Sidonie Goossens has died.

Harpist, teacher, friend to many, mentor, charming little old woman.

has passed on from this life
in her 105th year.

.:. Rest .:.

The Goossens family were of Belgian Catholic stock and had settled in Liverpool on the retirement of the conductor Eugene I from the Carl Rosa Opera Company.

Eugene's grandchildren would later dominate the musical life of the United Kingdom and the World. Eugene III (later Sir Eugene Goossens) became a composer and conductor (at one time he was principal conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra). His brother, Leon, became a well known oboist whose surviving recordings are much prized. Another brother, Adolphe, a renowned horn player, was killed in WW1.

The two harpist sisters, Sidonie and Marie, also achieved international fame. Sidonie was born in 1899 and joined the BBC in 1927.

She was principal harpist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra from 1930 until her retirement.
Her appointment as one of the first females to the BBCSO raised quite a few eyebrows if not hems.

Sidonie Goossens married the conductor Hyam Greenbaum. Who died at 41 years of age in 1941 leaving her a widow.

He will be best remembered for recording lots of light "pop" classical music, and printing up an easy to play version of "rule britania".

Sidonie Goossens enjoyed many enlightening conversations with the Russian emigré composer/conductor, Igor Stravinsky who after exile in France finally settled in Hollywood.
Stravinsky was a great composer who is often remembered for the "rites of spring" rather than "dumbarton oaks".

She taught for many years at the Guildhall School of Music in the City of London, and influenced many classical harpists with her stern but kind teaching skill including those of the harp desk of the RTE SO.

She will be fondly remembered for her contribution to civilisation.

http://www.harpsociety.org
http://www.swissinfo.org/sfr/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=5407859