12/01/2026
We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Lawrence Wallington, much beloved musician, colleague and long standing friend.
“One of the most positive people you could ever hope to meet. Enthusiastic, droll, loyal, committed, ever-curious, he always gave 100% of himself to the project in hand. During three decades or more Lawrence was the heart-beat of the bass section of the choir I conducted. His contribution went far beyond the excellent quality of his singing and musicianship. It extended to encouraging and mentoring young debutants and apprentices, putting them at their ease. On concert days he was a stalwart in marshalling the troops into making an orderly entrance on stage, creating an atmosphere of pride and excitement.
Lawrence was adept in forging alliances with members of prominent symphony orchestras like the Berlin Phil, Vienna Phil, the Concertgebouw with whom we teamed up. He was irrepressibly full of what the Germans describe as unternehmungslustig - which sounds a lot more fun than the English word ‘enterprising.’ It meant that as soon as we arrived in a new spot on tour Lawrence was the first to explore the sights and art galleries and to discover its specialities, even to run up the nearest mountain. Only a couple of years ago on one of his periodic visits to our farm with his wonderful wife Eleanor, Lawrence was determined to show proof of his youthful athleticism, hurdling over five-bar gates, gambolling like a prize goat. Just six weeks before Christmas he was singing with the veteran basses in Bach’s challenging solo ‘Hier ist das rechte Osterlamm’ from Cantata 4 in a memorial concert celebrating the passing of one of his long standing colleagues, Suzanne Flowers.
Lawrence was a rare human being, a loveable one-off, and we will miss him acutely.”
John Eliot Gardiner
