It is with great sadness that we report the recent death of Roy Carr, a longstanding supporter of Making Music and previous chair of the Yorkshire Regional Committee.
Roy was a plain speaking, no nonsense, gritty northerner. Living all his life in Barnsley he took great pleasure from his musical activities. In his early years he studied music at the Sorbonne in Paris and was an accomplished organist but his passion was singing. He was a member of a number of choirs, latterly the Sheffield Oratorio Chorus and the Sheffield Bach Choir, and was often found helping other groups short of bass singers. He was also a keen listener of both live performances and recordings.
He joined the then National Federation of Music Societies (NFMS) Yorkshire committee in the late 1970s and took great pleasure from both attending performances given by NFMS groups and meeting individuals to talk about their activities. He was very conscientious in his Visitor’s role and often submitted a detailed critique of concerts he had attended. He also had a particular skill in not only being able to tap into the right people but also to persuade them to become part of the regional committee.
Roy worked in education all his life and taught French, presumably as a result of studying in Paris, until his retirement. Equal to his love of music was his love of France and he often visited Paris and other areas of France, sampling the food and wine on his travels. After retirement he maintained his connection with education through his work as a school governor, a role he maintained until his recent illness.
Many people will remember Roy with fondness.
