John Fletcher (musician)
John Fletcher (* 1941 ; † 1987 ) was a British musician .
life and work
He began his career as a horn player and only switched to the tuba after graduating from school in Pembroke (Cambridge) . His father Bernard taught classical music at the school and was a passionate musician himself. In the autumn of 1964 he moved to London, where he got the job of tuba player with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. When he left the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 1966 to take up his new position as solo tuba player with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO), he expressly requested in the contract that there must also be the possibility of accepting chamber music commitments. This enabled him to play with the world-famous Philip Jones Brass Ensemble (PJBE) from 1966 to 1986 . During this time "Fletch" - as his friends called him - became a legend.
As a member of the London Symphony Orchestra and the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, as well as a teacher for master classes, he traveled all over the world and delighted music enthusiasts of all generations with his virtuoso and technically brilliant tuba playing.
The magazine The grammophone magazine has named John to the "world's foremost tuba player".
Edward Gregson , arguably the most important representative of the younger generation of composers in Great Britain, wrote his Tuba Concerto in 1976 for John Fletcher for the brass band Besses o 'th' Barn (conductor: Roy Newsome). The three-movement work quickly became popular and, according to the composer, is one of his most frequently performed compositions. It presents a rather unusual solo instrument, the bass tuba, in a very effective way, both in terms of its technical brilliance and an astonishingly lyrical expressiveness.
Before John Fletcher, the tuba's reputation as a musical instrument was not particularly great. It was only used as a bass instrument in orchestras and brass bands. Any use of the tuba as a solo instrument was largely ridiculed. John Fletcher changed this by using his remarkable talent and showing the expressiveness of the tuba's technical virtuosity as a solo instrument.
As a teacher, he hated selfishness and avoided the classic master class situation. He preferred to explore the instrument with his students and avoided quick answers in favor of discussions with the students. He always managed to present his views with humor. He loved the kind of music that offered a demanding but rewarding task for the player and at the same time brought joy to the audience.
In 1967 he married the mezzo-soprano Margaret, with whom he had a daughter and a son. In March 1987, John Fletcher suffered a severe cerebral haemorrhage and died in October 1987.
The John Fletcher Trust Fund
In 1988, in memory of John Fletcher, a fund was set up to support young penniless musicians and enable them to attend courses with national youth wind orchestras and youth brass bands. Until 2010, the fund was on the UK Charity Register.
Individual evidence
- ↑ John Fletcher Trust. In: beta.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved August 7, 2020 (English).
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Fletcher, John |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British tuba player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1941 |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1987 |