Noreen Stokes O.A.M. (1917-2012). Pianist, Teacher, Mother: Noreen Stokes OAM: an Obituary

Noreen Stokes, pictured in 1966 in Adelaide.

Noreen STOKES, the respected Adelaide concert pianist and teacher, died peacefully on Sunday March 11 2012 at Resthaven Leabrook, in Adelaide. She was born on 13 December 1917 in Bulawayo, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) where she lived until the late 1930s. Her parents were George Morris Stokes and Vivienne Agnes née Bennett. Throughout her life, she retained Stokes as her professional name.

As a child and throughout her student years, Noreen was known as “Bobbie”. Her first piano teacher was her mother, who supplied her precocious daughter with a constant stream of new music scores. Noreen soon began dominating the Bulawayo Eisteddfods, and was appointed organist at her church. She began formal piano lessons at her convent school, but could already sight-read well enough to fool her teachers. As a nineteen year-old, she was chosen to accompany the prestigious visiting Russian violinist Leo Cherniavsky, who, twenty years later in Singapore, requested that she accompany him again.

Winning a four-year Beit Scholarship to the College of Music (University of Cape Town) freed Noreen to take lessons with as many pianists as she could find, including Minnie Seabridge and Colin Taylor, Adolphe Hallis in Johannesburg, and even some lessons with Herbert Fryer of London's Royal Academy who happened to tour South Africa at that time. Noreen discovered that she needed to completely revise the keyboard technique she had been taught in Bulawayo.

During her first year as an undergraduate student at the college she was appointed as Departmental Accompanist for examinations and public concerts, and held that position for the duration of her studies. She also performed extensively as a soloist, playing many of the standard concerti with Cape Town’s municipal orchestra. She won numerous prizes, as well as the Van Hulsteyn Scholarship for best performance (she chose Chopin’s Ballade No.4). In particular Noreen loved the piano trio repertoire and was a member of two trios, both of which toured. To earn extra money during her studies, she performed chamber music in the foyer of Cape Town’s Carlton Hotel. She was elected as head girl at college and even found energy to act with Cape Town Little Theatre.

During 1941, Noreen enlisted in the war effort. Sergeant Stokes helped to locate enemy shipping approaching Cape Town by cranking the wooden handle of a new-fangled machine called Radar. Noreen impatiently waited for the war to end so that she could travel for lessons at London's Royal Academy. In the meantime she continued performing and began teaching piano, spending a year at Eveline High School in her home town of Bulawayo.

Finally, in 1946, Noreen was able to sail to London on board an ex-troopship. On board, she met Eric Symes whom she later married in Gibraltar. London in 1947 was still under war-time rationing and was experiencing the coldest recorded winter for 100 years. Undaunted, Noreen took lessons with pianists such as Arthur Alexander, Hilda Dederich, and Edith Vogel, as well as touring for the British Arts Council and performing at Wigmore Hall.

In 1950, Noreen’s husband was transferred to Singapore. The colony during those years was frequented by many world-class artists from Europe and America, often en route to Australia. On her arrival in Singapore, Noreen was promptly appointed as accompanist for Radio Malaya. For ten years, she was a pivotal musical personality throughout Asia, performing frequently with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, and numerous artists such as Leon Goossens, Mattiwilda Dobbs, Alfredo Campoli, Max Rostal, Marilyn Richardson, Constance Shacklock, Lauris Elms, Gabor Reeves, and harmonica virtuoso Larry Adler (with whom, years later, she was to tour Australia).

In late 1959 her family migrated to Australia. At the suggestion of William Lovelock, Noreen chose to settle in Adelaide, where she was ABC Accompanist from 1961-1975. Noreen taught piano for various Adelaide institutions such as the TAFE School of Music, the Adelaide College of Advanced Education, and the Elder Conservatorium, performing and recording extensively with many Adelaide musicians including the Adelaide Piano Trio with Robert Cooper and Waldemar d'Almeida. She was Director of the South Australian Keyboard Summer School from 1991-1996, Patron of the SA Accompanists’ Guild, Vice-President of both the SA Society for Keyboard Music and the SA Music Teachers’ Association, as well as Vice-Patron of the Adelaide Eisteddfod Society. In 1995, Noreen was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the Australian Music Examinations Board, having served as Chief Examiner from 1962-1993. In January 2000, she was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for services to music.

Noreen is survived by her two sons Peter and Adrian, as well as grand-children Dale and Liberty, and great grand-children Dennekka and Sonny.

You may like to watch this 5-minute compilation of photographs ("Noreen's Life", created by Adrian) which was shown at Noreen's funeral service. The music you'll hear is a recording of Noreen performing Liszt's Un Sospiro. For convenience, the video will open in its own new window. Some of the photos in the video are also reproduced below with captions:

Photo Gallery: Noreen's parents in 1915:

Noreen with her parents in about 1919:

"Most Promising" award at the Bulawayo Eisteddfod (c1935-1936):

In period costume for a Beethoven concert (Bulawayo, 1935):

Noreen in July 1936 before leaving Bulawayo for Capetown:

Noreen (standing, 2nd from L) with other students of the College of Music, Capetown University:

Noreen (centre), elected as 'head girl' at Spes Bona Residence, Capetown:

Noreen acting (R) for Capetown 'Little Theatre' during her student years:

Sergeant Stokes, radar operator, 1941:

Noreen's first performance after arriving in London in 1947:

In London in 1948, pianist Noreen Stokes sat on a step and listened as cellist Beatrice Harrison performed Zoltan Kodaly's 1915 Sonata for Unaccompanied Cello with the composer in her garden. Years earlier, Beatrice had premiered the work. It being a relatively warm day, Mr Kodaly, having politely asked if he might remove his shoes the better to listen, relaxed in a deckchair. In later years, Noreen frequently commented that she regretted never having learned the cello as well as the piano:

Noreen relocated by ship with her husband to Singapore in 1949:

One of Noreen's first concerts in Singapore, 1950:

Program note, Singapore, about 1952:

Noreen recorded frequently for broadcast by Radio Malaya. This session was in January 1957:

Noreen Stokes' "Class of '57", Singapore:

Noreen with her family in Singapore during the late 1950s:

In 1959, Australia became her new home as political turmoil in colonial Singapore became uncomfortable. Noreen is pictured here in 1966 at her family home in Chatsworth Grove, Toorak Gardens, Adelaide:

and in the 1970s:

Noreen participates in a chamber music concert at Edmund Wright House, Adelaide, in 1975:

Noreen acknowledges applause after her annual student concert in 'her' Elder Hall, 1985:

Noreen with her grandson Dale in Adelaide, 1985:

Publicity photo for the Australian Broadcasting Commission, 1989, at age 72:

In 1995, Noreen received an honorary Fellowship in Music, the first ever such award by the Australian Music Examinations Board:

Noreen performed at her 80th birthday party in her unit at St Georges, Adelaide, in 1997:

At age 83, Noreen received her Order of Australia Medal (for services to music) from the governor of South Australia at Government House on Australia Day, 2000:

Noreen at her computer in her home in 2004:

By Christmas 2007, Noreen could barely see the keyboard (let alone read music scores), even under strong lights:

Ever the enthusiastic exercise walker, Noreen enjoyed outings. Here she was resting during a walk at Waterfall Gully, Adelaide, in 2007...

...with her daughter-in-law Marie at Henley Beach in May 2008...

...and on her daily walk around the grounds of Resthaven Nursing Home at Leabrook, Adelaide, where she spent the last years of her life. Here she was at Christmas, 2009: