W. Francis McBeth, American composer, died he was 78.

William Francis McBeth was a prolific American composer, whose wind band works are highly respected  died he was 78.. His primary musical influences included Clifton Williams, Bernard Rogers, and Howard Hanson. The popularity of his works in the United States during the last half of the twentieth century led to many invitations and appearances as a guest conductor, where he often conducted the premiere performances of some of his compositions, the majority of which were commissioned. His conducting activities have taken him to forty-eight states, three Canadian provinces, Japan, and Australia.^[1] At one time, his "Double Pyramid Balance System" was a widely used pedagogical tool in the concert band world.
From 1957 until his retirement in 1996, McBeth taught at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.^[2]

^{(March 9, 1933 – January 6, 2012)} 

Career

McBeth was born in Ropesville, Texas (near Lubbock). His parents were Joseph Phinis McBeth, a Baptist minister, and Lillie May Carpenter McBeth. McBeth had a brother, Harold, and a sister, Laura Fay. He had an early start to his musical training, studying piano with his mother and taking up the trumpet in the second grade. He graduated from Irving High School in Irving, Texas where he served as President of the IHS Senior Class of 1951, as well as President of Future Farmers of America. He lettered in football and track and was a member of the tiger band and choir. Mary Sue White McBeth, wife of Frances, was also in the Irving High Tiger Band class of 1951. He attended Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. While an undergraduate at H-SU, McBeth played in the university band. From December 1952 to January 1953, the band traveled with U.S. Camp Shows to Europe. He also played string bass in a jazz combo, which was unusual for the time period due to widespread segregation throughout the South.
McBeth married Mary Sue White in 1953. They had a daughter, Laura and a son, Matthew. He served in the military from 1954 to 1956 with the 101st Airborne Band at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and the 98th Army Band at Fort Rucker, Alabama. He was initiated into the University of Texas Alpha Iota Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia in 1957.
In 1962, McBeth conducted the Arkansas All-State Band, with future president Bill Clinton playing in the tenor saxophone section. He served as the third conductor of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra from 1970 until 1973. He died on January 6, 2012, aged 78 in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

Awards

The most outstanding of his awards have been the Presley Award at Hardin-Simmons University, the Howard Hanson Prize at the Eastman School of Music for his Third Symphony in 1963, recipient of an ASCAP Special Award each consecutive year from 1965 to present, the American School Band Directors Association's Edwin Franko Goldman Award in 1983, elected Fellow of the American Wind and Percussion Artists by the National Band Association in 1984, National Citation from Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity in 1985, in 1988 Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia's Charles E. Lutton Man of Music Award for his achievement and continued contribution to American music, Kappa Kappa Psi's Distinguished Service to Music Medal in 1989, Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic's Medal of Honor in 1993, the John Philip Sousa Foundations Sudler Medal of Honor in 1999, and Past President of the American Bandmasters Association. In 1975 McBeth was appointed Composer Laureate of the State of Arkansas by the Governor, the first Composer Laureate named in the United States. ^[1]

Works

Works for Orchestra

Symphonies

• 1955 Symphony No. 1, opus 7
• 1956 Symphony No. 2, opus 10
• 1963 Symphony No. 3, opus 27
• 1969 Symphony No. 4, opus 49A

Other Orchestral Works

• 1956 Suite on a Biblical Event, opus 8
• 1956 Overture for Orchestra, opus 9
• 1957 Pastorale, for woodwinds and strings, opus 11
• 1960 Pastorale and Allegro, opus 21
• 1961 Allegro Agitato, opus 24
• 1963 Quanah, opus 29
• 1974 Grace, Praeludium and Response, opus 53
• 1974 The Badlands, opus 54A
• 1975 Kaddish, opus 57A

Works for Winds

(The bulk of McBeth's wind ensemble and concert band music is published by Southern Music Company of San Antonio, Texas.)

