Vale Keith Brian Morris 28.01.1942 - 29.03.2022
It is with great sadness I write to inform you all of the passing of Keith Morris, one of our founding members and a most respected and loved presence in our club for so long.
Keith was a foundation member of our club and was instrumental in supporting and developing the club over the fifteen years since its inception. As the initial treasurer Keith was responsible for setting up the club’s financial systems, spreadsheets and bank accounts. He kept the club finances in good order and the difficult task of managing the membership fees and club financial reports to the AGMs.
Keith was a gentleman in the true sense of the word with a cultured taste for the finer things of life. From his BMW convertible, complete with driving cap, through his Nikon camera and fine red wine, to his travels overseas with Helen frequenting many famous classical music venues and concerts by his favourite artists.
Keith’s interest in music and HiFi was typified by a bright enthusiasm laced with a fierce standard which he set for his choices in equipment and indeed in his selection of music. He had eclectic tastes and strong opinions of his preferences for his choice of sublime musicians and recordings. Otto Klemperer, Arthur Grumiaux, Arthur Rubinstein, Julius Katchen, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Emma Kirkby, Simone Kermes, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, The Vienna Boys Choir with Ferdinand and Ernst Jankowitsch and Kingsway Hall recordings were some of his oft played favourites.
He was very particular and passionate in his pursuit of excellence and refining his HiFi system to achieve the sound of the live performance. A session in Keith’s 'garage' was indeed a great HiFi experience. He paired his bespoke valve amplifiers with many iterations of front-end sources and DACs, vinyl, cartridges, cables, CD, SACD, streaming, ripping and playback software. A true HiFi tinkerer - but the musical experience was his goal. A great lover of Quad electrostatic speakers, his quest to improve them, through many modifications, tweaks and rebuilds, was unending and although the cosmetic effect was questionable, the sound was sublime. I came away from many musical journeys with Keith, much the wiser and sometimes a little stunned.
Keith will be much missed by all of us, though his presence will undoubtedly live on in the club in spirit.
Our thoughts go out to his wife Helen, his children Amanda and Simon and their families.
All friends are warmly invited to attend his funeral on Wednesday 6th April at 10.30 am in the East Chapel of Northern Suburbs Crematorium, 199 Delhi Road, North Ryde. If you wish to pass on any messages, please reply to this email and I will forward on to Helen.
John McEvoy
Club President
Sydney Audio Club Inc.
Keith was a foundation member of our club and was instrumental in supporting and developing the club over the fifteen years since its inception. As the initial treasurer Keith was responsible for setting up the club’s financial systems, spreadsheets and bank accounts. He kept the club finances in good order and the difficult task of managing the membership fees and club financial reports to the AGMs.
Keith was a gentleman in the true sense of the word with a cultured taste for the finer things of life. From his BMW convertible, complete with driving cap, through his Nikon camera and fine red wine, to his travels overseas with Helen frequenting many famous classical music venues and concerts by his favourite artists.
Keith’s interest in music and HiFi was typified by a bright enthusiasm laced with a fierce standard which he set for his choices in equipment and indeed in his selection of music. He had eclectic tastes and strong opinions of his preferences for his choice of sublime musicians and recordings. Otto Klemperer, Arthur Grumiaux, Arthur Rubinstein, Julius Katchen, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Emma Kirkby, Simone Kermes, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, The Vienna Boys Choir with Ferdinand and Ernst Jankowitsch and Kingsway Hall recordings were some of his oft played favourites.
He was very particular and passionate in his pursuit of excellence and refining his HiFi system to achieve the sound of the live performance. A session in Keith’s 'garage' was indeed a great HiFi experience. He paired his bespoke valve amplifiers with many iterations of front-end sources and DACs, vinyl, cartridges, cables, CD, SACD, streaming, ripping and playback software. A true HiFi tinkerer - but the musical experience was his goal. A great lover of Quad electrostatic speakers, his quest to improve them, through many modifications, tweaks and rebuilds, was unending and although the cosmetic effect was questionable, the sound was sublime. I came away from many musical journeys with Keith, much the wiser and sometimes a little stunned.
Keith will be much missed by all of us, though his presence will undoubtedly live on in the club in spirit.
Our thoughts go out to his wife Helen, his children Amanda and Simon and their families.
All friends are warmly invited to attend his funeral on Wednesday 6th April at 10.30 am in the East Chapel of Northern Suburbs Crematorium, 199 Delhi Road, North Ryde. If you wish to pass on any messages, please reply to this email and I will forward on to Helen.
John McEvoy
Club President
Sydney Audio Club Inc.