My truly heartfelt condolences Martin. I am so so glad that you and Annette were able to be with him for his peaceful end. How very like Kevin that was, no fuss and well prepared.

Annette has asked each of the Birthday Quartet on 22 July to write a few words about him for her and you.

I was interviewed for the British Horn Society magazine about the connection between Hornymental (my horn quartet+) and the Community Orchard I’m a volunteer at, for a good news piece. In the interview, I mentioned that we had managed to rehearse for and play at Kevin’s Birthday as he was a stalwart member of the group and I also mentioned the MNDA. The magazine goes to print on Wednesday and will end with ‘in memory of Kevin Boyd who passed away on the 4th of October’. I’ve also been asked to write an obit for him for the next magazine; I will try to get copies of them both for you if you like?

He and I had known of each other for some years - generally in the context of being deps for each other. We didn’t actually play together until April 2012 when we were 3rd (K) and 4th horns in a performance of Brahms’ 4th Symphony in a tiny church near Bromsgrove. We were practically sitting in the front row of the audience, it was so cramped. The second movement starts with a walloping great unison solo for horns 3&4; we really gave it the beans and loved it. The front row looked a bit startled…

To find another player with the same approach to the instrument as me was a joy; that he (like me) was railway mad and a volunteer on a preserved line compounded the joy and we became good friends from that day. A friendship that was never remotely threatened by our opposite views on Brexit and which became stronger over the years.

I am feeling a huge sense of loss; I can’t begin to imagine how you must all be feeling. I’ve found a few photos of us playing together, a couple attached.

Much Love

Nigel