Barbara Pointon

13th August 1939 – 21st June 2020

With thanks to John for co-ordinating the contributions and for this own introduction to such a remarkable, talented, hard-working and caring person. The memories shared below are ‘topped and tailed’ by Janet Macleod and Sue Pinner who first came to Homerton as students. After Janet’s contribution comes two from Pat Cooper and Trish Maude, Homerton Colleagues and eventually members of Emeritus. Chris Doddington and Philip Rundall then share some reminiscences of some very enjoyable and successful collaborative ‘arts’ adventures. The penultimate contribution is from Jane Edden who worked with Barbara in the Music Department, but that is only for starters. The love and respect that everyone had for Barbara shines through their accounts – she was indeed a very special person. Ed.

Memories of Barbara

Barbara Pointon was in charge of Music at Homerton when I first started to work at the College, and I would first of all like to acknowledge the enormous debt of gratitude that I owe to her for giving me that chance. She was an amazing woman, who worked tirelessly for the students, for music and for music’s role in the school curriculum. As someone with very little teaching experience in schools myself, I was relieved to find myself responsible for the more subject-based aspects of the B.Ed music course, and for attempting to build bridges between that course and the Faculty of Music in West Road. I think it would be fair to say that relations with that Faculty were somewhat sticky at that time, but over the years it became possible to improve that situation to everyone’s benefit.

Barbara was always very much the heart of the old Trumpington House Music Department, and many generations of music students were made to feel themselves to be a part of her extended family, and of course, being located at some distance from the main college buildings, we could make as much noise as we liked. Although Barbara took early retirement not long after I began to work at Homerton, we kept in touch for many years, a time when Barbara devoted herself to healthcare issues, prompted by Malcolm’s early onset of dementia, and for which she received national recognition when awarded the MBE. I fully agree with Janet Macleod’s comment in her contribution below that Barbara should also have received national recognition for her work in music education.

Rather than write a formal obituary, it was decided that for the RSM Newsletter, a number of colleagues and former students would be invited to share their personal memories of Barbara, and these are collected below. At a time when the kind of music, the approach to music education, and the set of musical values that Barbara embodied and fought for, are under attack from several sides, these shared memories of a passionate, warm and generous personality are extremely welcome.

John Hopkins I am part of that generation of Homertonions – all women then – for whom the Music Department meant David [Hindley], Barbara and Malcolm, yet when I arrived in 1972 Barbara wasn't there. She was on maternity leave, but wasted little time in returning to full time work, a relatively unusual decision back then. We saw her do it, we marvelled at her ability to juggle family and professional life and we talked about the fact that, one day, we could do the same; we didn't have to limit our ambitions. Trumpington House felt like a world apart but it was our home and Barbara, always approachable, always concerned for us as individuals, made it a warm and welcoming place to learn and grow.

Barbara encouraged us to think clearly for ourselves about what we were teaching, why it was important and how it could best be achieved and developed. An example – we remember learning from her how not to run a singing lesson. We were her class and she, the well meaning and enthusiastic teacher who incorporated every classic mistake into the session for us to recognise, diagnose, consider and overcome. It encapsulated so much of what she taught us about what a music lesson should be: musical, practical, thought provoking, engaging, collaborative and, of course, thoroughly enjoyable.

Barbara's influence and legacy will endure as so many of her students have gone on to teach and train successive generations of practitioners. Her belief in creative and active music making in the classroom continues to be passed on, touching so many lives. I know that I am not the only person who, while

delighted to see Barbara honoured for her work with the Alzheimer's Society, felt that this should have been her second MBE, the first being given in recognition of her enormous contribution to music education.

Janet Macleod

Emeritus farewell performance for Barbara

Barbara was an inspiration not only to her hundreds of students but to the happy few who joined the RSMA singing group, Emeritus, founded in 2009 in conjunction with her colleague Jane Edden. With infinite patience and skill they brought us the joy of singing and making music together. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

Barbara gave generously of her time, her boundless enthusiasm, her infinite musical skill and her sense of fun and enjoyment to every project she undertook at Homerton, in her own village of Thriplow and in the wider world.

Apart from her work in College, she was a dedicated ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society and throughout the long years of caring for Malcolm, her commitment to Homerton never failed and her spirit was undimmed. She was truly remarkable and courageous.

Patricia Cooper

Iremember Barbara with great affection, for example as a great mentor in my early Homerton days around 1974 when Saturday morning Music, Dance and Gym Clubs were in full swing. When my car broke down in Thriplow she provided tea and seats in the garden whilst we waited for the AA.

Barbara was a brilliant role model and colleague, always positive, constructive and highly professional. The Christmas Gathering was one of the highlights of the College year. Held in the Great Hall, which was always packed and you needed to apply for tickets at the earliest, to secure a place. Barbara masterminded and conducted and 'held sway'. This was always a joyous occasion, full of variety, involving many performers and a wide range of performances, including audience participation.

