DSC 0539

Despite potentially crippling diagnosis of cancer of the nose at an early age, which left her unable to speak and (as she thought) much disfigured, her parents put in the hands of the wonderful John Bate, the choirmaster at their local church, All Saints, Putney. He taught her to speak again (hence the cut glass accent) and sing. Strangely, John can not remember doing anything special, but he did. What goes round comes around, and she was later overjoyed to return the favour by becoming a patron of the choir John founded, now known as the Thames Philharmonic Choir, and it was a great pleasure to us (and them) that they were able to come and sing for us at the Event, with pieces from Mary’s favourite composer, Faure – excerpts from the Requiem, and the complete Cantique of Jean Racine. It was very moving.