Appreciations
David Dear, "My memories of Betty Rayment, music and the Caldecott Community"
"My debt to Betty is immeasurable, she profoundly changed me, my life and the course of my life. I can only humbly thank her for all that she gave to me and for changing my life forever." For full tribute, click here.
Christopher Howell, "Music and Betty Rayment"
"Betty Rayment trained as a music teacher only after she had left school and started to work as some sort of secretary. As soon as she was ready to make her living by teaching music, she found work as a music teacher in a residential school – Caldecott....." For full tribute, click here.
Matthew King, A Tribute to Betty
"Betty was a wonderful teacher..." For full tribute, click here.
MEMORIES
James King
The year at Caldecott had to be lived in order to experience every big event. During the summer term Betty Rayment drove herself and all the children she taught to produce an extremely well rehearsed concert in the library. Besides soloists on recorder, piano and violin, there was also an orchestra, reinforced by a few adults and the ever popular item on the glockenspiel, when a line of younger girls with one bar chime each played a familiar melody. There was always one girl at the end who was late with her beat, which caused amusement. These concerts were highly admirable and a great tribute to a music teacher whose raw material was anything but promising, but who was more than simply devoted to her task. Having tried out the talent on recorders, she moved them onto more testing instruments and although many of the girls showed early promise and enthusiasm they usually gave up in their teens, whereas two boys in my time took music at University.
My early observations of one of these concerts was that all the boy rogues in the Community seemed to be in the orchestra. Whereas the older girls showed their talent in singing.
From 'Manuscript Memories', catalogue ref. SA/CA/JK/04
Michael Sherwin
"Betty Rayment took over as music teacher, a no-nonsense lady from Nottingham from whom It learned a great deal. My musical diet was largely Bach, Mozart and Beethoven and I enjoyed playing Haydn symphonies with her in a piano duet version." For Michael Sherwin's musical memories, click here.
Katie Gordon
"Music classes with Betty weren't like other school classes since making music seemed to me more like play than work. Apart from some of the more esoteric listening exercises, classes were never dull....Betty Rayment was fastidious in her teaching methods making sure we focus on producing a beautiful tone with reliable intonation, rhythm and musical phrasing." If you are a member of the Association and have logged in, you will find Katie's musical memories by clicking here.