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Robert Peel died in hospital on 20 March after a short illness. He arrived at Lancing from Salisbury Cathedral School and continued as a chorister at Lancing although he was disappointed to miss out on the chance to sing in the world première of St. Nicolas written by Benjamin Britten for Lancing’s centenary and performed at the first Aldeburgh Festival in 1948. In between spending as much time as he could, both officially and unofficially, watching cricket both in Arundel and further afield, Bob grew as a musician before leaving the school in 1951 with a view to attending the Royal College of Music as a horn player. After his National Service he did so. He met our mother at the RCM and went on to teach at two schools: Wells Cathedral School and Marlborough College where, as Head of Wind from 1960-1991, he developed the school Wind Orchestra, known as Brasser, to a significant size and quality, even giving the Western première of a score by Khatchaturian which had been sent to him by the composer in 1978. In retirement his joy was his garden and the 110 roses he planted and tended right up to the time of his last journey to hospital.
Jonathan Peel