North loses much-loved toot
mainRon Marlowe, piccolo player in the Halle Orchestra for almost 40 years, has died. Players were informed at rehearsal in Manchester and are reported to be ‘very sad’.
Ron can be heard here in a history of the Halle’s flute section.
Here’s a biography from Pearl Flutes:
Ronald Marlowe was born in London but spent most of his younger years living on the South Coast of England, and his flute-playing career sprang from his enjoyment of the flute as an enjoyable childhood hobby.
His moment of inspiration came in 1964 when he attended a concert given by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under the great Constantin Silvestri. The concert was a revelation, and the beginning of an idea that he might one day forge a career as an Orchestral Musician.
In 1968 he entered Trinity College of Music, London, studying flute with Harold Clarke and piccolo with Lowry Sanders. He then joined the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra as Second Flute, staying for an enjoyable three years. An audition with the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester led to his being appointed Principal Piccolo in 1974.
Sad to read this. I was just recalling my 1960s student days at University College London when I organised the opera orchestra and played 1st flute while Ron, from Trinity college played piccolo. He was such a good natured unpretentious student …I enjoyed playing with him in the team. I am now 72 and sad to hear Ron died so young.
Andrew Morris