30 Jul 2024
We are saddened to learn of the passing of the soprano Suzanne Flowers, a Monteverdi Choir stalwart from 1965 to 2005.
Lucinda Houghton has written the following tribute:
Suzanne, as somebody commented in tribute to her recently, “embodied the soul of the Monteverdi Choir at its peak, a mainstay of the sopranos, kind and welcoming to all newcomers – and such a talented artist”.
She was indeed the heart and soul of the Monteverdi Choir for so many years, with her fabulously clear, beautiful high soprano voice, her consummate musicianship, her humour, tact, warmth, sensitivity and resilience and her warm and generous heart. She also delighted us many times as a soloist in many different styles and genres of music, notably at the Proms in August 1983 when she sang the rôle of Diane in Rameau’s Hippolyte et Aricie, delivering her beautiful aria while mounted on a somewhat precarious ‘horse’!
She had a wonderful way of diffusing difficult situations –– when others might have felt tempted to complain about the sometimes less than ideal circumstances in which we found ourselves, Suzanne’s mantra was to “think beautiful thoughts and rise above it “. This way of thinking rescued many a situation!
She was born and brought up in South East London, attending Blackheath High School where her main subjects were Music and Art, followed by several years’ study at the Royal Academy of Music. She lived in the Blackheath area all her life, raising her two sons, Chris and Jeremy whilst maintaining her career, travelling and singing all over the world. In later years she turned to teaching Choral Scholars at Cambridge which she did with great flair, dedication and success.
When ill health compromised her singing, she rediscovered another joyous talent, that of painting. Her artwork was full of the colour and vibrancy of the French countryside, reflecting her beloved Pouvrière in the south of the Charente, where she had a smallholding and atelier.
She bore her increasing poor health with charm and dignity, and her stunning smile and merry laugh was a feature of all visits until the very end.
Bless you and thank you, Suzanne.
Carole Savage, who performed with Suzanne in the very first Monteverdi Choir concert in London adds:
Whenever people mention Suzanne, there is always total agreement about what a lovely person and an excellent singer she was. They are quite right!She and I enrolled at the Royal Academy of Music on the same day and, having known her now for sixty years, I never heard her to be uncharitable, critical, competitive or mean. She was always so cheerful and positive despite the challenges of losing both a husband and a long term partner. How lovely that she was married again not long ago.
As a fine musician with a lovely, accurate and clear voice, she graced many professional groups in London both as soloist and in ensembles. For many years she was the one of the key members of the then-stellar soprano line of the Monteverdi Choir known as the A team – and was probably “first on the team sheet!”
For the last few years she and I talked more about the visual arts. She took to it as singing work declined, becoming in the process a talented painter. She will be very much missed by her many musical colleagues as a true and talented friend.
