A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday

Subject: A Little Sad
From: RTim
Date: 10 Aug 10 - 01:49 PM

Hi all,

I felt a little sad today when I was reminded on Facebook that it is Malcolm Douglas's birthday today!
I miss him and his great contributions to this Forum.

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: Amos
Date: 10 Aug 10 - 01:56 PM

A great loss indeed.


A

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: maeve
Date: 10 Aug 10 - 01:58 PM

What a wealth of information and scholarship he left with us.

m

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Aug 10 - 01:58 PM

I guess it was eight years ago that I met Malcolm when we stayed at the home of Bill Sables. I'm glad I got the chance to meet him in person. It was a pleasure to work with him.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: Surreysinger
Date: 10 Aug 10 - 02:10 PM

Tim - I felt exactly the same response when the reminder popped up on my screen this morning. Unlike Joe I never got the chance to meet Malcolm, although I had hoped to, and had exchanged one or two small bits of correspondence on here regarding research topics.I certainly miss his presence on here.

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 10 Aug 10 - 02:14 PM

Tim - thanks for this reminder, and I miss Malcolm's erudite and scholarly contributions too.

Kitty

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: GUEST,folkiedave
Date: 10 Aug 10 - 03:17 PM

A few locals are having a drink in Walkley (Sheffield) near to Malcolm's home. Top Freedom around 9.00 pm for those in Sheffield

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: Little Robyn
Date: 10 Aug 10 - 03:37 PM

I miss him too.
He was a catter I really would have liked to meet.
But every so often a thread pops up with his wisdom still there in black and white and I think "Ahhhhhh!"
Robyn

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: sciencegeek
Date: 10 Aug 10 - 03:45 PM

I never had the chance to meet Malcolm, but I did appreciate his astute observations and miss him.

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: Bill D
Date: 10 Aug 10 - 03:51 PM

And it was always fascinating when Malcolm & Bruce Olson chimed in on the same topic..

threadid=19405

I miss them both, and memories of one always make me think of the other.

*A toast to Malcolm and his scholarship and his courage in those last months*

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 10 Aug 10 - 07:20 PM

I learned a great deal from him, not least to be precise and not take anything for granted - and I nearly met him once. Sadly, it wasn't to be. What makes me even sadder is his (relatively) young age. Like Bruce, Rick Fielding and others, he is among the Mudcat legends.

(What constitutes a legend? Don't discuss!)

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: Paul Davenport
Date: 10 Aug 10 - 07:33 PM

We had a lovely evening at Malc's local pub. Just seven of us, we did the quiz and talked about all sorts and of course - Malcolm.

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 02:31 AM

Yeah, he used to fix my Mac for me over the phone. And my friend Alan who says he hates folk music but strangely seems to like all the actually good stuff I play him used to commission Malcolm's drawings for the National Student which he edited at the time. Greatly missed.

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: Mary Humphreys
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 03:35 AM

He was so helpful and generous with his vast store of knowledge. I owe him a lot.
I really miss his contributions here.

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: GUEST,MC Fat (at work)
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 05:43 AM

Glad you had a little celebration for Malcolm, though he would probably say 'what's all the fuss about, it's just a birthday' !!!

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 07:50 AM

Well it is still his birthday so Happy Birthday Malcolm from us down here to you up there!

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: Trevor Thomas
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 10:15 AM

Malcolm was a friend of mine since the late 80s. He was going to sessions when I started. This was many years before the Internet was invented. This was in the days of 10:30 – 11:00 closing time, and with neither of us being early risers, especially him, we'd often find ourselves back at someone's house afterwards, to chat airily of this and that, drink cups of tea (or sometimes homebrew,) and listen to all sorts of (to me) obscure stuff. It was an invaluable part of my musical education – especially as I was in my late teens/early twenties at the time.

Although most people know about his considerable erudition, and his reasoned, rational arguments, (which is absolutely the case), there was another side to him. He was in real life a bit of an eccentric character (one of the reasons I was drawn to him), who delighted in the absurd, and had a highly developed sense of the ridiculous. Bizarre, out of the ordinary things he'd treat as matter of fact, whereas lots of 'ordinary' things struck him as absurd. However he favoured a very dry and 'deadpan' delivery style. I used to take great delight in making him laugh.

I was very upset when he died.

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: katlaughing
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 10:26 AM

Trevor, thanks for sharing that with us. He is greatly missed around here. Good to know his friends were together, toasting him and such.

Like Susanne(skw) said, one of Mudcat's legends and much too young to be gone.

kat

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: MC Fat
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 01:02 PM

I echo Trev's poignient and very heartfelt sentiment. Malc was, as they would say in Scotland 'a one'. His reasoned arguments were at many times 'spot on' and on one occassion at a crucial Sheffield Folk Festival meeting he was the very voice of reason cutting through the debate with sound wisdom. He was one who quietly achieved much more than some who shout loudly about their supposed talents.

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: Maryrrf
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 02:27 PM

I miss Malcolm too! I always looked forward to his responses whenever anybody posed a question about song origins, etc. He was such a valuable resource.

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: Joybell
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 08:31 PM

I was just talking about Malcolm. Didn't know it was his birthday. I've been missing him every time I come here.
Joy

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: andymac
Date: 12 Aug 10 - 05:44 AM

Like so many here, I benefited from his erudition but never met the man, much as I wish I had. I was shocked to hear of his passing but I'm pleased to see he's still remembered and honoured here, where he added so much to so many discussions.

Andy

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: RTim
Date: 10 Aug 12 - 08:52 AM

I was reminded again today on Facebook - that today would have been Malcolm's Birthday.

I don't want to delete him from my Friends list, but is a sad reminder today of what scholarship we have lost, at such an early age.

