January 2025 - Friend's 200th Recital
The Friends of the Royal London Hospital held their 200th Music Recital on 23rd January 2025.To mark the occasion the Friends invited a special guest. He was introduced by the President, Professor Trevor Beedham.
Professor Sir John Cunningham KCVO MD FRCP is Professor of Nephrology at University College Medical School who has recently retired from the Royal Free Hospital. He was honorary Physician to Queen Elizabeth II and from 2005-2014, Head of the Royal Medical Household. He has been a Member of the Friends since he was a lecturer & senior lecturer in the Medical Unit at RLH, which
was then led by Prof. Bob Cohen CBE. Before his move to UC and the Royal Free, John was Professor of Renal and Metabolic Medicine at St Bartholomew's and the Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry.
John’s ongoing research has contributed to the understanding of uraemia and the relationship between cytokines and bones, vitamin D metabolites, calcimimetics & the parathyroid. In 2022 he delivered the prestigious Royal Society of Medicine Jephcott Lecture when he discussed the ‘two-way traffic’ between the kidney and the heart. He reminded everyone that advanced kidney disease is more deadly than many cancers and that most deaths are actually cardiac not renal. The sad fate of Jonah Lomu, the New Zealand ‘All Blacks’ rugby star was an example.
He has published numerous scientific papers and he chaired ‘Cardiology, Diabetes and Nephrology at the Limits’ a series produced by University College London, The University of Cape Town, The Brigham and Women’s Hospital (part of Harvard) and The Lancet. Throughout his career he has encouraged the breakdown of the silos between the different branches of medicine.
In conclusion, the President said that John was the most unspecialised of specialist physicians and a great colleague. He then added some personal recollections about their mutual past. Unfortunately as John started to speak the PA system began to misbehave most disturbingly. In spite of the troublesome interruption he responded in a jovial way, downplaying the complimentary remarks which had been made about him. He then formally welcomed the assembled patients and staff and thanked the Arbutus String Trio for coming all the way from Suffolk to a wet, windy & cold Whitechapel.
He mentioned that he was very much looking forward to the recital as his mother was a violinist. He noted that the Friends Music Project had been running for almost 2 years and that during that time about 90,000 people entering the hospital had heard the music.
The Arbutus Trio, from Suffolk comprises Jan Rowe violin, Pam Vinten-Phipps violin, and Melanie di Benga cello. They have been playing classical and modern music together for more than 20 years. On their website they say they ‘offer music to suit all occasions within 50 miles of Ipswich’. But they kindly broke that rule to come to Whitechapel for our special occasion. Like all our musicians they are unpaid volunteers and we thank them for their wonderful generosity. The warmth of their beautiful and well-chosen music infused the Foyer.
A video clip with a subscript by Richard Gardner is at;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwsYwfnoNRo&feature=youtu.be
The Trio were recommended by a friend of Dr Jillian Geaney. Jill combines being a General Dental Practitioner in Stowmarket specialising in implantology, with her appointment as a Clinical Lecturer in the Dental School. She is also a musician who plays with members of the trio. Sir John stayed throughout the recital, listening to the music and meeting old friends. The President thanked him & he thanked each of the musicians individually. Like our musicians John was rewarded with a cup of tea!
Prof. Sir John Cunningham Prof. Trevor Beedham
Jan Rowe Pam Vinten-Phipps Melanie di Benga
Prof. Trevor Beedham. 25th January 2025