Adrian (Benny) Morris, PPRNCM, FRNCM (1965 – 2015)

On 1^st October in Manchester a large gathering of family, friends and colleagues past and present bid farewell to an exceptional personality of the brass world at the funeral service of Adrian “Benny” Morris. Benny was a remarkable man, a wonderful orchestral and brass band bass trombonist, a motivational tutor and mentor. He peacefully and graciously surrendered to a five-year battle with cancer at the untimely age of 50, but has left an uncommon legacy behind him.

His funeral service was characterised by this spirit and legacy, featuring a personal eulogy from his fellow friend and musician Ewan Easton, spoken very much from the heart. The funeral music had a sense of what the ancient philosophers referred to as the “Music of the Spheres,” and included versions of Nimrod (Roger Webster) and Panis Angelicus (Simon Cowen), accompanied by a brass band composed entirely of his close friends, whether students, amateurs or professionals, directed by a friend of thirty years, Richard Evans. The make-up of this band reflected Benny’s own passions: Benny became and remained something of a Colussus, one foot in the brass band world and the other in the symphony orchestra.

His musical background was nurtured in his native Shropshire where he was attracted to the brass bands and local orchestras, which were soon enriched by his unusual talent and infectious gregarious nature. This led to study at the RNCM from 1983 -1987. A moment of appropriate ‘stardom’ came to Benny early on in 1984, when a televised prize-winning performance of Lee Marvin’s Wand'rin' Star with the Leyland Band and Richard Evans showed musicality and personality in equal measure.

Student life in the 1980s as a brass player usually implied working hard and playing hard. As well as fully relishing the delights of the Junior Common Room of the RNCM, Benny picked up the most prestigious academic awards, including the Professional Performance Diploma of RNCM.

During his studentship he was a member of The Leyland Band, Desford Colliery Band and Foden’s Band, the best of the day, and like all the brass students learnt a great deal about performance and professional protocol from Howard Snell, Head of Brass at RNCM and conductor of Foden’s, who cannily earmarked so many young musicians who would make it to the top. Many of them are still working in RNCM today.

Further study, supported by a Countess of Munster Award, was short lived because he won a job with the Ulster Orchestra, where he spent eleven happy years, and courted and wed the wonderful Carole, the love of his life, a bright-eyed local cornet player in the Agnes Street Band. They soon married under a palm tree on Miami Beach, ever the individuals.

In 1999 Benny was lured back to Manchester by an opening in the Hallé Orchestra. At his audition for this post I am told that he was asked to play a famous passage from the William Tell Overture. Not only was this delivered briskly, it was delivered Benny-style, that is, perfectly. When quizzed about his preparation for this, Benny retorted directly and honestly “I practised that one for seven years.” Students please take note!

This high integrity approach was equally applied to his teaching and he was invited to join the staff in RNCM, where he had previously studied with Nev Roberts, Terry Nagle and Peter Gane. His many students idolized him for everything he offered. He remained a stickler for detail, whether the matter be steam trains, Indian food, high quality ale or the idiosyncrasies of the orchestral conductor. One student on the brink of a promising career sent me the following words: “Benny was an individual that touched the hearts of so many throughout his life. Not only was he a superb bass trombonist, but also an utterly inspiring teacher and wonderful friend. I was fortunate enough to have been taught by him throughout the last 5 years of his life, in which time he became a huge role model of mine. His influence on my playing, and more so on my life was indescribable. I owe him a great deal for what he so generously gave to me and I along with so many will miss him dearly.“  I believe this view to be universal.

Throughout the last year Benny showed unbelievable determination to “complete the circle” of many aspects of his life. This included purchasing a magnificent Jaguar car, something he had always longed-for, but something which may have incurred fear in other road-users. Professionally, I refer back to his passion for the brass band, which never abated. He was thrilled and honoured to be a judge at The British Open, and took on this challenging responsibility whilst not in the best of health, a remarkable achievement. In June he was presented for a Fellowship of RNCM, for his distinguished services to music and giving so much of himself to so many students. Again you can see the same professional pride and sparkle in his eyes as when he played Wand’rin Star almost thirty years before.

Benny never gave up in anything he believed in. He played on in the Hallé as long as his health permitted and will be sorely missed for some time to come.

As we walk the path of happy destiny through our musical lives, we occasionally encounter someone who affects us deeply. Adrian Morris shared his experience, his strength and his passions with us all. Of all the many people I talked to on 1^st October from all over the UK, there was no-one who had not been touched by his extraordinary humanity, an example to us all.

John Miller