Sim Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 The BalletcoForum Committee has learned with sadness of the passing of our long-time member and contributor, Katherine Barber. Katherine posted as "toursenlair" which was the name of her international travel business, wherein she organised cultural (especially ballet) trips around the world. Until relatively recently she continued to provide us with information on ballet streams and events in various countries. I am sure forum members will join the Committee in extending our deepest condolences to Katherine's family and friends. We thank her for her long association with the forum (dating way back to the days of ballet.co.uk), and for her contributions, international information, and an always-interesting take on various issues. She will be missed. Simonetta Dixon Chair BalletcoForum Committee (on behalf of the Forum Moderators) 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 That’s simply awful news. Rest in peace, Katherine. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 I am very sorry to hear this sad news. Katherine's posts were always informative, interesting and kind. My condolences to her family and friends. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 Oh no, what a dreadful shock. I'm so sorry to hear this dreadful news. I first met Katherine at a BRB talk with Robert Parker and bumped into her in all sorts of places including Munich in 2012. Sincere condolences to her family and friends. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 Oh - so sad! I completely agree with Ellie - I always read her posts not just because she was so well informed but because her good nature and common sense really came through. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 that is sad news indeed. Some of us were fortunate enough to meet her when she visited ROH - she was a lovely lady. Many condolcences to her family and friends 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Wall Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 This is so very sad. I, too, had the good fortune of meeting and corresponding with Katherine. She will I know be much missed by all who knew her and profited from the generosity of her wisdom. She always did Canada proud. RIP. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duck Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 Oh no. Awful news. Katherine and I met in Stuttgart a couple of times, and also discussed accommodation and sightseeing options for a small part of one of her trips to the South of France. She was a kind, caring, communicative and knowledgeable soul. Sincere condolences to her loved ones. Rest in peace, Katherine. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Macmillan Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 Apart from her ballet interest, I became aware through my sister who has lived in Canada since the 70s that Katherine was a noted lexicographer. So much so that she has a Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Barber And that tells us that she was born over here, in Ely. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 4 minutes ago, Ian Macmillan said: Apart from her ballet interest, I became aware through my sister who has lived in Canada since the 70s that Katherine was a noted lexicographer. So much so that she has a Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Barber I can believe it! She wrote so well - a model of "plain English." 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate_N Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 Oh, that is such sad news. Many condolences to her family. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 I'm so sorry to hear this. Sincere sympathy to her family and friends. She contributed so much to this forum. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizbie1 Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 1 hour ago, Ian Macmillan said: Apart from her ballet interest, I became aware through my sister who has lived in Canada since the 70s that Katherine was a noted lexicographer. So much so that she has a Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Barber This has reminded me of her contributions to this thread about using the various forms of "bravo" in an anglophone context - all done without once mentioning her credentials. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 Such sad news; I’m terribly sorry to hear that. My deepest sympathy to Katherine’s family and friends. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 This is very sad news: my deepest condolences to her family and friends. She will be missed here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 I'm very sad to hear this news. RIP Katherine. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 I'm so sorry to read this. I met Katherine at Stuttgart, she initially followed Robert Tewsley, whom she adored, when he moved here from NBoC, and then came again and again to see the company or the Mariinsky at Baden-Baden. She was a real aficionado for ballet, so very knowledgeable and wise, also prudent to let other people keep their own opinions about dancers and choreography. I will miss her. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 Oh that is very sad! Admittedly, I have never met her but did subscribe to her newsletter and always thought her Tours en l’air enterprise was such a wonderful way of sharing her passion for ballet with other ballet lovers. May she rest in peace. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 Wow, how beautiful from the company. 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naomi M Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 So saddened to know the passing of Katherine Barber. Such a passionate, knowledgeable, kind, generous and lovely lady. I met her several times in Tokyo, Toronto and other cities and was looking forward to see her again. Rest in peace. The ballet world is not the same without her. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaCamargo Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 Such very sad news. https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/toronto-on/katherine-barber-10168613 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duck Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 Obituary https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/toronto-on/katherine-barber-10168613. The funeral service on 4 May will be livestreamed, details in link. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabine0308 Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 I'm shocked and sad...I was hoping to meet her here in Berlin, we were in contact last year when she planned again a travel to Germany for ballet enthusiasts. Sadly, this went south due to Corona. I also enjoyed reading her newsletters, written with so much insight and love for ballet. May she rest in peace, my condolences to her family .😢 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scheherezade Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 So very sorry to her this sad news and what a terrible shock for her loved ones and friends. With deepest condolences on their loss and may Katherine rest in peace. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawnstar Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 16 hours ago, Duck said: Obituary https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/toronto-on/katherine-barber-10168613. The funeral service on 4 May will be livestreamed, details in link. How awful to die only 2 weeks after a cancer diagnosis. I hope she at least had time to say goodbye to all her family & friends. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aruna S Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 I'm so sorry to read this. I only met Katherine once, in Stuttgart in 2016, but enjoyed reading her posts here and her blog. Apart from ballet we had a love of cats in common. My deepest condolences to her family and friends. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duck Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 7 hours ago, Dawnstar said: How awful to die only 2 weeks after a cancer diagnosis. I hope she at least had time to say goodbye to all her family & friends. Yes, absolutely. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 Very sad news. It will be strange not to receive her newsletter....🙏🏽RIP🙏🏽 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 An obituary has been published in the NY Times, focussing on Katherine's career as a lexicographer. The obituary mentions her love for ballet near the end. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/16/books/katherine-barber-dead.html 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 An excellent tribute - thanks, Jan, for finding it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Macmillan Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 Yes, I've forwarded it to my sister over in Montreal who knew her slightly. There was an Obit in the Globe and Mail a week or so ago but it was, like most things now, for Subscribers only. Fascinated to see that her Dad was RCAF and later RAF, but I can't believe she didn't care for the work of that hirsute polymath, Robertson Davies. I picked up one of his books on-spec once at Heathrow and that led to my getting just about everything else in the years that followed. Hugely entertaining. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 Ian, I was shocked to read the comment about Robertson Davies. I'm not a lover of short stories but I've read all his full length novels and class Lyre of Orpheus as one of my all-time favourite reads. Katherine was most definitely a lady of eclectic tastes and an ardent follower of ballet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 I don't think it means Katherine really hated the excellent Robertson Davies. The point is, I think, that in her professional search for the typical, the average, the representative Canadian language, his work was not helpful- as he is too original. I am sure she would in fact have very much appreciated his special genius. Such a sad loss to the forum. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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