MUSIC lovers from across the country are mourning the death of Alma Bright Clarke, one of Redditch’s most celebrated musicians, at the age of 90.
Alma, founder and director of Redditch Choral Society, was an inspirational and exceptional musician, a teacher, a singer and pianist.
Born in Headless Cross in 1926, she passed away at her home in Studley on May 22 after a short illness.
She had been due to conduct Redditch Choral Society’s performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah on June 17 at St Stephen’s Church but this will now be done by her son Kenneth, himself a professional musician.
“We felt she would be angry with us if we cancelled the performance,” said a spokeswoman for the choir.
Born in 1926, Alma Bright Clarke studied piano from the age of six and singing lessons were from Mavis Bennett, the well known Redditch soprano, and Alfred Deller the famous counter-tenor. Later she went on to study at what is now the Birmingham Conservatoire.
Her first public performances were at Headless Cross Methodist Church, before becoming the accompanist for Mavis Bennett’s ‘Juvenile Songsters’ on BBC Children’s Hour, travelling to Broadcasting House in London during the war to make these recordings!
Later, she and her brother Jason became members of the BBC Midland Chorus and Singers. Alma went on to become a soloist with them and gave many broadcast recitals. She was also accepted to sing for BBC television in London and offered roles at Covent Garden but turned these down to bring up her five young sons.
In 1964, she founded Redditch Choral Society which she conducted until just two weeks ago. The first concert by the Choral Society was a performance of Handel’s Messiah in aid of War on Want.
The Choral Society has sung many major choral works as well as commissioning quite a number of new works by up and coming composers like Francis Grier and Ruth Chan, one of her former pupils.
Alma also founded the Midlands Opera Group in 1964 and ran a children’s choir, the Studley ‘Little Singers’ for a number of years.
Her annual garden parties and concerts at Studley Village hall have raised thousands for Save the Children and her efforts were recognised by awards from the charity itself and more recently by Studley Parish Council and Redditch Borough Council.
She was also a 2015 winner of the Pride of Redditch award.
Emily Tyrrell, secretary of Redditch Choral Society said: “The overriding feelings of Redditch Choral Society have been of shock and profound sadness. Alma, even at the age of 90, was deeply involved in the musical life of our town; She conducted the last Choral Society rehearsal before she died with her famous energy and wit, and was still an active singing and piano teacher right until the end.
There has, of course, been so much to be thankful for. Alma was an incredible, and unstoppable, force for good. Simply, she did what she thought was right. She believed that Redditch should have a choral society and so she made it happen, for over 50 years, without taking a fee for herself.
“She believed that talent should be nurtured and so, whether pupils could afford lessons or not, she coached many singers and pianists on to do great things. She believed, wholeheartedly, in young people.”
