John Griffiths

[dwaskew]

VERY sad news--John Griffiths passed away last night.

His playing was always superb, his commissions always appreciated, and his wit was second to none. He will be sincerely missed.

dwa

[David Zerkel]

Very sad news indeed. John was a class act in all ways. Words fail to convey the sadness of his passing.

We are all on borrowed time... don't wait until tomorrow to live life to its fullest.

[Sam Gnagey]

'Tis a sad day. John was a real "lion" of a player. We've all been enriched by his good works and influence.

[tmmcas1]

John lived life to the fullest and never settled for less.

John was the first tuba player I ever heard, my first teacher and a very dear friend. His sound, artistry, humanity and humbleness will never leave me.

Please forward all condolences to me at my email address and I will forward them to John's family and friends.

I will be assembling a tribute for publication at a later date and will post info for that here when I know more.

Yours truly,
Tom McCaslin

[LoyalTubist]

This is a tremendous shock. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

[tmmcas1]

I've heard from quite a few people already today who knew and loved John. His close family and non-tuba friends have really appreciated the thoughts, fond memories and sentiments that I've passed along. Please keep them coming.

Cheers,
Tom

[MikeMason]

When I first got his solo album"Canadian Chops",i replayed the intro to T for Tuba about 20 times.Blows me away everytime.I revisit it occasionally and am still blown away.Guaranteed smile each time....Thanks ,John...

[Mark Preece]

On behalf of John's students at the U of R, we want to say thank you for your kinds words. We are all in shock and will take this one day at a time.

[ubq]

I'm realy sorry to read that sad news... I send my condolencies to his family, students, collegaues. Rest in peace Mr.Griffith, thank you for the amazing moments you give us trough the music !!

[MikeS]

I played a quintet gig with John back in (I think) 1976 for a J.L. Hudson store opening in Ann Arbor. His wonderfull playing and great good humor helped us all get through a five-hour gig that was full of logistical challenges. We finished each set with "Stars and Stripes" and John managed to work in a little bit of "Maple Leaf Forever" in a different spot each time. I don't think anyone outside the group noticed but it was tough for us to keep a straight face.

Some people live their lives doing what they love and improving the lives of everyone they meet. The rest of us can look to them for inspiration. Thanks, John.

[David]

I heard about John's passing last night... words can't describe the feeling of loss. Both as a tuba player, but more importantly as the one kindest and selflessly giving people I've had the privilege of knowing.

Thank you for the two years I knew you John, and goodbye.

-Brandon Ostrom, U of R

[eupher61]

Wow. A true shock. As stated before, a genuinely good guy and a great musician on top of it.

[Steve Marcus]

RSO tubist John Griffiths was 'a true original'

Maria Cootauco
The Leader-Post (Regina)

Saturday, July 14, 2007

At 6-foot-5, John Griffiths was not a small man.

Larger yet was his presence.

Griffiths, the renowned Regina Symphony Orchestra principal tuba player, passed away Wednesday, leaving behind a legacy in the musical community not soon to be forgotten.

"John was one of the best tuba players in the world," said colleague and long-time friend Elizabeth Raum, a Regina-based composer. "That's a fact. We were so lucky to have him." Griffiths, who had just turned 59 in March, joined the symphony in 1985. Three years earlier, he had started his teaching career at the Conservatory of Music. In 2002, Griffiths formally joined the department of music at the University of Regina.

"As a solo player, John's big distinction was his range in playing the instrument," said Richard Raum, a University of Regina music department professor. "Most tuba players have a limited upper register just because of the nature of the instrument. But for John, he had some kind of physical capacity or makeup that was just natural for him to be able to play very high." In January, Griffiths underwent a septuple bypass surgery. By the end of March, he was back on his instrument, performing for the symphony.

"He said, 'I had to come back,'" recalled Victor Sawa, the symphony's director and conductor.

Griffiths' commitment to music was unparalleled and a marked characteristic of the tubist.

"He was the best mentor and teacher you could possibly imagine for a music student. He was just really an incredible man," said Tom McCaslin, a former student. "He was just so passionate (in) helping and teaching and getting you to find the best out of you. Time didn't really matter. It was more of making sure he was passing along as much as he could." Add to that, Griffiths had a sparkling wit that drew people to him. He was especially adept at doing impressions and bringing a story to life using grand hand gestures, McCaslin recalled.

"He was wonderful at telling jokes," Elizabeth Raum laughed. "He did accents. It could be a terrible joke and when John told it, it was a wonderful joke. It was in the telling." In a week, Griffiths was looking forward to going on a motorcycle trip with Jeff Bush, a friend from his early days as a student at the University of Regina. After Griffiths was admitted to the hospital earlier this week, he made sure that someone contacted Bush to let him know he would not make it, and apologized profusely for his absence.

Fierce friendship is what Bush had come to know from Griffiths.

"He'd do anything for you. He was a really good friend," said Bush, a professor at Arizona State University. "If you treated him as a friend, he would reciprocate 100 times more." In the music world, where his sound has touched many ears, Griffiths' artistry represented a relentless presence.

"He was uncompromising in a lot of ways and really strove to do things his way and was really a unique voice and wasn't someone who jumped on the bandwagon of trends in our little musical realm," McCaslin said. "He really stuck to the way that he heard things and the way he wanted to perform. And because of that, the musical world as a whole is losing a really unique individual that's never been seen and won't be seen since he's not a copy. He's a true original." Griffiths is survived by a son and daughter.

© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2007