Susan McAdam – 1st violin
I won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music, London, where I studied violin under Albert Sammons and chamber music under Cecil Aronowitz. I obtained an A.R.C.M in 1955. I successfully auditioned for a position with Sadler’s Wells Opera Orchestra. My main interests, however were in playing chamber music, and in small orchestras in and around London.
On returning to my home country, South Africa, I joined the S.A. Broadcasting Corporation Orchestra, and subsequently the Durban Civic Orchestra. I appeared many times as soloist on the S.A.B.C in recitals. Since then I have concentrated on teaching. I taught violin at the University of Natal and I was on the part-time staff of the University of Durban-Westville.
I have specialized in teaching violin to young children. In 1984 I went to Japan to spend time with Professor Sinichi Suzuki at his Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto. I found him to be most encouraging and helpful in my efforts to promote his philosophies to my students in South Africa.
Since retiring to the U.K. I discovered the St Neots Sinfonia and am so enjoying being part of such a lovely, friendly, musical family.
Eileen Raggatt – 2nd flute
I was taught the piano as a child – enough to put me off playing it for ever! However, I did learn to read music.
By the time I was in my early 40s, we had 4 children all of whom were learning to play instruments: Mairi: violin and oboe, Fi: violin and piano, Steve: baritone horn and later double bass and Laura: violin and later electric bass guitar. They had lessons at the Huntingdonshire School of Music on a Saturday, played in orchestras and bands there, in school and in Huntingdon youth groups. I could see that they were having FUN with music.
At that point, as I was already spending every Saturday morning at the Music School to support them, I decided it was time for me to learn the flute. I am not quite sure why I decided on the flute except I love the sound of it. The Music School was set up to provide individual lessons, theory and ensembles for all ages, so I was able to become a pupil along with our children. It was wonderfully reassuring to play in the beginners’ band and have an eight year old sitting beside you helping when you got lost!
I had a wonderful teacher, Tim Maynell, who had also learnt as an adult so had a lot of empathy. I was able to join teenagers at Ernulf to study A level music (as Reg’s wife Jean did a year ahead of me). My children seemed un-embarassed by having mum come into their school as a pupil. To my great pleasure I made progress very quickly, worked through the grades, and eventually the Director encouraged me to take on a few pupils. A number of us on the staff were able to study for the Licentiate of Trinity College, London in Music Education.
When the Sinfonia started, players from local schools were encouraged to join. Mairi (one of the founder members along with cellist Kevin), Steve and Laura all played with the Sinfonia before going to University.
I joined the Sinfonia about 30 years ago, and despite being a very insecure flute player, was welcomed and encouraged by Reg. I have enjoyed every minute of it, and am still learning. Music has given all our family such rewarding satisfaction and friendships.
Sharon Nind – 2nd violin
As a founder member of St Neots Sinfonia, I thought I’d tell you a bit about me and my history of playing with the orchestra.
At the age of nine, I remember the school secretary telling my class about a music teacher that was offering violin lessons at the school and if we wanted to learn we needed to put our hand up. Somehow my name was called out – to this day I have no recollection of particularly wanting to play the violin and I’m not sure how my hand ended up being counted, but I along with several of my class were led down to the mobile classroom that turned out to be where the music lessons took place. After a listening test, I was told I had passed the test and would start violin lessons.
Receiving my violin in its case was exciting – for me at least. I can still remember my mum’s face when I told her that I was to learn to play the violin. As a parent of a daughter who has learnt to play the violin also, I now understand the look! Unbeknownst to me I have since learnt that Mum also had violin lessons as a child and she was confined to the understairs cupboard to practice. Thankfully we couldn’t get into ours, so I was spared!
Imagine my horror, however, when I opened the case for the first time and found the tail piece was broken and I couldn’t even take it out of the case for fear of breaking it further. I nervously had to take the violin into school at my next lesson and tell the teacher what had happened. A terrifying moment for a nine-year-old!
Years and Associated Board exams rolled by. I joined the school orchestra and enjoyed many musical events, from musical evenings to full productions. Huntingdon Chamber Orchestra which soon became Huntingdon Youth Orchestra was where I found myself on a Friday evening, under the baton of the late Roger Strong at Brookside Music and Drama Centre, a venue we shared with Huntingdon Concert Band. This started a real love for orchestral music, and I looked forward to the rehearsals and spending time with a whole new group of friends.
Fast forward to 1989. Out of the blue I was contacted by a school friend who told me about a new orchestra that was starting in St Neots and they were looking for musicians from the local area. New players were being found by personal recommendations and so it was that I attended the very first St Neots Sinfonia rehearsal, feeling somewhat like it was the first day at a new school. Right from the start, everyone was friendly and welcoming.
Little did I know that 36 years later, having raised my own children who are now older than I was when I joined Sinfonia – quite a sobering thought – and through several different work roles, from medicine to education and onwards, while studying for a degree over six years with the Open University, I would still be playing and thoroughly enjoying the choice of music and the camaraderie from my orchestra friends.
Thank you, Reg and Sinfonia friends, both past and present, for 36 years of music-making and here’s to many more.
Mandy – 2nd violin … and harp!
About 3 or 4 years ago I asked my mum and dad for a letter for Christmas. Just that – no gifts. They both wrote explaining the decision they had made many years ago about my choice of musical tuition. Violin or harp. It had to be transportable – therefore no harp. (My father was in the RAF and moved from country to county regularly which is why the instrument that I chose to learn had to be transportable.)
Unbeknown to me, in addition to the Christmas letter they also commissioned to have a harp made for me. Due to pandemic delays it took longer than expected to arrive. My dad never got to see it.
I began learning the harp via Zoom two years ago and continue to learn. Eight weeks before our spring concert, our conductor called me to say he had arranged a piece to include a harp part in our next concert. Was I up for it?
Two weeks later, I adopted a full-sized harp from a dear and faithful friend in the orchestra. In that time I have learnt to replace strings (no easy task), tune and re-tune, use pedals and I have learnt the piece note by note bar by bar. This is not to mention moving the harp and shoe-horning it into my car!
Our spring concert was only the third time I have ever played in front of real people, and the first in front of an audience.
I have been supported by my dear friends (and uncomplaining husband!) through every step/note of this journey and I’m so grateful. What a journey, what an orchestra, what a concert, and what a special group of people. This was for my dear dad!