID=1

There was a duplicate thread here (now moved into this thread)

Very sad news indeed, all but closing the door on a school of British conducting which appears to have no younger exponents. After that bad crash, there were many who thought he'd never conduct again, so we should be grateful that he managed a return, even if only a brief one (though busy enough on the recording front).

RIP, Tod.

In a year, marking the 50th year of Vaughan Williams's death, Tod Handley has often come to mind when I think of first rate recordings of the RVW symphonies.

         "Renowned be thy grave", Tod.   

I just wanted to post how sad I am about this news.  I met VH once and we spent about an hour together (I have posted the tale before) but his regular taxi driver told me about how he converted him to classical music by producing a different tape every time he had a journey and explaining the music as they traversed hill and dale, the driver reckoned he was one of the kindest and unpretentious men.

tinners, I was on the train from Manchester back to Wales.  There was a rather confused deaf bloke in the carriage who couldn't hear the announcements of where we where so when we got to our destination I told him we had arrived.  So off we tip from the train.

Get to station forecourt, no taxis!  Deaf bloke says he will phone his son to pick him up.  Telephone kiosk out of order (this is a one-horse Welsh town), so I sees an elderly geezer with a mobile phone.  I said "Can you phone his son?" which he does.  Then I ask elderly geezer, "Do you have any local taxi numbers on your phone?"

Well, VH (for it was he) phoned and the local cab firm had all been out on the pop (but it was late at night) but he had his regular driver booked.  So cab turned up for him and we agreed we share (otherwise I would be marooned) and so we set out, but to his place first as he lived opposite directions.   Cabbie stopped outside Spar Shop for VH to pop in, cabbie kept referring to him as "The Doctor"  I said, "Oh, is from the Hospital then?" <doh>

No, he was VH just returned from recording the last Bax at Manchester.

So, we got to his and his lovely dogs wagging a greeting but he told me the Matthews Brothers were the ones to watch out for.  Not totally convinced of that.

In fact, it was quite surreal. I have all the RVW conducted by Handley but nothing else.

Lovely bloke.

Very sad news. I saw him conduct a couple of times, including a gloriously sunny Brahms 2 at the RFH. He always included English music in his programmes, or so it seemed, and his recordings introduced me to Bax's symphonies, as well as the music of Bantock, Arnold and Simpson. His CfP Pomp & Circumstances/ Sea Pictures LP was my introduction to Elgar. He always came across as wonderfully down-to-earth - his interview with Andrew McGregor on a disc in the Bax symphony box showed how passionate he was about the music, but what a lovely man he was too. RIP, Tod.