Welcome to GeoffreyDancer.com
The Geoffrey Dancer Memorial Fund
The fund has been set up by Geoff's family with Emanuel School, Wandsworth in memory of his musical life. Geoff taught at the school for many years and we hope to raise funds through charitable donations on an annual basis and award the Geoffrey Dancer Prize to a young talented pianist each year.
The first Geoffrey Dancer Music Prize will be awarded to a very talented young female pianist at Emanuel School who is currently in year 11. She has already won the overall prize in the school's instrumental competition and achieved Grade 8 piano, Grade 4 organ, Grade 7 violin and singing grade 8. A worthy recipient of the award for 2009-2010.
With current funds we will be able to send the winner on a music summer school at Dartington Hall and afford similar prizes for many years to come.
Sincere thanks to everyone who has made a donation to the fund so far."
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If you wish to make a donation you may do so in two ways:
On Line: Go to www.emanuel.org.uk, follow the links to 'Support Us' and on the 'Donate Now' form select 'Geoffrey Dancer Prize' in the pop up menu in 'Additional Details'. Debit and Credit payment are accepted. Gift Aid is automatically claimed if you declare you are a taxpayer.
By Cheque: Please make your cheque payable to Emanuel School and send to Sarah Fisher at Emanuel School, Battersea Rise, London SW11 1HS.
Gift Aid: If you are a tax payer the school can reclaim tax on your gift, therefore in your covering letter, please write that you wish your gift to be donated to the Geoffrey Dancer Prize. Use the words: 'I declare that I am a UK taxpayer and I wish the school to treat, as Gift Aid, all my contributions to the Emanuel School Fund held by United Westminster Schools Charitable Foundation, charity No. 309267.'
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Following Geoff's death in December 2008, his business interests, and work in progress, have been passed to:
Derek Love
Piano Workshop
46b Albert Road North
Reigate
Surrey RH2 9EL
Tel 01737 242174
Website www.pianoworkshop.co.uk
Email info@pianoworkshop.co.uk
Please contact Derek with any enquiries you might have.
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This webpage is a repository of photos, videos, music and reminiscences of Geoff. The copy from Geoff's business website is here, which explains his approach to pianos and their restoration.
If you would like something posted on this page, do please send it to us by email.
30th January 2009
Remembering Geoff Dancer, by Yuri Paterson-Olenich
The first time I met Geoff must have been back in 1992, when I was studying at the RAM. My professor, Alex Kelly, had come round to my student digs for a cultural evening/booze-up. He had a go on my clapped-out Bösendorfer, announced that the sensation he received from massaging a sound out of the poorly regulated keys was akin to “playing a trampoline” and went on to exclaim, “You’ve got to get Geoff round!”
“Getting Geoff round” to look at your piano was a cultural experience involving food, wine, literature, discussion of the terrible state of society and of course, most importantly, music. For me, the term ‘piano technician’ hardly seems an adequate epithet for Geoff, who approached piano restoration with the very same artistry he devoted to music itself. He would take great pains to make me understand what he was striving for – “The wood of this soundboard gives the bass on this piano a rich cello sound and I think I’ll be able to bring this out even more” or “Can you hear the difference if I move these strings so they go through their guide-holes dead centre?” – and I would find my ears were tuned in differently to the instrument after one of his visits.
I’m sure we all remember our own particular kindnesses from Geoff. I think mine was that he probably charged me a lot less than he should have for the first overhaul of my piano during my student years, although he never mentioned it.
Conversations with Geoff about music were always a pleasure. I think his preparation for recitals – which he would give on a piano that he himself had restored, of course – was a long process of contemplation. It was interesting to hear him express his thoughts about the pieces he was working on and these thoughts often came over as poetic, which was the way he played too. One idea in particular that touched me was his description of Vogel als Prophet from Schumann’s Waldszenen. Geoff felt that the outer sections of this miniature were as though you are walking through the forest listening to some beautiful but mysterious birdsong, and that the middle section of hymn-like music was as though your ears had suddenly been adjusted so that you could now understand the bird’s meaning.
I’m grateful to Geoff’s family, who travelled from up north to hold the funeral in London. Concluding the service with Geoff’s live concert recording of the sixth number from Schubert’s Moments Musicaux was a perfect choice and he plays it marvellously.
Thanks Geoff!
Yuri Paterson-Olenich (website)
