Heather Williams: Scottish National Orchestra Oboist and Teacher Dies at 97
Heather Williams, a distinguished oboist who served as principal oboist with the Scottish National Orchestra in her early twenties and later became a revered teacher at Dartington College of Arts, has died at the age of 97. Her life was marked by a profound dedication to music, education, and artistic expression across multiple disciplines.
Early Career and Orchestral Achievements
Born in Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands, Heather was the daughter of Ernest Williams, who managed Emery Brothers, a subsidiary of the family steel business, and his wife, Margaret. Her parents, valuing a humane and liberal education, enrolled her at the progressive Dartington Hall school. There, she thrived in an environment of equality between children and teachers, engaging in a rich array of arts activities and even riding horseback to the school farm.
Initially playing the piano and violin, Heather discovered her passion for the oboe under the tutelage of composer Imogen Holst, who established the first music course at Dartington Hall and remained a lifelong musical inspiration. After leaving school, she pursued formal oboe studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, followed by advanced training in Amsterdam with Haakon Stotijn, the principal oboist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
In 1951, at just 23 years old, Heather achieved a significant milestone by becoming a principal oboist with the Scottish National Orchestra in Glasgow. During her tenure with the orchestra, she met and married clarinettist Tim Ormerod, and their child was born in 1952. However, in 1956, she and Tim left the orchestra to take up teaching positions at Bryanston school in Dorset, marking a transition in her career.
Teaching Career and Artistic Contributions
After her marriage to Tim ended in divorce in 1959, Heather moved to Devon to teach at Dartington College of Arts, a higher education institution specialising in music, theatre, dance, and the visual arts. She spent the majority of her teaching career there, also instructing privately and at the University of Exeter. Heather continued her private teaching work even after retiring from Dartington in 1988.
Beyond her teaching, Heather was deeply committed to the Dartington Summer School of Music, where she frequently performed in concerts. In the early 1980s, she co-founded Aubade, a flexible trio of oboists designed to provide her former students with valuable experience in ensemble playing. Over a decade, Aubade performed in diverse settings, from grand houses to outdoor events, showcasing her dedication to nurturing musical talent.
Heather's artistic interests extended beyond music into design. Throughout the 1960s, alongside her teaching duties, she served as an informal voluntary assistant to textile artist Susan Bosence at Dartington, learning tie-dye techniques. Often during rehearsal breaks, she would discreetly tie grains of rice into cloth in preparation for dyeing, reflecting her multifaceted creativity.
Later Life and Legacy
In retirement, Heather expanded her artistic endeavours into silversmithing, creating jewellery that she displayed and sold at craft fairs in Devon and galleries nationwide, including Primavera in Cambridge. Her pieces were playful, witty, understated, and thoughtful, often drawing inspiration from the natural world, mirroring her personality.
Heather's personal life included a second marriage in 1968 to Bill Elmhirst, son of Dartington Hall Trust founders Leonard and Dorothy Elmhirst, which ended in divorce in 1974. She is survived by her child, a sister named Valerie, two granddaughters, and three great-grandchildren.
Heather Williams leaves behind a legacy as a pioneering oboist, a dedicated educator, and a versatile artist whose contributions enriched the cultural landscape of music and design in the UK.
