3 minute read
HARRY JOHNSTONE
AS HARRY RETIRES, PETER FRANKS SHARES SOME MEMORIES OF THEIR TIME TOGETHER
HARRY JOHNSTONE RETIRES
SCO Brass in 1991, Harry pictured far right
After almost 40 years as Sub-Principal Horn with the SCO, Harry has decided to retire from the position. Following his tertiary education at the RSAMD (now Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) under the tuition of Maurice Temple, and then at the Royal Academy of Music, Harry had a brief spell in the spa orchestra at Bad Wiessee, in Bavaria, and in a London West End show, before returning to Scotland to the solo horn position in the BBC Scottish Radio Orchestra. A year further on, and Harry found himself chosen by the Scottish National Orchestra, (now RSNO), to play 2nd horn to his former teacher Maurice Temple, where he remained for three years before going to the same position at the BBC SSO. Six years later, in 1981, the SCO convinced Harry to make the move from Glasgow to Edinburgh.
This is when I first met Harry. We joined within a week or so of each other, he the experienced orchestral player, and I, green and terribly inexperienced, thrown into a two-week high-profile European Tour with Raymond Leppard and Teresa Berganza. In his company, many tours, concerts, meals and glasses of wine have happened since. Harry was frequently found exercising his brain on crossword clues, sudoku, chess moves or scrabble during orchestral breaks, coach journeys and in airport lounges.
What I will remember most are the adventures we had with SCO Brass. Those
innovative times in the early days of our newly created education department (now Creative Learning), when Kathryn McDowell, (now Managing Director of the LSO), inspired SCO Brass and Quartz to take on education and community engagements throughout the whole extent of Scotland, including the Western Isles, with the help of a seconded Royal Mail PostBus, (many thanks to their sponsorship), Orkney, Shetland, and even the Republic of Ireland. Memories: – When Harry asked a 7-year-old pupil from Happy Hansel Primary School, on Shetland, to name an instrument, the reply was, “It’s a trombone. We’ve got one at home – it’s got batteries in it!” Another one of many memories is when Harry, as a thank you to all of us following a concert at a Little Sisters of the Poor Care Home, in Dublin, was handed a bottle of confiscated malt whisky. Spur of the moment Ad Hoc concerts in town/village squares to help drum up audiences for the SCO Highland Tour concerts. Unexpected treasures to remember.
On a visit to my house some years ago, Harry met my children, and my eldest had just read Lynley Dodd’s first book in the illustrated Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy series. Hairy is a Skye Terrier. Harry, at this point in time, had quite a mass of hair and a thick beard. The name stuck, and my daughter still affectionately refers to Harry as Hairy Maclary!
Harry, as he is quite flamboyant with words, was charged with introducing repertoire in our more formal concerts.
He was quite able to reel off one story or another about the piece we had played, or the composer, and easily rambled away happily. Great relief to us, as we needed as much time as possible to get the blood back in our lips. However, occasionally he had forgotten what the next piece was, and had to ask us and then, when he got back to his stand, found he had the wrong piece up. Harry, as usual, kept quite composed, sifted through his pad, found the elusive music, and played exquisitely.
Harry, we wish you all the best for your retirement, and hope you enjoy the additional time with your wife Jacqui, your daughters Pamela and Kay, and their respective families.
