Fraser 1938-2024
At the end of September, I drove Fraser McEwing to the Opera House to review the Sydney Symphony Orchestra performing a program including Mahler’s Fourth Symphony.
Fraser Beath McEwing
Fraser was not feeling the best and had problems walking. I dropped him as close as possible and continued within the car park to find a suitable parking spot close to the lifts to make it easy for him to reach the car when we were leaving. By the time I had parked and waited in the queue for the reviewer tickets, Fraser had found a comfortable spot to wait for me.
When I joined him, he asked me where we were seated and was not happy finding out that we were heading for a box. He told me there was little chance of making it upstairs with his ailing legs, so I headed for the box office and changed the tickets, glancing at the new ones marked “Mid Stalls.”
Arriving inside the concert hall, I realised we had been seated in row C. Since there was no row A and no row B, we found ourselves the newest members of the orchestra.
I was ready to make another exchange, but Fraser insisted on staying put, saying that would be a new experience for both of us.
In what was to be his last review, he wrote: “Although it has often been said that the slow movement of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony contains some of the most beautiful music ever written, the slow movement from the Fourth isn’t far behind, given its extra length and dramatic interventions here and there.”
In our last conversation, I asked Fraser what he considered the most beautiful piece of music ever written. He immediately cited the Fourth Movement of Mahler’s Fifth.
Well, he heard the fourth movement of the Fourth seated almost as a member of the orchestra he loved.
Fraser Beath McEwing passed away on October 27 at the age of 86.
Fraser Beath McEwing was born on February 17th, 1938, in Melbourne. His formative years were spent at Wesley College in Melbourne, where his great passions for music and tennis led him to captain the tennis team for many years and find music mentors who would shape his love of the classics and the piano.
Fraser’s experience in the textile industry led him to become the managing editor of Rupert Murdoch’s Australian Fashion News. When the company started rationing the number of tea bags or spoons of coffee staff could use each day, Fraser moved to Sydney, and in 1972, he founded his own fashion industry newspaper, Ragtrader. He ran the magazine for 20 years and then sold it to an extensive UK publishing company. The magazine was then sold to an Australian independent and is still being published today. Until two weeks ago, Fraser was writing for the publication of each issue.
He was also a fiction writer. His first novel, published in 1994, was followed by six more books, a second novel, a trilogy of speculative fiction, and, more recently, two non-fiction titles, the last one, A Toast to Travel. He shares hilarious tales from his travels with Michelle, his wife of 37 years.
“What everyone remembers most about Fraser is his wicked sense of humour, his generous spirit and his fierce intellect” says Michelle.
“He was my rock, my confidant, my best friend and my port in a storm. Fraser was always there to pick up the pieces and give wise counsel when emotions threatened to trump reason. Life without him will fade from vibrant colour to shades of black and white”.
In addition to being a writer, Fraser has been a textile wholesaler, furniture importer, and retailer, a champion squash player, a competition tennis player, and a talented pianist. He was also a board member of the Theme and Variations Foundation, which assists young Australian pianists in achieving their goals.
Fraser started reviewing music for J-Wire in 2012 and passed away two short of his 200th review.
His favourite composer was Rachmaninoff, whose second and third piano concertos, together with Mendelssohn’s Fingal’s Cave overture, were his favourite pieces.
In March 2021, he wrote a review entitled “Incidental music on the way to heaven”. Perhaps he is enjoying it as I write.
J-Wire has always warmly appreciated his musical knowledge, humour and friendship.
Australia-based but world-renowned concert pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk won the Vladimir Horowitz Competition in 1999 and, following the year, the Hamamatsu Competition. In 2005, he won the coveted Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition. He and Fraser were good friends and in a parting gesture just before his passing, Fraser gifted him his beloved Steinway.
Fraser was Dad or Fraz (as he was affectionately known) to four much-loved children: Lisa, Ben, Dave and Melanie and Fraser, hipper than Pop, to his adored grandchildren Jessica, Adam and Noah.
Nothing made him happier than spending time with them all, and on Friday, October 25, he spent the day in the ICU in St Vincent’s Hospital, surrounded by family.
At the end of the day, he told Michelle: “I’ve had a great day with everyone here. I couldn’t have wished for a better final day.”
A musical celebration of his life is planned for the autumn of 2025.
Fraser Beath McEwing – J-Wire music reviewer 2012-2024
Born Melbourne 17th March, 1938
Died: Sydney, October 27th, 2024
A wonderful tribute. Thank you.