Thousands will miss him: UK conductor Hickox passes away

Leading British conductor Richard Hickox has died of a suspected heart attack at the age of 60.

Tim Newton, Assistant Professor of Music at SUNY Oneonta,had this to say about Hickox:

I was shocked by the sudden news of the passing of Richard Hickox last week. Of all the conductors on the podium today, only a few names standout as conductors committed to the choral-orchestral ensemble. I can think of Helmut Rilling, Colin Davis, and perhaps a few others.

But Richard Hickox would be included on any list, especially that of English repertoire for chorus and orchestra. Although few of the obituaries fully trace his lengthy and diverse conducting history, he was Conductor and Music Director of the London Symphony Chorus from 1976-1991, a post which brought him considerable notoriety and broader exposure. Having been a recent member of the LSC, I can tell you that the sentiment for his enthusiastic embrace of choral-orchestral music and his energetic spirit runs deep in that chorus.

In 2004, I had the privilege of singing a very unusual work for male chamber chorus and orchestra, Bohuslav Martinu's Field Mass (Polni Mse) under Hickox's direction. The twenty-five of us men from the London Symphony Chorus and a quirky group of Philharmonia Orchestra musicians experienced an uncommon bond during that performance. I will never forget the genuine bond from conductor to chamber chorus I felt as I worked under Richard on this project. Though the piece was never performed as intended, on the battlefield, Hickox brought such commitment and passion to the work that it felt like the stage of the Royal Festival Hall had become a rural French Battlefield from WWII as this mass was brought back to life.

I will always count it as a great musical memory and feel great privilege to have sung for him. The symphonic choral world has lost an important advocate whose impact will continue live in us through hundreds of recordings. Thousands around the world surely miss his vitality and commitment to vocal music. My story is only one of many.

Tim Newton, DMA