Obituary by Claire Yendoll

My apologies for taking so long to get this to you but hopefully this gives you a bit of an overview of Vyv's life.  I'm sure you have other information about dads music career that hasn't been mentioned but heres a few details for you.   

Vyv was born in 1940 in Dorchester England during World War 11.  Vyv was the middle child having an older sister Adrian and younger sister Eulinid.  His father Ron had a love of music and inspired to learning the violin himself so when Vyv was picked out as a talented choir boy Ron fostered in his son the desire to learn the violin at an early age.  

Vyv showed considerable talent and took to learning the violin.   When Vyv was about 11 the family moved to London so that Vyv could climb the ladder in terms of his music career.   

From the age of 12 years old Vyv was invited to go to the Royal Academy of Music every Saturday as a junior exhibitioner and later joined the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britan also playing in the Middlesex Youth Orchestra as principal violin. Later on in Vyv's teens he was awarded a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London which he graduated from.  

He met his first wife Jan in his early twenties when he was the principal violinist of the Middlesex Youth  Orchestra.  They were married in 1962 and very soon after their wedding they travelled to New Zealand where Vyv started his music career in NZ as assistant principal Viola in the Concert Orchestra which was formed to play for the opera and ballet.  

Their first child Symon was born in 1963 and then their daughter Claire in 1966.  

When the concert orchestra was disbanded in the mid sixties Vyv joined the NZSO as assistant principal viola then later in 1964 he became the principal viola of the NZSO. 

His other accomplishments were Vyv was a member of the Alex Lindsay String Orchestra and the NZ String Quartet.  He was also the founding member of the NZ  

Chamber Orchestra and had two viola concertos written for him. Vyv later became a teacher and in 2005 was awarded a ONZM for his services to music. When he retired in 2009 he was given the title of retired principal viola emeritus.  

After his retirement Vyv moved to Christchurch and became a member of the Christchurch Orchestra for approx 5 years.   He returned to Wellington in March of 2023 where he lived close to his daughter and son in a rest home.   

Vyv was adored by his 2 children Symon and Claire his grandchildren Jessica, Cassandra, Steven and Jennifer and in particular had a very close relationship with his great granddaughter Amahni as when Amahni came along dad was retired from the NZSO and travelling.  So had more time to develop a close bond. Vyv had two other great grandchildren, Jazzel and Peyton.   

He was a very kind, funny humble man that will be deeply missed by everyone he met.