Very sad news, but thank you for sharing such an eloquent and thoughtful homage. Thoughts and best wishes to his family, friends and family. His contributions to the world will remain.

On Sun, Jun 14, 2026, 12:10 p.m. Dr. Richard Boulanger <00001600c4df7cd8-dmarc-request@listserv.heanet.ie> wrote:

Dear Csounders,

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news with you that John ffitch passed away in the hospital this past Thursday.  

Although Barry Vercoe wrote Csound, few of us would have spent the past 40+ years working, discovering, exploring, learning, teaching, creating, and growing with Csound were it not for John's work, gift, and commitment to supporting all of our dreams, especially mine.

I am headed to London in a week to demo "Csound's Brain" with a 16-year-old student at NIME.  And, as always, I am using dozens of his opcodes and tricks to make it sound magical and work beautifully! In fact, I added extra days to the trip so I could go to Bath, visit him, and help him with his Linux and sound systems.  I have a mixer in my bag for him and a Quest 3, too, so he could jam in the MetaVerse with me in my studio and him in from home.  Now, he will just live in my music and be a part of every performance and will not need a Quest3 for that!

I have lost such a dear friend.  We have all lost a dear friend. He gave us all so very much.

As we continue to share the beauty, power, elegance, and possibilities of Csound with our students and each other, we now have a patron saint who is teaching Csound to the angels.  (And maybe adding some new opcodes for them too, but probably not AutoTune.)

I love you, John, and have been so blessed to work with you, study with you, learn from you, hang with you, play with you, publish with you, compose with you, and perform with you!

There is a huge empty space in my heart that I will fill every day with gratitude for all the blessings that I continue to receive from you.

Do give Barry Vercoe a hug for me, and for all of us csounders, too.  

I can't begin to imagine the sounds and music that the two of you are making possible up there. 

Gsound?

- Rick

- Dr.B

Dr. Richard Boulanger

Professor

Electronic Production and Design

Berklee College of Music

Professional Writing & Technology Division

https://richardboulanger.com

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Rest in peace John! And thank you Richard for sharing the news with us. John
has given immeasurable good to Csound and the community. Beyond being clever
and involved, he was kind and gentle. The only face to face meeting I had with
him has greatly impressed me. He gave courage and inspiration to that little
chiclet, as I'm sure he gave to many others, chiclet or not. And all of that
will remain. A treasure vey well worth maintaining and taking to heart.

Best wishes,

Jeanette

Dr. Richard Boulanger, Jun 14 2026:

> Dear Csounders,
>
> It is with a heavy heart that I share the news with you that John ffitch
> passed away in the hospital this past Thursday.
>
> Although Barry Vercoe wrote Csound, few of us would have spent the past 40+
> years working, discovering, exploring, learning, teaching, creating, and
> growing with Csound were it not for John's work, gift, and commitment to
> supporting all of our dreams, especially mine.
>
> I am headed to London in a week to demo "Csound's Brain" with a 16-year-old
> student at NIME.  And, as always, I am using dozens of his opcodes and
> tricks to make it sound magical and work beautifully! In fact, I added
> extra days to the trip so I could go to Bath, visit him, and help him with
> his Linux and sound systems.  I have a mixer in my bag for him and a
> Quest 3, too, so he could jam in the MetaVerse with me in my studio and him
> in from home.  Now, he will just live in my music and be a part of every
> performance and will not need a Quest3 for that!
>
> I have lost such a dear friend.  We have all lost a dear friend. He gave us
> all so very much.
>
> As we continue to share the beauty, power, elegance, and possibilities of
> Csound with our students and each other, we now have a patron saint who is
> teaching Csound to the angels.  (And maybe adding some new opcodes for them
> too, but probably not AutoTune.)
>
> I love you, John, and have been so blessed to work with you, study with
> you, learn from you, hang with you, play with you, publish with you,
> compose with you, and perform with you!
>
> There is a huge empty space in my heart that I will fill every day with
> gratitude for all the blessings that I continue to receive from you.
>
> Do give Barry Vercoe a hug for me, and for all of us csounders, too.
>
> I can't begin to imagine the sounds and music that the two of you are
> making possible up there.
>
> Gsound?
>
> - Rick
>
> *- Dr.B*
>
>
> *Dr. Richard Boulanger*
>
> Professor
>
> Electronic Production and Design
>
> *Berklee College of Music*
>
> Professional Writing & Technology Division
>
>
> https://richardboulanger.com
>
> Csound mailing list
> Csound@listserv.heanet.ie
> https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND
> Send bugs reports to
>        https://github.com/csound/csound/issues
> Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here
>

