How very pleasant it was to attend a concert where every note, every word was familiar: from Frank Sinatra’s “If you are but a dream” to the diplomat Sir Cecil Spring-Rice’s “I vow to thee my country” set to Jupiter in Gustav Holst’s Planet Suite and the haunting Albinoni. The pianist Keith Beresford accompanied the deliciously dramatic bass baritone Leslie McLeod-Miller in the Holst which I, like many people in the St James Church audience, first learned to sing at school very many years ago. The final memorable couplet - “her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are peace” - stays with you and links thoughts of Ataturk’s “peace at home, peace in the world”.

The programme (see details below) was obviously a great success with the audience; it was created by Keith Beresford and Canan Maxton who initiated and runs Talent Unlimited which helps music students, mostly from Turkey, to continue their studies in London. On this occasion, 50% of the proceeds were donated to the Royal Marsden Hospital to support their work with cancer patients and research.

Sally Mustoe
11th March 2011

To view the information on this concert click for the pdf flier