Very sad news.
I knew Ray best back in 1984, when I was visiting Colin regularly to learn
pipe-making. Ray was often around, always kind and welcoming, and sometimes
gave me a meal with them if I stayed on to go with Colin to the pipe-making
evening class he taught at that time. As it says in the Guardian obituary,
she did indeed have - " a gift for making people laugh, with witty
comments", and she would often have dryly witty observations to make on the
obsessions and characters of the piping world!
Incidentally, the obituary describes Colin as "fiddler and Northumbrian
piper" - so it seems pipe making has not yet entered the radar of mainstream
journalism.
Later, Ray sometimes helped Elizabeth with sourcing material for pipe-bag
covers, and they were able to share and compare notes on being married to
pipe-makers!
We both send our sympathy to Colin.
Philip
On 01/09/2011 20:56, Julia Say wrote:
Those of you who knew Colin Ross' wife, Ray, and haven't so
far heard from other
singing or social forums, will be saddened to learn of her
death yesterday. She had
been ill for some time and finally succumbed to several conditions.
Messages are flooding on to various lists and boards and
there is an obit on the
Guardian website
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/sep/01/ray-fisher-obituary
?INTCMP=SRCH
Colin is coping as well as can be expected and has family
with him, but as he is
himself not totally well, please no phone calls to the
family home, they simply
cannot deal with the volume of calls.
Email messages will be received (though probably not
answered, again due to volume)
and cards are fine. He is very grateful for the messages
received so far and the
support and appreciation of the piping community.
Ray was of course an internationally respected traditional
singer with an extensive
family, and singing will play a large part in the farewell ceremony.
It is at 2.15 pm on Monday 12 September at Whitley Bay.
Pipers have been requested:
please email me for more details if you are likely to come,
so I know how big a
turnout of players to expect. There is a social event
afterwards as well.
Julia
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