Musical Pointers

Bob Briggs - obituary

We regret to announce the death this month of our concerts and recordings reviewer Bob Briggs [1954 – December 2011] , a knowledgeable expert on music's byways and a "character" who contributed some 50 valued pieces to Musical Pointers.

For a good example of Bob's unique way and interest in musical by-ways, I can do no better than to direct you to his CD review of Claude–Dénis Autobusse, whose portrait [R] uncannilly resembles his own distinctive appearance - " - - his music really is poor stuff so why am I bothering to write about it and why is MusicWeb interested in carrying a review of it? The answer is simple. Why do we enjoy listening to Florence Foster Jenkins? It is a case of Schadenfreude – the pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others or the largely unanticipated delight in the suffering of another - - "

I offer our readers a link to Bob's full obituary in Seen&Heard - the live music journal section of Music Web, which I launched in 1999 at a time when serious music was being squeezed out of the Paper Press, and which has continued to thrive on line under successive Editors since my time.

The difficulties in maintaining specialist reviewing continues to increase inexorably in the country's difficult situation for the Arts.

It has recently been compounded by the reluctance of some concert promoters and venues to support regular internet critics, their service one which is largely unpaid, which loyal contributors such as Bob Briggs accepted in good part.

Peter Grahame Woolf
Editor