Alasdair Clayre

, Oxford. Clayre took his own life in 1984 by jumping in front of a train. [cite journal |last=Goleman |first= Daniel|authorlink= |coauthors= |year= 1996|month= May|title= Higher Suicide Risk for Perfectionists |journal=New York Times |volume= |issue= |pages= |id= |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A05E5DB1739F932A35756C0A960958260|accessdate= 2007-04-08|quote= ]

Clayre was born in Southampton on 9 October 1935. [Date of birth given in death index for 1984. General Register Office, London.] He won a scholarship to Winchester College, where he became head boy, and a further scholarship to Christ Church, Oxford"The Times" obituary 13 Jan 1984] where, as an undergraduate, his intellect was compared to that of Isaiah Berlin. He graduated with a congratulatory first class degree - the highest class of degree awarded at Oxford (see British undergraduate degree classification) - and won a Prize Fellowship to All Soul's College - one of the highest academic honours in the United Kingdom. [cite book|last=Magill|first=Frank Northern|title=Magill's Literary Annual 1994|year=1994|isbn=0893562947|publisher=Salem Press Inc]

Clayre recorded two albums of songs including many of his own compositions: "Alasdair Clayre" (Elektra Records) and "Adam and the Beasts" (Folkways Records). He also appears on the Elektra folk song compilation "A Cold Wind Blows". His English translation of "La Colombe" ("The Dove") by Jacques Brel has been recorded by Judy Collins and Joan Baez. Another of his compositions, "Train Song", has been recorded by Vashti Bunyan.

He was married to Felicity Bryan for six years from 1974.

elected publications

*"The Heart of the Dragon" (London: Collins, 1984), [cite book| last=Clayre|first=Alasdair|title=The Heart of the Dragon|publisher=Collins Harvill|year=1984|isbn=0002721155] based on a TV series he produced, wrote, directed and presented about China at a time when the country was just opening up to the West [See [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088532/ IMDB entry for the series] ]
*"Nature and Industrialisation: an Anthology" (Oxford: Oxford University Press in association with the Open University, 1977)
*"The Political Economy of Co-operation and Participation: a Third Sector" (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1980)
*"Work and Play: Ideas and Experience of Work and Leisure" (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1974) [cite book|last=Clayre|first=Alasdair|title=Work and Play: ideas and experience of work and leisure|year=1975|publisher = Harper and Row]
*"The Impact of Broadcasting; or, Mrs Buckle's Wall is Singing" (Salisbury: Compton Russell, 1973), which includes a foreword by Asa Briggs
*"100 Folk Songs and New Songs", a songbook which he compiled; some of the new songs are his own compositions [cite book|last=Clayre|first=Alasdair|title=100 Folk Songs and New Songs|year=1968|publisher = Wolfe Publishing Ltd| isbn=0723400490]
*"A Fire by the Sea" (London: Calypso Press, 1965; 2nd edn Salisbury: Compton Russell, 1973), a book of poems
*"The Window" (n.p.: Cape, 1961)
*"Dialogue" (Newport: n.p., 1959), co-edited with P. Jay

References