h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm involved in a concert in Dublin next Saturday, put together as a memorial to John Beckett (St Ann's Dawson St, 8 pm if you're around).

I'll be singing in the choir and playing in a viol consort, and accompanying singers and violins and a recorder (Mrs R).

John taught me the art of continuo playing in the 1970s and 80s. He ran a Chamber Music class (medieval to baroque) and soloists lined up to take their turns. I sat at John's left hand; he handed me a bass part which I played on the viol while he played the harpsichord, then at the end he stretched out his hand to take the part back. He hardly addressed a word to me, but everything I needed to know was shown in the way he played the continuo line (identical to my sting bass line) with his left hand. Singers and instrumentalists all had their turns, while I played the whole evening, since (in baroque music at least) everything is accompanied by a continuo (harpsichord or equivalent and viol or equivalent). After the class we would go to the pub across the road from the Academy (Kennedy's) and John would pontificate outrageously on anything under the sun.

He also taught a viol consort class, another evening of the week, which I attended. When he left Dublin to work for the BBC in London, I took over the consort class and still teach it.

Every year from 1973 to 1983 he ran a series of concerts in February, devoted to Bach Cantatas. We have reassembled the choir and orchestra, almost intact, and will perform two of his favourites, Cantatas 30 and 150.

John died in February this year, on his 80th birthday. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_S._Beckett