Tim Radford

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: Bill D
Date: 10 Aug 12 - 12:02 PM

I was once privileged to do a favor FOR Malcolm. When an obscure book appeared in Google's scans, and was prohibited in the UK, I figured out a way to sneak it to Malcolm. He was adding to his knowledge and sharing it right to the end.

I still stumble on his helpful and (sometimes) impatient posts when looking for info.

I wish I had met him...........

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: stallion
Date: 10 Aug 12 - 12:51 PM

Echo the same thoughts, his knowledge and tenacity for researching songs is sadly missed to the "cat".

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: Little Robyn
Date: 10 Aug 12 - 06:53 PM

I still miss Malcolm.
Robyn

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: GUEST,Lighter
Date: 10 Aug 12 - 08:52 PM

Malcolm and I exchanged information on more than one occasion. I once sent him a photocopy of an old book he was unable to procure in Britain. He was amazingly well versed in British folksong and had an encyclopedic memory for songs and sources. And he was always ready to share what he knew.

Like everybody else, I was shocked to hear of his passing. He contributed far more to Mudcat than did most of us.

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 12:21 AM

Remembering his presence here fondly.

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 04:02 AM

Noticed that this thread was two years old. Doesn't seem that long since he died. Like someone said, you see his words on this and that thread, his contrubutions to discussions - its as though his presence is still here.

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: Paul Davenport
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 09:37 AM

Weird thing about Malcolm, he was very self effacing. Just as Kidson admired Chappell, so Malcolm admired Kidson. Ironically, when it came to tracing and recognising folk melody derivations, you probably couldn't slide a Rizla between them. I feel privileged to have played with him and to have know him as a friend.

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: GUEST,John Foxen
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 11:35 AM

I never met Malcolm and got to know of him only six or seven months ago when looking up songs and their origins on Mudcat. I soon came to appreciate and to look out for his excellent contributions. It was a real shock when when I discovered he had passed on some time before I discovered him. I am glad Tim Radford has not deleted him as a Facebook friend (I still have the numbers of friends beyond on my phone) because at least Malcolm and his contributions still have some life in cyberspace. The Ancient Egyptians used to believe that someone wasn't really dead as long as their name was still mentioned. This is the modern equivalent.

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: Joybell
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 05:47 PM

That's a comforting idea, John.
He's in my thoughts too. Now and then I write something -- here and elsewhere -- and I think, would Malcolm have approved of the way I worded that?

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 11 Aug 12 - 07:12 PM

I didn't really know Malcolm, but sometimes benefited from his knowledgeable and helpful contributions to my questions on here. One thing I always wondered - did he ever play or sing himself?

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: GUEST,Trevor
Date: 31 Aug 13 - 06:11 AM

Late to this I know but so I was to discovering the death of the treasure that was Malc. He and I were very close - comrades in music and occasionally art during our student days and a little beyond. We drifted apart, lost contact but for the c occasional encounter at a mutual friend's birthday celebrations. So it wasn't until the end of last year that I stumbled across his obituary online having thought it would be nice to get back in touch. It hurt and it still brings on the melancholy.

In memory I'd like to remember a little here.

Malc and I went out as a duo playing Sheffield folk venues. I was sort of the Jazzer to Malc's folkie - he was ever the experimenter. I joined a band with him - a seven-piece called Long Lankin. It had a degree of notoriety in Sheffield for doing outrageous things to traditional music (as well as knocking them out straight with some grace).

He was an infuriating perfectionist in all he did. For instance:he hauled me in to help him complete two large murals he had been commissioned to do at Sheffield University SU and a Sheffield night club because he realised with each half finished that he wasn't going to make the deadline.

And we laughed a lot. A lot. I would love to be able to have a session in a pub with him - reminisce a while, drink a lot. I have some recordings of his singing and playing to take me back and a few of his marvellous birthday cards. I can still see him: hair, stoop, waistcoat, roll-up and fierce concentration on the fretboard, holes, skin of whatever he was playing.

He was loved and admired. He played, it seemed anything. He made his own bloody instruments. Even back then he knew so much folk music and his passion was immense. His penchant for sardonic one-liners has been preserved in his artwork.

Malc was a gud 'n if ever there was one.

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: GUEST,Jack Campin
Date: 31 Aug 13 - 08:26 AM

I had no idea he ever had anything to do with Facebook.

Did he post anything there that would be better archived somewhere public?

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: GUEST,Trevor Loveday
Date: 03 Jun 16 - 07:45 PM

Malcolm pops into my mind quite often. Sadly we lost touch to the extent that I didn't know he was ill and only discovered he was no longer with us. He and I were close friends during our university days and for some time after.

We played together as a duet from time to time and for a few years I was a member of what became an experimental folk band. We divided the audience on one occasion at the South Yorkshire Folk Festival with encores and cries of derision in just about equal measure. He was the hopper of songs and tunes that fed the bands repertoire.

The band occasionally would play a game when searching for new material: we would dream up increasing implausible storylines and Malc would pluck out a piece of music that came close to it in subject matter.

And I too feel sad that I can't reminisce with him. We did many things. He twice took on huge mural projects – one covering a huge wall in Sheffield University students' union; the other in a night club(!?). On both occasions Malcolm's perfectionism left him unable to finish the job alone and he asked me to assist him. I was flattered because Malc was not inclined to trust others to maintain his same obsession with detail.

He is truly a loss but there are many people who remember him. I was quite overwhelmed to see that when i discovered he had died.

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 04 Jun 16 - 08:39 AM

His memory will live on for a long time here, even when we're all gone hopefully.

Subject: RE: A Little Sad - Malcolm Douglas birthday
From: John J
Date: 04 Jun 16 - 04:34 PM

By strange coincidence I was thinking about Malcolm only yesterday. The thoughts were good - but sad. He's very sadly missed.