--
  * PeerTube: https://makertube.net/@jeanette_c
  * GitHub: https://github.com/jeanette-c
  * Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMS4rfGrTwz8W7jhC1Jnv7g

Csound mailing list
Csound@listserv.heanet.ie
https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND
Send bugs reports to
        https://github.com/csound/csound/issues
Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Dear Csounders,

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news with you that John ffitch passed away in the hospital this past Thursday.  

Although Barry Vercoe wrote Csound, few of us would have spent the past 40+ years working, discovering, exploring, learning, teaching, creating, and growing with Csound were it not for John's work, gift, and commitment to supporting all of our dreams, especially mine.

I am headed to London in a week to demo "Csound's Brain" with a 16-year-old student at NIME.  And, as always, I am using dozens of his opcodes and tricks to make it sound magical and work beautifully! In fact, I added extra days to the trip so I could go to Bath, visit him, and help him with his Linux and sound systems.  I have a mixer in my bag for him and a Quest 3, too, so he could jam in the MetaVerse with me in my studio and him in from home.  Now, he will just live in my music and be a part of every performance and will not need a Quest3 for that!

I have lost such a dear friend.  We have all lost a dear friend. He gave us all so very much.

As we continue to share the beauty, power, elegance, and possibilities of Csound with our students and each other, we now have a patron saint who is teaching Csound to the angels.  (And maybe adding some new opcodes for them too, but probably not AutoTune.)

I love you, John, and have been so blessed to work with you, study with you, learn from you, hang with you, play with you, publish with you, compose with you, and perform with you!

There is a huge empty space in my heart that I will fill every day with gratitude for all the blessings that I continue to receive from you.

Do give Barry Vercoe a hug for me, and for all of us csounders, too.  

I can't begin to imagine the sounds and music that the two of you are making possible up there. 

Gsound?

- Rick

- Dr.B

Dr. Richard Boulanger

Professor

Electronic Production and Design

Berklee College of Music

Professional Writing & Technology Division

https://richardboulanger.com

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Good sentiment. 

-Partev 

On Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 10:23:58 PM GMT+1, Oeyvind Brandtsegg <obrandts@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks.  Gratitude.

May your days be filled with negative delay times.

Øyvind

søn. 14. jun. 2026, 17:10 skrev Dr. Richard Boulanger <00001600c4df7cd8-dmarc-request@listserv.heanet.ie>:

Dear Csounders,

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news with you that John ffitch passed away in the hospital this past Thursday.  

Although Barry Vercoe wrote Csound, few of us would have spent the past 40+ years working, discovering, exploring, learning, teaching, creating, and growing with Csound were it not for John's work, gift, and commitment to supporting all of our dreams, especially mine.

I am headed to London in a week to demo "Csound's Brain" with a 16-year-old student at NIME.  And, as always, I am using dozens of his opcodes and tricks to make it sound magical and work beautifully! In fact, I added extra days to the trip so I could go to Bath, visit him, and help him with his Linux and sound systems.  I have a mixer in my bag for him and a Quest 3, too, so he could jam in the MetaVerse with me in my studio and him in from home.  Now, he will just live in my music and be a part of every performance and will not need a Quest3 for that!

I have lost such a dear friend.  We have all lost a dear friend. He gave us all so very much.

As we continue to share the beauty, power, elegance, and possibilities of Csound with our students and each other, we now have a patron saint who is teaching Csound to the angels.  (And maybe adding some new opcodes for them too, but probably not AutoTune.)

I love you, John, and have been so blessed to work with you, study with you, learn from you, hang with you, play with you, publish with you, compose with you, and perform with you!

There is a huge empty space in my heart that I will fill every day with gratitude for all the blessings that I continue to receive from you.

Do give Barry Vercoe a hug for me, and for all of us csounders, too.  

I can't begin to imagine the sounds and music that the two of you are making possible up there. 

Gsound?

- Rick

- Dr.B

Dr. Richard Boulanger

Professor

Electronic Production and Design

Berklee College of Music

Professional Writing & Technology Division

https://richardboulanger.com

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Yes, the Obi Wan of Csound (*.csd), save and close file.  

