Concordia

Concordia Winter 2021

The expectations on a student of Latin and Greek in the early 1980s were very different from those today, yet his readiness to welcome these developments was striking. In a beautiful piece written for Concordia in 2008, he contrasted his own Classical education, involving extensive and eccentric prose and verse composition, with the syllabuses designed by exam boards now, and acknowledged the greater intellectual vigour in Classics as it exists in the classroom today, thanks to the greater attention given to history, art and architecture, and so on. Indeed, his own approach to the Classical world went beyond the narrowly academic: he was a lover of the Classical lands in their ancient and modern manifestations, and was equally at ease whether discussing Petronius or Fellini. As Gilbert Murray OMT once observed, ‘Greece, not Greek, is the real subject of our study’, and his expert guidance of numerous Classics trips around Greece, Italy, and Sicily amply demonstrated this appreciation of and sensitivity to both ancient and modern. His presentation on the Olympic Games fascinated many a pupil and colleague alike, as did his presentations on myth in Renaissance painting. He ever struck that balance between the academic and the anecdotal, being well aware after years of teaching schoolboys of the seemingly trivial details that grab the attention and stay in the memory, and he used this ability to splendid effect as a lecturer. He was President of the SCR from 1997 to 1999, and his panache and verve when speaking at SCR events quickly won admiration and popularity. Indeed, it is said that his valedictory speeches for departing staff were positively enjoyed by all present, as they achieved that shrewd combination of humour, sincerity, warmth, and succinctness. During this time, he was also the first SCR representative on the governing body, a role which he enjoyed, and which allowed him to use his tact, diplomacy, and eloquence to full effect. He also edited the Taylorian for several years and it was here that he made an enduring contribution to the wider life of the school. An early adopter of IT, Martin designed the magazine himself and it was under his guiding hand that it assumed the particularly distinctive character it still enjoys today. Martin began the division of the magazine into different sections, introduced literary supplements and highlighted the creative achievements

even Cicero’s pro Archia could ‘dull the twinkle in his eye’ perhaps should rank among his achievements, and certainly summed up his ability to approach with energy and humour any text of any genre – and unsurprisingly after 34 years there were very few authors in the Classical canon he had not taught. However, that energy was by no means restricted to the cerebral denizens of A Level Latin and Greek. His Greek textbook for beginners, Ganymedes , has served as a superb introduction for a generation of MTS Hellenists, and is remembered with fondness by those who in this way first encountered the language.

of the boys by the extensive use of photography of their fine art. This strong aesthetic and cultural sense contributed decisively to the look and tone of the magazine which remains, despite the contemporary ubiquitous use of colour, very much rooted in his editorship. He was House Master of White from 1984 to 1996, and brought to House assemblies intellectual and cultural awareness, but did so without ostentation, and with his characteristic nonchalance, underpinned by an ability to organise effectively, and by an awareness of, and interest in, every pupil in the House. He knew every pupil by name, and was much respected by pupils and tutors. Less publicised, but equally public, were his contributions as a ghost writer: how many Head Monitors would have been left high and dry on St Barnabas’ Day, had not MFD’s golden Latin prose composition come to the rescue? His own interests were vast and varied, as anybody who had spoken with him in the Common Room was aware. He had always seen a film, play, or exhibition before others, and would be able to assess any of these in fair and frank terms. His ability to recall performances and exhibitions from years gone by made him a terrific source of information, and a critic whose opinions only the rash would ignore. His victory in the New Statesman quiz – an undertaking which required hours of research – made clear his commitment to and enjoyment of knowledge. The scholarship brought to Taylors’ by MFD was understated, and perhaps at times undervalued. Those who have known him as a colleague will miss his wit, his kindness, and his shrewd commentary on the ebb and flow of school life. He had the ability to recognise in initiatives and innovations the value, and often the fallacy, and conveyed his thoughts with humour and candour. This incisiveness made him a hugely useful colleague to the green HoD with whom he worked in recent years. The mix of gravity and levity that he brought to both the classroom and the Common Room will be missed, but it is to be hoped that the love of learning and educating, which has so characterised his time here, will continue in his colleagues and his pupils alike.

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Philip Harrison Head of Classics