Oxford and Cambridge Musical Club

This page contains notices, comments and tributes to past members of the Club.

Sue Estermann - (died 5.10.2009), member since 1981

Sue's untimely death in October after a short illness caused much sadness in the Club. She had been a loyal and hard-working committee member for many years, updating the membership lists and circulating programmes and notices to those members not on email. She had trained as a pianist, percussionist and singer, but due to an accident she had for some time been unable to play percussion. She was however a very reliable alto, and sang in many choral items in the Club. The performance of Handel's Saul in November was dedicated to her memory. Sue's openness and friendliness made her a popular member of the Club, and she will be greatly missed.

William Phipps - (died 1.10.2009), member since 1993

William Phipps died on October 1st 2009.  He joined the Club in 1993 as a flautist, and was a popular member of the wind players’ group. Prior to that he had been a deep-sea diver in the Canadian navy and later, denied the chance of training as a flute maker by the closure of the British firm Rudall Carte, a distinguished silversmith. He was renowned as an all-seasons swimmer in the Serpentine, and leaves a widow, Henrietta, and four children.

Leonard Whitehouse - (11.6.1926 - 10.5.2008), member since 1951

Leonard Whitehouse died on 10th May 2008. Leonard was our longest serving member, the last from the cohort that joined the Club in 1951. A fine Bassoonist, he served on the Club Committee for many years, particularly as Wind Co-ordinator. He was the subject of a Celebratory Concert held in March 2006, and or a Memorial Concert in September 2008.

Graham Thorne - (17.5.1931 - 6.2.2008), member since 1956

Graham Thorne was a fine pianist and served the Club as Chairman and for many years as Club Secretary. Graham joined the Club in 1956, and, together with Percy Timberlake and others, played a central role in the revitalisation of the Club at that time. He was an excellent Pianist, particularly renowned for his Mozart performances, and also had great sympathy for the music of Sir Lennox Berkeley, who was President of the Club for most of that period. He performed only rarely in the last 15 years, and had been seriously ill for the last five. He was the subject of a Memorial Concert in September 2008.

Memories from Club Members and Friends

Adrian de Peyer - (9.9.1929 - 18.10.2006), member since 1992

After a long illness Adrian Christopher de Peyer passed away on 18 October 2006.

Adrian joined the Club in 1992, and for ten years made memorable contributions to Club concerts as tenor soloist. The performance of Tales of Hoffmann on 11th November 2006 was dedicated to his memory.

Hilary Orr - (14.1.1935 - 20.9.2005), member since 1988

Hilary Orr, who chaired the Club for three years from 1995, died on 20th September 2005 after a long and painful illness. Her contribution to the Club was marked in the Memorial Concert on 22 April 2006.

Christopher Bunting - (8.8.1924 - 28.7.2005 )

The cellist Christopher Bunting, for many years an Honorary Member of the Club, died on 28th July 2005 at the age of 80. An obituary appeared in the Guardian, and his work was marked in the Memorial Concert on 22 April 2006.

Memories from Club Members

John Bateman - (1908 - 2005), member since 1970

John Bateman died in May 2005, a few days short of his 97th birthday. John had been a Club member for nearly thirty-five years, and made major contributions to the Club as pianist, Music Secretary and indefatigable proponent of contemporary music. A Memorial Concert was held on 25 November 2005.

Memories from Club Members

Percy Timberlake - (26.8.1916 - 2.6.2004), member since 1956

Percy Timberlake died on Wednesday 2nd June 2004. Percy was central to the survival and continued success of the Club in the second half of the last century, serving for extended periods as Chairman and as leader of the Club Orchestra. An obituary appeared in the Guardian Newspaper on 30th June.

His funeral was held at Golders Green Crematorium West Chapel on Friday 11th June. The Club concert on Saturday 16th October served as a memorial to Percy. During the concert Percy's son Simon talked about Percy's life and his involvement in music and with the Club - you can read his notes here.