A large crowd were able to watch the first performance on the Trust’s newly purchased Baby Grand Yamaha piano in the foyer at St Peter’s Hospital to mark the relaunch of the Healing Arts music programme on Wednesday 30th November 2022.
Tom Smerdon, Director of Strategy and Sustainability for Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust started the recital and performed several piano pieces which were recorded live by Radio Wey. If you would like to listen, visit Radio Wey.
As well as the purchase of the Baby Grand Yamaha piano, the Healing Arts programme has commissioned a new painting for the main entrance of St Peter’s Hospital by local artist Caroline Brodie of the Surrey Hills and also purchased new seating and some additional indoor plants that arrived in December.
Marcine Waterman, Non-Executive Director and Non-Executive Lead for the ASPH Healing Arts Programme said: “I’m delighted that we were able to celebrate the return of live music to the Trust with a wonderful performance in the main entrance of St Peter’s! We know that coming into hospital can cause feelings of anxiety for patients and visitors, which is why we wanted to transform the main entrance into a welcoming and calming environment. By bringing live music into this space, we believe it will uplift and help to alleviate any stress or anxiety patients are feeling.”
The Healing Arts programme is funded by the Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals’ Charity and is working to improve patient experience and outcomes through the presence of art in all forms across the Trust.
As part of the live music programme, several other performances have also taken place throughout December 2022, including four Christmas carol sing along sessions, with many more performances scheduled in the coming weeks. In addition to these performances, Healing Arts will also be bringing live music to clinical areas across the Trust through a series of pilot music therapy projects over the coming months.
If you or someone you know may be interested in performing at St Peter’s Hospital, please get in touch at
