My Friend Walter & the Elgar Cello Concerto

Every Friday evening or Saturday morning, I send a reflection/progress email and video to the students and parents of our string ensemble at Santa Sophia Catholic College Click here to read my article: Feedback & Feedforward - Building a Music Practice & Performance Culture

Yesterday, instead of sending the parents and students a progress video, I decided to first of all play an exemplar video of a performance of a concerto as we were working on my own "Windy Day Concerto" from my level 2 books of the "Flipped Strings" Series. I realised that the students did not know what a Concerto was and that they should experience a very powerful performance of the Elgar Cello Concerto performed by the brilliant Jacqueline Du Pres. I sent this to parents as well in the reflection email.

Introducing my good friend, Walter

I am very blessed to live in the Blue Mountains, West of Sydney, Australia. Here, I met my good friend Walter Sutcliffe when I was playing for a church Christmas concert. Walter was accompanying on piano and I was playing violin.

As well as being an accomplished double bassist, Walter is also a highly recognised church musician, chorister and choral director.

I am writing this article and sharing the story with Walter's express permission.

A few brief facts about Walter - he is an amazing musician and has led an amazingly musical life. I hope to one day record some of these conversations with Walter and write his biography to remember these stories.

• Walter studied at the Guildhall School of Music in London in the 1960's
• Before coming to Australia, Walter was a member of the London Symphony Orchestra
• Since coming to Australia in the late '60's, Walter performed in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and subsequently was the principal bassist in the SSO for just over 20 years.
• Walter has also made a large contribution to church music both in the UK and Australia as an organist and choral director.
• I managed to engage Walter as a double bass teacher across several Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Parramatta for several years until his wife's ill health forced him to leave that position.

For the past 7 - 8 years, Walter and I have had a longstanding arrangement. On Friday nights, we meet for Chinese takeaway (Walter's favourite) and then watch several episodes of a BBC comedy series on DVD shot in his native Yorkshire. (usually accompanied with a 'wee dram' and some great conversation) In the last 18 months, I pick Walter up from the nursing home hostel - then drop him home afterwards.

The connection to the Elgar Cello Concerto

As I showed Walter the Youtube video above of Jacqueline Du Pres' amazing performance of the Elgar Cello Concerto, it occurred to Walter (and to me) that he was actually playing in the double bass section of this video!!!! I think that musicians such as Walter are "living history".