Much missed. 

-P 

On Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 10:40:02 PM GMT+1, Dave Seidel <dave.seidel@gmail.com> wrote:

Wizard Emeritus of Csound

On Sun, Jun 14, 2026 at 5:26 PM Partev Sarkissian <0000060b2ef1338e-dmarc-request@listserv.heanet.ie> wrote:

Good sentiment. 

-Partev 

On Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 10:23:58 PM GMT+1, Oeyvind Brandtsegg <obrandts@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks.  Gratitude.

May your days be filled with negative delay times.

Øyvind

søn. 14. jun. 2026, 17:10 skrev Dr. Richard Boulanger <00001600c4df7cd8-dmarc-request@listserv.heanet.ie>:

Dear Csounders,

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news with you that John ffitch passed away in the hospital this past Thursday.  

Although Barry Vercoe wrote Csound, few of us would have spent the past 40+ years working, discovering, exploring, learning, teaching, creating, and growing with Csound were it not for John's work, gift, and commitment to supporting all of our dreams, especially mine.

I am headed to London in a week to demo "Csound's Brain" with a 16-year-old student at NIME.  And, as always, I am using dozens of his opcodes and tricks to make it sound magical and work beautifully! In fact, I added extra days to the trip so I could go to Bath, visit him, and help him with his Linux and sound systems.  I have a mixer in my bag for him and a Quest 3, too, so he could jam in the MetaVerse with me in my studio and him in from home.  Now, he will just live in my music and be a part of every performance and will not need a Quest3 for that!

I have lost such a dear friend.  We have all lost a dear friend. He gave us all so very much.

As we continue to share the beauty, power, elegance, and possibilities of Csound with our students and each other, we now have a patron saint who is teaching Csound to the angels.  (And maybe adding some new opcodes for them too, but probably not AutoTune.)

I love you, John, and have been so blessed to work with you, study with you, learn from you, hang with you, play with you, publish with you, compose with you, and perform with you!

There is a huge empty space in my heart that I will fill every day with gratitude for all the blessings that I continue to receive from you.

Do give Barry Vercoe a hug for me, and for all of us csounders, too.  

I can't begin to imagine the sounds and music that the two of you are making possible up there. 

Gsound?

- Rick

- Dr.B

Dr. Richard Boulanger

Professor

Electronic Production and Design

Berklee College of Music

Professional Writing & Technology Division

https://richardboulanger.com

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Dear Csounders,

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news with you that John ffitch passed away in the hospital this past Thursday.  

Although Barry Vercoe wrote Csound, few of us would have spent the past 40+ years working, discovering, exploring, learning, teaching, creating, and growing with Csound were it not for John's work, gift, and commitment to supporting all of our dreams, especially mine.

I am headed to London in a week to demo "Csound's Brain" with a 16-year-old student at NIME.  And, as always, I am using dozens of his opcodes and tricks to make it sound magical and work beautifully! In fact, I added extra days to the trip so I could go to Bath, visit him, and help him with his Linux and sound systems.  I have a mixer in my bag for him and a Quest 3, too, so he could jam in the MetaVerse with me in my studio and him in from home.  Now, he will just live in my music and be a part of every performance and will not need a Quest3 for that!

I have lost such a dear friend.  We have all lost a dear friend. He gave us all so very much.

As we continue to share the beauty, power, elegance, and possibilities of Csound with our students and each other, we now have a patron saint who is teaching Csound to the angels.  (And maybe adding some new opcodes for them too, but probably not AutoTune.)

I love you, John, and have been so blessed to work with you, study with you, learn from you, hang with you, play with you, publish with you, compose with you, and perform with you!

There is a huge empty space in my heart that I will fill every day with gratitude for all the blessings that I continue to receive from you.

Do give Barry Vercoe a hug for me, and for all of us csounders, too.  

I can't begin to imagine the sounds and music that the two of you are making possible up there. 

Gsound?

- Rick

- Dr.B

Dr. Richard Boulanger

Professor

Electronic Production and Design

Berklee College of Music

Professional Writing & Technology Division

https://richardboulanger.com

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

He was always so nice and thoughtful in responding to questions, especially to noobs like myself when I first learned csound 30 years ago (!). His inclusive messages inviting people of all skills levels to discuss on this list inspired me to do the same in other lists / slack channels I managed. Csound really is an institution. Thankful for JF’s contributions and for this community of folks, (though I rarely post, I read often). 

