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Published: 25 February 2010

HOW lucky I am still to enjoy going to concerts. Whenever I do, I remember my sadly missed younger friend Rose Hacker, who died two years ago, just before her 102nd birthday. For Rose, as for me, music always did much more than just entertain. 

My introduction might seem unconventional. It was to music as a shield.  During First World War air-raids, the voice of Caruso singing arias from Pagliacci rang out from the giant horn of the “His Master’s Voice” gramophone to drown out the noise of anti-aircraft guns. They trundled up and down the road on trucks outside the Dalston home where I was born in 1905. Later, my guru, my eldest sister, introduced symphonies into the musical mix. I was hooked for life.

I was reminded of music’s importance in boosting war-time morale when I went to a National Gallery concert last October, the week after my 104th birthday, on which I attended a chamber music concert in Welwyn Garden City.  Publisher Eric Hecht had revived the Myra Hess Second World War National Gallery concerts which I had attended. They did so much to keep Londoners’ spirits up at a time when, once again, destruction was raining down on our city from the skies. It was evocative re-living that experience.

That concert reminded me of Sir Robert Mayer’s Saturday children’s concerts at Central Hall Westminster, to which I dragged my sometimes less than enthusiastic daughters. Occasionally the present Queen, her sister and governess attended. 

After the Second World War I worked for more than 20 years as secretary at a secondary school near Finsbury Park. It was a time of educational expansion. The post-war Labour government actively promoted, not just preached, both music and sports in schools. It recognised the positive impact of music teaching on general academic standards. 

My school shared Douglas Rome – a peripatetic music teacher attached to Westminster Cathedral Choir School – with several Hornsey schools. Children were encouraged to come and listen to him playing the piano during lunch breaks. They came in large numbers. 

Every year Hornsey schools organised a non-competitive music festival with string quartets, recorder players and a few soloists. There were no prizes. How different from today’s approach where individuals are forced to compete on nationwide television.

Rose Hacker, who wrote about the importance of music in this newspaper, was actively involved in programmes to use music therapeutically as well as creatively. Music in mental health programmes, for prisons, school activities, as part of care of the elderly were all areas in which she was involved.  Ever more reports now extol the value of music in dealing with dementias and memory loss, especially Alzheimer’s.  

Music is used to boost productivity, increase crop and milk yields, console, inspire. Daniel Barenboim uses it to break down religious and racial barriers in his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra.

Since Rose’s death there is an enormous gap in my life. Of all the people living in the Mary Feilding Guild homes in Highgate, we probably shared more interests than anyone else, especially our determination to work for peace and our love of music. Harmonising those two interests we regularly attended concerts by Mana, Musicians Against Nuclear Arms. 

So on February 28 I look forward to joining other friends, relatives, music lovers or just fans of Rose Hacker at Conway Hall where the regular Sunday Evening Concert will be dedicated to Rose’s memory. Rose attended those concerts for more than 70 years, her last visit was the Sunday before her final illness.  

Rose always said she wanted to die listening to her favourite music. What better way to go?

• The Sunday concert in memory of Rose Hacker will be at: Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, WC1 at 6.30 pm.
£7 (students £3). Cash only box office opens 5.45pm