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| My friend Eric Frith, who has died aged 90, had a love for music that found its fullest expression in the field of drama. From the late 1940s he was involved in the theatre run at the Wilderness, the home of the artist Walter Spradbery, at Buckhurst Hill, Essex. There, and later at the Walthamstow Education Settlement, an adult education institute in east London, where he worked with Dick Williams in his renowned classes for amateur actors, he performed in and selected the music for productions. | My friend Eric Frith, who has died aged 90, had a love for music that found its fullest expression in the field of drama. From the late 1940s he was involved in the theatre run at the Wilderness, the home of the artist Walter Spradbery, at Buckhurst Hill, Essex. There, and later at the Walthamstow Education Settlement, an adult education institute in east London, where he worked with Dick Williams in his renowned classes for amateur actors, he performed in and selected the music for productions. |
| Dick's widow, Christine, described Eric's musical choices for the productions as "always memorable and often inspired". He is remembered by Spradbery's son, John, as "a huge asset in producing the Settlement's theatrical achievements". | Dick's widow, Christine, described Eric's musical choices for the productions as "always memorable and often inspired". He is remembered by Spradbery's son, John, as "a huge asset in producing the Settlement's theatrical achievements". |
| Eric was born in Walthamstow into a family of Quakers; he left school to work for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and later the Board of Trade. In 1951 he married Elise, who also acted and designed costumes for various productions and at Dick's open-air theatre at Willow Cottage near Abridge, Essex. Eric's work with music in drama continued after the Settlement became the Walthamstow Adult Education Centre in 1965. He was involved in drama classes until recently, and was only prevented by injury from performing in a reading of Antigone in his 90th year. | Eric was born in Walthamstow into a family of Quakers; he left school to work for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and later the Board of Trade. In 1951 he married Elise, who also acted and designed costumes for various productions and at Dick's open-air theatre at Willow Cottage near Abridge, Essex. Eric's work with music in drama continued after the Settlement became the Walthamstow Adult Education Centre in 1965. He was involved in drama classes until recently, and was only prevented by injury from performing in a reading of Antigone in his 90th year. |
| From the 1960s, he and Elise organised a wide range of classes at the centre and built up a strong relationship with the Workers' Educational Association. Eric oversaw the creation of the official WEA branch in 2005. After Elise died in 2010, he was determined to maintain the strength of adult education in Walthamstow and chaired the branch until his death, continuing to attend classes in drama and history. | From the 1960s, he and Elise organised a wide range of classes at the centre and built up a strong relationship with the Workers' Educational Association. Eric oversaw the creation of the official WEA branch in 2005. After Elise died in 2010, he was determined to maintain the strength of adult education in Walthamstow and chaired the branch until his death, continuing to attend classes in drama and history. |
| For Joan Carder, a colleague, "Eric and Elise embodied the ideals of the WEA". For Christine, they were "the embodiment of everything the Settlement stood for: friendship, integrity, learning aspiration and achievement". | For Joan Carder, a colleague, "Eric and Elise embodied the ideals of the WEA". For Christine, they were "the embodiment of everything the Settlement stood for: friendship, integrity, learning aspiration and achievement". |
| He is survived by his brother, Norman, his niece, Carol, and his cousin, Martin. |