David's Page

David Fletcher
Founder member of TVEMF 1988 -16th November 2021
and Chairman from 1999

David was one of the founder members of TVEMF and a member of the original committee. As well as being chairman since 1999, David organised an annual renaissance chamber music day and provided all the music from his library, ran the website and printed Tamesis for many years, and arranged instrumental parts and choral scores for our workshops. He was a fount of knowledge about pieces we had done or might do. In addition to all this, he brought the catering equipment and supplies to all our workshops and kept everything in his loft in between. Truly an irreplaceable person! He has left a lasting legacy in bringing people together to experience and enjoy all that early music has to offer.

The contribution David has made to promoting early music amongst amateur singers and instrumentalists over many decades has been quite extraordinary. In particular he has dedicated a huge amount of time to make TVEMF a successful and thriving organisation. Working with him on the TVEMF committee for the past 12 years has been a great privilege. We have all lost a wonderful and generous person.

David King

Early Wind Group at High Wycombe

I knew David even before we were members of the committee which formed TVEMF in 1988. Since then we’ve worked together on organising hundreds of workshops for the forum, met at Beauchamp and other early music courses and played together regularly in his recorder and early wind groups in High Wycombe. He was a big part of my musical life and I’m going to miss him very much.

Victoria Helby

I have fond recollections of playing alongside David in Southwark Waits, the Morley College class tutored by Bernard Thomas. Two hours immersed in Renaissance polyphony followed by a visit to the pub was a glorious way to spend each Friday evening. Most weeks Giovanni Gabrielli would feature and also lesser known composers such as Trombetti. I will never forget the ethereal sound of the cornett, usually played by David, dancing around and floating seemingly effortlessly above everything else. I will miss him.

Kate Gordon

I first met David at TVEMF many years ago where he was always supportive of my attempts to play the mute cornett. More recently, he has always been there to help with the technical aspects of my roles on the committee and I have enjoyed his company regularly, not just with TVEMF but also in other early wind groups. I can’t imagine playing the cornett without him and I am going to miss him a lot.

Linda Barlow

David was a lovely man and will be greatly missed

Claire Sharples

So sad and a great loss to the Early Music World, especially TVEMF

Sue Forrest

I was singing with David (and 6 other regulars) online via Jamulus on the Monday evening the day before he died. My last memory of him is of finishing Monday’s session with a rousing (if sometimes approximate!) rendition of Gibbons’ "O clap your hands” - in 8 parts with 8 singers. We shall miss him enormously.

Pat Stewart

David was an absolute gentleman, always very supportive of me and my career. I directed him in multiple ensembles and workshops over the last 20 years or so — too many to count — and he was ever-enthusiastic, passionate and engaged.

David did so much, through TVEMF in particular, to propagate practice and knowledge of early music, bringing pleasure to so many; it’s a wonderful legacy. A life-enhancing person

David Allinson

It seems impossible to believe that David is no longer with us as he had been part of the early music scene for as long as I can remember (and that is quite a long time!)

Veronica Coath

We have lost a great friend, organiser and early music enthusiast and that's so sad

Jackie Huntingford

David was lovely man who made a huge contribution to TVEMF.

Jennifer Pearce

St Mark's, Venice June 2012

He will be missed so much in so many ways by so many people - I can't imagine a TVEMF event without him.

Incidentally, I had an e-mail from James Weeks yesterday expressing his sympathy. He wrote to me as being the person who had introduced him to TVEMF and presuming I was still a committee member. He asked for his condolences and best wishes to be passed on to TVEMF people so I am doing that!

Nicola Wilson Smith

He was such a welcoming and friendly face and always prepared to help! We will certainly miss him at the TVEMF playing days and other music venues.

Chantal Godinho

TVEMF owes David such a lot. Please convey my sympathy to everyone in the Forum and to David's family. He will be badly missed.

Michael Bloom

David has been hugely important in all our lives, in fact in my mind he is synonymous with Early Music Making.

Helen Dymond

I remember when I joined many years ago how kind he was to me making me feel welcomed. Such a knowledgeable musician with such a great passion for early music.

Anon

It’s hard to realise David won’t be on all these courses and workshops, bringing in his large collection of music and organising playing sessions at every opportunity. He was so passionate about playing and he so loved sharing the pleasure of music with everyone and his musical knowledge was phenomenal.

He was a very special person and we will all miss him so much.

Janice Waight

He was so pleasant, friendly and always helpful

Anne Wilkinson