Robert Richard Fernie Bruce (17 August 1915 – 13 August 2012) was a composer, lecturer and a decorated Flight Lieutenant during the WWII. He was the great grandson of

James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, (20 July 181120 November 1863) was a British colonial administrator and diplomat. He served as Governor of Jamaica (1842–1846), Governor General of the Province of Canada (1847–1 ...

and 12th Earl of Kincardine and was born on 17 August 1915 in

Inverkeilor Inverkeilor is a village and parish in Angus, Scotland. It lies near the North Sea coast, midway between Arbroath and Montrose. The A92 road now bypasses the village. The population of Inverkeilor parish in the United Kingdom Census 2001 was ...

, a village and parish in Angus, Scotland."Scottish Composers"
Scottish Composers, accessed 30 April 2017 He was educated at

Rugby School Rugby School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Rugby, Warwickshire, England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain. Up ...

, before enrolling in 1935 at

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

. His professor was

Donald Tovey Sir Donald Francis Tovey (17 July 187510 July 1940) was a British musical analyst, musicologist, writer on music, composer, conductor and pianist. He had been best known for his '' Essays in Musical Analysis'' and his editions of works by Bach ...

, a British musical analyst, musicologist, writer on music, composer, conductor and pianist. Bruce graduated in 1938. He then studied with

Julius Röntgen Julius Engelbert Röntgen (9 May 1855 – 13 September 1932) was a German-Dutch composer of classical music. He was a friend of Liszt, Brahms and Grieg. Life Julius Röntgen was born in Leipzig, Germany, to a family of musicians. His father, ...

, a German-Dutch composer of classical music, in Amsterdam. At first a pacifist at the beginning of WWII, he worked with the Friends Ambulance Service during the London Blitz. Posted at Gloucester Royal Hospital, he met there his future wife, Beatrice Tomboline. After that he enlisted in the RAF as a navigator and became a Flight Lieutenant. He was paired in a night fighter crew with a Canadian pilot, Russ Bannock; their successes included the destruction of 19

V-1 flying bombs The V-1 flying bomb (german: Vergeltungswaffe 1 "Vengeance Weapon 1") was an early cruise missile. Its official Reich Aviation Ministry () designation was Fi 103. It was also known to the Allies as the buzz bomb or doodlebug and in Germany as ...

in addition to nine enemy aircraft. In February 1945 Bruce was awarded a Bar to his

Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) The Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers, and since 1993 to other ranks, of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countri ...

. After leaving the RAF in 1946, he initially worked as a teacher in Brighton. He then became a lecturer in music at

Cardiff University , latin_name = , image_name = Shield of the University of Cardiff.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms of Cardiff University , motto = cy, Gwirionedd, Undod a Chytgord , mottoeng = Truth, Unity and Concord , established = 1 ...

until 1977. His major composition is the Symphony in B flat (1953–57), first performed by the

Toronto Symphony Orchestra The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1906, the TSO gave regular concerts at Massey Hall until 1982, and since then has performed at Roy Thomson Hall. The TSO also manages the Toronto ...

and recorded in 1999 by the Częstochowa Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by . Symphony in B flat is dedicated to Bannock and in part inspired by the night sorties they flew together. After retiring in 1977, Bruce and his wife renovated a cottage at Llechryd, South Wales, where they also created and tended a beautiful one-acre garden.Flight Lieutenant Robert Bruce Obituary, The Telegraph His wife died in 2010, and he is survived by a son and a daughter, Katharine and James; an elder son, Richard, predeceased him in death in 2007. Robert Bruce died on 13 August 2012.

References

External links

The Telegraph: obituaryThe Herald: obituaryThe Scotsman: obituaryThe Guardian: obituary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bruce, Robert 1915 births 2012 deaths 20th-century classical composers Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Scottish classical composers 20th-century British composers