© DDOA 2010

To sum up Wallace's life, and the influence he had on so many people, has proved impossible in the space and time available.  The more I tried to do him justice, the more the difficult the task became: therefore I have merely jotted down some memories of events and incidents, as a personal, affectionate thank-you for the help and support he gave me, a local lad, over the years.

 

Wallace was born in Yeovil, Somerset, on the 19 September, 1920, and was educated at Rugby School until 1938 – before this he was at prep. School at King's, Cambridge (but not as a chorister).  After a year at the RSCM he went to Balliol College, Oxford, where he read both Music and Greats, and graduated BA and MA after the war.  In 1950 he gained the post-graduate B.Mus. degree, and also the FRCO, in which exam he won both the Limpus and Read prizes; these are given to the candidates gaining the highest marks in the playing section and the highest aggregate mark for the whole exam, respectively.  He also held the Choir Training Diploma of the RCO.  Later, his D.Mus. exercise was, unfortunately, failed

 

In 1947 he was articled to 'Daddy' Hawkins at Chichester Cathedral, (who studied with Widor, hence Wallace owning some copies which, I think, are signed by the composer).  The following year, he became Director of Music at Pocklington School in Yorkshire, and Assistant at Beverley Minster.  In 1950 Wallace moved to the midlands and became one of the Assistants at Leicester Cathedral and Music Master at Alderman Newton's School.  He was appointed Assistant (under Sumsion) at Gloucester and Director of Music at the King's School in 1954 before finally coming to Derby as organist in 1958, where he remained until 1983.  He left the cathedral's employ without quite being able to manage 25 year's service.  During his retirement he was organist at Kegworth.

 

These are the bald facts of Wallace's life, but those privileged to work with him, as I was during his half century or so in Derby, will know that there was much more to him than is conjured up by this impressive c.v.

 

I got to know him just after his arrival, when he allowed me to sit with him at the Compton console for Sunday Evensongs.  In those days this was held mid-afternoon and, as there was no assistant to accompany, he played the whole service himself.  From merely observing, I was promoted to being allowed to play the chords for unaccompanied items, although he set the notes on the Choir organ using the sustainer, and all I had to do was put on the 8' Gemshorn for a moment, then press the general cancel – you've got to start somewhere!

 

In the fullness of time, I was the regular organist and harpsichordist for his newly-reformed group, the Derby Bach Choir, initially at the Cathedral, and later at St John's.  What strikes me as I look back is the breadth of repertoire he performed – I think he gave Derby its first Stravinsky Symphony of Psalms  and some of those more obscure items which lurk in the dark corners of the choir library cupboard: Holst, for instance, not only the Hymn of Jesus but also the Choral Fantasia, along with other pieces which I am sure he knew from his association with The Three Choirs Festivals, where he worked with such revered names as David Willcocks, Howells, Vaughan-Williams (who gave himcomposition lessons) and many others.  Whilst name-dropping, which Wallace never did, we could include the Scholar who assisted him at Balliol, a young lad called Edward Heath.  

 

Wallace's rehearsals were prime examples of how to run the show.  Whatever the work, he knew it intimately and the final rehearsal was timed to the minute; his major interest in all things railway-ish (he was a qualified steam-engine driver) meant that there was a minute-by-minute timetable written for every such occasion, and a running commentary was given as to whether we were on schedule or not.  

 

Some events, however, were not quite as organised – a Bach Choir concert in the back-end  of nowhere would have only a printed programme which stated that items would 'selected from the following' and there would be a list of about twenty pieces.  A hissed 'page so-and-so' to the choir would preface each item, and although it might seems shambolic, everybody had a good time, audience and performers alike, especially when they were regaled with his enthusiastic and idiosyncratic style of verbal programme notes.  

 

What is it about organists and trains?  Cadeby (and its former vicar, Teddy Boston, who was the model for Awdry's Fat Controller in the Thomas the Tank Engine books) was a permanent draw and Wallace always went to help at the open days; he was in charge of the traction engine Fiery Elias which he would navigate up and down the vicarage drive.  Sometimes he would take the choirboys with him for a treat, and it seems that the Church Times once reported that the Evensong performed in the church at the end of one of these jaunts was unique in that the Master of Music, dressed in dirty overalls, MA gown and hood, conducted and played with the oiliest of hands, having come, as he had, straight from the foot-plate.

 

Wallace was also very interested in Brass music and Bands – his trombone quartet once broadcast on Radio 3, and the programme contained some pieces by him.  His hymn arrangements for brass and organ, which I have always enjoyed using, are thrilling examples of the art.  He also played Tuba (and sometimes Trombone) with Stanton Ironworks for a while.  (One of the Evensongs I attended in my youth involved the admission of a chorister, but since Wallace was off to a band concert straight afterwards, when he presented the new boy, he stood in front of everyone wearing his gown and hood, with his resplendent, scarlet band uniform, replete with brass buttons and gold braid, underneath; of course, he saw nothing untoward in this.)  On another occasion, I passed him at a bus-stop in the town centre and he was looking most uncomfortable: is was drizzling quite heavily and since he didn't want the trombone he had with him to get wet, and he didn't own a case for it, it was stuffed inside his great-coat, which made his climbing up the stairs on the bus an alarming prospect.

 

Wallace was an excellent composer, since he knew the orchestra from the inside, both as a brass player and also as a very spasmodic member of the viola section.  All his pieces show skill and down-to-earth practicality and these qualities were also typical of the man and are what I remember most about him, along with his fund of stories of the halcyon days, and characters, at Oxford and various cathedrals.

 

There was, most endearingly, a school-boyish sense of fun always lurking just below the surface: if you can have an Introit to begin a service, therefore at the end you can obviously have an Extroit, a 'kicking-out tune', i.e. a Voluntary – a term he often used.  Also, only he, when Chairman of the DDOA , before John Barkaway presented the Chairman's badge of office, could sit next to the guest speaker, Dr Gerald Knight (of the RSCM) at an annual dinner, wearing his own regalia, made out of a toilet chain and brush!. . .  I'm still trying to track down the photo in my souvenir boxes!

 

Thank you, Wallace.

 

Requiescat in pace

 

On Saturday September 18th at 5.15pm in the cathedral, Evensong will be sung by the Derby Choristers, conducted by Helen Nash; the canticles will be one of the settings written by Wallace.

The next day (Sunday 19th, which would have been Wallace's 90th birthday) a Memorial Festival Concert will be held at 2.30pm.  This will be of compositions and arrangements made by him, hopefully for organ, brass, choir, orchestra and congregation.  Details will be published when the rehearsal schedules are finalised.

 

David Johnson

 

This concert has been postponed until 2011.

Wallace Michael Ross