Quaker composer new Leaveners’ patron
Sally Beamish has become a patron of the Leaveners
Sally Beamish has joined Judi Dench, Ben Kingsley, Sheila Hancock and John Whitney as a patron of the Leaveners, the Quaker arts organisation.
Sally is a composer and viola player. Among her works is Equal Voices, a joint commission with poet Andrew Motion, created to mark the centenary of the start of the first world war (see ‘The futility of war’, 1 August 2014).
More recently, Sally appeared on the documentary Written by Mrs Bach broadcast on BBC Four. The programme explored the assertion that some works attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach were, in fact, composed by his wife, Anna Magdalena Bach. Sally was one of several experts debating the subject and spoke of the lack of women role models in the world of music.
‘There’s something that happens in perception that tells little girls that this isn’t something that they can do. These things go very deep,’ she said.
Sally said of her appointment: ‘I feel honoured to have been invited to be a patron of the Leaveners. I believe that the arts provide a direct route to spiritual growth, and to understanding; and the work of the Leaveners is a testament to that. I much look forward to being part of their journey.’
