Robert Simans
(1937-2018)
Robert Simans was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire to a family of Jewish ethnicity, with a deep interest in music. His father, Monty Simans, was a keen amateur violinist who performed with the Leeds Jewish Orchestral Society.
An early starter, Robert began playing the piano at the age of three. Violin lessons began when he went to Norwood School in Harrogate and took lessons from the father of the headmaster, Mr Cass. Harmony lessons followed from Mr Drake. A visit to Norwood School from the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company particularly caught his imagination and led to a lifelong love of Gilbert and Sullivan.
At the age of 16 Robert won a competitive West Riding of Yorkshire scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music where he achieved his LRAM diploma. His violin teachers were Robert Masters and Beatrix Marr, with Norman Demuth as his composition teacher.
Subsequently he spent his National Service with the Band of the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, where he led one of the orchestras, played piccolo, and piano trios to entertain visiting dignitaries.
Robert’s first professional role was with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra under John Pritchard and Charles Groves. It was in Liverpool that he met his wife, Kathleen Malone, a fellow violinist in the orchestra.
There was in Liverpool at that time a very exceptional seven-year-old Simon Rattle who certainly made his presence felt. Robert was his first violin teacher. The friendship lasted a lifetime and Robert performed under his former pupil on a number of occasions in Scotland. Violinist Nicola Benedetti was another rising star whose development was supported by Robert as her accompanist in her early years and the friendship endured.
From Liverpool, Robert and Kathleen moved to Glasgow, to join the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Later they performed with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Opera, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Scottish Ballet. While with Scottish Ballet Robert was called as repetiteur for the dancers’ rehearsals.
When the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra was among those BBC orchestras threatened with extinction, Robert sharpened his campaigning skills and took a lead in fighting for the survival of the Orchestra. He was a founder of the BBC SSO Club. Fiercely loyal to his fellow musicians he would gladly stand up for them in challenging times.
His freelance engagements included work with the John Currie Singers and the Scottish Radio Orchestra with Brian Fahey, Shirley Bassey’s arranger; and as principal second violin with the light music ensemble, the City of Glasgow Philharmonic Orchestra.
In addition to his orchestral commitments Robert branched out into composing and arranging a wide variety of styles of music. He worked for Music in Hospitals in Scotland, presenting music to the elderly and those with special needs, and he taught in inner city Glasgow schools and the Junior Department at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Robert’s Salon Trio (with Christine Nelson, violin, and Marie Holmes, cello) gave many lunchtime concerts at the Caroline Music Club, Edinburgh, hosted and scripted by Annabelle Murray (daughter of Chic and Maidie).
In parallel with his arrangements of light music for his diverse audiences, including a version of My Fair Lady for piano trio and soloists. Robert was also honing his considerable skills in composition, which had begun in his student days. Among his earlier work was Three Songs of War and he later produced settings of Edward Thomas’ World War I poems and Beech Leaves, a work for children’s voices and piano.
His final unfinished work was Toda de Luz (All of Light), a dramatic cantata about the miracle of Fatima. This was composed for the Academy of Sacred Music in Glasgow (director Joan Dillon) and performed in St Mirin’s Cathedral in Paisley on 6 October 2017.
