Musical legacy
Tributes to Jean Kidd
Tributes have been paid to talented musician Jean Kidd MBE who died peacefully, aged 91, in Crieff’s Ancaster House on October 13.
Her funeral service took place on Wednesday this week at noon in Perth Crematorium.
After studying music, the piano and violin at the Scottish Academy of Music – later the Conservatoire of Music and Drama – in Glasgow, Mrs Kidd later became head of music at the city’s Bellahouston Academy.
She had a great talent for developing children with a talent in music – both singing and instrumental – and was invited by Alexander Gibson, conductor of the then Royal Scottish National Orchestra, to form a RSNO Junior Chorus.
This involved a good number of her school choir pupils who, as the RSNO junior choir, took part in concerts in the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow.
She was awarded the MBE in 1986 with her junior choir becoming an integral part of the RSNO and the full chorus – contributing to major concerts in Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall.
As founder and director of the RSNO Junior Chorus, Mrs Kidd become a renowned figure in Scottish musical life with Christopher Bell as her established successor to the role.
Following her retirement and living in Comrie, her musical interests continued as she encouraged interested children to high levels of accomplishment with some going on to a career in music.
Her talent with younger children blossomed again in Strathearn with the formation of the Comrie Kidd’s Strings group in 2012.
The group now performs small concerts as an orchestra or quartets, as well as encouraging soloists.
Mrs Kidd also shared her teaching and encouragement with ‘not so young’ local friends – once organising a ‘scratch’ performance of Faure’s Requiem in Comrie Parish Church about 15 years ago.
The choir was bolstered by a good number of her former pupils and RSNO Junior Chorus members from across the country contributing to a very happy occasion.
In 2010, several local friends, together with her music pupils in Comrie, presented a mini-opera ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’ by Gian Carlo Menotti, which was as much appreciated by the cast as by the audience.
Mrs Kidd had a wide circle of good friends and many former pupils, very aware of her earlier encouragement and tuition, continued to visit her in later years.
Mrs Kidd particularly wished that her Comrie Kidd’s Strings would be her legacy to the Comrie community.