‘We are going to have a singsong around the piano, with pies and beer!’
After a chance meeting and a chat with Charlotte Benstead, Operations Manager at Southwark Charities, Concert Violinist Philippa Mo was invited to be the Artist in Residence at the charity’s St Mary Newington Close Almshouse, where she will devise a programme of music-related events over two weeks for the residents there, writes Michael Holland.
‘I was absolutely delighted,’ she tells her favourite newspaper. ‘I have had a long interest in almshouses, as there has always been a need for social housing, and the idea of building a community whilst living independently seems to be increasingly important and valuable today. So I am very happy to be a small part of the work that Southwark Charities do to support and enrich the lives of their residents.’
Philippa will be staying in a flat in St Mary Newington Close Almshouse just off the Old Kent Road in the heart of Southwark, a borough that she has lived in for nearly thirty years.
Charlotte Benstead told me about the Artist in Residence scheme: ‘Philippa is our 8th artist. We have worked with photographers, playwrights, metal workers, as well as traditional artists. Everyone has brought something unique to the space and left us with some wonderful work that we share in our gardens and lounge. Artists are invited to develop their practice in this homely environment.’
I asked what Philippa will bring to St Mary’s. ‘My aims are to share the most beautiful music I know and give the residents moments of calm and invigoration in equal measure. We will have music over breakfast, a Nocturne concert with hot cocoa, the London Tango concert will be accompanied by empanadas, we will have an art and music session to allow sketching in response to the sounds – thinking about the colours in sound too.’ She had to stop for breath. As I did too, after taking in that amazing schedule.
Ms Mo will be recruiting some of her friends from the classical music world to ensure this rich spectrum of activities goes off according to plan. ‘I will be giving some concerts, introducing some of my favourite pieces and talking about the music, the composers, and why they might be worth listening to more than once. I will have two very special guests to perform with me: Romano Viazzani will join me for an evening concert to display his virtuoso accordion repertoire.’
Romano is the leader of the Romano Viazzani Ensemble, of which Philippa is a member.
‘He will take us through French and Italian music, and, of course, we will play some Argentinian tango too.’
There will be a trip to the renowned concert series Lie Down and Listen at the Painted Hall in Greenwich, where you actually lie down and look at the beautiful painted ceiling while listening to music.
Christina McMaster, founder of Lie Down and Listen, will be another guest who will give ‘a private deep listening session’ for residents. Christina is a pianist who leads her concert experiences by encouraging open listening and receptiveness to vibrations from Tibetan singing bowls. ‘We will play the beloved “Lark Ascending” by Vaughan Williams, as well as other works for violin and piano.’
Will it be all music? ‘I am hoping to get to know the residents day to day and find out about their lives as well as introduce them to aspects of my life as a musician and violinist. I plan on a lot of chatting and gathering thoughts from people on the music they hear me present, but I really want to find out about their musical tastes, favourite songs, and moments where music felt significant. I am going to ask for favourite songs too, for our Farewell for Now concert at the end of the two weeks, when we are going to have a singsong around the piano, with pies and beer!’
Have you done anything like this before? ‘No!’ she exclaimed. ‘So it is all very exciting!’
Charlotte Benstead told me, ‘The residents love seeing new faces on site, and the beauty of having a variety of art forms means they get to try different things… Each artist leaves us a piece of work that all residents will benefit from.
Philippa studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London, and the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, and performs extensively as a soloist worldwide. Solo tours have taken her to Australia, Brazil, China, Turkey, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan. And now the Old Kent Road.
Booking and full details of Lie Down and Listen: https://ornc.org/whats-on/lie-down-and-listen-illumination/
