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Andreas Niebisch [1959-2011]
Andreas my business partner/friend died in the early hours of Wednesday the 2nd of February 2011.He died from a relatively rare form of heart attack in the presence of his life partner Lynn Wilson at the London Heart Hospital only a few hours after the first symptoms in the workshop. At the time of his death, he was not in pain, was in good spirits and had just been having a few laughs with Lynn. The end came almost instantaneously and he did not suffer.
We worked together here for over 22 years. Andreas joined me just a couple of years after I started the business having trained in Germany as a cabinet maker. It wasn't more than a couple of years before he officially became my business partner because it was the natural and obvious thing to do.
He was completely and naturally in tune with my own attitude to the business, i.e. he loved the harp as an instrument and enjoyed repairing and making harps to the highest possible standards. His motivation being to do the best job possible no matter how long it took or how much work was involved. He was able to do this because he was never motivated by money.
I am going to conclude this obituary here as I am not capable of conveying in words all his qualities and virtues, which were instantly obvious when you met him, and if I were to try it would take many rambling pages - the many harps that he made, repaired renovated and maintained will live on to sing his song for hundreds of years.
Funeral and Eulogy
Andreas had a beautiful humanist funeral, at which harps that he had made and repaired were played by Sioned Williams, Joy Smith and Oliver Wass. Imogen Barford read the following eulogy on behalf of the harp world:I am honoured to speak on behalf of the harpists, and to try to convey to all those who loved Andreas how important, how essential, he was to us, and what an enormous gap he leaves in our community. We want to say thank you to him for the harps he created and the harps he repaired with such care. Harpists have emailed from around the world, and I've put together some of their words.
Andreas was of course the gentle giant of our harp world "we harpists are often small, and many of us conducted our relationship mostly with his waist! He was a good-looking Viking: when he arrived on harp courses young girls would swoon and become surprisingly interested in harp maintenance... We loved the way he would whip a harp out of the car and carry it high in the air like a balloon "we would stagger under the weight, but to him harps were made of balsa wood.
Andreas was a charming man with a kind heart, and he played an essential part in our lives. What he really thought about all our panics and eccentric demands, we'll never know, but nothing was ever too much trouble, and his help and wise advice was always offered calmly, patiently, with warmth, a smile, and his own quirky humour.He was an absolute perfectionist, with the highest ideals of craftsmanship "he often worked on our harps for countless unpaid hours, just to do the job to his own satisfaction. This was the man who precision-sliced his lunchtime bread, not with a knife, but a bandsaw!
But, away from us, this is also the man who was spotted bungee jumping - high aloft, a giant embracing the sky, he raised his arms and jumped, golden ponytail trailing in the slipstream, with a scream of sheer ecstasy.
There is an instinctive affinity between musicians and craftsmen "one cannot exist without the other. We know that artistry is hugely about craft, and that true craftsmanship, like Andreas', turns into art.
Some of us visited the workshop in the past week. His tools lay with his last job on the workbench "he had raised the legs, making it impossibly high for anyone else to work at "a gentle reminder that nobody can ever replace our dear friend.
We harpists are proud to own examples of his beautiful work: a harp, a new soundboard, a gilded angel. We comfort ourselves in the knowledge that when we play, Andreas' song is still singing.
Tributes to Andreas From Around the World
Judith Cummings, Seattle, USA
He had a quiet confidence about him. I always found him welcoming and easy to talk to and a calm and gentle presence whenever I took my harp to the workshop. Even after I went back to Scotland, he and Nigel looked after my harps for over 10 years until I moved to the States. The harp I play most just now was made in Nigel and Andreas' workshop. I can't believe he is gone: it is a tragic loss.Thelma Owen, London UK
What a lovely man he was, and will be so missed by everyone who knew him. Saskia Kwast, Amsterdam, The Netherlands I think it was in 1990 I first met Andreas in London where I had an old Grecian Erard harp to be made a new soundboard. Andreas was a very nice, kind and friendly person and very, very "simpatic"! I always felt very comfortable with him and I have seen him several times in London. In 1991 he made for my Gothic Erard harp a new soundboard, I think it was the first soundboard he made by himself. I still play concerts with it! So the sound of Andreas will still be heard and I won't forget him!Rachel Masters, Surrey, UK
He was my 'gentle giant'. I was always impressed by Andreas's quiet professionalism and warmth of personality. It is a sad and untimely loss.Ruth Faber, Bath, UK
The news of Andreas came as a terrible shock. Andreas was the gentle giant of our harp world. Nothing was ever too much trouble and his help was always offered with warmth and a smile. I do hope that Nigel will continue the company as Niebisch and Tree, in memory of a much loved member of the harp world.
