‘In tune’ summed up the theme of Dorothy Holder's farewell performance in the Diocesan School for Girls auditorium recently, which was a fitting finale to her 32-year music-teaching career in Grahamstown.
‘In tune’ summed up the theme of Dorothy Holder's farewell performance in the Diocesan School for Girls auditorium recently, which was a fitting finale to her 32-year music-teaching career in Grahamstown.
Individuals and ensembles currently under her direction performed for an audience of friends, staff, fellow musicians and past and present pupils, including some of her first.
Holder did her music degree at the University of Cape Town and her first teaching post was at Victoria Girls’ High School, in 1979. For 20 of her teaching years she has been at DSG. A core member of several local music ensembles over the years, including the Pro Carmine Chamber Choir, ‘Dot’, as friends, pupils and fellow musicians know her, has juggled a busy teaching and playing schedule with her role as leader of Grahamstown’s Girl Guides.
That she tunes into her pupils in more than the musical sense was clear from the tributes. After performances by the St Andrew’s/DSG String Ensemble and Chamber Choir, and Holder’s flute pupils, past and present pupils spoke movingly of her role in their lives, both as dedicated teacher and all-round personal mentor.
"Dot really listens," said one former pupil.
Holder is moving to Cape Town to be near her family – her father and two of her children live there – and will be teaching privately.
