The Society of Recorder Players
	Bristol Branch

Branch President: Emeritus Professor Raymond Warren
Registered Charity No. 282751

Margaret Roach (1911 - 2006)

Margaret was at the centre of recorder activities in Bristol for nearly 60 years. The Society of Recorder Players was founded in 1937, when its activities were focussed mainly in London, but in 1948 the Bristol Branch was formed - one of the first in the country - and Margaret joined it in 1951, and remained a member until her death. She taught recorder at Bishop Road School, Bristol from 1947-53 and entered groups for Festivals, gaining very positive comments from the adjudicators. Soon after its inauguration the SRP Bristol Branch formed a junior section and Margaret took a very active part in running this group from '51-55. She was one of the first to take and pass the Certificate of the SRP as a recorder teacher. Margaret regularly attended the SRP's Music in Education Summer School held at Roehampton. There is a picture of her, at the 1959 school, in a group of 27 bass players - a rare instrument in those days! Margaret was on the committee of the Bristol Branch of the SRP in 1964, '68 and '80 - 86. She was programme organiser which involved, amongst other responsibilities, arranging visits of guest conductors for the Branch's monthly meetings. Indeed, she conducted the Branch herself on numerous occasions. More recently between 1999 and 2002 she played in the Branch's Blockfute Band of about 20 players which meets periodically to prepare a programme for public performance.

Outside the Society she was also active in Bristol's Recorder circle. In 1958, '61 and '65 she gave talks about the recorder and played on BBC Home Service and Local Radio. These broadcasts generated wide interest and she received a number of letters from as far apart as Southampton and Scotland, asking for more information and advice. The following short extract from her 1961 talk recorded on 16th October and entitled "Taking up an instrument" shows her witty writing and great insight into recorder playing.

".... the thing about this instrument [the recorder] is that you can take it up at any age and, in a remarkably short space of time, you can learn to play it fairly badly. You then find others, also yearning for self-expression, and proceed to play together - in consort to use the technical term. This is a delightful experience: everybody will be out of tune with everybody else, but, happily, the players' minds, being deeply concerned with more pressing matters, nobody will be aware of this, except the audience."

Margaret, together with Margaret Ram, Reg Vince, Freda Shepherd and Mary Libbey was a member of the Westover Consort (she lived in Westover Road, Westbury on Trym at the time). They were active in the late '50's, '60's and '70's playing in many concerts. She also arranged informal consorts at her house and many members of the Branch have greatly enjoyed these occasions. Her enthusiasm was infectious, but her strict discipline and her very highly attuned ear did not allow us to get away with anything! In her Grade VI 'cello examination in 1975 she scored 17 out of 18; the examiner's comment was "a highly competent ear." She never lost it!

In 1973, for the celebration of the 600th Anniversary of the founding of the City of Bristol, she composed a suite of five pieces for recorder quartet called Hexacentenarian. The titles and the music show her quirky sense of humour, and very perceptive mind: e.g. Totter down Totterdown, and Dog taking Man for a walk on the Downs. Knowing the instrument so well, she wrote very effectively for it. She has also written two other recorder quartets Education, Education, Education (later renamed School Snaps) and Tuppence Coloured and also eight pieces for recorder duet (each for a different combination of instruments) called Zoovenirs, including Snake Weave for two bass recorders in close cannon and the Flea and its Elephant for sopranino and bass recorders. She also composed four pieces for piano with the overall title of Structures, and the individual movements being Singularity, Waves and Particles, Crystal Lattices, Double Helix, reflecting her great interest also in science.

During her life Margaret was also very active as a 'cellist playing in orchestras and quartets, and also a long time member of the Bristol Music Club. She wrote a lot of poetry and was a member of the Bristol U3A Poetry Group and also organised the U3A Science Group.

Margaret will be very sadly missed by her many recorder playing friends. We remember her with great love and affection and her down to earth common sense and her great sense of humour.

Dick Little and Sylvia Davies