Barbara Senior

Born in Birdwell, Barnsley, the then Barbara Birkinshaw studied music at Huddersfield (now the university) gaining her ARCM, the first of many advanced diplomas.

She began her teaching career in 1958 at Hoyland Kirk Balk before becoming head of music at Dearneside School. She then became head of music at Wath Grammar School where she worked until taking early retirement in 1991.

Barbara had known her husband Jack since school days in Birdwell. They married in 1959 and recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

During her 26-year career at Wath, music flourished there under her leadership. She was musical director of annual school shows including almost every Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, performed with full orchestra to packed audiences.

The quality and diversity of music produced was outstanding, and included many demanding and inspirational works such as Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, first performed in school in 1971, Beethoven's Mass in C and Handel's Messiah.

Her school choirs entered and won numerous events including open choral competitions at Blackpool Music Festival.

Barbara was musical director of many choirs and musical societies most notably the Wathonian Singers who later became known as Bel Canto, Rawmarsh Choral Society and Greasebrough Operatic Society.

She was an active member of the Don Valley Music and Arts Festival for over 25 years and received a long service award.

Her last concert, the week before she died, was with Rawmarsh Choral, performing John Rutter's Mass for the Children with pupils from St John's Primary School, Mexborough.

Her tutoring nurtured and developed many talented musicians, leading to lifetime involvement in music and progress towards qualifications and often degrees in music.

Following her retirement, she became a music examiner for Trinity College, London, spending 20 years travelling the world examining musicians at all levels, often completing 10-week tours of duty to New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and South Africa as well as shorter tours in the UK.

The chief examiner of Trinity College, Keith Beniston, said, "Barbara's enormous joy of living, her endless array of hilarious anecdotes concerning every imaginable examining scenario will be greatly missed."

She is survived by her husband Jack.