I was so sad to hear of the passing of the wonderful, charismatic Tona de Brett. I was blessed to have
met Tona in the 1980’s when I had singing lessons with her, what an absolute delight they were! I
remember with such joy my afternoons next to her beautiful piano in the front room of her Highgate
home, often followed by a cup of tea and quick catch-up afterwards if time allowed. I learnt an
incredible amount from her, while having so much fun, she was the perfect teacher and mentor.
Tona introduced me to the Italian phrase ‘poco a poco’, which also served me well with my children
and stays with me still.

I cannot imagine anyone not being drawn to Tona’s warm heart and vibrant personality. She was a
whirlwind of positive energy, her sense of life always radiated out, it was uplifting just being around
her. For all those of us lucky enough to have known her, then I’m sure we all share that glorious
sense of fortune to have spent time in her company.

Tona possessed that rare gift of making you feel as if you were the most important person in the
world when you were with her. I found her to always be genuinely interested in me and what was
going on in my life and we exchanged Christmas cards and updates on both our lives for many years.
I remember how very proud she was of her sons and their families and how much joy they brought
her.

My sincere condolences to her sons and their families. I will forever hold dear my precious memories
of beautiful Tona.