Death of versatile London trombonist, 86
mainFive years ago, we published an article by the Carducci Quartet cellist Emma Denton about how playing Shostakovich helped cut through her father’s dementia.
Sadly, her father died on September 30.
Alan Lumsden, an engaging character, played trombone in the London orchestras in the 1950s and 1960s while also working in a specialist record store. His trips to Russia in search of musical rarities landed him in need of a quick getaway from the KGB.
After a spell playing with David Munrow’s Early Music Consort, he was appointed Professor of Sackbut at the Royal College of Music and Professor of Recorder and Early Music at Birmingham Conservatoire.
One of the great musical polymaths of the thrilling age of period instrument discovery. And, reading elsewhere, his adventurous spirit didn’t stop at playing most of the early wind and brass instruments that David Munrow threw at him. Alan was one of those amazing characters without whom British music would have been much the poorer.
Thank you, Alan, and
Requiescat in pace.