The death has been announced of the respected broadcaster and musician Sheila Tracy, who for many years hosted the presentation awards ceremony at the National Finals at the Royal Albert Hall.

Sheila Tracy was also the first woman to read the news on BBC Radio 4 and presented Radio 2's Big Band Special. She was aged 80.

Trombonist

A trombonist, she first found fame as part of the musical duo The Tracy Sisters before becoming a TV announcer, going on to enjoy a full and varied career at the BBC – from Radio 4 to BBC One.

In 1979, she introduced the first Big Band Special and went on to present hundreds of concerts from around the world for the next 21 years.

For a number of years she hosted the awards and presentations at the National Finals, becoming a great supporter and fan of the brass band movement4BR

Supporter

For a number of years she hosted the awards and presentations at the National Finals, becoming a great supporter and fan of the brass band movement.

She was married to the actor John Arnatt, who died in 1999. She died at the Princess Alice Hospice in Esher, Surrey, on Tuesday.