Rhubarb

St Edward’s r h u b a r b

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the arts and his urbane tolerance of the young as well as his enthusiastic devotion to their interests. Pupils were introduced to debating, modern cinema, contemporary drama and overseas travel. Above all they were aware that he believed that such things mattered and should matter to an educated man or woman. He was possessed of great personal qualities which made him such a good schoolmaster. He wore his principles on his sleeve but never stridently, often wittily, frequently persuasively. He was spontaneously sympathetic to the needs of others which made him active in local social voluntary work such as prison visiting and this humanity made him an influential force in the lives of many he taught. He was a committed and practising Christian. These skills he brought to bear as a Housemaster when, on the premature death of Bill Veitch, he took over Segar’s. In this and in all his school-mastering Mervyn was helped enormously by his first wife Yvonne, who amongst her many qualities, had the ability to tease his occasional over-seriousness or mild touches of vanity, for he was a dapper dresser and pupils readily speculated about his next bow tie! Their happy family life with their three children was pervasive in the school community. Many young teachers, like me in the1960s, found the hospitable welcome in their home encouraging and supportive. We became life- long friends. Mervyn had many such both within the School and outside it. He was one of those schoolmasters who, all too aware of the pre-war Depression which he had experienced as a London Welshman, and the War which set the tone for much of his life, contributed towards a

friends. Those of us who played with him will never forget the charisma both of his personality and of his playing. EVANS – Mervyn Evans, (MCR, 1947-1979). The following was kindly provided by his friend and fellow teacher Malcom Oxley (1962-1999). Mervyn Evans taught Classics at St Edward’s from 1947- 1979 and was Housemaster of Segar’s from 1964-1973. Before the War, at Oxford, he flourished in the Oxford Union during the Presidency of Edward Heath and lived for a while in Paris. Both left him a lifelong Liberal and a convinced Europhile. He fought in Italy and was one of that group of talented schoolmasters appointed by Henry Kendall in his closing years. Well read, he had a consuming interest in the world around him, a fierce commitment to the plight of the underdog and wide cultural interests. He soon made his mark in the school joining those few masters who set a high value on academic achievement and interests beyond the games field. Many pupils recall his excellent teaching, his encouragement of open discussion and debate about the post-war world, his cosmopolitan appreciation of

new outlook on the world for the independent schools. That they became more outward- looking, more liberal and more humane was in large part due to men like Mervyn Evans. His closing years, where he was still engaged with the world around him, still travelling and keeping up his friendships were enormously enhanced by the great success and happiness of his second marriage after Yvonne’s death, to Sally, who survives him.

O b i t u a r i e s

V a l e t e

Douglas Cummings

put his son to the cello where he made rapid progress. He came under the influence of Pini and after attending UCS Hampstead he entered the Royal Academy of Music at the age of 15 where he studied with Cameron and won every cello prize. A scholarship provided for study with Navarra in Paris and another with Piatigorsky in California, where he also came under the influence of Heifetz. On returning to London he was appointed, at the age of 21, to Principle Cello with the LSO. At the time, this was the youngest ever appointment to a principle position in that orchestra. It was here that he was to work with such great conductors as Kertész, Previn (whose ‘cello concerto he premiered), Abbado and Bernstein, to name but a few. His playing and personality helped to define the LSO, on the Board of Directors of which he served, for several decades. He was a Fellow of, and professor at, the Royal Academy and a professor at the Royal Welsh College. It was a sad day in 2006 when ill health prevented him from continuing his teaching at St Edward’s, although he continued to attend our concerts. We were very fortunate to have such a distinguished cellist and musician on our staff and to have counted him among our

Peter Irvine

IRVINE – Peter Neill Irvine (MCR, 1990-1993), aged 82. The following is an extract taken from the Wanganui Chronicle . Originally from New Zealand, Peter decided on a teaching career after completing a degree in Architecture at Auckland. He was a Mathematics teacher but also coached rugby and rowing. He was on the Wanganui Collegiate School teaching staff from 1958 to 1977, from 1981 to 1990, and in 1996. Mr Irvine was also a school master at Huntley School (1956-1957), headmaster at St George’s School (1978- 1979), and taught in the United Kingdom at St Edward’s School, Oxford (1990-1993) and Eton College (1993). He was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship to Cambridge University in 1975. Mr Irvine is survived by wife, Janet, son Sam and daughters Kate and Mandy.

Mervyn Evans