On Sun, Jun 14, 2026 at 3:06 PM Partev Sarkissian <0000060b2ef1338e-dmarc-request@listserv.heanet.ie> wrote:

Yes, the Obi Wan of Csound (*.csd), save and close file.  

Much missed. 

-P 

On Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 10:40:02 PM GMT+1, Dave Seidel <dave.seidel@gmail.com> wrote:

Wizard Emeritus of Csound

On Sun, Jun 14, 2026 at 5:26 PM Partev Sarkissian <0000060b2ef1338e-dmarc-request@listserv.heanet.ie> wrote:

Good sentiment. 

-Partev 

On Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 10:23:58 PM GMT+1, Oeyvind Brandtsegg <obrandts@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks.  Gratitude.

May your days be filled with negative delay times.

Øyvind

søn. 14. jun. 2026, 17:10 skrev Dr. Richard Boulanger <00001600c4df7cd8-dmarc-request@listserv.heanet.ie>:

Dear Csounders,

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news with you that John ffitch passed away in the hospital this past Thursday.  

Although Barry Vercoe wrote Csound, few of us would have spent the past 40+ years working, discovering, exploring, learning, teaching, creating, and growing with Csound were it not for John's work, gift, and commitment to supporting all of our dreams, especially mine.

I am headed to London in a week to demo "Csound's Brain" with a 16-year-old student at NIME.  And, as always, I am using dozens of his opcodes and tricks to make it sound magical and work beautifully! In fact, I added extra days to the trip so I could go to Bath, visit him, and help him with his Linux and sound systems.  I have a mixer in my bag for him and a Quest 3, too, so he could jam in the MetaVerse with me in my studio and him in from home.  Now, he will just live in my music and be a part of every performance and will not need a Quest3 for that!

I have lost such a dear friend.  We have all lost a dear friend. He gave us all so very much.

As we continue to share the beauty, power, elegance, and possibilities of Csound with our students and each other, we now have a patron saint who is teaching Csound to the angels.  (And maybe adding some new opcodes for them too, but probably not AutoTune.)

I love you, John, and have been so blessed to work with you, study with you, learn from you, hang with you, play with you, publish with you, compose with you, and perform with you!

There is a huge empty space in my heart that I will fill every day with gratitude for all the blessings that I continue to receive from you.

Do give Barry Vercoe a hug for me, and for all of us csounders, too.  

I can't begin to imagine the sounds and music that the two of you are making possible up there. 

Gsound?

- Rick

- Dr.B

Dr. Richard Boulanger

Professor

Electronic Production and Design

Berklee College of Music

Professional Writing & Technology Division

https://richardboulanger.com

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Dear Csounders,

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news with you that John ffitch passed away in the hospital this past Thursday.  

Although Barry Vercoe wrote Csound, few of us would have spent the past 40+ years working, discovering, exploring, learning, teaching, creating, and growing with Csound were it not for John's work, gift, and commitment to supporting all of our dreams, especially mine.

I am headed to London in a week to demo "Csound's Brain" with a 16-year-old student at NIME.  And, as always, I am using dozens of his opcodes and tricks to make it sound magical and work beautifully! In fact, I added extra days to the trip so I could go to Bath, visit him, and help him with his Linux and sound systems.  I have a mixer in my bag for him and a Quest 3, too, so he could jam in the MetaVerse with me in my studio and him in from home.  Now, he will just live in my music and be a part of every performance and will not need a Quest3 for that!

I have lost such a dear friend.  We have all lost a dear friend. He gave us all so very much.

As we continue to share the beauty, power, elegance, and possibilities of Csound with our students and each other, we now have a patron saint who is teaching Csound to the angels.  (And maybe adding some new opcodes for them too, but probably not AutoTune.)

I love you, John, and have been so blessed to work with you, study with you, learn from you, hang with you, play with you, publish with you, compose with you, and perform with you!

There is a huge empty space in my heart that I will fill every day with gratitude for all the blessings that I continue to receive from you.

Do give Barry Vercoe a hug for me, and for all of us csounders, too.  

I can't begin to imagine the sounds and music that the two of you are making possible up there. 

Gsound?

