I wasn’t fortunate enough to have known Chris well, but having seen how everyone close to him has been so open to all memories and words, I wanted to share my thoughts over the past few days as an example of the impact of Chris’ presence on someone, however briefly they were with him.
I think such an impact is testament to everything which makes this so shocking, and which characterises each memory I hold of him; as someone with an irresistible commitment to bringing people and musicians together, such as when he chose to spend his lunchbreak getting to know me at our very start of RCM; as someone with limitless drive and zealousness, so that when I think of him conducting, with all his passion and intensity, I remember how it made me strive to find more for the music, wanting to do better; and as someone whose evocations in a rehearsal, now over two years ago, have stayed with me to this day, when his effortless capturing of Rodrigo’s opening to ‘Sones en la Giralda’ as orange blossom flowers faded in the heat, left me with a lasting impression of his singular sense of life and his art.
And therefore, although I can’t express the injustice that there is so much left undone, I am incredibly grateful to have witnessed even the minutest part of all that Chris created both as a musician and friend.
So sending my deepest thoughts and care for his family and all those close to him, since knowing my loss and disbelief when I only wish I could have known Chris better, I cannot imagine what they must be going through, keeping alive the memory of someone truly irreplaceable.
I wasn’t fortunate enough to have known Chris well, but having seen how everyone close to him has been so open to all memories and words, I wanted to share my thoughts over the past few days as an example of the impact of Chris’ presence on someone, however briefly they were with him.
I think such an impact is testament to everything which makes this so shocking, and which characterises each memory I hold of him; as someone with an irresistible commitment to bringing people and musicians together, such as when he chose to spend his lunchbreak getting to know me at our very start of RCM; as someone with limitless drive and zealousness, so that when I think of him conducting, with all his passion and intensity, I remember how it made me strive to find more for the music, wanting to do better; and as someone whose evocations in a rehearsal, now over two years ago, have stayed with me to this day, when his effortless capturing of Rodrigo’s opening to ‘Sones en la Giralda’ as orange blossom flowers faded in the heat, left me with a lasting impression of his singular sense of life and his art.
And therefore, although I can’t express the injustice that there is so much left undone, I am incredibly grateful to have witnessed even the minutest part of all that Chris created both as a musician and friend.
So sending my deepest thoughts and care for his family and all those close to him, since knowing my loss and disbelief when I only wish I could have known Chris better, I cannot imagine what they must be going through, keeping alive the memory of someone truly irreplaceable.
