Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Belated Comments On Passing of Jerome Ashby


Jerome A. Ashby (1956-2007) was Associate Principal Horn for the New York Philharmonic at the time of his death last Dec. 26. Among many comments received since our original post are one we failed to note when it was submitted, and one which has arrived in the past few days.

We regret the delay in our discovery of this comment made on January 23, 2008:
I am Jerome Ashby the second. I loved papi or Jerome Ashby the first so much. I'm sure that there were no better grandpas out there. He's in heaven now because he recently found God and was baptized exactly three weeks before he died on December 26, 2007. I will always remember all the wonderful memories with my grandpa like, dancin on his shoulders or eating bologna grilled cheese. I learned so much from my beloved grandpa. I can't even begin to tell how much I loved and still do love my grandpa. Although I am only 11 almost 12, when I die I want to be buried right by him. He was the only guy left in the family. So now it is up to me to keep up the Ashby name. He was the best grandpa ever. My mom had prayed for God to send her a symbol that he was in heaven when he died. The family needed no more than to see the wonderful smile on his face when he was dead. This proves that God took him. I thank all of you for supporting my prodigy grandpa.
-Jerome Ashby II”

Violinist Gabriel Banat was a colleague of Jerome Ashby in the New York Philharmonic, and has made this comment by E-mail on March 23, 2008:
Going through my files I found this review about Jerry Ashby: Bahnhof Rolandseck Festival Press review (translated from the original German): Bonner Rundschau (Bonn, Germany) Aug. 11, 1990. “... Jerome Ashby, the fabulous hornist of the New York [Philharmonic] guest ensemble.... One always wishes for such musicianship, virtuoso agility and intonation on the horn, but which is fulfilled by only the rarest of horn-players. Among these brilliant New York musicians he is a star of a special brightness.”







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