Music project celebrates 300 recitals in three years
A music project which aims to provide uplifting performances for patients and staff at The Royal London Hospital has celebrated 300 recitals over three years.
To mark the milestone of the Friends Music Programme, a special lunchtime recital was held in the hospital's main foyer and featured medical and dental students from Barts Health as well as Queen Mary University of London. The programme included a string quartet, piano and vocal performances, a flute trio, a piano and saxophone duo and a brass quintet with music ranging from Coldplay to Billie Eilish.
The event was rounded off by the chair of Barts Health NHS Trust, Professor Ian Jacobs, who said it was a 'privilege and a thrill to hear beautiful music in this setting'.
He added: "These performances bring moments of joy to our patients as well as their friends and family in times of anxiety and stress."
The music programme is run by The Friends of the Royal London Hospital, a charity dedicated to improving hospital amenities for both patients and staff. It is run by volunteers, hospital staff (past and present) and members of the local community.
Professor Trevor Beedham, who is president of The Friends of the Royal London Hospital, added: "The 300th recital was an opportunity for the Friends to thank the many medical and dental students who have been at the very core of the Friends Music Project from the outset.
"They are very talented musicians; they hearten our hospital patients with their music and they are an absolute delight to work with. We are very fortunate to have them.'
You can find a full list of their performers here along with clips of their recitals on YouTube.