The Mastertouch Piano Roll Company is known around the world,
established in 1919, and closing July 2005.  Barclay Wright began
working at the company in 1957, eventually purchasing it in 1961,
and managing it through to its closure, in the latter years competing
against QRS, the only other piano roll company in the world.

Barclay had retired after the closure of Mastertouch, sharing time
with his sister Diedre in Queensland, and living at his newly purchased
unit in Sydney.  He died yesterday, 25th February 2013, having been
diagnosed some months before with a brain tumour.  He died peacefully
in a nursing home not far from his sister's home.  I believe he was
just shy of turning 80.

Barclay was passionate about piano rolls, and he also gathered a
collection of instruments that for years were on show at Mastertouch.
These and all the Mastertouch perforators and other equipment are now
held by the Powerhouse Museum NSW, after a government grant was
provided to cover the cost of removal and storage.  The NSW collectors
group (ACMMI) is visiting the museum for its first meeting this year.

Mastertouch has a long and variable history, during the 1970s offering
restoration of player instruments, then in the 1980s taking up the lost
cause of box making.

Perhaps not widely appreciated was Barclay's ability as a pianist.
He taught the piano and made numerous roll recordings, none under his
name.  When I first heard Barclay play the piano, I thought it was
a piano roll playing, so similar is his style.  He insisted that all
those working at Mastertouch gather for morning tea, and could be
described as running the business in the old fashioned way, where
manners and greetings were important.

His contribution to the area of piano rolls cannot be overstated, as
running a piano roll company and keeping it financial were tasks few
others would take on.  We owe Barclay a great debt, and every time
I pedal a Mastertouch roll, I will be reminded of what he has left us.

Peter Phillips
Sydney
http://www.petersmidi.com/