- Rick

- Dr.B

Dr. Richard Boulanger

Professor

Electronic Production and Design

Berklee College of Music

Professional Writing & Technology Division

https://richardboulanger.com

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

What a loss. 

I wish I knew him. Seeing him on the mailing since the 90's, I almost feel I did. And what a legacy. Csound, still going strong.

Thorin.

On Mon, 15 June 2026, 8:06 am Partev Sarkissian, <0000060b2ef1338e-dmarc-request@listserv.heanet.ie> wrote:

Yes, the Obi Wan of Csound (*.csd), save and close file.  

Much missed. 

-P 

On Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 10:40:02 PM GMT+1, Dave Seidel <dave.seidel@gmail.com> wrote:

Wizard Emeritus of Csound

On Sun, Jun 14, 2026 at 5:26 PM Partev Sarkissian <0000060b2ef1338e-dmarc-request@listserv.heanet.ie> wrote:

Good sentiment. 

-Partev 

On Sunday, June 14, 2026 at 10:23:58 PM GMT+1, Oeyvind Brandtsegg <obrandts@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks.  Gratitude.

May your days be filled with negative delay times.

Øyvind

søn. 14. jun. 2026, 17:10 skrev Dr. Richard Boulanger <00001600c4df7cd8-dmarc-request@listserv.heanet.ie>:

Dear Csounders,

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news with you that John ffitch passed away in the hospital this past Thursday.  

Although Barry Vercoe wrote Csound, few of us would have spent the past 40+ years working, discovering, exploring, learning, teaching, creating, and growing with Csound were it not for John's work, gift, and commitment to supporting all of our dreams, especially mine.

I am headed to London in a week to demo "Csound's Brain" with a 16-year-old student at NIME.  And, as always, I am using dozens of his opcodes and tricks to make it sound magical and work beautifully! In fact, I added extra days to the trip so I could go to Bath, visit him, and help him with his Linux and sound systems.  I have a mixer in my bag for him and a Quest 3, too, so he could jam in the MetaVerse with me in my studio and him in from home.  Now, he will just live in my music and be a part of every performance and will not need a Quest3 for that!

I have lost such a dear friend.  We have all lost a dear friend. He gave us all so very much.

As we continue to share the beauty, power, elegance, and possibilities of Csound with our students and each other, we now have a patron saint who is teaching Csound to the angels.  (And maybe adding some new opcodes for them too, but probably not AutoTune.)

I love you, John, and have been so blessed to work with you, study with you, learn from you, hang with you, play with you, publish with you, compose with you, and perform with you!

There is a huge empty space in my heart that I will fill every day with gratitude for all the blessings that I continue to receive from you.

Do give Barry Vercoe a hug for me, and for all of us csounders, too.  

I can't begin to imagine the sounds and music that the two of you are making possible up there. 

Gsound?

- Rick

- Dr.B

Dr. Richard Boulanger

Professor

Electronic Production and Design

Berklee College of Music

Professional Writing & Technology Division

https://richardboulanger.com

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

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What a terrible loss for all the Csound community, his friends, and family. 
Rest in peace.

On 14/06/2026 18:09, Dr. Richard Boulanger wrote:

Dear Csounders,

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news with you that John ffitch passed away in the hospital this past Thursday.  

Although Barry Vercoe wrote Csound, few of us would have spent the past 40+ years working, discovering, exploring, learning, teaching, creating, and growing with Csound were it not for John's work, gift, and commitment to supporting all of our dreams, especially mine.

I am headed to London in a week to demo "Csound's Brain" with a 16-year-old student at NIME.  And, as always, I am using dozens of his opcodes and tricks to make it sound magical and work beautifully! In fact, I added extra days to the trip so I could go to Bath, visit him, and help him with his Linux and sound systems.  I have a mixer in my bag for him and a Quest 3, too, so he could jam in the MetaVerse with me in my studio and him in from home.  Now, he will just live in my music and be a part of every performance and will not need a Quest3 for that!

I have lost such a dear friend.  We have all lost a dear friend. He gave us all so very much.

As we continue to share the beauty, power, elegance, and possibilities of Csound with our students and each other, we now have a patron saint who is teaching Csound to the angels.  (And maybe adding some new opcodes for them too, but probably not AutoTune.)

I love you, John, and have been so blessed to work with you, study with you, learn from you, hang with you, play with you, publish with you, compose with you, and perform with you!

