Our March talk was presented by Natalie Cumming and was entitled, “The Fiddle”. This talk was a moving, true story about how her Aunt Rosa survived the Holocaust, playing the family violin in concentration camps. Tracing the precious instrument across landscapes devastated by war and terror, we learnt how it came to safety and restoration in 21st Century Britain.

She started the talk by showing us the relevant segments from the TV programme, “The Repair Shop” where her Aunt Rosa’s violin was restored to working order by a leading violin repairer.  We learnt a little of the violin’s history as we watched. Here is a link to some excerpts from the programme.

Over the next forty minutes, Natalie then told us the history of her family and the role of the violin in much greater detail. It was a fascinating story of survival against the odds and a reminder to all of us about the horrors of the holocaust. The talk was presented as a simple speech direct to the audience without any props or visual aids - the power of the story, and the measured calm delivery by Natalie, carried everyone along. Many in the audience were moved, but also uplifted, as the restored violin is now back in use. It is being played by young music students at the Yehudi Menuhin School where the instrument has a permanent home.