Yvonne’s ‘symphony of life’ will continue to play in her memory forever

Dr Yvonne Huskisson, who died on November 30, aged 90, leaves behind a musical legacy that is unlikely to ever be matched.

Her love for music and her insatiable appetite for discovery and research of ethnical music took her way beyond South Africa’s borders and even beyond those of the African continent.

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After graduating from Wits University, she started her career as a lecturer at Wits and Potchefstroom in music and obtained her doctoral degree in the social and ceremonial music of the Pedi culture at 27 years, something unheard of during the 1950s.

Yvonne travelled extensively in African countries as the leading ethno-musicologist with the SABC and built, through 35 years an extensive and impressive music library for the nine ethnic languages in Southern Africa.

She provided indigenous ethno music to different African countries for their indigenous radio stations while spearheading the development of African indigenous music research within South Africa.

Her accolades stretched past the borders of South Africa during trying times within the country by accepting several awards, national and international, for her work within the SABC in radio music productions.

At the SABC she met and married Hugh Campbell.

He was a sound engineer and would often accompany her on her trips recording the music.

In 1969 she wrote a book Bantu Composers of Southern Africa, featuring 318 composers, and subsequently, in 1992, as Black Composers of Southern Africa: An Expanded Supplement to The Bantu Composers of Southern Africa.

After her retirement Yvonne frequently used her family’s home in Hong Kong as a base to venture out into the far reaches of the Asian continent, to track down rarely heard of musical instruments and their players who were often the last of their breed.

Whether it involved arduous travel and hiking into inaccessible mountain areas of Yunnan province in China, long and uncomfortable journeys to Tibet or extensive field trips to Cambodia, Thailand and other places, Yvonne would not rest until she had, often at great personal hardship and discomfort, tracked down that ‘one last musician’, that ‘very rare musical ensemble’ or that ‘hardly ever heard of instrument’.

Very quickly Yvonne would deeply connect with people she did not know, people whose language and customs she had never before come into contact with, always using her musical passion as her shield and charm.

Besides her determination, resilience and uncanny worldliness she would astonish by her ability to connect and establish true, lasting friendships with people who she had never before met and whose language she did not speak.

In her special way she was exemplary at showing all how a passion and keen interest in an art form is able to transcend borders, to bring people together and to create harmony.

When she settled in Umtentweni, she became a true South Coast Hospice friend and supporter.

She was fondly known as ‘Doc’ to the hospice teams over the years.

Together with South Coast Hospice founder Kath Defilippi, they started Voices for Hospice, which became a popular annual event.

Voices for Hospice is an international event celebrated around the world in October, bringing awareness to communities about palliative care as well as hospices.

In all this, her vision to bring young people together with one voice became a reality.

Rural schools took part and the event reflected the ethos of hospice – one of being multi-racial and inclusive of all colour and creed.

Yvonne was well loved and respected for her dedication to choir development and music originality, community service and the uplifting of education.

Her full life was a testimony of service, education and faith in what she believed.

Her entire existence was centred on writing and conducting a beautiful ‘symphony of life’ which will continue to play in her memory forever.

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