There is a huge empty space in my heart that I will fill every day with gratitude for all the blessings that I continue to receive from you.

Do give Barry Vercoe a hug for me, and for all of us csounders, too.  

I can't begin to imagine the sounds and music that the two of you are making possible up there. 

Gsound?

- Rick

- Dr.B

Dr. Richard Boulanger

Professor

Electronic Production and Design

Berklee College of Music

Professional Writing & Technology Division

https://richardboulanger.com

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I was very sorry to hear about John's passing. I am deeply grateful for all he did for the community. Rest in peace.
I always found his regular emails encouraging. 'The Csound list welcomes posts from people with ALL levels of skill...'

Tetsuya Miwa

> 2026/06/15 1:09、Dr. Richard Boulanger <00001600c4df7cd8-dmarc-request@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE>のメール:
>
> Dear Csounders,
>
> It is with a heavy heart that I share the news with you that John ffitch passed away in the hospital this past Thursday. 
>
> Although Barry Vercoe wrote Csound, few of us would have spent the past 40+ years working, discovering, exploring, learning, teaching, creating, and growing with Csound were it not for John's work, gift, and commitment to supporting all of our dreams, especially mine.
>
> I am headed to London in a week to demo "Csound's Brain" with a 16-year-old student at NIME.  And, as always, I am using dozens of his opcodes and tricks to make it sound magical and work beautifully! In fact, I added extra days to the trip so I could go to Bath, visit him, and help him with his Linux and sound systems.  I have a mixer in my bag for him and a Quest 3, too, so he could jam in the MetaVerse with me in my studio and him in from home.  Now, he will just live in my music and be a part of every performance and will not need a Quest3 for that!
>
> I have lost such a dear friend.  We have all lost a dear friend. He gave us all so very much.
>
> As we continue to share the beauty, power, elegance, and possibilities of Csound with our students and each other, we now have a patron saint who is teaching Csound to the angels.  (And maybe adding some new opcodes for them too, but probably not AutoTune.)
>
> I love you, John, and have been so blessed to work with you, study with you, learn from you, hang with you, play with you, publish with you, compose with you, and perform with you!
>
> There is a huge empty space in my heart that I will fill every day with gratitude for all the blessings that I continue to receive from you.
>
> Do give Barry Vercoe a hug for me, and for all of us csounders, too. 
>
> I can't begin to imagine the sounds and music that the two of you are making possible up there.
>
> Gsound?
>
> - Rick
>
> - Dr.B
>
> Dr. Richard Boulanger
> Professor
> Electronic Production and Design
> Berklee College of Music
> Professional Writing & Technology Division
>
> https://richardboulanger.com
> Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND Send bugs reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

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i was afraid to read this subject line since john, due to his desease,
more and more became silent and absent on this list.

so now it happened ......

yes, sad and grateful.  and i would add: admiring john as a person who
was working for others, with such a responsability, reliability, being
the well-accepted "root" of csound for decades.  how many hours he spent
in reading the code, fixing bugs, writing new code .....

it is not only thanks to john that we all can use csound, it is also
thanks to him that he established an atmosphere in which different
developers joined the project.  there is an anarchic part in csound
which i personally like and estimate very much (like a plant which does
not only grow straight ahead but in different directions), and i think
this quality is also present because of john.  he allowed developments
very different from his own way to develop, and thus established a
really liberal, libre atmosphere and collaboration.

i remember a sentence from a self-biography: "looks like a hippie, but
is not a hippie."  his unconventional appearance was mixed with a
british sense of humor ("this is american, not british", he said in the
first csound conference when a term was discussed), and a real kindness,
from inside out.  never putting his person in front, but simply
contributing ...... for all .....

as a real mathematician, he was thinking and speaking precisely, without
too much words, and getting to the core of a problem in discussing.  "do
you want arrays of signals, or arrays of instruments?" "do you really
want random access to each line in the new opcode to read text files?"
but he was missing the cold strictness of some mathematicians; instead
he was very cautious, giving doubts a big space, asking instead of
claiming: "i believe i fixed this but ..."

thanks, rick, for letting us know about his passing, and for your
warm-hearted words and memories, shared here on this list.  your online
meeting with john on the csound conference in vienna was a wonderful
idea, and a real memorable event.  i hope that john felt in the last
part of his life our gratefulness, and was perhaps proud about himself
for making this collaborative software possible and fruitful.

