Christie oversaw golden period as music director

Published on Tuesday 3 November 2009 08:51

CHRISTIE Duncan, former music director at the Scottish Arts Council, has died aged 80.

Born on 9 March, 1929, in Constantinople, Turkey, he was schooled in Barbados before heading to Glasgow's Royal Scottish Academy of Music.

Following his student days, he settled in Edinburgh in 1951, and became active in several of the local amateur opera companies, including that of the retired opera singer Beatrice Miranda, for whom he conducted performances of The Barber of Seville, Carmen, Faust and The Magic Flute at the Gateway Theatre.

When he was invited to be musical director of The Edinburgh University Operatic Society in 1952 there followed a string of French operettas, culminating in some legendary Offenbach performances in the Little Theatre, the Pleasance, including La Vie Parisienne, Orpheus in the Underworld, and La Belle Hlne.

In 1966, while in his final teaching post as head of music at Lasswade High School, he was appointed music director of the Scottish Arts Council.

Mr Duncan's long-term vision and the infrastructure he set up during his 25-year tenure as music director at the Scottish Arts Council from 1966-91 helped to produce a golden period of musical life in Scotland.

One of his first actions was to find new money to support the expansion of the then Scottish National Orchestra so it could split into two chamber orchestras.

He also oversaw the expansion of Scottish Opera – which despite its limited budget acquired a fully professional chorus, orchestra and a permanent home in Glasgow's Theatre Royal – as well as the relocation of Western Theatre Ballet from Bristol to Glasgow to become Scottish Theatre Ballet and eventually Scottish Ballet.

With the Glasgow music-scene already well catered for with the Scottish National and BBC Scottish orchestras, the establishment of the Scottish Baroque Ensemble and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra in Edinburgh created a wider geographical base for professional musicians.

The late 1970s saw the transformation of an Edinburgh church into the Queen's Hall, and in 1990 the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall opened as a replacement for the St Andrew's Hall.

Mr Christie was extremely supportive around the setting up of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and was involved in the initial stages of the establishment of St Mary's Music School.

He founded a contemporary music network with appearances by international musicians and organised tours for Scottish musicians, enabling them to be compensated for the extra rehearsal time needed for the performance of new work.

This was followed by support for, among others, The New Music Group of Scotland and Edinburgh Contemporary Arts Trust, which for decades has provided a platform for exciting new music.

A member of The Royal Society of Musicians, he gave invaluable service to the society, which welcomed his informed support for musicians and encyclopaedic knowledge of Scottish affairs.

He died in Edinburgh on 17 August and is survived by his wife and two daughters.