David Rumsey, Organ Pioneer, dies aged 77

Article: Sydney Morning Herald – Peter McCallum – 14 February 2017

David Rumsey, regular organist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for 25 years and founding Head of the School of Organ and Church Music at the Sydney Conservatorium, has died in Basel. He was 77.

Rumsey’s wiry, alert figure could frequently be seen high above the concert platform in the Town Hall and Opera House organ lofts, the tricky co-ordination with conductor initially managed by mirror and then by closed circuit TV.

This reached its apogee in 1994, when he played Saint-Saens’ Symphony No. 3 in C minor (the so-called Organ Symphony popularised by the film Babe) from the Hill organ in the Town Hall while orchestra and an audience of more than 100,000 followed his every finger and ankle movement in the Domain via microwave link.

Rumsey studied in Sydney with Donald Hollier and in Europe with Jorgen-Ernst Hansen (Copenhagen), Marie-Claire Alain (Paris) and Anton Heiller (Vienna), returning to Australia in 1967 and Sydney in 1969.

A frequent recitalist and broadcaster, he was among the founders and early champions of Sydney’s first classical music community radio station, 2 MBS-FM (now Fine Music FM).

In 2000 he moved to Switzerland, not least to be able to work on and research the historic medieval and baroque instruments that had been his lifelong study.

He leaves a legacy of fine instruments (on whose restoration he was consulted), influential students, and memorable recordings and performances.