one of the most sigificant contributions to the atmosphere of this
community are, no were, john's monthly "Administrivia".  the main
paragraph was:
"The Csound list welcomes posts from people with ALL levels of skill,
from the newest newbie to the most serious hacker or established
composer.  The subject and tenor of the posts varies dramatically
depending on what the current concerns are.  Newbies are sometimes
afraid to post because they read discussions about the incomprehensible
deep inner workings, and all they want to know is how to get a sound to
come out of their computer, or advice on how to get mobile sounds.  Rest
assured that your questions will be answered quickly, and (usually) in a
helpful and courteous manner.  We have all been there.  Please post."

        joachim


On 14/06/2026 18:09, Dr. Richard Boulanger wrote:
> Dear Csounders,
>
> It is with a heavy heart that I share the news with you that John ffitch
> passed away in the hospital this past Thursday.
>
> Although Barry Vercoe wrote Csound, few of us would have spent the past
> 40+ years working, discovering, exploring, learning, teaching, creating,
> and growing with Csound were it not for John's work, gift, and
> commitment to supporting all of our dreams, especially mine.
>
> I am headed to London in a week to demo "Csound's Brain" with a 16-year-
> old student at NIME.  And, as always, I am using dozens of his opcodes
> and tricks to make it sound magical and work beautifully! In fact,
> I added extra days to the trip so I could go to Bath, visit him, and
> help him with his Linux and sound systems.  I have a mixer in my bag for
> him and a Quest 3, too, so he could jam in the MetaVerse with me in my
> studio and him in from home.  Now, he will just live in my music and be
> a part of every performance and will not need a Quest3 for that!
>
> I have lost such a dear friend.  We have all lost a dear friend. He gave
> us all so very much.
>
> As we continue to share the beauty, power, elegance, and possibilities
> of Csound with our students and each other, we now have a patron saint
> who is teaching Csound to the angels.  (And maybe adding some new
> opcodes for them too, but probably not AutoTune.)
>
> I love you, John, and have been so blessed to work with you, study with
> you, learn from you, hang with you, play with you, publish with you,
> compose with you, and perform with you!
>
> There is a huge empty space in my heart that I will fill every day with
> gratitude for all the blessings that I continue to receive from you.
>
> Do give Barry Vercoe a hug for me, and for all of us csounders, too.
>
> I can't begin to imagine the sounds and music that the two of you are
> making possible up there.
>
> Gsound?
>
> - Rick
>
> *- Dr.B*
>
> *
> *
>
> *Dr. Richard Boulanger*
>
> Professor
>
> Electronic Production and Design
>
> *Berklee College of Music*
>
> Professional Writing & Technology Division
>
>
> https://richardboulanger.com <https://richardboulanger.com>
>
> Csound mailing list Csound@listserv.heanet.ie
> <mailto:Csound@listserv.heanet.ie> https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/
> wa?A0=CSOUND <https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A0=CSOUND> Send bugs
> reports to https://github.com/csound/csound/issues <https://github.com/
> csound/csound/issues> Discussions of bugs and features can be posted here

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Thank you Richard. This is terribly sad news. 

I fondly remember attending the 2008 Linux Audio Conference in Köln at which John presented a talk about work by one of his students. John's other contribution to that conference was a panel discussion which I believe was called Maths Rocks (pun intended, and appropriate!) including Julius Smith, John ffitch and possibly others talking about the importance of mathematics for music and audio. It was John's words which made the most impression on me at the time, he said "Don't filter your inputs", by which I believe he meant to emphasise the importance of reading and studying widely in mathematics, since you never know what connections you might make and besides such an attitude results in a richer and more fulfilling experience. 

I honestly believe this was one of the most important encounters in my life. I was 18 at the time and I have dedicated much of my life since (more than half of it at this point) to trying to live up to John's words and studying mathematics, something which I had formerly considered myself to be irretrievably bad at. John also recommended a book "Mathematics and Its History" by John Stillwell which I have been making periodic attempts at reading for many years now. 

We met at a couple of events after that, probably the LAC and ICMC and he was on each occasion both gracious and encouraging.

For his work on Csound alone we owe John a great deal but for many of us, as others have been saying, John's presence had a deeper significance. 

Rest in peace.