Scotch College

Graeme rings the Bell

A delegation from Scotch was among a large and appreciative crowd at Dallas Brooks Hall on 6 February for what was billed as a 'farewell tribute' to Graeme Bell AO, MBE ('30). Soon to turn 85, one of the best known and most popular jazz figures in history and the 'Father of Australian Jazz' showed no signs of slowing down, let alone signing off.

With the help of brother Roger ('34 ) and the Creole Bells led by Steve Waddell ('63 ), Graeme took his admiring audience through a kaleidoscope of musical memories, punctuating old standards with slides of concert posters, record covers and sheet music, footage from a Czech newsreel of a concert in Prague in 1947 and an audio recording of his prized interview with Louis Armstrong. Graeme's outlook is ever youthful: 'A creative person doesn't get much satisfaction about going back into the past. You like to look to the future all the time. ... Providing you're healthy, I can thoroughly recommend old age'. If we don't get a chance to say it again, Graeme: thank you for all you have done for jazz here and abroad. We may yet lure you back to Scotch to tickle the ivories one more time! Videos of the farewell performance ($35 including postage) can be ordered from Jazz Australia on (03) 9686 2844.

Paul McDonald Smith ('75 ) has become the 29th president of the Victorian Artists' Society, and is the youngest to hold that position in the Society's 130-year history. Influenced by Sir William Dargie, Max Meldrum and former Scotch master Donald Cameron, has staged six major solo exhibitions in Melbourne and participated in European study tours.

Actor Justin Harris-Parslow ('84) has recently directed and played Porthos in The Three Musketeers for Touche Productions at Cromwell Road Theatre. The son of showbiz veterans Fred Parslow and Joan Harris, Justin has studied and taught at the National Theatre Drama School. He last appeared for Scotch in An Inspector Calls, where his character Arthur Birling was described in Collegian as being 'more concerned about his social status and wealth than about the possible consequences of his actions on others around him'. By contrast, wealth and social status are beside the point for most of those who tread the boards!

Further tribute concerts are being staged on 8 April in Canberra (enquiries: Jazz Australia) and on 9 April at the Independent Theatre in Sydney (bookings: 1300 657 217).

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A belated obituary for eminent photographer Mark Keats ('51 ), who died in June last year, aged 65. Many an Old Boy would have been snapped at the Chapel by Mark, who was described by The Age as 'the doyen of Melbourne's wedding photographers'. In a 30-year career, his work was acclaimed internationally, and major Australian accolades included the Hasselblad Masters and Ilford Awards. Some of his best photos were shown at Scotch's 140th Anniversary Concert in 1991. Our sympathies to his widow Suzy and son Jonathan ('95).