Obituary: Sheila MacCrindle

MAY I add to Anthony Payne's moving obituary of Sheila MacCrindle (22 July) an example of her quick and sometimes bizarre wit? writes Roy Williams.

I knew Sheila for 30 years and, when I lived in London, she would ring my wife to request her permission for me to act as Sheila's escort at one or other of her social functions. On one occasion there were distinguished musicians all round, including, if my memory serves me correctly, Barry Tuckwell, Richard Rodney Bennett and Geoffrey Burgon. I was asked on several occasions what I did in music and to save me the embarrassment of admitting that I was the very amateur baritone soloist in my local male voice choir, Sheila announced that I was the music critic of Exchange and Mart.