AS A teenage piano student in 1960 Teresa O’Brien felt cheated when a noisy neighbour broke her concentration so much that she failed a piano exam.
The niggling frustration stayed with her through the decades and she has now finally achieved the grade seven qualification which was denied to her all those years ago.
But to take the examination she has just passed, Teresa had to produce her marriage certificate to prove she was the same person as the Teresa Wall who achieved grade six in 1958.
Although she has never given up playing, Teresa can put her success down to the inspiration of seeing a friend at Millhouse Green Women’s Institute pass the exam - and the skills of her teacher who provided the guidance needed for her to achieve the same level.
The teacher is Dodworth-based Lynne Sykes, who, Teresa says, has “worked a miracle” to improve her playing to the required standard to pass the ABRSM exam.
The board is acknowledged as the international leader for music exams and students face a challenging assessment to pass their examinations.
Teresa, of Catshaw Lane, Hazlehead, had restricted her playing to duets with a friend and occasional service when no organist was available at church.
Her teenage experience in her exam never left her, however: “In those days, the music exams were conducted at the teacher’s house,” she said.
“My teacher’s house had very thin walls and her neighbour hated her playing the piano so she opened all her windows and played her radiogram at full belt.
“It was horrendous and I couldn’t hear myself playing so I will never know if I genuinely failed; the conditions didn’t exactly help,” she said.
“When this opportunity came along, I took it.”
Teresa is still being provided with challenging music to play by her teacher and has not ruled out attempting the ABRSM grade eight - the top level of qualification - at some point in the future.
