Talk:Davitt Moroney

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mick davitt was in ballhaise co. cavan

Personal memories of Davitt Moroney

Davitt Moroney was originally accepted by the University of Cambridge in 1966 to read English. However, because he was a very keen musician, he wanted to continue some study of music, and contacted the then Professor of Music at Cambridge, the world-famous harpsichordist Thurston Dart, to discuss the opportunities available.

The conversation Moroney had on the telephone with Thurston Dart was crucial. Thurston Dart persuaded himthat he did not want to read English at all, but music. At this time, Thurston Dart was in dispute with the University of Cambridge about a number of academic and administrative matters, and was on the verge of resignation. This duly happened (Thurston Dart removed in due course his own personal collection of books from the Pendlebury Library to the dismay of librarians, most of which ended up in the library of the about-to-be-founded faculty at King's), but at the same time he was consulted by the University of London, King's College regarding a suitable candidate for the Chair of music in their newly-established Faculty of Music. Thurston Dart, ever audacious, nominated himself, and Davitt Moroney duly followed him there to read music.

Moroney's knowledge was incredibly impressive by the time he was in his final PhD year at King's and before his move to Berkeley on a Harkness scholarship. He played Bach, Byrd, Gibbons and, what appeared to be his favourite at the time, Couperin, regularly to us undergraduates in the mid-1970s.

His skill, wide and detailed knowledge, competence and authority in all his numerous fields of inquiry were legendary. Moroney always appeared to dislike the distinction between performer and musicologist and argued forcibly and persuasively at the time that the best performers were those who studied their works and their context as well as performing them with technical brilliance. To him, performing involved a deep understanding of the underlying workings, intrigues and meaning of the music. He once said 'if only I could play this [Byrd, Gibbons] and hear it as a listener then would have heard it'.

Those students able to spend some time with Davitt in his student days, discussing music, listening to his new findings and interpretations, and so on, were uniquely privileged and the impression left on them will have been enduring.

His many interests extended beyond music and included literature and the history of art. A singularly refined, educated, articulate, erudite and - not least - human man, Davitt Moroney will have made a profound contribution to the study and performance of music in our time.

T A Francis PhD

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