We were very sad to learn, at the end of November 2022, of the sudden death of Diane Ford, the Bach Choir’s accompanist for many years.
Di came to Humberside in 1964 to teach at Thorne Grammar School. But she chose to live in Hull to be close to Tony Ford, whom she had got to know when they were students at Birmingham University. Tony had previously come to Hull in 1963 to take up a post as Assistant Lecturer in the Music department of Hull University. They had adjacent flats in Pearson Park. They married in 1965. Anthony Hedges was the organist at the wedding; he also composed a piece for the couple.
A keen singer (she had been a member of Birmingham City Choir since school days), Di became a member of Hull Bach Choir. In the following year, Tony became the choir’s continuo player.
Thus began a partnership between these two talented musicians and with the choir, that would last over half a century. Tony became the choir’s conductor in 1969. Di became its accompanist. She was also the choir’s orchestra secretary, responsible for appointing both orchestral players and solo singers for over a hundred concerts. She also often took on the lion's share of the work required to make applications for funding.
Di was a musician of many talents. An Associate of the Royal College of Music (ARCM), she played violin, oboe, cor anglais and, on occasion for HBC, tympani. Her main instrument was the piano, and as a rehearsal accompanist, she was superb. Present and past members of the choir will remember with admiration and gratitude the lucidity of her playing. No matter how many parts in the score, usually four, sometimes more, you could always hear and follow your part with perfect clarity.
Di was equally at home with a baton. On occasions when Tony was indisposed, she would take over as rehearsal conductor, sometimes accompanying at the same time. She taught music at several schools in the area, including for many years at Hessle High. After she retired from teaching she ran a very successful choir for Swanland u3a.
And she was such a lovely person. Always friendly and cheerful, welcoming to choral newcomers, positive and resourceful in solving last-minute problems such as a soloist reporting sick on the eve of a concert. It became a choir tradition that on the Monday following the final concert of the season, Di would host a party at Tony and Di’s house in Victoria Avenue. These were always delightful occasions. We shall miss her dearly.
MK
