On Monday 19th October a special Music in the Round concert was held in association with Jefferson Sheard Architects and the RIBA Yorkshire to commemorate our founder, friend and former RIBA President, Bryan Jefferson CB CBE PPRIBA.
On Monday 19th October a special Music in the Round concert was held in association with Jefferson Sheard Architects and the RIBA Yorkshire to commemorate our founder, friend and former RIBA President, Bryan Jefferson CB CBE PPRIBA.
The chamber concert, which was held at the Sheffield Crucible, was almost sold out and ninety guests attended to remember the ‘Man of Concrete’ – a title which was chosen to describe Bryan Jefferson’s association with the distinctive Brutalist material and also the fact that he was the President of the Concrete Society.
Former Jefferson Sheard colleagues, friends, family and professional contacts attended what was a moving tribute to a Sheffield-born man who loved architecture, sailing, gliding, and classical music.
Prior to the concert, speeches were made by Emma England, Director of RIBA Yorkshire; Tom Rhys Jones of Jefferson Sheard; Professor Bryan Lawson of the Sheffield School of Architecture; John Rowcliffe – a colleague of Bryan’s from the Property Services Agency; and Bryan’s widow, Jean Jefferson, who commented:
“Towards the end of Bryan’s life, he said he couldn’t live without classical music. Bryan was a modest man, witty and good humoured. I am sure he would be surprised but none-the-less gratified that this delightful recital has been dedicated to him.”
Jean Jefferson speaks to Tom
Throughout the evening we also collected donations for Epilepsy Research UK in memory of Bryan. We raised £600 and counting, including a generous donation from Music in the Round.
During the afternoon of the concert we invited former Jefferson Sheard employees to the office to look over our extensive archive and reminisce. It was very touching to see former colleagues re-uniting, some after a period of fifty years. Jefferson Sheard has long maintained a ‘big family’ ethos and is great to see that this sensibility stretches back half a century.
We welcome your donations too – if you’d like to join us in our fundraising campaign you can do so via our Just Giving page.
With thanks to Peter and Paul for the design of the programme, Helena Fletcher for photography and the Bay Leaf Rotherham for catering.