Musician Moments: Bethan Roberts

Our musicians have been speaking about some of the most significant moments they have experienced whilst sharing Joy Through Live Music with Music in Hospitals & Care.

Cor anglais & oboist Bethan Roberts has been working with us in North England since 2005.

“One memory that particularly sticks in my mind was from one of my first solo ICU Hear concerts. I arrived at the ward to play my cor anglais and came across a patient who was extremely distressed. The nurse indicated that she was struggling to calm the lady down and told me that she didn’t speak English and had been trying to pull out her IV tubes all day. I began to play the slow movement from Dvorak’s 9 Symphony, also known as the theme from the Hovis advert, and the patient almost instantly became more relaxed. She closed her eyes to listen to the music and eventually fell asleep. The nurse was so happy and said that was the first time she had been calm enough to sleep. It was so moving to see such a quick change in the patient’s mood and a wonderful example of how music can really help in healthcare settings.”