Play for Peace – Calling All Musicians to Support Ukraine
Laura Reineke, Principal of Henley Music School is inviting all musicians to come and Play for Peace in support of Ukraine in Market Place this Saturday (12 March) at 3pm. Everyone is invited to come and watch/listen to what will be a moving and emotional performance.
Last Saturday Laura went with her double bass friend, Helen Fraser to Trafalgar Square in London to play with about 200 musicians in front of the National Gallery. Laura said, “We were cutting it a bit fine, and carrying Helen’s Double Bass, which is the size of a very heavy oak wardrobe, and her stool, along with my violin, music stands etc we arrived at a packed square, and a peaceful demonstration was taking place. There was a huge audience waiting both in front of us and up on the gallery steps, cameras, radio and news. Petr Limonov was the conductor, a world famous Moscow born pianist and conductor, we also had the superstar violinist Jennifer Pike and composer Gabriel Prokofiev (on French Horn) to play alongside.”
They started the performance with the Ukraine National Anthem, followed by Hymn 2001 by Ukranian composer Valentin Silvestrov, who is thought to have left Kyiv on Sunday with his daughter. We ended the play for peace with Lysenko’s poignant Prayer for Ukraine.
Laura added, “It was a wonderful experience, I loved every second of it, just to be a part of it was an honour. I even met up with some very old friends I was at music college with 27 years ago! I thought it would be a fantastic thing to bring back to Henley, as we have so many musicians in our town, who I’m sure would love to get involved and show their support. We had a message from Petr Limonov after the event “A huge, huge thank you to all of the wonderful musicians, it was such a joy to be part of this, the sound you made will stay in my heart forever.”
Please go to www.henleymusicschool.co.uk/playforpeace to sign up, there you will get full instructions, and your music to print-off. The music is simple, and accessible to all.
