ABOUT: Ian Hunter

IAN HUNTER, DIRECTOR OF MUSIC 1969-2001
Article by Jonathan Rea
'The Gryphon', December, 2001
Bangor Grammar School's Annual Magazine

It gives me great pleasure to be able to pay something of a tribute to the work of my recently retired colleague and friend Ian Hunter. Thirty-two years is a very long time to stay in one place, and I confess that I approach the task of trying to sum it up with more than a little nervousness, not least because I wasn't even born when Ian began working here. 

Ian joined the school in 1969, its first full time music teacher, charged with the responsibility to "build up Music as a significant part of the school's curriculum". There is no doubt that he has done that. The departmental inventory was very simple when he came, 3 piles of songbooks and 6 LP records. From that has grown a department which is justifiably proud of its status in the school. Besides the role played by Music in the curriculum, around 1/6 of the school now has lessons on a musical instrument, good in any school, but exceptional in an all-boys environment.

Ian has always maintained very high standards. Even as a child he had the distinction of being head chorister at Belfast Cathedral for not one but two years. In fact, extensive research in the archives has revealed that he was actually given the Ambrose C Benson award for reverence and neatness!

More seriously, Ian has achieved a tremendous amount. After education at Annadale Grammar School he went to Stranmillis University College where he completed a four-year CertEd course. While at Stranmillis, he found the time to gain diplomas from two of the London music Colleges. In the early years of his teaching he completed a BA from the Open University, and just in the last three years he gained (with distinction!) an MSc in Educational Technology from the University of Ulster.

Here in Bangor Grammar School, Ian has helped many boys to gain success in exams, many have reached Grade VIII in the Associated Board exam system and several have gone on beyond that, leaving school with diplomas from the Music Colleges. Just to take one example, Ian left the school in a year where two boys in Upper Sixth were leaving to go to Music College, two gained the ATCL diploma, and three others were enrolling in Music-related courses at Universities. Ian has in no small measure played his part in facilitating these successes and the many others over the years. As well as these individual triumphs, Ian has also developed high standards of musical performance in the various groups which perform here in school, forever reminding them of such bons mots as: "You don't get a second chance to make a first impression". Whether in choral or instrumental music, Ian worked hard to keep the standards high. Another success worth mentioning is the fact that through the efforts of the Concert Band playing at Bloomfields under his direction over 10,000 pounds sterling have been raised for Cancer Research, no mean feat.

Outside the school Ian is best known for his years with various church choirs, most notably that of Bangor Parish Church where he established standards met by very few choirs in this country. The choir performed in most of the prestigious Church Music venues in Great Britain and Ireland, made two recordings for international release and several broadcasts, as well as maintaining an arduous schedule of services here in Bangor. Those years established Ian as a well-known name in musical circles in Ireland.

Although he and I are close friends, I think it is probably fair to suggest that Ian did not have the reputation of being easy to work with! I think this is because Ian has a no-compromise approach to most of his work. Whether in or out of school, he always had the same philosophy on rehearsals. You could miss one if you liked, provided you produced your death certificate as evidence that you could not be there. Ian loves principles. Those of us who have been with Ian in staff meetings know that he was often the one with the courage to speak out for his principles. He is pretty much fearless and what you see is exactly what you get. Bizarrely enough, there have been many occasions when I have been grateful for that!

Ian believed very strongly that school discipline was of crucial importance. Hunter folklore records a day when he became a bit worked up in a rehearsal, lost the rag completely, lifted a violin and smashed it over a desk. What not many people know is that Ian claims the smashing of the violin was entirely planned in a radical attempt to give the group a little more focus! Whatever the case, legend says that it was never necessary to repeat the charade. A reference written very early in Ian's career points out that:

One of his chief assets was his control of pupils, he had natural classroom ability and always had control. Ian Hunter is a gifted musician and a hard worker

Ian's musicianship is quite special, but the most noteworthy aspect of his music making is in the way he brings the best out of people making music with him. Over the years the striking thing has been that Ian has managed to be a very positive influence on a large number of people, some of whom were written off by the establishment at large. Ian has at times exhibited a tremendous ability to get through to boys, often by being very direct with them, making an impact at times when it really mattered, and where others had previously failed to do so. Perhaps this facet of his work is best summed up in the words of Paddy Crothers who was kind enough to send me the following tribute:

"I have known Ian for 24 years now. He is looking better than he has ever done - sort of like an elderly Phil Mitchell from Eastenders! It is difficult to put into words the sense of gratitude that I feel towards Ian. Without Ian I would never have learnt all 4 verses of Personent Hodie, the rude version of Adam Lay y Bounden and the real words to the school song! Whilst the many, many musical highs will never be recaptured, the memories will never fade.

Its funny how someone I spent most of my formative years fighting with turned out to be perhaps one of the most influential figures in my life and someone whom I now regard as a friend."

I think this perhaps better sums Ian up than any of the other achievements or musical feats he achieved. People have fought with Ian and many have lived in trepidation of what he might say or do next. But ultimately most people find that his integrity, his generosity of spirit and his desire to maintain high standards in life as in music, enables them to enjoy good friendship with him. Ian is very much missed in school, but we wish him all the very best for a long, fulfilling retirement as he embarks a new lifestyle of teaching Information Technology part time, relaxing in sunny climes and enjoying a complete absence of frantic activity.

Jonathan Rea


(Jonathan Rea was educated at Regent House School, Newtownards, and Girton and Homerton Colleges, Cambridge. He joined Bangor Grammar School's staff in 1996 and became Director of Music in September 2001.)