TRIBUTE TO HEATHER MOORE
Heather was - "frae Kirkcaldy" - and she never let us forget
that - one of these Fifers who you are meant to need a lang
spoon tae sup wi'. But I didn't find it difficult to get to
know her at all.
She had a great sense of humour - no, it was more than that
- a huge sense of fun would be more accurate!
As sharp as a tack in that department.
She loved straightforward humour: Tommy Cooper, Victor Borge and
Rikki Fulton. For fun, she loved Tom and Jerry.
She was very keen on Puns. I have seen many young ladies introduce
their new swains to Heather over the years. She would see whether
they could reply with rapid puns in response to hers. If they did,
they had passed the test!
She was a great leg-puller, and enjoyed it when you pulled her's too!
Heather was a strong family person. She was always so proud of her
immediate family, Charlie, her Mother, Hazel and Carol - and her
extended family too. We always heard about the grandchildren in
Australia and the ups and downs of the nieces and nephews.
We were very close; sharing celebrations, birthdays and anniversaries,
and of course sad events.
She taught piano to our children, who of course thought the world
of her. She even tutored me when I was competing at the National Mod.
Sometimes we joked about each being the sister and brother that
neither of us had. My big sister of course!
We first met in 1975 shortly after we arrived in Lochaber from Skye,
fresh from the Portree Gaelic Choir and thinking I knew something
about choral singing. Half an hour in the Kilmallie singers soon
exposed my technical inability. But once we became friends Heather
was convinced that we went further back than that, possibly to 1963,
when as a student she encountered Pop Adams' music class of fourth
year boys at Leith Academy. A class that behaved, shall we say,
in a way that would give any young, attractive music student some
difficulty. She tried to teach us the Swiss folk song Upidee,
a tune that we immediately recognised, but instead we sang the words
of the current advert "Guinness, Guinness, gives you strength!"
In any event we went back a long way.
Where did her music come from? Well the family doesn't really know.
Heather's Mother told me the other night that they bought the first
family piano when on holiday in Morecambe when the girls were wee -
pretty brave - not all parents would have done that.
Eventually when she had outgrown the local music teachers in
Kirkcaldy, she had piano lessons through in Edinburgh from
Mr Ramsay Geechie - in Princes St, no less.
She bought her grand piano when she was around 21 at a house sale
in Fife. £250 as I understand; what a seriously good investment
that was - but getting it upstairs into the family home was
another matter entirely! (we had a laugh the other night with
stories of new doors and cranes!)
In time she would pride herself on having developed the music
teacher's knack of being able to play the piano without taking
her eyes off the class for an instant. Something that came in
handy in later life for dealing with the miscreant males in the
back row of the Kilmallie Singers.
I know that for a time when young she considered whether to should
pursue mathematics for a career. We are all grateful that she
chose music.
Her first job was teaching piano to the young ladies at St Leonard's
private school in Edinburgh. Then to the Graeme High School at
Falkirk, then Kirkaldy HS and Lochaber HS.
She joined the staff of LHS not long after she came to FW, but left
to raise Hazel and Carol. She returned to work as a peripatetic
music teacher, along with one of her respected colleagues, the late
Isobel Henderson. She covered the primary schools around Loch Leven
and in Glen Spean.
In time she returned to LHS as PT of Music and became a much-respected
member of staff there.
Heather led many school choirs over the years but her most effective
period was in her partnership with Alasdair Grant, the Principal
Gaelic Teacher at LHS when the Gaelic Choir regularly swept the boards
at the national mod. Alasdair was a very close friend too as they
regularly traded insults, each increasing in severity - a good foil
for each other someone said. No, perhaps it was really claymores
as they hacked and jousted away!
There was a great fondness there - as well as mutual
professional respect.
She instilled discipline in the school choirs - as well as loyalty
and hard work. She often spoke of "My girls" - a la Jean Brodie.
(the choir was a family affair too as her mother made the kilts!).
A number of her "girls" are here today.
Then of course there were the Kilmallie Singers, Lochaber Showstoppers
and Highland Hospitals' Choir.
In the Showstoppers she found a
complete change and enjoyed the co-ordination and building of
the shows through to the performance; the cast learnt so much
from her.
