![[Image of Jante Craxton]](p24.jpg)
Janet Craxton, the distinguished English oboist, died on July 19, in the home of friends in the country. She was born on May 17, 1929 in London. Her many solo posts included the Halle Orchestra, under Sir John Barbirolli, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. More recently she had been with the London Sinfonietta and other London chamber orchestras and had done a great deal of free-lance playing until she joined the Covent Garden Opera Orchestra approximately a year before she died. She did a great deal of solo and chamber music work, particularly with the London Oboe Quartet which she founded about ten years ago and which was very successful. She had been professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London (where, incidentally she studied-with Helen Gaskell-and then went on to study in Paris with Pierre Bajeux) for about 25 years. She was a most distinguished player and teacher, and a deeply loved person. She leaves a great gap behind her, personally and musically. Unfortunately she did not make many commercial recordings although she has recorded the Britten Metamorphoses and the Phantasy Quartet, done under the composer's supervision. She did a great deal of broadcasting, however, and it is hoped that some of these tapes may be transferred to discs. Her parents were both musicians . . . her mother a violinist who gave up playing to rear a family of six, of which Janet was the youngest. Her father was a very famous piano teacher who had many distinguished pupils.
Janet's death remains a mystery. She died peacefully in her sleep but the cause it not known. At least it was a lovely peaceful way to go. It is strange though, because recently she had been happier and seemed in better health and vitality than for some years. Her death was a shock to us all, and at 52, it seems so untimely. She loved the country and was especially happy at her little cottage in Scotland-(where we were staying when we were all together in Edinburgh last summer).... gardening, cooking, taking photographs were all special to her, and she did them all very well.
(I am indebted to Evelyn Barbirolli for these thoughtful sentiments-DS)