The Doctors cure

Jayson Gillham and The Doctors`Orchestra in aid of Freedom from Torture

Superbly lyrical performance of Brahms D minor Concerto and astonishing Bach Busoni Choral Prelude :”Rejoice,beloved Christians”(Nun freut euch BWV.734a) as an encore for an audience dedicated to the Freedom from Torture cause so eloquently and movingly presented by Sherine Krause.

Stephen Brearley a consultant surgeon at Whipps Cross University Hospital and The Royal London Hospital who in partnership with the late Dr Michael Lasserson created the European Doctors Orchestra in 2004.

Dr Brearley in his youth was a member with Simon Rattle of the Merseyside Youth Orchestra.

Simon came to the Royal Academy and was in Gordon Greens class.

Dr Brearley went on to study medicine in Cambridge.

Gordon was always complaining about this very gifted boy that did not practice the piano and was always in a corner conducting some student groups.

There is obviously something about the air in Liverpool as in Cambridge Stephen Brearley was doing the same thing.

Simon has become a world famous conductor and Dr Brearley a very distinguished surgeon but their love for music is the same.

This was obvious from the results that we heard last night with the “Doctors’ Orchestra” conducted by Stephen Brearley .

Always in control sometimes even reduced to visibly counting up to six in the difficult first movement of the Brahms Concerto.

I am not sure if all the orchestral members are doctors .

I suspect the whole orchestra would have rushed to the aid of any audience member taken ill!

I wonder how many musicians could do the same and play as well as they did last night!

A very moving address about the aims and results in the more than thirty years that The Freedom from Torture movement has been helping survivors of torture to recover from the pain and humiliation they have endured.

Supporting them as they rebuild their lives in the UK

Who better then than Doctors to support and help this noble cause with their music played with a passion and quite some professional skill that only non professional players possess in great quantity.

And who better indeed than Jayson Gillham so affectionately and aptly described by the founder of the Keyboard Charitable Trust, Noretta Conci-Leech ,as “Sunny” Jayson.

Winner of the Montreal International Music Competition in 2014 and much admired by Janina Fialkowska a jury member and protege’ herself of Artur Rubinstein when she was a top prize winner in his first competition in Israel.

Fast building a reputation for not only his technical command but also for his musicianship and radiant performances .

He graduated from the Royal Academy in London under that distinguished pedagogue and former student also of Gordon Green: Christopher Elton.

Small world indeed!

Below is a link to  a recent recital he gave in London .

https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.wordpress.com/…/…