Notices
Mrs Anita Hewitt-Jones (née Lawson)
In College 1943-1945 St Bridget’s
Anita Hewitt-Jones who died last May, was in College 1943-1945, and later joined the Music Staff 1961-1986. She won the Margaret Irene Seymour Scholarship in Music to Somerville College, Oxford in 1945 and on completing her degree in music, taught for a period at Gordonstoun School, Elgin. In 1950 she married a fellow music student from Oxford, composer Tony Hewitt-Jones, and whilst in London studied the cello with William Pleeth, and taught for the London County Council. They moved back to Cheltenham in 1953 when Tony took up the post of Director of Music at Dean Close Junior School (and later County Music Organiser), and Anita taught and tutored at Dean Close School, Cheltenham College, Pate’s Grammar School and for Gloucestershire County Music Courses, whilst raising a family - Caroline, a violin teacher and lecturer at Junior Trinity College of Music, and son Tim a cellist with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House since 1981.
In 1961, Anita took a full time post at the Cheltenham Ladies’ College, teaching class music, O and A level, and university entrance as well as giving cello lessons and coaching chamber and orchestral music. She took a very full part in musical life in College and in the town, enjoying chamber music with colleagues, and she also found time to compose - her four cello ‘Serenade’ won a class in the Cheltenham Competitive Festival with a quartet of cellos from Farnley House.
On retirement from College in 1986, Anita helped her daughter and son-in-law develop the Beauchamp House Music School and Courses, near Gloucester, and following the death of her husband Tony in 1989, continued tirelessly to promote his compositions, as well as writing many charming and very playable chamber works for young string players herself. Many of these, initially written for her seven grandchildren, have been published by Musicland/Peters and have reached a wider public in the National Schools Chamber Music Competition.
In later years Anita was also involved with choirs, and the last concert she attended was as President of the Charlton Kings Choral Society performance of Elgar’s ’The Dream of Gerontius’ in May last year.
A memorial cup for Lower School Chamber Music is being donated to College.
Tim Hewitt-Jones
April 2008