• 1954 Orfadh, opus 3
• 1954 Divertimento for Band, opus 4
• 1957 Andalusia, opus 14a
• 1957 Call and Response, opus 14b
• 1959 Cavata, opus 17
• 1960 Second Suite for Band, opus 20
• 1961 Narrative, opus 23
• 1961 Chant and Jubilo, opus 25
• 1963 Mosaic, opus 29A
• 1964 Reflections Past, opus 30
• 1964 Joyant Narrative, opus 34
• Two Fanfares
  1. 1959 Thaxton Fanfare, opus 16
  2. 1964 Cooper Fanfare, opus 32
• 1965 Battaglia, opus 36
• Two Symphonic Fanfares
  1. 1965 Jenkins Fanfare, opus 35
  2. 1966 TCU Fanfare, opus 38
• 1966 Cantique and Faranade, opus 39
• 1967 Texas Tech Fanfare, for two wind orchestras, opus 43
• Symphonic Sounds for the Field
  1. 1967 Bowie Fanfare, opus 41
  2. 1968 Fredericksburg Fanfare, opus 45
• 1967 Masque, opus 44
• Big Sounds for young bands
  1. 1967 Weiss Fanfare, opus 42
  2. 1968 Jayton Fanfare, opus 46
• 1969 Drammatico, opus 48
• 1969 Divergents, opus 49
• 1971 The Seventh Seal, opus 50
• 1973 Festive Centennial, opus 51
• 1973 To be Fed by Ravens, opus 52
• 1974 Capriccio Concertant', opus 54
• 1975 Kaddish for Symphonic Band, opus 57
• 1976 New Canaan, opus 58
• 1977 Canto, opus 61
• 1979 Caccia, opus 62
• 1979 Cavata, opus 63
• 1981 The Feast of Trumpets, opus 64
• 1981 Grace Praeludium, opus 65
• 1982 Flourishes, opus 66
• 1983 Praises, opus 70
• 1984 Beowulf – An Heroic Trilogy, opus 71
• 1986 To the Unknowns, opus 73
• 1986 With Sounding Trumpets, opus 74
• 1987 The Fifth Trumpeter, opus 75
• 1988 They Hung Their Harps in the Willows, opus 77
• 1990 Of Sailors and Whales, opus 78
  1. Ishmael
  2. Queequeg
  3. Father Mapple
  4. Ahab
  5. The White Whale
• 1991 Drayton Hall Esprit, opus 79
• 1992 Daniel in the Lion's Den, opus 80
• 1992 This Land Of El Dorado, opus 81
• 1993 Wine From These Grapes, opus 83
• 1993 Through Countless Halls of Air, opus 84
  1. First Flight – Daedalus And Icarus,
  2. Kitty Hawk – Orville And Wilbur,
  3. High Flight – BeeGee and the Blackbird
• 1997 The Sea Treaders
• Come Wandering Shepherds
• Eulogies by the Bard of Great Falls
• Fanfare „The Lions of North Bridge“
• Lauds And Tropes
  1. Laud I, II.
  2. Trope I, III.
  3. Laud II, IV.
  4. Trope II, V.
  5. Laud III
• Tenebrae
• The Gathering of the Waters
• When Honor Whispers And Shouts
• Variants on a Chorale of Clifton Williams (unpublished, 1977)
• When Rossi Strikes
• The Dream Catcher
• Scaramouche
• Estampie

Pedagogical Works

• Effective Performance of Band Music: Solutions to specific problems of 20th Century Music (Southern Music Co. 1972)
• New Theories of Theory: Helpful New Ideas for the Understanding of 18th Century Harmony (Southern Music Co. 1979)
• The Complete Honor Band Manual: A guide for the Preparation and Organization of Honor Band Clinics (Southern Music Co. 1986)
• Twentieth Century Techniques of Composition for the Beginning Student (Delta Publications 1994)

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Bob Holness, South African-born British quiz show host and actor (Blockbusters), died he was 83.

Robert Wentworth John Holness was a British radio and television presenter died he was 83..

(12 November 1928 – 6 January 2012)

Early life

Holness was born in Vryheid, Natal, South Africa.^[2] When he was seven,^[3] his family moved to the UK, initially to Herne Bay, Kent where his grandfather Nathaniel was brought up, then later to Ashford, Kent. After attending Ashford Grammar School (now The Norton Knatchbull School) and Maidstone College of Art,^[4] he then worked for a printing company before returning to South Africa. In 1955, he received his first job as a radio presenter. He also married Mary in 1955, whom he met in South Africa. In 1956 he played 'Agent 007' in a radio production of Moonraker.^[2][3][5] The couple returned to the UK in 1961. His daughter, Ros, was a member of the band Toto Coelo.
Holness joined the BBC as a presenter on Late Night Extra, initially on the BBC Light Programme and later on BBC Radio 1 and 2, presenting alongside people like Terry Wogan, Michael Parkinson and Keith Fordyce. From 1971, the show was broadcast solely on Radio 2. Between 1975 and 1985, he was co-presenter with Douglas Cameron of the breakfast-time AM Programme on London's LBC radio station. He originally joined the station as an airborne traffic reporter. He won the Variety Club Award for 'Joint Independent Radio Personality of the Year' in both 1979-84.^{[citation needed]}
Between 1985-97, he returned to Radio 2, presenting many shows including Bob Holness Requests the Pleasure and Bob Holness and Friends, as well as covering various weekday shows for holidaying presenters. From the late 1960s Until 1998, he also presented the request programme Anything Goes on the BBC World Service.^[2]

Baker Street

Holness was the subject of an urban myth,^[6][7] claimed to have been initiated in the 1980s by broadcaster Stuart Maconie who, writing for the New Musical Express in a section called 'Believe It Or Not', said that Holness had played the saxophone solo on Gerry Rafferty's 1978 song "Baker Street".^[8] Tommy Boyd, among others, has disputed Maconie's claim to authorship of the rumour.^[9] The actual performer was Raphael Ravenscroft. The story clearly appealed to Holness' sense of humour as he often played along with the myth, and also at various times jokingly claimed to be the lead guitarist on Derek and the Dominoes' "Layla", and the mysterious individual putting Elvis Presley off his stride on the 'laughing' version of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?"

Television career

In 1962, Holness became the host of UK game show Take a Letter, was relief host of Thames Television's magazine programme Today in 1968, and from 1983 until 1994 presented the British version of Blockbusters, for which he is best known. In 1995, he hosted Yorkshire Television's big-budget game show flop Raise the Roof before becoming the chairman of a revived Call My Bluff for the BBC. Holness appeared on one episode of Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway in 2004, when he presented the last round of Ant and Dec's Blockbusters, with Ant as a contestant.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life, illness and death

Bob Holness gave his support to many charities, including the children's charities Teenage Cancer Trust, Young People's Trust for the Environment and National Children's Home (now Action for Children), of which he was vice-President from 1994.^[10] These were among the approximately 30 charities that he supported.^[11]
On 24 November 2002, Holness suffered a major stroke, following which a brain scan revealed he had previously suffered a number of transient ischaemic attacks over several years. He also suffered from hearing loss, and began to use a hearing aid in 2003.^[12] He was diagnosed with coeliac disease in 2005.^[13] In the last few years of his life he suffered from vascular dementia and lived in a nursing home.^[14]
His family announced on 6 January 2012 that he had died that day, in his sleep, aged 83.^[5] He is survived by his wife Mary, as well as their three children, Carol, Ros and Jon, and seven grandchildren; Sam, Tom, Arthur, Theo, Rylan, Cassian and Lily.^[5]


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Roger Boisjoly, American aerospace engineer, anticipated the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, died from cancer he was 73.

Roger Mark Boisjoly was an American mechanical engineer, fluid dynamicist, and an aerodynamicist who worked for Morton Thiokol, the manufacturer of the solid rocket boosters (SRBs) for the Space Shuttle program died from cancer he was 73.. Prior to his employment at Thiokol, Boisjoly worked for companies in California on lunar module life-support systems and the moon vehicle.^[2] He is best known for having raised objections to the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger the day before the loss of the spacecraft and its crew.

(April 25, 1938 – January 6, 2012) 

O-ring safety concerns

Boisjoly wrote a memo in July 1985 to his superiors concerning the faulty design of the solid rocket boosters that, if left unaddressed, could lead to a catastrophic event during launch of a Space Shuttle. Such a catastrophic event did occur less than a year later resulting in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.
This memo followed his investigation of a solid rocket booster (SRB) from a shuttle flight in January 1985. During his investigation, he discovered that the first of a system of two O-rings had failed completely, and that some damage had been caused to the second O-ring.
The O-rings were two rubber rings that formed a seal between two sections of the SRBs. The sections of the boosters were joined using tang and clevis joints and the rings were intended to seal the joint, while allowing for the inevitable movement between the sections under flight conditions. By design, pressure from within the booster was to push a fillet of putty into the joint, forcing the O-ring into its seat. The system never functioned as designed. The rings were supposed to sit in a groove and seal the joint between the sections of the booster. It was found, however, that flight dynamics caused the joints in the SRB's to flex during launch, opening a gap through which rocket exhaust could escape. As the joints flexed, the rings would come out of their grooves and move to a new position in the joint, a process called extrusion. The extruded ring would form a seal in this new position, but during the time it took for the ring to shift, the joint was unsealed and hot gasses could escape, a process called blow-by. These hot gasses would cause damage to the rings until the seal was achieved.
Boisjoly's investigation showed that the amount of damage to the O-ring depended on the length of time it took for the ring to move out of its groove and make the seal, and that the amount of time depended on the temperature of the rings. Cold weather made the rubber hard and less flexible, meaning that extrusion took more time and more blow-by took place. He determined that if the O-rings were damaged enough they could fail.
If the second O-ring had failed, Boisjoly realized, the results would almost certainly have been catastrophic with the complete loss of the shuttle and crew seemingly the only outcome. His investigation found that the first O-ring failed because of the low temperatures on the night before the flight had compromised the flexibility of the O-ring, reducing its ability to form a seal. The temperature at launch had been only 10 °C (50 °F), the coldest on record (until January 28, 1986). The first rubber O-ring had formed a partial seal, but not a complete one, but the second O-ring had held.
Boisjoly sent a memo describing the problem to his managers, but was apparently ignored.^[3] Following several further memos, a task force was set up – including Boisjoly – to investigate the matter, but after a month Boisjoly realized that the task force had no power, no resources and no management support. In late 1985 Boisjoly advised his managers that if the problem was not fixed, there was a distinct chance that a shuttle mission would end in disaster. No action was taken.

Challenger disaster

Following the announcement that the Challenger mission was confirmed for January 28, 1986, Boisjoly and his colleagues tried to stop the flight. Temperatures were due to be down to −1 °C (30 °F) overnight. Boisjoly felt that this would severely compromise the safety of the O-ring, and potentially lose the flight.
The matter was discussed with Morton Thiokol managers, who agreed that the issue was serious enough to recommend delaying the flight. They arranged a telephone conference with NASA management and gave their findings. However, after a while, the Morton Thiokol managers asked for a few minutes off the phone to discuss their final position again. Despite the efforts of Boisjoly and others in this off-line briefing, the Morton Thiokol managers decided to advise NASA that their data was inconclusive. NASA asked if there were objections. Hearing none, the decision to fly the ill-fated STS-51L Challenger mission was made.
Boisjoly's concerns proved correct. In the first moments after ignition, the O-rings failed completely and were burned away, resulting in the black puff of smoke visible on films of the launch. This left only a layer of insulating putty to seal the joint^{[citation needed]}. At 59 seconds after launch, buffeted by high-altitude winds, the putty gave way. Hot gases streamed out of the joint in a visible torch-like plume that burned into the external hydrogen tank. At about 73 seconds, the adjacent SRB strut gave way and the vehicle quickly disintegrated.
Boisjoly was relieved when the flight lifted off, as his investigations had predicted that the SRB would explode during the initial take-off. However, seventy-three seconds later, he witnessed the shuttle disaster on television.

Later career

After President Ronald Reagan ordered a presidential commission to review the disaster, Boisjoly was one of the witnesses called. He gave accounts of how and why he felt the O-rings had failed. After the commission gave its findings, Boisjoly found himself shunned by colleagues and managers and he resigned from the company.
Boisjoly became a speaker on workplace ethics.^[4] He argued that the caucus called by Morton Thiokol managers, which resulted in a recommendation to launch, "constituted the unethical decision-making forum resulting from intense customer intimidation."^[5]
For his honesty and integrity leading up to and directly following the shuttle disaster, Boisjoly was awarded the Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1988.^[1][4]
When Boisjoly left Morton Thiokol, he took 14 boxes containing every note and paper he received or sent in seven years. On May 13, 2010, he donated his personal memoranda — six boxes of personal papers, including memos and notes from congressional testimony — to Chapman University in Orange, California. Rand Boyd, the special-collections and archival librarian at Chapman's Leatherby Libraries, said the materials will be catalogued and archived. It was to be about six months to a year before library visitors would be able to view the materials.^[6]
Boisjoly died on January 6, 2012, of cancer of the colon, kidneys, and liver.^[2]


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Tom Ardolino, American drummer (NRBQ), died he was 56.

Thomas Robert "Tom" Ardolino was a rock drummer best known as a member of NRBQ (New Rhythm and Blues Quartet) died he was 56.. Ardolino was initially a fan of the band, and began corresponding and trading tapes with keyboardist and co-founder Terry Adams.


(January 12, 1955 – January 6, 2012)

On one occasion, original NRBQ drummer Tom Staley did not return for an encore, and Adams invited Ardolino to fill in. Ardolino performed well enough that when Staley left the band in 1974, his bandmates agreed that Ardolino was the natural choice as successor.^[1] Ardolino remained in the lineup until the band went on hiatus in 2004, returning for occasional reunion performances, and lending his support when Adams decided to reclaim the NRBQ name for a new band in 2011. While lead vocals were generally performed by other members of NRBQ, live shows often included a moment where Ardolino would take the spotlight and sing, either with a karaoke backing track or with one of the other band members drumming.
Ardolino was a resident of Springfield, Massachusetts, and he appeared in a promotional video to campaign for the world premiere of The Simpsons Movie in Springfield.
Ardolino's solo album "Unknown Brain" was released in 2004 on CD by Bumble Bee Records, Japan and on vinyl LP in the USA on Mystra Records. The album consists mostly of basement recordings made in 1971-72. The cover states "WARNING: If out-of-tuneness bothers you, do not listen."^[2]
Ardolino was also an avid collector of song poems, having contributed to the "MSR Madness" series of compilations.
In December 2011 nrbq.com posted the following news "Tom Ardolino is presently dealing with a number of health issues and is expected to be in the hospital for some time." He died on January 6, 2012 at a Springfield, Massachusetts hospital. Later that day, a post on the NRBQ Headquarters page on Facebook read, "We regret to inform you that Tom Ardolino passed away today. Tom will be missed but his spirit lives on through those who were touched by him." ^[3][4] An article from the Washington Post later specified the cause as diabetes.^[5]


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Alexander Sizonenko, Russian basketball player, world's tallest person (1991), died he was 52.

Alexander Alekseyevich Sizonenko was a Soviet basketball player died he was 52..

(Ukrainian: Олександр Олексійович Сизоненко; Russian: Александр Алексеевич Сизоненко; 27 July 1959 – 5 January 2012)

Sizonenko was born in the village of Zaporizhia, Ukrainian SSR. Possibly the tallest person to have ever played professional basketball, he was measured by Guinness World Records at 2.39 m (7 ft 10 in) and named the world's tallest man in 1991. Sizonenko was said to have grown since this measurement was taken, although age reduced his standing height considerably. Because of his enormous growth, his mobility was increasingly impaired.
Sizonenko played professionally for Spartak Leningrad (1976–1978) and for Stroitel Kuybyshev (1979–1986). Sizonenko was also a member of the Soviet national team and appeared on its behalf for 12 games.
He lived in Saint Petersburg, was divorced and had a son Alexander born in 1994. In 2011 he was moved to a hospital in St. Petersburg, where he died on 5 January 2012. He was 52.


