Fanfare in Memory of Richard Shephard
Written by Bruce Jackson of York Railway Institute Golden Rail Band
It is difficult to find an area of music not touched by Richard, but brass bands may not immediately spring to mind. The story goes that he was challenged (in the nicest possible way) to get to at least grade 2 on a brass instrument, by one of his friends at York Minster; if he expected pupils at the Minster School to play an instrument, at least he should be prepared to set an example.
The instrument he chose was an E flat bass, more commonly known as a ‘tuba’; almost the largest instrument in a brass band, and not one immediately favoured by new players. Typically, he succeeded, but in addition, of course, he wanted to play it properly in a band. He chose York Railway Institute Golden Rail Band, my band.
Having already known him for several years, my sons were choristers, I then started to know him as a fellow bandsman.
He left the band many years ago, but it was suggested, when he died, that it would be a nice idea for the band to have some music written in his memory, and I took on the task. ‘Fanfare and Thanksgiving - In Memorium Richard Shephard’ was the outcome.
It seemed only right to use some of his own music within the piece. His music is always so tuneful and approachable, but what to use?
I stumbled over a spiritual he had arranged and published through the Royal School of Church Music - ‘Were you there?’ for SATB choir. A beautiful melody, and an arrangement full of Richard, right down to his sometime quirky/jazzy harmonies. The addition of an original Fanfare plus a bit of an RS joke (spoiler alert, don’t read the bit marked with an asterisk below!) completed the piece. The RSCM were totally supportive and gave permission without hesitation.
Beyond the band, it seemed to me that the Foundation would be a good home for it, and I’m hoping that it can be used by them in some way.
It awaits its first performance, but it will be played in a version that now includes parts for male voice choir, by Golden Rail together with York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir in September 2024. The foundation hopes it will find a wider audience and to that end it can be arranged for other combinations of band and voices.
**Richard had a favourite composer, Richard Strauss (another RS!), and he would frequently pop a short Straussian reference into his own work. If you check out the final few bars of my piece you should be able to recognize a hint of ‘Rosenkavalier’- one our own Richard used quite a few times.