Letter - H. Robertshaw
From GPD/44/1/3
[Letter from H. Robertshaw]
Westfield,
41 Muston Road,
Hunmanby. Nr Filey. YO14 0JY
North Yorkshire.
May 1st 1988.
Dear Dr McIntyre,
Your letter which I recently received, has resuscitated memories of the past, and for which I thank you.
I refer to the presentation of Haldane Campbell Stewart's portrait, and which you presented to the college on the retirement as Vice President.
You might be interested to know, that he was himself a chorister at Magdalen in the 1880's, under the organist Walter Parratt or similar name, and was considered a very bright boy at the school, before proceeding to the college as an undergraduate.
He was famous in the realms of tennis and cricket, playing a South of England championship in the former, and playing first-class cricket for Kent County.
I think he was musical director at Tonbridge or some well known school in that area, when he returned as Organist and Informator in 1920, and in succession to Roberts.
Each summer, the choristers were invited up to his beautifully situated house, and for six years, I had that very enjoyable experience. I visited it on my last visit to Oxford in 1980, for old times sake, but it is more surrounded by other dwellings that in my boyhood. The house is called Wayside, and is at the top of Hinksey Hill on the right hand, where the road to Abingdon turns to the left, with a minor road going straight ahead. In his day, one could see Oxford and some of its dreaming spires, from a very lovely garden in which we had a picnic tea, after a walk through Bagley (?) Woods, diagonally opposite his entrance. His wife was a very handsome woman with an elegant deportment, and Italianate in looks. Their two children of boy and girl, also shared these attributes, and the latter became a well-known cellist [sic] player.
Stewart was an eclectic musician, and that was reflected in his fastidious organ playing, and choice of choir music. In this respect he was superior to John Varley Roberts, but he lacked the gift which Roberts possessed, in drilling and training the choristers, although discipline was always maintained, but to be fair, we boys gave him no problems in that direction.
His death was sad, for I read an account in an old edition in the Oxford Times. Apparently in 1942, he came out of retirement, to take up his old position with the college, as the then organist had joined the forces during the war. One night, he apparently went downstairs for a drink of water, but tripped over, and landed at the bottom of the stairs having broken his back. There was an inquest in Oxford with a verdict of “Accidental Death”. This account I obtained from the City Library. I think it was around April of that year. As a musician, he never sought the limelight, and was hardly known outside Oxford, although his compositions were original and perhaps before their time. His Magnificat in C sharp minor, was to my mind, a very fine composition, and strangely, I did not see it mentioned in any of our church services in Yorkshire, until three weeks ago, Leeds Parish Church was including it in the Sunday service, for all church music is published in the “Yorkshire Post”. I was surprised, but then I realised that the organist in Leeds, was an old chorister.
I do not know whether you are aware, but he was also the titular head of the Clan Stewart of Appin.....
[remainder of letter missing]
[Letter from H. Robertshaw]
Westfield,
41 Muston Road,
Hunmanby. Nr Filey. YO14 0JY
North Yorkshire.
May 1st 1988.
Dear Dr McIntyre,
Your letter which I recently received, has resuscitated memories of the past, and for which I thank you.
I refer to the presentation of Haldane Campbell Stewart's portrait, and which you presented to the college on the retirement as Vice President.
You might be interested to know, that he was himself a chorister at Magdalen in the 1880's, under the organist Walter Parratt or similar name, and was considered a very bright boy at the school, before proceeding to the college as an undergraduate.
He was famous in the realms of tennis and cricket, playing a South of England championship in the former, and playing first-class cricket for Kent County.
I think he was musical director at Tonbridge or some well known school in that area, when he returned as Organist and Informator in 1920, and in succession to Roberts.
Each summer, the choristers were invited up to his beautifully situated house, and for six years, I had that very enjoyable experience. I visited it on my last visit to Oxford in 1980, for old times sake, but it is more surrounded by other dwellings that in my boyhood. The house is called Wayside, and is at the top of Hinksey Hill on the right hand, where the road to Abingdon turns to the left, with a minor road going straight ahead. In his day, one could see Oxford and some of its dreaming spires, from a very lovely garden in which we had a picnic tea, after a walk through Bagley (?) Woods, diagonally opposite his entrance. His wife was a very handsome woman with an elegant deportment, and Italianate in looks. Their two children of boy and girl, also shared these attributes, and the latter became a well-known cellist [sic] player.
Stewart was an eclectic musician, and that was reflected in his fastidious organ playing, and choice of choir music. In this respect he was superior to John Varley Roberts, but he lacked the gift which Roberts possessed, in drilling and training the choristers, although discipline was always maintained, but to be fair, we boys gave him no problems in that direction.
His death was sad, for I read an account in an old edition in the Oxford Times. Apparently in 1942, he came out of retirement, to take up his old position with the college, as the then organist had joined the forces during the war. One night, he apparently went downstairs for a drink of water, but tripped over, and landed at the bottom of the stairs having broken his back. There was an inquest in Oxford with a verdict of “Accidental Death”. This account I obtained from the City Library. I think it was around April of that year. As a musician, he never sought the limelight, and was hardly known outside Oxford, although his compositions were original and perhaps before their time. His Magnificat in C sharp minor, was to my mind, a very fine composition, and strangely, I did not see it mentioned in any of our church services in Yorkshire, until three weeks ago, Leeds Parish Church was including it in the Sunday service, for all church music is published in the “Yorkshire Post”. I was surprised, but then I realised that the organist in Leeds, was an old chorister.
I do not know whether you are aware, but he was also the titular head of the Clan Stewart of Appin.....
[remainder of letter missing]