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Amit Saigal, Indian rock magazine publisher, concert promoter and musician, drowned he was 46.

Amit Saigal was an Indian rock musician, promoter of rock music, publisher and impresario drowned he was 46.. Saigal founded the music magazine Rock Street Journal and promoted rock music in India. Amit was also termed as "Papa Rock" by the rock music community of India.^[1]

^{(6 July 1965 – 5 January 2012)} 

Career

Amit Saigal's Rock Street Journal (RSJ) was the first rock magazine in India. He started RSJ in 1993. Saigal printed 2,500 copies of RSJ from his hometown, Allahabad.^[3]
Saigal used RSJ to promote rock concerts, such as the Great Indian Rock festival (GIR) that toured metros to Pub Rock fest and introduced rock/indie music to various clubs around the country.
He had over 25 years of experience in the music business in India, and was closely involved in the club as well as the concert market in India, and had been an encouragement to many emerging rock bands and musicians.
Saigal was also part of a band called Impact that played classic rock songs.^[2]

Death

On 5 January 2012, while on vacation, Saigal and his friends had gone for a swim after anchoring his sailboat off Bogmalo beach in Goa. Saigal reportedly drowned due to unknown reasons. By the time lifeguards could reach him, he was already dead.^[2]


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Isaac Díaz Pardo, Spanish artist, died he was 91.

Isaac Díaz Pardo  was a Galician intellectual strongly attached to both Sargadelos and Cerámica do Castro  died he was 91.. He was an intelectual galicianist, painter, ceramist, designer, editor and businessman.

(August 22, 1920 - January 5, 2012)

He was born in Santiago de Compostela and died in A Coruña.^[1]
In 2009, he received the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes (Gold Medal of Merit in Fine Arts) of Spain.
Isaac Díaz Pardo was the son of the painter and scenographer Camilo Díaz Baliño. Several reunions related to the League of Friends of the Galician Language took place in their house as Díaz Baliño was an active member. Other members who took part in these meetings include Castelao, Vicente Risco, Otero Pedrayo, Ramón Cabanillas, Antón Villar Ponte, Eduardo Blanco Amor and Asorey.
Sr. Díaz Pardo's father was shot by rebels soon after the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, forcing him into hiding in La Coruña where he stayed with his uncle Indalecio and found work as a letterer. After the war he received a bursary from the Provincial Government of La Coruña, thanks to which he was able to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid, between 1939 and 1942.
He went on to take a professorship at The Catalan Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Saint George in Barcelona, and began to exhibit in Spain (La Coruña, Madrid and Vigo) and abroad (Europe and The Americas). He then left the plastic arts for ceramics, founding the Cerámicas do Castro factory with several partners. At this point he experimented with the raw materials used in original 19th Century works by Antonio Raimundo Ibáñez Llano y Valdés (notably from Sargadelos and Cervo). This resulted in ceramics of high quality.
In 1963 Isaac Díaz Pardo, alongside other prominent Galeguistas such as Luis Seoane, helped establish el Laboratorio de Formas in Argentina. This venture was a precursor in several industrial and cultural activities, including the production and restoration of Sargadelos ceramics. Among their collaborators were Cerámicas do Castro (1963), el Museo Carlos Maside (1970), la editorial Ediciós do Castro (1963), el restaurado Seminario de Estudos Galegos (1970) and el Instituto Galego de Información. Sr. Díaz Pardo, formerly a prominent figure at Grupo Sargadelos, failed increasingly to see eye to eye with the directors and company administration at the moment of his retirement.
As an essay writer and critic, Sr. Díaz Pardo made notable contributions to Xente do meu Rueiro, O ángulo de pedra, Galicia Hoy (with Luis Seoane), Paco Pixiñas (with Celso Emilio Ferreiro), El Marqués de Sargadelos, and Castelao. Many more articles were published, for example in La Voz de Galicia.


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