The Times newspaper has carried an obituary of a Scots BBC Radio 4 journalist who died last month, aged 54.
Says the newspaper today, Lynne Walker had “a beguiling style, both on the radio and in the written media, of capturing the essence of a performance with the right phrase”. She also wrote for The Independent. Added the obituary: “Her microphone voice was assured and relaxed and she made memorable contributions to such programmes as Kaleidoscope and In Tune.”
Her professional career started in the press office of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Glasgow.
The obituary continues: “In 1987 Walker left the RSNO to assume a similar role at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester and during her seven years there she was married to Gerald Larner, the music critic of The Guardian.
“Walker had built up a separate career as a freelance arts journalist, writing for a variety of papers, and also started working on Radios 3 and 4 in the early 1990s. For ten years she was a regular presenter and interviewer on Kaleidoscope, often acting as devil’s advocate which engendered lively discussion.
“In 1991 Walker and her husband set up Edgewise, an arts consultancy that provided informative programme notes for many of the leading British orchestras, concert halls and festivals. Walker was particularly pleased to be heavily involved with the Edinburgh Festival and in 1992 she was appointed the festival’s programme editor. She brought to the post a great enthusiasm and a keen eye for detail.”
It is understood she was diagnosed with cancer ten years ago. The Independent's tribute can be read here.
