Remembering Ian Macpherson.
The musical upbringing, piano lessons and discipline absorbed (not least because he provided father with an accompanist on tap!) Ian went on to train at the Royal Academy of Music where he studied piano and composition, winning the Walter McFarren prize for best pianist in the Recital Diploma class in his final year (1959).
While still a student, he graduated from piano/assistant MD (under Anthony Bowles) to Musical Director of West End musical ‘Share My Lettuce’, and this set a career trajectory as he subsequently conducted many more West End shows, including: Divorce Me Darling, Matchgirls, Two Cities, Promises, Promises (a highlight for Ian included meeting and working with Burt Bacharach in the pre-production period.), Thomas and the King, I Do! I Do!, Privates on Parade, Annie, Song and Dance, plus Ian both orchestrated and conducted Kiss Me Kate and Poppy (for the Royal Shakespeare Company) and Pickwick. He also led the Orchestra on a production of Robert and Elizabeth in Canada.
Other theatre work as musical arranger and orchestrator, included the musicals Windy City, Pinocchio, Oh Kay, Metropolis, Rage of the Heart, Scrooge and Sherlock Holmes.
In addition, both in concert and on record, Ian's intuitive and supportive skills as accompanist and musical director were appreciated by a number of diverse singing artistes such as Agnes Bernelle, Annie Rogers, Ann Shelton, Dana and Lulu and many more who beat a path to Ian's door to bring out the best of a song in rehearsal.
However, for his brother Ross – also a singer (who predeceased Ian by 20 years) the proudest moment occurred when Ian was called up to deputise for the indisposed pianist to accompany Frank Sinatra in concert, at the recently opened London Arena one memorable evening in 1990.
Ian composed and arranged music for film, TV, commercials and library music, as well as orchestrating film scores by Nigel Hess, Jennie Muskett, Alex Hefes and many other composers.
He also composed an original stage work: Castaway, based on the story of Robinson Crusoe (lyrics by Peter Reeves), staged at the Horseshoe Theatre in 1988.
Ian would often speak of the enriching experience assisting Irwin Kostal on orchestrating the Sherman Brothers' score for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, alongside another budding composer, the young John Williams. It is Ian playing celeste on Truly Scrumptious!
Ian wrote extensively (both as orchestrator and composer) for Wind Band, having scored many of Nigel Hess' concert pieces, including East Coast Pictures & Thames Journey, as well as Hemming Way by John Dankworth. He also orchestrated a number of pieces for Carl Davis which were performed during the latter's tenure as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
His own composition, Scottish Fantasy, was premiered at Edinburgh's Usher Hall by the Lothian Region Schools Wind Band in 1995 and is now published (Samuel King), as is his Lauderdale Suite for Band (Valentine Music Group).
In later years (2000 - 2010) Ian deployed his wealth of experience to develop and instruct as he became a tutor for students of orchestration. Composer Savourna Stevenson being chief amongst his alumni who will miss Ian as mentor. This also brought Ian back to his beloved RAM where he became a proud associate in 2006, which created an elegant bookend to Ian's career.
In his final decade, ill health hampered his productivity and admission to hospital with heart failure during the 2020 pandemic Covid-19 virus led to his death.
Ian is survived by his long-term partner of 54 years - Vicky Clayton, her daughter and granddaughters, for whom he was an adored step(grand)dad.
By Alex Clayton Black