Lady Bliss

Friday November 21st 2008
With the deepest sadness
we have to announce that Lady Bliss died this morning.

We extend our sincere sympathy to her daughters and the family.

Lady Bliss was an inspirational and unique lady, who took a great interest in people and in everything that was happening in the world. She was a treasured friend to so many. Her generosity of spirit was legendary.

As President she took a great interest in the Society and was always ready to give advice and assistance.

By a sombre coincidence it happened that today most of the Society's Committee had travelled to Wiltshire to the home of our Vice-President, George Dannatt, for a meeting and were there when the news of Lady Bliss's death came through.

A minute's silence was kept, and at my request John Wright played the Sarabande for Bliss composed by Joseph Horovitz as part of the offering by a number of composers on the occasion of Sir Arthur's eightieth birthday in 1971.

She will be sadly missed.

Gerald Towell
Chairman

In the Netherlands on Saturday 22 November the Tricinium Chamber Choir performed . Pastoral (Lie Strewn the White Flocks) in Nieuwkoop. When David Wilby sent Bernard Mooy a message of good wishes beforehand he informed him of Lady Bliss's death. Following this, the concert was dedicated to her memory

Richard Hickox : It has been a very sad period for lovers of British music - the loss of Vernon Handley, Lady Bliss and now Richard Hickox. They will all be greatly missed as each contributed in so many ways to the musical life of this country and in particular to the promotion of British music. We are all indebted to them for their enthusiasm and love of this music which has brought great joy and pleasure to our lives. We were all looking forward so eagerly to going to The Barbican next June and November to see Richard Hickox conducting Morning Heroes and The Beatitudes. (These concerts are now cancelled.) Amongst the legacy of great recordings he has left there are two very fine Bliss CDs: Pastoral 'Lie strewn the white flocks' and Music For Strings with Della Jones, The Sinfonia Chorus and Northern Sinfonia, and a very rare and fine recording of the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra and A Colour Symphony with Lydia Mordkovitch and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales - both on Chandos. Plans were in the pipeline for him to record The Beatitudes. Most members of the Society's Committee belong to the Charlton Kings Choral Society. The choir has performed Pastoral twice, once with Lady Bliss and her daughter Karen in the audience, and Morning Heroes. Lady Bliss was not able to be present at this latter concert but gave great support. Before the rehearsal on 26 November John Wright, the Conductor of the Choir and Editor of the Society's Newsletter, played Finale and The Shepherd's Night Song in memory of Lady Bliss, from the Hickox recording. G.T.