Anne Fletcher 1927 – 2019
An active Quaker, Anne had always loved music, she was a dedicated teacher of maths before retiring as acting head at a Birmingham School. She enjoyed annual trips to the opera at Glyndebourne with her brother George and their friends. Right up until her death she was a regular at CBSO concerts at Symphony Hall and supporter of the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group.
I first met Anne at a Birmingham SRP meeting, as on her retirement she decided to take up the recorder. I happened to be sitting next to her and as it was my first venture into the recorder world, she was very welcoming, sharing her music with me and at the end of the meeting invited me to play in a one to a part group at her house. We quickly became friends realising we shared a love of music. We attended many SRP meetings, playing days and Early Music Forum workshops together. There followed residential courses, weekends at Pendrell Hall in Shropshire, Theo Wyatt’s recorders courses and even a week at the Recorder Summer School. As with everything she did Anne took the recorder seriously taking regular lessons and I fondly remember trips to both the Early Music Shop and Saunders Recorders to try and find that perfect recorder.
After major heart surgery Anne decided to retire from playing recorders and generously donated her recorders for use by young players and quite a few current recorder players are now using her music. I’m sure when playing from it we will remember her with fondness, a great proponent of the recorder and a good friend, she will be missed.
Heather Holt