If enthusiasm for one's subject and the talent to express it are the first marks of a critic, then Charles Acton passed with honours. He had enthusiasm for music in trumps and in the 31 years in which he was critic of this paper he never lost it. Woe betide the sub-editor who, often late at night, had to cut one of his reviews or articles. There was no point telling him about quarts not fitting into pint pots, or that there were only eight columns in a page, or that other arts had to have their say, too. He simply didn't believe it. He saw no reason, really, why the entire arts page should not be given over to classical music every day. With a fine lack of diplomacy he would bombard not only arts journalists, but editors themselves with memos expressing what he perceived as the shortcomings of The Irish Times - and not all of them musical.
But, though he could not so much stand as trample on a whole series of toes, it was impossible to dislike him. There wasn't even a hint of self-aggrandisment about him; it was all in the service of the beloved music which was the centre of his life. With his devoted wife Carol at his side, he presided (and the word is not excessive) over a period in which classical music in Ireland grew from a marginal, semi-amateur activity to a fully-grown, vital art form, with high standards expected and young talents constantly thrusting forward. Night after night he would write about everything from student performers to major concert artists. If he did not like what he heard, he took no prisoners, which did not always endear him to some in the sometimes over-cosy musical world of a small country. But he was also generous, encouraging and genuinely pleased when he heard something he liked, and it was always a pleasure to read his prose.
It's hard to think of a single musical institution in Ireland, the orchestras, the National Concert Hall, the RIAM and many others, which was not influenced by his writings. Musical life in Ireland owes him a great debt and those of us who counted him as a friend will miss him greatly.
