One of my other volunteering roles is as a pianist in a South London Hospital, playing on a baby grand piano in the atrium of the building. There is always a flow of outpatients and visitors many of whom come by and say hello or thankyou. So, this is a post for all music lovers and Donald in particular who recently celebrated his birthday.
But first I will ask this question of you all: have you ever been anywhere, a bus, a doctor’s surgery, a school or hospital where one’s person voice is head and shoulders above all others? Usually, they are a pain in the neck. Well, last Thursday I came across a patient’s wife in the hospital whose voice boomed out in a common souf London accent. This lady I later learnt was Shirley who was accompanying her husband due for an appointment. I could visually Shirley selling fruit in a street market, bellowing out “’alf a pound of tomata’s.”
Well, as I was playing a tune on the piano, I could her shout out to her husband, “Oi Bill, someone’s doing a concert.” And then “ooh I love piano’s”. I turned round to see this lady in her eighties. She came up to me and said, “you can stick violins, drums, guitars: I just love pianos”. Everyone could hear her, the receptionist, the lady with the book trolley, other patients sitting around and staff passing through. Her voice bellowed out. And guess what, her husband was hard of hearing. So most often she repeated what she had said till her husband could understand. It was like watching a TV comedy.
I then asked her if she had any requests. “Oooh,” she said. “My mother’s favourite was always “Moonlight and Roses”. Well, I had a stab at it. It was made famous by Jim Reeves. “That’s it” she exclaimed, even though I made a few errors in playing! And then, as if to help me out, she asked “Can you play Jingle Bells”? “It’s only November”, I replied, teasing her, but then I skirted through it at pace as she became a little girl again, singing along at the top of her voice. And why not – only six weeks away! (Oh, I forgot to tell you she had no teeth.)
She told me she had sung at school and at church back in the day and had always liked the hymn “Thine be the Glory” which has a rousing tune by Handel. Can you play it, she asked. Well, I can and yes, I did, and she began singing that too. Finally, she wanted to show me the tune Lavender Blue, dilly dilly, and attempted to finger the melody on the piano keys. She got the sequence of notes wrong but at least got some of the notes in the right order (cue Morecambe and Wise) and sufficient for me to guess the chord progression so after her attempt I had a shot at it and more or less accomplished the task. I do remember singing that song at school in the early 1950’s. That took me back 70 years. One of the receptionists came up to me later and told me that I’d really done well with that lady, who she had met before in the library! As for the lady herself, she had a whale of a time ha ha.
If you are reading this Donald, do you have any memories of school songs?
Written by
Greenthorn
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Well sometimes I get told I'm playing too loud (if I get carried away on an up- tempo number like "let's do it, let's fall in love".) The problem is that the piano is opposite the receptionists, and many out- patients come for an audio appointment being hard of hearing or to have hearing aid repairs! So I have to swivel a lot to see what's going on! But generally, you are spot on: many visitors come and tell me that I make a difference. It's an excellent platform for me since I'm always learning or finding new songs to play which kind of keeps me fresh. So it's mainly a mix of ballads and swing tunes. Once in a while I'll do a medley of music hall songs- yes we do get visitors well into old age! Thanks HH for your response.
What a story in the life of a volunteer. Sounds a heap of fun - Yes at any gathering you will always find someone who are 'cock of the voice' - You played “Moonlight and Roses” I would not have thought that easy.
When I was 15 I had my leg run over and it was broke in four places. I was not able to work on crutches, yes we did leave school at 15 arround 1960. magical times the 60s was.
To the poin tI learned to play the piano, not at that age as I had any great interest but I was house bound and father was at work and mother in hospital.
So my father bought be home tutor books, we had an old upright piano, which was in tune.
Father got me a tutor who did teach me to play, but I was not as good as I thought I was. I played 'Silver Threads Amongs The Gold" for a couple in a pub, I even got the grace notes right, but made lots of errors - it was so embarresing I never did that played when anyone could hear again - I simply was not good enough.
Loved the story you wrote David - You really are a talented writer who can make a story interesting.
I wish everyone were to read your reply Ern. I think of the 1950’s as the black and white days as most of my memories are converted into b & w photographs! Aha, you mention "Silver Threads Among the Gold". That was one of the tunes in the William Smallwood tutor book my brother and I used. We were taught by a crabby old spinster who lived down the road like an ancient Miss Haversham from Great Expectations.
She hated Liberace and told us so. She would also hit us on the knuckles with a heavy knitting needle if we made a mistake. My brother and I took alternate lessons to begin with. While my brother had his lesson I would sit closer by having into the coal fire and imagining scenes from hell!
You also brought another memory to mind. In my early twenties when my right leg was in plaster following an ankle injury at football, I learnt to type on a second hand Remington portable typewriter. The good old days. Thanks Ern for taking me back in time!
Thank you David - Yes the 1950 where "Black & white" years. As you say "Black & White photographs and not to forget Black & White TV - I think I am correct that the first ever soap on TV was 'The Grove Family ' on the BBC. I remember watching the Corronation with my father which was on the BBC.
Liberace - How could anyone hate him.? He was part of the good old days .
I think you involvement as a volunteer is brilliant.
I will have a look on You Tube. see if I remember anything. There was also a Quatermass Series, mt father would let me watch it as it finished at 8-30.
Very interesting post David. Where shall I start? - Well being the start was a tad spooky cause the "Gaslight" memories, take me back to shadows on the wall, when I was alone upstairs.
The gloves with the fingers cut out, reminded me of a grocer with such gloves and a brown shop coat. His fingers did not look nice, glad I had not come for pies.
On the well stocked shelves in full view, Capstan, Woodbines and John Player. Nothing in that shop could be described as "Fortissimo" more' Pinanissimo' would have been to loud.
Thoroughly enjoyed your memories Ern. Many of us will have memories of the old 'corner shop'. I can easily recall the cigarette packets - I think my dad smoked Woodbine for a while. I also remember the jars of sweets and lemon sherbets.
What a beautiful story and how of kind to play the piano and more particularly play especially for this lady with her distinctive voice. I am sure that she was delighted and you quite possibly made her day.
There is a saying which I always try to remember and appreciate. It goes like this…..
‘People won’t remember what you said to them, but they will remember how you made them feel’
Thanks Pauline, the best part of playing in public is the chance to engage and interact with the audience, even if it is just one or two old souls that come up to the piano to say a few words. Sometimes just a "Thankyou". But every now and again I have a chat with a hospital visitor or outpatient and hear something of their life story. Actually that particular lady made MY day. You are right in what you say. I am trained in speaking with patients who are "living with dementia". I was taught by a senior nurse that's the patient may well quickly forget the incident that have them delight or pleasure but that good feeling would remain far longer. Yes my piano tinkling is most Thursday mornings so I will add a story here when appropriate.
Haha,loved this story. She will probably tell all+ sundry about you playing her requests and her singing .lovely story..omg toothless too,deaf hubby lol 😆 😂xx
I think in the past I'd have shied away from such a demonstrative and loud person. But these days, (thanks in part to my ward visits in another hospital) I just seem to embrace it the more! She and her husband had bags of character.
My memories of school will be very different to yours David and are best forgotten. In fact most people have forgotten how close we came to losing WW2. The v2 rocket attacks were bringing the country to its knees. There was no time for music lessons in y school. I had to wait until I retired before learning to read music. You are doing a wonderful job, long may you continue.
Sad to think you lost your school years Don, and sometimes can't believe that people are around that must have gone through such bad times. It makes me grateful that I had the freedom in my school days x
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