Trish Maude

When I think of Barbara, I think of her passionate belief in the value of the arts for education and her willingness to be playful in conveying enjoyment through the arts. Barbara’s enthusiasm for new ideas and for making things happen became clear in my early encounters with her. I had recently been appointed to the Drama department and we were planning themed ‘expressive arts’ experiences for the Primary PGCE students when she announced that a group of HMIs (Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools) were due to pay us a visit and would want to watch us teaching our groups. Along with Philip Rundall, she persuaded me that it would be a good idea if we brought our three student groups together so that I could take a drama session because my experience as a middle school teacher was much more ‘recent and relevant’ than theirs. Both she and Philip would be present of course and would be happy to take part! The result was hours of planning together until finally the day of the ‘observation’ arrived. Sixty plus students, willing and eager to do their very best for us, spilled into the echoing space of the empty Great Hall, high in expectation. Then together, within the space of two very active hours, we created the imaginary building of Noah’s Ark and a stormy sea journey complete with movement, music and sound effects. Barbara’s wholehearted wielding of invisible tools and enthusiastic pulling down the sails as the storm raged, was quite memorable!

A few years later, organisers of the annual Cambridge Music Festival approached Barbara for a suggestion of how Primary schools might get involved in the Festival. She and I discussed various options and we both wanted to be inclusive and to spread involvement as widely and as democratically as possible. We approached several local schools and eventually six teachers volunteered to work on developing a musical and dramatic performance around the theme of Circus with their class. Each performance would last 10 minutes making an hour long event to be shared with parents in the Cambridge Corn Exchange. The teachers offered their ideas and we loosely constructed the form of the performance. We could not get all the children together, nor find a space big enough to rehearse the whole performance so we bravely decided it would be a ‘happening’ improvised and structured by Barbara and myself on the day! More than 200 costumed children took part and Barbara and I, dressed as circus clowns, led a lively parade through the town and trouped into the Corn Exchange. The organisation of the children at that point was something of a nightmare but we’d taped the floor in segments for each class to sit squashed in the shape of a circus ring with the performance space in the centre. Then, acting boldly as two ringmasters we strode around the ring introducing each class to perform in turn. I think the timing stretched a little but apart from that, it was a success with everyone seeming to enjoy the event. I suspect

that, especially for the children taking part, the experience will have been somewhat unforgettable. It is my fondest memory of Barbara with her sheer enthusiasm, warmth and strong commitment to how significant arts education can, and should, be.

Christine Doddington

… from A Spider caught in the web RSMA Newsletter 2017

In 1973 I arrived aged 25 at Homerton, very green and yet Barbara, from the very start, was welcoming, enthusiastic and encouraging. She was not, of course, alone in this regard but throughout my years at the college, and indeed beyond, I valued her friendship and support. Clearly both of us being involved in specific areas of art education was very important but we both shared a love and concern for all of the arts. We both saw the importance of the arts as a whole in education and beyond and this eventually led to the joint Creative Arts Curriculum Course that we taught alongside David Male and Angela Bridges. Later other colleagues joined the team and eventually took over the course. I personally enjoyed hugely working as the representative of visual art with this great team of tutors and those who replaced them.

But earlier than this, Barbara and Malcom, being aware of my own musical activities, kindly asked me whether I’d like to take over Jon Betmead’s guitar chair in the band supporting the Homerton Children’s Music Club. I said yes and Barbara was musical director of several shows I played in, and beyond the club, I remember designing a programme cover for the show Smyke that involved Barbara’s local primary school in Thriplow. Playing in this show was a lot of fun too but perhaps the most memorable show of all was Joseph, the show we did with an adult amateur drama society (RADSOC), directed by the wonderful Rex Walford of the University Department of Education. The climax was going on tour for a week after the week run at Swavesey Village College, with a final performance held in a freezing cold Ely Cathedral. Poor Jesus was almost blue during the crucifixion scene! We later did a Christmas show with the society. Dave King, the most talented guitarist that I’ve known as a friend since childhood, joined us in the band and he loved Barbara. They got on so well, and Nick the bass player we recruited, who played in Dave’s own band, later looked back on the experience saying that it was one of the best times he’d ever had. Barbara, along with Malcom I remember Barbara as an encouraging and loving parent to both her sons. She was proud of her boys. Barbara was in addition to all this, for a long time, politically active beyond Homerton. She was also fully engaged in the affairs of the College, and of course, when Malcom became ill, she became totally devoted to his welfare and finally, after his death, Barbara continued to fight for support for carers and research into Alzheimer’s disease. I remember Barbara as a woman of great energy and kindness, she had a great sense of fun, she was down to earth and was a wonderful teacher and friend.

