Nursing & Midwifery sing at Southbank Centre

The Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery at King’s College London premiered a performance of ‘A Nightingale Sang’ at London’s Southbank Centre on Friday 13 May.

The concert, part of Southbank Centre’s Chorus! weekend, which focused on the relationship between the voice and well-being, is a composition by the School’s composer in residence, acclaimed Irish composer, John Browne.

‘A Nightingale Sang’ is a moving reflection on Florence Nightingale herself as a pioneering nurse and social reformer and on the nature of empathy. The performance featured several choirs including: the choir of King’s College London and the School’s Nightingale Choir; and a 100 strong choir of nurses, midwives, healthcare professionals and students assembled especially for this event. Also performing were ‘Mind and Soul’ – a choir of mental health patients from the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust alongside an orchestra; dance group and a nurses’ percussion group.

John Browne’s residency has been made possible by a grant from the PRS for Music Foundation and the National Lottery through Arts Council England (London) and is part of the School’s unique, innovative ‘Culture and Care’ programme, offered to both staff and students alike. ‘Culture and Care’ explores the role that the arts in general and music in particular can play in the professional development of nurses and midwives and which puts creativity at the heart of the educational experience.

Professor Anne Marie Rafferty, Head of the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery at King’s noted: ‘A Nightingale Sang represents the culmination of John Browne’s residency and a musical meditation on the nature of empathy, which is such a crucial element in our capacity to care. I am thrilled that the School’s Nightingale choir played a leading role in this prestigious congregational event.’

Composer John Browne said: ‘I have long been convinced that music plays a vital role in health and well-being. It is an honour and a privilege to work alongside healthcare professional to present this new work which demonstrated the power of music in our lives.’