Arthur St Clair Robinson

Another leading figure in bluegrass music in these islands has passed on. This news comes from C. Paul Lyttle of the Moniaive Michaelmas Bluegrass Festival in Scotland, who has posted it on the Festival website:

I have some sad news to share with you - Arthur St Clair Robinson passed away with courage and dignity in his local hospice on Friday 6 March.

Arthur and Trix made it up from Yorkshire to Moniaive Michaelmas Bluegrass Festival a few times and were always very supportive of what we were trying to do here. Their encouragement was much appreciated, as were Arthur’s home made tortoiseshell thumb picks which I have used on my dobro!

Arthur had many friends in the bluegrass and folk communities and will be sadly missed.

Arthur’s funeral will be on Friday 13 March at 2.40 pm at Scarborough Crematorium with all invited back to Scarborough Rugby Club for a buffet afterwards. Trix extends a warm welcome to all who can make it to Arthur’s funeral.

Arthur (shown above in a photo from the 1990s) was a familiar and respected figure to BIB readers with long-standing contacts with the bluegrass scene in Britain, especially those who attended the Edale or North Wales festivals. A video of him leading a hard-driving band at Edale in 1990 can be seen on YouTube. His many contributions to the music in Britain included making known the outstanding quality of Czech musicians and instruments; helping young students to attend the Sore Fingers Summer School; and leading his band, King Arthur and His Knights of Bluegrass.

The sad news, as communicated by David Rozzell, chairman of the British Bluegrass Music Association, can be seen on the New Essex Bluegrass Band's Facebook page.

Update: An appreciation by Richard Thompson can be read on Bluegrass Today.