School to hold memorial fund master class (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

School to hold memorial fund master class in memory of former music teacher, Lady Rosalind Runcie

12:00pm Monday 21st January 2013 in News By Rebecca Perring, Reporter

St Albans School is to hold a memorial fund master class and concert in memory of a former music teacher at the school.

The school in Abbey Gateway will hold the master class dedicated to late Lady Rosalind Runcie, a former music teacher at the school and wife of the late Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Memorial Fund, which is administered by the St Albans School Foundation, is named after Lady Runcie and was created to encourage and assist pupils to learn the piano.

Lady Runcie was an accomplished pianist herself, having trained at the Guildhall School of Music. She was married to Robert Runcie who, after being Bishop of St Albans for 10 years, became Archbishop of Canterbury from 1980 to 1991.

During this time, Rosalind Runcie continued to return to St Albans regularly to teach piano and raised more than £500,000 for charity by giving concerts and recitals.

She taught piano until the time of her death in January 2012 and once famously said: "If there isn’t a piano in heaven then I don’t want to go there."

The concert will also feature well-renowned pianist Joanna MacGregor.

The masterclass will take place in the school library on Thursday January, 31 and six pupils from St Albans School and St Albans High School for Girls will take part.

Tickets are £20 for adults, £15 for concessions and £10 for pupils.

To attend contact Ros Boswell in the Music Office at St Albans School, Abbey Gateway, St Albans, AL3 4HB. Seats will be allocated in advance.