Book Review - Dick the Stick
30-Jul-2005Autobiography of Richard Evans
Jagrins Publications
244 pages
Price: £13.99
» This is a life well lived. It is also a life well told as well.
Richard Evans is the Jimmy White of the brass band world; dangerously talented, highly entertaining, everyone's favourite conductor and the man who hasn't quite won what he should have.
That may be a little unfair to him; he has won two British Opens (some 20 years apart no less), two All England Masters, ten Regional titles, a Norwegian National, Pontins and a Grand Shield, no less than five Brass in Concert wins at Spennymoor and a whole host of other contests from BBC Band of the Year to the Yeovil contest. He deserved to win so much more though.
He has also been honoured wherever he has gone; from New Zealand to Japan, America to Scotland and has passed on his unique brand of musicianship to players as diverse as those found at just about every level of the banding world – from youth to championship, sceptical old pros to young, naïve teenagers.
He has been tempted by retirement, stricken by a major heart scare, played close to the wind when it was needed and has never been afraid of making his point of view felt – even if at times it has been to his own expense. All this and more: Richard Evans remain a class act, a rare musical animal indeed, for as the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, Dennis Healy once said about people he admired – Richard Evans has a hinterland; there is so much more to him than being a mere brass band conductor.
He may not have racked up the titles of a Halliwell or King, Parkes or Mortimer, but in the great scheme of things, it would take something away from him as a man and a musician if he did. His is a story of a man who has enjoyed his musical ability to very nearly the full, but who has never been a slave to it. It is also why, just about everyone you meet has a good story to tell about him as well – because he projects that enjoyment and love of life wherever he goes. You can't really say that about too many top line conductors can you?
This makes for an enjoyable autobiography – although the quotation of Bertrand Russell comes to mind about people who write their biographies a little too early in their lives; "I have a certain hesitation in starting my biography too soon for fear of something important not yet happened." Given that in the past twelve months, Richard has notched up yet another Spennymoor victory and picked up the Yorkshire Regional title as well, you do feel that is plenty of time for him to add a possible Nationals or even European to his CV – he is having one heck of an Indian Summer at present.
It would be unfair though for him to take note of Anthony Trollope's observation that "…a man is nobody unless his biography is kept so far posted up that it may be ready for the national breakfast table on the morning after his demise." Richard Evans has the talent and fortitude to give the banding public much, much more, and when he does (for there will more success to come for sure), you know the banding public will be delighted. Surely there is enough material for another biography in the future?
As with all autobiographies, it is a personal opinion of a life, rather than an objective one. This is not the writers fault here (unlike the absolute garbage ghost written rubbish of C list celebrities that now seems to fill the shelves of our book shops) as he is witty and insightful narrator who writes in very entertaining manner. However, you do get the impression that there is a lot not being said at times.
Perhaps it would have been a better book if it was a biography rather than an autobiography, but then again, you wonder how insightful that process would have been. Richard Evans is a great story teller, raconteur and wit who has a keen eye for the detail of the absurd, but also a heartfelt ability to recount more moving times and episodes in his life.
The most interesting part of the book for this reviewer was his excellent opening chapters on his early upbringing and background leading up to his conducting career taking off at Wingates, whilst it does meander a little with the plethora of well embellished band stories. You must admit though, he does tell them very well indeed and nearly all of them will bring a genuine smile to the most sceptical of faces.
It is at times a moving book as well; he recounts the funeral of the immediate family of Archie Hutchinson with real sense of despair, whilst he touches more than a few nerves of those still in the banding hierarchy with his opinions on everything from his departure from Leyland to his failure to win at the Royal Albert Hall. Again though – it is told in such an entertaining manner.
Richard Evans has always been a man who can raise a few eyebrows, and some of his opinions will get the Roger Moore treatment in certain quarters. He recollection and opinion of BNFL's British Open defence on ‘Revelation' must surely be taken with a Lot sized pinch of salt (I remember hearing them on that day, and they were blinking awful), but then again, he has conducted some brilliant performances all over the world and hasn't at times had an ounce of luck – the Albert Hall being a case in point.
It all adds up though to a fine read and an excellent addition to an ever burgeoning series of publications from Jagrins.
It tells you something about the man that the foreword has been written by Maurice Murphy no less, whilst the chapters are laid out in a chronological order that flow as smoothly as one of his well directed middle movement's from ‘Pageantry'. They will also get you grabbing for the nearest musical dictionary as well.
This is indeed a life well lived and a life well told. It is also a life that will give the brass band world so much more enjoyment in the future. Catch the great man when you can. They don't make them like him anymore.
Iwan Fox.
