MUSIC lovers were treated to an afternoon of exquisite piano music which also raised £1,000 towards the refurbishment of the parish hall at Our Lady of Mount Carmel (OLMC) Church.
The event took place on Saturday at St John Fisher and St Thomas More Church in Feckenham.
The church, part of the Parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Redditch, was packed full and extra chairs had to be brought in to accommodate the huge audience, which included Redditch Mayor, Coun Joanna Kane.
Local pianist and teacher, Rebekah Thacker, took the audience on a very personal journey through some of her favourite piano music and spoke about her connections to each piece.
The recital included works by Mozart, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Debussy and Rachmaninov.
Many listeners were moved to tears by Rebekah’s beautiful playing and her deep relationship to the music.
Rebekah declared Chopin to be her ‘musical hero’ and her interpretations of the Chopin pieces were especially memorable.
She finished the concert with a glittering performance of Chopin’s fiendishly difficult Fantaisie-Impromptu, which was met with rapturous applause and a standing ovation.
The Mayor spoke of her delight at the experience and described how she felt she had been ‘transported to another world’.
Rebekah thanked all those who helped organise the concert. These included John Tyrrell who tuned the piano free of charge.
An OLMC Church spokesperson said: “‘Rebekah is a cherished member of our parish.
“She sings in the church choir and often plays piano in our services.
“We thank her gratefully for her generosity in sharing her wonderful talent for the benefit of our church community.”
