Margaret Ann McMurtry( née Bell, Ann with no‘ e’!) passed away on 28 April 2025, aged 85. A beloved music educator and performer, she left an indelible mark on choirs, schools, and musical groups across Sydney, particularly in the Hills District.

Margaret was a devoted mother to Joanne, Peter and Lynda, grandmother to Kaitlyn, Bianca and Caleb, and greatgrandmother to two. She will be deeply missed by family, friends and former students alike.

Her long teaching career spanned high schools, universities and private tuition. She taught piano into her 80s

and was a tutor at Yamaha Music School from 1998 to 2015. Margaret mentored many students, some of whom went on to successful careers in music. She also learned to play violin, cello, clarinet, organ and a wide range of early instruments.

Margaret’ s academic achievements were extraordinary. She earned a Bachelor of Arts( 1967), Bachelor of Music( 1976), Bachelor of Letters( Music)( 1978), Master of Arts in Medieval Studies( 1989), Master of Music( 1994) and PhD in Music Education( 2003). Her research explored singing technique, Mass settings and Renaissance choral music.

She had a deep love for early music and formed Castle Consort( 1978 – 1988), a group specialising in medieval, Renaissance and Baroque repertoire. In the 1970s, she built a harpsichord from a kit, which she played at performances with chamber ensembles and the Western Symphonia. She later assembled and mastered other instruments including crumhorns, harp, cittern, tambours and hurdy-gurdy.

A passionate choral singer and accompanist, Margaret performed with many choirs, including Cantrice, Hills Chorale( where she also conducted), Sydney Chamber Choir and the Hazelbrook Singers. She was involved in the Hills Music Society and the Amateur Chamber Music Society.

Margaret also served on national and state committees, including as National Council member and NSW Secretary of the

Australian Society for Music Education( ASME), and founder of the Hills Music Teachers Network. She was an HSC examiner and helped prepare HSC trial exams as a member of the Catholic Secondary Schools Association and Board of Studies committees.

She lectured at several institutions, including the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the University of Technology Sydney, and supervised teaching students at major universities. She also taught at many Sydney schools, holding roles such as Music Specialist and Director of Performing Arts.

Margaret was born on 20 August 1939 in Shanghai, where her English parents Ida and Harold Bell were living. With the outbreak of war, the family returned to Australia, settling in Seaforth. Her grandfather, a carpenter, had built the family home there in the 1920s.

She began piano at age five and excelled in music throughout her schooling. After attending Cremorne Girls’ High, she trained in English, History and Music at Balmain Teachers’ College, where she met her husband, Sam McMurtry. They married in 1960 and had three children.

Margaret later earned her A. Mus. A.( 1962) and Licentiate from Trinity College London( 1975).

Following their divorce in 1981, Margaret met Keith Garratt, with whom she shared many happy years until his death in 2021.

In later life, Margaret battled dementia and passed away at SummitCare Aged Care in Baulkham Hills. The disease slowly stole her intellect and musical gifts, but not the profound legacy she leaves behind.