It was with great sadness that the London Philharmonic Orchestra learned of the death on 7th April of Lawrence Evans, a member of its trumpet section since 1974. Originally from the Rhondda Valley in Glamorgan, Wales, Laurie began to play the trumpet at the age of nine and later won a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music in London. He held positions with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the Philharmonia Orchestra before being appointed Principal Trumpet of the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 1974. After 20 years in this prominent position he was happy to take more of a back seat from 1994 when Paul Beniston took over the principal position, but Laurie continued to play in the section until illness prevented him from doing so last year.

Laurie arrived at the Orchestra when Bernard Haitink was Principal Conductor. Haitink recalls his work at that time: ‘I admired him for his artistry, commitment and great achievement in maintaining a cohesive and strong section’. Laurie’s qualities are also apparent from the many London Philharmonic Orchestra recordings throughout the 1980s and 90s, particularly on the famous opening trumpet solo of Mahler’s 5th Symphony on the widely acclaimed live recording conducted by Klaus Tennstedt in 1988. Current London Philharmonic Orchestra trumpeter Anne McAneney remembers hearing his sound at this time: ‘My first experience of his playing at the start of my career in the mid-1980s was a revelation. His glorious awe-inspiring tone riding over the orchestra thrilled those who had the pleasure to work with him or hear him in the concert hall.’ Paul Beniston who became Principal Trumpet in 1994 echoes Anne’s words : ‘As a trumpeter he was exceptional. It is hard to imagine how his sound could be improved upon. It ranged from the sweetest, controlled ‘piano’ in the highest register to the most majestic, golden tone in the louder dynamics and his style, especially in the big romantic repertoire of Mahler, Wagner, Bruckner and Strauss, suggested that these pieces could have been written specially for him. All this was achieved with an apparent ease that allowed him to live dangerously, with the most exciting of results.’

But it is not just his musical skills for which he will be long remembered. His colleagues over the years, such as cor anglais player Joan Graham, recall his ‘fun and laughter, the warmth of his friendship, his generosity, courage and optimism’ while Stan Woods, who played trumpet in the London Philharmonic Orchestra alongside him for many years points out that: ‘if you walked into a crowded room, such as an Artists’ Bar, and a group of people caught your eye, on closer inspection you would often find Laurie in the middle.’ He was inevitably at the centre of things. ‘As a man he was warm-hearted and fun’, recalls Paul Beniston. ‘Things always happened when Laurie was around. The list of stories and anecdotes is endless. We had glorious days on our fishing trips around Newhaven and, having spent eleven consecutive nights with him in a small cabin, I, along with anyone who ever shared a hotel room with him, can vouch for the sheer power of his snoring! We  had lots of adventures and a few scrapes together. Although illness ultimately slowed him down it didn’t break or change him - his spirit was too strong for that. There were times when we would visit him in hospital and he would be surrounded by several people, telling the old stories, having everyone in hysterics ... it was almost like being on tour again.’ His strength of spirit is endorsed by Stan Woods: ‘His cheerfulness, courage and optimism never deserted him. His family were wonderful in their support and our thoughts go out to them.’ Indeed, we shall all miss him.