Aberdeen Grammar School Magazine
NOTES about FORMER PUPILS Honours and Awards Queen’s Birthday Honours Order of the British Empire Kyle James Coetzer (1996-02), the outstanding batsman captain of Scotland’s Cricket XI, was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen’s 2019 Birthday Honours List in recognition of his services in the promotion of cricket. Kyle first learned his craft with Stoneywood-Dyce and developed it after obtaining a place at the Cricketing Academy run by Durham Cricket Club immediately after leaving school. As a schoolboy he had by then been playing representative cricket from the age of twelve, and was awarded a School Cap in 2002. He was joint winner of the Phil Love Trophy that year. He was a member of the U-19 Scottish team which had been invited to play in the World Cup in New Zealand in January of that year and it was reported that such success at that level as he had by then achieved resulted from a mix of skill and dedication. Subsequently Kyle has played for Durham and Northants. Currently he is the director of cricket at Benwell Hill Cricket Club in Newcastle. Honorary Degree At the Summer Graduation Ceremony held by Aberdeen University in June the degree of Doctor of Music (DMus) was conferred on John McLeod (1946-50) CBE who is one of Scotland’s busiest composers and has been at the forefront of contemporary Scottish music for over forty years. Before the study of music had developed he was called up for National Service which he carried out in the Royal Air Force. He was posted to the RAF School of Music where he learned to play the clarinet. He continued to study this instrument at the London School of Music before turning to composition. He studied under Sir Lennox Berkley and came under the influence of the Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski who became his mentor. He has been resident in Edinburgh for over forty years and has been a prolific composer. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in 1989 and was the recipient of the Gold Badge of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in 2014. In addition he has twice been shortlisted for a British Composer Award. ************* 76
