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Extract from eulogy given by the
Reverend Gervase Murphy, M.A.
at the funeral of Yvonne Rodd-Marling
on September 14, 1982:
"The lady's hat for Ascot was just not right. It lacked
that
necessary touch of original sparkle. She stood looking at it
-
moving it round; taking it off, putting it on; discarding
it;
trying something else. Patience was running out. People
were beginning to move outside. And still the lady and
the
hat were not happy together. . . .
Fortunately, Yvonne was near at hand. In a second or so
with her deft touch of brilliance, a movement of
scissors
and silk ribbon here; a stitch there, and a move of this
and
that to somewhere else, and the whole creation of that
particular
lady's head-dress was re-created.
Such was the personality of Yvonne . . .enchanting,
elegant
with an abundance of style and dash. Not actually
beautiful,
someone has suggested, but completely fascinating, with
tremendous elan and animation, a sense of fun and humor,
and a lively interest in everyone and everything.
The day before she died she wrote to one of her friends
who
was ill. The light touch of her pen filled the pages with
words
of love and encouragement. All of us here today have
known
Yvonne and in varying ways have experienced that love
and
encouragement. She was such a gifted and giving person. .
.
as warm and graceful to someone of humble standing as to
a
Prime Minister or Field Marshall and several others such
as
leaders of Nations who benefited from her expertise and
joie de vive.
Undoutedly in the world of music she was enabled to make
her
own unique and greatest conquests and find her firmest
and
innumerable friends. She was quick to see in the
youngest
aspiring student the potentialities of a distinguished
musician
and artist of the future.
Her capacity for work and getting things done made her
singing
teaching capabilities recognised the world over.
Here, today, with all her friends and members of her family,
the
spirit and ingenuity of Professor Frederick Husler is not
far from
us.
Born in London, she came of a family of good brains and
high
intelligence. Her father was a diplomat. Persia, Denmark
and
Holland. From birth therefore she was invested with
advantages
and from the beginning she had the sense to use these
advantages.
These gifts, combined with her wonderfuly quick intuitive
sympathy
enabled her to create this personal world of music and
friends . . .
and in the midst of her business she was conscious that
her
pilgrimage in this world would not last for ever.
On one occasion she wrote to a friend whom she thought was
near
to death: 'And when we go we shall have so many loved ones
to meet
us."
Death, to her, and to us, cannot be the end. Rather the
opening
of a door to greater opportunities, responsibilities and
privelages.
Thanks be to God who gives us victory over death. Thanks be
to God
for the sweet fragrance of Yvonne and a life well lived."
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6951 CUREGLIA sopra
LUGANO
CASA GORMUND
Tel. 091/2 91 75
Feb. 14th 1965
Dear Mr Murdock
Prof. Husler has asked me to answer
your letter as his English is not
very good when it comes to writing letters. Many
thanks for your enquiry;
Annon Lee Silver had already mentioned your name
and said you might be
writing.
As a rule we do not take singers without hearing
them first (sometimes one
feels one cannot help them enough to justify a long
journey and the expense
involved) but Annon Lee told us quite a bit about
your voice and it all
sounds very promising.
The autumn term starts Sept. 20th and lasts until
Dec.10th. The fees amount
to 50 Swiss francs a week. We train the voice four
days a week and have a
kind of workshop every Wednesday when pieces are
sung.
Accommodation is rather hard to find, as Cureglia
is a very small village, but
so far we have been lucky with our singers and I
shall keep a look out for
something suitable. Perhaps you could let me know
later on what you can
pay for rooms and what you need.
Cureglia lies five kilometers out of Lugano; there
is a bus service of sorts
into town and people often drive in to shop. The
village itself is primitive
but most attractive and the countryside is lovely.
The climate is pretty mild
on the whole with a few sharp spells in winter; the
summer can be very hot
indeed. The language is Italian though most people
speak German and French.
In the villages they talk a picturesque and quite
incomprehensible dialect, which
the true Italians simply hate. Music is difficult
to buy in Lugano and very
expensive. We hire occasionally from the
broadcasting station if we happen
to be doing any choral works.
I don't think there is much else I can tell you. It
would be kind if you will
confirm your arrival as we have to be very
restricted in numbers.
Very best wishes and congratulations for your
wedding, and kind regards
from Prof. Husler.
Yours
sincerely,
P.S. Prof. Husler suggests that you
might like to order our book which has
just been published in London by Faber and Faber
Ltd, 24 Russell Square,
London, W. C. I
"Singing. The Physical Nature of the Vocal
Organ"
A guide to unlocking of the singing voice.
It is illustrated and has a record attached.This is
not, of course, obligatory!
but it could be quite a help to you.
Scuola di canto: Prof. F. Husler - Y.
Rodd-Marling
Patronato: Herbert von
Karajan - Dr. Otto Klemperer - Sir Malcolm Sargent
- William Glock (BBC)
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Extract from a letter to Ron Murdock dated
April 7, 1973:
Anchoring the
Larynx: I said not to worry because
one cannot work on the
instrument just when one is singing for a broadcast. Anyway
what does "anchoring"
mean? It is not a static condition; it does not mean that
the larynx is always
drawn down to the maximum. The larynx has to be able to move
like everything
else in the instrument of singing. Your anchoring muscles
are not yet quite
developed enough to coordinate always and in every sort of
circumstance with
the rest. The throat can be opened up still more and that is
done by training which
can continue all one's life! So there is nothing to worry
about. You must not be
too analytical, too cerebral, or you will lose your singing
instinct! You will get
in your own way! Do practise your chest voice to get it
going more easily. That
muscle is not free enough yet (the difficulty very often in
tenor voices). When it
is freer you will get the top more easily.
Much love to you and toi toi toi for all your plans.
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