Ursula Lock was born in Malta, the daughter of a professional soldier; later she married another soldier Michael Wood; so she was used to a peripatetic lifestyle and always enjoyed travelling.

Her interests were wide and included drama. Both Ursula and Michael had taken part in amateur dramatics and in 1932 Ursula became a student at the Old Vic, which with its sister theatre Sadlers Wells put on plays, operas and ballets. This gave her the opportunity to see Job (a masque for dancing) by Ralph Vaughan Williams which was a revelation to her and eventually led to a meeting with Vaughan Williams (in 1938) and a collaboration with him for a masque called A Bridal Day. This was made into a cantata by Vaughan Williams after the war and first performed, under the title Epithalamion in 1957. It also led to a life-long friendship and a working partnership and eventually to marriage in 1953.

Ursula was an author (among other things she wrote over 200 poems) and Ralph was a composer but they shared many interests and as well as the poems he set, they jointly produced the cantata Sons of Light. Ursula also wrote the words of Lord Lecherys song in Act 3 (Vanity Fair) of The Pilgrims Progress, and for Hodie she wrote the text for the March of the Three Kings and the second verse of No sad thought shall thee affright.

In 1955 Leith Hill Festival celebrated its Golden Jubilee and as a present Ursula and Ralph Vaughan Williams jointly wrote Song for a Spring Festival which is sung every year to open proceedings. Ursula was a Vice-President of the Festival and always a welcome guest. She presented the awards on no less than five occasions and she even attended individual choir concerts.

For the 1994 Festival LHMF had commissioned a piece by an American composer, Byron Adams, and he chose to set a poem by Ursula To Cecilia, Singing and Dancing which was performed in the presence of composer and poet. In 2001 Ursula came to unveil the statue of Vaughan Williams outside the Dorking Halls and the choirs sang Song for a Spring Festival.

Ursula was a notable figure and her presence always seemed to make any occasion - whether large of small - more important and alive. LHMF will remember her with gratitude and affection.

Renee Stewart