Inspirational Rustington father and musician to be remembered in Bognor concert

An inspirational Rustington father and musician will be remembered at a concert coming up in Bognor Regis.
Colin ClaydenColin Clayden
Colin Clayden

Colin Clayden was a musician in the Royal Air Force bands during national service and ended up a bandmaster. He died on January 8 this year, aged 83.

The popular 60 Minutes of Classical Music series – created by his son Roger – will continue as planned. The latest concert will celebrate the series’ 11th birthday on Friday, February 7 at 7.30pm.

Colin came to every concert.

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Roger, a cellist, said the concert would go ahead with great sadness.

“Dad was the person who bought me my first musical instrument when I was only five years old and spent nine years teaching me how to play, at which point I passed my grade 8 and became a member of Trinity College of Music junior department for three years and then joined the army as a musician. It will be the first concert I have played without his support and I expect it will seem a little odd.

“Dad was in the Middlesex Youth Orchestra at the same time as the famous jazz saxophonist Tubby Hayes. They formed a group which included Ronnie Scott who later started the famous Ronnie Scott Jazz Club the first jazz club in London. One night when dad was playing there, the famous Count Basie and his band turned up unexpectedly and all present took it in turns to play in his band.”

The latest 60 Minutes of Classical Music concert will celebrate Beethoven’s 250th birthday year with a performance of his string trio No 1 Opus 3. Roger on cello will be joined by Jonathan Strange playing violin and Jonathan Welch.

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The series will also offer Opera Night and Orchestra Night which will be on July 10 and October 17. The Opera Night will see the return of Aiden Smith, bass baritone and associate artist of the Welsh National Opera; Tereza Gevorgyan, a soprano and a national prize winner and soloist for Opera North; and Phillip O’Brien, a tenor and a soloist of the English National Opera.

The first Friday of each month is booked up for the whole of 2020. On March 6 Kate Smith plays the harp and on April 3 John Paul Ekins and Jack Ridley, both concert pianists,will play Shostakovich Poiano Concerto in F and Ravel Piano Concerto in G,

May 1 will welcome a trombone quartet; June 5, a bassoon quartet; and July 3 is Roger’s solo cello.August 7 brings an oboe quartet; September 4 a piano trio; and October 2, Anne Allen – flute and Charles Matthews – piano.

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