Betty Roe

Betty Roe was born in North Kensington, London, England. Her father was a fishmonger at the Shepherd's Bush Market, and her mother was a bookkeeper. Roe took piano lessons from the age of six with local teacher Madam Dorina.[2] She began writing music and arrangements in her teens during World War II when assisting with choirs at the local church. As a Junior Exhibitioner she studied piano with Fiona Addie, Muriel Dale, and Sadie MacCormack, and cello with Alison Dalrymple at the Royal Academy of Music, but left school in 1947 and took a job as a filing clerk. She continued at the Royal Academy in 1949, studying piano with York Bowen, cello with Alison Dalrymple, and voice with Jean McKenzie-Grieve. She continued her study of singing with Clive Carey, Roy Hickman, Peter van der Stolk, and Margaret Field-Hyde, and studied composition with Lennox Berkeley.

In the 1950s Roe became involved with a drama group where she began writing for musicals. She also worked as a sessions singer with London ensembles,[3][4] and in light entertainment with celebrities including Cliff Richard, Harry Secombe, Cilla Black, The Two Ronnies (with whom she appeared on television conducting "The Plumstead Ladies Male Voice Choir")[5] and on Top of the Pops.[2]

Roe married John Bishop and had three children. She was Director of Music at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art from 1968–78, and founded the NorthKen Choir/Chorale/Opera in the 1960s.[6] She founded Thames Publishing with her husband in 1970.[7] After his death in 2000 Thames Publishing became a division of William Elkin Music Services.

Roe received an MBE for services to Classical Music and Composition in the 2011 New Year Honours.

Roe has composed over 300 solo songs,[8] as well as choral and sacred music, musicals, operas, instrumental pieces, and music for schools. Malcolm Williamson admired her Magnificat and Nunc Dimitis (1962) and arranged for it to be published.[9] Christus Victor (1964) set words by John Catterick, the Rector of Ashwell Parish Church. It prefigured the use of popular music forms in church music, and was published by Novello.[10] Alan Ridout described it as "the next Stainer's Crucifixion".[9]

Her best known song is perhaps 'Nursery Rhyme of Innocence and Experience', one of three Charles Causley settings for children's voices collected under the title Union Street in 1971). Roe herself has cited the Three Herrick Songs (1969) for soprano and wind quintet as "one of the best things I have written".[9]

Other vocal works include:

• Diva's Lament, words by Jacqueline Froom (1995)
• All The Day, four songs to words by Leonard Clark, Thames Publishing
• Four Ponder Songs
• Noble Numbers, words by Robert Herrick (1972)
• Three Childhoods, words by Charles Causley, for two part choir
• Three Shakespeare Songs

Her compositions have been recorded and issued on CD, including:

• The Family Tree, music for children (Audio CD - March 31, 1998) Somm Recordings, ASIN: B000006B6U
• Jazz Songs; Euphonium Dance and Madam and the Minister, Centaur Records CRC 2510 (1997)
• Music for Children By Betty Roe (Audio CD - Feb 24, 1998) Somm Recordings, ASIN: B0000265HD
• The Music Tree: Solo Songs by Betty Roe (Audio CD - Mar 31, 1998) Somm Recordings, ASIN: B000006B6T
• Noble Numbers, Signum Classics CD SIGCD161 (2009)
• The Silver Hound and other songs (Audio CD - July 2017), Divine Art Recordings, MSV 28566

• Official site with full list of works
• Betty Roe Society