Her involvement with the Hospitals' Choir was only over the past
five years; she so looked forward to these Christmas Concerts and
I know that feelings were reciprocated in respect, from Sheila Bruce
the accompanist, and the choristers, some of whom are here today.
She founded the Kilmallie singers and led us for over 35 years.
For many of us the choir has been one of the cornerstones of our
lives.
She would teach us how to enter at our Anacruses, to know our Piu
Animatos from our Andante Sostenutos! But equally, and perhaps more
effectively, she was at home with her own musical terms, encouraging
her plummy altos to 'make it lumpy', 'be viscous' or 'chop it up'!
If folk carried on too much she would tell us that:
"You're not here to laugh and enjoy yourselves!"
And she certainly had the ability to take the grins of the faces of
those she called the two talkative bald-headed muppet characters in
the back row and wipe the floor with us if that proved necessary!
We had many joint concerts with the Corran Singers from Lochgilphead;
Heather again in partnership, but this time with Sheila MacCallum,
that choir's much respected conductor. Heather was so fond of Sheila
and helped her through her recent illness. Sheila is here today and
would like to be associated with this tribute.
Over the years in Gaelic circles she conducted the Corpach Gaelic
Choir and Coisir Ghàidhlig a'Ghearasdain. She also played at
innumerable dances and ceilidhs.
She was very well known at local mods around the country where she
was hugely encouraging to young folk - indeed she was just back from
Islay. A few years ago she received, in my opinion, an overdue
invitation to become a National Mod adjudicator in which role she
was greatly respected by her colleagues.
She was a fellow Justice of the Peace to a number of us here.
She was made a JP in 1970. Not only was she the first lady justice,
but for anyone to be made a justice at the age of 29 is strong
indication that she was held in very high regard indeed.
Latterly, she was Chair of the Justices' Committee.
She was certainly very adept at encouraging male justices to see
the woman's point of view!
Another great talent was in crosswords - I'll never forget when
she arrived at our house one time sporting her newly won "Wee Stinker"
tee shirt from the Herald. It stayed on all night!
Heather was an exacting musician and conductor - but she was
self-effacing with her talent.
A hostess with an open house - many of us have had very happy times
there along with her husband, and our dear friend, Charlie.
Heather certainly didn't suffer fools gladly; but also found it
difficult to say no to people.
She loved banter; was honest and direct.
She loved animals.
She would get involved in political argument - when it suited.
She was interested in the environment and conservation.
She hated stuffiness in people, airs and graces, anything that was
self-seeking.
Heather was someone whose presence would brighten any room she
entered - but being a very human being, you knew instantly if she
was in bad form! She wouldn't make a poker player, as she said herself.
The past couple of years were marred by her frustration at waiting
for a knee operation. Eventually she had this in March and it was
just tremendous to see the progress she was making and so looking
forward to better mobility.
This all came in time for Carol and Donald's wedding in May -
something that made her so very happy.
What compliments we have had over these past two weeks. Things like
- "A live wire, a perky, vibrant, unstoppable woman."
Heather was one of these blocks of stability upon which our community
is built; someone you expect to be around for ever - I certainly
never expected to have to do this job.
I heard the awful news in the middle of a walking tour in the
mountains of Corsica with a group of strangers - I have never felt
quite so utterly alone as then.
While we are naturally desperately sad today, we need to appreciate
and be grateful for the inspiration and confidence that Heather
gave to so many singers and musicians; young and not so young.
That, after all, will be her legacy.
So the collection today will go to the Kenneth J Macpherson Trust,
a fund set up in memory of one of Heather's predecessors as PT of
Music at LHS, affectionately nicknamed "Geraldo".
The remit of this fund is to encourage young musicians in Lochaber.
Heather was an enthusiastic trustee and you will understand why
this Trust has been chosen. We do hope that you will give generously.
Heather was truly a "larger than life" character and our fond
memories should similarly be larger than her death.
I know that she didn't believe in cancelling dances, ceilidhs
and things because there had been a local bereavement. There is an
instruction for us today in that - in how we should hold ourselves.
So there you have it. It has been a huge privilege to have been
invited to make this tribute today; but the greater honour is that
Heather called me her friend.
Tribute by John Hutchison,
given at Heather's funeral,
Duncansburgh Church, Fort William,
Thursday, 20 July 2006.
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