In Memorium: Barry Bartlett (1954 - 2018)
- Details
Barry had been a freelance sound engineer all his working life and had worked as such for Britannia Row Productions for many years. In 2012 he became the course director for Britannia Row Productions Training, a post he held until his passing on Friday. At the end of 2017, Barry also took up the part-time post of training manager for Britannia Row Productions.
Britannia Row said in a statement: "Barry was driven by a few key passions. He was passionate about music in all its forms and in its history, live audio, passing on his vast knowledge to others through his course writing and editing and tutoring. He had a keen interest in good red wine. He drank with appreciation and always responsibly. Above all, he was passionate about his family, his wife Fiona and their two daughters, Isabella and Sophia. Both Isabella and Sophia are brilliant young musicians playing violin, clarinet and guitar. Barry was immensely proud of their achievements.
One of the early name bands that Barry worked with after attending Goldsmiths College was Squeeze. There followed a long career in live sound engineering working closely with artists such as Damon Albarn and on many, many Britannia Row projects. Barry loved projects involving acoustic instruments from full orchestras to electric ensembles incorporating acoustic instruments. The more esoteric and ethnic the instruments, the more Barry enjoyed the challenge.
In 2012 Barry pushed the idea that Britannia Row Productions’ notes for training our young audio technicians should be developed to offer training externally. This he did and Britannia Row Training (BRPT) was born. Since we ran our first course in September 2013, Barry went on to develop several other courses that are in the BRPT repertoire, right up degree level with the 3 Year BSc Hons Degree Course validated by the University of Northampton and run in conjunction with South Thames College. In just over four and a half years, Barry has put over 120 young people on the road to careers in live audio.
Getting a training venture established was and still is a tough proposition. Barry was tenacious. He never gave up. He never gave up with his battle with cancer either. He fought it, he fought for his students and he fought for his family right up to the end."
Britannia Row Productions Training managing director, Mike Lowe spoke to Barry on the phone last Thursday afternoon, a few hours before he died. He commented: “He was obviously very, very ill, having deteriorated hugely in recent days. He was still concerned about everyone and everything that he had always held dear. He is and will be sorely missed. One of our tutors and a protégé of Barry’s, Luca Stefani, wrote to me - I will do everything I can to keep Barry’s dream rolling. We are going to do just that. Barry- Rest in Peace. You did much good in your life. You had a good life.”
Funeral arrangements for Barry will be announced soon.
(Jim Evans)
