Tragedy inspires music for the Paralympics

Music inspires people to feel strong emotions, but tragedy, drama, suffering and love inspire composers and writers to create new music. This is the case in a remarkable project involving a collaboration between a journalist, an actor and a composer. In 2010 the journalist Melanie Reid broke her back in a riding accident; she is now tetraplegic. Many people read her weekly column “Spinal Column” in the Times Magazine, and have been inspired by her bravery in the face of adversity.

The British composer, Sally Beamish was approached by The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment to compose a work for the orchestra to play at the Cultural Olympiad celebrations. Sally regularly read Melanie’s column in the Times and was an acquaintance of Melanie’s as their children had attended the same primary school.

Sally approached Melanie, who was totally in awe of the celebrated composer and leading orchestra. Melanie came up with the title of the piece “Spinal Chords” and had to write 1,000 words about her ‘Spinal journey’ which starts just before the accident.

Sally said “I read Melanie’s piece and found myself close to tears. The next thought, inevitably, was where on earth I fit in. And how will these words be delivered? Sung? Spoken? Before, during or after the music?” In the end it was decided that the actress Juliet Stevenson would speak the words.

In November, Sally took a sketch of the score to Melanie and played the music whilst reading the text. Melanie said “In the event, I am reduced to tears by the sound of the strings, at times as raw as my own nerve endings, at other times yearning and soothing….. All I can say is that the two things, music and words together, move me and seem greater than the sum of their parts. I am, again, awestruck at her [Sally's] creativity.”

Spinal Chords is being performed on February 5th at the Turner Sims Hall Southampton and at the QE Hall (Southbank) London on 10th February.