RECONNECTING WITH MARGARET AND BEN WITH LOVE AND SONG. 2024

 

Few Choirs’ Musical Directors will ever question the value of a good choral accompanist and while the Esk Community Choir over the years has seen many accompanists come and leave for a variety of reasons, it was not until 2011 when the highly experienced and gifted accompanist, Margaret Philp, found her place at the choir keyboard and indeed her place in the choir family.

It has now been since late 2022 when, due to a fall, our Margaret lost much of her mobility resulting in the need for full-time care. However, Margaret has certainly never lost her love for music, her powers of recall of the many treasured moments during her years with the choir, nor her love for this choir which is why a convoy of cars carrying choristers coming from Esk, Coominya, Toowoomba, Laidley and places in between, made their way to Margaret’s new place of residence at Camp Hill in Brisbane to perform for her and a rec. room full of expectant residents, some of the songs which have been the storybook of Margaret’s choir life and others newly introduced to the choir’s repertoire. Solos, duets and choral numbers from mixed, men’s and ladies’ choirs as well as Eric’s crowd pleasing, brilliantly timed lyrical interpretation of the Flanders and Swann’s ‘The Gnu’. It was such a joy to be able to give this gift of song to Margaret who, up until she couldn’t, so selflessly gave so much to her choir.

However, the choir’s day was not yet complete for another of our choir family whose diminished mobility had forced his living situation to change to full-time care was awaiting our performance in Laidley. Following a delightful morning tea at CPSM Camp Hill, loving parting wishes and a promise of more to come for Margaret, it was again a cavalcade of cars up the highway to Tabeel Nursing Home for a repeat of our performance for Ben Nader and many of the residents at this delightful home for the aged.

As each item was executed beside Alexis’s and Ruth’s superlative accompaniments, there was not a sleepy soul to be seen amongst the sea of wheely-walkers and wheelchairs. Smiles were ever present on the faces of the old coves who clung to the sparks of enjoyment the well-loved items portrayed, some surely reliving memories of lives that once used to be. It has been said that music is God’s little reminder that there is something else besides us in this universe, an harmonic connection between all living things.

To the management and delightful staff of both CPSM Regis Aged Care and Tabeel and both appreciative audiences who made Alexis and her choir feel so welcomed we give our sincerest thanks.

By: Sue Walker

RECONNECTING WITH MARGARET WITH LOVE AND SONG

 

Our Margaret may have lost her ability to move around with the spriteliness of yore and while her place of residence has gone from 8 Down Street, Esk to up in room 204 at a delightful new Home for the Aged in Orwell St Camp Hill, it is Margaret’s love of music and that for her choir which has never changed.  Nor has her ability to recall so many of the moments which have become the storybook of her life.  

Where once her Down Street shelves were brimming with trinkets along with treats for the choir members who would come for extra practices, her shelves are now an accumulation of keepsakes and kodak moments from her years as accompanist with the Choir.  Even now, downstairs in CPSM Care’s Recreation Room, Margaret’s own piano is a treasured showpiece.

It was with a heavy heart that after more than 12 years of her sublime accompaniments at the Choir’s Annual Christmas Concerts, Margaret’s circumstances prevented her being at this year’s concert in Esk.  Ergo, if you can’t take the lady to the concert, you take the concert to the lady and on December 8^th it was carloads of Choristers from Esk and surrounds who were thrilled to hit the highway and bring to Margaret their Christmas Concert repertoire along with many of Margaret’s concert favourites.  Taking ‘centre stage’ and surrounded by Christmas gifts, her doting family members, carers, and the capacity audience who filled the room, Margaret was completely (in her own words) “overwhelmed by it all...close to tears much of the time”!  An occasional furtive glance in Margaret’s direction would often catch those once dexterous fingers air playing on the imaginary keyboard…muscle memory, well intact!

It was such a joy to have been able to give this gift of song to Margaret who, right up until she couldn’t, was so intent on giving her all and so much more to her choir.  It is so true that the sum of a person’s life is not how or where one ends up but in the details that happened along the way.  From your ‘choir family’ to whom you have always been an inspiration Margaret, we give our love and thanks.

By: Sue Walker