Helen Sharp, London, UK
Shock of blond hair - Gentle giant - Fantastic at moving harps - Kind - Good company - Jovial - Good humoured.Enid Forsyth, Edinburgh, Scotland
It was with great sadness that I read Nigel's letter yesterday. I have always loved my Blondel harp that Andreas made in 1989. Because of this Andreas has always had, and will always have, a very special place in my heart. It has a beautiful and unique sound and I play it regularly with my musical partner on mandolin. Andreas, to me, you were a gentle giant with a lovely, quirky sense of humour. And even when I had two major accidents to my harp and it had to come home to you to mend you were patient with me. Thank you for creating my lovely instrument and for mending it when it was broken. I am so sorry you are no longer with us. So many of us miss you already.Jim Munson, London, UK
A great loss to the harp community.Jack Hayward, Berkshire, UK
To me Andreas was one of the few men I have known that remained calm in all situations. He always had a pleasant smile whenever I met him and was very welcoming. I feel very sorry for Nigel, he has lost a valuable partner and a good friend. He will be very difficult to replace. His loss I am sure will affect harpists throughout this country.
Ernestine Stoop, The Netherlands
I remember him as a good looking 'Viking', whom you would not immediately expect to be working with harps. To me he seemed a person like 'waters with deep grounds'. I wish everybody concerned a lot of strength dealing with this immense sudden loss!Geoff Wass, London, UK
We have been struggling to come to grips with the news of Andreas. There are no words for it. I went to see Nigel Thursday morning - Andreas' vest and scarf were still hanging where he always left them, and his tools lay with his last job on the workbench that I had built and worked at 20 years ago. Nigel and I stood there in tear-filled silence for some time. I had spent a year in the shop when I first moved to London, during which time becoming very familiar with the gentle and wise nature of Andreas. Andreas was my first friend in London. He took me to my first football match - Hot Spurs at Arsenal. I remember clearly his words "Geoff - marry Charlotte (Seale)". He was best man at our wedding, and is a godparent to our son Oliver. He also took Oliver to his first football matches too!Charlotte Seale, London, UK
Andreas was a direct descendant of harp royalty. He trained with Nigel Tree, who trained with Munson & Harbour, who trained with John Sebastian Morley, who trained with John George Morley, who worked for Erard. A long line of craftsmen with skills honed to the highest possible standards. No factory production-lines for them: each instrument was individually and lovingly crafted, with meticulous attention to detail. For those of us lucky enough to own one of Andreas's harps, or a new neck or soundboard, the harps will sing in his memory for generations to come. He leaves behind his own true testament to outstanding workmanship and dedication to perfection.Gabriella Dall'Olio, London, UK
Andreas was a wonderful man with a kind heart. He loved harps and was so good with his repairs, and liked harpists, too. I am very sorry for his sudden loss.Aldyth Smith, Wales
I think it was in the early 1980s that I met Andreas who was working at Nigel's in Archway. My daughter, who was very small at the time, immediately referred to him as 'Long Man'. My son was fascinated by his bicycle seat which was on the highest setting! Over the years I spoke with him on the phone as he worked on my two old Erards and was involved in making a small harp for me. He was also heavily involved in restoring harps for my students - some of whom were eccentrically demanding but he was always patient and professional. He was always lovely on the phone - keen to know news of my family and so sensitive. Andreas is part of all my harps and his work will live on in them. He has painted a soundboard for me and I am looking at it now and remembering him.Victoria Carlisle, Tenerife
I am so saddened and shocked to hear about poor Andreas. On both occasions that he has been to work in Tenerife, he has been such a fun and cheerful person to have around. Professionally, he always left our harps in wonderful order, his work always having to last between not such regular services, given the remoteness of our island. He gave me so many helpful tips and advice on how to keep the instruments maintained in between services. I shall miss his visits.Catherine Beynon, Luxembourg
Andreas had worked on harps for me for years, both in the UK, in Copenhagen at the Opera House, and most recently here in Luxembourg at the Orchestre Philharmonique. He was not only a fabulous technician but also incredibly reliable, helpful, patient and above all, a really, really nice guy. He will be sadly missed by all of us that were lucky enough to meet him.Kim Webby, New Zealand
I first met Andreas at the Paris World harp Congress in 1990, where we were next-door neighbours in the exhibition hall. I was a complete stranger to the harp world of the Northern Hemisphere having air-freighted my pedal harp from New Zealand to put it alongside the makers of the world. That week Andreas "the gentle giant" and Nigel became my buddies and they pointed out to me the who's who of the harp world. It was a pleasure and relief that an unknown harp maker from the far side of the world was instantly made part of the "crew". Andreas will be greatly missed by the harp community. 'Haere ra Andreas' (Farewell).Janet Brown, Edinburgh
Andreas was such a lovely person. Over the years I have regarded him as a friend as well as business associate and I always looked forward to having a chat with him in Edinburgh. It is a blessing that he didn't suffer at the time of death but so sad to lose him so soon.
