Hi Ian,
This is such a rewarding thing to do, recalling some of the numerous shows we’ve worked on together over the years.
When I joined RTE in 1976 for my three year stint there, you were very much ‘the man to do music’, directing most, if not all, the big shows I worked on.
I’m thinking of a wonderful ‘Me and my music’ special in ’77 with Rory Gallagher, just him, unplugged. Gerry Geraghty lit it. It was magical and looking back at that show on the RTE Archive, it truly stands the test of time, beautifully shot by you. I’m thinking also of ‘Barry Mason- Songwriter’ with guests including Gene Pitney and Demis Roussos. You were the epitome of ‘cool, calm and collected’ and we always knew that with you in the box, the results would always be class.
I worked on the Castlebar Song Contest in ’78, PM Brady was the lighting director and I was on the lighting control board. To be honest, I don’t recall too much of it, apart from the moment when the board crashed,
Just as we were about to go on air. Thankfully it re-booted quickly so I got away with it! Maybe that was why I hit the bar hard for the after-show session. On second thoughts, in those days, we hit the bar hard every night after the show, didn’t we, especially when PM Brady was around to lead us astray!
I left RTE in ’79 and it was probably another 15 or 16 years before we worked together again, this time on the huge outdoor choral “Voices of the World” in Lansdowne Road in 1995. Alan Pleass had put me forward for the job.
Then came a couple of Daniel specials for PBS around 2003 with Alan Farquharson on set design. These were big shows for me, and it always eased my mind to know you were at the helm.
Although it was spread out over the years, working with you each time felt like I was catching up with an old friend, where the passage of time didn’t matter.
And so it is today, when we meet around the neighbourhood on walks, we can catch up where we left off. See you soon,
All the best,
Andrew (and Eilis).
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- Andrew Leonard
