VIVIENNE ANN CLARK : 13th July 1946 - 28th December 2006

Singer, actress, conductor, musical director, producer, seamstress, choreographer, former Chairman and a Life Member of CAOS Musical Productions

By Bryan Oldaker

I have known Viv for around 40 years and over that time became very fond of her.  I thought it would be a simple task to write this tribute to her but as soon as I began to think things through, I realised that this was not the case for Viv was a complex woman.  Certainly it is easy to talk of her many skills but to deny or ignore her faults would be to insult her, because it is these as much as her talents that made her the woman that we remember.

There can be no doubt that she was enormously talented in so many areas and there is ample evidence of her skills as a singer, actress, conductor, musical director, producer, seamstress, choreographer, teacher and so on.

We have all heard her sing, seen her act and need no reminding of how good she was but some may not appreciate how supportive she was of lesser mortals. As a conductor she would always mouth the words of the songs to give us, the weaker ones, the additional confidence to sing out. When we did well, we needed no telling, for we saw it in her smile of thanks.  When things went less well there might be a small grimace but never such that the audience was aware.

I had the privilege of singing and acting in a number of principal roles with Viv and will always be grateful for the confidence and support she gave me.  There was only one occasion when she let me down when my mind, as it so often does, went blank on stage.  “What comes next?”, I would whisper.  “What is my note?  What is the tune?”  Viv was there with the answer and I survived yet again.  Even on the solitary occasion when she did not tell me, it was only because there was insufficient time before she carried off our duet with me as the semi-silent partner.  She was so gifted regarding Gilbert and Sullivan operettas that she knew all the parts by heart whether it be Soprano, alto, tenor or bass, and her memory was such that she knew most of the librettos as well.

One of the things that I liked so much about Viv was that she was not some pretentious musical sophisticate.  Yes, she did have extensive musical knowledge,  but her humanity was such that she was very much aware of her audience and tried to ensure the programme of music matched their interests and enthusiasms.  She had the confidence and knowledge to front a concert, filling in between the music with sufficient relevant information about the individual pieces so as to make the whole experience more meaningful for the audience.  The result being that our concerts were always successful and provided enormous enjoyment to all involved. 

However in some ways Viv was quite insecure and covered this by always wanting to be in control.  She tried to do everything herself and usually succeeded.  Occasionally when she tried to do too much things did not go as planned and she would vent her frustration with a sharp tongue and this could upset people because it was unreasonable.  If you allowed it she could be a bit of a bully but if you stood up to her she would respect you for it.  I believe also that this insecurity manifested itself in her finding it difficult to accept affection from friends.  Indeed it was only in her last month or so that she would offer her cheek to be kissed when we left her in the hospital or hospice. Viv did not readily let people close to her emotionally and in consequence I am not sure even now that she ever fully appreciated how much people cared for her.

Some of you may smile if I say that Viv was not well-organised.  I do not know whether that was because she was so talented that she did not have the time to bother with such issues or whether it was, as I believe, just part of her nature.  She would come to rehearsals and tell us off if our choreographed moves did not coincide with hers.  After a while we got wise to this and made notes.  It then became clear that the discrepancy was likely to be because Viv was thinking on her feet and had forgotten that which she had devised the week before.  Those of you who visited her home will know that she became so involved in costume making and alterations, not only for her own productions but also for those of others who had asked her for help, that the thought of putting things away tidily was not in her repertoire.  She would loan out costumes, props and music but make no note of where they had gone with the result that she often lost track of them.  Recently the policemen’s truncheons, used in the Pirates of Penzance,  went AWOL for months before she discovered them on one of her forays into the jungle of costumes in one of her rooms and much more recently another expedition actually uncovered a piano.

Viv was generous to a fault.  You could fall out with her one week and yet ask her two or three days later for some music, a costume or a prop and it was provided without the slightest hesitation.  Nothing seemed too much for her and the pleasure she brought to so many by being as helpful as she was with costumes and props is immense.  Even in her last few months when she became so poorly she still put herself out to make a flower head-dress for Cathy, an elderly lady who sings with Bosham Old Timers, yet another group to benefit from Viv’s talents.  Cathy is registered blind so could not fully appreciate what Viv had made, but the laughter from the audiences when she puts on this flower tells Cathy all she needs to know and her little face beams with happiness. 

About ten years ago Viv gathered together a number of singers with the purpose of performing in Malta a number of concerts and a two-night production of  ‘The Gondoliers’.  The success of this was such that the group stayed together to become known as The Phoenix Singers and quickly transformed from a collection of singers into a tightly-knit company of friends who sing together, party together and even holiday together. This came about because of Viv’s vision, her commitment and her drive. The debt of gratitude we in Phoenix owe Viv,   is enormous.

Despite her suffering with cancer and her struggle with Parkinson’s, Viv never complained.  For example I was surprised to learn that she seldom had a good night’s sleep because her shaking would keep her awake.  I know what I am like when I am tired and cannot begin to appreciate how she must have felt day in and day out. However, when you enquired after her health, her stock phrase was, “Oh, I’m all right.”   She did not like to make a fuss or have a fuss made of her and it was only in the last few weeks that she would admit to being in pain.  We can only wonder at such strength and fortitude.

It is an indication of Viv’s caring nature that when she knew she was to go into hospital and despite being in pain, her over-riding concern was to make sure that her duties as Mother and Grandmother would not be neglected.  She had agreed to collect one of her grand-children, I forget from where exactly, and to look after another the next day in order that her daughter Jo, could go to work. We tried to convince her that she should be thinking of her own needs rather than those of others but it was only when she knew that these things had been taken care of, that she was able to relax and find a sense of peace. 

Viv's swan song with CAOS Musical Productions was in the Autumn of 2005 when she took the role of Katisha in the Mikado (pictured on the left) - a part that she loved to perform. But her final performance as a musical director was only few days before she died when, despite being confined to a wheel chair, she was determined to conduct a carol concert at St Wilfrid's Hospice where she spent her final days. The participants came from far and wide to support her and included not only past and present members of CAOS Musical Productions but also strong representations from Havant Light Opera, Petersfield Operatic Society and Viv's own group, The Phoenix Singers - a mark of the respect and affection in which she was held.

Whether you loved, admired, respected, feared, or just knew Viv as an acquaintance, she will not be forgotten for she has made a significant contribution to our lives and we are all, each and every one, the richer for having known her.