FROM AMERICA TO ADELAIDE
Musician Jobe Sullivan recounts the success of livestreams with classical singer Jeanne Conard Jones during lockdown... From her walled back garden on All Saints Road, Jeanne and I kicked up a storm with a concert of Debussy, Schubert, Gershwin and spirituals. We did it for the good of the neighbours, Jeanne’s old friends, and the soul. Jeanne and I first met in 2019 when I accompanied her singing on the church organ at a funeral. I was spellbound by her intense, welltrained, emotional voice. Our last professional engagement prior to lockdown was a concert where she
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conducted the Moseley Chamber Singers. As well as being a choral conductor, Jeanne is a vocal teacher and performs as a ‘coloratura mezzo-soprano’ – she lived an exciting musical career in the US and Germany for 30 years before moving to Birmingham in 2010. We both felt we were missing something in our lives during the Covid-19 lockdown – that insatiable craving we musicians get to share beautiful music. We hatched a scheme to perform our favourite classical songs. I’d drive over with my electric piano and she’d borrow a neighbour’s long extension cable. I’d sneak in the unlocked side gate into her garden. The first livestream we did was on Monday 4 May at 1pm, broadcast on my Facebook music page. People tuned in from America (Jeanne's country of birth) to Adelaide (Australia, where Jeanne has friends). Unfortunately, it was cut short according to Sod's Law. My phone charger broke, so our livestream was a mere 12 minutes long before my phone ran out of battery. Nonetheless, Jeanne emailed me to say: “The people standing outside the fence were very enthusiastic, and so was my highly-accomplished accompanist and assistant conductor in Germany." We performed again on 18 May, adding some more repertoire, including ‘Over the Rainbow’ – and I performed a piano solo – Wiz Khalifa’s ‘See you again’. We had beautiful weather, beautiful repertoire and encouraging neighbours. The only technical hitch this time was the wind, blowing away our sheets at any opportunity. “Brava! Bravo! Wonderful - Too bad the wind was auditioning for a role in 11
an upcoming recording of the very opening scene of Die Walküre!” (the second part of Richard Wagner's Ring cycle) – one comment said on the livestream. It was such a privilege not only to perform with Jeanne during lockdown but also to see all her old friends from around the world log on to support her. Music makes the world go round, and people will look around the world for music, especially from the people they love. You can rewatch the livestreams by searching 'Songs in the Sunshine' on www.facebook. com/Jobesullivanmusic.
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