Two professional violinists, Magnus and Marije Johnston, who comprise one half of the distinguished Navarra Quartet, were ‘marooned’ here in Southwold on account of the Covid. They were staying with friends when the lockdown started, and as income for all performing musicians stopped more or less overnight, they had no choice but to give up their rented accommodation near London, and remained in Southwold mainly because they had nowhere else to go.
During the lockdown, Magnus and Marije took to playing their violins outside their front door on Thursday evenings as part of the NHS clap tributes. As lockdown was released, these informal ‘soirees’ took on a life of their own, attracting a socially distanced audience of locals overjoyed to hear live music again.
Many of the audience insisted that they wanted to make a financial contribution to the musicians, and the Southwold Music Trust was delighted to establish a ‘Musicians-in-Exile’ fund, receiving donations and adding Gift Aid for the benefit of the musicians. 100% of this money went straight to our two musicians.
After a break over the summer, these events will start again in the week beginning Monday 7th September 2020. Come along to South Green at about 7:45pm to hear some light classics for about half an hour. When the weather gets a bit chilly for al fresco music-making, we shall move indoors somewhere – plans remain uncertain, so join our mailing list to be kept informed.
Leave a Reply