Dedicated to the memory of Dr John Clare Byrt - musician, composer, author and teacher
Well known conductor, composer, author and teacher from Tiverton, Dr John Clare Byrt, has died.
John, who was born on Christmas Eve in 1940, died on January 15, aged 80.
John came to Tiverton in 1974 as music lecturer at East Devon College, when he took over the East Devon Choral Society.
From its first performance on December 19 that year, which included Fauré’s Requiem, John led the choir to more ambitious and varied works.
His repertoire was huge and eclectic. Two highlights which show this was the 1994 performance of Gallery Carols for the BBC, in collaboration with Hugh Keyte, and in 2000 a performance of the Florentine Intermedii of 1589, with Emma Kirkby as soloist.
John produced many compositions either as commissions or for his own pleasure. One of the first whilst he was still a student at Oxford was his joyous carol ‘All and Some’ for Cumnor Choral Society. In 1987 the East Devon Choral Society commissioned the work ‘Exaudi Domine’ which was a great success.
John will be remembered by his many students at East Devon College, and the varied student productions including West Side Story, Grease and Godspell with a female Jesus. He founded various other local groups for early music singing and instrumental and was involved in much of the musical life of Tiverton.
John went to St Johns College Oxford in 1959 as Organ Scholar, where he took a first in 1962 and his D.Phil in 1969.
Whilst there he conducted Oxford’s Schola Cantorum performing in this country and around the world.
He became interested in musical performance, notably notes inégale and performed Handel’s Dixit Dominus in this style at the Sheldonian, Oxford in 1968.
In 2016 he published his book ‘An Unequal Music’ on the subject which he had been pondering for years.
To hear the style visit his website www.byrt.org.uk. Recently John could be heard playing the out of tune piano in the Tiverton Pannier market on a Friday morning.
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