Basil Deane

Samuel Basil Deane (27 May 1928 – 23 September 2006) was a musicologist and academic. After studying at Queen's University Belfast and under Étienne Pasquier in Paris, he lectured at the universities of Glasgow, Melbourne and Nottingham, produced biographies of Roussel, Cherubini and Hoddinott, and co-presented several television programmes about music. He held a number of high-level academic posts; he was James Rossiter Hoyle Professor of Music at the University of Sheffield (1968–1974), Professor of Music at the University of Manchester (1974–1980), director of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (1983–1987) and Peyton and Barber Professor of Music at the University of Birmingham (1987–1992). Deane was also music director of the Arts Council (1980–1983), during which time he prioritised funding for new touring groups, but oversaw the funding cuts which forced the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company to close.

Life Deane was born on 27 May 1928 in Bangor, County Down, the son of Canon Richard Deane who was rector of St Thomas's, Belfast. After the Methodist College in Belfast and The Royal School, Armagh, he was educated at Queen's University Belfast; his parents did not encourage his interest in studying music at university (he had learnt to play the cello), so his first undergraduate degree, obtained in 1948, was in French and German. With the recommendation of Ivor Keys, his father allowed him to enrol on the new Bachelor of Music degree at Queen's, which he completed in 1950. He then studied the cello in Paris under Étienne Pasquier.

In 1953 Deane was appointed to an assistant lectureship at the University of Glasgow, and was promoted to a full lectureship three years later. He also embarked on a PhD on Albert Roussel, The following year, he moved to the University of Melbourne to be a senior lecturer; Two songs, The Rose Tree and I am of Ireland, setting W B Yeats, were found among his papers, with just the vocal line. They were arranged (as specified by Deane) for soprano, recorder and cello by Raymond Warren.

Selected publications Albert Roussel (Barrie and Rockliff, 1961). Cherubini (Oxford University Press, 1965). Alun Hoddinott (University of Wales Press, 1978).