Philip Rundall

A splendid vision at party time: playing a drum with wine glass in hand

My earliest recollection of Barbara was being invited to Opus One in Thriplow, to discuss with her and Malcolm a course she was intending to run at Homerton, to which I, working then as Primary Music Specialist for the county, was invited to contribute. The impression I gained, was of a couple clearly at ease with themselves, who wanted to share a wealth of their knowledge with other teachers. A good sense of fun shone forth. This then was to be the backdrop of my working life with Barbara, her persuasive ways inviting me to take on some student teaching the minute I arrived at College for a two term sabbatical from the county, in order to write up my MA thesis.

Barbara was through and through an educator, well organised, hardworking and passionate about helping students. Her fine analytical mind devised a programme which ensured they would receive a first class music education, benefiting them both personally in their own musical development, but equally equipping them with a thorough understanding of how to deliver the music curriculum in schools. Under her stewardship of the department moreover, she brought a special human warmth and sense of humour, thus enabling a family type atmosphere within the life of Trumpington House, something which students often commented on and enjoyed. Musical life with Barbara however extended far beyond the timetable. In any concerts, Christmas gatherings and parties at home, she would leave no stone unturned to ensure that everything was delivered to the highest possible

standard. Parties at Opus One will always live on in the students' minds I’m sure, particularly with one never to be forgotten ‘double duvet’ joke which survives most probably in the minds of a particular cohort of first years!

Even beyond college, her love of writing and performing sketches – many of which were written for her local amateur dramatic society – and her love of dressing up (she came to my 1940’s party in a Shirley Temple wig and was unrecognisable!) – were very much an integral part of who Barbara was.

She taught me so much. Barbara was a hard task master undoubtedly, but always fair, always human, always innovative. Her decision to buy the steel pans knowing I had been involved with them over many years was something both I and countless generations of students will always be thankful for. Past music students will undoubtedly never forget Barbara and Malcolm Pointon, a team who contributed so much to their young lives, enriching them both musically and in terms of human experience.

Jane Edden

Ifirst met Barbara soon after I arrived as a student at Homerton in 1965. I had chosen Music as my 3rd subject intending to drop it after the first year. However I loved the course so much under Barbara’s leadership, that I continued throughout my 3 year Primary Teaching course.

Barbara was so enthusiastic, and the course covered many and varied aspects of music – both for furthering students’ skills, knowledge and ability – and practical techniques and ideas to use teaching young children. I well remember her saying that Music was the most important subject as it taught children to ‘listen’ – high or low notes, quick or slow etc. This was invaluable when I started teaching at an Infants School and later successfully used these ideas when I was responsible for music as part of the syllabus for Nursery Nursing Students (NNEB qualification).

Barbara of course had a Homerton Choir! I joined and thoroughly enjoyed singing a huge variety of music. Barbara always had time for her students and encouraged us all at whatever level we were. My year group could not have been easy to teach as our abilities and musical experience included most who had passed ‘A’ Level music, to a few who hadn’t even taken ‘O’ Level! Yet she managed to meet everyone’s needs without prejudice – and we had fun – especially all learning to play the guitar! I lost touch completely with Barbara at the end of my course but in 2002 I found that I had moved into the very village where Barbara lived – Thriplow. Barbara was a key Thriplow resident – she was on the Parish Council, started Thriplow Brass Band who performed regularly at the annual Daffodil Weekend as well as other performances, had presented several musical productions involving the local school children that would run for a week in Cambridge – and ran Thriplow Amateur Dramatic Society – TADS.

I joined TADS – as did my husband – and we gave many performances in the village and beyond ranging from series of sketches and songs interspersed with a meal, Murder Mystery, Pantomime and Old Tyme Music Hall. Barbara was not only Producer and Director but also wrote a lot of the material herself!

After Malcolm died Barbara worked tirelessly to promote the needs of Dementia patients and their relatives, as well as giving lectures about dementia (that she described as 'Brain Attack' – as opposed to ‘Heart Attack’) to audiences all over the country. She was also appointed to a Government Committee on Dementia care.

Barbara’s RSMA Emeritus Rose

She inaugurated the ‘Crumblies Choir’ at Homerton –later re-named ‘Emeritus Choir’. Barbara asked me to join this and somehow I became its last leader/ Maestra!

Barbara was an amazing woman and one I feel privileged to have known first as an Educator and in later years as a friend. Sue Pinner

From Barbara’s contribution to 'More on Moore', RSMA Newsletter 2018 … In the Sixties and Seventies I ran a Saturday Morning Music Club for children age 7-14 in Trumpington House and in the half-time break the children usually went outside to let off steam on the back lawn. They were delighted when a Henry Moore sculpture arrived and they explored it in every way possible. At the next staff meeting, I was severely chided by one of the older members of staff who proposed that the club be closed down if they couldn’t behave themselves. Miss Paston Brown smiled and declared that she knew Henry Moore very well and admired his work. He would have encouraged the children to be very tactile with his piece, clamber over it and view the world from new angles. I was a very green junior lecturer at the time, but I had the last laugh – my maiden name then was Miss Barbara Moore!