Kathryn Harries (1951-2023),
our President
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We were greatly saddened to hear of the recent death of our President, soprano Kathryn Harries from cancer. Kathryn’s relationship with TPC dates back to her teaching days at Kingston Polytechnic in the 1970’s when she and TPC founder John Bate were colleagues. Alongside her extensive professional singing, broadcasting and teaching life and her recent work locally in Wandsworth as Director of the National Opera Studio, she was enthusiastic about amateur music and was a much-loved President of Thames Philharmonic Choir.
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Susan Mason, TPC Chairman 2019-2022 said, “The last time Kathryn performed as a soloist with us was in 2009 in Mendelssohn’s Elijah, just after she took on the Directorship of the National Opera Studio. Kathryn was a regular soloist and VIP audience member at our concerts over the years and supportive of Harry Bradford’s appointment when he took over after John’s retirement in 2019. She was enthusiastic about the new TPC choral Scholarship scheme, introduced for the 2021/22 season and took the time to talk to the young scholars about their careers.".
Rosie Rendall, who runs the Thames Philharmonic Patrons’ programme and who remembers taking singing lessons from Kathryn as a mature student at Kingston adds, “Kathryn Harries became our President in 2004, has always shown a great interest in the choir and supported our concerts whenever she could. She will be sadly missed by us all.”.
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Current Chairman, Sandra Macniven speaks for everyone in TPC when she says, “ It was a great privilege for us when Kathryn accepted the invitation to become our President and she always supported us, not only in attending as many concerts as she could, but was also able to offer advice when we were in need of soloists. She will be greatly missed”.
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We’ll be thinking of Toria and Will and their families as they come to terms with Kathryn’s premature death.
Kathryn Harries obituary (telegraph.co.uk)
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Kathryn Harries obituary (thetimes.co.uk)
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Kathryn Harries obituary ( The Guardian)
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Photograph: Barbara Gindl/EPA/Shutterstock