Madeleine Dring, (1923-1977), was a composer and pianist with a tremendous love of the theatre; she acted, sang, wrote and composed incidental music for the stage and television. Her composition teachers were Howells, Vaughan Williams and Gordon Jacob. She wrote in a light style which accommodated her unpretentious and attractive chamber and instrumental works. Several of the oboe pieces were written for her husband Roger Lord, who was principal oboist with the London Symphony Orchestra for over 30 years. She combined the frank enjoyment of vernacular idioms such as Latin American rhythms with a harmonic and melodic fastidiousness.