‘He wants to help,’ says Guy).Īlma has a packed diary, preparing for her first concert in China in October a performance of Cinderella in San Jose, California, with an orchestra of 44 musicians in December, and a shortened version of Cinderella for children in Vienna in January. They now have a team of advisers: PR manager, financier, agent (Alma is the youngest ever British composer to be signed by an agent: Martin Campbell-White, who worked with Simon Rattle from the age 18 and is now semi-retired, is working gratis. ‘I am not sure she is desperately keen to be playing the piano or violin on stage in front of a large audience,’ says Guy. Does she ever feel left out? Guy and Janie respond by saying that of course both girls are special, very special, and point out that Helen is a different character. She is also taught via Skype from Switzerland by a specialist in a method, used in Italy in the 18th and 19th centuries, that teaches children composition in a playful way.īut what about Helen? I say. ‘Even with her friends, Alma plays very intensely, and after that she will say, “Now I have to be on my own for a bit and dream.” It would be difficult to do that in school.’Īlma was behind the move to Surrey, owing to her having lessons with two teachers from the nearby Yehudi Menuhin School. ‘Her needs are different and it’s quite difficult for any school, even with the best intentions, to cater for someone like that,’ says Guy. But her parents believe Alma wouldn’t have thrived in mainstream education anyway. She seems thrilled to be teaching her daughters ‘about fossils or Portuguese explorers, Tudors and Stuarts, or whatever it is’.
Janie, who has given up her university job, is also a huge support, home-schooling both girls. These days she does most of the inputting herself, and Guy helps ‘with the more tricky features’.
‘Alma was never particularly technologically minded,’ he says. When Alma was younger, Guy, who now works from home writing books on linguistics, would input Alma’s written compositions on to the computer. ‘She outstripped us, maybe even at seven.’ Alma’s parents bought her first violin when she was three, paid for a teacher, nurtured her gifts, taught her what they know. A musical prodigy, in particular, hinges on parental involvement. ‘It wasn’t really anything unusual for me.’īut of course a child prodigy – as David Henry Feldman and Lynn T Goldsmith, both experts in the field, have pointed out – ‘is a group enterprise’. ‘I always had little melodies in my head,’ she explains. We should pay attention to that.’ She has the ability to name any note she hears with the effortlessness that most people can name a colour.Īlma composed her first piece before she was four. ‘I remember thinking, that’s a bit unusual. Sunday 14 September, 4pm, St Thomas Church, Lymingtonįormer BBC New Generation Artists with appearances at the Proms, the Galliard Ensemble has become one of Britain’s leading chamber groups.She sang something like “shashi shashi shashi sha” – but the notes were pitch perfect,’ says Guy. The concert will also feature a commission by the eight-year old prodigy Alma Deutscher. Saturday 13 September 2014, 7.30pm, St Thomas Church, LymingtonĪ glorious selection of early and late works by Beethoven and Brahms performed by the Endellion Quartet, clarinettist Katherine Spencer, pianist Sam Haywood and cellist Damien Ventula. Info & tickets Songs of Innocence and Experience Saturday 13 September, 1.15pm, St Thomas Church, LymingtonĪ special event for all the family with artist Ashley Davies and clarinettist Katherine Spencer who regularly present workshops at the Courthauld Institute in London. For dinner reservations call 0844 7046820. There is no charge for this event but donations on the evening welcome. Ronnie Scott’s resident jazz singer Kai Hoffman, with her own unique brand of jazz & cabaret-style entertaining, is back by popular demand! The Endellion Quartet, cellist Damien Ventula and pianist Sam Haywood perform two of Schubert’s best-loved masterpieces completed in his final year, aged 31.įriday 12 September 2014, 9.30pm, Stanwell House Hotel, Lymington Thursday 11 September 2014, 7.30pm, St Thomas Church, Lymingtonįour centuries of choral and organ music for monarchs including Zadok the Priest and anthems composed for Kate and William.įriday 12 September 2014, 7.30pm, St Thomas Church, Lymington
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