A photo of the orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in the 1950s shows about a hundred players, all men but for the first flute player, Patricia Lynden. My cousin Pat, who has died aged 89, played with the ROH orchestra for six years from 1956, then freelanced for the next 10 or 11 years, playing with various orchestras before being invited to join the Philharmonia.
There followed nine marvellous years of playing and recording under great conductors such as Riccardo Muti, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Lorin Maazel. After leaving the Philharmonia, Pat returned to Covent Garden and then to the ENO, before retiring at 55. She subsequently taught many pupils, to whom she gave dedicated care and encouragement.
