Robert Kirby: Strings arranger for Nick Drake.

When I was first setting up this site, I had two names in mind for it. In the end I chose Suitcase Orchestra but the other contender was ‘Dear Robert Kirby‘ due to my love of his arrangements for Nick Drake.

Naturally then, I was sad to read that Robert Kirby has died aged 61 following emergency heart surgery.

His string arrangements for Drake’s Five Leaves Left continue to be the benckmark against which all other orchestration on popular music should be judged.