Paul was a much-valued and much-respected member of the violin section who made a significant contribution to the life of the orchestra. He was formerly a GP, who, on leaving the NHS, concentrated on producing beautiful fine art photography alongside playing music with Hallam Sinfonia and other groups in Sheffield and beyond.
During lockdown, he participated in various on-line events, and entertained us at a Zoom meeting with his accordion playing. He was a man of many talents. Our sadness on his death in December 2020 at the age of only 70 was all the greater because pandemic restrictions at
the time meant that numbers at the funeral were very limited, and we were unable to get together to say goodbye properly, although many attended the funeral via a Zoom link.
The family decided that they wanted to celebrate his life with a musical event, which took place at Kelham Island Museum on March 6 th 2022, which would have been Paul’s birthday. It was organised by Paul’s widow Angie, also a member of the orchestra. We had a wonderful afternoon of music which brought together Hallam Sinfonia, the Guild of Strings players, other musicians, family and many friends.
The musical programme represented aspects of Paul’s life, from Bach (Brandenburg concerto no.3) to klezmer music played by members of Paul’s extended family, Schubert, and Johann Strauss’s Emperor Waltz. The latter, (and the Sachertorte), reminded us of Paul’s Austrian heritage. Paul was a family man and loved introducing his grandchildren to live music, often playing them his violin or accordion.
Fittingly, the afternoon started with a children’s concert, with input from Concerteenies’ Polly Ives, featuring bubbles and scarves. It included Sing 2 and Over the Rainbow, reminiscent of Paul’s involvement in the NHS and music-making on a Thursday during lockdown on
the street outside his house. It was followed by coffee, tea and cakes. The second concert for adults included tributes from Paul’s family, photographs of his life and his own photos, projected onto a screen in the breaks. Prosecco and canapes followed, with time to mingle and reflect, all combining to provide a fitting memorial to someone who will be greatly
missed.