Tributes have been paid to the founder of a music festival who has died at the age of 72. Deborah Roberts was described by her family as an inspiration and a pivotal member of the music community. She once sang in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
Deborah, who died on September 9, pioneered “early music" from the medieval and Renaissance periods and co-founded the Brighton Early Music Festival. Her son Joe Erber said she “sang from the heart” and inspired his own route into music. Joe, 39, said: “I feel immensely proud as her son.
“She taught me so many values of being intellectually curious and empowered my sense of social justice and my belief in it. Deborah and Joe on Brighton beach (Image: Family handout) “She was both a very academic, intellectual person but was also equipped with a beautiful voice. She sang from the heart.
” Deborah, who was originally from London but moved to Brighton, co-founded the Brighton Early Music Festival in 2002 with Clare Norburn and was a member of the Tallis Scholars, an ensemble who have performed at the Royal Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House and Sistine Chapel. Her love for the music began in her mid-teens and she graduated from Nottingham University with a Master’s degree in interpreting Renaissance and Baroque music. Joe said she and his father were major inspirations for him to become a musician and composer.
Deborah was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the King's Birthday Honours for her contributions to music, s.