Stuart
Macleod was born in the Moray town of Lossiemouth, Scotland on Tuesday
20th February 1962, along with his sister Donna, they were raised by
loving parents Norman & Flo. Young Stuart attended both Lossiemouth
Primary and the High School and his interest in music began with piano
lessons at the age of nine.
From school.. Stuart joined the Royal Marines Band Service on 10th September
1979 as a member of 3/79 Troop. He initially joined as a clarinet and
violin player, but he hated the violin and managed to change to solo
clarinet around term four.
He was lucky enough to board the plane to Canada with a select group
of trainees in 1980.
Stuart’s quality was evident in training as he was presented with
The Clarinet Cup in 1981 by K Mettyear MBE who was Professor of clarinet
from 1949-80.
Following
training and success in his M3’s, Stuart was rewarded in January
1982 with a draft to the sea-going Royal Marines Band Flag Officer Third
Flotilla (FOF3). His first trip with the band was onboard HMS Fearless
for a three month jolly to the Caribbean, enjoying the delights of Puerto
Rico, Trinidad, Curacao, Aruba and St Vincent, arriving back in the
UK for Easter.
Little did the band know what was about to unfold when they all departed
the separate ways on leave... the band had their leave cut short due
to the Argentine invasion of the a Falklands. FOF3 Band will forever
be a part of the history books when on April 17th 1982, the band of
twenty-three ranks including Stuart, under the direction of WO2 Bandmaster
Trevor Attwood MBE flew to Gibraltar and embarked on board the cruise
ship SS Uganda, which had be rapidly transformed into a hospital ship
and renamed HMHS Uganda and sailed as part of the South Atlantic Task
Force. The Band returned to a welcome for heroes at Southampton on August
9th, where they indulged in their well deserved two months leave.
The
band returned to normality on October 12th when they proudly marched
in the Falklands Victory Parade in London.
The following day the band flew to Naples where they rejoined the Fearless
for a six-week sail around the Mediterranean, calling at Split in Yugoslavia,
Salonica, Istanbul, Venice and Brest.
They enjoyed short trip to Brest on HMS Hermes, before once again boarding
their familiar surroundings of HMS Fearless in Pompey. On January 6th
the ship sailed and Stu and the crew enjoyed a second cruise around
The Caribbean and USA: Tortola, San Juan Puerto Rico, Pensacola Florida,
New Orleans Louisiana, where they played at three consecutive Mardi
Gras parades, before heading off to finish the trip at Freeport Grand
Bahama.
Stuart’s final seagoing excursion came onboard HMS Hermes, leaving
Portsmouth on April 6th 1983 for a two-week Atlantic crossing to New
York, where the ship spent ten days before sailing south to Mayport
Florida where the Band were afforded nine days station leave. The Hermes
sailed on to Norfolk Virginia before embarking on a three-week transatlantic
sail to Gothenburg, Sweden. Stuarts FOF3 adventure came to an end on
July 21st 1983 when the ship returned to Portsmouth.
Stuart
returned north of the border following his time at sea, he was based
for some time 1983-88- with the Royal Marines Band Flag Officer Scotland
& Northern Ireland based at HMS Caledonia.
In
1992 Stuart began studying at Leeds College of Music for the Graduate
Diploma in Jazz, Popular and Contemporary Music, he graduated in 1995.
Following his years of study, Stu returned to service life as a solo
clarinet player with the Band of the Irish Guards, his total service
career lasted twenty-three years when he entered civvy street in 2008.
As
a civilian he began teaching and gigging privately and gained a Master
of Arts Degree at the University of Salford in 2010, he studied music
education and teaching between 2010-2012 at the Associated Board of
the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM).
On Remembrance Sunday 2012, thirty years on from the a Falklands War,
Stuart attended the service in Whitehall, he was in the contingent that
marched past the cenotaph as a member of the South Atlantic Medal Association.
In 2013 he was one of five former Royal Marines Band personnel who took
up an opportunity to instruct at the blisteringly hot Qatar Military
School of Music.
Stuart moved from his home in Chelmsford to Bangkok Thailand in March
2015 to teach English and Music and to be with his girlfriend Yok.
Stuart
sadly passed away as a result of a heart attack while he was sleeping
in his apartment on 29th July 2015. His funeral service was held on
Friday 14th August 2015 at St Gerardines Church followed by interment
at Lossiemouth Cemetery.
His wake was held at the Rock House Hotel, where Stuart was given a
fitting musical send off by his Royal Marines brothers.
In his memory.. the annual Stuart Macleod music prize was created at
his old school in Lossiemouth, which recognises the best all round musician
for the year.
RIP
Stuart
