A Memorial Celebration for Harry will be held at 11am Saturday 24th February at the East Ringwood Hall (Knaith Road, behind childcare centre), East Ringwood.
Harry was a Life member & had been President of Victorian Folk Music Club (est. 1959 as Melbourne Bush Music Club) and will be sorely missed by friends & fellow musicians.
He was co-author with Peter Ellis of the book Music Makes Me Smile that includes the music from the Nariel Valley in Victoria and in particular the music of Con Klippel. Harry transcribed all the music notation and also contributed some of the text.
Harry
also wrote some of his own songs and was part of, or started a few
groups through the VFMC, including the Fireside Fiddlers who in more recent years met at his place to play music by ear.
He was part of the Billabong Band, a club band that played at various events and accompanied the Colonial Dance Balls. The Billabong Band was established in 1955 and is Australia's oldest Bush Band.
He loved playing music with the people and so had a number of groups practise at his house in recent years and also busked regularly at the East Ringwood Shops.
He attended many festivals including the National Folk Festival each year and enjoyed attending the Bush Traditions Gatherings from the first in 2006 until his health kept him away in recent years.
This year he celebrated his 91st birthday and his music friends and family gathered at his house to celebrate.
Goodbye, friend.
In October 2019 Harry was in Sydney for medical treatment & he & his son Henry attended the Beecroft dance - see photos below
He was part of the Billabong Band, a club band that played at various events and accompanied the Colonial Dance Balls. The Billabong Band was established in 1955 and is Australia's oldest Bush Band.
He loved playing music with the people and so had a number of groups practise at his house in recent years and also busked regularly at the East Ringwood Shops.
He attended many festivals including the National Folk Festival each year and enjoyed attending the Bush Traditions Gatherings from the first in 2006 until his health kept him away in recent years.
This year he celebrated his 91st birthday and his music friends and family gathered at his house to celebrate.
Goodbye, friend.
In October 2019 Harry was in Sydney for medical treatment & he & his son Henry attended the Beecroft dance - see photos below
Vale Dr Harry Gardner (1927 - 2018)
1. 2006 Harry with his grandson
2. 2006 - Dave Johnson, Kathy McMahon, Glenys from far north Qld, Harry
3. 2006 - Julie, Harry & Don Brian
4. 2007
5. 2007 Session in the courtyard
6. 2007
7. 2007
8. 2007 - Harry & Helen Romeo
9. 2008
10. 2009
11. 2009
12. In 2009 Harry presented Waltzing Matilda using his late wife's marionettes
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14.
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16.
17. lesson for 7-year old Claire
18. 2010 Garry Tooth & Harry
19. 2011
20. 2011 - Harry with his son Henry
21. 2011 - Henry
22. 2012 Harry with the Harry Gardner Backing Band at the Sunday night concert
23. 2012
24. 2012
25. 2013
26. 2013 - Helen, Harry & Glenys
27. 2013 - Harry with his son Henry & grandson
(Photos - Sandra Nixon)
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Harry & Henry at October 2017 Beecroft Bush Dance, photos 28-33
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29.
(Photos 28 & 29 - Sharyn Mattern)
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30.
31. Barangaroo (Chris Poleson, Allen Davis, Marianna Mitchell, Ralph Pride) with caller John Short & Harry
32. Barangaroo (Chris Poleson, Allen Davis, Marianna Mitchell, Ralph Pride) with caller John Short & Henry
33. Henry & Harry
(Photos 30 to 33, Mike Young)
34. Celebration of Harry's Life (BryceD photo)
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36.
37.
38.
39 & 40 - Australian Tradition- Newsletter of the Victorian Folk Music Club Inc, April 2018
40.
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Vale Harry. Fiddler, teacher, encourager, inspirer, keeper of the tradition and true gentle man. I always loved playing music with him and will miss him sitting impishly with his eternal smile and sparkling eyes, bowing that fiddle. (Bruce Watson)
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting us know. This is indeed sad news. Another of our troops gone to that great dance in the sky. Harry was a lovely old gentleman & a fine musician. I will miss him greatly as will all of us. He always had a smile & a tune for everyone. RIP Harry.
ReplyDelete(Chris Poleson)
Sorry to hear of Harry's death earlier this year. I played a fair few fiddle tunes with Harry. He taught me the Swedish tune "Gardybylaten" and I've still got his 6 part transcription of "The Mason's Apron" that we were both trying to learn at the time. He was a gentleman.
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